The Big Picture: Punching a hole in a (simulated) spacecraft
Space debris is a scary thing — tiny objects become missiles that can destroy whole spacecraft. If you need proof, just take a look at the results of the European Space Agency’s shield testing for its freighter, the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV). That gaping hole you see above is the result of shooting the ship’s multi-layer Kevlar-Nextel fabric armor with an aluminum bullet traveling at 15,658MPH, a speed that’s entirely possible for debris caught in orbit. The good news? As bad as this looks, the test was a resounding success; while the bullet tore through the shielding, it only scorched the aluminum wall underneath. When the last ATV visits the International Space Station this summer, astronauts won’t have to worry that shrapnel from an ex-satellite will destroy their vital supplies.
[Image credit: ESA-Stijn Laagland]
Filed under: Science
Via: Gizmodo
Source: ESA
US Supreme Court rules against Aereo, deems streamed broadcast TV ‘public performance’
In a precedent-setting decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled today that Aereo is in violation of US copyright law. The decision states that Aereo’s use of tiny antennas hooked up to cloud DVR technology violates the right of companies producing broadcast content. Specifically, the decision says that Aereo’s business violates the 1976 Copyright Act; the act states that individuals or businesses are violating copyright if:
1: perform or display it at a place open to the public or at any place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances is gathered; or
2: to transmit or otherwise communicate a performance or display of the work … to the public by means of any device or process, whether the members of the public are capable of receiving the performance or display receive it in the same place or in separate places at the same time or at different times
In the case of Aereo, the Supreme Court says the company’s service is tantamount to “a performance or display of the work.”
Developing …
Source: US Supreme Court (PDF)
Android TV announcement likely to be made at Google I/O, app changelog spilled the Beans
We’ve been getting subtle hints that Google has been working on something to replace the beleaguered effort that was Google TV. Known to us as Android TV, the media streaming device would no doubt build upon the tech that Google has secured with the Chromecast and get greater buy-ins from all the media providers and […]
The new Facebook Slingshot app has dropped its U.S. exclusivity, today launching Internationally
If you were disappointed that the Facebook Slingshot app that was announced last week was only going to be available in the U.S., you will be happy to know that Facebook has lifted the exclusivity of the app and has made it available internationally. What brought about the change of heart? As people behind Slingshot say: […]
LG G Watch goes up on pre-order for $255
It’s just a matter of time now until we expect to see the LG G Watch officially announced at Google I/O alongside the Moto 360, both of which will be Android Wear’s first flag-ship devices.So with launch of the LG G Watch imminent, it was obvious that some retailers would be chomping at the bit to… Read more »
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Toyota’s first hydrogen car is priced to go head-to-head with Tesla
Sure, Elon Musk is giving away Tesla patents, but don’t be surprised if more established manufacturers politely decline his offer. Instead of batteries and electric charging stations, players like General Motors, Mercedes, Honda and Toyota are focusing their efforts on a very different sort of fuel system: hydrogen. Toyota has just revealed that its first commercial hydrogen fuel cell car, a sedan modelled on the earlier FCV concept, will be ready for launch in the US and Europe in the summer of next year, priced at seven million yen (around $69,000, although exact international pricing has yet to be determined). By that time, the hydrogen car and its refueling network may lag significantly behind Tesla’s all-electric offerings, which currently start at less than $60,000 for the base model Tesla S with lifetime fuel costs included, but Toyota and other hydrogen pioneers believe that they’ll eventually gain the upper hand, thanks to their technology’s promise of greater range and quicker refueling.
Whereas most Tesla Superchargers take more than an hour to deliver enough charge for a range of 300 miles, hydrogen fuel stations could pump hydrogen gas into a car’s tank in as little as five minutes. This gas is then gradually mixed with oxygen inside the car, producing an electro-chemical reaction that offers comparable cruising range to a tank of gas — around 430 miles, Toyota claims — with no waste products other than water vapor. If there’s a downside to hydrogen, it’s the complexity and cost of gathering, storing and delivering hydrogen at high pressure. Toyota says that it’ll only sell its new car in areas that have some level of hydrogen refueling infrastructure already. However, with Tesla’s Superchargers being so cheap to build and maintain (especially ones that are solar powered), Toyota may find that launching a commercial hydrogen fuel cell car turns out to be the easy part, compared to the daunting task of ensuring that its customers are always near a fuel station.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: CNET
Source: Toyota
Israel is building a futuristic ‘hover-monorail’ that could come to the US
“Ehh, it’s not for you, Tel Aviv — it’s more of a Shelbyville idea.” We doubt a company called skyTran used Lyle Lanley’s pitch, but it just announced that a futuristic train test loop will be built at the Israel Aerospace Industry (IAI) campus in Lod, Israel. SkyTran’s so-called personal rapid transit is a magnetic levitation (maglev) system that’ll propel two-person pods along a monorail-type track. In theory, you’d order a car by smartphone, get picked up at a station and be whisked to your destination. The IAI trial will run at about 45 mph, but future trains will be much faster. If all goes well, the first commercial system will be built at Tel Aviv for $80 million and tracks are also planned for France, India and California. If all this smells of hucksterism, skyTrans is located on NASA’s campus and is a Space Act Agreement partner — it’s not Leonard Nimoy, but it’s something.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: BBC
Source: skyTran
Researchers crack iPad PINs by tracking the fingers that enter them
What’s the easiest way to find out someone’s password? Watch them enter it, of course, using the simple hacking technique known as shoulder surfing. Cameras and software have successfully been used by researchers to automate and improve the accuracy of snooping on smartphone users with such observational methods, but they require a direct line-of-sight to work. Now, as Wired reports, a group at the University of Massachusetts Lowell has developed a way to capture iPad passcodes without needing any kind of on-screen cue. A camera is still required, but because the position of the lockscreen keypad is static, their software references finger movement against tablet orientation to estimate the PIN by the way it’s entered.
Using Google Glass to emphasize how this could done quite inconspicuously, researchers found video from the wearable could capture a four-digit PIN from three meters away (nearly ten feet) 83 percent of the time (or over 90 percent with a little human help). Figures were similar using one of Samsung’s camera-equipped smartwatches, and at the same distance, video from an iPhone 5 increased the success rate to 100 percent. Better cameras unsurprisingly produced better results, and at 44 meters (around 144 feet), a $700 camcorder and a little elevation also scored 100 percent on the test. Understanding that some might be genuinely worried about this kind of carry on, the same researchers are currently developing an Android app that randomizes the layout of the PIN-entry keypad, which they plan to release at the same time they present their work at the Black Hat USA conference in August.
Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Tablets, Wearables, Software, Mobile
Source: Wired
iPhone 6 Said to Launch on Friday, September 19 in 32 GB and 64 GB Variants
Apple will look to launch the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 on Friday, September 19, according to a new report from Chinese web portal Tencent (Google Translate, via GforGames) citing inside sources. The news comes after German carrier Deutsche Telekom was reported to be informing customers of a similar release date for the device.
The report also notes that Apple will launch 32GB and 64GB capacities of the phone for 5,288 yuan ($846) and 6,288 yuan ($1008), indicating that Apple may launch the iPhone 6 without a 16GB model. Notably, 5,288 yuan is the current price for the 16GB iPhone 5s in China, while the 32GB iPhone 5s is listed at 6,088 yuan.
A September launch would be consistent with the past two iPhone launches, as Apple also typically launches new products on a Friday. A report from Bloomberg earlier this week also claimed that Apple may launch the larger 5.5-inch version of the iPhone 6 and the 4.7-inch version simultaneously, with previous reports indicating that issues with battery and display technology would hold up the larger device’s launch.
In addition to a larger display, the iPhone 6 is expected to feature a thinner design, a faster A8 processor, and more. The iPhone 6 is also expected to feature an improved camera, with the larger 5.5-inch version exclusively utilizing optical image stabilization and the smaller device featuring an advanced lens module.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 rumoured to launch after IFA 2014, ready for mass Production
While the Android world’s collective gaze has turned to San Francisco for Google I/O 2014, the rumour mill continues to turn in the background. The latest rumour comes from Korea and says that Samsung is all geared up to mass produce its phablet offering for this year, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. The report goes […]
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