Sorry, folks: powdered alcohol isn’t legal in the US just yet
We hope you weren’t planning on inhaling indulging in powdered alcohol this fall — it looks like the US government was a little too hasty in giving the dry drink the A-OK. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau tells CNN that it approved Lipsmark’s upcoming Palcohol “in error.” As to why? Lipsmark says that there was a “discrepancy” as to the levels of powder in each bag, and that it had to resubmit the labels for approval. It doesn’t have a new launch window, but it sees the feds’ change of heart as just a temporary setback.
However, beverage-focused attorney Robert Behrman believes there may be more to the story. In an interview with the Associated Press, the lawyer noted that it’s odd for regulators to mess up when greenlighting labels, which usually come at the end of a thorough screening process. He suspects that politicians want more details about the powder before it goes on sale, and that a convenient label mistake would give lawmakers the chance they want. Whether or not there’s any merit to that theory, it looks like you’ll have to get your buzz from old-fashioned liquid for now.
[Image credit: Gavin Schaefer, Flickr]
Filed under: Household
Via: Gizmodo
Scientists get much closer to cloning human embryos from adult stem cells
It’s relatively easy to clone embryos from the adult stem cells of simpler animals like sheep, but humans have proved challenging. Even an attempt last year only used baby cells. The process just took a gigantic step forward, though, as scientists have finally used an adult human’s stem cells to clone a pre-embryonic blastocyst. The process was mostly similar to that for other species: researchers removed the DNA from the nucleus of an unfertilized egg and inserted a skin cell into that egg. From there, the team only needed growth chemicals to develop the stem cells into specific cell types, such as heart tissue.
The breakthrough doesn’t quite live up to the sci-fi vision of cloning humans outright, however. The blastocysts were missing a few cell types needed to produce a child, and the blastocysts created so far won’t implant in a womb. But replicating humans wasn’t the main goal here — the experiment was meant to create tissues that could repair damage from heart attacks and other serious conditions. The next step from here is to treat an eye disease in monkeys. Copying entire humans is still in the distant future, if it happens at all.
Filed under: Science
Via: Gizmodo, Wall Street Journal
Source: Cell Stem Cell
FAA-approved drones report for duty on North Dakota farms
North Dakota will soon get a glimpse of a future where farmers can monitor their crops using small, flying drones. That’s because the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given the state the go-ahead to start using its unmanned aerial systems (UAS) test site. It’s the first one to become operation among the six commercial UAS testing program sites chosen by Congress in 2013. The state’s Department of Commerce will hold two rounds of flight tests using Draganflyer X4ES drones not only to monitor crops, but also to test soil quality. These are relatively small, helicopter-like machines, which measure 36.25 inches in length and width and are equipped with Sony cameras.
While the mission’s main goal is to prove that drones can be used for those aforementioned farming tasks, authorities will also be collecting safety data from the flights.
According to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta:
These data will lay the groundwork for reducing risks and ensuring continued safe operations of UAS. We believe the test site programs will be extremely valuable to integrating unmanned aircraft and fostering America’s leadership in advancing this technology.
In other words, missions conducted in the six test sites will determine the future of UAS in the country and perhaps even to make the public realize that not all drones are harbingers of doom. The Draganflyer X4ES drones will take to the skies on the week of May 5th at North Dakota State University’s Carrington Research Extension Center and then again at Sullys Hill National Game Preserve this summer. But, as the permit to operate the site is good for two years, the drone will likely roam more Peace Garden state fields in the future.
Source: FAA
Daily Roundup: Netflix raises prices, a tour of the Samsung Innovation Museum, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Samsung opens its own Innovation Museum, we take an early tour
Today, Samsung opened its new Innovation Museum to the public, offering a stylish look at the history behind some of the greatest technological milestones of our time. Fortunately for you, our own Mat Smith already visited the complex for a tour.
Samsung Gear Fit review: a messy merger of fitness band and smartwatch
Samsung’s Gear Fit is an interesting blend between a smartwatch and fitness tracker. Sure, it’s comfortable, has a beautiful display and a built-in hear rate monitor, but its software leaves much to be desired. As is, the Gear Fit isn’t worth $200.
Netflix is raising prices for new customers
Today, Netflix announced a slight price increase for new customers that’s scheduled to take effect at the end of the quarter. Those of us already paying $8 a month will be grandfathered in for a “generous time period,” but it won’t last forever.
How a toy designer dreamed up the geek-friendly AeroPress coffee maker
Does that Keurig-made cup of Joe leave your taste buds wanting? If so, you might like the AeroPress. Designed by toy maker Alan Adler, this French Press style contraption aims to bring you high-quality coffee in under two minutes.
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Filed under: Misc
Samsung Expert Says It Only Owes Apple $40 Million in Patent Case, Not $2 Billion [Mac Blog]
In the ongoing Samsung vs. Apple lawsuit, experts hired by Samsung took the stand on Monday to explain to the jury why Samsung should only pay Apple $38.4 million in damages for infringing on Apple’s patents, rather than the $2 billion Apple says it is owed.
Samsung’s paid expert, Judith Chevalier, a professor of economics and finance at the Yale University School of management, said a reasonable royalty on the five patents — if they were infringed — would be approximately $1.75 per device, a total of $38.4 million in total damages. Apple had previously argued that it was owed $40 in damages per device.
She also called Apple’s patents “very negligible” in value because they were not mentioned as frequently in customer reviews as other features that are not at issue in the case.
Chevalier also pointed to Apple’s accounting for each of its annual iOS software updates since 2009, which Apple pegs between “100+” and “200+” new features at each release, and come in at $10 to $25 per device in deferred revenue. Dividing the number of features, Chevalier claimed you could classify these features, on average, as costing 5 to 25 cents per feature.
Following Chevalier’s testimony, Samsung rested its defense before starting its own case accusing Apple of infringing on its patents. The trial is expected to conclude and head to jury deliberations sometime next week.
Leaked Info on Third-Generation Thunderbolt Points to 40Gbps Transfer Speeds
Intel’s third-generation Thunderbolt technology could see throughput increase to 40Gbps, double the current capacity of Thunderbolt 2, first introduced in Macs last fall, according to leaked information posted on a Chinese technology site [Google Translate].
The site says Intel’s new Thunderbolt controller, code-named Alpine Ridge, will see power consumption reduced by 50 percent, support for PCIe generation-3, and charging capacities of up to 100 watts. Backward compatibility will be maintained through the use of connector adapters, but the new Thunderbolt connector itself will be reduced in size.
Last April, Intel first announced Thunderbolt 2 in April before seeing it move to the Mac in October. There is no indication of when the third-generation of Thunderbolt could make its way to consumers.
Apple Retail Stores Logos Gain Green Leaves in Honor of Earth Day
In celebration of Earth Day, which takes place on April 22, Apple has started updating the logos of some of its retail stores with green leaf accents, a departure from the standard white logo.
For example, Apple’s massive Nanjing East retail store in Shanghai has been updated with the green Earth Day logo, as it is just after 8AM on April 22 in China.
Image courtesy of Instagram user znnina
As noted last week by 9to5Mac, Apple is planning to celebrate Earth Day at multiple retail locations around the world, changing its logo and encouraging employees to wear special green shirts. The company is also planning to hold a special event at its headquarters in Cupertino, California.
Earlier today, Apple launched its “Better” environmental campaign, highlighting its efforts to lower its carbon footprint. Included in the campaign was a video detailing the construction of Apple Campus 2, which will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy sources.
(Thanks, Nina!)
Watch as an Oculus Rift takes itself apart
If you’ve been following the virtual reality scene in the past year, you probably already know that the Oculus Rift raised almost $2.5 million on Kickstarter. You probably also know that its 100-degree field of view is three times that of a traditional desktop monitor. However, you likely haven’t seen one of the headsets taken apart screw by screw in stop-motion. YouTuber Vsauce3 has meticulously chronicled the VR unit’s piece-by-piece disassembly, using the technique made famous by the likes of Ray Harryhausen and, more recently, the team behind ParaNorman. The teardown video has the above factoids (and a few more) literally folded and layered into the gizmo’s circuit board and casing, too. Trust us, even if you know everything about the Rift, the clip is still pretty neat to watch.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Vsauce3 (YouTube)
US funds networks that help dissidents avoid internet spying
The US doesn’t mind dealing in irony, it seems. While many criticize the country for its aggressive internet surveillance, it’s also pledging millions of dollars towards mesh networks in Cuba and Tunisia that help dissidents avoid online snooping. As with earlier efforts, these automatic, ad hoc grids aren’t connected to the internet; they exist to help locals communicate without fear that the government will watch or block what they’re doing. They’re not completely spy-proof, but they’re designed from the start with secure services in mind.
The newer networks are beneficial outside of political discussions, too. Sayada, Tunisia’s recently launched grid offers maps, free books and Wikipedia collections in both Arabic and French. And since meshes don’t have major points of failure that can take everything down, they’re more likely to stay alive during natural disasters than either cellular networks or internet access. The foreign network funding may still be contradictory in light of what the US does at home, but it’s hard to dispute the networks’ value — whether or not their users are facing persecution.
[Image credit: Sayada Tunisie, Flickr]
Filed under: Networking
Source: New York Times
Must See HDTV for the week of April 21st: Archer, 30 for 30 and Parks & Rec
For this week’s listings, we’re switching thing up a bit, with a deeper look at some of the highlight. Check after the break to see what we think is especially worth watching this week, and drop in the comments the comments if you see any highlights that we’ve missed. We’ll be focusing mostly on new shows, specials or big movie and game releases, so don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten that Game of Thrones or Mad Men is coming on, and we suspect you haven’t either.
Archer Season 5 Finale
Tonight on FX Archer wraps up its first post-spy agency season. Whether or not the “Archer Vice” tag sticks, it’s been a wild ride and after some shaky early episodes it’s continued the quality we’ve become accustomed to. While characters like Archer, Malory and Lana have remained mostly the same throughout the transition, cocaine-addicted Pam, occasional dictator Cyril, country singer Cheryl and Dr. Krieger’s Orphan Black moment have been highlights.
(FX, 4/21, 10PM)
30 for 30
This week, ESPN’s documentary series dives into the beautiful game with two movies. The Opposition takes a look at how politics changed the outcome of a 1973 World Cup qualifier between the Soviet Union and Chile, while Maradona ’86 shows one of the game’s greatest players during that year’s FIFA World Cup.
(ESPN, 4/22, 8PM)
Parks & Recreation Season 6 Finale
We’ve almost forgotten that this show was a spinoff from The Office, now that Parks & Recreation is six seasons old. Despite some time on the cancellation hot seat, the show has survived and even thrived as one of the better comedies on the network. Series star and SNL alum Amy Poehler is promising some “exciting moments” in the finale that set up season seven, so have your DVRs ready.
(NBC, 4/26, 8PM)
Jim Gaffigan: Obsessed
If you’re familiar with comedian Jim Gaffigan, you probably already expect plenty of food discussion in his new comedy special. Known for his love of bacon, in his new special obsessions he’s tackling seafood, donuts, fruit and even non-food related obsessions like not wanting to smell. After it airs on sunday night, viewers can stream it on the Comedy Central mobile app, or purchase it on disc or download starting on the 29th.
(Comedy Central, 4/27, 10PM)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
HBO debuts its weekly news hour this week, as comedian John Oliver shifts over from the Daily Show chair to his own vehicle. Promising to cover the news as it happens (as long as it happens on Sunday night, or else it will have to wait until next Sunday), he’ll continue taking a satirical look at current events, just on a new network.
(HBO, 4/27, 11PM)
Sports
This week is dominated by NBA and NHL action, as both leagues amp up their playoff action in the first rounds. There’s also plenty of MLB to watch now, and although F1 is taking the weekend off, NASCAR Sprint Cup will be live from Richmond on Saturday afternoon.
NASCAR Spring Cup Toyota Owners 400, Fox, 4/28, 2PM
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
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