ICYMI: Giant air purifier, true invisibility cloak and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: A 23-foot tall HEPA filter that looks like a building is running in Rotterdam, costing $1,000 a year to operate while cleaning up to 1 million cubic feet of air per hour. Scientists at UC Berkeley have hit on the tech that could lead to a true Cloak of Invisibility. For the first time, a 3D object has been hidden from visible light, using nanoantenna blocks which are usually found in solar panels. And the fastest human-powered bike on the planet just hit 85 miles per hour at a competition in Nevada.
You’ve likely already read about all the things that went down in Texas when Ahmed Mohamed was arrested after bringing a homemade clock to school, so we’d recommend reading up on this great New York Times piece describing car software built to evade emissions tests.
And just in time for your weekend, we found out about this dedicated goat gif website (also available in a multitude of app stores).
If you come across any interesting videos, we’d love to see them. Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd.
Recommended Reading: What will astronauts eat while exploring Mars?
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you’ll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.
How NASA Is Solving the Space Food Problem
by Elizabeth Preston
Eater
The first manned test flight for NASA’s Orion capsule may have been pushed back this week, but the project forges on. One issue that the agency faces in the quest to send humans to explore Mars is food. This piece from Eater examines the challenges NASA looks to overcome with regards to the dietary needs of the crew during deep-space missions, including some onboard gardening.
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20 Minutes with Tim Cook What’s it like to take a ride across Manhattan with the CEO of Apple? BuzzFeed’s John Paczkowski found out, and picked up some info on the iPhone, iPad Pro and more along the way. |
The Duke, the Landscape Architect and the World’s Most Ambitious Attempt to Bring the Cosmos to Earth A landscape architect in Scotland built a model Multiverse as a series of land installations, and the whole thing is really pretty amazing. |
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Why I Bought the Last iPod Classic in the Store This short read explains why the iPod Classic is still a solid music player even after Apple discontinued it. |
Vinyl LP Frenzy Brings Record-Pressing Machines Back to Life Step inside a factory that plans to crank out up to 1.5 million records a year to feed the vinyl craze. |
[Image credit: NASA]
Here’s a list of HTC devices compatible with Android Pay
HTC posted a page on their website explaining how their Android Pay will work with their devices, along with a list of phones that are supported in the US. In order to use it, you have to download the dedicated Android Pay app provided by Google, and add your debit or credit cards.
HTC also stressed the security standards, stating that:
“A virtual account number represents your account information so your card details stay safe. As soon as you make a purchase, you’ll see a payment confirmation that shows exactly where a transaction happened. If your phone is ever lost or stolen, you can instanly lock your device from anywhere“
Oh, and here’s that list:
AT&T
HTC One M9
HTC One (M8)
HTC One (M7)
HTC Desire EYE
HTC Desire 626
Sprint
HTC One M9
HTC One (M8)
HTC One (E8)
HTC One (M7)
HTC One max
HTC Desire 601
HTC Desire 816
T-Mobile
HTC One M9
HTC One (M8)
HTC One (M7)
Nexus 9
Verizon
HTC One M9
HTC One (M8)
HTC One (M7)
HTC Desire 626
Nexus 9
The post Here’s a list of HTC devices compatible with Android Pay appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Skype for web will soon work without plug-ins on Microsoft Edge
Skype has been planning to make its voice and video call services available on the web without having to install plug-ins since 2014. Now, its parent company’s preparing to make that happen for its new Edge browser. The latest Windows 10 Insider Preview build comes with Object RTC API. That’s the element that allows real-time audio and video communication without the need for any installation not just for Skype for Web and Outlook.com, but also for other WebRTC-compatible services. This is just a preview of ORTC on Edge, though, and you can’t enjoy this seamless experience right now. However, the service says the technology will exit the preview phase and go live sometime later this year. To note, Chrome, Firefox and Safari all support WebRTC standards, but it’s unclear if and when Skype will enable a plug-in-less experience for those browsers, as well.
[Image credit: 1000heads/Flickr]
Source: Skype, Office, Windows (1), (2)
Best Buy virtually sold out of the Moto X Pure Edition
We just told you about Best Buy carrying the Moto X Pure Edition and already they are basically sold out. They only offered black, white, or bamboo in 16GB or 32GB. You were also unable to customize them, but that didn’t stop them from selling out.
The Moto X Pure Edition is clearly in high demand to sell out that quick. Neither in store or online have any left in stock. Currently, only the 16GB in black for $399.99 is still showing as available, but I’m sure it won’t be for long. Obviously they will get more stock eventually, but if you don’t want to wait, get the black 16GB while you can.
Source: Best Buy
Via: Phandroid
Come comment on this article: Best Buy virtually sold out of the Moto X Pure Edition
The Air Force will have combat lasers on its war planes by 2020
The Army has its HEL-MD (not to mention is working on GI Joe-style rifles and minesweepers); the Navy put a battleship-mounted railgun aboard the USS Ponce; and within the next five years, the Air Force expects to have laser weapons of its very own. These armaments, dubbed directed-energy weapons pods, will be mounted on American warplanes and serve to burn missiles, UAVs — even other combat aircraft — clean out of the sky. “I believe we’ll have a directed energy pod we can put on a fighter plane very soon,” Air Force General Hawk Carlisle said at a Fifth-Generation Warfare lecture during the Air Force Association Air & Space conference earlier this week. “That day is a lot closer than I think a lot of people think it is.”
The 150 kW HELLADS system from General Atomics appears to be the current frontrunner for the USAF contract despite the system only having just recently entered ground tests. HELLADS stands for “High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System”. The third generation prototype measures just 1.3 x 0.4 x 0.5 meters — small enough to fit onto a Predator C UAV, exactly what DARPA wants to do by 2018 — and runs off of a single lithium ion battery pack.
According to DARPA’s Dr. David Shaver,
The goal of the HELLADS program is to develop a 150 kilowatt (kW) laser weapon system that is ten times smaller and lighter than current lasers of similar power, enabling integration onto tactical aircraft to defend against and defeat ground threats. With a weight goal of less than five kilograms per kilowatt, and volume of three cubic meters for the laser system, HELLADS seeks to enable high-energy lasers to be integrated onto tactical aircraft, significantly increasing engagement ranges compared to ground-based systems.
But before it enters operational service, the system must first pass a grueling set of field tests against mortars, rockets, UAVs, simulated surface-to-air missiles and both ground and air vehicles at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. According to Ars Technica, Air Force leaders at the presentation Beyond that, the USAF is working to develop and install Lockheed Martin’s ABC laser system on its 6th generation fighters by the mid-2030’s.
[Image Credit: top – Air Force Research Lab, inline – DARPA]
Via: Ars Technica
Source: DARPA, General Atomics, Military Embedded Systems
Google sends out invites for September 29 event, Nexus devices and updated Chromecast incoming
Google just made its September 29 event official. Invites are beginning to roll out. Google fans can expect to see new Nexus devices announced in addition to an updated version of the company’s Chromecast.
Google will indeed hold an event on September 29 in San Francisco. We are expecting to see an announcement of the LG Nexus 5X as well as the Huawei Nexus 6P. A recent report also suggests we could see an updated version of Google’s Chromecast media streaming player with new options and faster Wi-Fi support.
The Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P will debut Android 6.0 and will most likely have Google’s new Android Pay service pre-installed and ready to go. Both devices will likely include fingerprint scanners to support Google’s new Fingerprint API and built-in NFC for mobile payments. One can also expect to see good hardware, high-resolution cameras, fast processors and extraordinarily unique designs.
According to Google’s teaser image, the event will start promptly at 9:00 PT. If you’re not attending, Google will have a live-stream on its YouTube channel at youtube.com/google. We hope you’re as excited as we are.
Come comment on this article: Google sends out invites for September 29 event, Nexus devices and updated Chromecast incoming
Malware-ridden apps found in Apple’s Chinese App Store
The iOS App Store is usually a trustworthy source of software. But as hackers tend to do, they found a way to get their nefarious wares into the China version of the software supermarket. By using altered versions of Apple’ development tool Xcode they were able to slip malware into apps being built by unaware devs. The problem started when developers downloaded altered versions of Xcode (named “XcodeGhost” Alibab researchers) from third-party sites. When apps built with the modified compiler are launched, they collect the phone’s name, UUID, language and country, current time and network type. That data is then encrypted and sent to servers. Not a huge breach, but no one wants to be tracked by unknown sources.
The bigger issue is that these apps made it into Apple’s App Store in China. While only a handful of apps have gotten past Apple’s strict security, all it takes is one app with an aggressive piece of malware to destroy the trust customers have put in Apple. Fortunately, the apps have only been seen in the App Store in China.
Also, developers shouldn’t be downloading their tools from random third-party sites. Just a thought.
Apple has not responded to requests for comment about XcodeGhost and the infected apps.
Via: Wired
Source: Palo Alto Networks
Google announces an event to be held on September 29th
Google has been up to some big things in the past few months, including playing around with the very ABC’s that structure the company and announcing Android 6.0. Rumors and leaks have been flowing freely as well, of new Nexus products and even a second Chromecast. While we don’t know exactly what Mountain View has on the plates, we do know when it plans to serve them: earlier today the search giant sent out official RSVP invites for an event to be held on September 29th from 9AM in San Francisco.
Given the aforementioned leaks, we expect the conference will include the official announcement of not only the LG-made Nexus 5X/Nexus 5 (2015) but presumably the larger and more premium Huawei Nexus. It has been widely speculated that this year will not see the release of a new Nexus tablet device, something that appears all the more believable in light of the absence of leaks. Yesterday word broke that a new Chromecast refresh will also be introduced.
The LG-made Nexus is rumored to come with a 5.2-inch display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM and a 13MP rear-facing camera. The Huawei-made device is said to sport a 5.7-inch Quad HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor and 3GB of RAM. Both devices will likely come with USB Type-C ports and rear-mounted fingerprint scanners, as well.
While it’s possible additional products or services will be announced, the event will most likely focus on the Nexus devices, their pricing, availability, and to an extent, the Android 6.0 Marshmallow build running on them.
We will be there live to bring you full coverage of the event, so make sure to tune in on the 29th to see what Google has in store for what is soon to be in stores.
Sony Mobile releases ‘Props’ AR Effect for its AR Effect app
Sony Mobile has just released a new set of effects for its Xperia AR Effect application. The AR Effect allows you to add fun props to your pictures and videos. The props include wigs, glasses, hats, café items etc.
The app uses Sony’s face recognition technology and SmartAR engine to detect faces and 3D environments and adds items and effects to the image.
Via: XperiaBlog
Come comment on this article: Sony Mobile releases ‘Props’ AR Effect for its AR Effect app
AIVAnet 