NASA pushes back its latest flying saucer test
NASA’s not having an easy time testing the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator that should eventually put big payloads on Mars. The agency has scrubbed all test flights this weekend due to weather, and now won’t take the flying saucer-like balloon for a spin until June 8th at the earliest. The low-altitude wind is simply too rough, NASA says. The setback isn’t completely shocking (the LDSD is often at the mercy of its environment by its nature), but it’s disappointing if you were hoping to witness NASA’s futuristic craft in action.
Filed under: Transportation, Science
Source: NASA
New report says Xaiomi Mi5 and Mi5 Plus to get Snapdragon 820
A new report on the forthcoming Xaiomi flagship, the Mi5, suggests two variants will be released in the fall, both powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processors. The latest information on Xaiomi’s plans says the company is working on a Xaiomi Mi5 and a Xaiomi Mi5 Plus with a tentative announcement scheduled for November.
Previous rumors suggested Xaiomi was planning to use the Snapdragon 810 processor in the Mi5 despite concerns about the chip having an overheating issue. The Snapdragon 820, which will be Qualcomm’s next cutting edge chip, is not expected to be released until this fall, a schedule that would seem to dictate Xaiomi hold off on releasing their next flagship. If these plans are accurate, we will watch to see whether Xaiomi can get units to market and shipped in time for the holiday shopping season or if actual units ship in early 2016.
The report also seemed to corroborate previously leaked information about the devices, like the Mi5 getting a 5.2-inch Quad HD display backed with 3 or 4 GB of RAM, a 16MP rear-facing camera, fingerprint scanner, 3,000 mAh battery, and all of this packed into a slim 6.1mm thick form factor. Meanwhile, the Mi5 Plus gets a larger 6-inch Quad HD display, 4GB of RAM, and an upgraded 20MP rear camera.
According to this source, the Xiaomi Mi5 will be priced at 2,299 yuan ($371 USD).
source: Guangan Daily
via: phoneArena
Come comment on this article: New report says Xaiomi Mi5 and Mi5 Plus to get Snapdragon 820
Watch the US Navy test its electromagnetic jet fighter catapult
The US Navy’s next-gen electromagnetic catapult for aircraft carriers works! Well, OK, the military hasn’t exactly used it to launch an actual fighter jet yet, but a recent test has proven that it can handle 80,000 pounds of steel. The Navy has been testing the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System or EMALS for months aboard the Gerald R. Ford carrier, but this is the first time a “dead-load” (or a wheeled steel sled that weighs as much as a jet) is involved. Its advantages over traditional catapults that use steam instead of electromagnetic energy include smoother acceleration and its ability to place less stress on the aircraft — plus, it was designed to work even with more advanced carriers that the military will surely use in the future. It will take a long time before any plane goes near the system, though: the Navy has already retrieved the sled above from the depths of the James River to conduct more dead-load launches.
Filed under: Misc, Transportation
Source: US Navy (YouTube)
Sony Music chief says Apple’s streaming service arrives ‘tomorrow’
In case there was any doubt that Apple is unveiling its self-branded streaming music service at the Worldwide Developer Conference this week, one loose-lipped executive just let the cat out of the bag. Sony Music CEO Doug Morris told guests at the Midem Music Industry Festival that Apple’s announcement of the Beats-based service is “happening tomorrow” (that is, at the WWDC keynote). He didn’t confirm any rumors surrounding features or pricing, but he believed that Apple’s offering would represent a “tipping point” where streaming hits the mainstream. However popular Spotify may be, it generally doesn’t advertise because it’s “never been profitable,” Morris said — Apple has both the cash to market its service and hundreds of millions of potential subscribers. Whether the exec is realistic or looking through rose-tinted glasses, you’ll know the truth in a matter of hours.
[Image credit: Adam Berry/Getty Images for Apple]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Apple, Sony
Via: Recode
Source: VentureBeat
Inhabitat’s Week in Green: hoverbikes, UFOs and a Lego Titanic
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.
A couple years ago, Elon Musk unveiled his vision for the future of long-distance travel: the Hyperloop, a superfast train that would travel inside large tubes. The futuristic concept is a long way from becoming a reality, but Hyperloop Transportation Technologies CEO Dirk Ahlborn is already kicking around the idea of making it free to ride. Meanwhile, Musk has been trying to open Tesla dealerships throughout the US — but some states are still holding out. This week, Texas upheld a ban on Tesla’s direct sales model. Musk gets all the headlines when it comes to Tesla, but Ian Wright, one of the companies’ other co-founders who left the company a decade ago, is back in the news. Wright is now converting fleets of gas-guzzling garbage trucks into electric vehicles.
On the topic of futuristic transportation solutions, a hoverbike called Flike recently took to the skies on its first manned flight. When it comes to more traditional bikes, the Portland-based company Industry recently rolled out an innovative 3D-printed titanium bike that has vibrating handlebars designed to give you directions. And Australian designer Kyle Armstrong unveiled the LINDO Smart vehicle — a modern take on the tuk tuk. The small three-wheeler runs on two in-wheel electric motors that are powered by lithium-ion batteries. And if you see a UFO in the skies this week, don’t call SETI — it’s probably just NASA’s new flying saucer spaceship. The space agency postponed tests this weekend due to bad weather and is now looking at Monday, June 8th, or beyond.
On the green design front, London-based ecoLogicStudio recently constructed an algae-filled building that grows food and produces fuel. Want to buy a house over the internet? Studio H is selling its 112-square-foot, solar-powered tiny house on eBay for just $10,000. In the Danish town of Viborg, Henning Larson Architects have transformed the roof of the city’s sprawling town hall into a lush greenscape covered with solar panels. Los Angeles-based studio amphibianArc has unveiled plans for an otherworldly Chinese shopping mall that will feature an enormous vertical aquarium, gondola rides and an LED canopy. 3D printing company Emerging Objects recently teamed up with Bold Machines to create the Star Lounge, one of the world’s biggest 3D-printed PLA structures. The 8.5-foot-tall structure was built using more than 2,000 hexagonal 3D-printed blocks. And in Germany, French artist Tomi Ungerer and architect d’Ayla-Suzan Yöndel teamed up to build a kindergarten that’s shaped like an enormous cat, complete with a green roof that looks like fur.
When he was but a wee teenager, Boyan Slat invented an Ocean Cleanup Array that he believed could remove mountains of plastic trash from the world’s oceans. Now, two years later, Slat is putting his invention to the test. The array is set to be deployed to the area between Japan and South Korea in the second quarter of 2016. In other tech and innovation news, a team of researchers just announced a new technology that could charge your phone with WiFi. Google just launched a $20 million grant program that aims to design products to help people with disabilities, and Amazon recently opened a store devoted to selling solar-powered products in Bangalore, India. Bill Gates is warning that a Spanish Flu-like pandemic is the one big fear that keeps him up at night. The tech mogul warned that failing to act on the threat right now is “reckless.” Tech accessory company Native Union has created a clever and fashionable keychain that can charge your smartphone. The cord is short enough to fit in your pocket, but long enough to connect to your computer or another outlet. A Norwegian boy built a massive replica of the Titanic using 30,000 Lego bricks — watch a time-lapse video to see how he did it.
Spring has sprung, and parks and backyards everywhere are in full bloom — why not take advantage of nature’s bounty and forage your own food? Our latest video shows how to find and prepare seven common weeds you probably didn’t know you could eat. And speaking of the great outdoors, you won’t want to miss photographer Steve Axford’s incredible photos of the mushrooms and fungus among us.
Filed under: Misc, Transportation, Science
‘Radical Rappelling’ debuts in Play Store
Classic mobile game developer and creator of popular titles like Fruit Ninja, Jetpack Joyride and Colossatron, Halfbrick Studios has debuted a new game, Radical Rappelling, in the Google Play Store. A new fast-paced, endless vertical descent game, Radical Rappelling puts you in control of the character to rapidly descend down a mountain.
The gameplay is fairly simple, requiring you to rappel down a mountain avoiding obstacles and collecting bonuses. There are several power-ups and upgrades available for you to try on. To level up, the player has to collect XP. Accessories can be brought with the help of in-app purchases or trading it for coins you collect.
The game is free-to-play and it’s fairly easy to progress without doing any in-app purchases. The graphics look decent and Radical Rappelling seems like a good way to kill some time while waiting in queues or travelling. Give it a go and let us know what you think!
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The post ‘Radical Rappelling’ debuts in Play Store appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Sony Music CEO Confirms ‘Apple Music’ Unveiling at WWDC
During an on-stage interview at the Midem Music Industry Festival in Cannes today, Sony Music CEO Doug Morris confirmed Apple will indeed be introducing its “Apple Music” streaming service at its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote tomorrow, according to VentureBeat. While numerous sources have indicated the service will be unveiled at WWDC, Morris’ confirmation is notable as coming from a close friend of Apple’s Jimmy Iovine and one of the parties involved in the negotiations for launching the service.
Sony Music CEO Doug Morris (right) on stage at Midem (Chris O’Brien/VentureBeat)
“It’s happening tomorrow,” Morris said during an interview at Midem in Cannes that primarily focused on his storied career in the music industry.
A highlight of that career was a 37-year partnership with iconic producer Jimmy Iovine, who now is running Apple’s music services after the company paid $3 billion to acquire Beats. Underscoring Iovine’s role in the music industry, Morris said he still talks to him twice every day by phone. Morris said the move by Apple to bring in Iovine was a brilliant one.
Morris didn’t reveal any other details about Apple Music, which is expected to be priced at $10 per month with a generous three-month free trial period and be accompanied by a revamped iTunes Radio service, but he expressed his view that Apple’s entry into the paid subscription streaming market will be a “tipping point” for moving the industry from downloads to streaming.
The biggest misconceptions about bitcoin (video)
Many mistakenly believe it’s a company. Others say it is bound to be destroyed by regulators. In some circles, it has been described as nothing more than a conduit to buy and sell drugs.
As a relatively nascent technology, misconceptions about Bitcoin abound. That’s because it functions as a kind of blank slate, explains Jonathan Chester, COO and founder of BitWage — the world’s first Bitcoin-based payroll service. “Everyone creates their own mission or vision to build on top of the Bitcoin infrastructure,” says Chester. “Think of the Internet. There’s no mission or vision of the Internet — it’s just what people want to do with this cool product.”
At the Inside Bitcoins conference in New York City, we asked three executives in the Bitcoin space about some of the biggest misconceptions currently surrounding the cryptocurrency. Check out their responses — and how they typically redress these falsehoods — in the video above.
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HTC One M9 sales fail to get HTC back in the black in Q2
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Among all flagship devices released in 2015 so far, the HTC One M9 is one that probably elicits the least excitement due to its minor – and generally cosmetic – improvements over its predecessor. It seems the Android community agrees and HTC‘s bottom line has suffered accordingly, undoubtedly due to poor HTC One M9 sales – HTC today posted its revenue report for May and predictions for Q2. Unsurprisngly, the predictions have been revised from NT$41.5 billion in Q1 to NT$33-36 billion, approximately a 30% drop. In its statement, HTC addresses the losses, saying:
“The change for revenue outlook is due to slower demand for high-end Android devices, and weaker than forecast sales in China, while gross margin is revised primarily on product mix change and lowered scale. At the same time, increased competition has raised operating costs for product promotion; HTC is enacting measures to further improve operating efficiency.”
Which loosely reads as “nobody wanted to buy the HTC One M9″ and “China’s manufacturers are stiff competition”. To get back in the black, HTC is going to have to do a lot in what it thinks is its main markets, i.e. Asia, but at the very least, their CEO, Cher Wang, is confident:
“We have full confidence in achieving our vision and maximizing shareholder value through our world-class innovation and by seizing the exciting new business opportunities in the connected lifestyle space.”
We shall see.
What do you think about poor HTC One M9 sales and HTC’s poor financial performance? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: HTC via Phone Arena
The post HTC One M9 sales fail to get HTC back in the black in Q2 appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Drones hunt illegal logging in Amazon rain forests
Drones have seen a lot of bad press and idiotic hype that has slowed their acceptance by regulators and the public. But let’s not forget that they perform valuable services like search and rescue and inspection that can’t be done any other way. A great example of that is work being done by the Amazon Basin Conservation Association in Peru, as detailed by NPR. Using a custom UAV, the group is scanning large sections of the rain forest in search of illegal logging and mining that has reduced thousands of acres to bare soil.
To keep track of the 550-square-mile reserve, the team is using a custom-designed, $5,000 “flying wing” foam drone developed by Wake Forest University grad student Max Messinger. The three-foot-wide model has greater range than a quadcopter, but can still be equipped with a decent Canon camera and autopilot. After finding likely targets using satellite images, the association flies the drone up to 10 miles to specific GPS bearings, well below the persistent cloud cover in the region. From there, they can spot even tiny tracts where tree poachers and gold miners operate.
Messinger told The Drone Info that the group has already identified a number of illegal mines and is working to ensure they don’t cross into protected areas. Wake Forest’s UAV lab is also using drones in the Amazon basin to evaluate reforestation efforts on degraded lands and measure carbon content, to name a couple of projects. He added that the UAVs give an extremely unique perspective on a normally unseen part of the Amazon. “It is just spectacular to be able to see these forests from above and to use drones to do science in the canopy.”
[Image credits: Max Messinger/Wake Forest University, Conservacion Amazonica]
Filed under: Robots
Via: Fast.co.exist
Source: NPR
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