Watch an autonomous drone deftly avoid obstacles

Skydio, an aerial drone startup, recently released an impressive highlight reel of its first UAV nimbly avoiding obstacles as it followed a group of cyclists during their ride through Menlo Park, California. Unlike the new DJI Phantom 4, which will simply halt its forward progress and try to fly over an obstruction, Skydio’s unnamed prototype barrels right through them.

That’s easier said than done, however. “There’s essentially no margin for error,” Skydio CEO Adam Bry told MIT Tech Review. “You can’t stop and turn everything off, because if you do that, you crash. In fact, if anything goes wrong on any part of the system, the most likely outcome is that you crash.”

Skydio’s UAV pairs a forward facing camera with in-house developed vision-tracking software to prevent that from happening. This allows the drone to see, recognize and avoid obstacles in real time. These capabilities will be crucial as drones gain more autonomy and move into wider inspection and surveillance roles. While there’s no word on when Skydio’s prototype will actually make it to market, the year-old company has already raised $25 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz and Accel Partners.

Source: MIT Tech Review

On the Brink of Greatness: Senior Startup Challenge

Silicon Valley is a young, vibrant place that values youth as a commodity above all else, so what can it do for older people? Can technology offer something for the folks that aren’t scooting around on self-balancing skateboards? That’s the question Steve Goldbloom and his crew want to ask with this week’s episode of mockumentary On the Brink of Greatness. He’s taken representatives from five local startups to the Piedmont Gardens retirement community to face the wrath of a (toothless) shark tank.

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ arrives on Blu-ray and DVD April 5th

After raking in over $2 billion in box offices around the world, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is set to take over your living room. The J.J. Abrams-directed film will be available as a digital HD purchase from the likes of iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and more on April 1st. If you’d rather secure a physical copy the movie will be available via a Blu-ray combo pack and DVD April 5th. As you might expect, there’s a load of behind-the-scenes content (sadly, digital extras “may vary by retailer”), including the making of the film, building BB-8, creating creatures and the music of John Williams. In fact, there’s a full-length documentary with footage and interviews on how The Force Awakens was made.

• Secrets of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey – For the first time, discover the complete story behind the making of The Force Awakens, revealed through in-depth footage and exclusive interviews with the actors and filmmakers in this feature documentary.
• The Story Awakens: The Table Read – Cast members familiar and new reflect on the memorable day they all first came together to read the movie’s script.
• Building BB-8 – See how the filmmakers brought the newest droid to the screen, creating an instant fan favorite in the Star Wars universe.
• Crafting Creatures – Watch movie magic as the filmmakers bring a cast of new creatures to life.
• Blueprint of a Battle: The Snow Fight – Go deeper into the epic, climactic lightsaber battle between Rey and Kylo Ren.
• John Williams: The Seventh Symphony – The legendary composer shares personal insights of his work on Star Wars and The Force Awakens.
• ILM: The Visual Magic of The Force – An insider’s look into the remarkable digital artistry of the movie’s visual effects.
• Force For Change – Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. See how the Star Wars: Force for Change initiative has united Star Wars fans all over the globe to help others.
• Plus Deleted Scenes

Amazon removes encryption support in latest Fire OS update

As Apple continues to battle the FBI in favor of device encryption, it appears that Amazon has quietly gone the other way. According to several owners of Amazon’s tablets, the latest Fire OS 5 update actually removes encryption support from its devices. That means that if you previously had your Fire device encrypted, the latest OS update will essentially break that encryption. So you can either stick with the current OS to remain encrypted but miss out on Android security updates, or you can update to OS 5 and risk your personal data being stolen. Neither of which are great options, and you can see a slew of customers complaining about it in Amazon’s support forums.

While Apple fights the good fight, @Amazon removes encryption as option from FireOS 5 | @csoghoian @normative @eff pic.twitter.com/nggBdtFG7j

— David Scovetta (@davidscovetta) March 3, 2016

It’s worth noting here that Amazon did actually file an amicus brief supporting Apple in its fight against the FBI. The company has also been very bullish in saying that its Amazon Echo products — which are always listening for certain keywords — have strong encryption. So it’s unusual to see the company essentially backtrack on its encryption efforts with the latest Fire OS update, especially as the rest of the tech industry rallies around Apple. We’ve reached out to Amazon for comment and will update this post if we hear more.

Update: Amazon has responded with the following statement:

In the fall when we released Fire OS 5, we removed some enterprise features that we found customers weren’t using. All Fire tablets’ communication with Amazon’s cloud meet our high standards for privacy and security including appropriate use of encryption.

Source: Motherboard

Researchers train monkeys to mind-control a wheelchair

A team of scientists at Duke University have developed a wheelchair that is controlled exclusively by the thoughts of its user — in this case, one of two lab monkeys — and have published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports. The prototype system relies on an implanted Brain-Machine Interface (BMI), rather than the scalp-mounted EEG that similar devices use. The BMI, though more invasive, does allow for a higher degree of command with less lag. “We wanted to have something that is closer to the way we move for a human who is completely paralyzed,” study leader Dr. Miguel Nicolelis told Business Insider, “because you can control each movement continuously.”

Once the Duke team implanted the wireless control devices in their simian test subjects, they first passively recorded the monkeys’ brains waves while driving them around on the wheelchair. They used this data to create an algorithm that translates the monkeys’ intentions into electrical signals that drive the machine. From there, it was simply a matter of giving the monkeys control over the chair and letting them loose.

It took them less than a day to get the hang of driving and they quickly became proficient. When placed in a random location within the test room, the monkeys consistently managed to direct the wheelchair towards their reward: a bowl of fruit. The researchers hope that this technology can eventually be adapted for human use. First, however, the team must overcome their BMI’s 2-hour battery life.

Via: Business Insider

Source: Nature

Twitter, Reddit and more file brief to support Apple vs the FBI

Several tech companies have voiced support for Apple in its battle with the FBI over iPhone encryption. Today, lawyers for a group of 16 companies, including Twitter, filed a brief formally backing Cupertino in regards to the case. The group also includes Airbnb, eBay, GitHub, Kickstarter, LinkedIn, Reddit, Square and Squarespace, among others. In the brief, the group explains that its members “regularly assist in law-enforcement investigations” and look to make sure “government requests for user data are made within the bounds of applicable laws.”

“The government’s demand here, at its core, is unbound by any legal limits,” the brief explains.

By filing the legal document, the group is urging the US District Court in California to deny the motion to compel Apple to comply with the FBI’s request. If you’ll recall, Apple already filed a motion to vacate that request, citing that what the FBI is asking of the company is unconstitutional. This latest group of over a dozen companies joins the likes of Microsoft in filing paperwork to formalize support of Tim Cook & Co. in the case. You can browse the full text of the brief down below.

Separately, AT&T also filed a “friend of the court” brief that also urges the California court to vacate its previous order. “Without question, the government should use every lawful means to investigate those crimes, and that includes compelling Apple’s cooperation to the full extent permitted by law,” explains AT&T SVP and general counsel David McAtee in a blog post. “In this case, however, the government seeks more than what can be supported under the law as it is written today.”

Source: Reuters Business (Twitter), CNBC Now (Twitter)

Egyptian student faces deportation over Trump threat

An Egyptian student studying in California faces deportation after posting a threatening message about Donald Trump on Facebook. 23-year-old Emad Elsayed posted a picture of Trump on FB back in February with a caption to the effect of, according to his attorney, “If I killed this guy I wouldn’t mind serving a life sentence and the world would thank me.” While this statement seems fairly innocuous compared to the abuse President Obama endures on social media (and most women for that matter), federal agents have since detained Elsayed and are now threatening to deport him.

According to court documents, it was Elsayed’s instructor at his flight-training school, Universal Air Academy, that narc’d on him to the FBI. The Feds then forwarded the case to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the State Department and the Secret Service. Over the next week, federal agents repeatedly interviewed Elsayed as well as his instructor, Alex Khatib; and searched Elsayed’s home.

They also informed Khatib “that the State Department revoked Mr. Elsayed’s M-1 visa and that it was better for Mr. Elsayed to leave the country,” according to the instructor’s written testimony. “They told me that there were no criminal charges to be filed against Mr. Elsayed, and that the only thing that is left is to terminate his I-20. Based on their information and their suggestion, I terminated the I-20 of Mr. Elsayed.”

Khatib, at the behest of the Secret Service, then told Elsayed to come to the flight school where he was promptly arrested. “Mr. Elsayed was taken into custody Feb. 12 by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) for allegedly violating the terms of his admission to the United States,” ICE spokesperson Virginia Kice wrote to The Intercept. “ICE placed Mr. Elsayed in removal proceedings and it will now be up to immigration courts … to determine whether he has a legal basis to remain in the U.S.”

Elsayed’s legal counsel is not impressed with the government’s handling of the situation. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” attorney Hani Bushra told TI. “Immigration has been used as a way to punish him and get him out of the country after the U.S. attorney’s office — which is the highest judicial arm of the executive branch — declined to prosecute this case and bring it to court.” What’s more, the judge has denied bond to Elsayed after prosecutors submitted his FB post into evidence and claimed he was a threat to the community. The case is set to reconvene on March 4th.

Source: The Intercept

Watch today’s Nintendo Direct right here!

The moment is almost upon us: the next Nintendo Direct starts at 5 PM ET / 2 PM PT. But before you get your hopes up too high, it won’t have anything to do with the company’s Wii U follow-up, the machine that’s codenamed “NX.” Same goes for any announcements about Nintendo’s mobile initiative. Instead, we’re promised that this event will be all about games releasing over the course of spring and summer. What’re those? Well, we still haven’t heard an awful lot about Star Fox Zero since its delay so expect that to change.

Similarly, there haven’t been any announcements about timing for those last add-on fighters for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Of course, that’s to say nothing of possible updates for the 3DS handheld. And then there’s the elephant in the room wearing a funny green hat, the next Legend of Zelda. Will we get a launch date?

The answer to that question and much, much more resides in the stream embedded below. It all starts pretty soon! Join us for this special occasion that’s sure to help you think of the warmer months ahead, won’t you?

Source: Nintendo

The Calendar Watch previews your schedule at a glance

Last year, What Watch introduced its Stop the Time watch, which offered a minimalistic flourish of smart technology on top of a classic wrist-worn timepiece. The idea was to purposely limit the feature set, freeing users from data overload through a conceptual design. With the press of a single-use button, you could mark up to five “moments” each month, which lit up elements on the watch’s e-ink display.

This month, the company is back with another technologically restrained wearable, the Calendar Watch. It still avoids data overload by keeping things simple: You can look at the time and also see your schedule at a glance. The product just launched on Kickstarter, but we got a chance to speak with What Watch co-founder Igor Basargin and take a look at the first batch of prototypes. They won’t help you track steps or control a playlist, but the pie-wedge schedule view seems a useful addition to a pretty decent-looking watch.

At first glance, the Calendar Watch seems like a basic timepiece, but you’ll notice the differences on closer inspection. Analog hands and numerical indicators sit on a clear sheet above an e-ink display, which shows the wedge-shaped schedule blocks that give it its name. There’s no crown or controls on the 47mm-wide stainless steel exterior either — the time and display are all controlled by your smartphone. This helps make it waterproof to five atmospheres (50 meters), which is good for showering and shallow swimming. The watch hardware is secured between two removable metal rails (lugs), and while the straps may look traditional, they’re hiding foldable solid links for quick release.

Three styles will be available at launch: Polar White, Aqua Blue and Special Edition Black, with a selection of additional straps and lugs so you can customize the look. We’re told the black model is the most popular one so far, but after seeing them in person, I’m currently championing the Aqua Blue.

The smart functionality is based around the company’s app pulling in free/busy data from your phone’s calendars and translating that into a shaded wedge on the watch face. Right now, there’s support for Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo, Facebook events and Yandex. Each hour on your watch references four 15-minute segments from your calendar, which will be shaded where a corresponding event or meeting is scheduled.

Since the watches have a traditional 12-hour display, the app provides two ways to deal with seeing your full 24-hour day. Flexible mode shows you 12 hours ahead of your current time, erasing completed meetings as time passes. With fixed mode, you’ll see a static schedule of 12 hours ahead from the moment you set it. Double-tapping the display while it’s facing upward will show you a five-second preview of the next 12 hours. If you have reminders set for any appointments, the watch will vibrate and the display will blink for each one, giving you a heads-up about your upcoming meetings.

In case your phone’s battery dies, the watch retains a 48-hour backup of your schedule. You may not know where you’re supposed to be, but you’ll know you’re missing something. As for the watch itself, it’s rated for three weeks on a charge, although the model we saw had been running for four weeks. It was on its last legs, though. At 15 percent charge, the second hand will start to stagger instead of smoothly ticking along, and as the battery runs even lower, it will pause and jump in delayed 15-second segments. The charger is still being built, but the 3D-printed prototype leans toward a basic cradle design, so you’ll need more than just a cable when you’re traveling.

Of course, the company is still fine-tuning the final design of the Calendar Watch. It’s already received feedback about the poor visibility of the second and minute hands on darker-colored watch faces. Since the e-paper display isn’t luminescent, some method of increasing the hands’ visibility in the dark is also being considered.

The Calendar Watch has already passed its goal on Kickstarter, and the company seems well on its way to delivering the final retail version for September 2016. The baseline model starts at around $480, which isn’t cheap, but we’re told it’s the unavoidable result of high-end materials and a limited production run. Its smart functionality may be minimal by design, but it’ll free you from notification overload while still keeping you on schedule at a glance.

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Coming to iTunes on April 1

Disney today announced that the newest film in the popular Star Wars saga, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, will be available on iTunes, Disney Movies Anywhere, and other Digital HD sources on Friday, April 1, several days ahead of a planned April 5 Blu-ray and DVD release.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens takes place 30 years after Return of the Jedi, pitting new characters like scavenger Rey and former stormtrooper Finn against Kylo Ren and the First Order. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher also reprise their roles as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia.

Digital bonus features will vary by retailer, but may include behind-the-scenes interviews and details on the making of the film, the building of the BB-8 droid, deleted scenes, and more. Apple and Disney have not specified which features will be included with the iTunes version of the movie.

– Secrets of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey – For the first time, discover the complete story behind the making of The Force Awakens, revealed through in-depth footage and exclusive interviews with the actors and filmmakers in this feature documentary
– The Story Awakens: The Table Read – Cast members familiar and new reflect on the memorable day they all first came together to read the movie’s script
– Building BB-8 – See how the filmmakers brought the newest droid to the screen, creating an instant fan favorite in the Star Wars universe
– Crafting Creatures – Watch movie magic as the filmmakers bring a cast of new creatures to life
– Blueprint of a Battle: The Snow Fight – Go deeper into the epic, climactic lightsaber battle between Rey and Kylo Ren
– John Williams: The Seventh Symphony – The legendary composer shares personal insights of his work on Star Wars and The Force Awakens
– ILM: The Visual Magic of The Force – An insider’s look into the remarkable digital artistry of the movie’s visual effects.
– Force For Change – Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. See how the Star Wars: Force for Change initiative has united Star Wars fans all over the globe to help others.

Ahead of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Apple debuted a Star Wars-themed Apple Music radio station, released a digital collection of all Star Wars movies, and promoted the Star Wars: The Force Awakens soundtrack.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is already available for pre-order from iTunes for $19.99 for HD and $14.99 for SD. [Direct Link]

Tags: iTunes, Star Wars
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