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Thursday, June 05, 2014

Berkeley Lab's 2D Transistor Could Supercharge Tomorrow's Electronics

Source: http://gizmodo.com/berkeley-labs-2d-transistor-could-supercharge-tomorrows-1584558279

Berkeley Lab's 2D Transistor Could Supercharge Tomorrow's Electronics

Graphene is regularly touted as a "super material" in electronics manufacturing—one able to do everything that silicon does, except better. But that isn't good enough for one team at Berkeley Labs. They've combined graphene with two other cutting-edge materials to create the world's first 2D field effects transistor. Your gadgets are about to get much, much faster.

Did Bitcoin Just Have Its First-Ever Reaction To A Central Bank Announcement?

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/bitcoin-jumps-after-ecb-2014-6

This is interesting. Maybe it's nothing. Maybe it's not. But Simon de la Rouviere points out that it looks like Bitcoin just had its first ever reaction to a central bank announcement.

Specifically, at 7:45, the ECB made the historic decision to cut rates to negative. In other words, one of their interest rates will literally make it so that it costs people to save money.

And look what Bitcoin did right then. It's hard to believe there would be any direct link between monetary policy and the digital currency. But still, the timing is notable.

bitcoinrates

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Article: Intel issues $1m challenge for devs to make RealSense apps

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Intel first revealed its RealSense 3D camera back at CES at the start of the year. Calling it the first of its "perceptual computing" products, Intel's Mooly Eden talked about how the RealSense camera could use technologies such as facial and voice recognition along with gesture...

http://www.cnet.com/news/intel-issues-1m-challenge-for-devs-to-make-realsense-apps/#ftag=CADf328eec

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Article: How Candy Crush gets you hooked - six addictive tricks

From colour theory to cultural awareness, psychologist Dr Simon Moore explains the compulsion secrets hidden in mobile games like Candy Crush Saga Casual games like Candy Crush Saga and Angry Birds may look simple, but underneath those bright colours, calming sounds and flashing messages, there's...

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/04/candy-crush-angry-birds-mobile-games

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Article: Future Macs could lose the cables as Intel demos next-generation wireless charging, docking & displays

If you're like me and love technology but hate the rats nest of cables it requires, we could be in for some good news. Intel has demonstrated a system that could be incorporated into future computers that allows wireless connectivity for power, displays, and connection to accessories like externa...

http://9to5mac.com/2014/06/04/future-macs-could-lose-the-cables-as-intel-demos-next-generation-wireless-charging-docking-displays/

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Article: Spansion goes battery-less with tiny ‘Internet of things’ chips

Spansion says it can eliminate the need to put a battery in the tiny sensors that will deliver the measurements from the Internet of things." That should make it much more affordable to deploy billions of such sensors. The new solution uses chips that can harvest their own energy from the sun, vi...

http://venturebeat.com/2014/06/05/spansion-eliminates-need-for-batteries-in-tiny-internet-of-things-chips/

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drag2share: Amazon's likely announcing its new phone on June 18th (update: yep, it's a phone)

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/04/Amazon-phone-june18/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

What has six cameras, a large screen and tracks your head? Amazon's new phone, probably. The company's first handset has been long rumored and occasionally leaked, but now the company seems ready to make it official: Jeff Bezos is hosting a hitherto unannounced "launch event" later this month. The company's page for the event is little more than a invitation request form, but an attached teaser video meshes well with the purported phone's rumored head-tracking capabilities. "It moved with me!" exclaims an unnamed tester, staring at an object just out of frame. Sounds neat.

While the video itself doesn't show anything specific, the reactions it shows are consistent with the prototype BGR uncovered back in April. That handset had a 4.7-inch screen and a staggering five front-facing camera, which were said to be used for tracking the user's face as they combed their way through an interactive 3D interface. It was also said to be running a Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU and 2GB of RAM, but what Amazon's going to show on June 18th is still anybody's guess. Still, the teaser page revealed one more thing: the product will have a sleek black bevel and an Amazon logo (pictured above). Well, we can't say we're surprised. We'll let you know all the details when Bezos makes this thing official later this month.

Update: Amazon's teaser betrayed a little more than we thought. At 0:41, the unnamed device peeks out from behind the video's bottom edge, revealing what appears to be a blurry power button and a headphone jack. It's definitely a phone. You can thank Aaron Kasten's sharp eyes (and Google+ post) for the peek.

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Sony's $99 life-tracking SmartBand lands in the US

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/04/sony-smartband-availability/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

Let's flash back to the heady days of CES 2014, shall we? Sony embraced the wearable bandwagon (again) with the "tiniest gadget" it's ever made, and now the Americans reading this can go out and nab one of their own.

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

Softbank's 'Pepper' robot understands feelings, will cost less than $2,000 next year

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/05/japanese-phone-company-softbank-shows-off-its-new-robot-customer/

Japanese telecom Softbank and its CEO Masayoshi Son have never been afraid to push the envelope, and now the exec is presenting a new development: robots. Presented at a press conference earlier today in Japan (take a peek at the live video stream embedded after the break) it's called Pepper, and uses technology acquired from the French robotics company Aldebaran. Those are the folks behind the Nao humanoid robots we've been covering for years, from their first steps to the inevitable dance-offs that followed. Aldebaran CEO Bruno Maisonnier credited Son for believing in its vision, saying robots that can recognize human emotion will change the way we live and communicate -- and this is a big step towards getting bots into daily lives, at least if you live in Japan. The robots will debut at two stores tomorrow in their customer service capacity, but Softbank is planning to put them on sale to the public next year, priced just shy of $2,000.

Pepper can communicate through emotion, speech or body language and it's equipped with both mics and proximity sensors. Inside, it will be possible to install apps and upgrade the unit's functionality, the plan being to make Pepper far more smarter than when you first bought it. It already understands 4,500 Japanese words, but perhaps more impressively, Pepper can apparently read into the tone used to understand its master's disposition. Maisonnier claims this will be the start of a robot revolution that rivals the rollout of the PC and smartphone. According to him "With Pepper, the future begins today."

Filed under: Cellphones, Robots, Mobile

Source: Engadget Japanese

Computer trickery makes these shadows 'dance'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/05/art-projector-dancing-shadows/

You know how to turn crooked vases into an interesting art installation that remind us of Beauty and the Beast's singing pots and candlesticks? We'd like to say magic, but since we don't live in a Disney movie, the right answer is motion tracking and real-time 3D rendering. The installation's creators, artist Laurent Craste and digital agency Dpt., used a hidden projector to make the vases' shadows dance whenever a viewer swings the lamp above them. Their movements even depend on the lamp's swing, so side-to-side swinging triggers the same animation, while a more circular one also shows the lamp's shadows going in circles. Sadly, you can't see this in person anymore (it was displayed at a festival in Montreal in May), but you can watch the video after the break.

Filed under: Misc

Via: Laughing Squad, Colossal

Source: dpt, Laurent Craste

These VR gloves will let you control Oculus and more for $350

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/05/control-vr-motion-tracking-gloves/

With the sale of Oculus Rift to Facebook for $2 billion, virtual reality has officially become very interesting for developers. One of the companies trying to ride that wave is Control VR, which is ready to launch its gesture control gloves on Kickstarter. Though VR gloves have been around for a long time, so far they've been prototypes, DIY projects or very pricey devices used for surgery, robotics and other specialized fields. Control VR is aiming wider, however, with an early backer price of $350. It believes it can hit that number using DARPA-designed microsensors which detect small inertial changes in order to finely track your arms, hands and fingers. That'll let you control virtual objects like game characters and 3D animations, or even physical devices like robots or military hardware.

The development kit will come with 20 free demo apps, and support Windows, Android and Mac operating systems. In addition, the team will supply an open-source SDK to create software for the Oculus Rift, Google Glass and even the Parrot AR drone. As with Oculus, Control VR is targeting consumers as much as it's targeting businesses. Potential uses include 3D motion capture (including the difficult-to-animate fingers), music composition, design, a control interface for Google Glass and Oculus Rift, a controller for games and apps like Google Earth, and even a drone control interface.

While all of this sounds pretty ambitious, the company believes there's no similar tech that's close to the same state of readiness. As such, they're seeking $250,000 when Control VR launches today on Kickstarter at 12:30 PM ET (that's the same sum Oculus originally sought, by the way). A $350 pledge will get you on the early backer's list and net you a one-arm system with a 7-sensor glove, a one-sensor chest piece, an arm sensor, 20 app demos and the SDK. $699 will get you a two-arm system. If you're among the first 1,000 backers of either package, Control VR says you'll receive it sometime in December of this year, while later backers will receive theirs in January 2015. You can make your pledge when the Kickstarter page goes live at 12:30 PM ET -- at which point you'll get all the info and a more detailed video.

Filed under: Wearables

This Android Smartphone Turns Into A Tablet You Can Use As A Giant Phone

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/asus-padfone-x-for-att-2014-6

PadFone

If you've been on the fence about buying a tablet, Asus thinks it's solved your problem.

The PadFone X, which will be available on AT&T in the coming weeks, is an Android smartphone that comes with its own accompanying tablet.

The catch, however, is that you can't use the tablet without plugging the smartphone into its back.

The tablet portion is essentially a shell for the smartphone.

As its name implies, the PadFone X is meant to be a smartphone and tablet in one device — not separate. The result is a somewhat bulky combination that provides a generally mediocre overall experience.

That being said, the PadFone does have its benefits. You pay one price — $199.99 on a two-year contract with AT&T — and get the benefits of a phone when you need it and a tablet when you want it.

You also don't have to worry about scouting out a Wi-Fi network to use the tablet if you're already using AT&T's data.

Here's a quick look at what it's like using the PadFone X.

The smartphone slides into a slot in the back of the tablet.

PadfoneBack

Once you slide it in, the tablet powers on.

PadFoneFront

The phone is literally being used to power the tablet, which means you can make phone calls with it.

PadFoneCall

Or send text messages.

PadFoneText

The PadFone X is slated to hit AT&T stores later this month. Stay tuned for our full review.

SEE ALSO: Now Windows tablets will be just as thin as the iPad thanks to Intel's new chip

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Wednesday, June 04, 2014

Facebook's New Feature Has Users Thoroughly Creeped Out

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/facebooks-new-feature-creeped-out-users-2014-6

Facebook Listens

Facebook recently rolled out a new feature that's leaving some users speechless and others running to sign a petition to have it removed, news.com.au reports.

The social network's new quirk allows its mobile app to turn on your smartphone's microphone, listen in on what's around you. Facebook identifies the music or TV shows it hears, and can tell the world you're currently "Listening to Iggy Azalea" if it hears you bumping "Fancy."

The opt-in feature has many users creeped out. More than half a million have flocked to sign a sumofus.com petition to have the new gimmick axed from the app.

"Tell Facebook not to release its creepy and dangerous new app feature that listens to users’ surroundings and conversations," the petition urges. "Facebook says it'll be responsible with this feature, but we know we can't trust it."

At a time when privacy concerns run rampant Facebook's new feature seems to go against the trend. In May Microsoft announced you'll be able to buy an Xbox One without the similarly creepy always-on Kinect watching and listening to your every move.

The sumofus.com petition is a little less than 200,000 signatures away from its goal: 750,000. Perhaps if it reaches that mark Facebook will actually listen to its users.

SEE ALSO: The most popular apps in the U.S. right now

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Non-Safari iPhone browsers will soon have access to Appleâs full-speed Javascript engine

Source: http://gigaom.com/2014/06/04/non-safari-iphone-browsers-will-soon-have-access-to-apples-full-speed-javascript-engine/

One of the most obvious drawbacks of Apple’s approach to iOS development has been the fact that no browser except for Safari could tap into Apple’s fastest Javascript engine. Not only did this decision prevent standalone browser apps like Chrome from running at full speed, it also hampered apps like Twitter that need to open a lot of URLs. As noted in Re/code, this is changing in iOS 8: Apps using the latest WebKit interface will have access to Apple’s Javascript engine. Hopefully, this means users will soon be able to also set a new default browser as well, but we’ll see: iOS 8 may be significantly more open than previous versions, but Apple’s not going to radically change overnight.

Related research and analysis from Gigaom Research:
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Lego's Getting Three More Female Scientist Minifigs

Source: http://lego.gizmodo.com/legos-getting-three-more-female-scientist-minifigs-1586081172/+ericlimer

Lego's Getting Three More Female Scientist Minifigs

Human girls can be scientist of all stripes, and they should have toys that encourage them to do so. That's why it's awesome that Lego ideas just greenlit three new female Lego scientist minifigs—an astronomer, a paleontologist, and a chemist—for an August 2014 release. Yay!

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