ICYMI: Salamander bot and allergy cells: Good for something
Today on In Case You Missed It: A robotic salamander was invented by the EPFL and has a true to life spinal cord. Also researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine found that immune cells that normally create an over-reaction in some people, resulting in allergies or asthma, may also protect people against a certain kind of fatal infection.
Finally, University of Buffalo researchers are making their own lava, you know, for science. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Disney to bolster cord-cutting options with MLB deal
Cable subscribers have been dropping ESPN like a hot rock, often switching to à la carte streaming services like NFL Sunday Ticket and MLB’s At Bat. Parent Disney is trying get on the winning side, so it acquired a third of Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM), according to Bloomberg. That company runs MLB’s At Bat and MLB.TV online service, and also handles streaming for the PGA Tour, NHL and WWE Network. The company’s tech is also behind HBO Now, The Blaze and other services. The deal reportedly values MLBAM at $3.5 billion.
Disney also signed up for the right to acquire another third of MLBAM. The service already provides content to WatchESPN, which allows viewers to watch games on mobile devices when away from home. However, WatchESPN isn’t actually a cord-cutting option, as it still requires an ESPN cable subscription. By purchasing MLB’s streaming company, however, Disney has entered the “over-the-top” business, cutting out cable operator’s like Comcast.
It also gives Disney a piece of MLBAM’s streaming tech, which is considered some of the best in the business. The company provides the infrastructure for March Madness on Demand, HBO Now and The Blaze TV, and runs all the NHL Network’s digital properties.
MLBAM is owned by the 30 major league baseball teams, and operates each team’s website via MLB.com. The company is now valued at nearly $120 million per team, showing that the $2 billion price that Magic Johnson and others paid for the LA Dodgers may not be that exorbitant.
Source: Bloomberg
‘BOSEbuild Speaker Cube’ Teaches Kids How to Build Their Own Bluetooth Speaker
Audio technology company Bose this week announced a new wireless Bluetooth speaker aimed at creating a do-it-yourself workflow for kids interested in electronics. Called the BOSEbuild Speaker Cube, the $150 kit connects with a companion Bose app, giving users a step-by-step set of instructions to build a fully functioning Bluetooth speaker, along with other experiments and activities (via TechCrunch).
Once users put the focus on assembling the speaker, no extra tools are required in the process since Bose ships all the necessary equipment in the kit. There are customization options as well, with different colored lighting effects and “swappable silhouette covers” to add a personal touch to the finished speaker.
This is more than just a speaker – it’s a journey. Starting from the very basic elements of sound and speakers, your child will build a deeper understanding as they move toward assembling their Speaker Cube. At every step, exploration is encouraged and curiosity is rewarded.
Everything about the BOSEbuild Speaker Cube is carefully designed with kids in mind. The parts are rugged and resilient, and the app-driven construction steps are clear and easy to follow. Cables and connectors are big, bright, and easy to handle. Even the circuit board is clearly labeled.
The Speaker Cube is just the first in the BOSEbuild line, which the company hopes will help spark the curiosity of its younger users through hands-on experiences and exploration. According to Bose, “when kids build something with their own hands and experience it with their own senses, it does more than just teach – it inspires.”
While hardware-focused, the new BOSEbuild products are similar to Apple’s upcoming app, Swift Playgrounds, which will present a visual, entertaining angle on teaching kids how to code. Currently available in the iOS 10 beta, the final version of Swift Playgrounds will launch for free in the App Store this fall.
Those interested can purchase the Speaker Cube on Bose’s website for $149.00. Although both an iOS and Android device can be used for music playback once the speaker is functioning, the educational discovery and build experience is only available via an iOS app on any iPhone, iPod touch or iPad running iOS 8 or newer, with the exception of the iPad 2.
Tags: Bose, BOSEbuild
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BlackBerry’s smartphone roadmap for 2016/17 revealed
Following the recent leak of an upcoming BlackBerry Android phone, yet more details have emerged about BlackBerry’s plans for this next year. If rumours published by Venture Beat are to be believed, the Canadian tech company is set to launch three phones between now and the beginning of 2017.
The first phone rumoured to be on its way out of BlackBerry’s doors is named Neon. This particular device is claimed to be on the lower end of the market, and will feature a full HD 1080p 5.2-inch display. Like many modern mid-tier phones, the Neon is rumoured to feature an aluminium frame with a soft-touch plastic back panel.
Inside, we’re told to expect a mid-range Snapdragon 617 processor, 3GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage as well as a 2,610mAh battery which has Quick Charge 2.0 support. Other details include a 13-megapixel rear camera and eight-megapixel front camera. It’s expected to hit the market at some point in the next two months.
This particular device looks very much like an Alcatel Idol 4, and for good reason: reports have suggested BlackBerry phones are now being built by TCL Communication, the same company that makes Alcatel smartphones.
Following on from the Neon is the BlackBerry Argon, which is being lined up for an October launch. From the rumoured spec sheet, it certainly seems that this is the flagship of BlackBerry’s refreshed lineup. Like the BlackBerry PRIV, it’s rumoured to feature a 5.5-inch Quad HD screen. This Android phone is likely to be powered by the latest Snapdragon 820 processor paired 4GB RAM and 32GB internal storage.
Additional features include a 21-megapixel rear camera, eight-megapixel front camera, a fingerprint sensor and USB Type-C port. Quick Charge 3.0 support and a 3,000mAh battery round off the spec sheet.
- It looks like BlackBerry Hamburg won’t even be made by BlackBerry anymore
- BlackBerry Rome and Hamburg: New renders show midrange Android phones
- BlackBerry says it’ll launch two mid-range Android handsets in 2016
BlackBerry fans will be pleased to know the company isn’t expected to go all touchscreen. The long awaited physical keyboard-equipped Android phone – previously referred to as Vienna – is due to arrive in the first quarter of 2017. Unlike the PRIV, this phone isn’t a slider, and will more closely resemble the traditional BlackBerry form factor. Similar to the Classic and Passport, the Mercury is expected to have a large touchscreen above a physical QWERTY keyboard.
To fit both the screen and keyboard in one device, the display is rumoured to be 3:2 ratio and measure just 4.5-inches diagonally. With just full HD resolution and a Snapdragon 625 processor, along with 3GB of RAM, it’s clear this phone isn’t being aimed at the top end of the market. Rather, it seems it’s being launched as a mid-tier alternative to the PRIV, or an Android-powered replacement for the BlackBerry Classic.
Other specifications purportedly include a large 3,400mAh battery and an 18-megapixel main camera as well as an 8-megapixel selfie cam.
A lot rides on these handsets for the Waterloo-based manufacturer. If BlackBerry can’t start making a profit on hardware, John Chen – the company’s CEO – has long-stated that they would have no qualms shutting down their hardware business.
Jaguar wants you to Feel Wimbledon, with VR experience and Andy Murray japes
Jaguar has turned to VR to support its position as Official Car of The Championships Wimbledon, creating a VR experience. Not only is the company supplying 170 vehicles in support of The Championships, but it’s having a little fun with Andy Murray too.
Jaguar has created a Wimbledon VR experience, giving you the change to fly into Centre Court and “feel Wimbledon” from Murray’s perspective. Narrated by Murray, who has been captured and rendered using 125 motion cameras, it’s a surprisingly emotional VR experience if you’re a tennis fan.
Yes, flying past the Jaguar F-Pace is a little corporate, but on the whole, the atmosphere and the tone, with narration from Andy Murray himself, makes it a worthwhile experience.
To support the Feel Wimbledon campaign, Jaguar is going to be giving out 20,000 Google Cardboard headsets, so you can slip your phone in and watch Jag’s 360 YouTube video for yourself – they’re available at Jaguar showrooms, handed out to commuters at Waterloo station and to Tennis fans at Wimbledon.
Of course, once you have a headset, you can enjoy a full range of compatible Google Cardboard apps and a wide range of YouTube 360 videos.
But aside from the VR experience, there’s also the chance for a little fun. Murray is collected by Jimmy Carr to be driven to Wimbledon for training and the results are worth watching…
Fitbit Alta review: High praise for low-level fitness tracking
Fitbit is arguably one of the most well-known companies when it comes to activity tracking, monopolising around 70 per cent of the market. It not only offers a huge selection of devices in comparison to its competitors, but it also offers an excellent interface to match.
One of the most recent additions to the Fitbit portfolio is the Alta. This little wrist-worn tracker not only offers changeable straps, but a lovely OLED display too. Is it all about looks or does Fitbit’s latest have personality to set it apart from the competition?
Fitbit Alta review: Design
The Fitbit Alta is easily the most stylish tracker within the Fitbit portfolio. It has a lovely design, is smaller than the Charge HR, yet more appealing than the similar-sized Flex thanks to its chamfered metal frame.
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A 1.4-inch OLED tap display is the focus of the device, its 128 x 36 pixel resolution sharp in appearance, but not amazingly bright for outdoors viewing.
It’s also responsive to tap-based controls, for most part anyway, and it allows for easy, detailed progress-checking without opening the associated smartphone app, which is a feature the Flex lacks.
On the underside are clips that allow for the easy removal and changing of straps. It comes with a flexible durable elastomer strap as standard, but there are leather options available to buy as additional extras, as well as a metal link bracelet for when a smarter look is required.
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Fitbit opts for yet another charging mechanism for the Alta: it uses a small bulldog-style clip that locks securely into the pins. It’s easy-to-use but different to all other Fitbit devices and any other device so it means carrying another cable around when travelling. The Alta did last the quoted five days on one charge, though, or even longer.
Note: there is no optical heart-rate monitor in the Alta like there is on the Charge HR, which is a huge shame.
Fitbit Alta review: Features
The Fitbit Alta will track steps, distance travelled, calories burned, active minutes and provide sleep data, like the Fitbit Flex and many other activity trackers. It doesn’t offer elevation data as there is no altimeter on board, nor heart-rate data.
The Alta does feature Fitbit SmartTrack, however, which the Flex lacks but the Charge HR offers. This feature enables the device to automatically recognise certain activities such as running, walking, cycling, sport, elliptical and workouts, recording them in the exercise section of the Fitbit app.
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Additionally, reminders to move to reach an hourly goal of 250-steps will appear on the Alta’s display, along with Smart Notifications. These notifications allow you to see incoming calls, texts and calendar alerts on the display (each can be toggled on or off in the Fitbit app). There is no third-party support sadly, so WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter alerts won’t pop-up. Long texts are also cut short, meaning you’ll need to dig out your phone to continue reading any essays you’re sent, and it’s not possible to answer or reject calls – only see who is calling.
Fitbit Alta review: Performance
Fitbit devices tend to be up there with the best when it comes to accuracy and performance. The Alta does a good job, even if it isn’t perfect.
In terms of step tracking, the Alta very slightly overestimates in comparison to the Charge HR, which we have found to be accurate almost to the step. We wore both devices for the Moon Walk, which is a walking marathon, and where the Charge HR measured 47,922 steps, the Alta recorded 48,163 – so we are talking a minor difference, especially over such a vast distance.
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The Alta’s distance accuracy is less impressive though. Given the walk was an official marathon 26.2 miles, the Fitbit Alta recorded just 22.73 miles. It isn’t as inaccurate as some activity trackers out there, but four miles is quite a significant discrepancy.
Calories burned accuracy is more difficult to determine, especially without any heart rate data, although the Alta came in around the same as the Charge HR. Where the Charge HR measured 3,252 calories burned, the Alta estimated 3,297. We wouldn’t take either as gospel, but given the Alta doesn’t know heart rate and the Charge HR does, the Alta does a good job.
Sleep tracking isn’t a feature we are overly fond of on any activity tracker, except possibly the Jawbone UP3. The Alta does offer it for those who want it, even if the data presented isn’t as rich as the likes of Jawbone or a dedicated sleep system, such as the Withings Aura. Fitbit records time asleep, sleep schedule and sleep quality, the latter of which includes times awake, times restless and duration of times restless and awake.
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In one instance, in comparison to the Withings Aura Sleep System, the Fitbit Alta recorded us sleeping from 01:49am to 07:33am, with Aura claiming 01:41am to 07:34am – so they’re pretty uch on par.
If we dive a little deeper, the Alta claimed we were asleep for 4 hours and 26 minutes, while Aura claimed 5 hours and 46 minutes. The Alta claimed the rest of the hours it recorded, 1 hour and 18 minutes, were spent in restless sleep, which almost matches the 1 hour and 33 minutes Aura claimed we were in REM sleep. Overall, the Alta appears to do a pretty good job when it comes to sleep tracking, even if the data is limited.
Fitbit Alta review: App
The Fitbit app and interface is one of our favourite features about Fitbit devices. It is simple, effective and easy to navigate. It’s been revamped recently too, so looks and functions better than earlier iterations.
There are four tabs at the bottom of the Fitbit app, comprising Dashboard, Challenges, Friends and Account. There is also a “+” in the middle, which offers quick access to things such as tracking an exercise, logging food, adding a friend, setting an alarm and logging weight.
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The Dashboard is where the party is at. This is where a summary of your day appears, including steps taken, distance travelled, calories burned and active minutes, all of which can be rearranged by tapping on Edit in the top right hand corner. A tap on each of the metrics will give you a rundown of your history for that particular measurement.
In the top left-hand corner of the Dashboard, you’ll find a small picture of Alta along with the battery indicator. A tap on this will launch the settings for your tracker – including options like which hand you’re wearing it on, which clock face you want, what you want your main goal to be, what you want Alta to greet you as. You get the jist. This is also where Smart Notifications can be toggled on or off and where reminders to move can be tailored.
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Within the Challenges tab, you’ll find specific challenges to keep you motivated, while the Friends tab allows you to compete with your buddies and family members.
Account is the last tab but also one of the most important. It is here you can edit your profile, change your goals, link third-party apps such as MyFitnessPal, and alter things such as stride length for better accuracy. You can read our Fitbit tips and tricks feature if you’d like more details on how to do specific things on your Fitbit device.
READ: Fitbit tips and tricks: Get more from your Flex, Charge HR, Blaze and Surge trackers
Verdict
The Fitbit Alta sits on the fence compared to the wider activity tracker market. It misses out some key features, such heart-rate monitoring, elevation data, GPS and waterproofing.
However, for basic activity tracking the Alta is fabulous. Accuracy is good overall (if you ignore the distance measure, but step-tracking is fine), Smart Notifications are useful, the OLED display is lovely (and way better than that in the Flex), and the app is great.
In terms of personality, especially with one of the new accessory straps attached, the Alta is easily Fitbit’s most stylish tracker to date. However, it is just a little too basic in functionality terms for us to give up on our trusted Charge HR just yet.
Google is inching its way to diversity
Google vowed to spend $150 million in 2015 to diversify its workforce, and the company did hire more women, Black and Hispanic employees last year. Unfortunately, its efforts aren’t enough to cause a big shift — the company is still overwhelmingly white and male. According to the latest data Mountain View released, women make up 31 percent of the current workforce, which is only one percent higher than 2014’s. Four and five percent of its hires in 2015 are Black and Hispanic, respectively. But just like in 2014, African-Americans still only make up two percent of company, while Hispanics only make up three percent.
That said, women did make up 21 percent of the big G’s technical hires in 2015, up two percent from the year before. Not to mention, Google has been encouraging women to nominate themselves for self-promotion ever since it found out that they’re not as inclined as men to do so. The company also said that while the percentages of minority employees didn’t change, it now has 880 (from 628 in 2014) black and 1,782 (from 1,428) Hispanic personnel.
Obviously, Google still has a ways to go. The good news is that the company is well aware of that, and it sounds like it’s not stopping its plan to achieve a truly diverse workplace. “We saw encouraging signs of progress in 2015, but we’re still far from where we need to be,” People Operations VP Nancy Lee wrote in a blog post. 
Source: Google, (Diversity)
FreedomPop SIM serves up 10GB of data for £10 per month
Mobile provider FreedomPop is best known for its Basic 200 tariff, which gives users 200 minutes, 200 texts and 200MB of 4G data each month absolutely free. The company balances the books by way of overage charges and various paid, bolt-on features, as well as offering premium plans on 30-day contracts. And the latest of these is nothing short of bonkers. FreedomPop’s currently offering a SIM-only tariff with unlimited calls, unlimited texts and 10GB of data each month for a mere £10 per month.
First, the bad news: This is a time-sensitive offer. Though FreedomPop tells us it might decide to widen the window, as it stands this deal will disappear towards the middle of next week — to be replaced by the usual 2GB top-tier plan. Usually we’d ignore such a transient promotion, but then, there’s the good news: The 10GB tariff itself is permanent. That means as long as you jump on the deal before it expires, unlimited calls, texts and all that data will be yours for £10 per month.
If that sounds like insanely good value, you’re right — the only minor inconvenience being FreedomPop’s reliance on mobile apps to handle calling and messaging (it’s primarily an “over-the-top,” data-supported service, you see). Take a look around and you’d be hard-pressed to find anything comparable. Among the four major carriers, for example, Three’s £11 per month deal is the best around, and that only provides 200 minutes, unlimited texts and 500MB of data.
Via: ISPreview
Source: FreedomPop
‘Mega Man’ stars in charity speedrunning marathon this weekend
Are you ready to watch 160 hours of people playing through video games incredibly quickly? Then grab some snacks, coffee and a spot in the most comfortable seat in your house because Summer Games Done Quick returns this weekend to sate all your vicarious speed-running desires. Games on tap include the ultra-tough Demon’s Souls and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze as well as classic fare like The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Tetris: The Grand Master Series, multiple Mega Mans and Super Metroid. If you need a schedule to plan your holiday weekend around, that lives over on the Games Done Quick homepage.
This year’s event runs six days, from July 3rd to July 9th, and, like before, funds raised go directly to charity, including Doctors Without Borders. The entire marathon will be broadcast on Twitch (naturally), and archived streams from years past live on the Games Done Quick’s YouTube channel. The action starts Sunday at 11:30 Eastern, live from Minneapolis, and the outfit hopes to smash 2015’s $1.2 million fundraising efforts.
If you’re particularly impatient (given you like watching games played quickly, that’s highly plausible) and can’t wait until Sunday, maybe tune into late-night TV tomorrow night. Why? Gamasutra reports that popular speed-runner Mitch Fowler will be burning through Super Mario Bros. 3 live on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, that’s why.
For a peek at someone beating Super NES mainstay The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past in under 90 minutes from January’s Awesome Games Done Quick, check out the video below.
Source: Gamasutra
Facebook Adds Raft of Chatbot-Enhancing Features to Messenger Platform
Facebook has announced a raft of new features for its Messenger Platform to help developers increase chatbot capabilities and enhance user engagement and interaction.
The update includes dynamic buttons for quick user replies, customer account linking for businesses, wider support for content types like video and audio, and user ratings and feedback.
Facebook has also announced an updated set of guidelines for bot development, as well as a new resource blog that includes tips, case studies, and a Q&A series with businesses and brands that have already built bots for Messenger.
The new tools and features are set out in more detail below:
Ratings: People can now provide a star rating and open text feedback for bot developers. Ratings and reviews are currently shared with only the bot developer through a dashboard in developers.facebook.com and via email.
Quick replies: Quick replies offer a more guided experience for people as they interact with your bot, which helps set expectations on what the bot can do. They include up to ten dynamic buttons that directly align with the most recent message sent by the business – making it easier to have an automated conversation with people. They allow for simple state management for developers — no need to manage button taps from ten messages ago — and make chat history cleaner, by only showing the selected responses.
Persistent menu: The navigation for your bot with support for up to five actions. This eliminates the need for people to remember text commands and provides a great way to restart the flow or invoke settings. This will help with bot re-engagement and consistency.
Account linking: We’re launching a secure protocol for businesses to connect their customers’ accounts with Messenger accounts, enabling a deeper and more personal experience. People will have to opt in to this experience.
More content types: GIFs, Audio, Video, and Files Get your brand’s personality across by sending a variety of content types. You can now send GIFs, audio, video, and other files to people using your bot in Messenger. Videos and audio clips play natively in Messenger.
More Control: Manage / Mute / Ratings Now, people have even more ways to optimize their experiences with bots in Messenger. People can choose to mute a bot just like they can mute a conversation with their friends and they can also provide a star rating and feedback for bot developers. Ratings and reviews are currently shared with only the bot developer through a dashboard in developers.facebook.com (http://developers.facebook.com) and via email.
Over 11,000 chatbots have been created since Facebook launched bot support for its Messenger app back in April, while over 23,000 developers have signed up to use the company’s recently acquired natural language bot engine.
The enhancements to Messenger Platform reflect one of the major goals in Facebook’s 10-year roadmap, with Messenger and Live Video receiving the most investment and development over the first five years, followed by the company’s increased focus on connectivity, AI, and augmented reality.
Tags: Facebook Messenger, chat bots
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