Nintendo’s Power Glove transformed into drone controller
Nintendo’s Power Glove may have been forward-thinking and innovative during its time, but unfortunately it didn’t always function as well as we hoped it would. Luckily one creative computer engineering grad has given it a new lease on life as a wireless drone controller.
Debuting at Maker Faire 2016, Nolan Moore tore down the Power Glove, then reassembled it with a Wi-Fi transmitter, flex sensors and a wealth of additional components to transform it from so-so retro peripheral into a powerful controller that can alter the course of a drone with simple hand movements. For instance, making a fist gets the drone to roll, which a flat hand makes the drone hover in place.
Moore’s work is impressive, and you can see it in action in the video below. But that’s not all he plans on doing with the glove. In the future he’ll be replacing the Wi-Fi module with Bluetooth, an RC or IR transmitter or other custom RD or USB HID dongle. The final form for this hacked Power Glove will be a Universal HID. And so far, the project is looking really, really good.
Via: Popular Mechanics
Facebook tests News Feed-only posts that avoid your Timeline
Being able to hide a Facebook update after it posts isn’t entirely new, but the social network is testing a way to let users keep things from ever hitting their Timeline. A “Hide From Your Timeline” checkbox will allow you to only publish something in the News Feed, without the need to remove it afterwards. CNET reports that any post you keep off your Timeline will still show up in search results and they’ll be listed alongside your other activity on the “Your Posts” page that only you can view. The feature appears to available for a select few on the web, and Facebook isn’t saying when or if it’ll be a permanent addition.
We reached out to the company on the matter and it offered the following statement:
“The Timeline on your profile is a great place to see a comprehensive history of your Facebook posts. We’ve heard feedback that sometimes, you may want to share a post with friends and family via News Feed and not have that post be displayed on your Timeline. The ability to hide a post from your Timeline already exists, and today we’re testing a feature that would make it even easier to control where your posts live by giving you the option to publish a post only to News Feed and not to your Timeline”
Facebook is letting users create posts that ONLY show up in News Feed and Search, but NOT on their profile timeline pic.twitter.com/9MAM7UcwPk
— Matt Navarra ⭐️ (@MattNavarra) June 6, 2016
Via: CNET
Google’s new iOS app turns Live Photos into GIFs
Cinemagraphs — those artsy hybrids of animated gifs and film stills — used to require a good deal of work to set up and create. That changes today with Google’s latest iOS app Motion Stills, which uses Apple’s Live Photos feature along with Google’s own video stabilization to freeze the background of your photos and create dramatic looping gifs or video snippets.
The Motion Stills app combines a couple pieces of technology Google already featured in Photos, like video stabilization and auto-creating gifs from bursts of photos. According to Google, the new Motion Stills algorithm “uses linear programming to compute a virtual camera path that is optimized to recast videos and bursts as if they were filmed using stabilization equipment, yielding a still background or creating cinematic pans to remove shakiness.” In other words: you’ve got a virtual tripod or steadicam rig built right in.
In addition to keeping your shots steady, the algorithm does a lot of heavy lifting to identify moving objects in the foreground to keep them isolated from movement in the background. And for a handy bonus, it will also pick an optimal loop point to cut off those embarrassing moments when your video ends with you putting your phone back in your pocket.
The app works its magic on your phone, so you won’t need a data connection to create your latest masterpiece, but you will, of course, need a signal to share it to your social network of choice. Motion Stills is available on the App Store.
Faraday Future aims to test self-driving cars in Michigan
Faraday Future isn’t just talking a big game when it mentions plans for autonomous features in its cars. Michigan’s Department of Transportation tells the Detroit News that FF not only asked about how to apply for plates that let it test self-driving cars, but has applied for three manufacturer plates since. While the company isn’t confirming anything (the plates are to test “prototypes and features,” it says), it’s safe to say that at least one of those vehicles won’t always have a human at the wheel.
Just when you’ll see autonomous vehicles prowling Michigan streets isn’t certain. With that said, the company has already vowed to have production-quality prototypes ready by the end of 2016. If it meets that target, more established self-driving rivals like Ford and Google are about to get some extra company. And it only makes sense to test in the region. Michigan is relatively friendly to driverless cars, and Detroit remains a cornerstone of the automotive world.
Source: The Detroit News
Google Fiber finally adds AMC to its TV lineup
While most of us are still waiting for Google Fiber to reach our town, many of the people who have its TV service were waiting for something else: AMC. Now, after nearly four years of waiting and an overwhelming number of requests on Google’s forums, they have it on channel 288. While adding the channel post-Mad Men and Breaking Bad feels a little late, AMC does have The Walking Dead and Better Call Saul, to go with newbie series Preacher and Feed the Beast.
Source: Google Fiber (G+), Google Fiber Forum
‘Forza Motorsport’ gets an official eSports championship
Microsoft and Turn 10 definitely aren’t shy about turning the Forza Motorsport series into a competitive gamer’s dream. They’ve unveiled the Forza Racing Championship, a company-run league (no third-party collaborations here) that invites anyone to race for real prizes. Most details aren’t available yet, but the championship will kick off with Forza Motorsport 6 in the summer. And don’t worry, you’ll still get something out of it even if you have no intentions of making a name for yourself. Anyone who has played Forza 6 is getting a code for a free Ford GT Le Mans car, so you’ll have something new to try when you’re racing purely for fun.
Source: Forza Motorsport
Marshmallow is now on 10 percent of Android devices
The latest version of Android just hit a big, big milestone. Google’s early June developer stats have revealed that Marshmallow is now on just over 10 percent of Android devices, representing a huge jump from just 2.3 percent in March. Notably, only some of that surge can be credited to people upgrading from Lollipop. While the not-quite-current version’s adoption did go down (to 35.4 percent), the biggest declines in usage were for Jelly Bean and KitKat. In essence: many of those moving to Marshmallow may well have been replacing devices that were 3 or more years old.
The timing isn’t coincidental, as you might have gathered. In the three months since we last looked back, numerous smartphone makers have delivered Marshmallow phones in force. The Galaxy S7 is the big kahuna, but you can also point to phones like the HTC 10, LG G5 and Sony’s newer Xperias as factors. If you bought a brand new device this spring, especially if it was reasonably high-end, it might have been hard to avoid Marshmallow.
To us, the big unknown is how well Marshmallow will fare by the time its successor rolls around in a few months, around Marshmallow’s first anniversary. Lollipop took a year and a half to become the dominant Android flavor. Although Marshmallow isn’t necessarily going to repeat history, its year-one figures should give you a good idea as to whether or not it’s doing as well as its predecessor.
Source: Android Developers
Apple Updates WWDC App With Minor Bug Fixes
Apple today released an update for the WWDC app for iOS devices and the Apple TV, introducing a number of bug fixes ahead of the kickoff of the conference next Monday.
The 5.0.1 update addresses several issues, fixing bugs that could cause news and schedule updates to display in the wrong case and making videos on the Apple TV more stable.
Thank you for your bug reports and feedback. This update includes the following resolutions:
– News displays properly in all cases.
– Friday sessions display correctly on iPad with a time zone outside of PDT.
– The schedule updates correctly in all cases.
– VoiceOver label is correct for the shuttle stop on Thursday’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium map.
– Videos on Apple TV are more stable.
Apple released the 2016 update for the WWDC app last week, debuting a new look and a new version thts also works on the fourth-generation Apple TV.
The WWDC app is designed to be used by both conference attendees and developers who were not able to obtain tickets for the event. In addition to providing on-site tools for viewing start times for labs, sessions, and events, the app also offers the ability to watch live streaming sessions with Apple engineers.
Developers who are not able to attend WWDC will still be able to virtually attend sessions through the WWDC app on iOS devices and the Apple TV.
Earlier today, Apple updated its event website to note that it will be live streaming the 10:00 a.m. keynote event on June 13. It is not yet clear if the live stream will be available through the WWDC app, but if not, it will be viewable on Apple’s events website and through an events app on the Apple TV.
The WWDC app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Related Roundup: WWDC 2016
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MCX Ends CurrentC Beta Test, Postpones All Further Releases
The Merchant Consortium Exchange, aka MCX, today told beta testers that it is suspending its CurrentC beta test on June 28 and postponing all further releases of the payments platform.
The news was delivered in an email sent to all Columbus, Ohio beta testers and shared by The Consumerist. On June 28, when the beta test ends, MCX plans to disable all active accounts and end customer access.
MCX has also announced the news on the CurrentC website, complete with an FAQ for customers that says MCX has “not yet determined the future timing of CurrentC” but will provide further details in the future addressing whether or not the project will be continuing.
Last month, MCX CEO Brian Mooney announced plans to postpone the rollout of the CurrentC payments platform following feedback from the beta test. At the same time, he said MCX would downscale and lay off 30 employees as part of an effort to transition from a consumer-facing product to building business partnerships with financial institutions.
MCX, a consortium of merchants like Walmart, Best Buy, CVS, Rite Aid, Target, Lowe’s, and more, has been working on implementing the CurrentC platform since 2012. It was once believed CurrentC could be a major Apple Pay competitor given the number of retailers backing the effort, but interest appears to have fizzled out.
CurrentC required customers to open an app and scan a QR code to make a payment, a convoluted system described as offering minimal benefit to consumers. Its implementation was not as simple as Apple Pay or other payment options from Google and Samsung, which may explain why development did not move beyond a beta testing phase.
Many MCX members now accept Apple Pay despite some early resistance due to exclusivity agreements, and Walmart, one of the main CurrentC backers, has developed its own payments service and Apple Pay competitor called Walmart Pay.
Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tags: MCX, CurrentC
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Custom Built Case Allows Android to Work With an iPhone
Developer and Tendigi CTO Nick Lee, who previously got an Apple Watch to run Windows 95, today showed off a new project he’s been working on, which allows Android to work with an iPhone using a specialized iPhone case.
As seen in the video below, Lee created a 3D printed iPhone case and outfitted it with a built-in Lemaker HiKey board, a battery pack, and other hardware so it could support a version of Android. The case plugs into an iPhone’s Lightning port, turning the iPhone into a display and emulating touch events on Android. While the iPhone is able to display the Android operating system, the Android OS itself is powered by the hardware in the case.
Lee outlines the case’s creation process in a detailed post on Medium, explaining that he figured out how to clone the Android Open Source Project to make a customized version of Android Marshmallow, which is what is displayed on the iPhone.
Over several design iterations and experiments with 3D printing, Lee was able to shrink the case containing the parts down to a reasonable size and perfect the connection between the case and the iPhone. The result is an relatively thick iPhone case that lets the iPhone display and control a full version of Android.
Like Windows 95 running on the Apple Watch, Lee’s Android case is conceptual and not practical for real world use, but it’s an interesting take on getting Android to work with an iPhone.
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