littleBits Gizmos and Gadgets Kit gives kids a range of DIY projects
Do you know an aspiring young maker? If so, littleBits is looking to lend a hand with its new Gadgets & Gizmos Kit. The collection of tech includes everything those young inventors will need to complete 12 different projects, learning about electronics, robots and more along the way. If you’re not familiar, littleBits has been making Lego-like kits that allow kids (both young and old) to make a piece of tech in minutes. Previous boxes include projects for the smart home and a build your own synthesizer option. For the Gizmos & Gadgets Kit, the projects range from a bubble machine to a wirelessly-controlled robotic rover and games. If you’re looking to get started, the Gizmos & Gadgets Kit includes a set of 15 electronic blocks and it’ll be available this month for $200. While you wait, check out the Bitbot in action after the break. Slideshow-326730
ICYMI: Mars life, bendy smartphone screens and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: It’s Space Week, and today’s celestial story is an earth-bound look at what a colony of humans would have to endure on Mars. People from Hawaii’s Space Exploration Analog and Simulation group just finished an eight month camp-out, cut away from society and only allowed outside when clad in space suits. Not so spacey but equally fascinating, MIT scientists figured out a bendable smartphone display’s chemistry. And wearable product company Lumo announced new running shorts that aim to fix your body mechanics when pounding pavement.
We also touch on Disney’s new little sand artist robot, which reminded us of this true sand artist. Both are worth a look if you’re into that sort of thing.
Something everyone should be into: Dinosaurs! Well dinosaurs as conceived of by a human, looking to build something weird for his kid to ride.
If you come across any interesting videos, we’d love to see them. Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd.
Mozilla proposes three golden rules for ad blockers
Users and advertisers are about to get involved in a dust-up over the role of content blockers, with much of the internet caught in the crossfire. Mozilla is hoping to play peacemaker by proposing a set of three golden rules that will create a “healthy, open web.” The most notable is probably the idea that the firms providing browser extensions should be “content neutral,” only screening out items that the user wants to avoid. That means blocking malware, pernicious tracking software produced by advertisers and bandwidth-heavy video ads. It’s also a subtle two-fingered salute to companies like AdBlock Plus, which lets Google, Amazon and Microsoft amongst others get around the block, so long as they pay a fee.
Next up, there’s the principle that ad-blocking software should be “open,” enabling publishers to alter their tactics and play nicely, rather than being permanently blacklisted. Meanwhile, rule three says that the people, rather than developers, should have final say on what’s being blocked and how. Instead, these apps should come with detailed, granular control so individuals can tailor their experience to their needs. Right now, they’re just a list of ideas that are being kicked around, with the organization asking for users to chip in with useful suggestions.
Source: Mozilla
Cyanogen Inc. maintains a close partnership with YU in India
There was a time when Cyanogen OS was heading into the hands of lots of users, through new products from OnePlus, Alcatel and Micromax, but things seem to have died down a little. After ending its relationship with OnePlus, Cyanogen Inc.’s OS also disappeared from the YU Yuphoria phone, leaving many to wonder if Cyanogen was running out of major partners.
However, Cyanogen Inc. states that it still has a strong partnership with YU and that it doesn’t necessarily make sense for the company to support every device that YU developers. The company has also announced that its OS will be shipping with YU’s upcoming Yutopia smartphone. This will be the first flagship grade YU phone, powered by a Snapdragon 810.
“We have a great partnership with YU, and happy to announce that Cyanogen OS 12.1 will be powering YU’s upcoming flagship – Yutopia. We’ll also be rolling out the latest 12.1 update to Yureka / Yureka Plus very soon. It doesn’t always makes sense for us to support every device in a partner’s portfolio, and there are one-off model variations. We want to put the unfounded rumors to rest.” – Cyanogen Inc.
What makes the case more curious however is that Cyanogen OS Yuphoria model (YU5010) originally launched but is now no longer available. Instead, there is now a YU5010A model running stock Android 5.5.1 for sale at a slightly reduced price. Unfortunately we don’t have an explanation as to why the OS was swapped out so shortly after launch. Perhaps, there wasn’t a suitable update roadmap planned, which is what happened with the Onetouch Hero 2+.
Related: Alcatel OneTouch Hero 2+ with Cyanogen cancelled
Additionally, the YU brand is partly own by India’s MicroMax. MicroMax has previously gone on record stating that it is developing its own Android based operating system for smartphones, tablets and wearables. While not necessarily even destined for the YU range, this leaves a few unanswered questions hanging over any long term partnership with Cyanogen Inc. The first phones powered by this new OS are expected to appear by the end of this financial year.
For now, Cyanogen Inc and YU are still working together on at least one new smartphone.
The multi-lens compact Light L16 wants to take on the DSLR
Photography aficionados have probably heard it all before, DSLR-like features and quality in a compact form factor. So far the numerous promises have failed to deliver. However, Light believes that it has what it takes to compete with its compact L16, a “multi-aperture computational camera.” The technology packed into this camera is very different from your typical setup, which might just give it the edge that it needs.
As you may have guessed, the L16 part of the name has to do with the 16 different lenses that the start-up company has packed into the camera. Each of these lenses captures a picture using different focal lengths, the data from which is then combined to form one detailed 52-megapixel image. Five of the sensors come with the equivalent focal length of a 35mm, five at 70mm and the remaining six are 150 mm. Even more impressive is the fact that this additional image data allows for photographers to adjust a picture’s depth of field, focus and exposure even after it has been taken.
The Light L16 comes with a selection of other features too. The range of camera focal lengths allows for a high-quality zoom, rather than a basic digital zoom. The L16 also comes with WiFi built in, which allows photographers to share their images straight from the camera or quickly transfer them over the air to a PC. It can also be used to shoot 4K video and runs an Android operating system. Best of all, this technology all fits into a device that is only marginally bulkier than a Nexus 6 smartphone.
Speaking of smartphones, manufacturer Foxconn has licensed the technology from Light. The company plans to build a similar array of cameras into a future smartphone, which is expected to launch some time in 2016.
All of this cutting edge technology won’t come cheap. Customers who pre-order the camera before November 6th will be offered a reduced price of $1,299, while the regular retail price will shoot up to $1,699 by the time that the Light L16 starts shipping out in summer 2016.
Sony buys a company that makes Kinect-like depth sensors
Sony has purchased SoftKinetic, a Belgian startup that’s most famous for creating image sensors that can digitally capture objects in 3D. The firm specializes in time of flight, a camera technology that you’ll be familiar with if you’ve ever used the Xbox’s Kinect camera. If you’ve got long memory, you’ll recall that SoftKinetic provided the necessary technology to make Just Dance work on the PlayStation, as well as 3D scanners for MakerBot. Now, it’s going to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate, giving the firm a useful knowledge boost in an area that’s growing increasingly important. After all, since Sony is developing PlayStation VR, smart glasses and produces the camera sensors for much of the mobile industry, that know-how is likely to be in plenty of products in the not-too-distant future.
Via: Re/code
Source: Sony
Live ‘League of Legends’ coverage is coming to BBC Three
The BBC will tap into the popular world of eSports next week by offering live coverage of the League of Legends World Championships for the first time. From October 15th, BBC Three will deliver action from all four days of the quarter finals at Wembley, with Radio 1 DJ Dev Griffin hosting proceedings. He’ll be joined by gaming casters Leigh ‘Deman’ Smith and James ‘Stress’ O’Leary, who will offer additional context on the action as it unfolds.
League of Legends is a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) game that pits two teams of between three and five players against each other. They start opposite sides of a map and are tasked with destroying their opponents’ “Nexus.” More than 27 million gamers play it every day and the BBC says over 70 million hours of last year’s championships watched by fans from all over the world.
The broadcaster will use a system normally reserved for live sporting events and Glastonbury coverage to deliver live and pre-recorded video, text updates, audio and social updates. If you’ve ever followed Premier League updates on the BBC Sport website then you’ll know what to expect.
In March, we posited that 2015 would be the breakout year for eSports. In the past six months alone, league organiser Gfinity opened its first dedicated venue in London, video game retailer GAME acquired Multiplay and has begun hosting tournaments in stores and even major bookmakers are taking bets on major eSports events. With the BBC behind it, the movement looks set to become even more mainstream, and that can only be a good thing.
Source: BBC Media Centre
Video game voice actors vote a resounding ‘yes’ to strike
Last month the Screen Actor’s Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists started the process to strike in an effort to be better compensated. Now, the union members have voted and over 96 percent feel that a strike is in order to protect themselves. As a refresher, the organized voice actors are asking for royalties on games they performed in that sell over two million copies, stunt pay for particularly stressful roles (those sustained screams and yells can do damage) and stunt coordinators for certain situations, among other things. Where do the actors like the cast of The Last of Us up above go from here? Back to the collective bargaining table. This vote doesn’t mean that the union will strike, but it gives them the option to do so if negotiations fall apart.
[Image credit: Imeh Akpanudosen via Getty Images]
Via: IGN
Source: Screen Actors Guild
Facebook to start testing “Reactions” in Ireland and Spain, adds emotion to “likes”
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Last month, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made some comments at a Q&A session that were construed to mean that Facebook was looking into something akin to a “dislike” button – the polar opposite of the iconic Facebook “like”. As it turns out, Zuckerberg was actually referring to something slightly different – something is known as “reactions”. According to engadget, Facebook is already ready to start testing “reactions” and could do so in Ireland and Spain as early as this week.
How it appears to work is that when you “like” something, you can give it the standard thumbs up, or you can choose from an assortment of “reactions” which change the emotion of your “like” – options like sadness or anger are probably the most interesting given how far they are from the natural implication of a “like”. While the reactions will all show up as “likes” on each post, the poster will be able to see a breakdown of which reactions people have been using. It’s definitely an interesting concept, and perhaps a less controversial one than introducing a dedicated “dislike” button.
What do you think about Facebook’s “reactions” concept? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: engadget.es via engadget
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AT&T variant of the giant Samsung Galaxy View tablet gets spotted at the FCC
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Ever since Samsung hinted that it would be launching a new tablet called the Samsung Galaxy View, we’ve been intrigued by its alleged enormous 18.6-inch frame. As it turns out, its existence and quite a few details about the Galaxy View have been revealed thanks to a FCC listing of the AT&T variant of the device. According to the documents, the Galaxy View indeed does have a 18.6-inch display, and it’s clear from an accompanying diagram that the device will have dual speakers on its back.
The details of the device, named the SM-T667A, also include LTE support with standard wireless connectivity options like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The LTE support is a curious addition given how large the tablet is, though we can’t exactly blame Samsung for covering all bases. We do, however, expect that the Galaxy View will be more of a hit at home and office, maybe even in schools, as its large display and touchscreen should make for an effective productivity tool.
What do you think about the Samsung Galaxy View? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post AT&T variant of the giant Samsung Galaxy View tablet gets spotted at the FCC appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
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