Terabit satellites to supercharge remote internet access
Despite the growth of fiber and mobile networks, satellite broadband is now more important than ever. Google and Facebook already plan to beam internet connectivity to remote parts of the globe and airlines are in the process of upgrading their equipment to provide faster WiFi aboard flights.
While there are roughly 400 commercial satellites orbiting the earth, output is limited. US communications firm ViaSat believes it can change that, so it’s teamed up aerospace giant Boeing to launch three new satellites that will deliver twice the total combined network capacity of all the connected satellites already in space.
The two companies have already begun working on two of the three ViaSat-3 satellites, which will deliver more than 1 Terabit (1,000 Gbps) of capacity each. ViaSat will design and manufacture the payload and Boeing will be tasked with developing the “associated satellite bus platforms” ahead of a 2019 launch. The first two satellites cover the Americas and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and the third will serve Asia.
Once in orbit, the ViaSat-3 array will be capable of delivering 100 Mbps internet to residential properties and will offer gigabit speeds to commercial companies in the air and oceanic sectors. Most importantly, ViaSat-3 aims to provide affordable internet to millions of people, many of whom are out of the reach of traditional networks and currently don’t have access to the internet.
ViaSat says it already has much of its infrastructure in place — its first generation 140 gigabit satellite already serves 687,000 subscribers in the US — giving it an edge over other companies and consortiums looking to connect the world from space. “The key technologies underlying ViaSat-3 are in hand today,” says ViaSat CEO Mark Dankberg. “[It’ll enable] us to move forward in building the first broadband platform to bring high-speed internet connectivity, including video streaming, to all.”
Source: ViaSat
‘Final Fantasy IX’ is now on iOS and Android
You could argue that Final Fantasy IX is the long-running series’ high point. It’s certainly the highest-rated Final Fantasy game on Metacritic, even if its sales and nostalgic value pale in comparison to Final Fantasy VII. Putting that argument aside for a moment, it’s easy to say that it’s definitely a game worth playing if you like JRPGs. And now — less than two months after it was announced — it’s available on iOS and Android. The bar for entry has never been lower.
The mobile port includes “high-definition movies and character models,” autosave, achievements and a collection of “game boosters” that let you essentially cheat your way through the game. You can speed up time, cut out random encounters or hit every enemy for 9,999 damage. The idea of the boosters is to make the game, which in its original incarnation involved well over a full day’s worth of grinding, more playable for casual gamers.
If grinding on a phone or tablet isn’t your thing — or you don’t have a phone with the necessary 8GB of free space to install it — Final Fantasy IX will also be coming to Steam in “Early 2016,” together with the enhancements mentioned above and some Steam trading cards.
Via: Kotaku
Source: Square Enix (Google Play), (App Store)
Machine turns your Twitter posts into tasty cocktails
Ever wondered what your tweets would taste like if you could distill them into a drink? Probably not, but there’s now a way to find out. Clément Gault and Koi Koi Design have whipped up Data Cocktail, an Arduino-powered machine that creates a drink based on Twitter updates. In its current incarnation, it looks for the five latest tweets mentioning keywords linked to ingredients, and fills the glass accordingly. The result is an original, spur-of-the-moment mix — it’ll even print out the ‘recipe’ (really, a ratio of the keywords) and thank the users who unwittingly contributed to the beverage.
There aren’t any known plans to let you buy Data Cocktail or make one of your own, but it could easily stick around. The creators note that they can easily change the keywords, ingredients and proportions to suit specific events. You may well see this robotic bartender producing drinks based on election coverage, award show buzz and even the trending Twitter topics du jour.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/154328950?color=fb9600&byline=0
Via: The Creators Project
Source: Data Cocktail
Tesla quietly drops the Model S 85 series in the UK
Most Brits can’t afford to buy a Tesla, but for those that can deciding which particular model to go with is now a little easier. The electric car company has quietly slimmed down its Model S range in the UK, pulling the all-wheel drive 85D, the performance-enhanced P85D and the rear-wheel drive 90. Now, drivers on the island are limited to four different configurations — the rear-wheel drive 70, the all-wheel drive 70D and 90D, and the top-tier P90D. There’s also the optional “Ludicrous Speed” upgrade that pushes the P90D’s 0-60mph time down to 2.8 seconds.
The lineup has been getting a little jumbled as Tesla introduces more efficient and refined versions of the Model S. The 70 models were a replacement for the older 60kWh vehicles and the 90 series is effectively the same for the 85 vehicles. In the UK, customers have had the option to upgrade their 85 to a 90 for more range and performance — Tesla says most people took up this offer, which is why it decided to pull the 85 line altogether. In other words, this is just a little bit of spring cleaning.
Via: AutoExpress
Netflix kids series ‘Beat Bugs’ features music of The Beatles
Amazon and Netflix are cranking out original series at a rapid pace. The content isn’t just for adults, though, as both streaming libraries feature a smattering of original kids stuff, too. Netflix is expanding its lineup with Beat Bugs: an animated series that follows the adventures of five friends. What’s more, the show is inspired by songs from The Beatles, because, you know… bugs. As you might expect, the tunes are a big part of the show and there’s some well-known artists who cover the tracks for the series.
The likes of Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder, The Shins, Sia, Of Monsters and Men, P!nk and more all lend vocals to the classic songs. Even late-night host James Corden, known for his “Carpool Karaoke,” makes an appearance. Beat Bugs is set to debut in August, but Netflix isn’t offering a specific date just yet. For now, have a look at the teaser trailer just down below.
Source: Netflix
Dear Veronica: Become a cosplay master!
I start this episode with a little rant about some Apple rumors that have been circulating about: I’m pro-headphone jack, though many Apple fans out there seem to disagree with me. Insanity, I tell you!
However, my friend Bill Doran lightens the mood a bit with some tips for making your own cosplay! In my opinion, he’s one of the most creative guys out there in that world, and you can’t have a better teacher. He even made me look cool!
Finally, I give you a little tutorial for adding people on Snapchat. Specifically, I cover searching for people’s names, but you can also add new friends by taking a photo of their Snapcode (the QR-code like image in your profile) or by using location to find people in your immediate area. I will shamelessly use this opportunity to link you to my account (open on mobile), in case you’d like to add me there! 😉
Keep sending those questions in using the hashtag #DearVeronica! Subscribe in iTunes, RSS or YouTube!
Twitter’s controversial Facebook-like feed algorithm is officially live
Twitter has officially rolled out its controversial new Facebook-like algorithm which automatically sorts your feed into what Twitter thinks you would be most interested in. While it’s really just the same thing as the “While you were away” feature already in Twitter for a year, the algorithm attracted some vitriolic responses when it was leaked last week.
See also: 6 most controversial apps and games of 2015!
For now, the feature is opt-in via the settings menu, but in a couple of weeks it will become the default setting. For those that simply hate it, there’s no need to abandon your special place in the Twittersphere, because you can still opt-out again in the settings once it becomes the default arrangement.
Starting today you can choose to try our new feature, so you’ll never miss important Tweets from people you follow: https://t.co/fS1axkDiUh
— Twitter (@twitter) February 10, 2016
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Why is it so unpopular?
The reason the idea is so unpopular is because it uses a relevancy algorithm similar to what Facebook uses, to rearrange the content in your Twitter feed rather than simply showing you an endless list of tweets in reverse-chronological order.
The idea is that the algorithm chooses the tweets you missed that you’re most likely to want to see first when you open the app again. Those tweets with tons of interaction or retweets etc will simply surface above the random flotsam and jetsam of the Twitterverse. The idea being that you see the best stuff first and then gradually make your way down until the regular feed appears with everything as it always was.
The new feed algorithm is based on the “while you were away” feature.
How to get out of it
Refreshing the feed also makes the “best” tweets disappear so you get the familiar feed arrangement. In all honesty it’s not that big of a deal. If you don’t like it, disable it in the settings. But chances are that once you try it and realize you’re getting all of the best tweets first without having to swipe down for ages, you’ll probably end up liking it better.
To enable the feature now, go to your timeline and head to the settings, then tap “Show me the best tweets first”. If you don’t, the setting will be enabled by default in the coming weeks, so if you find yourself suddenly seeing better tweets and absolutely hating it, you can follow the same path and disable the setting the same way. With any luck, Rob Lowe will remain on Twitter for years to come.
What do you think of the idea? Is it really that bad?
Twitter starts beta testing new timeline with entire user base
Twitter said they were not going to mess with the traditional chronological timeline their platform is famous for despite some earlier rumors that a new algorithm was set to be deployed. A new post on their blog today seems to indicate both reports are true. Twitter announced they are making a new curated timeline available as an option for now, but they plan to turn it on for all users over the next few weeks forcing users who do not want it to dive into their settings to turn it off.
For the initial rollout, Twitter is making the new feature an opt-in selection. Users will have to go in to the timeline section of their settings and select “Show me the best Tweets first” to turn on the new timeline option. The new timeline appears to be built using algorithms similar to what Twitter uses for their “while you were away” function. Once turned on, Twitter will curate Tweets posted while you were not on the service and “Tweets you’re most likely to care about will appear at the top of your timeline – still recent and in reverse chronological order.” The regular, reverse chronological tweets will then follow below those initial tweets.
Twitter claims that users who have tried the new feature in testing retweet and tweet more. However, some users have reported the new algorithm will sometimes split up conversations.
In their announcement, Twitter says they will turn on the feature for all users “in coming weeks” and will provide a notification in users’ timelines when that happens. Once the feature is turned on by default, users will have to then go in to their settings to turn it off if they do not want to use the new algorithm.
source: Twitter
via: The Verge
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Mad Catz posts disappointing results, cuts 37% of workforce
Mad Catz has been on a decline lately, and the drought doesn’t appear to be coming to an end anytime soon. The company is blaming the slowing sales of the Rock Band 4 game for the lack of success.
Despite great initial sales of $65 million, Rock Band 4 failed to reach the company’s expectations its first quarter up for sale. The company was relying on the game for profits and is very disappointed in the results. Total profits dropped from $1.36 million to $1.22 million year-over-year with Rock Band 4 being one of leading contributors for the decline.
It’s never good to see a company fall like this but things are even worse for Mad Catz. Just prior to the results being due, the company’s CEO resigned. This is never a good sign. Not only did the CEO resign, the chairman and vice president of business affairs also announced their retirement. This forced Mad Catz to lower its workforce by about 37%. It’s do or die time now for Mad Catz. If the company wants to get back on track, they better do something soon. We’ll keep you posted with future results and news. For more details, click on the source link down below.
Source: Mad Catz
Via: GameSpot
Come comment on this article: Mad Catz posts disappointing results, cuts 37% of workforce
How do you say Opera in Chinese? $1.2 Billion
Opera, maker of the web browser and various other technologies, confirmed they have received an acquisition offer that places the value of the company at approximately $1.2 billion USD. The offer comes from a consortium of Chinese companies including Kunlun, Qihoo 360, Golden Brick and Yonglian. The offer amount represents a premium of 53 percent above Opera’s trading price before the announcement was made.
Opera CEO Lars Boilesen thinks the company should accept the buyout offer and had this to say,
“There is strong strategic and industrial logic to the acquisition of Opera by the Consortium. The Consortium’s ownership will strengthen Opera’s position to serve our users and partners with even greater innovation and to accelerate our plans of expansion and growth.”
The Chinese companies that comprise the Consortium appear to be excited at the opportunity to acquire Opera’s brand and technology and see it as a way to continue to grow on a global basis. Although the Opera browser is probably the company’s the most well-known product, Opera has been making inroads in recent years with their advertising network and data compression, notably in the video compression space. Video continues to be a big factor in how consumers use their mobile devices, so that could be a lucrative market for Opera to be in.
The purchase by the Chinese Consortium will have to be approved by Opera shareholders and several government entities will weigh in as well. No timeline has been announced yet, but more details should be available later today as Opera is scheduled to release their earnings report and should discuss the buyout offer.
source: Re/code
Come comment on this article: How do you say Opera in Chinese? $1.2 Billion
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