The Navy wants to deploy railguns on its latest destroyer
The US Navy’s latest toy, a railgun that can fire projectiles at seven times the speed of sound, maybe be deployed sooner than thought. The original plan was to test it on joint high-speed vessels (JHSVs) in 2016, but the Navy is reportedly building an operational unit that could be installed on the USS Lyndon. B. Johnson, according to the Associated Press. That ship, the last of three Zumwalt-class destroyers, would be an ideal candidate because its Rolls Royce turbine generators produce 78 megawatts, more than enough to power the electromagnetic weapon.
Zumwalt destroyers are designed to attack land-based targets, a function that also suits the railgun perfectly. The projectiles have so much kinetic energy that they don’t need large explosive charges (see the video, below). That, in turn, lets them take the place of missiles for a fraction of the price. If the railgun is deployed on the USS Lyndon B. Johnson, scheduled for service in 2018, it will replace a forward 155mm gun that fires rocket-propelled weapons.
The Navy’s director of surface warfare, Pete Fanta last month mused that that the railgun could be deployed directly on battleships. Testing them on the JHSVs is still officially the plan, but the military may go straight to an operational unit, possibly with a smaller projectile. Even though it’s new, the Navy has a lot of confidence in the high-tech weapon. “It’s engineering at this point, it’s no longer science,” Fanta told Defense News.
Source: Associated Press
Mattel will launch a redesigned VR View-Master this fall
Mattel refreshed the View-Master for virtual reality last year with a version based on Google Cardboard, and this weekend it showed off an updated design at the New York Toy Fair. The View-Master Viewer DLX has better optical lenses, focal adjustment and, most importantly, a headphone connector. Gizmodo got some hands-on time with the device during the show, and also noticed a redesigned smartphone bracket that’s ready to deal with more phones no matter what size or shape they are. It will also apparently see a price bump from $30 to $40, but the changes seem worth an extra $10 — hopefully we’ll be able to give its VR / AR capabilities another look before it goes on sale later this year.
New York Toy Fair just got the first look! View-Master® Viewer DLX is launching this Fall with 🔑features! #VR #AR pic.twitter.com/MSoOqScgpr
— View-Master (@ViewMaster) February 14, 2016
Via: Gizmodo
Source: View-Master (Twitter)
LG’s ‘Specialist’ phones each bring one high-end feature
We still haven’t seen all of LG’s next premium phone, the G5, but tonight it’s unveiling two interesting midrange handsets. Dubbed the Specialist S Series, the X cam and X screen are both fairly basic phones with Android Marshmallow 6.0, quad-core CPUs, 2GB of RAM and a smallish 16GB of storage for what we assume will be a reasonable price. As you can probably guess, each one then brings a extra…special feature.
The X cam has a dual 13MP / 5MP rear camera setup to go with a curved finish up front, while the X screen steals its small always-on second-screen display feature from the V10, with a 1.76-inch screen that displays notifications, battery life and other info. We’re learn more about these phones in a week at Mobile World Congress 2016, and LG says they’re coming to certain Asia, Europe and Latin America markets next month.
Source: LG
Telltale Games previews ‘The Walking Dead: Michonne’
As promised, Telltale Games has delivered a six-minute preview for its next The Walking Dead game. TWD: Michonne will focus on the dual-katana wielding character in a story that fits into a bit of missing time from the original graphic novel. It won’t have anything to do with the new episode that aired on TB tonight, but instead players will follow along as Michonne turns pirate and hits the zombie-infested high seas. The first episode of the $15 miniseries will come to PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360 on February 23rd, before arriving on Android and iOS on February 25th.
Source: Telltale Games (YouTube)
Telltale Games previews ‘The Walking Dead: Michonne’
As promised, Telltale Games has delivered a six-minute preview for its next The Walking Dead game. TWD: Michonne will focus on the dual-katana wielding character in a story that fits into a bit of missing time from the original graphic novel. It won’t have anything to do with the new episode that aired on TB tonight, but instead players will follow along as Michonne turns pirate and hits the zombie-infested high seas. The first episode of the $15 miniseries will come to PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360 on February 23rd, before arriving on Android and iOS on February 25th.
Source: Telltale Games (YouTube)
Little Robot Adventure – Ads and Platforms [Review]
Overview
Little Robot Adventure is the story of a tiny robot that journeys through various stages, crushing enemies and collecting pieces of a world. As you collect pieces, your world becomes more complete.
Developer:Â FunkyZooInk
Price:Â Free (Ad-Supported, In-App Purchases)
Highlights:
- 5 Worlds, 5 levels each.
- Build a vibrant world, piece by piece.
- Classic platforming style.
Setup
This app supports Google Play Games, so you’ll be prompted to log in at the launch of the game. After initial setup, there are no additional steps to perform.
Features
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
Little Robot Adventure will be familiar to anyone that’s ever played a Mario game. The controls are extremely simple – lateral movement left and right, and a jump button; that’s it. You begin the game in a completely grayscale world, completely without enemies. The only source of color beyond the little robot is a treasure chest at the end of the level. why is it there? Why does it have color when nothing else does? No idea. but when you open it, enemies populate the world from then, on. At the end of each level you unlock more and more pieces of the world, eventually creating a vibrant environment to explore.
Bleak beginnings…
…blossom into Beauty.
Throughout the world you will collect screws, a sort of currency with which you can purchase a few upgrades for your Robot. In addition, there are also some in-app purchases that you can use to eliminate ads, purchase additional screws, or buy extra lives. If you enjoy the game, I highly recommend purchasing the ad-free version, because this game has a lot of ads. Oh, you died? Have an ad, maybe two – heck, maybe a video! There’s ads in the banner, there’s ads in the footer…basically, anywhere you might insert an ad, there is one.
Trapped. 
I encountered a few frustrating quirks in my expedition through Robot’s world; On my very first level, for instance, I fell through the environment and became trapped inside one of the bricks! Then it happened again, on the next level. And again, on the third. After that it seemed to only happen intermittently, but definitely enough to be frustrating. The controls are, at times, unresponsive, and the game itself suffers from some performance issues, even on a Nexus 6P. I also ran into an issue where the achievement for unlocking a world did not unlock despite my being in that world.
More beauty.
The graphics are ridiculously simple, but grow more vibrant and at times beautiful as you progress through the game. The sound design is also simple, but not nearly in as charming a way as the visuals.
What I like
- Platforming.
- Creating a world.
What I don’t
- So. Many. Ads.
- Performance issues.
- Glitchy controls.
Conclusion
Little Robot Adventure is a fun, frustrating, glitchy adventure with a unique, if simple, style and a frustrating amount of ads. The controls can be a little wonky at times and you will die. A lot. If you intend on owning the game for an extended period of time, do yourself a favor and buy the ad-free version. You’ll be significantly less frustrated.
Google Play Store – Â Little Robot Adventure
The post Little Robot Adventure – Ads and Platforms [Review] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google’s self-driving car project is on a hiring spree
Google is on a hiring spree – only not all of its openings are for programmers or web designers. The internet giant is ramping up its self-driving car project, listing 36 jobs under its Google X project. Among them are positions in manufacturing and engineering related to developing systems including motion control, robotics, and sensors.
The listings include a variety of roles, including mechanical, automotive NVH, vehicle safety, and reliability engineers. There are other positions for marketing, policy analysis, and even real estate and workplace services related to the project. The hiring spree suggests that Google is ramping up its self-driving car program.
“The self-driving car project aims to improve people’s lives by transforming mobility and making it easier and safer for everyone to get around, regardless of their ability to drive,” reads the introduction to many of the job listings. “So far, we’ve self-driven over one million miles and are currently out on the streets of Mountain View, California and Austin, Texas.”
Google has been one of several companies at the forefront of autonomous vehicle development. The big question remains whether it will go it alone in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its self-driving cars, or partner with an existing major automaker in bringing its technologies to the street. The company has been rumored to team up with Ford, but an expected announcement at CES focused instead on Dearborn’s partnership with Amazon. Meanwhile, General Motors has invested heavily in rival transport tech startups Lyft and Sidecar as the automotive giant seeks to transform itself into an on-demand mobility company.
Related Video:
Via: Reuters
Source: Google Careers
Crowdfunding project of the week – Rook drone can be controlled from anywhere
We are changing things a bit around here, as you can tell by the title. Our weekly ‘Kickstarter project of the week’ showcases some of the hottest crowdfunding tech in the web. We try to curate a list with the best of the best, but realize that there is more than just Kickstarter out there. This is why we have changed the series title to ‘Crowdfunding project of the week’.
Other featured crowdfunding projects:
Let’s start fresh, shall we? Today we have a crowdfunding project from Indiegogo. Rook is a drone, but it is not quite your average drone. No matter how high-tech a flying drone is, it is limited by distance. You usually need to be within close range to control it. The Rook can be controlled from anywhere in the world, so long as you and the drone have an internet connection.
The idea is actually quite simple. The Rook connects to any WiFi network and can be controlled via an Android (or iOS) app remotely. All you need is an internet connection on both ends.
But this also means there are limitations. Though your distance from the drone is not an issue, the flying gadget needs to be within WiFi range. That is ok, though, because this drone’s purpose is a bit different.
See also: Best tech gifts under $500 (2015 holiday guide)
This is more of a home security system of sorts. Want to check on the kids? Maybe you need to see if a package arrived… or if you left the stove on! Just pull out your smartphone and fly over to see what’s going on around your home through the integrated camera. When you are done, just fly it back to its wireless charging station and you will be set for your next flight.
So, what’s the damage? Well, the drone will go on sale for $200 once it hits retail, but backers can get one for as low as $99. They have reached almost 25% of their $20,000 funding goal, but the campaign still has a month to go.
Shipments start on December, so you do have to wait a bit for it. Did the Rook catch your eye? Are you thinking of backing this one? Hit the comments and let us know! Just hit the button below to check out the Indiegogo page.
The NBA counts more than a billion likes and followers
Ahead of tonight’s NBA All-Star Game, the league proclaimed it’s the first pro sports association with over a billion combined likes and followers on social media. It’s debatable how many people that figure actually represents, but it apparently comes from combining likes and follows for the league, teams and individual players across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tencent and Sina. However you count it, there’s no doubt that the NBA encourages interaction online, claiming nearly 90 percent of players have an account at least one platform. Unsurprisingly, LeBron James leads players with 66.3 million likes and followers, while the Lakers are the number one team despite racking up an 11 – 44 record this season.
Experience this monumental throw-down by @Double0AG in freeD courtesy of @Intel at #VerizonDunk. https://t.co/LsPHU24Z3j
— NBA (@NBA) February 14, 2016
That time Aaron Gordon pretty much SAT on the basketball mid-air then dropped the hammer? Yaah #NBAVine #VerizonDunk https://t.co/GSakM9vvQ3
— NBA (@NBA) February 14, 2016
Look no further than last night’s slam-dunk contest, where even those who weren’t watching the competition online could easily find instant replays posted to Vine, Instagram and YouTube — often by official league accounts. In direct contrast to other leagues (specifically the NFL, which heavily favors its official relationships) the NBA hasn’t gone after people quickly reposting its highlights, and it has benefited by getting quick responses to big highlight plays or a sudden Steph Curry hot streak. Before the 2014 season it added the @NBA Twitter handle to the official game ball, and also provides advanced stat tracking to fans online.
Top 10 NBA Players Across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
1) LeBron James, Cleveland: 66.3 million total likes and followers
2) Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers: 33.7 million
3) Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City: 28.8 million
4) Dwyane Wade, Miami: 22.1 million
5) Carmelo Anthony, New York: 15.9 million
6) Stephen Curry, Golden State: 15.3 million
7) Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers: 13.6 million
8) Derrick Rose, Chicago: 12.8 million
9) Dwight Howard, Houston: 12.7 million
10) Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City: 10.0 millionTop 5 NBA Teams Across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
1) Los Angeles Lakers: 28.3 million total likes and followers
2) Chicago Bulls: 22.5 million
3) Miami Heat: 21.6 million
4) Boston Celtics: 11.3 million
5) Golden State Warriors: 10.3 million
*Yes, that is a person in a seated position with the basketball underneath them, jumping over a mascot that is riding on a “hoverboard.” That happened. Welcome to 2016.
Source: NBA
AIVAnet 