NVIDIA’s new Shield Tablet is just like the old one, but cheaper
NVIDIA’s first Shield tablet was a device that got almost everything right: The 8-inch slate had a crisp display flanked by twin speakers, a surprisingly precise built-in stylus and a powerful 192-core Kepler K1 processor. At the time, it was easily the best Android gaming device on the market, and a pretty darn good media tablet to boot — but NVIDIA quietly put the Shield to pasture earlier this year. Is the company preparing to launch a new, more powerful Shield tablet? Nope: It’s putting the same slate back on the market, albeit with a lower, $199 price tag and fewer bells and whistles.
Figment VR is an iPhone case that turns into a VR headset
Google’s low-end Cardboard headset is by far the cheapest and easiest way to get started with virtual reality. Unfortunately, it isn’t exactly super portable and it’s not very durable either — it’s just cardboard, after all. Of course, there are plenty of other phone-compatible VR headsets out there, but most of them are still pretty clunky. The Figment, on the other hand, is a different take on VR (and AR) altogether. Debuting on Kickstarter today, it’s an iPhone case that can be transformed into a VR viewer with just a flick of a button, making it the only VR headset we know of that can fit in the back of your pocket. Slideshow-341551 Slideshow-341552
Source: Figment VR
ICYMI: Translation megaphone, live-caption headwear and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: A crowdfunding campaign to help the hearing impaired pairs a Google Glass-like head display with a mini-computer to create real-time closed captioning. International travelers who are impaired after a 14-hour flight will get some love at Japan’s Narita International Airport with a megaphone that can translate Japanese messages into Chinese and English. Finally, gym rats will probably be into this Kickstarter for a towel (The Towell) which will give you a towel with a pocket and a magnet and that’s about it, all for about $40 US.
Robots learn to grasp objects by practicing and teaching each other
Even for robots, practice makes perfect. At least that’s how it works for the technique developed by Brown University assistant professor Stefanie Tellex, which teaches robots how to pick up objects so they can relay the info to other robots. Tellex has been working on the technique with the help of an industrial machine called Baxter, which has two hands and a touchscreen face. These slightly human-shaped automatons use cameras and infrared sensors to examine an object — they then pick it up from various angles using different grasps in order to find the most secure way to hold it. Once they do determine the perfect grip, the information is encoded in a format that can be shared online and uploaded onto other robots’ brains.
Source: MIT Technology Review
Buy a HTC One M9 and get a Desire 626/626s thrown in for free as part of HTC’s Hot Deals promo
HTC is running yet another great Hot Deals promotion, giving away a Desire 626 or 626s when you buy a One M9. It’s a great deal for those that are doing their holiday gift shopping–who wouldn’t want a One M9 or Desire 626 in their stocking come Christmas morning?
The way it works is that you purchase a One M9 and HTC will ship you a Desire 626 or 626s as well, depending on what carrier you’re with. You’ll get the Desire 626 if you’re on Verizon or AT&T, while the Desire 626s is for those on T-Mobile, Metro PCS, or Cricket.
Obviously this deal would be much sweeter if the One A9 was included in it, but for some reason, HTC isn’t including its latest and greatest this time around.
Keep in mind that this promotion is exclusive to those in the US, and the offer will expire once all available stock has been sold or the day, November 17, is over, whichever comes first.
Anyone picking up a One M9 as part of HTC’s Hot Deals promotion? Despite it getting close to almost a year old, it still has great hardware and won’t leave you hanging dry. Thoughts?
source: HTC
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Nest’s 3rd Generation Learning Thermostat is Now Available in the UK for £199
With the UK heading firmly into winter, it’s fair to say that people will be cranking up the central heating in trying to stay warm over the next couple of months. Keeping on top of energy usage can be irksome at the best of times, which is where something like Alphabet‘s Nest Thermostat can soon prove its value, the third generation of which is now available in the UK for £199.The 3rd generation Nest Thermostat has a 40% larger display with a higher resolution and 229ppi which is slimmer than the previous model, and thanks to a new feature called Farsight, can detect when you walk into a room. The larger, crisper display also means you don’t have to be stood up close to the device to read the relevant information, instead, Nest say the readouts are visible from across the room.
A couple of new features are exclusive to Europe, the first is that the Nest Thermostat can control the hot water tank, enabling you to tinker with the schedule from your phone or thermostat. The Auto-Away feature also senses when you are away from home (after two days) and works with the hot water tank to save energy.
The second feature that is exclusive to Europe is called ‘Advanced modulation with OpenTherm’. Basically, that means that Nest can use 2-way communications between the thermostat and OpenTherm compatible boilers, calculating the optimum amount of gas to burn to reach or maintain the desired temperature, saving you some more money on your utility bill.
You can buy the third generation Nest Thermostat from here.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Full Press Release:
3rd Generation Nest Learning Thermostat Now Available in Europe
Latest Nest Thermostat Supports Hot Water Control,
Improved Compatibility and Control with OpenThermLondon, UK — November 17, 2015 — Nest Labs, Inc. ( www.nest.com ), architect of the thoughtful home, today brings the 3rd generation Nest Learning Thermostat to the UK, France, Netherlands, Belgium and Republic of Ireland. In addition to its new design, the 3rd generation Nest Thermostat offers improved boiler support that now delivers remote hot water control and advanced compatibility with OpenTherm heating systems. New design features include a slimmer profile, a high-resolution screen that’s 40 percent larger and an updated user interface that makes it easier to read temperatures, alerts and messages. And Farsight, a new software feature, automatically displays the target temperature or time when movement is sensed across the room.
“Millions of Nest homes around the world have saved approximately four billion kilowatt hours of energy compared to what they would have used if they’d left their thermostats at a consistent temperature. And today, with brand new software and hardware, our European customers can save even more whilst staying comfortable, thanks to remote hot water control and OpenTherm compatibility,” said Lionel Paillet, General Manager of Europe for Nest. “And we are continuing to expand our presence in Europe – the 3rd generation Nest Thermostat will be available through thousands of retail locations, professional distributors, and directly through Nest Pro installers, and at a discount or at no cost at all through energy partners.”
The 3rd generation Nest Thermostat learns the temperature you like, then programs itself. It knows how long it takes to heat your home so you’re comfortable when you get there. When you leave, it automatically turns down your boiler and hot water tank so you save energy.
New features for the 3rd generation Nest Learning Thermostat
• Hot water (exclusive to Europe) – The Nest Thermostat can now control your hot water tank, in addition to central heating. You can adjust the hot water schedule from your phone or thermostat, boost from anywhere, and Auto-Away works with your hot water tank to help save energy when no one’s home (after 2 days).
• Advanced modulation with OpenTherm (exclusive to Europe) – Nest now uses OpenTherm to enable two-way communication between compatible boilers and the 3rd generation Nest Thermostat to work out the precise amount of gas to burn to reach or maintain the requested temperature, rather than simply turn the boiler on or off, helping to save energy, increase comfort and prolonging the life of your heating system.
• Sleek new design – The Nest Thermostat has a 40 percent larger, brighter, high-resolution screen and new graphics so you can see it easier from far away. The crisp screen has 229 pixels per inch (ppi), 25 percent more than the current generation Nest Thermostat. The 3rd generation Nest Thermostat also has a slightly thinner profile so it can sit flush against the wall.
• Farsight – Previously, you had to be pretty close to get the Nest Thermostat to wake up and turn on the display. Farsight takes advantage of the new high-resolution screen so that you can see useful information on the Nest Thermostat from across the room. You can set the thermostat to display target temperature, an analog clock or digital clock, or turn Farsight off.
We’ve also created a brand new stand for the Nest Thermostat. This was designed for homes that don’t already have a thermostat, or where the old thermostat was in a room where the temperature wasn’t regulated, so it can be put in the best place to sense the temperature and activity in your home.
Creating a More Thoughtful Home
Just like the current generation, the 3rd generation Nest Thermostat will also include the following integrations with Nest Protect and Nest Cam:• When Nest Protect sounds a Heads-Up or Emergency Alarm for smoke or carbon monoxide (CO), you’ll see a message on the Nest Thermostat display to help you know what’s going on in addition to a Nest app notification . The Nest Thermostat can automatically stop your gas or oil boiler from heating your home – the most common source of CO in the home. This can prevent your boiler from making the situation even worse
• Nest Protect enhances the Nest Thermostat’s Auto-Away feature by improving Nest’s knowledge of when you’re home or away
• You can set your Nest Cam to turn on automatically when you switch your Nest Thermostat into Home or Away mode
In addition, the 3rd generation Nest Thermostat speaks with other connected products in the home from household brands including Philips Hue, Osram, Bosch, Logitech and LG, to work together, learn from one another and help you out – all on their own – helping the home to be safer, more secure, or help save money. To learn more visit https://nest.com/works-with-nest.
Energy Partners Throughout Europe
More than 50 energy and enterprise partners are now working with Nest to bring Nest products and services to millions of homes across the world. In Europe, consumers will be able to receive a Nest Thermostat at no cost, or at a discounted price, as part of their energy contract through local energy partners including Direct Energie and ENGIE in France, Electric Ireland in the Republic of Ireland, Essent in both the Netherlands and Belgium, Lampiris in Belgium, and nPower in the UK. Full details of these offers will be announced in the coming months.Pricing, Availability, Installation and Compatibility
The 3rd generation Nest Learning Thermostat is available from today with a recommended retail price of £199/€249 (VAT included). The stand for the 3rd generation Nest Learning Thermostat is sold separately for a recommended retail price of £29/€35 (VAT included). Both products will be available from more than 2,500 retail locations across Europe – as well as online – including nest.com.Because the Nest Thermostat connects to the heating system using high-voltage cables, professional installation is highly recommended. Professional installation is available for purchase through over 20,000 European Nest Pros who can be found at www.nest.com.
About Nest
Nest‘s mission is to create a home that‘s thoughtful – one that takes care of itself and the people inside it. The company focuses on simple, beautiful and delightful hardware, software and services. The Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest Energy Services keep you comfortable and address home energy consumption. The Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm helps keep you safe and Nest Safety Rewards lets you save money through participating home insurance providers, while Nest Cam keeps an eye on what matters most in your home.Nest products are sold in the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands and are installed in more than 190 countries. The Nest Learning Thermostat has helped save approximately four billion kWh of energy to date. Through the Works with Nest program, third-party products can securely connect with Nest devices to make homes safer, more energy efficient, and more aware.
For more information, visit www.nest.com.
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Apple Pay Launches in Canada With American Express, Australia Later This Week
Apple Pay is now available in Canada exclusively for American Express customers, allowing newer iPhone and Apple Watch owners to make contactless payments at stores like Indigo, McDonald’s, Sport Chek, Tim Hortons and others that have NFC-equipped payment terminals and accept American Express.
Apple Pay is now live in Canada on iOS 9.1 (Image: Twitter/Bryan)
Apple Pay should now be live in the Wallet app on iOS 9.1 for Canadian users. American Express cards can be scanned or added manually by tapping the “Add Credit or Debit Card” option. The functionality may still be rolling out to some users, so changing your iPhone’s region to U.S. can be done in the meantime.
American Express, an independent credit card issuer in Canada, is not nearly as popular or widely accepted as MasterCard or Visa credit cards in the country, and Apple notes that bank-issued American Express cards like those in partnership with Scotiabank are not accepted at launch.
Apple has reportedly been in talks with six large Canadian banks about launching Apple Pay north of the U.S. border, including the Royal Bank of Canada, TD Canada Trust, Scotiabank, Bank of Montreal, CIBC and National Bank of Canada, but negotiations have reportedly been dragging.
TD Canada Trust prematurely leaked an Apple Pay splash page last month, suggesting that Canadian banks may eventually support the mobile payments platform. High interchange fees and potential security issues have reportedly been sticking points in negotiations between Apple and banks.
Canada has been well prepared for Apple Pay, as many retailers and businesses across the country are equipped with NFC payment terminals required for contactless payments. The country was one of the earlier adopters of Chip-and-PIN debit and credit cards that can be tapped against a payment terminal when making a purchase, and Apple Pay is a natural extension of that functionality.
Canada’s largest credit and debit card payment processor Moneris announced Apple Pay support for American Express cards earlier today.
Apple Pay launched in the U.S. in October 2014 and expanded to the U.K. last June, making Canada the third country with support for the service. Beyond Canada, Apple is also partnering with American Express to bring Apple Pay to four additional markets by the end of 2016.
Apple has confirmed with the Financial Post that Apple Pay will support American Express in Australia later this week, with AMEX customer service representatives suggesting a tentative November 19 launch date. Apple Pay will launch with American Express in Spain, Singapore and Hong Kong next year.
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ASUS and Google launch the Chromebit, bringing the Chrome OS to a monitor or tv for $85
Asus and Google first unveiled the Chromebit, an HDMI dongle with the Chrome OS operating system pre-installed, back in the tail-end of March, and 8 short months later, it’s finally available to order. In the States at least, anyway. While it’s taken a while to come to market, it’s also a little cheaper than originally envisioned, coming in at $85 instead of $99.
It’s great that the Chromebit is a little cheaper than expected with its $85 price tag, but what exactly does it do? Well, it plugs directly into the HDMI slot on your computer monitor or television, and because it has Google’s Chrome OS pre-installed, it behaves just like a Chromebook or Chromebox. All you have to do is add a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse to navigate your way around.
The Chromebit gives you access to things like Google Plus photos, the Chrome Web Store, the ability to edit documents and worksheets, watch videos, basically everything you can do on a normal Chrome OS device.
At just $85, the Chromebit naturally doesn’t offer the level of specifications that you see on the Acer Chromebook 15 (reviewed here), but it will get the job done.
Specifications:
- Rockchip ARM processor
- 2GB RAM
- 16GB Internal storage
- 802.11 a/b/g/n/AC WiFi
- Bluetooth 4.0
- USB port
- Dimensions: 123 x 31 x 17mm
- Weight: 75 grams
Included in the box is a 1 foot HDMI cable, power adapter, as well as fittings to attach the Chromebit onto the back of the monitor/television. For the moment, the Chromebit is only available in the US via Amazon, Newegg and Fry’s, in orange and black variants for $85. It is scheduled to become available in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, and the UK at some point.
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Ford’s new Sync Connect app lets you remotely start your car
How do you know that app-connected cars are going to become the norm rather than the exception? When Ford decides to get in on the action. The firm has announced the launch of its Sync Connect app that’ll pair your smartphone to its vehicles, letting you access (and control) it from anywhere in the world. The first vehicle to benefit from the technology is the 2017 Ford Escape, and users will be able to control the door locks as well as remotely start the engine. In addition, the app will let you know your car’s vital statistics, including the fuel, oil and battery levels, as well as letting you use GPS to pick your ride out of a crowded parking lot. Sure, we’ve seen similar tech in plenty of other high-spec and luxury offerings (Tesla, take a bow) but the Escape is one of the cheapest ways to get a high-tech ride.
Via: Autoblog
3DR’s Solo drone can update no-fly zones in real time
Now that drones are everywhere, pilots keep blundering into no-fly zones, threatening people and airliners alike. Most of the time these are simple mistakes, so drone-maker 3DR has launched a new venture with a company called AirMap to help pilots out. AirMap shows not only restricted areas around large and small airports, but also temporary flight restrictions (TFR) areas like wildfires, public events or visits from the President. 3DR incorporated these maps into its Solo UAV (above), so that if you open the app in a restricted area, you’ll see a yellow “warning” or red “don’t fly” circle.
AIVAnet 