This could be how ancient Egyptians moved rocks to build pyramids
Long before the days of trucks and bulldozers, ancient Egyptians were building pyramids out of heavy rocks they had to haul by hand. After getting slowed down in the desert terrain, they figured out a way to make transporting heavy stones a little easier using water. According to a new study published by researchers at the University of Amsterdam, workers would place rocks on a sledge (a platform of sorts) and then wet the sand underneath, making it twice as stiff. The firm ground made it a heck of a lot easier to pull the rock along, reducing the amount of workers needed to get each stone to its destination. It’s the same difference you might notice walking on the beach near the water, versus dry patches further up.
The study, which was published this week in Physical Review Letters, tells us not only about how our predecessors got along, but how it could help us as well. The transport of granular materials like sand, coal and concrete currently account for 10 percent of the world’s energy consumption. If we can come up with a more efficient way to move those things around, we could potentially save a ton of energy (and cash) in the process.
Image credit: Lansbricae (Luis Leclere) via Getty Image
Via: Phys.org
Source: Physical Review Letters
Sky Go and Now TV both coming to British PS4s this summer
Quietly mentioned inside Sky’s financial report for this quarter, the broadcaster has revealed that two of its streaming services will arrive on the PlayStation 4 in just a few months. Details are scant (it just says what we’ve written above), but both Sky Go (for existing Sky subscribers) and the more free-and-loose Now TV will both debut on the Sony console. They’ll have a fight on their hands: they’ll be up against the likes of Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. Sky also announced that it’s renewed its movie deal with Paramount, giving it exclusive broadcast rights to the likes of Anchorman 2 and Noah. So, not even a mention of the Xbox One — but at least that console’s doing its own thing.
Update: Sky has issued a fuller press release which also mentions that Sky Go will find its way to PS3 owners (who’ve so far only had access to Now TV on their consoles).
Filed under: Gaming, Internet, Software, HD, Sony
Source: Sky
Redbox Instant for Android arrives on Chromecast
If you’ve been hoping for Redbox Instant to come join the Chromecast party, then your wish has just been granted. The Android app’s latest update gives you the power to beam whatever flick you want to watch from a phone or tablet to the biggest display in your house. Sure, you’ve been happily casting Netflix movies, as well as HBO Go and Hulu Plus shows for months, but it’s a nice bonus if you also use Redbox Instant regularly, despite a comparably smaller library. As for those who couldn’t care less about this app, don’t worry — it’s only a matter of time before more apps add Chromecast compatibility.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, HD, Mobile, Google
Via: Android Central
Source: Google Play
Google Search Adds Parking! PushBullet Gets More Awesome! – App Updates
It is Wednesday, so you know Google updated some of their apps. Those apps ended up being Google Search, Google Play Games, and Chrome Beta, and they are pretty nice updates. PushBullet also updated with a slew of new features, and if you are not using that app currently, there is something wrong with you.
App Updates
Google Search Update
Google Play update
PushBullet update
AcDisplay Beta update
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Paranoid Android Shows Us ‘Hover’ in New Video
Paranoid Android has still got to be the most innovative ROM out there, but opinions will differ. From introducing the Android world to PIE, to bringing us nifty little notification bubbles called HALO, Paranoid is always striving for excellence. They recently told the world that they are discontinuing HALO in their newer builds, which kind of broke my heart, but now they will be bringing in the much simpler (and probably less annoying) Hover feature.
What Hover does is it brings the best part of HALO, which is the fact that a pop-up window shows up on your screen when clicking on the notification. It takes multitasking to a whole new level, but instead of a bubble that many people found annoying with HALO, a banner pops out of the top of the screen and once you click it, it will bring on that pop-up window for easy access to the notification. The banners looks very much like the app Notifier, but having the pop-up window makes me want to forget Notifier. Check out the video below to see it in action.
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GO Launcher 5.0 Teased in New Video Claiming Big Change is Coming
Anyone remember GO Launcher? That creative little launcher that took on LauncherPro and ADW back in the early days of Android? It won the hearts of Android enthusiasts, but once the Android ecosystem grew, and Nova and Apex were thrown in the mix, GO Launcher really couldn’t keep up with their hype. But don’t count them out just yet. It seems that the GO Launcher dev team is cooking up something for GO Launcher 5.0.
In the video below, GO Launcher 5.0 is teased to the point of not even showing any features or screenshots of the launcher. Just a quick video with words stating that it is coming, and that big changes are coming with it. Should be interesting to see what they have come up with, so whenever it hits the Play Store we will let you know.
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Sprint may try and buy T-Mobile in June or July, possibly with John Legere at the Helm
Image courtesy of Android Headlines
Rumours of Sprint attempting to put a bid on telecommunications competitor, T-Mobile, stretch back to December 2013. In May 2014, the rumours are definitely still alive, and according to a report from Bloomberg today, they might even be true. According to Bloomberg, Softbank, which is a 80% stakeholder in Sprint, has already been in discussions with banks to ensure that lenders would be ready when the time comes. If the move is green lit, however, it would be sure to draw the ire of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Department of Justice as the merger of the 3rd and 4th largest U.S. networks would have immense influence over the landscape of the U.S. telco market, a fact that the chief of the FCC has previously affirmed.
It would certainly be one of the more high profile mergers in recent years should the process be approved. The result of the merger would likely be intriguing as Softbank and Deutsche Telekom, who own 67% of T-Mobile, are apparently still discussing who would lead the new merged company. One of Bloomberg’s sources apparently says that T-Mobile CEO, John Legere, is the front runner in this discussion, and there’s no doubt that many T-Mobile customers would emphatically support this decision. The bid by Sprint is likely to come some time in June or July, so we’ll know sooner or later whether Sprint is going to be able to do what AT&T couldn’t.
What do you think about a potential acquisition of T-Mobile by Sprint? Is your opinion different if John Legere were to lead this new merged company? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Bloomberg via TalkAndroid
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Engadget Daily: Facebook anonymous login, Hulu adds free mobile content, 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.
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Facebook will let you log in anonymously to third-party apps
If you’re wary of logging into third party apps with your Facebook credentials, you’ll be happy to know that an anonymous option now exists: the apps won’t remember your username or password. In doing so, you won’t be able to share anything to your wall, but it does provide a safer way to try out new apps.
Nintendo bundling Wii U with two games and an extra controller for $330 on May 30th
Do you really love Mario Kart but need an an incredibly good excuse to buy a Wii U? At the end of May, you’ll be able to grab a Wii bundled with the racing series’ eighth entry, an extra Wii Remote Plus gamepad and a free download of one of four games — for only $329.99.
Motorola’s first post-Google phone is coming on May 13th
It looks like Motorola has one more surprise up its sleeve before Lenovo takes over, and it might be the alleged Moto E. Earlier today, the company invited us to a new smartphone event in London on May 13th.
Hulu will bring free TV shows to your phone, and it’s trying to reach your cable box
Today, Hulu announced that it’s bringing a selection of add-supported shows to mobile users for free streaming, regardless of whether or not they have a Plus account. The app’s also in line for few new ad-based developments, one of which will let you order pizza without leaving the latest episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
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Filed under: Misc
WSJ rumor has AT&T talking about buying DirecTV
With Comcast attempting to gobble up the second latest cable business in the land, it’s no surprise that other rumors are said to be on the table, but this one comes out of left field. The Wall Street Journal reports AT&T has approached DirecTV about a possible acquisition of the satellite business and its 20 million or so customers for $40 billion or more. While the combination of a telecom giant and satellite TV company sounds odd, the two already work together for services in places where U-verse TV doesn’t reach yet and have a deal that will run until 2015 (which replaced AT&T’s short-lived agreement with Dish Network back in 2009). Still, the timing of the rumor is curious, and it comes about a month after Bloomberg reported DirecTV and Dish Network were considering trying a merger again — their first attempt in 2002 was blocked by by the government. A DirecTV / AT&T combo would put 26 million customers under one brand, compared to about 30 million for the Comcast + Time Warner Cable team-up once it’s all said and done. As usual, the most likely answer is that everyone is talking to everyone else, but it’s worth keeping your head on a swivel before your current internet or TV provider fades away.
[Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, AT&T
Source: Wall Street Journal
Cox wants to hop on the gigabit internet bandwagon this year
In case there was any doubt that gigabit internet access is spreading like wildfire in the US, Cox has revealed plans to introduce an ultra-fast service of its own. The cable provider tells Bloomberg that it hopes to have 1Gbps speeds available by the end of the year, with news of the initial markets coming in the next two to three weeks. CEO Pat Esser notes that gigabit has been on the cards for a long time, but admits that news from rivals like AT&T and Google tipped Cox’s hand — the company wants to let its customers know that they won’t be left in the slow lane.
The news will no doubt cheer customers who otherwise wouldn’t get speedy data, but pricing and coverage haven’t been announced so far; it’s too early to tell if gigabit access will be within your reach. While AT&T and Google both price their service aggressively at around $70, cable providers like Comcast can charge $300 per month for a 300Mbps connection. That’s not exactly accessible, and there’s no certainty that Cox will undercut those rates. The firm will also have to deploy service quickly if it wants the new offering to be seen as more than an experiment.
[Image credit: Ed Shadid, Flickr]
Filed under: Networking, Internet, HD, Google, AT&T
Via: CNET
Source: Bloomberg
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