Scientists find a way to make fracking less horrible for the environment
Using fracking (hydraulic fracturing) to get oil or gas may fulfill energy needs, but it has a nasty impact on the environment. Among other things, it leaves behind extremely salty water. However, scientists at both MIT and the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals have found technology that could soften the blow. Their approach filters output water through multiple stages of electrodialysis, which uses electrical charges to pull salt through a membrane. This wouldn’t make the water drinkable, but it would be reusable — and that, in turn, would reduce or even eliminate the need for fresh water beyond an initial supply. Oil and gas wells wouldn’t deprive local communities of nearly as much drinking or farming water, and they wouldn’t have to dispose of quite so many contaminated liquids.
The solution hasn’t yet had a real-world test, and there’s a concern that the electrodialysis membranes wouldn’t hold up if subjected to water with traces of oil and gas. Also, this is just one piece of the puzzle. It doesn’t tackle the many other concerns about fracking, such as airborne emissions or the amount of land it consumes. Researchers aren’t necessarily using this to justify new fracking projects, though — theoretically, you could upgrade existing wells and save areas that are already suffering from water shortages, like Texas. While this won’t reduce humanity’s dependence on oil and help with the transition to clean energy, it could minimize the damage done.
[Image credits: David McNew/Getty Images, Jose-Luis Olivares/MIT]
Filed under: Science
Via: Gizmag
Source: MIT News
Accessory of the Day: Charge 3 devices at once with this compact car charger, $9.99
Find yourself with too many devices that need powered in the car? When the family piles in for the that weekend trip to Grandma’s, does everyone instantly begin jockeying for car charger position? The EasyAcc 3 Compact USB Car Charger solves all of your problems with its ability to charge 3 USB devices at once. You get a charge! And you get a charge! Everybody gets a charge! At only $9.99 (Prime eligible), and rated 5-stars, this is a must have for most of our readers.
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Amazon goes after Chromecast with new $39 Fire TV Stick
Amazon on Monday got the week started off by introducing a device which puts the Chromecast squarely in its sights. Called the Fire TV Stick, it’s a $39 unit that plugs into your TV and provides for playing of music, video,games, and more.
Rather powerful for such a small device, the Fire TV Stick features a dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, and 8GB of storage. More importantly, it features a dual-band and dual-antenna Wi-FI which means solid and uninterrupted connection.
The Fire TV Stick plugs directly into your HDMI port and includes a remote control that closely resembles the one that comes with the Fire TV. Additionally, users can also connect their Android (iOS soon) smartphone to the Fire TV Stick for search, navigation, and game playing. As an option, Amazon will let buyers upgrade to the Amazon Fire TV Voice Remote for $29.99.
Things get really interesting for those who already own Amazon products like Fire HD tablets or subscribe to their respective services. Watching TV and movies is even better with second screen experience like X-Ray, and Whispersync.
For a limited time, Amazon is offering the Fire TV Stick for only $19 to current Amazon Prime customers. Hurry, however, this is a two-day only promotion.
Those who are not Prime subscribers will receive a 30-day trial to the service with purchase of the Fire TV Stick. Shipping is expected to begin November 19.
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Good news LG G3 and G2 owners, you will get Android 5.0!!!
It was touch and go for awhile, but the newest reports seem to indicate that the newest LG flagship phones should receive Android 5.0. A rep for LG in the Netherlands and Belgium confirmed that the G2 and G3 should see Lollipop before the end of the year. There wasn’t anything more specific cited by the rep, but we’ll keep you updated as we hear more.
Source GSM Arena
The post Good news LG G3 and G2 owners, you will get Android 5.0!!! appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Pre-orders for Google’s first Gamepad are now live
The Nexus Player pre-order went through a bit of a rough start, but now it is up and available to order, and as of today so is the Nexus Player’s accompanying game controller. A first for Google, the Nexus Player’s gamepad looks like a serious controller with a button arrangement not unlike the Sony’s DualShock controllers. The buttons include 2 analog sticks, a 4-button D-pad and 8 action buttons featuring two pressure-sensitive triggers.
The Nexus Player will support up to four controllers at a time and can play most games that are avavilable on the Play Store. You can pre-order the Nexus Player now for $99 and a controller will set you back another $39. Any early adopters out there looking to get their hands on a Nexus Player? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: Google Play Store
Come comment on this article: Pre-orders for Google’s first Gamepad are now live
Amazon goes after Chromecast and Roku with Fire TV Stick
With the holidays approaching, Amazon is adding yet another media streaming device to their lineup. This one goes after Google’s Chromecast and the Roku Streaming Stick. It’s the Fire TV Stick, and it’s going for $39. A little more than the Chromecast, but it also includes a remote control.
The Fire TV stick is basically the same Fire TV product that is offered in the set-top box, but in a smaller package and without the games. The stick goes right into your HDMI port, and you can control it via the included remote control or fling content from Fire tablets or if you’re one of the very few people who own a Fire Phone. So you will be able to enjoy all the same content such as Prime Instant Video, Netflix, Hulu Plus, WatchESPN, and so much more.
The remote that comes with the Fire TV Stick doesn’t include voice, but you can upgrade to the same one that comes with the Fire TV set-top box for $29.99.
Now this is going to sound like an infomercial because there’s more…The Fire TV Stick is available for $19.99 for just two days for Prime Members. If you want to signup for Amazon Prime as a new member, you can still get the discount. However, if you pay the full price, you will still get one month free of Prime. You will just have to weigh those options and decide how you want to go about it.
You can pre-order your Fire TV Stick today, and shipments will commence on November 19. Don’t forget, the $19 promotion is for today and tomorrow only.
Full Press Release
Introducing Fire TV Stick: The Most Powerful Streaming Media Stick—Just $39
Powerful hardware—dual-core processor, 2x the memory of Chromecast, dual-band, dual-antenna (MIMO) Wi-Fi, and exclusive features like ASAP for instant streaming
Best of both worlds: included remote control means simple and easy navigation, plus you can use your phone as a remote with the free mobile app that includes voice search
Simple and easy to use—features Amazon Fire TV’s award-winning user interface—just plug it in and you’re ready to stream in minutes
Vast selection of the most popular video and music services, including Netflix, Prime Instant Video, Hulu Plus, WatchESPN, NBA Game Time, Prime Music, Pandora, Spotify, and more for instant access to shows like Transparent, House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Game of Thrones, and The Wire—plus the largest selection of movies and TV episodes to rent or buy from Amazon Instant Video
Fling or mirror content from your phone or tablet directly to Fire TV Stick
For two days only: as a thank you to new and existing Prime members, Fire TV Stick is just $19
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oct. 27, 2014– (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Less than seven months ago, Amazon introduced Amazon Fire TV, and it quickly became the best-selling streaming media box on Amazon. Today, Amazon is bringing the same experience customers love about Amazon Fire TV—ease of use, great performance, and vast selection—to a smaller and even more affordable device. Introducing Fire TV Stick, a small stick that connects to the HDMI port on your HDTV for instant access to movies, TV shows, music, photos, apps, and games. Fire TV Stick is just $39 and is available for pre-order starting today at www.amazon.com/fire-tv-stick and will ship November 19. As a thank you to new and existing Prime members, Fire TV Stick is available for two days only for just $19 on Amazon.com.
“Fire TV Stick is the most powerful streaming media stick available—a dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of storage, dual-band and dual-antenna Wi-Fi, included remote control, voice search with our free mobile app, easy set-up, an open ecosystem, and exclusive features like ASAP for instant streaming,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “The team has packed an unbelievable amount of power and selection into an incredible price point—Fire TV Stick is just $39.”
Fire TV Stick delivers instant access to a vast selection of content, including the most popular video and music services such as Netflix, Prime Instant Video, Hulu Plus, WatchESPN, NBA Game Time, Twitch, SHOWTIME ANYTIME, Prime Music, Spotify, Pandora, Vevo, Plex, A&E, PBS, PBS KIDS, WATCH Disney Channel, YouTube.com, and more. The number of video services and games available on Amazon Fire TV has tripled in just seven months, with more services and games being added every week. You can also rent or purchase over 200,000 movies and TV episodes from Amazon Instant Video, which has the world’s largest selection of videos to rent or buy, including new releases and blockbusters.
Amazon Fire TV Stick features:
- The most powerful streaming media stick—Dual-core processor, 1 GB RAM, and 8 GB storage for fast and fluid navigation and instant search results. Fire TV Stick has 50% more processing power and 2x the memory of Chromecast; it has 6x the processing power, 2x the memory, and 32x the storage of Roku Streaming Stick—this results in faster and more fluid navigation, plus more storage for apps and games. It delivers stunning 1080p HD video and immersive audio with Dolby Digital Plus surround sound. All of this power comes in an incredibly small package—Fire TV Stick is the size of a pack of gum.
- Simple to set-up and easy to use—Arrives pre-registered so you can simply plug it in and start streaming in minutes. Features the same fast and fluid user interface as Amazon Fire TV, with big, beautiful images and easy-to-discover content.
- Includes a remote control—Customers have told us they want to use a remote control, not just their phones, to watch TV. Now, everyone in the household can watch movies and TV shows without borrowing your phone—use the included remote to easily navigate and discover movies, TV shows, apps, and games.
- Free Fire TV Remote App (with Voice Search)—If you prefer to navigate using your phone as a remote control, the Fire TV Remote App for Fire phone, Android phones, and coming soon to iPhone, lets you navigate and manage playback from your phone. The app also features voice search that actually works—it is powered by the same voice search engine as Amazon Fire TV, enabling you to simply speak the name of a movie, TV show, actor, director, or genre into your phone, and you’re done.
- Fast, reliable streaming—Fire TV Stick features dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi with MIMO for fast and reliable streaming. Chromecast only has single-band, single-antenna Wi-Fi.
- Instant streaming with ASAP—No more waiting for your movies and TV shows to buffer—ASAP (Advanced Streaming and Prediction) predicts which movies and TV episodes you’ll want to watch and buffers them for playback before you even hit play so videos start instantly.
- Fling movies and TV shows from your phone or tablet—Fling movies and TV shows from your Fire tablet or Fire phone to Fire TV Stick, turning your TV into the primary screen and freeing up your phone or tablet to provide playback controls, a customized display for X-Ray, or simply a place to email, browse the web, and more, while you watch a movie. Fire TV Stick supports standards like DIAL so you can also fling services like YouTube, Spotify, and coming soon, Netflix, from your Android phone or iPhone.
- Mirror your phone or tablet display—Wirelessly mirror your tablet display to your Fire TV Stick from Fire tablets, Fire phone, and Miracast-enabled phones or tablets including devices from Motorola, Samsung, LG, and Google without any additional apps or software.
- X-Ray for movies and TV shows—Using Second Screen on your Fire tablet or Fire phone, you can see X-Ray information as your movie or TV show plays on your TV via Fire TV Stick. See information about cast and crew, the names of songs as they play, as well as a list of music in the movie or TV show, trivia items in context with the action on the screen, and character backstories so you can easily remind yourself of the character’s history. X-Ray is exclusive to Amazon and is powered by IMDb.
- X-Ray for music—Lyrics display and scroll line-by-line automatically as the song plays, so you can follow along with songs.
- Great for casual gaming—Play your favorite casual games like Monsters University, Ski Safari, and Flappy Birds Family.
- Personal photos and videos—Play slide shows and choose your favorite album for the screen-saver on Fire TV Stick. Photos or videos you take on your phone or tablet can be automatically uploaded to Amazon Cloud Drive, so they appear on your Fire TV Stick.
Fire TV Stick is not a gadget—it’s a seamlessly integrated service that brings together the features customers expect from Amazon, including:
- Whispersync—Amazon’s Whispersync technology saves and synchronizes your video and music library across all of your devices. Start watching a movie on your phone or tablet, and when you get home, pick up where you left off on your TV. For games that support Whispersync, your place in the game will also sync across devices so you can always pick up where you left off.
- Watch on hundreds of devices—When you buy a movie or TV show on Amazon, you can watch it on hundreds of devices, including iOS, Android, and Fire OS devices.
- Worry-Free Archive—Automatically backs up your Amazon digital content in the cloud so you never need to worry about losing your collection.
- Top-Rated, World-Class Customer Service—When a customer shops on Amazon, buys a Fire TV Stick, or buys digital content from Amazon, they know that they are also getting Amazon’s world-class customer service. Customers with a Fire HDX tablet or Fire phone can also use the Mayday button to receive 24×7, free, live, on-device tech support for all their Amazon devices.
- Free Month of Amazon Prime—Amazon continues to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to bring Prime members new movies, TV shows, songs, and books to enjoy at no additional cost. Prime members enjoy unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes with Prime Instant Video. Eligible customers get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime when they purchase Fire TV Stick.
Fire TV Stick is available starting today for just $39—order at www.amazon.com/fire-tv-stick. As a thank you to Prime members, Fire TV Stick is available for two days only for just $19 on Amazon.com. Customers who are new to Prime can sign up for a free trial and also receive this special price.
You can also choose to upgrade to the Amazon Fire TV Voice Remote for $29.99.
Eligible customers get a free 30-day trial of Netflix and Amazon Prime when they purchase Fire TV Stick.
About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire phone, Fire tablets, and Fire TV are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.
Come comment on this article: Amazon goes after Chromecast and Roku with Fire TV Stick
Elon Musk is scared of killer robots
Elon Musk really wants us to be worried about the potential danger of artificial intelligence. He just told an MIT symposium that he feels it’s “our biggest existential threat,” then ratcheted the hyperbole further, saying “with artificial intelligence, we’re summoning the demon.” He added that “HAL9000 would be… like a puppy dog,” and said governments need to start regulating the development of AI sooner than later. Last August, Musk said that super-intelligent robots were “potentially more dangerous than nukes.” Paranoid rantings? We doubt it — given his track record, it’s more likely that Musk knows something we don’t.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: MIT AeroAstro
‘Internet tax’ sparks huge protests in Hungary
Hungary needs cash, so it seemed like a pretty clever idea to tax that most necessary of utilities: the internet. Unfortunately, while the notion may have gone down well with the nation’s accountants, the feeling wasn’t shared amongst the general population. That’s why tens of thousands of Hungarians spent Saturday night protesting in Budapest. According to the Wall Street Journal, the people also believe that the tax is an attempt to limit access to information and keep everyone watching state-run media. It’s not just the local internet fiends who are up in arms, either, since Europe’s digital chief, Neelie Kroes, took to Twitter to call the move a “shame on the Hungarian government.” For its part, Hungary’s government affirmed a pledge to cap the tax at 700 forints (around $2.88) a month, and pointed out that it’s the ISPs that are meant to pay, not the households. That said, we wouldn’t be surprised if the companies didn’t start putting a 701 forint surcharge on the next few bills with maintenance, or something in the description.
[Image Credit: Laszlo Beliczay MTI / AP Photo]
Proposed internet tax in #Hungary is a shame: a shame for users and a shame on the Hungarian government. I do not support!
– Neelie Kroes (@NeelieKroesEU) October 22, 2014
Filed under: Internet
Via: BBC News
Source: WSJ
Fitbit announces three new activity trackers, including a GPS watch
The last year has been a bit rough for Fitbit. The biggest thorn in its side has obviously been the allergic reactions to, and the subsequent recall of, its Force fitness tracker. Despite having spent the better part of 2014 without its flagship model on store shelves, the company is still holds a lead over its competitors in market share. And now it’s hoping to extend that lead with an all out assault on the activity tracking market. Today the company is announcing not one, but three new devices that are set to be released over the next several months.
The Charge is the replacement for the Force. All of the same features are on-board, including caller-ID functions. Plus Fitbit has finally unlocked the secret to automatic sleep tracking. That means the days of remembering to tell your Fitbit when it’s bedtime are over. The design has changed slightly since last year, and it’s now made of a softer rubber with a slightly textured surface. But for the most part, the Charge is a direct clone of the Force. It’s roughly the same size, has the same basic feature set and even the same battery life (7 days). The Charge HR adds only one feature, but it’s an important one — a heart rate monitor. The wrist-worn LED pulse tracker might not be quite as accurate as a chest strap, but it’s certainly more comfortable and more convenient. Though the heart rate monitor does cut the expected battery life of the Charge HR to only 5 days.
The big boy though, is the Surge. Surge marks Fitbit’s first foray into the serious fitness market. In addition to all the usual step tracking features, Surge packs a GPS module for tracking runs and a heart rate monitor. Like its smaller siblings the Surge does have caller ID, plus it can control your music and it has a touchscreen. Despite all this, Fitbit is still claiming it will be able to run a full week on a charge — with the GPS off at least. The company wouldn’t commit to an exact battery rating with the GPS on, but expect it to be closer to eight hours.
The Charge is available now for $130, but you’ll have to wait until early 2015 to get your hands on the Charge HR or Surge, which will cost $150 and $250 respectively.
Filed under: Wearables
Amazon goes after Roku and Chromecast with $39 Fire TV Stick
Amazon’s Fire TV is doing very well for itself, but it’s hard to justify that $99 price-tag when you can pick up devices from Google and Roku that do the job for a lot less. That’s why the company has whipped out the Amazon Fire TV Stick that can be snagged for as little as $19 if you’re a Prime customer. Like its rivals, the stick connects to your TV’s HDMI port and comes with 1GB RAM and 8GB of storage alongside dual-band WiFi and, surprisingly at this price, a remote control. You can also use it do connect to services like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, as well as mirroring your smartphone and tablet display to your TV. Gaming-wise, the Fire TV controller will work with the device, but given that the company chose to mention Flappy Birds Family over Fire TV exclusive Sev Zero, it’s not clear if Fire TV titles will work on the smaller device. If you’re not a Prime customer, then the device will set you back $39, and you can add voice controls to your remote for an additional $30, but either way, the hardware will begin shipping on November 19th.
Source: Amazon
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