NVIDIA is now rolling out the Stagefright update for the Shield Tablet
NVIDIA is in the midst of rolling out a software update to its Shield Tablet. Sadly, though, this upgrade doesn’t carry any new features to the handset, but it does bring a patch for the open-source operating system’s Stagefright vulnerability.
The full changelog can be seen below:
- Security patch for Stagefright
- Stability and performance improvements
- System wide optimizations and fixes, including battery performance and Netflix playback
- SHIELD Wireless Controller Firmware update
As is the norm, the update is being rolled out in stages, but if you don’t feel like waiting for a notification confirming that it’s ready for your device, you could always search for the upgrade manually. To do so, open the Settings app, tap on “About Device”, hit “System Updates”, then select “Check for updates”.
Come comment on this article: NVIDIA is now rolling out the Stagefright update for the Shield Tablet
SpaceX shows off snazzy Dragon capsule for manned missions
SpaceX has given us a peek into the Crew Dragon capsule it’s currently building to take astronauts to the ISS. And as you can see from the images and video below the fold, it looks downright luxurious inside despite its no-frills guitar pick-shaped exterior. Since the spacecraft was designed with astronauts’ comfort and enjoyment in mind, its seats are made of “the highest-grade carbon fiber and Alcantara cloth.” It sadly doesn’t have a bathroom, but it does have four relatively large windows, so passengers can watch the Earth shrink away as they zoom further into space.
Slideshow-318707
The Crew Dragon’s many screens will show real-time info about the spacecraft’s condition during the trip, including how far it is from the destination. Astronauts will have the power to adjust temperatures onboard to between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and they’ll have the option to control the autonomous spacecraft manually in case anything goes wrong. If they really have to abandon the capsule, though, they can then use its emergency escape system, which underwent testing earlier this year. SpaceX is already putting the finishing touches on the vehicle, and — assuming NASA’s budget for the Commercial Crew Program isn’t further reduced — it will be ready to shuttle humans to the ISS by 2017.
Filed under:
Science
Source:
SpaceX
Tags: dragon, science, space, spacex
California Unemployment office says Uber driver was an employee
If you ask Uber, none of their drivers are employees — just independent contractors who happen to use their network to get fares. If you’ve been watching the news though, you know some drivers disagree: filing lawsuits both in California and the UK for the right to be recognized as employees. Those drivers just got some vindication, by way of the California unemployment office. According to the Employment Development Department, at least one former Uber driver qualifies for unemployment benefits.
According to Reuters, the EDD decided that a former Uber driver in southern California was an employee; the decision was held up twice by a administrative law judge when Uber appealed. Apparently, Uber’s control over the driver was a deciding factor — the company gets to define fares, bar drivers from picking non-Uber passengers and can even charge drivers a cancellation fee for choosing not to pick up a fare. That’s “in fact an employer / employee relationship,” according to the decision.
Uber says this ruling doesn’t have any impact on pending litigation, but it’s certainly a feather in the hat of drivers who want a more traditional relationship with the company. We’ll have to wait and see how that turns out as the class-action lawsuit moves forward.
Filed under:
Misc, Transportation
Source:
Reuters
Tags: edd, lawsuit, uber, unemployment
‘Dropsy’ the clown wants to hug everything in the world, starting today
Dropsy looks like the kind of game that will produce one of two responses from anyone who plays it:
- People who like clowns will finish Dropsy huddled in a corner, terrified of circuses, suspenders and bright red lips for the rest of their lives.
- People who despise clowns will finish Dropsy with a new-found appreciation for the humanity behind the face paint.
Dropsy is a point-and-click adventure starring a lovable, huggable clown who’s on a mission to solve the mysteries of his past and clear his name after an awful circus fire. He goes about this task by hugging everything and everyone he meets. How adorable (or scary). It’s out today on PC, Mac and Linux via Steam or through the game’s website, and it’s just $9 in a launch sale.
Dropsy is an open-world adventure, meaning players are free to explore the wacky, pixelated landscapes in any way they choose. Plus, it features a twist on standard dialogue: Dropsy can talk to people and animals (yes, animals), but it’s all displayed in visual icons rather than text. As its site says, “Dropsy is a truly universal game.”
Source:
Dropsy
Tags: ajollycorpse, clown, clowns, DevolverDigital, dropsy, hdpostcross, Indie, STEAM, tendershoot
Google Fiber considering Irvine, Louisville, and San Diego for expansion
Google has announced that it is considering rolling out its high-speed Fiber internet service to three additional American cities. The company stated on its Fiber blog on Thursday that it hopes to enter a joint planning process with the cities of Irvine, California; Louisville, Kentucky; and San Diego, California. “We’ll work with Irvine, Louisville and San Diego to conduct a detailed study of factors that affect construction,” wrote Jill Szuchmacher, Director, Google Fiber Expansion, “such as local topography, housing density, and the condition of existing infrastructure.”
This isn’t a guarantee that the cities will actually receive the service (just as Portland, San Jose and Phoenix are still in the planning stages), only that Google is considering expansion into those regions. With each city offering unique benefits and challenges, there is no set timetable for any of them moving forward.
[Image Credit: Lede – Bloomberg via Getty Images, inline – Google Fiber]
Source:
Google Fiber
Tags: fiber, FiberOptic, gigabit, google, Google Fiber, Irvine, California, Louisville, Kentucky, San Diego, San Jose, California
Shovel Knight’s DLC hits consoles and PC on September 17th
Yacht Club Games, developers of the uber-popular platformer, Shovel Knight, has revealed that the game’s DLC will be available starting September 17th. Dubbed Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows, the DLC will offer a number of new gameplay styles including Adventure and Challenge Modes. The game is currently available on PC, Wii U, 3DS, PlayStation 3, PS4, PS Vita, and Xbox One. The DLC will be available as digital downloads on all these consoles. A physical disc version including both the original game and the DLC will be ready in October.
Filed under:
Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Via:
IGN
Source:
Yacht Club Games
Tags: digital, DLC, games, hdpostcross, Nintendo 3DS, Plague, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, shovel knight, Wii U, Xbox, Xbox One, YachClubGames
T-Mobile updates latest Galaxy lineup to include video calling feature in advanced messaging
T-Mobile is sending out updates for several Samsung Galaxy phones on its network, covering all the major flagship devices Samsung has released this year. This includes the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+, and Galaxy Note 5.
The update is pretty minor, but it does enable the video calling feature in T-Mobile’s advanced messaging. The S6 Edge+ and Note 5 already have video calling, but they’re getting slight interface tweaks in its place.
Not a major update, but expect it to start rolling out to your phone if you have any of these newer Samsung phones on T-Mobile’s network.
Come comment on this article: T-Mobile updates latest Galaxy lineup to include video calling feature in advanced messaging
The 2016 Nissan Leaf touts 107-mile range thanks to a larger battery
If you’re looking to get over 100 miles out of your next EV before needing to recharge, Nissan hopes its retooled Leaf will grab your attention. Two of the 2016 models claim an EPA-estimated 107-mile range thanks to a bigger 30 kWh battery. And yes, that’s both best-in-class and 27 percent further than the previous power pack would take you. Looking to park one in your driveway? The base S model is priced at $29,010 before a $7,500 federal tax credit lowers the cost to $21,510. There are also SV and SL models, priced at $26,700 and $29,290 (after tax credit) respectively, if you’re after a new ride with more options than the standard model offers. Slideshow-318691
If you want the larger battery and longer range, you’ll have to splurge for an SV or SL as the S option still packs the same 24 kWh battery as before. Those other added options for the pricier two models include NissanConnect EV that sorts remote connection, monitors battery charge, turns on the heat/air conditioning before you get inside and more. No matter which one you pick, all three pack in a 80kW AC synchronous motor with 107 horsepower and 187 lb-ft of torque. All of which zooms you around town without creating emissions, of course.
Filed under:
Transportation
Via:
USA Today
Source:
Nissan
Tags: electric, ev, leaf, nissan, nissanleaf, transportation
‘Dota 2’ is the first title running on Valve’s new game engine
If you want a look at just how much PC gaming powerhouse Valve (and gaming as a whole) has changed consider this: When the company launched the original Source Engine back in 2004 it did so with a beta for a new version of Counter-Strike (Counter-Strike: Source) and then went wide a few months later with Half-life 2. The first game running on Valve’s follow-up engine, Source 2? Dota 2. Specifically, Dota 2 Reborn. As Eurogamer points out, the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) has been running in Source 2 in beta since June, but now the game’s sporting a new UI and more game modes on Source 2, including support for 20-person matches.
Valve is responding to its player-base here. In 2004, Counter Strike was the competitive game to play. But while Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is still really big on the scene, MOBAs are where the action’s at for eSports. Does that analog mean we’ll see Half-life 3 coming soon? That’s almost positively not going to happen, but don’t be too surprised if you see Gabe Newell and Co.’s other multiplayer cash-factory Team Fortress 2 get the bump to Valve’s new game toolset next.
We are rolling out the Reborn update over the next couple of hours. Matchmaking is now only available in Reborn.
— DOTA 2 (@DOTA2) September 9, 2015
[Image credit: Wikimedia Commons]
Filed under:
Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Via:
Eurogamer
Source:
Dota 2 (Twitter) (1)
Tags: counterstrike, counterstrikesource, dota2, esports, gaming, hd, hdpostcross, moba, pcgaming, source2, teamfortress2, valve
All gas stations in Russia will have to install EV charging stations
The Russian auto market is struggling recently, and falling energy prices aren’t helping the country’s oil industry, either. With the economy looking somewhat uncertain, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is taking a baby step toward a greener future by mandating every gas station in the country have an electric vehicle charger by November 1, 2016. The rule is meant to boost Russia’s dismal EV segment that currently numbers a grand total of about 500 vehicles across the vast territory, according to Autostat data cited by The Moscow Times.
Unfortunately, while this mandate is trying to overturn the status quo, it already looks easy to circumvent. A major problem is that the new rules don’t specify the type of charger to install, and the government isn’t offering any financial assistance to gas station owners. Therefore, they’re expected to take the cheapest option to satisfy the law.
According to The Moscow Times, the least expensive charging equipment costs the equivalent of $1,480 to import before installation expenses. However, a site like this would take nine hours to fully power-up an EV.
“We believe that the new decree could stimulate business,” Yelena Burenina, a spokesperson for the Moscow United Electric Grid Company, said to The Moscow Times. Although, at this point practically anything would be an advancement. Just 140 EVs were sold in Russia last year and fewer than 50 in the first half of 2015.
Russia’s frigid winters are considered a major hurdle for EV adoption because the low temperatures cut back their total range. Somehow, though, chilly Norway is figuring out how to make green cars sell.
[Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Filed under:
Transportation
Via:
Gas2
Source:
The Moscow Times
Tags: autoblog, charger, DmitryMedvedev, ElectricVehicle, EV, GasStation, partner, russia, syndicated
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