Implicit the Google CEO’s vision is that the future will run better on Google, and he will marshal all his forces to try to make that a reality. [Read more]
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Tag Archives: Field
Larry Page’s reality distortion field
Posted by Gsurface
on May 16, 2013
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AT&T to launch Digital Life in 15 markets, hopes to enter home automation field
Posted by Gsurface
on March 24, 2013
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AT&T is finally set to launch its Digital Life home automation service, and it’s ready to do so in a big way. Initially planned for just eight markets, the telephony giant has expanded its coverage to 15 starting this spring, with the hope of 50 by the end of the year. Essentially a way to monitor your home, Digital Life packages may include live video, the ability to remotely toggle the light on and off, change the thermostat, unlock the door and more. Customers are able to set up programs and alerts via smartphone or tablet applications or the web. AT&T should bring some heavy clout to the home automation party, though it won’t be the first big-name communications company to do so. For more information on Digital Life and what it offers, have a peek at the source below.
Source: AT&T
Rules for hackers: Cyberwar manual applies international law to the field of online attacks
Posted by Gsurface
on March 20, 2013
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Google’s Field Trip location-discovery app comes to iOS
Posted by Gsurface
on March 7, 2013
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Android users have had access to Google’s Field Trip for several months now, but the location-discovery app is just making its way to iOS now. The service runs in the background on your smartphone, alerting you when you’re near a historic spot or Zagat-recommended restaurant, for instance. In addition to helping you discover new POIs, the app can act as a tour guide with audio read-outs about nearby places, and you have the option of posting newfound locales to Google+, Facebook and Twitter. Click through to the source link to give the free download a whirl on your iPhone or iPod.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Apple, Google
Via: 9to5Mac
Source: iTunes
Aktana Raises $5M For A Suggestion Engine Designed For Sales People In The Field
Posted by Gsurface
on March 4, 2013
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Aktana has raised $ 5 million in angel funding for its suggestion-engine technology designed for sales people in the field.
Aktana provides data insights into sales activity that learns from interactions with a decision-based engine on the frontend and a backend that uses machine learning to determine better go-to market strategies. In all, it is meant as a virtual assistant for a sales rep.
Aktana started off as a project for NASA to optimize scarce resources, such as wind tunnels and computer resources, said Co-Founder Jack O’Holleran. The company changed direction when they realized there was a better application in a top line driven area.
TechCrunch
Toronto-based SaaS Enterprise Safety Company Field ID Acquired By Security Hardware Maker Master Lock
Posted by Gsurface
on February 21, 2013
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Master Lock has acquired Toronto-based software-as-a-service enterprise security solution provider Field ID in a deal the terms of which weren’t disclosed. We’ve heard the deal involving the five year-old startup was in the tens of millions, however, and that the company’s angel investors were very pleased with the arrangement. The purchase nets Master Lock an entry into the software market, something it’s been looking for according to Field ID CEO Somen Mondal.
TechCrunch
Light Field Photography Is the New Path To 3-D
Posted by Gsurface
on February 2, 2013
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waderoush writes “In November, Lytro, the maker of the first light field camera for consumers, upgraded its viewer software to enable a feature called ‘Perspective Shift.’ In addition to refocusing pictures after they’ve been taken, Lytro audiences can now pivot between different virtual points of view, within a narrow baseline. This 3-D capability was baked into Lytro’s technology from the start: ‘The light field itself is inherently multidimensional [and] the 2-D refocusable picture that we launched with was just one way to represent that,’ says Eric Cheng, Lytro’s director of photography. But while Perspective Shift is currently little more than a novelty, the possibilities for future 3-D imaging are startling, especially as Lytro develops future devices with larger sensors — and therefore larger baselines, allowing more dramatic 3-D effects. Cheng says the company is already exploring future versions of its viewer software that would work on 3-D televisions. ‘We are moving the power of photography from optics to computation,’ he says. ‘So when the public really demands 3-D content, we will be ready for it.’”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Free online tool creates images with adjustable depth of field from standard DSLR video
Posted by Gsurface
on December 14, 2012
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We’ve seen a couple of ways to change the depth of field (DOF) in pictures after they’ve been shot, but those methods have all featured specific hardware for the job. Knowing that most aren’t inclined to fork over the notes for such luxuries, online auteurists The Choas Collective have released a free online tool for creating DOF-changeable images — and all you need is a basic DSLR that shoots video. Instead of fancy in-camera tech that captures all the focal range data in one instance, their method requires you to shoot a short, steady video of the subject scene while you manually change the focus from one extreme to another. Upload the clip, and the Collective’s neat tool cuts each frame into a 20 x 20 grid and works out what’s in focus. The result is an embeddable image which allows you to play around with depth of field on the fly. We know you’re probably eager to try this out right now, but before you go looking for your camera, head to the source link for full instructions and tips for shooting the clip. Alternatively, if you’re sans DSLR, check out the example of a DOF-changeable image we’ve hidden below the fold.
Filed under: Cameras, Internet, Software
Source: The Chaos Collective
New agreement lets Facebook and Zynga play the field, still shack up
Posted by Gsurface
on November 30, 2012
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It wasn’t so long ago that Facebook and Zynga were making beautiful music (and money) together, but it seems that each is now looking for a bit of fresh air in the relationship, according to Reuters. A new agreement will give Zynga more freedom to offer games on its own website, while also allowing Facebook to develop its own — though for now, the social network said it “was not in the business of building games and we have no plans to do so.” For its part, Zynga now has the option of opting out of Facebook’s payment mechanism and display ads, according to a recent filing by the Farmville maker. Both companies have seen their share of foibles, lately, but Facebook would perhaps be wise to not let its main dance partner too far out of sight — Zynga still kicks in more than 15 percent of the now-public company’s revenue.
Filed under: Gaming, Internet, Facebook
Via: Joystiq
Source: Reuters
Should You Go on Google’s Field Trip?
Posted by Gsurface
on October 4, 2012
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The new app is an ingenious way to learn about what’s around you—and points to a potential gold mine in location-based advertising.
An assistant that constantly pesters you with tidbits about your surroundings might sound pretty irritating. But Field Trip, a new smartphone app from Google that does just this, is surprisingly charming and useful—it may also enrich the company by serving up useful location-based ads.
Local search Field Test: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps
Posted by Gsurface
on September 22, 2012
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In part two of our Apple Maps app testing, we decided to perform local searches of landmarks and other locations and the results were clearly lopsided.
[Read more]
CNET News
DARPA fights fire with sound and electricity, hopes ‘ionic wind’ could save lives in the field
Posted by Gsurface
on July 16, 2012
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Fire, frenemy of humanity since time immemorial. Typical extinguishing methods have involved water, chemicals and even blankets, but DARPA wanted to see if there was another, more pragmatic way. Starting with the understanding of fire actually being a cold plasma, DARPA then explored fire’s electromagnetic and acoustic qualities, and discovered two potential ways to quell the flame, one using electrons, the other, sound. The electron technique creates an oscillating field that separates the fire and fuel dubbed “ionic wind,” the other method creates an acoustic field that increases the air velocity (thinning the the flame boundary) and causes the flames to widen and drop in temperature, dispersing the fire’s energy. The concepts have been proven, but scaling these up to real world solutions is a whole different matter. Light up the videos after the break to see them in action.
Filed under: Science
DARPA fights fire with sound and electricity, hopes ‘ionic wind’ could save lives in the field originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 17:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tapping Earth’s magnetic field for indoor navigation
Posted by Gsurface
on July 15, 2012
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Finnish company says new navigation technique was inspired by the way animals use the field to navigate their environs.
[Read more]
CNET News
Indoor Navigation On Your Smartphone, Using the Earth’s Magnetic Field
Posted by Gsurface
on July 9, 2012
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MrSeb writes “Researchers from the University of Oulu in Finland has created an indoor navigation system (IPS) that uses the Earth’s innate magnetic field to ascertain your position — just like a homing pigeon or spiny lobster. According to IndoorAtlas, the company spun off by the university to market and sell the tech, its system has an accuracy of between 0.1 and 2 meters. The Finnish IPS technology is ingenious in its simplicity: Basically, every square inch of Earth emits a magnetic field — and this field is then modulated by man-made concrete and steel structures. With a magnetometer (compass), which every modern smartphone has, you can first create a magnetic field map — and then use that map to navigate the shopping mall, underground garage, airport, etc. Compared to most other IPSes, which require thousands of WiFi or Bluetooth base stations to achieve comparable accuracy, IndoorAtlas’ infrastructure-free approach sounds rather awesome.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Interview With Nextag’s Jeff Katz: Google Needs To Be More Transparent, Provide Equal Access & A Level Playing Field
Posted by Gsurface
on June 9, 2012
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Earlier this morning, Google critic and Nextag CEO Jeffrey Katz used an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal to accuse Google of behaving like a monopoly. Google quickly responded with a line-by-line criticism of Katz’s arguments. I had a chance to talk to Katz about his piece a little while ago and while he argued that he wasn’t so much interested in engaging in yet another back-and-forth argument with Google, we obviously did touch upon Google’s reaction to his piece.
TechCrunch
France’s Toulouse-Blagnac airport to conduct NFC field trials for BlackBerry smartphones
Posted by Gsurface
on May 24, 2012
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Navigating through airport security is hardly the most fanciful way of kicking off a vacation, but this summer, a handful of frequent fliers in France will take part in a field trial that aims to streamline the process and make it a bit more enjoyable. Fifty lucky travelers armed with BlackBerry smartphones will take part in a pilot study that tests the authentication technology recently developed by Orange and SITA. Upon their arrival at the Toulouse-Blagnac airport, the handset’s NFC-capable SIM card will serve as an access pass to the car park, the premium access zone for departures and even the private lounge area. Smartphone integration will provide travelers with real-time flight information, and it’s said that the handset will even remember the location of one’s vehicle in the car park. As the system is hardware-based, the identity verification technology will even work when the smartphone is turned off. The Toulouse-Blagnac airport aims to have a broader NFC implementation available by 2013-2014, which may allow users to board flights and pay for goods with their mobile device. To learn more about the vision, you’ll find the PR after the break.
France’s Toulouse-Blagnac airport to conduct NFC field trials for BlackBerry smartphones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 02:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Audi to field first diesel hybrid at Le Mans
Posted by Gsurface
on May 4, 2012
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At the next 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, running June 16-17, Audi will field two hybrid cars among its four entrants.
[Read more]
CNET News
Conductive fabrics may power future infantry gear, uniforms set to enter field trials
Posted by Gsurface
on April 3, 2012
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If you thought your Sunbeam electric blanket or those Hello Kitty foot warmers were advanced pieces of kit, then you’d best divert your eyes from this story out of the UK. In an effort to eliminate the mess of power cables and extraneous batteries from a soldier’s tech gear, one British company is currently experimenting with conductive fabrics as the basis for future military uniforms. The material is able to deliver power to any number of devices — all from a single battery — and also features a redundancy aspect, with the ability to reroute power should the fabric become torn or damaged. The company, known as Intelligent Textiles, recently received a £234,000 grant from the Ministry of Defense and hopes to begin field trials of its equipment next month. While these high tech uniforms may see a limited military issue by year’s end, it’s thought unlikely that the gear will become widespread until 2014 or beyond.
Conductive fabrics may power future infantry gear, uniforms set to enter field trials originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 08:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
ZTE blasts past the speed barrier with field test of 1.7Tbps data transmission
Posted by Gsurface
on March 16, 2012
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That bank-breaking 150/35Mbps FiOS connection you’re so proud to call your own? Yeah, it looks like dial-up next to the searing terabit speeds recently achieved by ZTE’s optical network. The Chinese telco, mostly known stateside for its mobile handsets, has successfully completed an experiment designed to highlight the possibility of migrating “from a 100G transmission system to a 200G system.” In layman’s terms, that’s a data punch of 200Gbps-plus sent over eight channels, which in this case, totals about 1.7Tbps. Impressed? You should be, but don’t cast your home connection the side-eye just yet. Like Deutsche Telekom’s comparatively lesser feat, you’ll likely amass a few wrinkles and lbs before this tech becomes consumer-ready. Check out the official PR after the break.
Continue reading ZTE blasts past the speed barrier with field test of 1.7Tbps data transmission
ZTE blasts past the speed barrier with field test of 1.7Tbps data transmission originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 02:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Google looks to plant a field of satellite dishes in Iowa
Posted by Gsurface
on February 21, 2012
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Iowa. Fertile home to 14 million acres of corn, nine million acres of soybeans, and — if the FCC looks favorably on a recent application from Farmer Google — a blooming array of 15-foot satellite dishes too. The request for a “receive only earth station” comes from Google Fiber, and the bands it hopes to receive are typical satellite TV frequencies, hinting that the purpose of the station will be to receive audio and video content that will then be piped through a high-speed fiber data service. First stop, Kansas City!
Google looks to plant a field of satellite dishes in Iowa originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 03:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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DARPA planning high-speed wireless for soldiers in the field
Posted by Gsurface
on February 16, 2012
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DARPA has its hands and, more importantly, its money in just about everything. Weapons, robots, thermal sensors — it’s a staple of the scientific community. But, it’s also a military agency with basic needs, like internet access. The research group’s newest project doesn’t carry heavy loads (unless you’re weighing your cargo in kilobytes) and can’t break the sound barrier, but it should be able to deliver 4G speeds to even the most remote of battlefields. DARPA has $ 11.8 million set aside for its Mobile Hotspots program which will use millimeter-wave signals to deliver high-speed data connections to dismounted soldiers, forward-operating bases and tactical centers. Most importantly, each node in the network extends its range building out a mesh that isn’t reliant on existing infrastructure. For more details hit up the PR after the break.
Continue reading DARPA planning high-speed wireless for soldiers in the field
DARPA planning high-speed wireless for soldiers in the field originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The real Steve Jobs: FBI investigation reveals drug use, ‘reality distortion field’
Posted by Gsurface
on February 9, 2012
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Lytro Light Field camera pre-orders begin at $399
Posted by Gsurface
on October 19, 2011
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Lytro, the world’s first light-field camera, made its debut today at an event in San Francisco. The camera records fields of light instead of pixels and allows users to focus after they’ve taken a picture. We’ve talked about the technology behind this camera previously, but this is the first time we’ve seen the camera’s unique [...]
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