Sunday, June 01, 2014

HP hedges its bets, unveils a 14-inch laptop running Android

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/01/hp-slatebook/

HP hedges its bets, unveils a 14-inch laptop running Android

If you thought this year's Computex show would be dominated entirely by Windows machines, you're in for a little twist. HP has just revealed the SlateBook, that 14-inch Android laptop we saw in a leaked video earlier this year. In addition, HP refreshed its 11-inch Chromebook with a slightly better batter, and dropped the price from $279 to $249. And that's not even counting all the Windows systems the company just launched. Some might call this strategy "throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks"; HP would probably just say it's hedging its bets. Either way, we've got the skinny -- but we'll leave it to you to decide which operating system makes the most sense.

The SlateBook isn't the first Android clamshell we've seen. Normally, though, once we get this far up in screen size, we expect a machine to be running Windows or OS X. You know, a "real" desktop OS. Heck, we've even seen Android running on various all-in-ones. But Android on a laptop? Especially one this large? That's a horse of a different color.

What's interesting is that with these specs (an NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor, a 1080p touchscreen and a nine-hour battery), the 3.7-pound SlateBook is poised to compete against Chrome OS devices, including HP's own Chromebook 14, which costs a hundred dollars less. In particular, it matches up well against Samsung's new Chromebook 2, which also has a full HD screen and long battery life, and which costs the same as the SlateBook.

The difference, of course, comes down to which operating system functions better on a laptop. At first blush, it would seem Chrome OS is more mouse-and-keyboard friendly, but that Android has a much wider selection of apps, meaning you might be able to do more with it. The SlateBook will be available August 6th, starting at $399, at which point we'd love to get one in to review so that we can live with an Android laptop and see what it's like. Until, then, though, it would appear this is your shopping dilemma, if you choose to go with either OS at all.

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Saturday, May 31, 2014

drag2share: Illegal Prescription Drugs Keep Showing Up On Amazon

source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/y9NLNsYJKXc/amazon-prescription-drugs-2014-5

pills medicinePhysician Ford Vox started noticing prescription drugs on Amazon that were available without a prescription, he writes on Slate.

All of the drugs linked to in his article have since been removed from Amazon, indicating that the company removes potentially illegal goods when they have been identified.

But other listings for prescription drugs mentioned in the article can still be found on the e-commerce site.

A quick search for the medication Vitara Clinda Gel brings up more than 100 results. Searching for its prescription-regulated ingredient, clindamycin, yields more than 300 results. Clindamycin, Vox writes, is known to cause severe and even deadly reactions if used improperly. There's a reason it's not supposed to be easy to get.

Vox writes there are many more strong and dangerous drugs available on Amazon that would usually require a doctor's signature, such as prescription-strength muscle relaxers and antibiotics, which can contain harmful compounds and are lethal with misuse.

Here's what Amazon told Vox:

I asked Amazon public relations manager Erik Fairleigh a number of specific questions about how illegal products make it through to the site to end up being sold to Amazon customers. I wanted to know if Amazon employees manually review each product before it is listed, why products are removed following reporting like this only to reappear later on the site, a! nd if Am azon considers itself protected from liability when third-party distributors are selling illegal products to Amazon's customers. Fairleigh declined to answer these questions, but he did point me to Amazon's policy on counterfeiting, which attempts to distance the company from the third-party sellers in its marketplace by saying "it is each seller's responsibility to source and sell only authentic products." The policy goes on to state that, "if we determine that a seller account has been used to engage in fraud or other illegal activity, remittances and payments may be withheld or forfeited."

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Around Half Of All American Adults Were Hacked In The Last Year

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/half-of-american-adults-were-hacked-last-year-2014-5

target shopping carts

New data says 110 million Americans, about 47% of American adults, lost some personal information to hackers in the past year, Digital Trends reports. This information includes everything from names and phone numbers to credit card numbers and security questions.

The data comes from Ponemon Institute and CNN Money and is not exact, but is estimated from numbers from the Identity Theft Resource Center and different corporate disclosures, Digital Trends says.

This is likely thanks to some large-scale hacks from the past year. The Heartbleed Bug, the Snapchat hack, and the Target hack all left millions vulnerable to hacks and theft. Other companies, like eBay and AOL, had large-scale security issues but have yet to release figures about how many accounts were at risk. This is why 110 million people can only be an estimate, CNN Money reports.

Hackers are also growing more efficient and sophisticated. A hack can go on for years without being detected. CNN Money says.

SEE ALSO: A bunch of AOL accounts have been hacked

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Friday, May 30, 2014

drag2share: New Method of Quantum Teleportation Could Bring Us a Quantum Internet

Source: http://gizmodo.com/new-method-of-quantum-teleportation-could-bring-us-a-qu-1583771236

New Method of Quantum Teleportation Could Bring Us a Quantum Internet

A team of Dutch scientists just announced a new method of quantum teleportation that uses entanglement as a form of communication. They can successfully teleport data over a distance of ten feet. But, more importantly, they can also do so with 100 percent reliability.

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drag2share: Samsung's latest smartphone-camera hybrid launches in the UK tomorrow

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/30/samsung-galaxy-k-zoom-uk-launch/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

Samsung appears intent on single-handedly bringing back the word "cameraphone," if the Galaxy S4 Zoom and recently announced Galaxy K Zoom are anything to go by. The newer of the two does a much better job of hiding its hybrid bloodline, and tomorrow (May 31st) it arrives in the UK at various online and bricks-and-mortar outlets, including at Carphone Warehouse and Samsung's own Experience stores. If the official K Zoom product page is any indication, you'll be looking at around £400 all-in, and we doubt they'll be a wealth of carrier-subsidised deals on offer for the niche device. The K Zoom doesn't quite rival the Galaxy S5 in terms of raw power, but it's the 20.7-megapixel camera with 10x optical zoom you'll be buying it for; and, how can you resist something with a Selfie Alarm mode?

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drag2share: This Futuristic Floating City Could Become A Reality In China

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/china-may-build-this-floating-city-2014-5

Renderings of this futuristic Floating City (via Dezeen) could very easily pass for the storyboard of a Hollywood sci-fi flick set in the distant future.

But this design for a floating city, by London-based architecture firm AT Design Office, may very well become reality.

According to the city's designers, the project's backers are in talks with a large Chinese investment group to discuss the possibility of constructing the City. "China Transport Investment Co. is reviewing the proposal and is likely to start to test this ambitious project from a smaller scale next year," project architect Slavomir Siska said in a press releaseFloating CityCommissioned by Chinese construction firm CCCC, the Floating City is a proposed four-square mile floating structure comprised of hexagonal modules connected by underwater tunnels that create a network of roads and walkways. Floating City 6The eco-friendly project is expected to be self-sufficient, with on-island food production, power generation, and waste management systems. Movement throughout the city is expected to be facilitated by electric cars or other zero-carbon forms of transport. Floating City 1Logistically, the movement of goods in and out of the Floating Cit! y may be a challenge, but designers are hoping a network above, as well as underwater transport canals with fleets of transport yachts and submarines, will ease the strain.

In fact, the City's center harbor,with access to its shopping and entertainment districts, could be used as a parking location of commercial submarines.Floating City 2The Floating City will consist of both above and underwater segments, and will feature all of the residential, commercial and entertainment accoutrements of a major city. Planners expect the City to house luxury hotels, restaurants, shopping, and other recreational options. The Floating City will even come equipped with docking facilities for cruise ships to encourage tourism.Floating City 3The architects at AT Design Office have also included a copious amount of green space in their design, both above and under water. The above-ground green belt is designed to provide residents with recreational space, while the underwater greenery will provide fresh air and additional relaxation space.Floating City 4While it is unlikely the completed Floating City will be an exact facsimile of these renderings, many of the construction techniques needed to bring the project to life is already exist. The City's backers expect to construct the city out of a series of 500 x 100-foot prefabricated blocks by implementing techniques CCCC is currently using to build a 31-mile-long bridge connecting Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai.Floating City 5

SEE ALSO: 10 Awesome Photos From The Glamorous Monaco Grand Prix

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drag2share: Insane man flies through a narrow gap between two buildings

Source: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/it-seems-the-world-is-full-of-people-who-dont-care-abou-1583246151/+caseychan

Insane man flies through a narrow gap between two buildings

It seems the world is full of people who don't care about their lives. Here's one: Sebastián Álvarez, who decided it was a great idea to fly in his wingsuit through this narrow gap between two buildings in Reñaca, Chile.

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drag2share: A Shape-Shifting Colander You Can Get Excited About

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-shape-shifting-colender-you-can-get-excited-about-1583489266

A Shape-Shifting Colander You Can Get Excited About

Ten years ago, London-based designer Ran Merkazy starting an unusual project. He started designing a better colander. Inspired by geometry and origami, Merkazy eventually came up with a folding, hanging, pouring, steaming, straining device that your kitchen needs.

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drag2share: SpaceX Dragon V2 can seat up to seven passengers, use thrusters to land on solid ground

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/29/space-x-dragon-v2/

SpaceX's Dragon capsule has been taking cargo to the International Space Station since 2012, but it's done so lacking the chops to shuttle humans into orbit. The firm's just unveiled the next generation of the spacecraft, dubbed Dragon V2, to remedy that, and it's designed to do much more than carry people. The new craft is reusable, can hold up to seven passengers and is designed to allow for swapping crew space for additional cargo. What's more, the vessel is able to land on solid ground with the accuracy of a helicopter -- as opposed to splashing down at sea -- without parachutes. Using eight SuperDraco thrusters, engines 3D-printed from a superalloy, the Dragon V2 can blast out enough force (16,000 lbf for each engine) to slow itself down for a landing on terra firma.

According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Dragon V2 will make its first voyage with humans by the end of 2016. In the meantime, the capsule and its engines still have to undergo more testing. Once its making regular flights, Musk expects the capsule to endure 10 launches without major refurbishing. When its past that threshold, it's likely that only its heat shield will need servicing. Presumably, once the shield is repaired, the craft can endure another 10 trips before needing another major tune-up.

In the event of an emergency during launch, Dragon V2 can use its SuperDraco engines to abort at any time during its ascent. Typically, that kind of escape option is only available during the first few minutes of flight. When it comes to mishaps while landing, Musk's new vessel can land itself even if two of its thrusters aren't operating. If an engine-driven touchdown is out of the question, the capsule can rely on parachutes to slow it down for an ocean splashdown.

So, how much will a launch for NASA or other customers cost? As low as $20 million. According to Musk, the new Dragon is part of SpaceX's goal to make spaceflight so affordable that there are hundreds -- and eventually thousands -- of craft hurtling towards space every day. If you want a private trip, you'll have to start saving pennies.

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drag2share: This augmented reality motorcycle helmet could save your life

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/30/augmented-reality-motorcycle-helmet/

"I was in early morning traffic when an inattentive driver hit me from behind and I was thrown from my motorcycle." Ryan Shearman, founder and CEO of Fusar Technologies, tells me at Augmented World Expo 2014. It's the kind of thing that could happen to any motorcyclist -- and indeed, happens too often -- but it also served as a spark of inspiration. "It started the wheels turning in my head: how can I make motorcycle riding safer?" His answer was to build a better helmet.

Shearman calls his smart helmet the Gaurdian; it's a DOT approved brain bucket with an Android board, two wide-angle cameras and bits and pieces from an Epson Moverio. "What it is, is a fully integrated and connected device that motorcyclists can wear that allows them to have a full cognitive awareness of what's going on around them." The Epson optics provide the rider with a detailed heads-up display, filling their view with data from the rear view camera, their current speed and navigation information.

"It also has video recording capabilities," he told me. "Everything is recorded passively, but in the event that an accident is detected, that footage is locked into hard memory. It effectively has a black box feature built in." It sounds like a great feature, but Shearman obviously wants it to be used as infrequently as possible. The helmet's software package is being designed to monitor the cameras for potential hazards -- if all goes well, the final product will be able to alert the driver of a dangerous situation before it becomes an accident. He also plans to add voice control to future prototypes.

The models Shearman brought to AWE were pretty beat up, but with good reason: the entrepreneur has been riding up and down California's Pacific Coast Highway all week, shooting footage for his company's upcoming Kickstarter video. The company plans to launch its crowdfunding imitative by mid July, and wants to have the Guardian on the market in about a year. Hungry for a safer helmet? Check out the firm's website at the source link below.

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Source: Fusar

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drag2share: Velociraptor-inspired robot can run almost as fast as DARPA's Cheetah

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/30/velociraptor-robot-kaist/

There's a new robot that's almost matched Cheetah's speed record, but it wasn't designed after another speedy cat. Instead, it takes cues from something more terrifying: a velociraptor. The two-legged machine named Raptor was created by scientists from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, who've even outfitted it with a tail like the extinct reptile's for balance. In its current form, it can go as fast as 28.58 mph (46 km/h), just a bit slower than the famous mechanical cat's max speed of 29.2 mph (47 km/h). Compared to DARPA's robotic cat, though, Raptor's technology is a lot simpler, even using ordinary springs as tendons to be able to run fast more effectively. Right now, Raptor's confined to running on a treadmill like Cheetah's older iterations, but its creators hope to make it more stable so it can run on any surface without a tether. Once that happens, all it'll need is a velociraptor suit for the KAIST researchers to start their own (hopefully safer) Jurassic Park.

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Via: CNET, SlashGear

Source: IEEE

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Thursday, May 29, 2014

drag2share: Google's cutesy cars are a 'serious threat' to the auto industry, says GM

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/29/google-vs-gm/

There's no doubt about it: for a company that makes most of its money from web ads, Google knows how to make an adorable self-driving car. The search giant's automotive prowess isn't going unnoticed by the industry's more established players, either. Mark Reuss, GM's executive VP of global product development, told recently told Bloomberg that he could see Google becoming a "serious competitive threat" in the motoring realm.

Yes, that seems like a "well, duh" confession to us too, especially now that Google will roll out at least 100 of those cutesy, two-seater prototype cars for some real world testing later this year. It certainly doesn't hurt that California's Department of Motor Vehicles just gave a thumbs up to self-driving car tests on public roads, a decision that'll take effect in September. Of course, Google can only become a competitive threat if it wants to be, and it's still unclear just how it plans to bring these motors to market. A separate Google Motors division? A slew of partnerships with existing manufacturers? Our crystal ball is on the fritz, and car crafters aren't quaking in their boots just yet. Reuss noted that "anybody can do anything with enough time and money" - Google's definitely got plenty of the latter, but major auto makers haven't just been sitting on their laurels. GM and Nissan both have self-driving car projects underway in China and Japan, respectively, while Volvo has been testing its own on the open roads of Sweden.

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Source: Bloomberg

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drag2share: Netflix has a new original series for kids, courtesy of DreamWorks

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/29/netflix-dreamworks-dragons/

The relationship between Netflix and DreamWorks is one that just keeps on giving. Accordingly, the video-streaming giant has announced that it is partnering with the studio yet again, this time to bring DreamWorks Dragons to the platform as an original series for kids. Dragons, based on the popular How to Train Your Dragon franchise, will debut next year on Netflix and is said to "bridge the gap" between the first feature film and the sequel that's slated to premiere this summer. Previously, the TV series had made Cartoon Network its home, with a total of 40 episodes split between two seasons.

Netflix says that the idea to work with DreamWorks Animations on securing the exclusivity of Dragons was a no-brainer, as it believes that these are a "beloved set of characters" and kids "will be enjoying them for years to come." When it arrives in 2015, DreamWorks Dragons is going to be available worldwide, including places across the globe where Netflix is due to launch later this year.

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Source: Netflix

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drag2share: Simple.TV's streaming DVR now sends shows to your Chromecast

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/29/simple-tv-chromecast-support/

Simple.TV streaming DVR

Simple.TV's streaming DVR is handy if you want to catch up on shows while on the road, but what if you want to watch on a friend's TV, or don't have an internet connection at all? Neither should be a big issue following an update to the company's Android, iOS and web apps. You can now send both live and recorded TV to a Chromecast, so that big-screen experience will follow you outside of the home. And if you travel to a place where internet access isn't guaranteed, you won't be deprived of viewing material -- it's now possible to download recordings to a computer (sadly, not mobile devices) in advance. They're not the biggest improvements, but they make all the difference if you're scrounging for something to watch while on vacation.

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Source: App Store, Google Play

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drag2share: Google Could Become A 'Serious Competitive Threat' To The Auto Industry (GOOG)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/google-could-threaten-auto-industry-2014-5

google self-driving car

If Google continues to move forward with self-driving cars, the company could pose a serious threat to the auto industry, General Motors global product chief Mark Reuss told Bloomberg.

Even though GM is working on its own autonomous cars, Reuss told reporters yesterday that GM is not directly in a race against Google. 

“Anybody can do anything with enough time and money,” Reuss said. “If they set their mind to it, I have no doubt [that Google could become] a very serious competitive threat.”

Still, Reuss doesn't envision autonomous cars taking over cities "anytime soon."

On Tuesday, Google revealed a prototype driverless car without pedals, breaks, or a steering wheel. Google plans to deploy at least 100 of these this year.

Since launching the driverless car program in 2009, Google's cars have logged over 700,000 miles. It also recently set out to tackle autonomous driving on city streets.

SEE ALSO: Taxi Drivers Are Threatening To Shut Down Central London In Protest Of Uber

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