FAA starts testing its drone safety app
Back in May, the Federal Aviation Administration announced plans to test an app for drone hobbyists that’ll ensure they’re flying in approved airspace. The mobile software appears to be on schedule as B4UFLY is now in closed beta for iOS. Up to 1,000 UAV users will test the app that’s primarily aimed at keeping you informed about which areas are safe to fly. In addition to interactive maps, the software serves up location-based status alerts and sorts future flight plans. That status report takes into account “airspace, proximity to airports, temporary flight restrictions, current law and other FAA guidance and procedures,” according to the FAA’s announcement. The agency says the beta will last for “several months” before the app is made available to the public. And while the test is iOS-only, the FAA plans to make the full version compatible with Android devices as well.
Filed under:
Software
Source:
FAA
Tags: app, b4ufly, beta, drone, drones, faa, software, uav
Netflix for the Wii U adds new features like individual profiles
While the Wii U is among our favorite ways to game, its Netflix experience has been lagging behind a bit. New features like (optional) autoplaying episodes, switching between individual profiles and easy resuming just never came to the console, until now. A new update went out last night — just in time for the debut of the excellent-looking Narcos series — that should bring things up to par with the rest, however some gamers on NeoGAF are still looking for the ability to control it with the Pro Controller instead of Nintendo’s GamePad. Also, the new app defaults to streaming video to your GamePad instead of leaving it for information and navigation, so keep that in mind if you’re checking out a few episodes in between rounds of Splatoon this weekend.
Filed under:
Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Nintendo
Tags: GamePad, hdpostcross, Netflix, nintendo, streaming, update, video, WiiU
Playdate: Exploring a galaxy far, far away in ‘Disney Infinity 3.0’
If you wondered what would become of Lucasfilm after ‘ol George sold the firm back in 2012, you’re looking at it: Disney Infinity 3.0. Yes, that game — the best possible example of just how many of the franchises you know and love belong to Mickey Mouse. The game series started small, with just Disney itself and Pixar, the next version tacked on Marvel Super Heroes. The latest version of the game a cavalcade of everything: Star Wars, the Avengers, Tron, Frozen and more. As a fans of all those things, Tim Seppala I just have to take a look. Join us at 6PM ET (3PM PT) on Twitch.tv/Joystiq, the Engadget Gaming homepage or right here in this post. It’s going to be a magical adventure in a galaxy far, far away.
http://www.twitch.tv/joystiq/embedWatch live video from Joystiq on www.twitch.tv
http://www.twitch.tv/joystiq/chat?popout=
[We’re streaming Disney Infinity 3.0 at 720p through OBS, so rest assured this game will look dramatically better on your TV, through your PlayStation 4 at home.]
Filed under:
Gaming
Tags: Disney, disneyinfinity, disneyinfinity3, disneyinfinity3.0, playdate, starwars, streaming, twitch
Stilo Review: This Stylus and Screen Protector Duo Aims to Emulate the Feel of Writing on Paper
There are hundreds of different stylus options available for the iPhone and the iPad, but that hasn’t stopped new company Stilo Co. from introducing a fresh take on the stylus. The battery-powered Stilo is a fine-tipped stylus designed to pair with a Precision Film to replicate the feel of writing on paper with a pen.
According to the company, the purpose behind the Stilo is to create a more “complete and organic” iPhone and iPad writing experience with a writing utensil that’s universally compatible with existing sketching and drawing apps in the App Store. It also works with all different touchscreen devices, from the iPhone and iPad (including iPad Air 2) to Android devices.
Stilo Co. invited us to go hands-on with the Stilo, so we took them up on their offer to see how the Stilo measures up to competing styluses and how well it mimics the pen-and-paper experience.
Design and Features
The main draw of the Stilo is its small 1.9mm tip, which allows for more accuracy when writing on a capacitive screen because you can see what you’re doing. In comparison to a standard pen, it’s thicker and heavier to accommodate the AAA battery that powers it.
It’s thicker than a lot of other styluses I’ve used, and I’d say it compares most closely to a marker. It’s not exactly uncomfortable to use, but it does get tiresome after long periods of time (upwards of a half hour), resulting in hand cramping and soreness. Some weight in a stylus is appropriate for a smooth pen-like writing experience, but the weight of the Stilo is not ideal – it feels too heavy with too much weight towards the bottom.
The Stilo weighs 30 grams. In comparison, the Adonit Jot Script weighs 19 grams, a standard Sharpie weighs 8 grams, and a Bic pen weighs 4.6 grams. Thickness and weight preference for a writing utensil is going to vary by person. If you prefer weightier pens that are on the thicker side, the Stilo could be a good fit.
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LG Nexus 5 (2015) to launch September 29, report says
For all of the leaks and rumors surrounding the upcoming LG Nexus 5 (2015), one detail has proved to be rather elusive. Namely, when the device is expected to make its public debut.
According to a Korean website, MKPost, the forthcoming handset will touch down on September 29. As to the veracity of the source, that remains to be seen. Allegedly, the source of the date comes from the same guy who correctly predicted the Nexus 5’s arrival date in 2013.
Whether that’s the actual date for this year’s model remains to be seen. It does fall in the window of previous Nexus devices and also lines up with the annual fall-ish release of the latest version of Android. Perhaps we’re only a few weeks away from an Android 6.0 Marshmallow powered Nexus 5.
The post LG Nexus 5 (2015) to launch September 29, report says appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Samsung Ultimate Test Drive offers iPhone switchers up to $200 in freebies
Apple iPhone owners who are considering the Samsung Ultimate Test Drive may be interested in learning more about Samsung’s current offering. Should an iPhone user decide to test drive the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung Galaxy Note 5, or Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, they could earn some extra goodies.
Samsung is offering testers $100 in Google Play credit when they purchase one of the three aforementioned devices. What’s more, should they trade in their current iPhone with a retailer or carrier, Samsung will hook them up to the tune of $100. That’s on top of whatever other promotions are being offered by the respective carriers.
To qualify for the deal, customers must purchase one of the three phones before December 31, 2015 and follow the redemption process before January 30, 2016.
Note that these sort of deals are always limited in scope and may be depleted before the expected end date. Looking at the fine print we see there are no more than 200,000 Google Play credits and 500,000 of the $100 checks.
The post Samsung Ultimate Test Drive offers iPhone switchers up to $200 in freebies appeared first on AndroidGuys.
TrekkerTech PhoneRider, keeps your phone safe while driving
My wife is always yelling at me for using my phone while driving. Yes, I have a Bluetooth on my Nissan Versa, but I’m still using my hands to navigate through the phone to answer or GPS, taking my eyes off the road. Thankfully, TrekkerTech PhoneRider comes to the day and saved me from hearing my wife on a daily basis.
The mounting system is easy to use and quite user friendly. Pop it out of the box and you’ll find the mount itself plus two metal pieces. The metal pieces are simply slide into your case to be in-between your phone phone case and the back of your phone. The final step is attaching the mount to either your windshield or on your dash board and attaching your phone. The setup was so easy, it took me a whopping 5 minutes.
The product itself is good quality. It doesn’t feel cheap and seems like it can handle some use and some heavier phones like my Note 4. The mount has a powerful grip because it is using their “upgraded” magnets so that it can hold the heaviest of phablets with ease. TrekkerTech went the extra mile with the mount by including a revolutionary sticky gel base so that the mount will stick successfully even on textured dashboards like my car has. This made a huge difference and is one of the reasons I never bought a mount before, they just never stuck on my dash.
After using this product with my Note 4 and my Nexus 5 for the past three weeks, I’m extremely happy. It works as promised, the metal piece stayed firmly located where I put it without sliding or moving, and most importantly the mount has not fallen off or come off when when pulling the phone off the mount with some force. I could not have asked for more in a mount. Kudos to you TrekkerTech, you made a top-notch product.
You can find the TrekkerTech PhoneRider on Amazon for $22.95 and it qualifies for both Prime shipping and free one-day shipping (on orders of $35 or more).
The post TrekkerTech PhoneRider, keeps your phone safe while driving appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Chrome will block obnoxious Flash ads starting September 1st
Back in June, Google shared the good news that the Chrome browser would soon be smart enough to “intelligently pause content that aren’t central to the webpage” that you’re visiting. It’s a welcome change that should help to continue marginalizing the annoyance of Flash. Fortunately, that blessed new feature is ready for prime time. On the Google+ page for the company’s AdWords advertising program, Google said that a Chrome update coming on September 1st would make Flash-blocking the default state for users.
Google’s recommending that its advertisers switch over to HTML5 ads to avoid them being blocked, but for the rest of us, this only comes as good news. Blocking Flash content that you don’t want to see should hopefully make for a better browsing experience and also increase your computer’s battery life. Chrome has always been a bit of a battery hog, especially when you compare it to Safari on a Mac, but we’re hoping this change evens the playing field a bit. It’s worth noting that you can manually activate this feature now: go into the Chrome settings, select “Show advanced settings,” then select the content settings for “Privacy” and then select “Detect and run important plugin content.”
[Image credit: Kimihiro Hoshino/AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under:
Google
Source:
Google AdWords (Google+)
Tags: adwords, blocking, chrome, flash, flashblocking, google, googlechrome, html5
Dartmouth’s robotic tackling dummy is a mechanized Weeble-Wobble
Robots are replacing humans in a lot of roles. At Dartmouth, a robot may soon replace tackling dummies during football practice. Designed by engineering students at the Ivy League school, Mobile Virtual Player (MVP — yes, really) gives training sessions a more realistic feel over those regular ol’ stationary bags. It’s also looking to reduce the risk of head and neck injuries. What’s more, it’s remote controlled. There’s still work to be done, though, as the team behind the MVP is working to make the controls easier for coaches to use and the robot’s maneuvers more realistic. Hopefully they’re also installing a kill switch, so when the tech gets fed up, it doesn’t start wrecking fools on the gridiron.
Filed under:
Robots
Via:
SBNation
Source:
WMUR (YouTube)
Tags: darmouth, football, mvp, robot
Nintendo@PAX: Wii U gets ‘F-Zero’-style racer, ‘Kerbal’ and more
Nintendo helped kick off Seattle’s annual PAX Prime gaming convention with a focus on the indie scene. The Nindies@Night event at the EMP Museum gave fans a chance to check out 19 indie games on the Wii U and 3DS — and interact with the developers themselves. Among the highlights: Developer Shin’en showed off two-player split-screen support in its very F-Zero-esque Fast Racing Neo; Squad talked about bringing Wii U-specific features to Kerbal Space Program; and Yacht Club Games unveiled a certain shovel-wielding Amiibo figure.Slideshow-316038
Fast Racing Neo
While a number of Nintendo franchises have made an appearance on its current-gen system, there’s still no sign of an F-Zero entry on the horizon. Those longing for a sci-fi racing fix might get just what they need in Shin’en’s upcoming Wii U exclusive: Fast Racing Neo. A follow-up to the dev’s 2011 WiiWare title, Fast Racing Neo aims to provide the kind of futuristic, sci-fi antics that fans of F-Zero and Wipeout can appreciate.
Players can race their rocket sleds in a variety of sci-fi settings — from futuristic cityscapes to space stations. Shin’en Art Director Martin Sauter walked me through the game as we watched a pair of attendees try out the newly announced split-screen mode. “We really tried to make it like a Hollywood movie — really exciting,” he said just as a massive, robotic worm arced over the racetrack. The game will feature 16 tracks split into four cup events, and supports single-player, up to four-way splits-screen and eight-player online.
A solid frame rate is a major component of any racing game and the developer is working hard to maintain 60 fps even during two-player split-screen — while Sauter expects four-player mode to hit “30 for sure.” The split-screen mode looked impressive in person and Sauter added that optimization is still ongoing. “At E3, I couldn’t even say 60 frames,” he said.
And while the Wii U might be capable of better graphics than some give it credit for, Sauter also touted his team’s experience with its in-house engine. “The Wii U has some power. … But you can’t just plug in Unity [a cross-platform game engine] and have everything run great,” he said. “We have our own engine and we’ve been developing it for 20 years.”
Of course, being a sci-fi racer set in the future, even Fast Racing Neo‘s rocket sleds can’t evade comparisons to genre classics like F-Zero and Wipeout. Sauter said the dev is, unsurprisingly, a big fan of those games and thought of those titles when considering what to bring to the Wii U’s eShop. “We don’t mind people seeing F-Zero,” he added, “[but] we want it to stand on its own feet.” Fast Racing Neo is expected to ship later this year.
Shovel Knight
Elsewhere on the show floor, developer Yacht Club Games showed off the Plague of Shadows DLC for its popular side-scroller, Shovel Knight. But some of the biggest applause came during the official unveiling of a Shovel Knight Amiibo figure. Several attendees queued up to get a good look at the blue-hued protagonist (housed safely in a display case). Yacht Club says the figure can be used to unlock cooperative multiplayer modes on the Wii U and other challenges and customization options on both the Wii U and 3DS.
Kerbal Space Program
One of the most pleasant surprises was a game that wasn’t even on the show floor: Kerbal Space Program. Console ports for the popular spaceflight simulator have already been announced for the PS4 and Xbox One, but developer Squad took to the stage during a Q&A session to announce a Wii U version would be on its way as well.
Producer Miguel Piña said the dev is currently working on some Wii U-specific features that take advantage of the console’s unique GamePad, like mapping and planning on the controller’s screen rather than constantly flipping back and forth between menus on the TV. One option could let players view the interiors of their spaceships on the GamePad’s built-in screen – acting like a window of sorts as you move the controller around in all directions. Piña described using the GamePad to look at specific panels and reaching out to toggle controls. Controlling the ship this way opens up a whole new experience, he added, since players could look out through the windows of their ship and watch as the environment zooms by. Of course, the interior view could also ramp up the intensity whenever players make sudden, unexpected landings (read: crashes). The game doesn’t get gory, Piña said, but you do get a nice explosion. “It’s really fun [to control],” he said, “and also really scary when you crash.”
While I couldn’t pry a launch date out of him, Piña did say we can expect the Wii U version of Kerbal Space Program to lift off at the same time as the PS4 and Xbox One versions.
Overall, the devs and fans I spoke with at the event enjoyed the chance to interact directly with each other — something indie developers don’t always get a chance to do. When Squad started work on Kerbal Space Program in Mexico City, for example, Piña said the dev had no expectations when it came to widespread international success. “It’s so weird for us [meeting fans from across the globe in person], but it’s the best thing in the world,” he said, adding that when Squad first released the game, “we said, ‘Here’s our game; does anyone care?’”
Judging from the hundreds of fans on the show floor checking out indie games and the variety and creativity these titles can exhibit, it turns out yes; gamers care.
Images: Shin’en (Fast Racing Neo)
Filed under:
Gaming, HD, Nintendo
Tags: 3DS, F-Zero, Fast Racing Neo, hdpostcross, Indie, indie-games, kerbal-space-program, nintendo, PAX, PAX-2015, pax-prime, shovel-knight, Wii U, Wipeout
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