Google finds a big new home while it waits for its ambitious London HQ
Google wants to build some extravagant new offices at London’s King’s Cross, but after putting those plans on ice, the firm seems to be looking at other options. It had already agreed to rent half of a 350,000 square foot site at 6 Pancras Square, but CityAM reports that it’s now taking the other half too. The offices, set to be completed later this year, will be a far cry from what Google originally envisioned. The company had planned to build its own, 950,000 square foot offices at a different site in King’s Cross, complete with roof-top running track, swimming pool and connected cycling ramps. But apparently the project wasn’t ambitious enough and Google’s architects have been told to go back to the drawing board. It’s now delayed until at least 2017 — that doesn’t mean the project has been abandoned completely, but while those plans are in flux Google is clearly settling for plan B.
[Image Credit: BNP Paribas]
Via: Business Insider
Source: CityAM
Microsoft introduces new colorful Comfort Headset earphones
Alongside today’s reveal of the Lumia 435 and 532 smartphones, Microsoft has also quietly announced a new set of earphones recommended for those devices, the Comfort Headset.
GoPro Shares Tumble After Apple Granted Remote Control Camera Patent [Mac Blog]
Shares of personal camera maker GoPro fell 12 percent as trading volume doubled yesterday following the publication of a recently awarded Apple camera patent (via Bloomberg). Apple was granted US patent no. 8,934,045 yesterday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a remote control camera system powered by a wrist-worn device.
Originally filed by Kodak in 2012 and subsequently acquired by Apple in a much larger patent deal, the patent details a remote digital camera system that can be controlled by a smartwatch or phone. In its description, the patent seeks to addresses a wind resistance flaw present in select GoPro cameras that may lead to image artifacts.
According to Dougherty & Co. analyst Charlie Anderson, the GoPro stock plunge was led by investors concerned that Apple may encroach on the extreme action-adventure camera market currently dominated by GoPro. Investor reaction to this patent appears to have been overblown, however, as Apple patents a variety of technology innovations, most of which are not used in consumer products. And in this case, the technology wasn’t even Apple’s to begin with, making it even less clear whether the company has any intention of following up on it.
This album comes on 12 ‘dead’ formats including MiniDisc
We’ve reached the point where even the less than perfect ideas of years past are being mined for nostalgia. No, I’m not talking about acid washed denim’s resurgence (ugh, why?), but that of derided music mediums like the MiniDisc and 8-track. Next month, British musician and producer Trevor Jackson’s experimenting with Format, an album spanning 12 different err… formats, each with one song per physical object. Meaning, the release is going to be spread across three sizes of vinyl (12, 10 and 7-inch), CD and mini CD, reel-to-reel, USB, cassette, VHS, MiniDisc, DAT and 8-track. It isn’t exactly practical, but it represents another way that artists are expanding beyond a box-standard MP3 download to get their music out to fans. Format‘s not quite the most outlandish example we’ve seen, OK Go’s DNA album still holds that title, but it’s still pretty cool when you stop to think about it. How’s that? Well, it chronicles the varying forms of physical media that music’s graced over the years.
The album releases by way of The Vinyl Factory — the label perhaps best known for housing Massive Attack and Pet Shop Boys, among others — and is comprised of remastered and re-edited tracks from Jackson’s deep archives. If you can’t scrounge up all the necessary equipment to listen to it, don’t worry: the album’ll release digitally and on vinyl in March.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Via: The Verge
Source: The Vinyl Factory
Russia starts banning Bitcoin websites
You’d think that a collapsing rouble, plunging oil prices and with trade sanctions at every turn, Russia would have more important things to deal with than Bitcoin. That’s why it’s such a surprise to see the nation’s equivalent of the FCC banning five websites related to the cryptocurrency. In addition to two Russian-language pages, the blacklist includes the “main” Bitcoin foundation website, the Bitcoin wiki and London-based Bitcoin exchange Indacoin.
Filed under: Internet
Via: GigaOM
Source: Coinspot (Translated)
Accessory of the Day: 66 Audio BTS+ Bluetooth headphones, $49.99
Here’s a set of Bluetooth headphones that are perfect for exercising without sacrificing audio quality. Lightweight and long lasting, the 66 Audio BTS+ boast clarity as their calling card and the astoundingly positive reviews all agree. The best part? These won’t break the bank. Grab a pair for just $49.99 (Prime eligible), today.
Join Prime and get this deal with FREE two-day shipping!
Also worth checking out:
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Google partners with its home city, brings electric-powered shuttles to residents
The City of Mountain View, the location of Google’s Googleplex headquarters, just took a large leap forward in public transportation by announcing the commission of four shuttles powered exclusively by electricity. The shuttles were made possible by a two-year fund set up by Google and utilize a power-train designed by Motiv Power Systems.
Motiv’s electric Powertrain Control System (ePCS) was created specifically for trucks and buses, making it one of the firsts of its kind to apply electric drive systems to such a category of transportation. Motiv is no stranger to its technology being applied to buses. In 2014, Motiv was the first to design an all-electric school bus and the first in North America to create an all-electric garbage truck.
The shuttles themselves are not meant to replace the current Mountain View public transportation system, but rather add an additional layer of green, public commuting. Mountain View hopes that these shuttles will reduce traffic and assist its residents in reaching medical plazas and shopping centers.
Additionally, the shuttles will offer free WiFi to its passengers and racks for bicycles. The shuttles will also be handicap compliant, which includes access for wheelchairs.
It should be noted that while the shuttles themselves are “green,” the increased demand on the electric power grid is usually not. One supplier of electricity in Mountain View is Pacific Gas & Energy. When looking at PG&E’s power sources, you can see that 51% of its power is created by green-friendly sources, but 27% of their power generation still comes from natural gas. PG&E has stated it intends on further eliminating its reliance on fossil fuels and increase the utilization of renewable energy.
If you’re a Mountain View resident, or visitor, and would like more information about the shuttles, you can visit their website by clicking here.
Source: 9 to 5 Google
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Lumoid now offers wearables to try before you buy
The wearables market has exploded with products over the past year, but with so much choice comes the inevitable struggle of picking out the right one to suit your needs. Enter Lumoid, a US based company that started out in the short-term camera rental business, which is now offering a range of wearables to try before you buy.
The Lumoid website’s wearables section contains around 25 different products, ranging from fitness trackers to basic smartwatches. Although you won’t find any Android Wear smartwatches in the collection just yet, the service offers popular fitness trackers from brands like Jawbone and FitBit, as well as the Samsung Gear Fit. There is also an original Pebble smartwatch available to take for a test drive.
From this selection, you can pick five up to devices to try for a week and, if you find something that you like, you can then proceed to purchase one from Lumoid’s website. You won’t have to live with a used device either, as you send the rental back and Lumoid will provide you with a shiny new one. If you don’t fancy any of the rental wearables, you can send them back to Lumoid and only pay $20 for the rental time.
As well as wearables, gadget enthusiasts will also find a small selection of drones and camera equipment available to rent. Will you be taking your next wearable for a trial run before buying?
Microsoft to release Skype update for iPhone, announces pre-release testing program
Microsoft has announced a new version of Skype for the iPhone, which will arrive later today. Version 5.9 will introduce a couple of new features. The company also revealed a new program that will allow iOS users to test pre-release versions of the VoIP client before they are released to the public.
Here’s what will be new when the update is released today:
In Skype 5.9 for iPhone, when you start typing a phone number in the dial pad, Skype will suggest contacts with matching phone numbers, making it faster to find who you want to talk to.
We’ve also updated the new chat picker to make starting conversations easier. Once you’ve chosen who you want to talk to, tap the phone or video icon at the top to start your call. (To open the chat picker, tap on the message icon on the bottom navigation bar when in the recents, favorites or people view.)
As noted already, Microsoft is looking for iOS users who want to test pre-release upcoming versions of Skype for that operating system. Those folks who are picked are required to offer regular feedback on those builds, be 18 years old or older and have a valid email and Skype or Microsoft Account. Microsoft has set up a website for people to register their interest in the pre-release program.
- Free – Download now
Source: Microsoft
Watch a four-finned robot fish swim in any direction
There’s now at least a few robots that swim like fish, but they have their limits: they still take time to turn around, and they’re not exactly precision instruments. Researchers at ETH Zurich are well on their way to solving those problems with their Sepios robot, though. As you’ll see in the video below, the cuttlefish-inspired creation undulates its four fins in tandem to move in any direction, even through obstacles (such as seagrass and metal frames) that would trip up other animal-like automatons. It’s quiet, too, so it can float near real fish without immediately causing a panic.
Sepios got its first real field test last year, and the ETH crew is now focused on getting the machine’s sensors (including the camera, distance-measuring laser and depth sensor) to talk to each other more effectively. So long as development continues hiccup-free, this uniquely shaped rover and its successors could be very helpful for filming and studying undersea life without disturbing the very conditions you’re trying to observe.
Via: New Scientist, Geek.com
Source: Sepios
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