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Monday, January 12, 2015

Article: Disney's Beachbot is an artistic robot turtle that can draw in the sand

The robotic turtle above can't wield katanas, eat pizza or shout cowabunga, but it can still do something awesome: draw big sand sketches on the beach. It's named "Beachbot" and was developed by a team from ETH Zurich and the Zurich division of Disney Research, a network of labs responsible for s...

http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/12/disney-research-beachbot-art/?ncid=rss_truncated

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Sunday, January 11, 2015

DJI's Inspire 1 hand-held gimbal brings its flying camera down to earth

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/10/djis-inspire-1-hand-held-gimbal/

DJI is perhaps best known for its drones. The company also makes some pretty sweet photography gear. Often, these two skill sets meet in perfect harmony -- like the 4K camera-toting Inspire 1 video drone. DJI thought it was a shame to keep that new camera limited to aerial photography though, so it's setting it free with a hand-held gimbal (motorized camera stabilizer). In fact, the gimbal part is the same as the one that's on the drone, but attached to a handgrip mount. The result is a small, yet extremely stable 4K video camera. Similar devices exist for GoPros, but DJI's design is not just more visually appealing, but also more practical and comfortable to use. We were lucky enough to get to try it out for ourselves in the desert.

Let's get back to how it looks for a moment. It's pretty cool. Naturally, it matches the design language of the Inspire 1 drone. As a standalone device, it's a smart-looking piece of kit, but there's definitely a whiff of "Stormtrooper" about it. The device we saw was only a prototype, but it's clear it'll be ergonomic and comfortable to use. There are a few controls on the handle within reach of your thumb, and it houses a mic too, as the camera doesn't have one (there's not much to record up in the air).

What makes the gimbal really smart though, is the addition of a clip for your phone. DJI has created a companion app that allows you to use your smartphone as a viewfinder. This makes the mini rig a surprisingly comprehensive, yet portable stabilized 4K video setup. What better way to test it than shooting side by side with a camera on a regular, non-stabilized grip? We did exactly that, stomping around the Nevada desert. The results speak for themselves. The footage is incredibly, dreamily smooth, but a few bugs in the app meant we could only grab a few short moments. Watch below to see for yourself.

The gimbal may just be a prototype, and we still have no idea of price, but we're sure this information will be available soon enough. What we do know is that DJI is thinking about ways to add real value to its existing kit. The addition of this device makes the Inspire drone package 100 percent more useful. Now you can theoretically use the same camera to complete a whole video project, and anything that improves our overall workflow is a welcome addition.

Filed under: Cameras

Saturday, January 10, 2015

You Can Rent This Modular Pocket PC For $200 a Year

Source: http://ces.gizmodo.com/you-can-rent-this-modular-pocket-pc-for-200-a-year-1678615054

You Can Rent This Modular Pocket PC For $200 a Year

Did you know that Chromebooks were originally supposed to be disposable computers? That didn't quite come to pass. But a new computer company called The Hive has a PC that you actually do trade in, year after year.

Friday, January 09, 2015

This Aim-Assisted Rifle Is Now Accurate Up to a Mile

Source: http://gizmodo.com/that-aim-assisted-rifle-is-now-accurate-up-to-a-mile-1678303048

This Aim-Assisted Rifle Is Now Accurate Up to a Mile

Oh, what a difference two years make. The Precision-Guided Firearm (aka the Linux Gun) from TrackingPoint that blew many a mind at 2013's CES is back and better than ever. And by "better" I mean able to hit a target traveling at 30 mph, 1,800 yards out.

This Modular Smartwatch Could Have As Many Days Of Battery As You Want

Source: http://ces.gizmodo.com/this-modular-smartwatch-could-have-as-many-days-of-batt-1678389628

This Modular Smartwatch Could Have As Many Days Of Battery As You Want

One of the biggest problems with powerful smartwatches is battery life. Who wants to charge their watch every night? But what if your watch was made of modular blocks and you could add as many batteries as you like?

Thursday, January 08, 2015

Curved displays are everywhere at CES

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/08/engadget-forums-whats-up-with-curved-displays/

Walking through the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center, one thing becomes abundantly clear. Curved displays are apparently all the rage. They're everywhere and include everything from Ultra-HDTVs, monitors and even smartphones. Much like 3D televisions of the past, it seems like every hardware manufacturer got together and said, "This is exactly what consumers need!" The thing is, I've yet to meet anyone who has one. Are they the real deal? Head over to the Engadget forums and share your thoughts!

Filed under: Displays

Source: Engadget forums

Facebook Is Going Big On Video, Acquires Video Technology Startup QuickFire

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-is-going-big-on-video-2015-1

mark zuckerberg

Facebook has acquired video technology startup QuickFire Networks for an undisclosed amount.

QuickFire Networks CEO, Craig Y. Lee, announced the acquisition on the company website.

“QuickFire Networks was founded on the premise that the current network infrastructure is not sufficient to support the massive consumption of video that’s happening online without compromising on video quality,” Lee writes.

QuickFire’s technology reduces the bandwidth needed to watch video online without sacrificing on video quality.

Facebook averages more than one billion video views per day, so it makes sense that they’d want to deliver a higher quality video experience to users.

The company posted a blog post on January 7th outlining “what the shift to video means for content creators,” and highlighted how integral video had become to the platform.

Facebook noted that, on average, more than 50% of people who come back to Facebook every day in the US watch at least one video daily and in a single year Facebook video posts per person increased 75% globally and 94% in the United States.

QuickFire will be able to help streamline the increased video consumption and provide support to the platform as it rolls out more video in emerging markets, which frequently have slower connections.

A group of key QuickFire employees will be joining Facebook as part of the acquisition. In the meantime, the company will be reaching out to individual customers and partners as business winds down.

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Almost Nobody Is Using The Latest Version Of Android (GOOG)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/android-lollipop-adoption-is-abysmal-2015-1

Almost nobody is using Google’s latest and most ambitious update to its Android operating system. Based on the company’s latest numbers charted for us by BI Intelligence, less than 0.1% of all Android devices are running the latest version, called Lollipop. It doesn't even appear on the chart, because we don't show distributions with less than 0.1% adoption.

Most Android users are still on Android Jelly Bean (46% of devices), followed by KitKat (39.1%), the most recent version of Android that came out before Lollipop. Android suffers from a ton of "fragmentation" — that is, many different versions of the software out at the same time — because Google gives third parties like hardware makers and carriers lots of leeway on what they can do with the platform. It’s difficult to roll out new updates since each new software edition must pass through so many different channels before it reaches the end user. Unfortunately, this makes it hard for developers trying to build Android apps — which version do they build for?

bii sai cotd android mobile os

SEE ALSO: Mobile Shopping Grew Like Crazy Last Year

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This Tabletop Gadget Steers Light with a Wall of Sound

Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-gadget-steers-light-with-sound-1677843443

This Tabletop Gadget Steers Light with a Wall of Sound

Our collective Holodeck-Danger Room fantasies are one step closer to reality thanks to a new acousto-optic device described in the latest issue of the journal Optics Express. It can manipulate laser beams in near real time using nothing but sound waves.

Samsung's latest SSD is absurdly fast and uses virtually no standby power

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/08/samsung-sm941-pcie-ssd/

Samsung has started manufacturing a PCIe (M.2) SSD that pulls off a rare trick -- it'll be the fastest drive your laptop has ever seen, while consuming almost no power in standby mode. The new SM951 SSD succeeds the Korean company's XP941, a drive that can already read data at a mind-melting 1.4 gigabytes per second (GB/s) clip. On newer laptops or desktops, its successor will shame that with 2.15 GB/s read and 1.55 GB/s write speeds (on PCIe Gen 3 tech) using new 10-nanometer-class MLC flash tech. It also sips 50 percent less power and only consumes a negligible two milliwatts in standby mode. The SSDs will come in 128, 256 and 512GB sizes, but only to major laptop and workstation manufacturers to start with. If it follows the XP941's footsteps, however, you'll be able to supercharge your own laptop later on.

Filed under: Storage, Samsung

Via: The Register

Source: Samsung

Sony's new 4K projectors: choose between 'cheap' or lasers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/07/sonys-new-4k-projectors-choose-between-cheap-or-lasers/

Sure we can spend all day at CES checking out ridiculously large UHD TVs, but if you want to max out your home theater then a projector is the only way to go. Luckily, Sony has two fresh choices here at CES 2015 if you can afford them. First up is its VPL-VW350ES, which qualifies as the value option by bringing its 4K capabilities for under $10,000 -- hardly cheap, but until now the cheapest option has been the $15,000 VPL-VW600ES. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the laser-powered VPL-GTZ1. We saw it last year as a part of the Life Space UX concept, but for the last few months, New York's well-heeled customers have been able to pick one up for just $50,000. Naturally, Sony brought two of them to CES, showing off their "ultra short-throw ability" to beam a 4K image on a wall from just a few inches away. Perhaps the perfect choice for someone with more money than space, we will sadly have to pass on taking either one home, for now.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony

Source: Sony

Wednesday, January 07, 2015

Stock Market Returns In Years Ending In 5

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-returns-in-years-ending-in-5-2015-1

From MKM Partners' Jonathan Krinsky: "There are likely different explanations for this, and while the results span 130 years, the actual number of samples is quite small. With that said, the results are quite remarkable. Since 1885, there have been 13 years ending in “five.” The Dow Jones Industrial Average has been up 12 of 13 times, for an average return of over 28%. Only 2005 closed down, and it was a modest -0.61%. The SPX was up 3% in 2005. As you can see below, the average returns for the DJIA in years ending in five are 4x the average year. Of course we would never recommend an investment strategy based solely on this phenomenon, but it certainly doesn’t hurt the bull case." returns 5

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drag2share: Best CES 2015 Wearables

source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/07/introducing-the-best-of-ces-2015-finalists/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

BEST WEARABLE

Parrot Zik Sport

Parrot's new Zik Sport headphones are noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones that offer a heart rate sensor, pedometer and a five-hour battery.

Lenovo Vibe Band VB10

Lenovo's beautiful Vibe Band VP10 gives a new spin on the standard wearable by offering Bluetooth notifications on an E Ink screen. It also tracks your steps, calories, distance traveled and sleep quality. Plus, it's waterproof and comes in an array of stylish metallic colors.

Alcatel OneTouch Watch

Alcatel OneTouch's smartwatch bucks the dominant wearables trend by skipping Android Wear in favor of its own proprietary software. What that means is that it can't run some of the more out-there apps we've seen, but do you really need a watch to be able to start your car? With stylish looks, solid features and a cheap price, it's certainly an interesting device.

Bragi's Dash smart headphones are so impressive, that they deserved to be in the wearables category, too. They're waterproof and touch-controlled and can do things like play media and track your fitness.

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The Remaining NFL Playoff Quarterbacks Have A Huge Gap In Career Earnings

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/nfl-playoff-quarterbacks-career-earnings-2015-1

This year's NFL playoffs show how more than ever it is important to have a franchise quarterback leading your team as the eight signal callers still standing have combined for 53 playoff wins and seven Super Bowl championships.

But while all would be considered among the best quarterbacks in the NFL, there is a huge gap in how much they have earned in their careers, with Peyton Manning topping the list with $229.7 million in career earnings according to Spotrac.com.

At the other end, Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks has made just $2.1 million in his career despite having already won a Super Bowl. But don't worry, Wilson's day is coming and there is a good chance he will be the NFL's next $100 million quarterback as early as this off-season.

NFL Playoffs Chart

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drag2share: Watch how Intel's depth cameras let you play 'drone ping pong'

source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/06/intel-realsense-asctec-firefly-drone-ping-pong/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

It's all good and fun when you get to fly a drone, but there are times when you wish it could fly around by itself without crashing into things. As we found out at Intel's CES keynote just now, one solution to this is to equip the machine with depth cameras; and in Ascending Technologies' case, it went with six of Intel's RealSense depth cameras for its AscTec Firefly. The result is a drone that pushes itself away when people approach it, which allowed the demonstrators to humor the audience with a game of "drone ping pong": one player would walk up to the Firefly to pass it to another player. We also watched another Firefly clear an obstacle course autonomously, but trust us, the first demo is more entertaining (but maybe creepy for some). See for yourself after the break.

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