US wants future first responders to be more high-tech
The folks that might one day save your ass still rely on ’50s-era radio technology (with some exceptions), and the US Commerce Department wants that to change. Its National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) division has just created a roadmap for how first responders can exploit technology over the next 20 years. The prime target is indoor location tech, which would help emergency crews find bad guys and victims alike in complex structures. There’s no standard for indoor GPS, however, so NIST would like to get some kind of industry consensus on it and incorporate 3D visualization, enhanced precision and other features.
While police are starting to pack body cameras, NIST would like to see open standards that allow such wearables to easily exchange data. Furthermore, it wants industry to develop ad hoc networks that can pull data from such devices, along with digital video broadcasts, voice over IP services and the internet of things. That way, emergency crews could quickly commandeer a disaster site and efficiently allocate resources as needed.
The Commerce Department is looking for wearable tech and indoor location services to be implemented widely in 5-10 years and converge with the internet of things within 20 years. Of course, the gears of bureaucracy crank slowly — it took the FAA a lot longer than it thought to implement the next-gen ADS-B air traffic control system, for instance. Hopefully, first responders will get access to the latest tech before it’s already obsolete.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes]
Source: US Commerce Department
‘Ultra Street Fighter IV’ for PlayStation 4 has big issues
Turns out the PS4 port of Street Fighter IV isn’t all that Ultra. Sony secured a next-gen exclusive for the fighting game and its sequel, but its release has been marred by complaints. The internet is awash with reports of severe slowdown in menus, moves not working as they’re supposed to, sound glitches and bizarre visual bugs. Although we haven’t noticed some of the more egregious issues, the game does appear to have some input lag, which is a massive problem for a title that is all about timing. The entire thing feels like you’re playing online with a weak connection right now.
Ultra Street Fighter IV‘s botched launch is yet another example of companies offering up incomplete games for purchase. As we’ve highlighted before, several high-profile releases have been seriously compromised by bugs. Most recently, Xbox One users have complained about a glitch in Witcher 3 that prevents the game from saving. Like the developer of that game, Capcom is sure to patch the Street Fighter issues soon enough, but that’s really no excuse for releasing a game in an unfinished state.
Source: NeoGAF, nsb5024 (YouTube)
Engadget giveaway: win a pair of smart glasses courtesy of Augmented World Expo!
There’s no denying that virtual and augmented reality are on a roll lately. Oculus, HTC and a host of others have committed to producing quality VR experiences and Microsoft’s Hololens put the buzz back into augmented concepts. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though. If you want to find out what’s really going on in those circles, as well as IoT and wearable tech, you may want to head to Silicon Valley next month for the 2015 Augmented World Expo (AWE). The event includes more than 20 workshops, 200 interactive demos and over 100 talks by some of the best in the business. The folks at AWE have been nice enough to offer $19 Expo-only tickets for our readers (code: ENGADGET19), but for one lucky soul, the pot is quite a bit sweeter. We have a pair of Epson Moverio BT-200 smart glasses, along with two all-access VIP tickets to the expo for the winner this week. Just head on down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning Epson’s latest augmented tech and unfettered access to the Augmented World Expo at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California, June 8-10th.
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) Epson Moverio BT-200 smart glasses and two (2) VIP all-access tickets to Augmented World Expo (event tickets only, no travel).
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Augmented World Expo, Engadget and AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until May 28th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Filed under: Announcements, Mobile
Carl Sagan’s solar-powered spacecraft is in trouble
The test flight of Carl Sagan’s LightSail craft is in jeopardy after a computer problem left it unable to communicate with its mission controllers. According to the Planetary Society, the hardware was launched into space with an older version of its Linux-based operating system, which shipped with a serious glitch. As the vehicle circuits the planet, it’s meant to send back a packet of data, but over the first two days, this file grew too big for the system to handle. As such, it crashed, although we mean that in the software sense, rather than the coming-back-to-Earth-with-a-bump sense.
Unfortunately, controllers have already attempted to restart the system 18 times, but the hardware is refusing to accept the command. There is a hope, however, that LightSail could reboot itself of its own accord, should it come into contact with charged particles that are trapped inside the atmosphere. Researchers at Cal Poly believe that it’s a standard occurrence for cube satellites like the LightSail, and it should take place within the first three weeks of launch. If there’s a downside, it’s that the deployment timeline only runs for 28-days, so there’s a lot resting on this happy accident. It is possible to reboot the device manually by turning it off and on again, but so far nobody seems too keen to volunteer for a quick trip to the upper atmosphere.
Filed under: Transportation, Science
Source: Planetary Society
Sony explains why the Z4 was rebranded to the Xperia Z3+
Prior to the launch of the Xperia Z4 last month, there were many rumors that Sony’s next flagship would feature a redesign with new build, better display and a lot more. Then Sony revealed the Xperia Z4 for Japan and essentially, the handset was the Xperia Z3 with a few updated internals yet it came with a name that suggested it was a major upgrade over the past version.
Today, Sony has launched the handset in the UK but with the Xperia Z3+ moniker, which it revealed a couple of days ago. Speaking to TheInquirer, the company released the following statement explaining the decision to give the handset a different name to its Japanese sibling:
“The main reason for the name difference here (UK) is down to Sony being such a dominant force in the Japanese market [where] consumers crave flagship devices with the latest features as soon as they can be delivered. Xperia Z3 continues to perform well as our flagship device across the rest of the world. To address those customers that would like to have the very latest features and refinements, we have introduced Xperia Z3+ as a premium addition to our existing flagship Z3 series.”
As identified by XperiaBlog, the Xperia Z4 moniker works in Japan as that market believes the upgrades offered by the Xperia Z4 as worthy of a flagship upgrade but in other markets, these modest upgrades would not be considered enough to be worthy of an entirely new flagship model. As a result, the Xperia Z3+ was born but, of course, this will pose an interesting naming problem when Sony does eventually release its new flagship, which may or may not be later this year.
.rvs_wrapper
width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
.rvs_wrapper
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
display: inline-block;
float: none;
vertical-align: top;
The Xperia Z3+ brings a few modest upgrades that include a new Snapdragon 810 chipset, capless USB port and fast LTE Cat 6 support in a package that is smaller and lighter than the Xperia Z3. The initial rumors before the Z4 was announced suggested that the handset would have a metal build, Quad HD display and improved camera but the rumors turned out to be false for the Xperia Z4/Z3+. Maybe the true Sony flagship will be announced at its Hong Kong event tomorrow?
Android M to be announced this year: Google engineer
While many of us are still waiting to get Android 5.0 Lollipop update on our devices, Google seems to be set to announce its latest operating system, Android M during I/O 2015.
In an interview with Fast Company, a Google software engineer confidently claimed that the search engine giant will announce the successor to Android 5.0 Lollipop later this year.
Without mentioning specific dates, Hiroshi Lockheimer also divulged that Google has adopted a yearly cadence of big releases. “For instance, one year we release J, the next year we release K, and then the year after that L, and then this year we’ll launch M, and so you can predict what will happen next year,” he said.
Going by that pattern, next year we will see Android N. If you think that yearly updates will become a routine and mar innovation, Lockheimer begs to differ.
“The trick is not to think about them in isolation… It’s really about thinking about these different screens, if you will, holistically. How do they work with each other? A watch, and a phone, and a TV, and a car, and a tablet, how can they coordinate, and how can they actually enrich our lives, and make things that were harder before more useful?,” he said.
Via: Tech Radar
The post Android M to be announced this year: Google engineer appeared first on AndroidGuys.
LG G4 now in-stock in the UK
UK retailer Carphone Warehouse has today launched the LG G4 in the UK, two days ahead of its May 29th general release date. The retailer – who has an exclusive on the black leather version – is offering LG’s latest flagship handset on contracts starting at £35 per month.
That deal gets you 1000 minutes, unlimited texts and 1GB 4G data on Vodafone each month but if you’re looking for a lower monthly price, the same deal can be had on EE for £31.99 per month with a £49.99 upfront charge. There’s also a range of other deals available, including 4G contracts through O2, EE and Carphone’s own iD network (which runs on Three UK).
brightcove.createExperiences();
The LG G4 is one of the best smartphones on the market at the moment and comes with a curved Quad HD IPS display, a powerful Snapdragon 808 processor and 16MP camera equipped with Optical Image Stabilisation, Color Spectrum Sensor and laser autofocus. At a cost of £35 per month, it’s significantly cheaper than its key rivals, including the iPhone 6, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge and offers one of the best Android experiences on the market.
LG G4 in videos:
.rvs_wrapper
width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
.rvs_wrapper
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
display: inline-block;
float: none;
vertical-align: top;
Are you going to buy the G4? Let us know your views down below guys!
Argos opens its first ‘digital stores’ inside Sainsbury’s supermarkets
What better way to maximise footfall to your store than to set-up shop inside places people visit daily for tomorrow’s bread and milk? Undoubtedly that’s the thinking behind Argos’ new batch of “digital stores,” where tablets replace order slips and pocketable pens to replicate an online shopping experience, now popping up within various Sainsbury’s locations. The surprising tie-up was announced in January, but today sees the first Argos digital stores opening at Sainsbury’s supermarkets in North Cheam, Surrey and Nantwich, Chesire. These smaller-than-normal outlets will offer up to 20,000 items for instant purchase or later collection, with everything else in the catalogue available for home delivery. A further eight locations (check the source link) will also open their doors at some point this summer. It’s yet another one of Argos’ modernisation schemes that include its partnership with eBay, click-and-collect stores and online 3D-printed jewelry service. And as far as this particular alliance with Sainsbury’s is concerned, Argos might well be getting the sweeter end of the deal.
Filed under: Misc
Source: Sainsbury’s
Hot Topic is buying ThinkGeek
High school is teenage tribalism, which is why the Lip Service kids aren’t going to hang with the Forever 21 set in the lunch hall. Now, however, Hot Topic has realized that it’s got plenty in common with ThinkGeek, and has decided to swallow the niche retailer in a deal worth $122 million. Hot Topic CEO Lisa Harper believes that it’s a good fit, since both companies share a strategy of “delivering great products for avid fans of various licensed properties.” Or, in non business-school buzzkill speak, selling y’all t-shirts with Marvel characters on them will make the company even more bank if it owns one of its rivals.
There’s an interesting quirk of history here, since ThinkGeek was originally a side project for its parent company, Geeknet. As Bloomberg notes, the artist formerly known as SourceForge was a dot-com bubble hit back in the day, after it presented a Linux-based alternative to Windows to the mass market. ThinkGeek was purchased with several other small businesses after the company raised a fortune in its IPO. Shortly afterward, however, the bubble burst and SourceForge found solace in the web’s only good April Fools pranker. We were unable to reach the Lip Service kids for comment, but it is understood that they’re still happy to come over and watch Doctor Who on Hot Topic’s cable, as long as Hot Topic doesn’t tell anyone at school.
[Image Credit: Arto Brick/Flickr]
Filed under: Misc
Via: Bloomberg
Source: Hot Topic (PR Newswire)
Disney wants to make robots of your favorite animated characters
Folks working as Disneyland mascots may want to start looking into possible employment opportunities for the future. The company’s crazed scientist branch, Disney Research, is developing a biped robot that can walk like an animated character. See, Disney’s goal is to bring its CGI characters “to life in the real world” — sure, mascots can mimic their looks, but this project could lead to robots that move like they do in their movies. In the researcher’s paper, they wrote that robots like the one they’re developing are in demand “in the entertainment industry because [they] would allow people to physically interact with characters that they have only seen in films or TV.”
The researchers already have a pretty solid idea of what they want to achieve at this point in the project. As you can see in the video above, they seem to be going for a pudgy little dude who walks with a swagger. Unfortunately, the prototype (with its 3D-printed parts and servo motor-actuated joints) still moves like a drunken sailor and needs a lot of work. The tech, of course, has numerous potential applications in addition to being used for theme park attractions if Disney manages to perfect it. A very obvious one is taking it to create moving, talking Pixar/Disney toys every kid would want… and those likely won’t come cheap. Good luck, moms and dads.
Filed under: Robots
Source: Disney Research
AIVAnet 