Source: http://gizmodo.com/the-north-pole-is-now-a-lake-907239981
If you think these images from the North Pole look more like a lake than the snow-covered expanse you'd expect, that because it is is—the North Pole has melted.
Source: http://gizmodo.com/refreshed-nexus-10-said-to-arrive-in-the-near-future-907554798
While speaking with journalists after last night’s three-pronged Google Android 4.3/Nexus 7/Chromecast spectacular, the company’s Sundar Pichai reportedly told people that Samsung’s preparing an updated Nexus 10 to sit alongside the new Asus-made Nexus 7.
Source: http://gizmodo.com/10-beautifully-creepy-photos-that-turn-centrifugal-forc-841150758
According to physics professors, "centrifugal force" isn't actually a unique force at all — it's just a different form of momentum. But centrifugal, uh, effect can lead to some pretty awesome visuals, as shown by photographer Peter Schafrick.
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/google-chromecast-annoys-tv-executives-2013-7
The Chromecast is a little "dongle" that plugs into the back of your TV's HDMI port, giving users the ability to wirelessly stream content from their computers and devices to their TV.
While its primary use will likely be with apps integrated with a Chromecast "cast" button, Google also announced that users can mirror anything playing in its Chrome browser too.
This opens up the floodgates, allowing anything viewable on the web to be ported over to a user's television set.
And TV executives, who are notorious for drawing a line in the sand dividing web content and television content, can't be happy the Chromecast blends the two mediums together.
Peter Kafka of AllThingsD gives Hulu Plus as a prime example.
Right now, Hulu differentiates between its web streaming service and its TV streaming service. While you can watch plenty of Hulu's content for free online, the ability to watch Hulu content on a TV requires a Hulu Plus subscription.
Hulu says they are developing an app for the Chromecast, but it's a practically useless endeavor.
The Chromecast merges the two media, sidestepping the need for standalone apps, and this could quickly cause content providers and the TV executives they work with to become angry.
And if they get mad enough, Kafka writes that content providers could bar their websites from working with the Chrome browser.
Highly unlikely, but possible.
If enough fuss is made over the device, the Chromecast could potentially hamper Google's relationshi! p with T V executives, a risky move if Google wants to compete with Apple's rumored television set.
Time will tell if the Chromecast truly has the power to affect change in the streaming industry, but it certainly has the potential.
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Source: http://lifehacker.com/perform-key-financial-calculations-with-wolfram-alpha-886304451
Every data geek's favorite search engine, Wolfram Alpha, offers a ton of practical uses. Add to that list gleaning information for your personal finance decisions.
Source: http://gizmodo.com/the-new-nexus-7-more-power-pure-google-884758863
Google formally unveiled the newest iteration of its Nexus 7 tablet at today's press conference in San Francisco. Turns out, this past week's leaked spec
Source: http://lifehacker.com/chrome-unveils-the-chromecast-an-hdmi-stick-for-stream-897062318
Google took the wraps off of the Chromecast today, a tiny thumb drive-sized stick with an HDMI port on one end that's Wi-Fi enabled. It's designed to make it simple to push video from your home network, smartphone, or the web right to your TV screen.
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/24/aerosee-mountain-rescue/
The woods may be lovely, dark and deep, but they're also dangerously unpredictable. That's why the University of Central Lancashire is looking to improve search and rescue technology with AeroSee, a project that incorporates drones to locate missing hikers. The lightweight aircraft, provided by E-Migs, are equipped with cameras that transmit video to nearby ground stations. Analysis is then crowd-sourced by search agents, who scour the images for missing persons, like a high-stakes Where's Waldo. And that's where you come in. Tomorrow, July 25th at 12:30PM GMT (7:30AM ET), UCLan will launch a simulated mission where you can log in to its site to scour images for a survivor. The fastest virtual savior will top the leader board and take home a sweet prize. Want to sign up for the search? Head on over to the source link below.
Source: AeroSee
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/24/mercedes-vision-golf-cart/
Today's golf carts certainly serve a purpose, but despite opulent add-ons like plastic rain shields and windshield wipers, the electric buggies littering the world's fairways and outdoor venues can hardly be considered luxurious. Now, with Mercedes-Benz considering a compact vehicle of its own, the cookie-cutter people mover could be a thing of the past. The German automaker recently debuted its Vision Golf Cart concept, a solar-powered two-seat carriage that includes such amenities as heated and cooled seats and cup holders, air vents, speakers, a joystick control, iPhone dock, heads-up display and LED headlights. Sounds pretty posh.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Daimler
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/24/disney-research-aireal-hands-on/
If you're hoping to get some more tactile feedback out of augmented reality environments, the folks at Disney Research have devised the AIREAL system that could end up doing just that. The team is showing off the project at SIGGRAPH's Emerging Technologies space, so we made sure to stop by for a look and feel. As quick refresher, the technology reacts to the user's gestures by churning out a vortex of air to provide tactile feedback in real space -- thanks to an almost entirely 3D printed enclosure and a smattering of actuators and depth senors. In the demo we saw, hovering our hand just over a display summoned a butterfly.
Once it landed, that small bit of air offered up the physical sensation that it was actually touching us. As we moved closer to a virtual open window, wings went a flutter and the whole sensation increased a bit. Sure, what we saw was a fairly simple use scenario, but there are aspirations for this to enhance gaming experiences and other augmented environments (likely within the confines of a Disney park, of course) with the addition of haptic feedback. Looking for a bit more info? Consult the video after the break for just that.
Filed under: Misc
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/24/nvidia-research-near-eye-light-field-display-prototype/
A quick stroll through the Emerging Technologies section of SIGGRAPH usually reveals a collection of university projects and the latest Disney Research endeavor. However, we don't usually see the likes of NVIDIA amongst the fold there. This time around, though, the component maker is showing off an undertaking from its Research sector: near-eye light field displays. To show the project off, a pair of OLED mircodisplays were installed on a glasses-like frame with a box for the electronics stashed up top. Those Sony ECX332A panels measure 15.36 x 8.64mm wield a resolution of 1,280 x 720 through 24-hit color pixels (which equates to a smidge over 83 pixels per millimeter). The diminutive displays open up the door for thinner and lighter head-mounted units that can sort "accurate accommodation, convergence and binocular-disparity cues."
The light field that's constructed directly over the pupil allows the viewer to focus at multiple depths and create a field of view of about 70 degrees. Both of those aspects were quite apparent to our peepers upon getting locked in for a quick demo. Despite being situated so close to the eye, the unit still provides some sharp images that we witnessed first hand. Of course, the close proximity causes some pixel loss at the hands of a decreased spacial resolution. One pretty neat aspect to this whole system is that software tweaks can be made to account for someone's glasses or contacts prescription -- software that's powered by NVIDIA GPUs and OpenGL, of course. Without having to modify the hardware, changes to the microdisplays are sorted sans the need to switch to another set or make physical adjustments. For a bit more explanation of the unit, check out the video that resides just past the break and full findings that were presented here in Anaheim at the coverage link that follows.
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/25/lenovo-k6-x910-k910-snapdragon-800/
Despite the fact that Lenovo hasn't yet embraced the Snapdragon 600 SoC, it looks like the Chinese company's finally giving Qualcomm a proper chance with the latter's more powerful Snapdragon 800. Starting yesterday, several cheeky images of an unannounced dual-SIM Android phone -- codenamed K6 or X910 -- popped up in Lenovo's official Chinese forum. The photo after the break shows AnTuTu indicating the presence of the relatively new MSM8974 chip (with Adreno 330 GPU) plus a 1,920 x 1,080 display (which looks like a 5-inch panel to us); so unless the app made a mistake, what we have here could be Lenovo's upcoming flagship device.
While not much else has been said about the phone, one of the leaksters described it as thin and light, and that it felt good in hand. But to be honest, we're not too thrilled with the design ID here, especially with that K860-inspired back. What's interesting, though, is that according to a source of ours, the "X" in X910 may be a wildcard that depends on the kind of deal Lenovo made with Qualcomm. At this point, we've been told to assume it'll eventually become the K910, which would, sadly, make this phone an uglier successor to the Intel-powered K900. Either way, chances are we won't be seeing many of these outside China, anyway.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Lenovo
Via: Leiphone
Source: Lenovo Mobile Forum (1), (2)
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/25/geeksphone-peak-up-for-preorder-at-149/
Interested in jumping on the Geeksphone Firefox OS bandwagon? Its first consumer-oriented device, the Peak+, is up for pre-order and we now know a lot more about it. It doubles up the RAM to 1GB over its Peak and Keon developer siblings, while packing the same 4.3-inch qHD display, 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon CPU, 4GB of storage (with a microSD expansion slot), 8-megapixel rear camera and 1,800 mAh battery as the original Peak. It's also boasting the latest Firefox OS flavor, version 1.1, which brings faster boot times and fewer bugs, along with 25GB of cloud storage. You can reserve one at €149 for a limited time with delivery promised by mid-September -- so, if you've been looking go above the usual smartphone OS fray, check the source.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Via: Engadget Spanish (translated)
Source: Geeksphone
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/24/nexus-7-whats-changed/
Google's second-generation Nexus 7 hasn't been the company's best kept secret -- we've seen leak after leak, after leak and, well, you get the point. Still, now that the revamped 7-inch slate is officially out the bag, we can finally leave speculation behind and attach some formal specifications to the thing. As expected, the new Nexus 7 brings a number of internal upgrades to the table, while its outer shell has seen a few minor aesthetic changes. All signs point toward it being a worthy successor to Mountain View's popular tablet, but how big of an upgrade are we talking about, exactly? Those answers await after the jump, where we break down the specs and spell out what's different between the old and new Nexus 7.
Filed under: Tablets, ASUS, Google
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/24/google-chromekey/
Google's Chromecast is Mountain View's next foray into the television market. In brief, it's a $35 HDMI dongle that mirrors content being played nearby on a tablet, smartphone or computer. Hrm, that sounds familiar. The 2-inch device runs "a simplified version of Chrome OS" and requires separate USB power; connect it to your local WiFi network and similarly connected devices work with Chromecast. It can be ordered right now on Google Play and will apparently ship in one to two days. Of note, the device seems US-only for now, as our UK colleagues are showing a "not available in your country" prompt. Early buyers get three months of free Netflix with the purchase. Additionally, it's also heading to retail (read: Best Buy) on July 28th. Google ended its presentation with a quick word that Chromecast functionality will eventually come embedded in various other devices, and that it's working on getting other countries access "as quickly as possible." No specs were given during the presentation, but its Google Play page lists the device as HDMI-CEC compatible, and it uses 2.4GHz 801.11 b/g/n WiFi. Given the separate USB power required, the $35 nets you a Chromecast device, an HDMI extended, a USB power cable and a separate power adapter.
Apps that work with the device include a "Cast" button that allows users to push video to their televisions and control various aspects remotely (volume, play, pause, etc.). "Once Chromecast is plugged in, you just go to YouTube on your smartphone," Google reps said. "You'll see the cast button in your UI and you press it -- Chromecast will pull the info you requested from the cloud and play it on your TV." Meanwhile, an on-stage demonstration showed YouTube video being pushed "via the cloud," thus enabling other apps to be used while a video is being viewed on a television screen. Netflix was up next, and it has similar remote control functionality. Google Play movies and television (expectedly) also work with Chromecast, and Google delightedly demonstrated it with Vin Diesel vehicle Fast Five. Finally, Google demoed full Google Chrome projected on a TV and controlled remotely with a "standard $500 Windows 8 laptop." The feature is "still in early days," but a promise has already been made: that users will be able to easily project content to televisions via their web browser.
Update: We've added Chromecast's first commercial (which demonstrates much of the device's functionality) just after the break, and a source link with Google's formal announcement.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals, Internet, Software, HD, Google
Source: Google
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