Pepper robots are getting fashionable makeovers
Pepper, Softbank’s adorable emotion-sensing robot, is rapidly becoming the victim of its own cuteness after owners began dressing it up in wacky costumes. The Wall Street Journal has found that buyers of the device got together to form an intricate craft circle, making outfits for the device that won’t interfere with its sensors. Head on over to Rierie and you’ll find a wide variety of dresses, t-shirts and wigs that’ll turn the appliance into a cross between a surrogate child and a cat you put in suits for Halloween. Interestingly, users can also buy makeup stickers and earrings to make the androgynous robot appear more masculine or feminine than when sold. It’s become enough of a phenomenon that the store accepts global orders, so if you’re looking for an attractive kimono for your droid, it’ll cost you 20,000 yen ($163).
Via: WSJ
Source: Rierie
BBC Three to go off air and move online in February next year
The writing is well and truly on the wall: BBC Three will cease to exist as a broadcast TV channel from February next year. The plan to take BBC Three off the air and reinvent it online has been a long time coming, as part of an ongoing cost-cutting exercise that may also spell the death of the BBC’s Red Button services. The BBC Trust provisionally approved the move this summer ahead of a final review of how the transition to an online-only channel would be handled. Today, the broadcaster’s governing body has issued its final decision, formally green lighting BBC Three’s digital transformation.
Source: BBC Trust, About the BBC Blog, Save BBC Three
Translogic 189: 2015 LA Auto Show
Tranlsogic host Jonathon Buckely gets all the details on BMW’s 330e plug-in hybrid, Honda’s latest FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell car, the Elio Motors updated, three-wheel P5 concept, and Volvo’s Concept 26.The LA Auto Show has become known for its green cars and concepts, and 2015 was no exception. Tranlsogic host Jonathon Buckely gets all the details on BMW’s 330e plug-in hybrid straight from BMW President of North America Ludwig Willisch. Then we get up-to-date on Honda’s latest FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell car. We round out our tour with a stop at the Elio Motors booth for a look at their updated, three-wheel P5 concept and a chat with CEO Paul Elio. But first, we jump in a time machine at the Volvo booth to discuss Concept 26, an interpretation of how car interiors might evolve in the era of self-driving cars.
Black Friday Deals: Apple Accessories, Cases, Docks, Home Automation and More
In addition to Black Friday deals from Best Buy, MacMall and other major retailers, many smaller companies are offering discounts on Apple products, accessories and apps for U.S. Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
A number of those deals are highlighted below, with most beginning to go live, and more can be found in our Black Friday roundup. Please note that product availability may be limited, and prices are subject to change.
Intrepid Bag Co.
The Intrepid Bag Co., a site that makes high-quality leather bags, has an exclusive discount code for MacRumors readers. Between now and December 2nd, use the code WeLoveMacRumors10 to get a discount on any of the site’s products.
Casetify
Casetify, a site that specializes in customizable iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands, is offering 20% off site wide. MacRumors readers can get an extra 10% discount for a total of 30% off all products with the promo code MACRUMORS30. The deal will last from Friday, November 27 to Tuesday, December 1.
Sewell Direct
Sewell Direct is discounting several of its most popular products for Black Friday.
– MOS Magnetic Cord Organizer – $6.95, 65% off
– Monk Wallet cases for iPhone 4s/5s – $4.95 to $9.95, 50% off
– MOS Spring 6-ft Lightning Cable – $25.85, 30% off
– MOS Spring 1-ft Lightning Cable – $13.95, 30% off
– MOS Kick iPhone stand – $14.95, 40% off
– MOS Reach extension cord – $11.95, 40% off
SensoGlove
The SensoGlove Digital Golf Glove is available for 20% off from Thursday, November 26 to Friday, December 4 with the coupon code BlackFriday2015.
OWC
OWC has a large selection of used Macs on sale for customers who are looking to get a deal on an older machine. OWC is also offering discounts on a range of Apple-related products from Wednesday November 25 to Friday, December 4.
– Apple Lightning Cables – $7, 63% off
– Apple Earpods – $8.75, down from $29
– SSDs – Several SSDs discounted, including 100GB for $29 and 240GB for $109.80
– MagSafe Cables – New from $57.50, used from $35
– Mac Memory Kits with 8GB RAM – Starting at $58
– Mac DIY Drive Upgrade Kits – From $47
– Griffin Loop Tablet Stand – $2.90, down from $29.99
– Ten One Design Mountie Clip – $15, down from $24.95
– Edimax AC 450 Wi-Fi Wireless Adapter – $15, down from $39
– Edimax SP-2101W Smart Plug Switch – $25, down from $49
Situ Scale
Situ Scale, which we reviewed in July, is an iPad-connected scale that aims to offer a more precise picture of the calorie and nutrient content in food. The scale has gotten a lot of recent updates and is available at a 25% discount for Black Friday using the code BLACKFRIDAY when checking out. With the discount, the scale is available for $89.99 instead of $119.99. The deal is available from now until November 28.
Nodus
iPhone and iPad cases from Nodus are available at a 25% discount from Friday, November 27 to Monday, November 30.
Speck
On Black Friday through Cyber Monday, Speck will be offering 25% off all products site wide, with the exception of sale items. On MacBook items, Speck will be offering 40% off.
Zagg
On Black Friday, Zagg will offer a buy one get one free deal on its lineup of InvisibleShield screen protectors for the iPhone, iPad, and other electronic devices.
Brydge Keyboards
Brydge is offering discounts on a selection of its iPad keyboards. The BrydgeMini for iPad mini is available for $30 off, dropping the price to $99.99, while the BrydgeAir is available for $20 off, dropping the price to $129.99. The Brydge+ for older iPads is also $20 off, dropping the price to $79.99.
More deals ahead… Read more 
NTT DoCoMo conducts first real-world 5G trials in Japan
NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s largest wireless carrier, has been conducting its first real-world tests of its upcoming 5G network technology, in partnership with Nokia Network, as the company prepares to launch its high-speed network to consumers by 2020.
During a 5G data transmission test at a commercial complex in Tokyo, which took place on October 13th, the network produced 5G speeds in excess of 2Gbps. The trial used millimetre-wavelength signals at 70GHz and was the first real environmental test of this technology, as previous tests have all required transmitter line of sight. Recently, Huawei and NTT DoCoMo also demoed 5G wireless speeds using sub-6GHz bands. This resulted in end speeds at around 3.6Gbps.
“To date, no test had achieved a 5G data transmission in a commercial complex, such as a shopping mall, due to problems with base stations being out of line of sight and diffused reflections causing the attenuation of highly directional millimetre signals … This time, however, the trial was successful thanks to the use of two new technologies: beam-forming, which focuses radio waves in a specific direction, and beam-tracking to control beam-direction according to the mobile device’s location,” – DoCoMo
The use of beam forming and device tracking is seen as a key innovation to overcome issues with mm-wave mobile propagation and to bring fast 5G speeds out of the laboratory and into the real world. In Europe, a number of big names in electronics, including Nokia, are also looking into this technology too, through the mmMAGIC (Millimetre-Wave Based Mobile Radio Access Network for Fifth Generation Integrated Communications) project.
See also: AT&T Mobility chief says we shouldn’t get too excited about 5G technology quite yet
While unlikely to reflect of the final real world speeds that consumers will see during the eventual launch, this 2Gbps result is substantially faster than the world’s leading 4G network. A title currently held by New Zealand, which scores the highest average mobile network speed at 36Mbps.
DoCoMo is planning to be one of the first to launch its 5G network, which is expected to arrive sometime in 2020.
Obi Worldphone SF1 to go on sale in India on December 1
Obi Worldphone today announced that it will be bringing the SF1 to India on December 1. This comes not long after experiencing somewhat successful launches in the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam.
As a quick reminder on the specifications, you get a 5-inch Full HD JDI IPS display, a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor, a Sony IMX214 13-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front camera, and a 3,000mAh battery. This handset comes in a couple of different configurations, as you can pick up an SF1 with 32GB of internal storage and 3GB of RAM or another model with 16GB of internal storage and 2GB of RAM.
Not surprisingly, the Obi Worldphone SF1 is still sitting on Android 5.0 with the Obi Lifespeed UI on top.
Those interested will be able to pick up the 32GB ROM/3GB RAM model for ₹13,999 (USD$212) in India starting December 1.
Come comment on this article: Obi Worldphone SF1 to go on sale in India on December 1
Motorola UK begins its Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, offers savings up to 50% on popular devices
After revealing some not-so-impressive deals in the US, Motorola UK has begun its Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale, bringing some sweet deals on many popular devices. Motorola says UK residents can save up to 50% on new smartphones.
One of the more major deals Motorola UK is running this holiday season is some fairly hefty discounts on the Moto X Play and last year’s Nexus 6, which is still a nice handset. Those interested will be able to get the Moto X Play in 16GB or 32GB variations for £219 and £259, respectively. That’s savings of £60 on either device.
For those that are more interested in fast updates and the slickest interface available with Android, the Nexus 6 is available in 32GB and 64GB variants for £250 and £310, respectively. That’s savings of £229 on either device. It’s definitely a steal, and is the perfect gift to throw under the Christmas tree for a loved one this year.
Motorola UK is running deals on plenty of other devices, so be sure to hit the source link below to get the full scoop on all of the crazy deals. Motorola UK says they’ll be running these until 11:59pm (GMT) on November 30.
source: Motorola UK
Come comment on this article: Motorola UK begins its Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, offers savings up to 50% on popular devices
Nvidia’s SHIELD Tablet X1 is spotted on benchmarking site
It’s been an interesting year for Nvidia, what with the worldwide recall of its SHIELD Tablet thanks to some battery issues that caused the tablet to become a potential fire hazard. In recent weeks, the graphics company released a revised version of the tablet called the SHIELD Tablet K1, which has been well-received. Moving on, Nvidia is in the process of developing a new SHIELD Tablet sporting the powerful Tegra X1 processor, which has been spotted being put through its paces on GFXBench.
According to the benchmark results, this new tablet, appropriately called the SHIELD Tablet X1, sports the following specifications:
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 8-Inch Full HD display (1920 x 1200 resolution)
- Nvidia Tegra X1 quad-core processor @ 1.9GHz (Cortex A57 – ARMv8) & GPU
- 3GB RAM
- 32GB Internal storage
- Unspecified front and rear cameras
- Bluetooth/WiFi/GPS/Compass
It isn’t known whether the SHIELD Tablet X1 supports MicroSD memory cards, nor what the megapixel count is for the front and rear cameras. NFC is one feature that appears to be missing as well. It’s good to see that the tablet is running Marshmallow from the outset, though. It’s unknown when Nvidia’s SHIELD Tablet X1 will be officially announced, but CES 2016 just around the corner, you can guarantee more details will be announced or leaked in the coming weeks.
Source: GFXBenchmark
Via: WinFuture
Come comment on this article: Nvidia’s SHIELD Tablet X1 is spotted on benchmarking site
‘Sensible Soccer’ remake will happen without its Kickstarter
Developer Jon Hare surprised many people when he announced that iconic football game Sensible Soccer was getting a spiritual successor. With Codemasters still owning the rights to the existing franchise, Hare and his team launched the new Sociable Soccer concept and took to Kickstarter with a lofty funding goal of £300,000. Despite lots of early buzz, the game never looked like hitting its target, reaching £32,498 from 1767 backers. And so a decision was made to kill the Kickstarter campaign completely.
Source: Sociable Soccer
Watch this Czech pirate’s YouTube video or he’ll get a huge fine
The Czech Republic’s first convicted software pirate has been offered an unexpected way of escaping punishment: log 200,000 video views on YouTube and Facebook or be handed a huge fine. The man in question, who is 30 years old and known only as Jakub F, was originally handed a three-year suspended sentence and asked to forfeit his PC, hard drives and DVD backups after being found guilty of sharing illegal copies of Windows and other copyrighted software on forums over the past eight years.
Via: Prague Monitor
Source: The Story of My Piracy
AIVAnet 