The European Commission believes that, alongside the rise of smartphones, tablets and other TV replacements, by 2016 connected TVs could be used in the majority of European homes — up from around 40.4 million today. Today it released a Green Paper to lay the groundwork for how it might cope with that. To be clear, this is not a re-writing of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, the basic set of rules first introduced in 2010 covering areas single-market convergence, although it could lead to that. Initially, the purpose of the Green Paper will be to get a better handle on an area that is rapidly changing with the boom in mobile broadband, the rise of tablets and video apps, those connected TVs and more. It’s part of Kroes’ wider Digital Agenda strategy, which has covered areas like addressing the digital divide, the role of regulation in childrens content, cybersecurity, tech brain drain and more. As part of the Green Paper, the EC seeks feedback on things like how TV is watched, the limitations of digital content distributed on a per-country basis, exclusivity deals for films and other media, and whether self-regulation (used widely today) is doing enough — issues that could potentially impact, among others, device makers like Samsung, LG and (perhaps!) Apple; streaming companies like Amazon and Netflix; and publishers/creators. Neelie Kroes, the outspoken Commission VP who oversees this area, focuses her attention on connected TVs specifically today: “Connected TV is the next big thing in the creative and digital worlds,” she is expected to note in a statement today. But Kroes also acknowledges that even if it’s not a huge LG set in a TV room that will be the lever for how things transform, the evolution is certainly an issue regardless. “Convergence between sectors means people can enjoy a wider choice of great content – but it also creates disruptions and challenges. We need a converged and EU-wide debate to help deal with these changes.” Indeed, figures from Cisco’s most recent Visual Networking Index, a huge study it puts out annually, mobile video consumption worldwide exceeded 50% for the first time last year and shows no sign of slowing down, with Europe accounting for over 20% of all global mobile traffic. Part of the issue in Europe is that, at the moment, there are some cross purposes at work. For example, when it comes to content, deals
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Tag Archives: paper
EC Wades In On Connected TV, Cross-Border Content Regulation In New Green Paper
Transparent Transistors Printed On Paper
MTorrice writes “To make light-weight, inexpensive electronics using renewable materials, scientists have turned to a technology that is almost 2,000 years old: paper. Researchers fabricated organic transistors on a transparent, exceptionally smooth type of paper called nanopaper. This material has cellulose fibers that are only 10 nm in diameter. The nanopaper transistors are about 84% transparent, and their performance decreases only slightly when bent.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Revolutionary tablet is as thin and flexible as paper
Campaign To Remove Paper From Offices
An anonymous reader writes “A campaign started by HelloFax, Google, Expensify, and others has challenged businesses to get rid of physical paper from their office environment in 2013. According to the EPA, the average office worker uses about 10,000 sheets of paper each year, and the Paperless 2013 project wants to move all of those documents online. HelloFax CEO Joseph Walla said, ‘The digital tools that are available today blow what we had even five years ago out of the water. For the first time, it’s easy to sign, fax, and store documents without ever printing a piece of paper. It’s finally fast and simple to complete paperwork and expense reports, to manage accounting, pay bills and invoice others. The paperless office is here – we just need to use it.’ The companies involved all have a pretty obvious dog in this fight, but I can’t say I’d mind getting rid of the stacks of paper HR sends me.”
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Survey finds increase in e-reading, drop in paper
New York Paper Uses Public Records To Publish Gun-Owner Map
New submitter Isaac-1 writes “First it was the sex offenders being mapped using public records, now it seems to be gun owners — I wonder who will be next? It seems a newspaper in New York has published an interactive map with the names and addresses of people with [handguns].” It’s happened before: In 2007, Virginia’s Roanoke Times raised the ire of many gun owners by publishing a database of Virginia’s gun permit holders that it assembled based on public records inquiries. (The paper later withdrew that database.) Similarly, WRAL-TV in North Carolina published a database earlier this year with searchable map of (partially redacted) information about permit holders in that state, and Philadelphia made the news for a similar disclosure — complete with interactive map and addresses — of hundreds of gun permit applicants and holders.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The Death Of Paper
What does it say about us as a culture that is slowly killing off its primary method of information transferral. In 20 years, if there are no physical books, what will future cultures know about is in 220 years, when digital memories are likely wiped away?
TechCrunch
Paper thin super material stops flying bullets
Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ tentatively rooted for the paper UI-phobic (video)
There’s no doubt that Barnes & Noble in love with the paper-like interface of the Nook HD+. Not all of its new owners are quite so taken with the retro chic, with the proof being XDA-Developers member verygreen’s early root for the Android tablet (and possibly its HD cousin). The preliminary code is enough to offer a glimpse of a more digital interface as well as teasers of a CyanogenMod port and booting from SD cards. Before racing to use the instructions at the source, be aware that the root’s usefulness may vary wildly in the near future — as of this writing, a familiar defense mechanism dating back to the Nook Color has kicked in that rejects the root and restores itself to factory stock after eight failed boot attempts. That there’s a root at all will nonetheless be a comfort in the long run to those who like the idea of a budget tablet without the enforced nostalgia for dead trees.
Continue reading Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ tentatively rooted for the paper UI-phobic (video)
Filed under: Tablets
Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ tentatively rooted for the paper UI-phobic (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Paper By FiftyThree Now On Apple Retail iPads, Tops 3.3M Downloads And 190 Years Spent In-App
Here’s a neat, well-deserved win for a startup company: Paper, the critically acclaimed drawing application for iPad is now being featured by Apple on iPad demo units in its retail stores, and now has over 3.3 million downloads, with 25 million pages of drawings created by users. The time spent in-app creating Color journals adds up to almost 200 years in total.
TechCrunch
Romney-Ryan Release Space Policy Paper
RocketAcademy writes “The Romney-Ryan campaign has released a white paper on space policy, which observers find to be long on criticisms of the Obama Administration but short on specific recommendations. The policy promises ‘a robust role for commercial space,’ but it’s clearly a supporting role: ‘NASA will set the goals and lead the way in human space exploration.’ When it comes to space, both parties put government ahead of private enterprise. Some see a parallel with the policies which are driving space companies out of California. Newt Gingrich, one of the few politicians who thinks seriously about space, says the policy is a step in the right direction but not enough.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Ringya Lets You Snap Photos Of Paper Lists & Business Cards To Create Contact Groups On iPhone
If you’ve ever needed a better way to manage your contact lists directly on your iPhone, a new app called Ringya (yeah I know, kind of a dopey name, but stay with me here) can help. But what makes this Address Book replacement app interesting is one of the methods it supports for adding contacts to your groups: you can just take a picture of a contact list that’s printed out on paper. That may seem like a niche use case (who uses paper?!), but it’s actually surprisingly helpful. I’ve already found a handful of paper lists sitting around my house, and for business users, it’s likely even more common.
Wallwisher Brings The Flexibility Of Notes On Paper To The Web
At TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, Wallwisher showed us the new version of their web application. Wallwisher allows user to write, collaborate and share content on an empty canvas.
The idea is deliberately simple in order to allow many uses for the service. For example, you could create noticeboards, scrapbooks, playlists, charts, polls, use it to brainstorm or to manage events. Usage adoption has been great so far.
TechCrunch
Robot made from paper spells doom for the trees in the Robopocalypse (video)
A paper tiger might have a bark that’s worse than its bite, but that proverb might not be valid once you’ve seen the Mechanical Paper Robot. The brainchild of artist / genius Kikousya, it’s entirely constructed from dead trees, a few rubber bands and some dowel. We suggest you watch the amazing video after the break and, if you’re looking to build your own, head down to the source link for the instructions. After all, given the cost of those robotic bulls, scary babies and giant mecha, Skynet’s gonna need some wallet-friendly foot-soldiers for the Robopocalypse.
Continue reading Robot made from paper spells doom for the trees in the Robopocalypse (video)
Robot made from paper spells doom for the trees in the Robopocalypse (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 20:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine: paper sketchbooks and journals get connected
Evernote has trotted out an update to its iOS app and accompanied the software release with an announcement of a collaboration with Moleskine. Yes, you read that correctly. The digital note-taking application has teamed up with the analog sktechbook maker to produce the Evernote Smart Notebook. Designed specifically for the refreshed iPhone and iPad software, the notebooks allow users to snag written notes or drawings right off the paper and archive them with the app — making them searchable and organized for future reference. So where exactly does the tech angle come in? First, pages are lined using a dotted pattern that is optimized for the upated mobile software.
With the new Page Camera feature, photos of pages are shot and automatically given a proper contrast adjustment. The add-on also finds the aforementioned dots are corrects a skewed photo. Last but certainly not least, each Smart Notebook comes with a set of Smart Stickers. Evernote will now recognize each of these and apply the appropriate tags before sorting. While the stickers come with pre-defined tags, they are customizable to accomodate your particular sensibilities. These pseudo-digital Moleskines will be available in both pocket (3.5 x 5.5 inches / 8.89 x 13.97 cm) and large (5 x 8.25 inches / 12.7 x 20.96 cm) sizes, carrying $ 25 and $ 30 price tags when they hit shelves October 1st. If you can’t contain your excitement, head on to the coverage link below to pre-order yours now.
Filed under: Misc, Internet, Software
The Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine: paper sketchbooks and journals get connected originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Aug 2012 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Need toilet paper? Wave your hand
Prefer not to touch things in public bathrooms? A Japanese company shows off a new hands-free spin on dispensing toilet paper.
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CNET News
Robot Hand Beats You At Rock, Paper, Scissors 100% of the Time
wasimkadak writes “This robot hand will play a game of rock, paper, scissors with you. Sounds like fun, right? Not so much, because this particular robot wins every. Single. Time. It only takes a single millisecond for the robot to recognize what shape your hand is in, and just a few more for it to make the shape that beats you, but it all happens so fast that it’s more or less impossible to tell that the robot is waiting until you commit yourself before it makes its move, allowing it to win 100% of the time.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Did Einstein’s First Wife Secretly Co-author His 1905 Relativity Paper?
Various historians have concluded that Einstein’s first wife Mileva may have secretly contributed to his work. Now a new analysis seeks to settle the matter
In the the late 1980s, the American physicist Evan Walker Harris published an article in Physics Today suggesting that Einstein first wife, Mileva Maric, was an unacknowledged co-author of his 1905 paper on special relativity.
Ask Slashdot: The Very Best Paper Airplane?
An anonymous reader writes “‘The Harrier’ (or ‘Eastern star,’ as it is also called), is very well known, and is considered to be one of the best paper airplane designs. After much searching and trying, I have not found a better plane. So, I am asking Slashdot: is there anything that beats ‘The Harrier’ in a competition (indoors or outdoors)? This would be a really nice geek skill!”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Wacom Bamboo Stylus Duo, lets you draw something on tablets and paper
Tired of reaching for the stylus, then your pen, oh, and then the stylus again? Wacom saw that, and updated the Bamboo Stylus with the new “Duo”. Half pen, half Stylus, and all yours for £34 (about $ 50) next month.
Continue reading Wacom Bamboo Stylus Duo, lets you draw something on tablets and paper
Wacom Bamboo Stylus Duo, lets you draw something on tablets and paper originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Paper: the iPad sketchbook app from the brains of Courier (video)
Go figure — Microsoft’s Courier project lives again… as an exclusive app on Apple’s iPad. FiftyThree, a company that features folks who previously worked on the aforesaid Courier initiative, has just put forth a monumental effort dubbed Paper. The app, which is available for free in the App Store, is a sophisticated sketchbook with a highly unique user interface that’s seemingly designed with the budding artist in mind. Put simply, the company feels that this app is “where ideas begin,” enabling users to capture mental light bulbs as sketches, diagrams, illustrations, notes or drawings before sharing them across the web.
Of course, “free” only gets you in the door; in-app purchases ($ 2 per brush, for example) keeps the creators in business, but it’s unclear at this point if a paid edition will be offered for those who aren’t much on cherry-picking what they do and don’t want to pony up for. Not surprisingly, the app ships with native support for the new iPad’s Retina display, and while fingers are welcome, a capacitive stylus is recommended. Eager to see more? Peek the video just after the break, and get your download on in the source link.
Continue reading Paper: the iPad sketchbook app from the brains of Courier (video)
Paper: the iPad sketchbook app from the brains of Courier (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 02:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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45-foot-long paper airplane soars over Arizona desert
45-foot long paper airplane glides over Arizona desert
If you were anything like us, you probably liked to waste time at school making paper airplanes, sending them flying through the air to hit designated targets around the room. Or maybe not, because we were fairly terrible at making them. Guess who isn’t terrible at making paper airplanes? Aeronautical engineers. Turns out one group
Laser Erasers Gently Remove Ink from Paper
The trick could reduce the carbon emissions and energy usage associated with recycling paper.
Using laser light to remove toner from printed paper could lead to a new type of Xerox machine capable of both printing and “unprinting.” A new technique developed by researchers in the U.K. can remove ink without damaging the paper—which would mean that a single piece of paper could be reused up to five times before being condemned to the recycling bin.
Paper Or Plastic?
I have a confession to make: despite having reviewed a few e-readers, and having written dozens of articles about them, I’ve never really used one. I mean, I’ve used them enough to know a good one from a bad one, to understand the features, and to do a proper evaluation — but I’ve never made one part of my life, the way one makes a mobile phone or laptop part of one’s life. In that way I haven’t really used an e-reader. Until just recently.
As a book lover, I view e-readers as interlopers; as a practical person, I acknowledge them as inevitable. But in both cases, I have come to view them as a deeply unsatisfying reading experience. They fall short of paper in meaningful ways, and objecting to them should not be considered technophobic.
The future of e-books is bright, but as far as I’m concerned, right now we’re still in the dark age — though that isn’t to say the stone age.
TechCrunch
City Council paper usage down 40 percent after switch to iPads
The City Council of Vancouver, Wash., reports that in the two months following a switch to iPads, paper usage is down by nearly 40 percent.
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CNET News
A Paper Alloy To Replace Plastic Cases
xwwt writes “In response to a paper by Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics, PEGA Design & Engineering has developed a new product that is intended to replace plastic shell material in computer equipment and electronics. The product contains a combination of paper and polypropylene (PP) which aids in recycling efforts and is intended to keep non-recyclable materials out of landfills. The PP should break down in sunlight and can be reclaimed. There is concern that polypropylene cannot be separated from the paper fiber and brings into question how the material will be recycled. As poster Paul Davis points out, it might have been better to use polylactic acid. Ultimately, it raises the question: is this truly a recyclable material?”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Scientists Print Cheap RFID Tags On Paper
judgecorp writes “French scientists have found a way to make RFID tags cheaper by printing them on paper. [Abstract] This could allow wider tagging, and combine with technologies such as printed memory.” These printed RFID tags use aluminum, “a lot less expensive than copper or silver, which are used in some types of RFID tag. This is good news for inventory users operating millions of RFID tags in their systems.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Inhabitat’s Week in Green: electric taxis, paper robots and a cathedral of 55,000 LEDs
This week Inhabitat saw the light as we reported on several spellbinding new projects around the world — including an incredible cathedral made from 55,000 LEDs and a glowing prefab pod building modeled after the genetic structure of plankton. We also showcased a luminous forest of thousands of “Frozen Trees” and a high-flying F-Light made from a recycled airplane, and also reported on Toshiba expanding its line of LEDs. Meanwhile, as the lights fire up Lucas Oil Stadium we shared seven ways Super Bowl 46 is going green, took a look at the first organic concessions ever to offered at a Super Bowl, and got things cooking with six delicious recipes for game time snacks
Eco transportation also blasted off from the starting line as London’s first zero-emission electric taxis hit the streets, and Stanford unveiled plans for electrified roads that automatically charge EVs. We also saw Scotland launch the world’s first hybrid sea-going ferries, while Agence 360 did cyclists a favor by designing a nifty ultra-compact foldable bike helmet. Meanwhile, Chevrolet announced plans to put environmental impact stickers on all of their cars by 2013, the sun-powered solarGT car set off on a race across the United States, and we brought you a gorgeous set of long-exposure photos that make speeding trains look like laser beams.
In other news, renewable energy was a hot topic this week as researchers at MIT found a way to make solar panels from grass clippings, another team of scientists developed a hip-hop powered biomedical sensor and Britain mulled plans to install a new breed of radioactive waste-recycling nuclear reactors that could power the UK for 500 years. We also brought you several fun designs for aspiring little builders – a set of awesome paper robots and an industrial workbench for tots. Finally, since Valentine’s day is around the corner we shared 10 red-hot gifts, along with 14 sexy sustainable skivvies.
Inhabitat’s Week in Green: electric taxis, paper robots and a cathedral of 55,000 LEDs originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Paper On Super Flu Strain May Be Banned From Publication
Pierre Bezukhov writes with this excerpt from an article at Doctor Tipster: “A Dutch researcher has created a virus with the potential to kill half of the planet’s population. Now, researchers and experts in bioterrorism debate whether it is a good idea to publish the virus creation ‘recipe’. However, several voices argue that such research should have not happened in the first place. The virus is a strain of avian influenza H5N1 genetically modified to be extremely contagious … created by researcher Ron Fouchier of the Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Netherlands. The work was first presented at a conference dedicated to influenza, that took place in September in Malta.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Recycled Medical Records Used As Scrap Paper At Elementary School
Parents with students at Hale Elementary School in Minneapolis have found something interesting on the back of their children’s pictures hanging on the fridge, detailed medical information. From the article: “Jennifer Kane was tidying her dining room when she found the drawing by her daughter, Keely, who goes to Hale Elementary School. On the back of the paper was the name, birth date and detailed medical information for a 24-year-old St. Paul woman named Paula White. ‘The more I read it, the more alarmed I became about the amount of information I had about this person,’ said Kane.” The security lapse has been blamed on a paralegal donating the paper to the school.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Blog – A New Idea for Publishing: Ink and Paper
Australian Government Redacts Anti-Piracy Consultation Paper
First time accepted submitter coolstoryhansel writes “You might have heard the Australian Attorney-General published a consultation paper considering the implementation of a streamlined process of getting private information about subscribers from ISPs? Well perhaps not. The Attorney-General’s Department have now apparently redacted that document, removing all mention of the controversial proposal, without telling anyone.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Kokuyo’s CamiApp brings paper back to note-taking (video)
Between Samsung’s Galaxy Note and the Boogie Board Rip, a mini-trend emerged at IFA last week with companies attempting to bridge the gap between paper notebooks and digital devices. Japanese office supply manufacturer Kokuyo is looking to get in on the action, utilizing devices that consumers already own. In August, the company’s CamiApp was released for iOS, with an Android version coming later this month. The app scans and digitizes handwritten text, letting users edit, highlight, email, tag and share the information with apps like Evernote and Dropbox. The apps are specially designed to work with forthcoming “smartphone-friendly” paper notepads from the company. According to Kokuyo, the notebooks have “special features” that make digital capture easier. Eight different notebooks will be made available tomorrow. The company is also working on making the CamiApp notebooks available overseas.
Continue reading Kokuyo’s CamiApp brings paper back to note-taking (video)
Kokuyo’s CamiApp brings paper back to note-taking (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 06:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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