Hasraf Dulull is a master of digital visual effects with an uncanny vision of our near future: A tech company creates an army of badass android data couriers to fight against cyber-terrorism.
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/29/microsoft-band-leak/
It looks like the curtains have been raised early on Microsoft's attempt to join the wearable game. Windows Central points out that sync apps have appeared in the Mac and Android app stores (update: and Microsoft's), set to personalize and track data for your "Microsoft Band." Rumors had pointed to a fitness tracker more than a watch that could debut within weeks, and judging by the apps that's just what we'll get. According to the Google Play, Windows Phone Store and iTunes listings, the device itself has more in common with Nike's FuelBand than the what we've seen from Apple and Google so far. That includes tracking steps, heartbeat, calories burned and sleep quality. 9to5Mac linked a privacy agreement that goes into even deeper detail about what else it can do, namely display notifications from your mobile device or take notes and set reminders with Cortana.
Update: Microsoft confirmed that the Band will go on sale for $199 Thursday in its online and physical stores, to US customers only, in "limited quantities." Designed by Quentin Morris (who also developed the Xbox One controller), it carries ten sensors onboard to measure things from heart rate to UV exposure to stress levels, and can last as much as 48 hours on a single charge. As indicated by the apps, it's ready to work with whatever mobile platform you bring to the table, but with its built-in GPS, you can go running without a phone and still track your workout.
The Microsoft Health service that does all the heavy lifting of storing data and syncing notifications to the Band's 310 x 102 res display is similar to Apple HealthKit and Google Fit, but the plan here is to open it up for use on devices and platforms built by others. As our source indicated, not only is the device cross platform-ready, Microsoft will look for other companies (think Samsung, HTC, Pebble, Fitbit) to make their devices Microsoft Health compatible. That way they can sync into the data and notifications immediately, all powered by the Microsoft backend.
Microsoft Health is also your way into its "Intelligence Engine", which automatically tells you things like which exercises burned the most energy, and how well you've been sleeping. The plan is to wrap that data up with info from your Outlook calendar and GPS data to give a broader look at what's impacting your fitness level. Other companies can license the ten sensor setup for their own devices, while UP by Jawbone, MapMyFitness, MyFitnessPal and RunKeeper are already on board with Microsoft Health. Another feature that's coming is the ability to share data (if you choose) from the HealthVault with your medical provider. Microsoft thinks it has the perfect system for folks active both at work and in the gym -- take a peek at the demo video below and see if it's worth the $200.
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile, Microsoft
Via: Windows Central, 9to5 Mac
Source: Microsoft Band
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/30/faa-warns-against-drones-near-sports/
If you have dreams of recording your own aerial footage of a baseball game using a drone, you'll want to put them on ice. The FAA has issued a warning to all pilots that they'll be fined or imprisoned if they fly remote-controlled aircraft too close to large sports venues (specifically, within 3 miles and under 3,000 feet) during events. The heads-up is ultimately an extension of an existing no-fly notice, but it represents the first time that the FAA has explicitly outlined criminal penalties for flying drones in restricted airspace -- it's not just promising tougher rules. You probably won't object to these particular guidelines if you like your sports distraction-free, but the notice suggests that other crackdowns might be coming soon.
[Image credit: Leon Halip/Getty Images]
Filed under: Robots
Via: Ars Technica, AP (Lake County Record-Bee)
Source: FAA
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/30/london-police-gang-violence-study/
London's Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has completed a 20-week study in a bid to more accurately predict whether specific gang members are likely to commit violence. The software, developed by Accenture, pulls data together from systems already used by the MPS and runs it through an analytics engine. It's looking at geography, past offenses, associations with other criminal and even social media postings. An MPS spokesman told the BBC that the system would record and analyze threats or negative comments made by gang members on social media, for example.
Prior to launching the pilot, police analyzed data on London gangs in 32 boroughs for a period of four years to see who was most likely to commit mayhem. That study was then compared to actual acts of violence recorded in its crime logs. The MPS said the experiment accurately pinpointed future villains, though it wouldn't divulge which criteria it used for its predictions.
That lack of informatio has irked privacy groups, who feel the study smacks of mass surveillance and tramples on privacy rights. Big Brother Watch, a UK privacy think-tank, told the BBC that such programs "run the risk of unfairly targeting certain groups of people" and unfairly stigmatizing them. Similar arguments have been made against NSA surveillance or New York City's now-defunct "stop and frisk" program, for instance -- both of which tend to target specific minority groups. The MPS replied that the new study is focused on gang violence only, and is simply a way to fight crime efficiently given its limited resources.
Via: BBC
Source: Accenture
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/29/lg-digital-cinema-4k-monitor/
If your 4K project will be beamed onto millions of TVs or movie screens, "close enough" color accuracy won't cut it. LG wants to help with the 31MU97 Display Cinema 4K monitor, a 31-inch, 4,096 x 2,160, 19 x 10 ratio display with 10-bit color that can cover 99.5 percent of the AdobeRGB spectrum. That'll work well for photographers, but it'll also suit moviemakers thanks to the Dual Color Space mode. When switched, it'll reproduce 97 percent of the "DCI-P3" color space used by filmmakers to grade digital cinema camera footage. It will also work on a PC or Mac, thanks to Thunderbolt support. Such displays can run breathtaking sums, but the 31MU97 looks more reasonable -- it's listed on LG's Australian site at $2,499 Australian dollars ($2,195 or so). It'll hit stores this week in the US, Germany, the UK and Australia, followed by other parts of the world in November.
Source: LG
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