China’s made a drone that Amazon would love to use for deliveries
Watch out, DJI! There’s a new kid on the block! At the TechCrunch Beijing conference today, fellow Chinese drone maker Ehang teased its upcoming hexacopter ahead of its Kickstarter launch next month. While the company’s keeping most of the specs under wraps, the reps did reveal that this yet-to-be-named machine is very light thanks to its full carbon fiber body, and it’ll manage a whopping 5km radius range with a flight time of around 30 to 40 minutes per charge. Best of all, this drone will apparently have a maximum load weight of 10kg. That’s four times as much as what Amazon’s delivery drone can handle, and twice that of DJI’s recently launched Spreading Wings S900; but its estimated $5,000 price tag isn’t as attractive.
Meanwhile, Ehang is already selling its smaller, weather-resistant Ghost quadcopter in China for a mere $550, and it can fly within a 1km radius range with up to 1kg of payload, should that interest anyone.
Filed under: Robots
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It’s official: Brits love weather apps
In days past, you couldn’t call yourself a true Brit unless you’d waited for the six o’clock news to end in order to catch the weather forecast for coming week. These days, however, more people than ever are pulling out their phone and launching an app. The BBC is keen to reinforce our obsession with unpredictable climates and mobile phones, announcing today that the BBC Weather iOS and Android apps have become its fastest-growing mobile properties, with over 8 million downloads since their launch just over a year ago. According to the Beeb, users love to whip out their mobiles first thing in the morning (7am being the most popular time), with Friday the most popular day, as people attempt to plan for the weekend ahead. In the near future, the BBC says it will add detailed weather warnings to the app, giving you an even firmer excuse for staying indoors with the cats.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software
Via: BBC Media Centre
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Acer’s Chromebook 13 lasts a stunning 13 hours on a charge
Until now, if you wanted a Chromebook with a full HD display, you only had one option: the 13-inch Samsung Chromebook 2. Want epic battery life? Yep, all roads lead to Samsung there, too. Well, not anymore, anyway. Acer just announced the Chromebook 13, and it matches Samsung nearly spec for spec with an optional 1080p display and NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra K1 chip, promising up to 13 hours of runtime (details on that after the break). This is interesting for two reasons. First off, although this is essentially the same class of product as what Samsung is selling, it costs $100 less: $299, versus $400 for the Chromebook 2. Sounds good, right? What’s more, this is the first-ever Chrome OS device with an NVIDIA processor inside.
This is potentially good news even if you’re not a self-described chip geek: Tegra K1 offers long battery life, just like Samsung’s own Exynos chip, but the graphics should be better for things like gaming and interactive websites — the sorts of rich web apps frequently used in classrooms. And if you’ve ever used a Samsung Chromebook, you know there’s room for improvement there: For all of Samsung’s plus points (a crisp display, comfortable keyboard), the Chromebook 2 is relatively sluggish. But will this be more robust than those new Core i3 models we’re seeing? That remains to be seen.
On a superficial note, the Chromebook 13 is definitely more basic-looking than the Chromebook 2. Whereas Samsung’s model comes kitted out with a fake-leather lid, the Chromebook 13 is made of plain white plastic. It’s clear that if Acer made any sacrifices to reach that lower price point, this is it. Then again, this is a perfectly serviceable, if unexciting, design, and the full-sized keyboard is naturally more spacious than what you’ll find on Acer’s older 11-inch Chromebooks.
The Chromebook 13 is up for pre-order today, starting at $279 with a 1,366 x 768 display, and $299 for the full HD model. Of note: The full HD machine is rated for 11 hours of battery life, compared with 13 for the 1,366 x 767 version. In addition to the US, it will be sold in various European countries, including the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain, South Africa and Switzerland. As a heads-up, the Chromebook 13 doesn’t have a touchscreen for now, though that could change: When we asked an NVIDIA rep if a touch edition was in the works, he winked and said “That’s an interesting idea.” Consider it confirmed, folks. Almost.
Filed under: Laptops, Google, Acer, NVIDIA
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Samsung Galaxy Alpha makes an appearance in Russia, will come in 64GB Variant
The Samsung Galaxy Alpha is expected to be Samsung‘s answer to the impending release of Apple’s iPhone 6. It is said that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and Samsung has taken that sentiment to the extreme: the Galaxy Alpha is pretty much the closest an Android phone has ever gotten to the specs of an iPhone. With a 4.7-inch display, nano-SIM, a lack of expandable memory and a chamfered metal edge, the Galaxy Alpha seems like inspired Apple engineering, but Samsung has been happy to show off their latest creation a little early at a yachting event in Russia.
It was a relatively small event, with no official announcement about the device going on sale, but it seems inevitable that an announcement from Samsung regarding the device is going to come very shortly. Previously, we had only anticipated that the Galaxy Alpha would be coming in a 32GB storage variant, however SamMobile has today confirmed that it will also come in a 64GB variant. And guess what other device also come in those storage sizes?
What do you think about the Samsung Galaxy Alpha? Is it the kind of device that appeals to you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Source: hi-tech.mail.ru, SamMobile via SamMobile
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More Photos of Embedded Rear Logo, Rear Camera Ring of iPhone 6 Surface
Nowhereelse.fr (Google Translate) shares more photos said to be of various iPhone 6 parts, including images of the embedded rear Apple logo, external camera ring, Touch ID home button enclosure, flex cables, and more. The pictures of the embedded rear Apple logo and external camera ring also line up with photos shared last week by luxury modified iPhone vendor Feld & Volk.
Apple has not used an embedded logo on the iPhone since shipping the original iPhone in 2007. It was stated last week that the embedded logo may be made of an incredibly scratch-resistant metal, perhaps even a Liquidmetal alloy. Earlier this year, Apple renewed its rights to use Liquidmetal Technologies’ alloy in consumer products, although no other evidence suggests that this logo or any other components are using such a material.
The external camera ring also makes an appearance once again, and may indicate that at least one iPhone 6 model may have a protruding lens. To this point, leaked design drawings, mockups, and rumors have pointed to the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 having a protruding rear lens, while reports have pointed to a flush rear camera for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6. It is possible that a protruding lens on the iPhone 6 would appear similar to the one currently on the iPod touch.
Other components such as the headphone jack, Lightning port connector, and Touch ID home button enclosure among others appear to be similar to those found in the iPhone 5s. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 6 on September 9, with a launch likely coming shortly afterward. The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will also possibly be released before the 5.5-inch model, as Apple is said to be experiencing issues with the larger device’s display technology and battery life.
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Alleged packaging for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 leaks out in Photo
Been wondering what the Samsung Galaxy Note 4‘s packaging might look like? Well, apparently it will look something like the box shown in the above image, though we can’t say we’re terribly convinced – not without more evidence that is. With less than a month from the Samsung UNPACKED event where it is expected that Samsung will announce the next Galaxy Note device, it’s not surprising to see leaks like this as these devices begin to move all around the world to meet the global release date sometime in September.
Phone Arena notes that press renders of previous Samsung devices have suggested the announcement date for that device, however the “15 September” shown on the box either signals a change in this trend, or some photoshop magic is afoot. The wallpaper is also slightly suspect, bearing no resemblance to Samsung’s generally vibrant, abstract wallpapers. Whatever the case is, we’re likely to see more leaks as September 3rd approaches so we’ll wait till then to see if this really is the official packaging or not.
What do you think about the leaked image of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4′s packaging? Do you think it’s real or fake? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.
Source: Phone Arena
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The first footage from Blackmagic’s new $6,000 4K camera is predictably sublime
Blackmagic’s 4K URSA camera is (yet again) late after it was announced at NAB in April, but it looks to be worth the wait. Cinematographer John Brawley — who also demo’d early footage of Blackmagic’s Pocket Cinema Camera — has just shown the first footage from the a $6,000 camera. The URSA is a large departure from past models, as it features a 10-inch, 1080P pop-out display, traditional camcorder form factor and a user-replaceable 4K sensor with a global shutter. It also bests previous Blackmagic models by shooting 4K at 60fps, the speed Brawley used on all but one shot. He used a Cooke 25-250 MK3 T3.7 (PL mount) zoom lens, shooting onto several 128GB SanDisk CFast 2.0 cards at UltraHD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution. As you’d imagine, the footage looks amazing and Brawley said Vimeo doesn’t do the original ProRes HQ files justice. The only problem is that the camera is double the price of Blackmagic’s Production Camera 4K — but it’s still a lot less than pro models like Red’s Scarlet Dragon.
Via: No Film School
Source: John Brawley (Vimeo)
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‘Football Manager’ will help actual football managers to find new players
Back in 2008, Everton FC raised eyebrows when it announced that it’d use the player database from the video game Football Manager to scout future recruits. A few years later, however, and now every other manager in the league will have access to the same information. That’s because statistics company Prozone has signed a deal to integrate Sports Interactive’s highly-detailed catalog of over 80,000 players into its Recruiter platform. That means that Sam Allardyce and Ronald Koeman will be using the same database to hunt for unpolished gems that we’ve all been playing for the better part of 15 years. Now that all the managers will be playing Football Manager, we just hope that someone recognizes our genius and gives us a shot at a top club — after all, we did take Wycombe Wanderers to the Champions League.
Filed under: Gaming
Via: The Mirror
Source: Sports Interactive, Prozone
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Moto X+1 to hit Verizon on September 25
Still holding out for the next iteration of the Moto X? Well your wait may be coming to an end. The folks over at Droid Life believe that the new Moto X will be arriving on the 25th of September. It is a safe bet to say that the Moto 360 will also be coming… Read more »
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Microsoft Launches Three New Surface Pro 3 Ads Targeting the MacBook Air
Microsoft today launched three new ads targeting Apple’s MacBook Air and comparing the notebook to its new Surface Pro 3 tablet. All three commercials emphasize the Surface Pro 3′s touchscreen multitasking features and expandable hardware, with each showing how the MacBook Air lacks similar functionality. The ads also end with the tagline “The tablet that can replace your laptop.”
The first spot is titled “Crowded” and focuses on two narrators and how the Surface Pro 3 is a tablet and a laptop. When told about the Surface Pro 3 by the first narrator, the second claims that the tablet doesn’t have the power of the MacBook Air’s Intel i5 processor. The first narrator states that the Surface Pro 3 does have an equal processor, and shows off Microsoft Office, Photoshop, pen support and its touchscreen. The second narrator counters with showing off his own touchscreen (an iPad), and exclaims “I have a lot of stuff to carry.” The ad ends with the first narrator saying “You are more powerful than you think”, referencing Apple’s recent “Powerful” ads for the iPhone 5s.
The second ad, named “Head to Head”, features a direct comparison between the two, drawing a parallel between the 128GB of storage and 4GB of RAM on each device. However, Microsoft once again emphasizes the Surface Pro 3′s touchscreen, pen support and detachable keyboard, while the MacBook Air is shown to have none of those features.
The third ad “Power” starts off with a Mac user curious about a full version of Adobe Photoshop running on the Surface Pro 3, once again demonstrating the device’s laptop and tablet capabilities. The narrator claims that the Surface Pro 3 is just as fast as the Mac, boasting a touchscreen with a kickstand along with a Mini DisplayPort and a USB port. The ad ends when the Mac user states “So you’re saying it does more than my Mac?”, and the Surface Pro 3 user going “Well, technically you said it.”
Microsoft originally announced the Surface Pro 3 this past May, and also launched a program offering MacBook Air owners $650 to trade in their laptop towards the Surface Pro 3. In prior years, Microsoft has also released ads poking fun of the iPad and comparing it to the Surface.
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AIVAnet 