We’ve heard about 3D-printed guns and a 3D-printed implant, but a new project is taking the use of these printing machines to a whole new level: 3D-printed food. Such is the goal of Anjan Contractor, who received a $ 125,000 6-month NASA grant to build a prototype. If successful, the resulting system would not only provide
Tag Archives: system
Visteon’s HABIT is a concept infotainment system that puts road trip copilots out of a job (video)
Posted by Gsurface
on May 19, 2013
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A good acronym also hints at what it does, and Visteon‘s new intelligent in-car concept, HABIT, is a good example of that. The Human Bayesian Intelligence Technology system — to give it its full name — learns the behaviour of drivers so it can automatically change the temperature, heat the seats and drop that Biohazard album just when you need it most. Factors such as weather, time of day and real-time road conditions all play a part, plus, of course a log of all your typical in-car interactions. It promises to go above just warming your behind on a cold morning though, offering intelligence that would be able to divine local radio stations that play your kind of jam when you’re out of town. It could also seamlessly mix these with your local / tablet / smartphone library and internet sources. Sound a little too creepy? Wait until you see the computer-generated demo video presenter past the break.
Filed under: Peripherals, Transportation
Via: Autoblog
Crave giveaway: Crucial SSD, plus System Mechanic PC tune-up software
Posted by Gsurface
on May 17, 2013
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This week’s prize comes in two parts, one hardware and one software. Is it your computer’s lucky week? [Read more]
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Mad Genius’ Motion Capture System brings Sony’s break-apart controller idea to life, and then some
Posted by Gsurface
on May 12, 2013
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Remember that break-apart DualShock 3 idea for motion control Sony had five years ago? A new company named Mad Genius Controllers has surfaced with a working prototype that shows such a contraption working in spades. The setup uses a splittable controller and a processing unit to enable seamless motion control and spacial tracking on any title and system. Because Mad Genius doesn’t use any accelerometers or cameras like the current consoles, its creator notes that accuracy of up to 1/100th of an inch is possible
In a video demo with an Xbox 360 version of Skyrim and a modified Xbox gamepad, certain gestures and movements even automate menu selections like a macro. One instance shows the controller being split and held like bow and arrow, highlighting that both sides are a tracked in relation to each other — not to mention that the in-game character’s weapon automatically changed without any menu-digging by the user. The current version is merely of a wired proof-of-concept, but Mad Genius plans to eventually make it wireless and hit Kickstarter for funding. In the meantime, you can build up anticipation for yourself by checking out the nearly 10-minute long video demo after the break.
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals
Source: Mad Genius Controllers (YouTube)
No New S-300 Air-Defense System To Syria Says Russia — But Maybe Old Ones
Posted by Gsurface
on May 12, 2013
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An anonymous reader writes “Yesterday, Russia’s Foreign Minister declared that Moscow would not sell any new surface-to-air missiles to Syria, although there is a catch. He said old contracts are being honored. Could old contracts just be code for an already signed, but undisclosed deal for the S-300? Lavarov certainly left the door open: ‘…when questioned in particular about the S-300, his reply was not clear if the “earlier contracts” were for the S-300 or something else.’ With Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu going to the Black Sea town of Sochi early next week for talks with President Vladimir Putin, it seems they may have something to talk about.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
International Space Station springs system coolant leak
Posted by Gsurface
on May 10, 2013
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One of the station’s solar arrays is leaking coolant used to prevent the station’s power systems from overheating, but it doesn’t pose a danger to the crew. [Read more]
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Space station power system radiator leaking, NASA says
Posted by Gsurface
on May 10, 2013
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Microsoft’s Most Profitable Mobile Operating System: Android
Posted by Gsurface
on May 9, 2013
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puddingebola writes “Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols has a piece of commentary discussing Microsoft’s profit from their patent claims on Android. From the article, ‘To some, Windows 8 is a marketplace failure. But its flop has been nothing compared to Microsoft’s problems in getting anyone to use its Windows Phone operating systems. You don’t need to worry about Microsoft’s bottom line though. Thanks to its Android patent agreements, Microsoft may be making as much as $ 8 per Android device. This could give Microsoft as much as $ 3.4 billion in 2013 from Android sales.’”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Indian government launches Central Monitoring System, watches citizens’ calls, emails and internet activity
Posted by Gsurface
on May 8, 2013
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A new system for monitoring almost everything that’s going on inside India’s telecoms network has been quietly launched. The Central Monitoring System will offer the likes of the National Investigation Agency and tax arms of the government the ability to scrutinize phone calls, emails, text messages and even your online presence. In one of the fastest-growing internet markets in the world, the Indian government has been increasing its role in watching communication channels following the Mumbai bombings in 2008, with laws amended both that year and in 2011, increasing the access of government workers for “reasonable security practices and procedures.”
In recent years, India has even intervened with both Nokia and BlackBerry, ensuring that their own monitoring systems were in place. The new country-wide system has been under construction for two years and offers investigative agencies a single point of access to all citizens’ digital exchanges as well as location data. Pavan Duggal, a specialist in cyberlaw told the Times of India that the system is “capable of tremendous abuse.” He noted that there wasn’t much clarity from the government yet on what it intends to monitor for.
Filed under: Internet
Via: The Register
Source: Times of India
Adobe Photoshop CC pushes system online with subscription-based Creative Cloud
Posted by Gsurface
on May 6, 2013
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This week’s Adobe Max 2013 conference has played host to the announcement of a new system known as Creative Cloud, taking what did exist with Adobe’s Creative Suite and making it a system prepared for the future online. This transition brings in a monthly subscription cost of $ 50 USD in exchange for Sync services, 20GB
AI System Invents New Card Games (For Humans)
Posted by Gsurface
on May 4, 2013
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jtogel writes “This New Scientist article describes our AI system that automatically generates card games. The article contains a description of a playable card game generated by our system. But card games are just the beginning… The card game generator is a part of a larger project to automatise all of game development using artificial intelligence methods — we’re also working on level generation for a variety of different games, and on rule generation for simple arcade-like games.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Our Solar System: Rare Species In Cosmic Zoo
Posted by Gsurface
on May 3, 2013
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astroengine writes “Pulling from 20 years of research since the first discoveries of planets beyond our solar system, scientists have concluded that Earth and its sibling worlds comprise what appears to be a relatively rare breed in a diverse cosmic zoo that includes a huge variety of planet sizes, orbits and parent stars. The most common systems contain one or more planets one to three times bigger than Earth, all orbiting much closer to their parent stars than Earth circles the sun, says astronomer Andrew Howard, with the University of Hawaii.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Meet Drone Shield, an Ambitious Idea For a $70 Drone Detection System
Posted by Gsurface
on May 3, 2013
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An anonymous reader writes “Here’s an Interesting idea of how to use a Raspberry Pi and a few other inexpensive items to make a low cost detection system. From the article: ‘The Drone Shield would combine a Raspberry Pi, a signal processor, a microphone, and analysis software to scan for specific audio signatures and compare them against what known drones sound like. (Because obviously a Predator drone is going to sound very different than a small quadcopter.) Once a match is found, the Drone Shield then sends an e-mail or SMS to its owner…’”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Boeing says new battery system ensures 787 Dreamliner safety
Posted by Gsurface
on April 27, 2013
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Boeing Co.’s chief engineer for the 787 Dreamliner said Saturday that changes to the lithium-ion battery system are fully sufficient to ensure the aircraft’s safety, although the company has been unable to find the cause of the original battery failures earlier this year that led to groundings of the plane worldwide since mid-January.
Mom’s anxiety may suppress baby’s immune system
Posted by Gsurface
on April 24, 2013
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Mom’s anxiety during pregnancy may influence the development of her baby’s immune system, new research finds
FOX News
Novel Heating System Could Improve Electric Car’s Range
Posted by Gsurface
on April 22, 2013
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A prototype system can heat and cool without draining battery power.
Buyers considering an electric car must bear in mind that using battery-powered heating and air conditioning can decrease the car’s range by a third or more (see “BMW’s Solution to Limited Electric-Vehicle Range: A Gas-Powered Loaner”). A New York Times reviewer recently ran into this problem on a test drive, ending up stranded with a dead battery (see “Musk-New York Times Debate Highlights Electric Cars’ Shortcomings”).
Recent Google outages blamed on sign-in system
Posted by Gsurface
on April 21, 2013
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A malfunctioning log-in system affected millions of people's ability to access a variety of Google applications on Wednesday, including Gmail and Drive.
Computerworld News
Steve Jobs Patented an Ad-Supported Operating System – Facebook Built One
Posted by Gsurface
on April 18, 2013
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In 1999, Steve jobs toyed with the idea of launching a free, ad-supported version of the Mac operating system, and in 2008 he filed a patent on a version of the idea. Microsoft considered making an ad-supported version of Windows in both 2004 and 2005. Neither company tried that tactic, but the idea of pushing ads in return for an operating system is soon to get a real try out, in Facebook’s new app for Android phones, Home.
Android originally designed as smart camera system
Posted by Gsurface
on April 16, 2013
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The creators of the dominant mobile operating system changed direction after the smartphone market blew up, says the Android co-founder. [Read more]
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Facebook considered building an operating system for Facebook Home, but wanted greater reach
Posted by Gsurface
on April 16, 2013
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“The [story behind the history of Home] was about making an experience that flows through friends and people. We saw three ways that we could do this. One, we could go and build an operating system. Second, we could dig into Android deeply in order to see how we can we fundamentally change / fork Android to make it different. Or, we could build an app to make it different.” Those were the words just spoken by Cory Ondrejka — the director of mobile engineering in Facebook — here at D: Dive Into Mobile in NYC. This, in fact, confirms that Facebook not only gave thought to actually crafting its own operating system in order to usher Facebook Home into the world, but moved forward with prototypes.
Host Kara Swisher asked the duo how far along things actually got, to which Ondrejka replied: “The OS path was the least fleshed-out of the paths. Mark [Zuckerberg] talked on launch day that he wanted to build something for everyone. It’s hard to get to the type of scale that’s necessary for us [when building an OS]. We wanted Home in front of hundreds of millions of people — even a successful OS would only give that experience to a few of them.”
The two continued to talk about Facebook’s internal shift into mobile. At this point, the company has broken down most every wall between desktop and mobile, and Home is the first major product to ship under this new scenario. “You can see the engines throttling up,” Schroepfer said, speaking of how fast updates will soon be coming to iOS, Android and beyond. In fact, he confirmed that the first major update to Home was coming “during the second week of May,” and while Facebookers have been testing Home on tablets, it wants to truly nail the experience on phones first before pushing it elsewhere.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Facebook
Alipay Launches Sound Wave Mobile Payments System In Beijing Subway
Posted by Gsurface
on April 15, 2013
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Alipay has launched in a new payment system in the Beijing subway that uses sound waves to connect smartphones with ticketing machines. The sound wave payment system was introduced with the Alipay Wallet mobile app in January and uses white noise (link via Google Translate) generated by a smartphone to carry digital information to another device. Initially used for smartphone-to-smartphone transactions, the Beijing Subway launch marks the first time the system has been used with a payment kiosk for consumer transactions, according to Xinhua (link via Google Translate).
Medium’s Collaboration Tools Also Act As Its First-Ever Invite System
Posted by Gsurface
on April 12, 2013
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As we reported on Tuesday, publishing platform Medium added some new collaboration tools, allowing your friends to add notes to your pre- and post-published articles. It’s a nice way of getting feedback when you want it, especially if it would have been helpful before sharing your thoughts with the world. One thing that the company left out, though, was that since you can invite any friend to collaborate on your posts via a link, once they actually post a note, they’ll be able to use Medium, too. This was confirmed in an email sent out by Ev Williams and company today to its members: Also, here’s something: They will then have access to write on Medium, as well. So, for the first time, you can invite people to Medium. (They just have to help you first.) This is interesting for two reasons: it’s a clear incentive for your friends to participate in the writing and refining of your posts and it’s a perfect onboarding experience for new users to add notes before they ever write a post of their own. Killing two birds with one stone is smart, and it’s a way for the team to get more people using the service in a controlled way. Since there hasn’t been an answer to “how can I join Medium?” until now, other than being invited by the team or being a Twitter employee, this now serves that purpose. Start writing. [Photo credit: Flickr]
TechCrunch
Sony Anycast Touch live-broadcasting system hands-on (video)
Posted by Gsurface
on April 9, 2013
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The Anycast Touch is not only a sleeker incarnation of Sony’s all-in-one studio, with a slider design and a manageable-enough 6.6-kg (13-pound) body; it’s also the company’s first such system to feature a touchscreen interface. The machine sports two touch-enabled displays, allowing users to adjust audio controls, type via an on-screen keyboard and edit footage, among other functions. Video sources are assigned to one side of the panel, and tapping a particular input will bring up the footage in the middle preview window. It seems like an intuitive interface, especially given all the live-broadcasting controls on board — a six-input video switcher, a five-channel audio mixer, a built-in character and title generator, and a remote camera controller, just to name a few.
Aside from the touchscreens, built-in live-streaming capability is one of the Anycast Touch’s most unique features. On the show floor, Sony was sharing the product’s output with WiFi-enabled devices. According to the company, this functionality will be useful in educational settings, at houses of worship, corporate seminars and any other events intended to reach a broad audience. The Anycast could even help news producers scale back on their own gear, letting them trade those gigantic live trucks for live vans or sedans, for example. Pricing info isn’t set in stone, but Sony says the MSRP will be less than $ 20,000 when the device ships at the end of summer. There’s simply a ton of functionality here, so we definitely recommend checking out the studio-in-a-box in action in our hands-on video after the break for a bit more detail.
Gallery: Sony Anycast Touch hands-on
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Sony
Sony unveils Anycast Touch all-in-one production system at NAB
Posted by Gsurface
on April 7, 2013
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In addition to announcing pricing for its 55- and 65-inch 4K TVs at its NAB press event, Sony unveiled updates to its Anycast studio-in-a-box. Sony has been offering its live broadcasting all-in-one for quite some time, but the Anycast Touch (AWS-750) unveiled today features several updates, including sliding dual touch displays. (The product looks more like a beefed-up Duo 11 than a bulky suitcase, which can’t be said about earlier models from the Anycast line.) A tilt-screen function lets you split audio- and video-editing functions between the two panels, and you’ll be able to bring up video sources just by tapping their thumbnails on-screen.
Aside from the new touchscreen design, the Anycast Touch offers all the A/V essentials: a video switcher, audio mixer, a special effects generator, an encoder and a scale converter. Video output tops out at 1080p with 10-bit processing, though other specs, such as display size, are TBA. Sony hasn’t discussed pricing yet, but it did reveal that the Anycast Touch will go on sale in September — we imagine additional details will surface before that far-off date.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Sony
Ex-Apple adviser inputs his two cents on Apple’s weird naming system
Posted by Gsurface
on April 7, 2013
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Ken Segall, who worked as a creative director at Apple’s ad agency, TBWA/Chiat/Day, and later as a consultant to Apple until 2008, has given his two cents on Apple’s strange naming system for its iOS devices. Many of us would have to agree that Apple’s naming system for its iPhone devices has been a bit
Mozilla Introduces Experimental Open Payment System For Firefox OS
Posted by Gsurface
on April 6, 2013
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hypnosec writes “Mozilla has developed an open payment service API to support app purchases in Firefox OS, and has released a draft version allowing app developers to process payments. Pointing out the drawbacks of the different models for payments on the web that are currently available, Mozilla has revealed that it is looking to introduce a common web API that would make payments through web devices easier and more secure while being flexible and retaining today’s checkout button features that are available for merchants. Partly based on Google Wallet, Mozilla’s WebPayment API will remain open to ensure that it is used by a wide range of payment service providers. As a first step towards this, Mozilla has introduced the navigator.mozPay function, allowing web apps to accept payments.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Automated System Developed To Grade Student Essays
Posted by Gsurface
on April 5, 2013
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RougeFemme points out this story at the Times about software that can be used to grade student essays and offer almost instant feedback. “Imagine taking a college exam, and, instead of handing in a blue book and getting a grade from a professor a few weeks later, clicking the ‘send’ button when you are done and receiving a grade back instantly, your essay scored by a software program. And then, instead of being done with that exam, imagine that the system would immediately let you rewrite the test to try to improve your grade. EdX, the nonprofit enterprise founded by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to offer courses on the Internet, has just introduced such a system and will make its automated software available free on the Web to any institution that wants to use it. The software uses artificial intelligence to grade student essays and short written answers, freeing professors for other tasks.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Microsoft, NYC Marketing Vast Surveillance System To Other Cities
Posted by Gsurface
on April 4, 2013
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Presto Vivace writes with this snippet from the New York Times: “‘In the six months since the Domain Awareness System was unveiled, officials of Microsoft, which designed the system with the New York Police Department, said they have been surprised by the response and are actively negotiating with a number of prospective buyers, whom Microsoft declined to identify.’ Don’t want this in your city? You might want to let your local leadership know how you feel.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The untold story behind Apple’s $13,000 operating system
Posted by Gsurface
on April 3, 2013
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CNET got a look at newly surfaced contracts, design specs, and page after page of schematics and code, revealing how Apple created its first disk operating system, a chapter of Silicon Valley history that was critical to the company’s later success. [Read more]
CNET News
Insert Coin: LineCam is a high-flying cable car system for your camera
Posted by Gsurface
on April 2, 2013
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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tipwith “Insert Coin” as the subject line.
Father and son team Nick and Larry Braun want to build a portable zip line system for cameras. Problem is, predictably, design and manufacturing cost a lot of money. So, the two have turned to Kickstarter and are asking for a little help in getting their LineCam project off the ground. The duo are actually building two different models: the simple, gravity-powered Glide and the motorized Flow. Both are wheeled carts that attach to a cable and have mounts for various cameras, including standard tripod mounts for shuttling DSLRs through the air. The Glide is capable of using smaller gauge line and has a simpler rigging assembly, which helps keep cost and weight down. The remote controlled Flow, on the other hand, requires a much more robust setup.
The Flow is definitely the more interesting of the two products. Rather than simply riding the cable under the the influence of physics, it features an RF remote with speed control and the ability to run in reverse. And the 10,900mAh battery is charged in part by a regenerative breaking system packed into the shuttle. Having all this machined aluminum made here in the US isn’t cheap however. The Glide platform alone (that includes none of the rigging or cabling) will require a pledge of $ 510. The Flow? A jaw dropping $ 4,535. And if you want all the necessary equipment to film your exploits from the air you’ll have to offer support totally $ 5,600. Still, if you’re serious about your photography and video, it might not seem like that absurd a price. Heck, the GoPro guys seem to like it. Check out the video pitch for the LineCam after the break.
Filed under: Peripherals
Via: GizMag
Source: Kickstarter
Roku Finally Gets a 2D Menu System
Posted by Gsurface
on March 29, 2013
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DeviceGuru writes “Many of us have griped for years about Roku’s retro one-dimensional user interface. Finally, in conjunction with the release of the new Roku 3 model, the Linux-based media streaming player is getting a two-dimensional facelift, making it quicker and easier to access favorite channels and find new ones. Current Roku users, who will now begin suffering from UI-envy, will be glad to learn that Roku plans to push out a firmware update next month to many earlier models, including the Roku LT, Roku HD (model 2500R), Roku 2 HD, Roku 2 XD, Roku 2 XS, and Roku Streaming Stick. A short demo of the new 2D Roku menu system is available in this YouTube video.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Volvo Demos a Nifty Cyclist Detection System
Posted by Gsurface
on March 28, 2013
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By tracking moving objects, Volvo’s system could help prevent accidents.
Cyclists and drivers have been sworn enemies for as long as anyone can remember. Biking around Boston means dodging opening car doors, swerving around potholes, and enduring incomprehensible abuse from permanently enraged taxi drivers. Driving the same streets in a car, meanwhile, involves keeping one eye peeled for cyclists who run red lights, weave through traffic, and generally seem hell-bent on injuring themselves. A clever new system from Volvo could perhaps help thaw relations between these natural roadway foes.
Buick’s next-generation IntelliLink Infotainment system hands-on
Posted by Gsurface
on March 27, 2013
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This week at the 2013 New York International Auto Show we’ve had the opportunity to have a hands-on experience with the next-generation Buick Intellilink infotainment system. This system has been revealed as coming with the 2014 LaCrosse as well as the 2014 Regal, both vehicles working with nearly identical implementations of infotainment and media playback
HondaLink telematics system promises interesting features for smartphones
Posted by Gsurface
on March 25, 2013
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Honda has announced a partnership with two other companies to develop the HondaLink telematics service. The other two companies include design firm frog and DENTSU Inc. The telematics service allows drivers to establish new forms of communication and companionship with their vehicles. The system uses apps that will be available for the iPhone and Android
Corvette Racing’s rear radar system demoed in video
Posted by Gsurface
on March 24, 2013
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Why Voyager 1′s solar system exit is so hard to predict
Posted by Gsurface
on March 23, 2013
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Yandex introduces Twym online payment system for Twitter-based transfers
Posted by Gsurface
on March 23, 2013
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Russia’s Yandex has been in the online payment business for more than a decade now with its Yandex.Money service, but it’s branching out into some slightly more uncharted territory with its latest addition. Dubbed Twym, the company’s new service will let folks send actual rubles to other Twitter users with nothing more than a tweet like the one above. Before that transfer takes place, though, both the sender and receiver of the money will need to link their Twitter and Yandex.Money accounts, and there are expectedly some limits on the amounts that can be transfered. 100,000 rubles (or roughly $ 3,300) is the maximum limit allowed by Yandex, but that can be changed by each user. You can also thankfully keep things private via direct message if you’d rather not broadcast your money transfers to all your followers.
Via: The Next Web
Apple owns biggest private solar power system in US
Posted by Gsurface
on March 22, 2013
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Ex-Googlers Launch Sift Science, A Fraud-Fighting System For Websites, Backed By $5.5M In Funding From Union Square, First Round, YC & Others
Posted by Gsurface
on March 19, 2013
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Sift Science, a Y Combinator-backed startup founded by former Google engineers, is today launching its fraud-fighting service based on machine learning – a system designed to adapt to the ever-changing techniques used by criminals online. The company is also announcing $ 4 million in Series A funding, led by Union Square Ventures. As a part of the funding, Union Square’s Albert Wenger is joining the company’s board.
Sift Science had previously raised $ 1.5 million in seed funding, bringing its total raise to $ 5.5 million.
TechCrunch
A High-Tech Pedicab Dispatch System at SXSW in Austin (Video)
Posted by Gsurface
on March 18, 2013
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It’s Austin, where people are proud to be weird — and are more environmentally aware and more concerned about energy use than in the rest of Texas. Add SXSW, with its combination of techies, musicians, film people, and general hipsters. What could be more natural at SXSW than combining a pedicab (called a bicycle rickshaw in Old Delhi and other Indian cities) with Uber’s smartphone-based dispatch system? Hook Uber up with local pedicab company Easy Rider, get Samsung to sponsor it all, and you are environmentally conscious, high tech, and (possibly) hip all at once. Totally Austin. Totally SXSW. And totally promotional for all three companies involved.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Uber Drivers Gather Outside SF Office To Protest Dismissals, Payment System, Lack Of Input
Posted by Gsurface
on March 16, 2013
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A group of current and former Uber black car drivers gathered outside the startup’s San Francisco headquarters to protest what they said was unfair treatment by the company. When I arrived at around 5:45pm, a group of 30 or so were chanting, “No respect, no Uber!” every time someone left the building.
The person leading the chants, Rajab Alazzeh of SF Best Limo, had apparently been asked by the other drivers to serve as an unofficial spokesman, and he rattled off a number of demands. He said that Uber needs to lower the company’s payment cut from 20 percent to 10 percent, to designate a specific portion of the payment as tip that’s paid directly to drivers, to offer health insurance (which Alazzeh said had been promised), to make the drivers into full employees with W2 paperwork, and to stop bringing on “unlicensed, illegal, unsafe operators” who don’t have TCP certificates and permits. (Note that CEO Travis Kalanick disputes a number of Allazeh’s complaints — see the update below. Also worth noting is the fact that the California Public Utilities Commission cleared Uber to work with non-commercial drivers.)
Astronomer discovers closest star system to Sun since 1916
Posted by Gsurface
on March 11, 2013
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An astronomer from Pennsylvania State University has discovered the closest star system to the sun since 1916. The stars discovered are currently the third-closest star system to the sun, falling right behind the second-closest star system, Barnard’s star (which is 6 light years away from the sun), and the closest star system, composed of Alpha
Authentication System Would Use the Body to Secure Guns and Gadgets
Posted by Gsurface
on March 8, 2013
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With Microchip’s BodyCom technology, the human body is the medium for short-range authentication.
Leave a gun lying around, and anyone who picks it up could fire it. That could change, though, with newly announced technology from Microchip Technology, which uses the body as part of a secure authentication process.
Ambify, A Music App For The Philips Hue Lighting System, Shows The Potential Of The Connected Home
Posted by Gsurface
on March 8, 2013
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The Philips Hue lighting system is pretty neat on its own – it lets you control lighting in your house from your iPhone or iPad, adjusting bulb color and brightness remotely via your Wi-Fi network. Amblify is a new app from Stuttgart, Germany-based developer Kai Aras that makes the connected lighting system even cooler, by plugging it into a media player app on the iPhone to automatically generate real-life light shows from your own iTunes library.
TechCrunch
Apple Patent Describes iTunes Reselling and Loaning System
Posted by Gsurface
on March 7, 2013
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An anonymous reader writes “An Apple patent granted on 7 March details a system allowing customers to resell iTunes and iBooks content to other users at a reduced price, or to loan the content temporarily for free. Such a system could pave the way for second hand content being made available on iTunes for a discounted price.” (Note: Beware the auto-playing video ad, with sound.)
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Nokia Lumia 928 possibly seen in Verizon’s system, spoils few surprises
Posted by Gsurface
on March 2, 2013
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We know that Verizon is adding at least one more Nokia Lumia to its stable in the near future. However, there’s been little in tangible evidence to suggest just what’s coming to the carrier’s Windows Phone line. A purported leak to Phone Arena from Verizon’s internal product listings could help fill in that picture. It mentions a Lumia 928, and not much else — but Nokia’s naming customs immediately suggest that this will be Big Red’s rumored variant of the Lumia 920, which is currently limited to AT&T in the US. The device isn’t necessarily connected to the RM-860 we saw at the FCC, although it does support murmurs that Verizon wants at least some kind of improvement over the strictly middling Lumia 822. If the 928 is real, we’re mostly left wondering whether or not it will come quickly enough to remain relevant.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia, Verizon
Via: My Nokia Blog
Source: Phone Arena
Criticism Of Copyright Alert System Mounts
Posted by Gsurface
on March 2, 2013
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Dangerous_Minds writes “This last week, the Copyright Alert System was rolled out. Now that everyone is getting a better idea of what the alert system looks like, criticisms are building against the system. Freezenet says that the mere fact that ISPs are using a browser pop-up window opens the floodgates for fraudsters to hijack the system and scam users out of money. The EFF criticized the system because the educational material contains numerous flaws. Meanwhile, Web Pro News said that this system will also hurt small business and consumers.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The “Six Strikes” Copyright Alert System Is Toothless
Posted by Gsurface
on February 27, 2013
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What will stem piracy?
When I was a wee college sophomore, about a decade ago, my Intro to Photography professor was made an example of. The Recording Industry Association of America filed a federal lawsuit against him and 260 others who it claimed were “major offenders” and had illegally downloaded 1,000 copyrighted music files or more. I wasn’t very Napster or Torrent inclined already (and am generally a fairly risk-averse person), but the move scared me off piracy for good. More to the point, as a working writer, I’m come to feel strongly about the need to be paid for what one creates.
Workplace Collaboration Service Convo Releases Updated iOS App With Redesigned News Feed And Comment System
TechCrunch