Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Samsung's free DSLR trade-in promo comes to LA today

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/14/samsung-dslr-ditch-day-los-angeles/

After a successful first run in New York City earlier this year, Samsung is now taking its free camera-swap program to the West Coast. If you're in the Los Angeles area, you'll have a chance to trade in your DSLR, so long as it's fully functional, for either a Samsung NX30 or NX Mini -- both of which are two of the South Korean company's newest cameras. Compared to the previous event in The Big Apple, Samsung has now included the NX Mini as part of the promotion, giving an option to people who prefer something a little more compact. Today's Ditch Day will be taking place at Hollywood & Highland Center, from 10AM to 7PM PT; supplies are limited however, so be sure you get there as early as possible. For those interested, details on the trade-in criteria can be found below, and you can check out the rest of the terms and conditions right here.

Qualifying DSLR Cameras: For your existing DSLR camera to qualify for the Trade Up Reward, it must be a DSLR camera, including the main battery and functioning lens, must not be permanently marked or defaced and must be complete and undamaged (reasonable wear & tear accepted) (the "Trade-In Criteria"). For the avoidance of doubt, each of the following is considered beyond reasonable wear and tear: cracked/split or open chassis structure, cracked or non-working display, missing battery (if applicable), or lens cracked. Only cameras that fully comply with the Trade-In Criteria shall be deemed a DSLR for the purposes of this Promotion and such determination shall be at the sole discretion of the Promoter.

Participants may only submit one DSLR for a maximum of one Trade Up Reward.

Filed under: Cameras, Misc, Peripherals, Samsung

Source: Samsung

Article: New batteries charge 70 percent in 2 minutes

The freedom to hold computers in our hands, pop wireless headphones in our ears and pilot drones through our backyards is all brought to us by batteries -- especially rechargeable lithium ion batteries. The portable powerhouses are a critical component of our march toward tech mobility, yet most ...

http://www.cnet.com/news/new-batteries-charge-70-percent-in-2-minutes/#ftag=CAD590a51e

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The most gorgeous and beautiful surfing video I've ever seen

Source: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/this-gorgeous-surf-video-hypnotized-me-into-craving-sum-1644950190/+caseychan

The most gorgeous and beautiful surfing video I've ever seen

I was happily installed in my fall-is-so-gorgeous mood when I came across this gorgeous video by Los Angeles-based photographer Morgan Maassen. Now I am craving summer again. Underwater slow-motion shots, great music, and fantastic editing makes it an irresistible pleasure to watch.

A Robotic Vertical Garden You Can Build With Hardware Store Materials

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-robotic-vertical-garden-you-can-build-with-hardware-s-1645882949

A Robotic Vertical Garden You Can Build With Hardware Store Materials

Vertical farms are all the rage, yet these systems are often expensive, messy, and utterly impractical for most urban dwellers. The Robotic Urban Farm System (RUFS) by Better Living Through Robotics improves on nearly every shortfall of the typical system: It uses very little water, no soil, and is made from accessible, affordable parts, with instructions free online.

Philips' wearable sensor gives COPD patients constant health tracking

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/13/philips-copd-sensor/

Philips is no stranger to the healthcare industry, and with a new sensor, it's looking to further dive into medical wearables for real-world use. The company developed a gadget for COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) sufferers that's worn inside a disposable adhesive patch, continuously gathering diagnostic stats like heart rate, respiratory function and physical activity (or inactivity). All of the data is collected on the sensor, transferred to the patient's mobile device and uploaded to a cloud-based healthcare repository. The tech, which was co-developed with Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands, allows doctors to monitor patients from afar and assess an episode before things get too severe. According to Philips, this is just the first in a line of low-cost sensors in the works to monitor chronic medical conditions in real time.

Filed under: Wearables, Science

Source: USA Today

A new MHL adapter charges your phone while sending 4K video to a TV

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/13/mhl-3-adapter/

Back in March, we took a look at the MHL 3.0 tech that wrangles 4K video from a micro-USB jack while keeping the device charged. Well, now there's a handy adapter for linking those compatible gadgets with any TV that packs HDMI ports for viewing sessions. If you're in need of a refresher, the MHL 3.0 standard sorts 4K video output from a micro-USB port while also keeping said smartphone (like Sony's Xperia Z3, for example) or slate charged with up to 10W of power. The adapter also takes care of 7.1 Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD 7.1 surround sound to match the visuals. If you happen to be wielding a MHL-compatible device, JCE's handy accessory is set to arrive before the month's end with a $30 price tag.

Filed under: Peripherals

Google Express shopping service grows: new cities, partners and Prime-style subscriptions

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/14/google-express-shopping-expands-adds-subscriptions/

Google started experimenting with same-day deliveries early last year, but now it's getting serious. Google Express (shortened from Google Shopping Express) is expanding its service areas from just the Bay Area, parts of NYC and Los Angeles -- now it's shipping goods from local merchants to their customers in Chicago, Washington D.C. and Boston. There's a slew of new retailers on board including Barnes & Noble, PetSmart and Sports Authority, and in the Bay Area it's added alcohol and fresh foods to the delivery menu. One small catch? Starting today, Google will charge for those deliveries, which used to be free. Nonmembers can can pay $5 per order, or join the service (sort of like Amazon Prime) for $95 a year, or $10 per month.

That membership covers free same-day or overnight delivery on orders over $15 (booze is an extra $3 per order for nonmembers, $0.01 extra, per store, for members), "first dibs" on delivery windows, and can be shared across a household, but the good news is that there's a three month free trial. By comparison, Amazon is charging $99 per year for its sprawling Prime subscription that covers speedy deliveries, music and even movies, and $299 per year to be a part of its Amazon Prime Fresh service. The Prime Fresh package offers free same- or next-day early morning delivery of orders over $35, with over 500,000 items on offer and the standard Prime service included.

VP of Google Shopping Sameer Samat tells the WSJ in an interview that Google is " trying to build an experience that doesn't just focus on the world of the desktop," and that we should expect more things that blend the online and physical worlds. The tagline is "your everyday delivered" -- after search, mail and maps, are you ready to hand your shopping over to Google too?

Filed under: Internet, Google, Amazon

Source: Google Shopping Express

Over 65 million voice samples guard your bank data from scammers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/14/voice-biometric-security/

Two-factor authentication might be all the rage these days, but it sounds like there could be an even more secure way of protecting against fraud -- your voice. It's being employed by major banks including Wells-Fargo and JPMorgan Chase to weed out scammers who call financial institutions armed with the info gleaned from cyber attacks, according to the Associated Press. If you're wondering where the banks have gotten these 65 million-plus voice samples, well, we've all likely heard the familiar notice that a call may be monitored or recorded before being connected to an operator. So, that explains that. This isn't without its share of critics, naturally. The American Civil Liberties Union notes that while using biometrics to combat fraud is a fine starting point, where it goes from there could be where "trouble can start." Let's hope the servers storing these voice samples are a bit more secure than those holding our financial data.

[Image credit: Martin Cathrae / Flickr]

Filed under: Alt

Via: Phys.org (1), (2), (3)

Source: Associated Press

Dronecode alliance aims to get more UAVs into the sky

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/14/dronecode-open-source-uav-platform/

Now that the FAA has unleashed drones onto film sets, farms and oil rigs (don't hold your breath though, Amazon), the nascent industry may start to boom. Dronecode, a new Linux Foundation Collaborative Project will help that along by giving UAVs common, open-source software underpinnings. The new initiative will use the APM/ArduPilot UAV software platform hosted by 3D Robotics -- the company led by Chris Anderson, who first proposed the idea. Dronecode's founding members include Intel, Qualcomm, 3D Robotics and Baidu.

So far, Dronecode has attracted some 1,200 developers and been adopted by commercial drone manufacturers like PrecisionHawk, Walkera and DroneDeploy. As Linux did for Android, Dronecode could provide new avenues for private and commercial drone development. Along with code and other resources, the initiative has pledged to provide neutral leadership and help bring funding for approved projects. That could stimulate stimulate a UAV market that's expected to be worth nearly $100 billion within a decade. But as Chris Anderson put it, Dronecode will also make life easier for amateurs. "In the early days (of UAVs), even the experts... had to come together to take robots into the air."

Filed under: Robots

Source: Linux Foundation

Friday, October 10, 2014

New Tesla Model S P85D Is Faster Than A Ferrari

Source: http://jalopnik.com/tesla-model-s-p85d-this-is-it-and-i-went-for-a-ride-1644637002/1644663676/+chris-mills

New Tesla Model S P85D Is Faster Than A Ferrari

The new, all-wheel-drive 2015 Tesla Model S P85D accelerates to 60mph faster than a Ferrari 458 and pulls more Gs in a corner than a Ford Mustang. Not bad for a car that's also more efficient than its predecessor. Read more in Jalopnik's exclusive ride along.

NASA Will Use UAVs to Hunt Down Baby Forest Fires

Source: http://gizmodo.com/nasa-will-use-uavs-to-hunt-down-baby-forest-fires-1644684411

NASA Will Use UAVs to Hunt Down Baby Forest Fires

Finding forest fires when they're big is relatively easy — you can see them from space. Or, y'know, just follow the burning smell. But if firefighters can identify a burn when it's just started, it's obviously far easier to nip in the bud. Sounds like a job for our old friend Mr Drone.

Find Out What Your ZIP Code Predicts You'll Buy

Source: http://gizmodo.com/find-out-what-your-zip-code-predicts-youll-buy-1644697481

Find Out What Your ZIP Code Predicts You'll Buy

Where you live says a lot about you—and nobody knows that better than marketeers. Now, though, you can take a glimpse at what they know, using this searchable map built by software company Esri.

âGoogle app gets a conversational search upgrade, learns to use OpenTable

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/09/google-now-conversational/

Nothing makes voice-recognition software shine more than good conversational algorithms -- and the natural-search function in the Google app just got a minor upgrade. Not only can use your hotel confirmation to find nearby restaurants, but also now you can casually ask it to show you the restaurant's menu or book a reservation via OpenTable. You'll still have to do a little work to complete the reservation, however (Google only gets the booking started), and it's still not perfect: If a given restaurant doesn't support OpenTable or doesn't have a menu online, the process kind of falls apart. Still, it's a nice upgrade, assuming you've already come to terms with the fact that Google's algorithms are skimming your email.

[Image credit: Google]

Filed under: Internet, Mobile, Google

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Google

A Nokia Lumia 1020 powers this automated 3D-printed telescope

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/09/ultrascope-space-nokia-lumia-1020/

There are many, many people who've always wanted a powerful space telescope in their backyards but can't exactly afford one. For avid makers and DIY enthusiasts, at least, that's not such an absurd dream anymore -- not when someone has designed an automated 3D-printed telescope that's powered by a commercially available phone: the Nokia Lumia 1020. The device is called Ultrascope, and it stands one meter tall when assembled, with a base that measures 65 centimeters wide. It was created by Open Space Agency founder James Parr, who promised to upload the current design and future iterations to his organization's website once the ongoing beta testing's done.

Here's how the robotic telescope works: first, your Windows laptop locates the ISS and forwards its location to Ultrascope's Arduino shield to move its motors. After the telescope positions itself, the 1020 starts snapping images and sends them to the cloud for post-processing. Parr hasn't revealed how powerful Ultrascope is exactly, but it's worth noting that the 1020's 41-megapixel camera blew us away when we tested it. It'll sadly take a while before you can find out for yourself, though, as OSA's busy working with Microsoft at the moment, developing an app that connects Lumia phones to the device.

Introducing: the 3D printed #Lumia powered Ultrascope http://t.co/E4wJ6A8mJy #MakeItHappen pic.twitter.com/wFOnOZPFaj
- Nokia (@nokia) October 9, 2014

Filed under: Science, Mobile, Nokia

Source: Nokia, Open Space Agency

Thursday, October 09, 2014

Amazon Is Opening a Brick-and-Mortar Store in Manhattan

Source: http://gizmodo.com/amazon-is-opening-a-brick-and-mortar-store-in-manhattan-1644425412

Amazon Is Opening a Brick-and-Mortar Store in Manhattan

Amazon, the cyber store that sells everything, plans to open its first physical store at 7 W 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan just in time for the holiday season. The experimental store will work as a mini-warehouse for some same day deliveries in New York. It'll surely serve as a nice little billboard, too.

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