Pixel Press lets you build a Mario-style iPad game any way you want When I was a kid, video games didn't end the moment I turned off the NES. If I wasn't holding a controller, I had a pencil in my hand, furiously scribbling out maps of Hyrule or alien caves for Samus to explore in Metroid. But si...
http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/30/5666092/pixel-press-review
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Android malware that spreads via text message has been observed making its way around Russia — not the newest trick in the book, but it hasn't been seen before on the mobile OS. Should you be worried? Probably not, but it doesn't hurt to be vigilant. The worm was first observed by Robert Lipovsky...
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Disney Research has revealed an exciting new technology that turns any object into a speaker. What if every object in your life could talk? A door handle warns you when someone has attempted to enter without a key. A desk ticks off your appointments when you sit down. A rubber duckie quacks at a ...
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If you're into tinkering with your Android device, you've probably heard of CyanogenMod. It's an open source operating system that let's you modify pretty much any aspect of your phone or tablet's software. Until now, installing CyanogenMod wasn't for the faint of heart. You had to root …
http://www.wired.com/2014/05/oneplus-one-smartphone/
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/30/sony-185tb-data-tape/
It's hard for magnetic data tapes to stand out from the crowd in an era when it's easy to load up on legions of hard drives. However, Sony might have managed that rare feat with nano-sized tape tech that stores much more than off-the-shelf hardware. By optimizing how it sputters argon ions on to film to create magnetic material, the company has produced "nano-grained" tape that's 74 times denser than what you see today; at 185TB per cartridge, it makes even a 5TB hard disk seem quaint. Sony's breakthrough won't come to your home PC, but it could prove a big help to supercomputers and your favorite internet services -- many of them need high-capacity tape storage just to keep up with demand.
[Image credit: Theilr, Flickr]
Via: ITWorld
Source: Sony
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/01/sony-alpha-a77-ii/
The Alpha portfolio from Sony is pretty well stacked, what with cameras like the newly minted, 4K-ready A7s. To add to that, the Japanese electronics giant today's announcing the A77 II, a successor to the 24.3-megapixel shooter it revealed back in 2011. Similar to its predecessor, Sony's A77 II features the same amount of megapixels and Exmor APS-C sensor, but this is now coupled with the Bionz X image chip that's found on the Alpha A7 and A7R cameras. There's also an OLED electronic viewfinder, which lets you see the total frame; a 3-inch LCD that can be tilted in three different positions; and NFC, so you can share pictures wirelessly to a smartphone, tablet or VAIO PC.
But the aforementioned specs don't tell the entire story. Sony wanted the most important improvements over the original Alpha A77 to be all about speed, both in terms of shooting and processing. The A77 II has a brand new focusing system, lead by 79 AF points (compared to 19 on the previous version) with 15 crossing sensors, which allow it to handle a continuous burst of up to 60 full-res photos at a maximum of 12fps -- Sony hopes this is more than enough to lure in those of you who like to take a lot of action shots. What's more, the A77 II brings improvements in the ISO department, going from 16,000 to 25,600 at its highest level, or 52,000 when expanded -- if you're a night owl (or just have a thing for the dark), you'll no doubt appreciate this.
For Sony, it's not only about stills, though: the company wants videographers to really consider the A77 II a solid alternative to, say, something like Canon's Mark III. While there's nothing surprising about the fact it can shoot 1080p movies at 60 and 24p (AVCHD 2.0), Sony believes the improved AF system inside its A77 II, which offers things like continuous face-detection, is an attribute that makes it standout from the rest of the pack. And, because we know you're going to ask, there's no 4K output to be found here.
While Sony may not have taken the biggest leap with the A77 II, there's no doubt it is still a nice upgrade. But is that plenty for you? It'll be available in June for $1,200, body-only; a kit with a 16-50mm f/2.8 lens will be sold for $1,800.
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Source: http://lifehacker.com/worn-on-tv-finds-the-exact-clothing-used-on-your-favori-1570030286
Ever find yourself sitting on your couch, watching an episode of your current favorite TV show and see an outfit you must have? Web site Worn On TV keeps a catalog of what each character is wearing on a large amount of today's most popular TV shows.
The site lets you search by show, episode, and even character. If they have an exact match for the outfit you're looking for they plop an "exact match found" right on the image of the character in their respective outfit. From there, you can find out what it is, who makes it, and most importantly, where to get it.
The site seems to be mostly geared towards women, but they have men's options as well (they're just not quite as extensive). Hit the link to check it out and dress like your favorite characters.
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Source: http://gigaom.com/2014/04/30/facebook-backs-app-links-for-app-to-app-linking-on-mobiles/
At its F8 conference on Wednesday, Facebook said we need a better way to move between links and apps on mobile devices. Indeed we do, as it’s no fun getting bounced around from one app only to open another for a short bit and then have to find our way back to the original app. Enter App Links: An open-source effort to make mobile linking a more seamless experience.
The idea of hitting a link in one app to open another isn’t new. What App Links appears to be is a standardized way to do this going forward through metadata tags and a centralized repository of APIs that Facebook is indexing. It already supports Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android and Microsoft Windows Phone platforms.
So what does this “app to app linking” promise bring? A better end-user experience for one:
The idea here is that instead of app developers hard-coding calls to open other specific apps from their own software, App Links code can be used to open a variety of related apps. That would save development time and allow for a wider range of software that can be called from within an mobile app.
Facebook said a number of partners are already using App Links: Spotify is working with Songkick so that users can hear a song in Spotify, tap a link to buy concert tickets from Songkick for the artist and then be back in Spotify, all while the song keeps playing. “One line of code sends users to the selected URL and brings them back into the app,” said Facebook’s Ilya Sukhar when presenting App Links.
While App Links is beneficial to the mobile industry as a whole, it’s evident why Facebook is strongly backing it. By getting users out to content from within Facebook and then back again to Facebook, the company can keep users highly engaged within Facebook’s walls.
Related research and analysis from Gigaom Research:
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Source: http://disquiet.gizmodo.com/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-sonic-qr-code-1570000263/+gmanaugh
There are at least two things that Sony Pictures marketing executives did not consider when preparing a cross-promotion between its new Spider-Man film and the song-identification app Shazam. I first read about this promotion this morning on io9.com
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/30/bkor-craft-brewer/
Here at Engadget HQ, most of us are used to the concept of heating a kettle or catching water from the office cooler in order to make a cup of tea. For true leaf aficionados, a more elaborate setup may be required, and that's where the Bkor Craft Brewer comes in. Using Reverse Atmospheric Infusion (RAIN) technology, the unit's vacuum process extracts "the optimal flavor elements" of loose-leaf tea, though it can also be used for coffee and even infused cocktails. The machine is efficient too, cranking out a cup in less than a minute and over 60 per hour -- all while storing up to 200 presets. You know, once you fine tune those recipes and ratios. To keep things tidy at the end of each cycle, the brew chamber cleans itself so you won't have to, however Uncrate reports that the price tag will tick $14,000 when it arrives. For now, there's a quick explanation of that RAIN-powered brewing process after the break.
Filed under: Household
Via: Uncrate
Source: Bkon
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/30/minecraft-creator-trades-blocks-for-angst/
Source: Drowning in Problems
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/30/concept-smartwatch-joystick/
It ain't easy using a smartwatch, especially if you have gigantic fingers. So, a team from Carnegie Mellon University developed a concept smartwatch that turns the whole screen into one relatively big input mechanism. By that, we mean you can pan, twist, zoom, tilt and click the screen by physically moving the watchface -- the whole thing (sans the bracelet) is essentially a joystick. As you can see in the video after the break, the team ported a bunch of apps to show how the technology works. Since the device features several ways to interact with software, it's a lot easier to set the time, scroll down a calendar and navigate a map. And, yes, the technology makes it possible to play Doom quite effectively even on a tiny screen. Now we can only hope that someone with serious design chops comes and transforms this fledgling tech into a smartwatch that actually looks good.
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile
Via: Gizmodo
Source: Gierad Laput (1), (2)
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Source: http://gizmodo.com/23-amazing-landscape-photographs-that-are-actually-rend-1568601956
It can be difficult to know what's real and what's fake when it comes to digital art these days. But don't torture yourself worrying about it now: Here are 23 of the most amazing photorealistic 3D renderings of landscapes on the web. Each one is completely synthetic; every single detail generated by madly talented 3D artists. Enjoy.
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Source: http://gizmodo.com/cokes-arcade-machine-accepts-plastic-bottles-intsead-of-1569774192
Sometimes all that's needed to encourage people to recycle is a little incentive. That's why pop cans and beer bottles have deposits, and why Coca-Cola built an arcade machine that runs on empty plastic soda bottles instead of quarters.
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Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/kylie-wicker-boylan-high-school-3d-printed-hand-2014-4
Nine-year-old Kylie Wicker of Rockford, Illinois was born without fingers on her left hand, but enterprising students taking the Engineering Graphics class at Boylan Catholic are using a 3D printer to manufacture a prosthetic hand for her, reports MyFoxPhilly.
Kylie's father, Jeromy Wicker, knew that the school had a 3D printer — a Makerbot Replicator, specifically — and reached out to the school upon learning that 3D printing technology could be used to make prosthetics useful to people like his daughter.
These prosthetics can cost as much as $50,000, a grievous figure compared to the projections of Bud May, teacher of the Engineering Graphics class: "The total cost of this will be barely $5. Maybe a dollar's worth of plastic and a couple of bucks for the fasteners."
Here are a couple of pictures of what the hand looks like:
When it's ready for her on Friday, Kylie's new hand will enable her to do a number of things that were previously impossible or difficult.
"I can finally ride my bike," she told FOX.
For some reason, the B-roll of this news story is embeddable. Check it out below for a few comments from Kylie, her parents, and the teacher leading the class designing her arm.
Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29
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