‘Let Me Google That For You’ may be the best Senate bill ever
Soon “Let me Google That For You” might not be just a phrase you hear from annoyed friends when you ask a silly question, it might be a law. No, really. Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) introduced the Let Me Google That For You Act of 2014 in Senate last week, a bill that would prioritize using the web to find information.
Currently, many government searches are made through the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) and cost taxpayers tons of cash. The NTIS gets the job done, but it turns out that many of those queries (which could be $100 a pop) could actually be completed in just a few seconds using Google. If approved, the bipartisan bill would eliminate the NTIS, and encourage people to rely on their trusty (and very free) browser for information instead, ultimately saving everyone a lot of time and money.
Filed under: Internet
Source: The Library of Congress
We may soon use lasers to redirect lightning strikes
If there’s one thing you should know about Engadget, it’s that we absolutely love lasers. And thanks to the University of Arizona and University of Central Florida, our favorite pulsating form of light might soon find a much less destructive purpose, than say on Navy ships, anti-missile airliners and X-Men goggles. Instead of using a lightning rod to transport the average bolt of lightning (and its 1 billion joules of energy) safely into the ground, researchers believe that by using specially designed laser beams, the path of Zeus’ thunderbolt can be redirected entirely.
Lasers, when traveling through air, leave an ionized gas (plasma) with little to no electric charge. And since lightning travels in the path of least resistance, its charge would theoretically be given a new course. To accomplish such a feat, two different lasers must work together to form what’s known as an “externally refuelled optical filament.” The first, lower-power beam cuts through the atmosphere, while the second, higher-power beam “refuels” the other so that it doesn’t lose focus. What’s the catch? So far, those in white coats have only produced a working plasma that’s seven feet long since the team started creating curved laser beams in 2009. But refined, this technology could offer much more efficient lightning protection. Who knows, we might be one step closer to harvesting the power of thunderstorms.
Via: ExtremeTech
Amazon May Launch Smartphone with 3D Capabilities in September
Amazon is gearing up to release its long-rumored smartphone later this year to directly compete with offerings from Apple and Samsung, reports The Wall Street Journal. According to the report, the company has been showing off prototypes of its handsets to developers in San Francisco and Seattle in recent weeks, with Amazon likely announcing the phone by the end of June and launching it by the end of September.
The people said Amazon hopes to distinguish its phone in a crowded market with a screen capable of displaying seemingly three-dimensional images without special glasses, these people said. They said the phone would employ retina-tracking technology embedded in four front-facing cameras, or sensors, to make some images appear to be 3-D, similar to a hologram, the people said.
Rumors of the phone first surfaced in July of 2012, where it was reported that the company was working with Foxconn on the device. Last May, another report noted that the smartphone would join other products to complement Amazon’s popular line of Kindle tablets and E-readers.
The news comes as Apple is expected to ship its next-generation iPhone later this year, which may come in two different sizes: 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches. Recent reports have noted that the 4.7 inch version will ship in the third quarter of 2014, while the larger version may ship later due to production issues.
Along with a larger screen, both models of the iPhone 6 are expected to include a faster A8 processor, Touch ID fingerprint sensor, 1GB of RAM, and camera improvements in the form of optical image stabilization.
Coachella is streaming live on YouTube, and you might even chat with the bands
It’s that time of year once again: Google and T-Mobile are streaming the Coachella festival live on YouTube. Tune in between April 11th and April 13th and you’ll see big-name musicians play without making a pilgrimage to Indio. Much of the experience will be familiar if you’ve watched before. However, there is a social twist to this year’s proceedings — if you’re in a Hangouts video chat at the right moment, you’ll have a chance to speak with artists like Chvrches and Zedd while they’re backstage. Yes, you may have a better time than fans who paid a premium to be there in person. We wouldn’t count on getting that VIP treatment, but it’s undoubtedly an added incentive to start streaming.
[Image credit: Viktor Rosenfeld, Flickr]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Google, T-Mobile
Via: Google+
Source: Coachella (YouTube)
Virtuix Omni treadmill will get gamers off the couch in July
If you pre-ordered the Virtuix Omni virtual-reality treadmill, it’s time to start rearranging the living room furniture. Early backers will be able to strap on their Oculus Rift and start shooting in the virtual battlefield of their choice come July. If you haven’t ordered the enormous $500 gaming accessory yet, you won’t have to wait that much longer to start running in place – orders taken today are expected to ship in September. And with Facebook’s acquisition of Oculus, maybe we’ll be walking through our friends’ Hawaiian vacation photos by winter.
Filed under: Gaming
Via: Joystiq
Amazon phone reportedly coming in September with glasses-free 3D
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Amazon’s getting ready to launch a phone. This is actually one of the longest-running rumors we’ve heard, with the first reports stretching back to 2012. So what’s different this time? According to the Wall Street Journal, the company is already showing off prototypes of the handset to developers and is gunning to announce the device by the end of June with a September release. The report tells us that Amazon wants to differentiate itself from other top-of-the-line flagships by adding four cameras with retina-tracking tech, making it possible to project 3D images without needing glasses.
Rumors of a “Kindle phone” (or multiple phones) have been floating around the internet for ages, and this isn’t even the first time we’ve heard that Amazon was working on a 3D-type display — the Journal began reporting last May that the project would enable visuals that “seem to float above the screen like a hologram.” Given how much smoke we’ve seen, there’s quite likely fire. We wouldn’t be surprised to see some news come out around the same time as Google’s I/O developer conference, but we’re more curious to find out exactly what Amazon plans to do with this retina-tracking tech and how developers will be able to take advantage of it. Needless to say, it certainly would add an interesting element to our already endless Instagram feed.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Google, Amazon
Source: WSJ
Laptop and tablet deals of the week: 4.11.14
Laptops allow you to get work done on the go and tablets are certainly nice to have around, but the price of admission for both can be a significant investment. That’s where we come in. We’ve compiled a list of tempting options for both of those categories, all with price cuts that’ll tempt wallets. Jump down past the break and take a look for yourself and start the weekend with a new gadget purchase.
If there are other laptops that you’re after that we haven’t included here — join us and add them to your “Want” list. Every time there’s a price cut in the future, you’ll get an email alert!
Acer Aspire S7-392
Price: $1,250
Regular Price: $1,350
Engadget Score: 87
Buy: Amazon
Acer’s refreshed S7 Ultrabook took care of most of our concerns from the original model, but those looking to opt in were still faced with paying more for specs that lower-priced options offered. Now, the laptop is seeing a $100 discount, so the financial burden has been eased a bit. Of course, you’ll have to be a fan of white gadgets, too.
MacBook Pro with Retina display
Price: $1,885
Regular Price: $1,999
Buy: Amazon
With the next wave of Apple laptops likely on the way in the coming months, 2013′s models are sure to see price cuts. If you can’t wait though, you can grab a little over $100 off on the late-2013 editions of the MacBook Pro with Retina display. It may not seem like much of a break on a $2,000 laptop, but discounts on Cupertino’s goods are hard to come by before new versions are announced.
Dell Venue 11 Pro
Price: $484
Regular Price: $500
Engadget Global Score: 81
Buy: Provantage
Dell’s Bay Trail-powered Venue 11 Pro hit shelves just a few months ago, and it’s already seeing price cuts. That said, a few dollars off of a relatively new device is certainly worth a look. If you can hold off for a bit, our price history tool indicates that even deeper savings were seen just a few weeks ago.
Nexus 10
Price: $355
Regular Price: $500
Engadget Score: 72
Buy: Amazon
The Nexus 10 is out of stock directly from Google, but not to worry because we’re seeing discounts at other retailers. Just over $350 nets you stock Android on a 32GB 10-inch slate that packs a massive 2,560 x 1,600 resolution. So if you don’t mind a 2012 model, you might consider giving this option a long hard look.
Chrome Beta 35 for Android Update Brings in Chromecast Video Support
Chrome Beta 35 became available yesterday for desktop PC users and brought a heck of a lot with it. It is full of more developer control over touch input, new javascript features and unprefixed Shadow DOM. Basically a lot of great stuff for those that know what is going on, for the average user, you are better off with sticking to the regular Chrome browser build. Following up with the Chrome Beta 35 build release is a new update for Chrome Beta for Android.
Chrome Beta for Android is the app where Google gives you a sneak peak at features they are working on for the standard Chrome for Android app. Sometimes they work, sometimes they fail and other times they eat your neighbors dog. (Which might not always be a bad thing.) Needless to say, the Chrome Beta for Android is one you might want to install along side the traditional app for experimenting purposes.
In today’s update there are the usual stability and performance fixes to make it faster and more stable. It also has an “Undo Tab Close” which will let you restore and accidentally closed tab. I know you have done it, I certainly have. You will also find fullscreen video with subtitles and HTML5 controls, support for some multi-window devices (Samsung primarily) and, probably the most notable change, support to directly cast some videos to your Chromecast.
If you want to poe around the new build then head into the Play Store and pick it up. Just click the “Get it on Google Play” button below.
Source: Google Blogspot
Via: 9to5Google
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