A drone that can fly, float and dive underwater

In the future, there will be no escape from robotic observation. Proof (if proof were needed) comes in the form of Loon Copter, a drone developed by Oakland University’s Embedded Systems Research Laboratory that can not only fly, but also land on and even navigate under the water’s surface. The Loon Copter project has been around a while, but this latest prototype is much more polished, and a semifinalist in the 2016 Drones for Good competition.

At a glance, the Loon Copter looks much like a conventional quadcopter, just with a taller, barrel-like body. The drone can land and float on water, much like other craft, but its party trick is the ability to fill its buoyancy chamber, causing it to safely sink to a few meters beneath the surface. The clever design causes the Loon to tilt 90 degrees in the water, so that its propellors act like outboard motors, letting it navigate the (not very deep) blue like other subaquatic robots. When the water is released, the Loon floats back to the surface, at which point it can take to the skies again.

Of course, the official line is that these multi-talented drones could help with search and rescue operations, or underwater engineering inspections. But, even that has a few challenges right now. Currently transmitting live video back to a console above ground isn’t possible, so video has to be recorded for playback later. Future versions of the Loon Copter could use acoustic modems or repeater buoys to allow for live streaming, avoiding the need for a tether. Now if they could just make it a little bigger, we’d have the ultimate adventure vehicle.

Via: Gizmag

Source: Oakland University

Garmin’s TruSwing golf sensor can help you improve your game

Data-tracking sensors are becoming popular across the world of sports. In golf, we’ve seen this type of technology before from startups like Zepp, which created a swing analyzer that attaches to a player’s glove. And now, Garmin is ready to do something similar. The company has introduced its TruSwing, a small and lightweight gadget for golfers who want to know more details about their time on the course. When paired with Garmin’s Connect Mobile app, available for iOS and Android, the accessory delivers 3D animations to give you instant feedback on your swing.

You can view different angles of how you’re hitting the ball, as well as the potential distance and trajectory of it, and use that information to see what you can do to improve your stroke. The TruSwing measures a mere 2.40 inches and weighs only 28 grams, making it portable enough for you to take to every golf session — especially since it hooks onto any club. Garmin says it will sync with some of its Approach watches too, including the S20, a golf-oriented wearable that’s being announced today for $200.

As if that wasn’t enough, Garmin’s also revealing the Approach G10, a tiny clip-on device that will give golfers access to data from over 40,000 golf courses. It’ll cost $130, $20 less than the TruSwing, with both expected to ship sometime within the next few months (Q1 2016) — the same goes for the new Approach S20.

BBC Three’s online relaunch starts with new shows and sites

BBC Three is undergoing its wildest metamorphosis to date as it prepares to close its TV channel and move its operations entirely online. That means plenty of new shows and a new means of distribution that goes beyond iPlayer. Over the next few days a site will be introduced called The Daily Drop featuring a mixture of short-form videos, blog posts, news stories and social media. It’ll be joined in February by another platform called The Best Of, which is designed to showcase the team’s top programming. That includes original longform content, such as documentaries, as well as shorter, more creative videos inspired by YouTube and the like.

With these come a range of fresh commissions designed to show off the BBC’s new vision. They include Clique, a six-part drama about two childhood soulmates, Georgia and Holly, who attend Edinburgh University and quickly get caught up in a “seductive world” led by the city’s high-flying business types. There’s also a mystery series called Unsolved: The Boy Who Disappeared, which follows reporters Alys Harte and Bronagh Munro as they follow an investigation into a teenager’s real-life disappearance. If you think that sounds like Serial, you’re not alone.

Other highlights include Black Power, a new documentary by filmmaker Dan Murdoch about the Black Liberation Movement, and a second series of Life And Death Row, which looks at young people behind bars.

When the decision was made to move BBC Three online, people weren’t happy. An ultimately unsuccessful online petition was set up, championing its programming and the role it plays on television. The broadcaster carried on regardless though, and with good reason — it faces tough budget cuts and is trying to keep up with youngsters’ consumption habits, which are increasingly moving online. With this new approach, the BBC believes it can be more adventurous than before, trying new formats that wouldn’t have been possible through a regular TV schedule.

The relaunch marks a rare chance for BBC Three to reinvent itself. A successful slate of programming could re-establish its place among youth media, while a series of misfires will all but bury the brand forever.

Source: BBC (Press Release)

Dixons Carphone to close 11 percent of UK stores

The British high street is a difficult place to compete. Dixons Carphone, the company behind Currys, PC World and Carphone Warehouse, knows that all too well after announcing plans to shutter 134 stores. The downsizing manoeuvre will merge any remaining PC World and Currys outlets under a single brand — the convoluted “Currys PC World” — with a smaller Carphone Warehouse section inside. Although its footprint will shrink by 11 percent, Dixons Carphone says it’s “very confident” the move will have a “neutral or better” impact on sales and staff numbers. It’s an ambitious target, and one that puts faith in its new three-in-one store concept.

The closures could be a long overdue knock-on effect from the Dixons and Carphone Warehouse merger in 2014. It’s more likely, however, an admittance that the company has strong competition and needs to be strategic with where and how it serves customers. Carphone Warehouse, for instance, is battling countless stores run by EE, Three and other UK networks, while its own carrier experiment, iD, hasn’t made much of an impression. Currys and PC World are still some of the biggest gadget retailers in the UK, but they’re up against companies like John Lewis and Argos, not to mention dedicated Apple and Samsung stores.

Throw Amazon and the rest of the online shopping world into the mix and Dixons Carphone has its hands full. Seb James, group CEO of Dixons Carphone, says he’s still “very happy” with the company’s performance over 2015/16, which included “good like-for-like growth” over its peak trading period. It would make sense, then, for the company to abandon some stores now and refurbish the rest while the going is still good.

Source: Dixons Carphone