Google's education arm has donated $100,000 towards a joint project between Code Club and Technology Will Save Us which allows children to build and programme their own games console for just £60, thereby teaching them early essential skills for a potential lifetime in technology. Announced today...
http://thenextweb.com/google/2014/06/18/google-donates-100000-help-kids-build-games-consoles/
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Dogecoin, for those who don't spend their time indulging in internet meta-memes, may seem like harmless nerdery. But for one enterprising hacker, it's created a small fortune -- at the price of annoying a lot of systems administrators. A pair of researchers at Dell's Secureworks security division...
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-06/18/dogecoin-hacker
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Jun 16, 2014
Today's news of flash-memory giant SanDisk buying out Fusion.io in an all-cash transaction valued at $1.1 billion wasn't entirely all that unexpected. Today's flash storage market is in a state of flux with a flood of acquisitions and offerings taking place as big storage players like SanDisk and Western Digital are trying to boost their storage expertise with companies that can bring software expertise to the table.
In late May, storage provider Seagate Technology purchased Avago's flash businesses for $450 million. Last September, Western Digital swallowed server-side flash storage company Virident for $683 million, which came only three months after the hard-drive maker spent $340 million to purchase solid-state drive company sTec. EMC has even gotten into the flash storage battleground with its updated VNX hybrid storage array that it rolled out last September.
With the advent of cloud computing, companies don't want to have spend their time manually determining which data should be partitioned to RAM, flash or even a spinning disk; they want software to figure this out and automate the task.
While Fusion.io's recent management issues certainly don't offer a sense that the company was operating on steady ground, the fact that SanDisk sought it out highlights the ever-important need for software to be integrated with hardware in order to improve efficiency.
Both Western Digital and Sandisk have specialized in making physical boxes, but they haven't focussed on software, which is Cottonwood Heights, Utah-based Fusion.io's specialty.
Remote desktop apps have an easier time working on tablets, where you have a lot of display area to work with, but they're frequently awkward on smartphones. Wouldn't it be nice if you could control a PC at home like it was just another phone app? Parallels is tackling that challenge head-on with smartphone-friendly versions of its Access app for both Android and the iPhone. Much like the earlier iPad release, the new titles give you a remote view of your Mac or Windows PC that's optimized for your mobile platform of choice. You can launch programs, select text and type almost as if the computer's software were built for a small screen. On the Android client (which also handles tablets), Parallels will even let you create shortcuts to jump directly into favorite desktop apps.
The wider support comes alongside a bundle of fairly hefty upgrades. It's now possible to wake up your computer in some circumstances, so you won't have to always leave it running for Access to work. You can also choose from extra screen resolutions if you need to see more of your desktop at a glance, and apps can borrow your device microphone for speech recognition or a quick voice chat. Those on iOS have the added perk of a file browser that makes it easier to track down that all-important presentation.
For some, the biggest change may be the cost of entry. Parallels has cut its personal subscription price from $80 to $20 for one year, and $35 for two years ($30 if you sign up by the end of June). That's obviously a much better value, particularly if you only occasionally need to reach your PC. There's also a new business tier that lets companies hook up five people for $50 per year. All the new apps are free to try for a couple of weeks, so it won't hurt to give them a shakedown. Who knows -- they might save your bacon the next time you leave your laptop at home.
Source: http://gizmodo.com/genetically-modified-orange-bananas-are-ready-for-human-1591535115
It's been nearly a decade in development, but a genetically modified breed of bananas that's designed to combat starvation will soon enter human testing. The bananas are rich in beta-carotene which turns into vitamin A in the body. For the children in Africa suffering from vitamin A deficiencies, this is a godsend. Also these banana are orange.
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/merger-mania-june-2014-2014-6
There have been a lot of mergers this year.
The first quarter of 2014 was the busiest first quarter for U.S. M&A activity since the first quarter of 2007, according to MergerMarket.
The first quarter also saw the largest aggregate deal value since 2007 and the largest average deal size since 2009.
And in the second quarter, there have been three U.S. merger proposals worth at least $40 billion.
On April 22, Valeant made its first offer for Allergan, which was worth about $46 billion, and has twice increased its offer for the Botox-maker. Valeant's deal raises a number of issues for the pharmaceutical industry, which we discussed at length last week.
On May 18, AT&T reached an agreement to acquire DirecTV for $95 per share. The offer represented a total transaction value of $67.1 billion.
And just yesterday, medical device-maker Medtronic agreed to acquire Covidien in a deal worth $42.9 billion that also involves a controversial "tax inversion" plan.
The Medtronic-Covidien mega merger also comes amid at least three deal announcements this mor! ning worth more than $1 billion.
And today's deals also follow last Friday's announcement that Priceline would buy OpenTable for $2.6 billion.
Recent reports have also said that Sprint is getting close to buying T-Mobile for more than $30 billion.
And let's not forget about Comcast's $45 billion deal to buy Time Warner announced in February, which proposed to create the nation's largest cable company, which customers probably won't be crazy about. And neither are some U.S. lawmakers.
This chart from FactSet shows the number of deals and the aggregate deal value over the last 15 months.
As you can see in this chart from FactSet, volume and value have both been elevated in 2014 compared to last year.
But it's the mega deals that really get people's attention.
In today's Wall Street Journal, two separate articles discuss the possibility of further consolidation in the cable and media space.
Miriam Gottfried's Heard on the Street column said it could be the right time for CBS and Viacom, which split in 2006, to get back together.
Meanwhile Amol Sharma and Keach Hagey report t! hat smal ler TV channel owners like AMC Networks and Scripps Networks could benefit from being acquired by a larger company.
But this increase in deal activity does not come as a complete surprise.
Reports from financial advisory firms American Appraisal and KPMG said that M&A activity in 2014 was expected to be strong.
American Appraisal said it expected consolidation across industries to increase deal volumes in 2014.
KPMG said 63% of the more than 1,000 M&A professionals surveyed expected their company or their clients to initiate at least one acquisition in 2014.
With the stock market near record highs, companies are also using their stock prices to finance deals, a la Facebook's $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp, which was comprised of 75% stock and 25% cash.
Interest rates and overall market volatility also remain low, making it easy for companies to borrow money to finance large acquisitions.
Don't be surprised to see even more merger activity this year.
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Source: http://gizmodo.com/satellites-are-now-cleared-to-take-photos-at-mailbox-le-1591396293
The Department of Commerce just lifted a ban on satellite images that showed features smaller than 20 inches. The nation's largest satellite imaging firm, Digital Globe, asked the government to lift the restrictions and can now sell images showing details as small as a foot. A few inches may seem slight, but this is actually a big deal.
Jun 16, 2014
Think all BitTorrent downloads are illegal? Think again: BitTorrent Inc. announced Monday that it has distributed more than 100 million copies of its BitTorrent content bundles ever since the introduction of the promotional format a little over a year ago. Bundles are essentially officially sanctioned torrents which tend to come with a call to action – users have to provide their email address to get access to some of the content. Some of BitTorrent's most notable content partners included De La Soul, Moby and Tim Ferriss.
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/16/desert-wolf-skunk-mine-strike-suppression-drone/
The treatment of South African miners has been a troublesome issue ever since black laborers were forced into the mines in 1894. It's led to a series of bloody strikes and protests, starting in 1946 and continuing through apartheid right up until today. A new type of crowd suppression drone from a local defense contractor isn't going to help matters, especially given the fact that the country is in the grip of a 21-week miners' strike in which some protestors have already been killed. The Skunk, built by Desert Wolf, is designed to "control unruly crowds without endangering the lives of security staff," and is reportedly already being adopted by mine owners.
Equipped with a 4,000-strong clip and four paintball gun barrels, the Skunk can fire up to 80 projectiles in a single second. It can carry dye markers, pepper spray bullets or even solid plastic balls, which somewhat stretches the definition of "non lethal." The hardware also carries strobe lights and on-board speakers to disorientate and warn the crowd, as well as a FLIR thermal camera for night vision operations. According to defenceWeb, unnamed mine operators have already placed orders for 25 Skunks, which could be deployed as early as next month. Good luck, then, to anyone trying to protest for safer working conditions beyond that date.
Filed under: Misc
Via: PrivacySOS
Source: defenceWeb, Desert Wolf
It's no surprise that Samsung would make a new Galaxy Note smartphone given the series' very healthy sales, but just how is the company going to improve on the design of the Note 3? By giving it a quad HD screen, apparently. The company has posted a web profile for an unannounced SM-N910A (the Note 3 for AT&T is the SM-N900A) that includes a 2,560 x 1,440 display, hinting that the future Galaxy Note will pack visuals roughly as sharp as LG's G3. It also backs what we've heard about Oculus VR getting greater-than-1080p OLED screens from the Korean tech firm. There aren't any other big clues in the profile, but they come on the heels of import data that suggests the next Note will maintain the same 5.7-inch screen size as its predecessor -- Samsung may be resisting the urge to produce a truly gigantic phone like the G Pro 2 or Lumia 1520.
As for what's behind that new panel? That's tougher to prove. SamMobile claims that the new Note will be powered by a speedier Snapdragon 805 or Exynos 5433 processor (depending on the market) and ship with a newly stabilized 16-megapixel camera. Those make sense when Galaxy Notes are historically more powerful than the Galaxy S models they follow, but nothing's set in concrete -- we wouldn't rule out a surprise or two. If the profile is accurate, though, fans of Samsung's larger handsets have at least a visual upgrade to look forward to this year.
Source: http://gizmodo.com/these-wireless-earbuds-charge-while-theyre-in-your-pock-1591345231
These are perhaps the headphones of the future: earbuds which use Bluetooth to beam audio to your ears, with small rechargeable batteries to eliminate cables, in perhaps the smallest package of its type we've seen.
Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-nanotube-sponge-can-absorb-water-straight-from-the-1591142624
A team of researchers has found inspiration in an unlikely critter: the humble Namib Desert beetle, a south African species that gathers water molecules straight from the air. The beetle does this by developing a pattern of water-attracting and repelling molecules on its wings and trapping water molecules in these peaks and troughs.
Source: http://gizmodo.com/fly-around-the-world-with-this-map-of-drone-recorded-vi-1591162763
Ever wish you could pick a place on the planet and instantly have a drone's-eye view? Well, now you can.
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/15/hexoplus-autonomous-camera-drone/
If you want to record a bike ride or some other adventure by yourself, you typically have to wear an action camera. Going that route is fine for a first-person view, but what if you want some more dramatic shots? That's where Hexoplus' crowdfunded Hexo+ camera drone comes into play. The robotic hexacopter captures aerial footage of your expeditions simply by detecting where you are (or rather, where your phone is) and following along -- you only have to set a preferred distance. It's fast (43MPH) and stabilized, too, so it should keep up even if you're racing across hilly terrain.
Should you like the idea of starring in your own sports movie, you'll need to pledge at least $499 if you want a Hexo+ and already have a GoPro camera on hand; $699 will get you both the craft and a camera. That's a lot of money just to get yourself in the frame, but it might be worthwhile if it gives you the production quality you usually only see from a big studio. You'd better hope that the FAA gets its drone rules in order before Hexoplus' planned May 2015 ship date, though. After all, you don't want to get into a legal battle over your airborne magnum opus.
Source: Hexoplus, Kickstarter
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/meta-3-d-glasses-2014-6
Tucked away in the hills of Portola Vally, California, overlooking grass and trees and even some deer, you'll find the headquarters of Meta, which has been working on augmented reality glasses that they hope will change the future. And the world.
The glasses aren't just for entertainment, and they're not just a smartphone for your face. This is a whole other segment of computing that enhances how you interact with the world around you.
A team of fewer than 50 people lives in a huge rented mansion on a 20-acre estate overlooking the wilderness west of Silicon Valley. It's something out of a movie, with a pool, a tennis court, and pictures of "Iron Man" Tony Stark adorning the walls.
That's because the glasses that Meta is developing resemble something from an "Iron Man" movie. Look through the lenses, and physical objects are rendered virtually. Then, whatever you're looking at — be it a phone or a document or even a keyboard — can be all manipulated by your hands.
"The future that we're envisioning has to do not only with showing awesome-looking holograms, but it has to do with collaborating and it has to do with eye contact," Meta CEO Meron Gribetz told me on a sunny Friday afternoon. "This is the first computer ever to allow you and I to make eye contact while we are looking at digital information at the same time. And we see it from different perspectives."
Meta has several experts on its team, including Professor Steve Mann, the inventor of wearable computing. Meta has also hired Jayse Hansen, the designer behind Tony Stark's holographic interfaces in the first and third "Iron Man" movies, to create a user interface that's basically the same as in the films.
The Meta 1 glasses have been shipping out to developers for $667. The MetaPro glasses, for consumers, however, will take things a step further, offering more-functional and better-! looking frames. They'll arrive in the fall for around $3,650. But, Gribetz assured me, that price tag will be coming down "soon" for regular customers.
"This is all going to be very cheap in the future," Gribetz said.
You can preorder a pair, or sign up for a development kit, on their website.
The possibilities for such glasses are endless, whether it be playing games on your living room floor or sculpting a vase and sending it to a 3-D printer. You can check out videos on YouTube showing you what the glasses are capable of. And companies like Salesforce are already signed on to use the glasses for upcoming products.
I went to the Meta campus to meet the team and try out a pair of the Meta glasses.
Mattan Kitchales, head of marketing and PR, met me at the door, wearing sunglasses and looking as relaxed as anyone who lives on a 20-acre beautiful estate. "Working and living here is like a dream come true," he told me.
He gave me a brief tour of the house, which runs on the same principle as a kibbutz: everyone lives together, makes food together, washes dishes together, and works together.
Kitchales met Gribetz in the Israel Defense Forces, where Gribetz was in an elite technological unit, more than 10 years ago. The two were roommates, as well, and he told me that Gribetz has been envisioning and talking about virtual reality and computers since then.
After ! the mili tary, Gribetz studied computer science and neuroscience at Columbia University, which led to thoughts about computers helping people with visual impairments. Which eventually led to the Meta glasses.
After a few minutes talking with Kitchales, Gribetz came out to the backyard to meet me, wearing shorts and a blue V-neck. He looks like he could be Christian Slater's younger brother.
Gribetz was visibly excited to show me the rest of the house, and to give me a demo of the glasses. And after trying them out, it's easy to see why he was so happy.
The glasses themselves are pretty comfortable, as far as wearing a computer on your face goes. They even come with prescription inserts for people with bad eyesight.
They have two 1,280x720-pixel LCD displays, each with a 40-degree field of view. They have two RGB cameras; surround sound; a 3-D depth sensor; and a nine-axis integrated motion unit with accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass.
All those tech specs basically mean that when you're wearing the glasses, it's hard to remember that you're not looking at the real world. The glasses look like a pair of aviators, but with a wire that runs to the Meta's computer. And you can see through them, so you're not completely shut out from the rest of the world.
It's more than just two screens in front of your face.
During my demo, I blew up asteroids with my fingers. I typed on a keyboard. I even spun a car around with my hands, allowing me to look at it from different angles. I picked up objects and moved them around.
There's a small learning curve: it's a little bit weird touching things that aren't even there. You're supposed to move your fingers and hand exactly where your brain is telling you to go. But your brain is also telling you that there's nothing re! ally the re.
After a minute, my brain and eyes caught up to each other, and I was able to move things around with relative ease. To zoom in on something, you pull it toward your face, just like you would in the real world.
Graphics were high resolution. I could read text. I could watch a television screen. Playing "Minecraft" while wearing a pair of the glasses would be a possible use case. "It'll be like crack for kids," Gribetz joked, and I think he's right.
The coolest part was when someone else put their hand in my field of view. I could see their hand rendered virtually in front of my face, grabbing the object I was working on; it was like they were entering my virtual world.
Until recently, the glasses had been called Google Glass killers. But they're not really comparable. And they don't compete with Oculus Rift, either.
Gribetz explained that there are three categories of wearable computing. The first is the "notification machine," which is just giving you popups and tidbits of information.
"Google is the information king, and they're going to win that category. And I wish them all the luck in the world," Gribetz said.
The second is the "'Matrix' machine," which transports you to a different reality. "The Oculus is going to be the best way to consume what I call 'old-world' movies and games in the next 10 years. And Oculus is going to win in that environment," Gribetz explained.
But the new ge! neration of virtual reality — which he calls the "natural machine" — will be collaborative and more like the real world, Gribetz says. And that's where the Meta glasses come in.
"What Meta's about, fundamentally, underneath all the layers of 'coolness,' is bringing people together and making digital information the adhesive between people, instead of the separator," Gribetz said.
Theoretically, the Meta glasses can incorporate the "information machine" and the "'Matrix' machine," making for an all-in-one device that you already know how to use.
"It's an evolution of the iPad, which is an evolution of how we manipulate things in the real world," Gribetz said. "People get it. Touch the photograph, and it moves around on the table. Touch a photograph on the iPad, and it moves around on the iPad. It's a natural progression."
In a world where we spend so much time looking at our smartphones, laptops, tablets, or TV screens, there's not much room for collaboration.
But with the Meta glasses, other people will be able to see what you're working on. You won't just be waving your arms in front of you like a spaz — other people in the room will be able to see that you're manipulating a virtual document or playing a game or even working on a 3-D model.
In Gribetz's world, when you walk into a coffee shop, you won't see a bunch of heads looking down at computer screens. Instead you'll see people gazing at their virtual workspaces. If someone is looking at pictures of their trip to Peru, you'll be able to see them swiping through the pictures. He hopes it will spark a conversation.
"They're not just moving their hands; they're holding holograms, and other people can see you doing that," Gribetz said. "I envision a future where people are less worried about sharing information, and are more focused on meetin! g new pe ople using the digital information."
"If you'd like, you could have more than one 'iPad,' you could have an infinite number of iPads kind of stuck in contextual places in the real world," Gribetz said. "So when you're going out of the house, you could have a shopping list stuck to your door, for example. Your spouse could leave you a note on the fridge. You could start sticking these widgets of contextual information all over your environment."
It's like combining all of your devices — smartphone, computer, portable laptop, tablet, game console — into one wearable device. "The office place of the future is going to be defined by Meta's technology," Gribetz assured me.
The Meta team works under the philosophy, called "natural computing," which means computing should only emulate what your brain does without it. "We don't want to clutter people's lives with a bunch of crap," Gribetz said. "The best success for us to know when you want and when you don't want to stuff, because they're equally important."
That means no display ads will pop up while you're wearing the glasses.
Instead the glasses will be an extension of the real world. An extension of what you do anyway with all your gadgets, and how others view you while you're using those devices.
"There's a giant movement that's emerging on the internet of people who are becoming anti-iPhone and anti-technology," Gribetz said. "So when you're with a group of friends, you'll have that moment where everyone is staring down at their phones. And there's no talking anymore between your buddies. It's kind of frustrating to a lot of people. And I think computing doesn't hav! e to be like that."
SEE ALSO: Take a tour of Meta, the company that wants the world to be like an 'Iron Man' movie
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