​NVIDIA found a way to quadruple display performance in low-res LCDs

Face it, the tech industry is obsessed with resolution; we want every display to be high definition, regardless of size. We also want our devices to be affordable, leaving device manufactures with an interesting problem: how do they manufacture low-cost products with high-resolution screens? NVIDIA researchers have one solution — stack two low-resolution panels on top of each other to increase pixel density on the cheap. The solution is so simple it sounds ridiculous, but apparently, it works.

Researchers disassembled two 1,280 x 800 LCD panels and rebuilt them into a single display with slightly offset pixels, a filter to weed out polarization conflicts and a bit of customized software to force the display components to work in tandem. NVIDIA calls the resulting prototype a “cascaded display,” and in tests it has quadrupled the spatial resolution of the original panels (thanks, in part, to how the pixel offset crams an additional four pixels behind every one of the first panel’s visible pixel).

The images produced by the cascaded display aren’t quite as good as the full resolution target image, but it’s leaps and bounds ahead of the capabilities of the original 1,280 x 800 panels. It’s also a comparatively inexpensive way to build higher resolutions screens for head mounted displays like the Oculus Rift. These hobbled together panels aren’t perfect, of course — the cascaded display is less bright than a typical screen and apparently has poor viewing angles — but the research could lead to a better way to build affordable, high definition electronics. Check out the video below to see the technology in action.

Filed under: Displays, NVIDIA

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Via: ExtremeTech

Source: NVIDIA

Meet the judges of Engadget Expand’s Insert Coin 2014 competition

We know Insert Coin contestants shed blood, sweat and tears to complete their masterpieces, so we make sure they get scrutinized by people who know what they’re talking about. For this year’s event, we gathered a group of judges from different backgrounds to look at, poke and analyze every entry. They’re in charge of making sure that the best entries get the coveted prize money and that the winners embody what Insert Coin’s all about.

• Cyril Ebersweiler is the founder of HAXLR8R, an accelerator program for hardware startups based in San Francisco and Shenzhen, China. He also juggles several projects in both countries, including mentoring a number of startups and serving as a board member to Leap Motion.
• Rahul Sood is just as tireless as Ebersweiler and currently serves as the global head of Microsoft Ventures. Some might remember him as the creator of Voodoo PC, which was eventually snapped up by HP.
• Ben Einstein describes himself as a “lover of hardware” and is the Managing Director of Bolt, a start-up incubator that focuses on (your guessed it) companies that work on hardware.
• Devindra Hardawar’s probably a familiar name if you tend to visit a certain online publication other than Engadget — he’s a Senior Editor and the lead mobile writer at VentureBeat.

These four will join the very special roster of past Insert Coin judges, where they’re definitely in good company. Just look at this list, and you’ll understand what we mean:

• Ryan Block – AOL’s VP of Product, whom you might know better as one of Engadget’s former editors-in-chief.
• Gerard Furbershaw – Co-founded and COO of San Francisco design firm LUNAR, whose past clients include Apple, HP, Microsoft, Philips and Sony.
• Jim Newton – Chairman and founder of TechShop, a chain of workshops equipped with industrial equipment that members can use to build whatever they want.
• Danae Ringelmann – Co-founder and CEO of a crowdfunding website we’re sure you all know by now: Indiegogo.
• Ben Heck – Tinkerer, console modder and host of element 14′s The Ben Heck Show.
• Hilary Mason – Ex-chief scientist at URL shortener Bitly and current Data Scientist in Residence of VC firm Accel Partners.
• Peter Rojas – AOL Brand Group’s VP of Strategy and co-founder of both Engadget and Gizmodo.

Now that you know who’ll be examining Insert Coin entries from every angle, make sure to turn in yours before submissions close at September 26th, 2014.

Filed under: Misc

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OKCupid treats your love life like a lab rat

Facebook is perhaps the most prominent example, but the internet, whether we want to accept it or not, is a gigantic data-mining operation where every thing about us is monitored, measured and experimented with — even our love life, should we choose. The folks over at online-dating service OKCupid (OKC) have recently detailed, among other things, how they futzed with the site’s match-percentage system to see if it’d affect users’ messaging habits. To start, OKC wanted to see just how much bearing system had on the likelihood of sending one message. When the service took two people who were actually 30 percent compatible and fudged the numbers by, say, 60 points, the amount of first messages sent naturally increased. As the OKTrends blog notes, that’s exactly what was expected because that’s how the site’s users have more or less been trained; a higher number means a potentially better match. But, as anyone who’s used the site can probably attest, one message doesn’t mean a whole lot.

To see how much effect the data manipulation truly had, OKCupid set four messages as the bar for a successful match. By telling a couple that they were a good fit, people acted as though they were and messaged more. A stark contrast against the fact that in reality (as much as you can call algorithm-based dating that), they’d likely have never contacted each other via the site in the first place. The same held true even when it came to exchanging contact info and presumably meeting for a date, too. To make sure that the matching algorithm wasn’t “garbage,” the dating site flipped the experiment on its head, telling users who were actually high-matches that they in fact were not: the number of four-message exchanges was predictably low. Not surprisingly, the number of people who were legitimately compatible exchanged the most messages with those that the site noted were high-matches.

The blog post also details how much removing photos from all profiles affected messaging rates, and even what OKCupid’s previous dual-rating system (personality and looks) meant in terms of messaging habits. Even if you haven’t tasked the internet with playing matchmaker, it’s still a pretty fascinating look at how A/B testing can affect our perceived notions about who we’re compatible with. The ethics of doing so, of course, are a bit dubious.

[Image credit: Thomas Hawk/Flickr]

Filed under: Internet

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Via: Gizmodo

Source: OKCupid

Mozilla makes interim CEO’s job permanent

Mozilla must’ve really liked Chris Beard during his time as interim CEO because he is now the real, actual CEO of the company, “interim” prefix not required. Beard took over the reins of the firm in April after former CEO Brendan Eich stepped down amidst political backlash — Eich had made contributions to an anti-same sex marriage bill in California. Though it’s only been a few months, Beard appears to have proved himself worthy of the CEO role. As with Eich, Mozilla’s current focus is to further its efforts on mobile. According to a recent blog post by Executive Chairwoman Mitchell Baker, “Chris has a keen sense of where Mozilla has been — and where we’re headed […] There’s simply no better person to lead Mozilla as we extend our impact from Firefox on the desktop to the worlds of mobile devices and services.”

Filed under: Internet

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Source: Mozilla

Airbnb launches dedicated portal for business travelers

It’s not that business travelers have chosen to shun Airbnb — in fact they make up a decent chunk of the short-term subletting business. But now the startup is making a concerted effort to lure those customers in with Business Travel on Airbnb. It’s dedicated portal with tools specifically designed not just for travelers, but for companies to manage employee travel. The company has even partnered with Concur, which builds travel and expense systems like Triplink, which is used by a vast majority of Fortune 100 companies. Not every listing will be displayed through the new portal. Odd ball listings like tree houses will be filtered out, as will any shared rentals — such as a room in a larger apartment. Courting business customers is going to be essential for Airbnb to continue to grow. And considering how much money investors have pumped into the it, growth is certainly high on its list of priorities.

Filed under: Internet

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Via: CNET

Source: Airbnb

Solid’s vibrating handlebars navigate bike lanes on its 3D printed frame

Just like when you’re driving a car, glancing down at your phone while biking the busy streets of your city can be quite dangerous. Thanks to a Portland-based design firm, there’s a bike that allows you to keep your eyes on the road while getting those much-needed directions. The folks at Industry teamed up with local builders Ti Cycles for Solid: a Bluetooth-enabled two-wheeler that connects to a smartphone app monitoring bike maintenance and offers vibrating handlebars for head’s up GPS navigation. A companion app, My Bike, keeps an eye on burned out lights and other potential upkeep headaches. My City, a second bit of software, serves as guide for blazing the bike lanes of your chosen locale.

In order to keep your eyes on the road, haptic grips will buzz when you’re approaching a turn and they’ll both vibrate when you’ve missed one. All of Solid’s on-board electronics are pedal powered with its components tucked inside a 3D-printed titanium frame that unscrews for easy access. Oh yeah, the gears are sorted electronically as well — at the push of a button — and those safety lights turn off thanks to built-in sensors. The silver-clad unit is the group’s entry into The Bike Design Project that’s matched designers in five cities against each other for a public vote on who’s made the best foot-powered option.

Filed under: Transportation

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Via: Wired

Source: The Bike Design Project