Watch Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot balance on one foot

Humanoid robots still have problems staying upright, especially in tricky situations, but it’s evident that they’re making some progress. IHMC has posted a video showing Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot balancing on one foot on the edge of a plywood board about 0.8 inches thick. The feat is a “lucky run,” IHMC admits (it’s rare that the robot stays poised for so long), but it’s relatively effortless. The worst you see before the fall is shaking as IHMC’s algorithm sometimes makes poor estimates of the robot’s state.

As brief as the balancing act is, it’s telling. After all, many humans wouldn’t last that long on their first try… at least, not with the same level of grace. It may just be a matter of refining the technique to get robots that are surefooted in situations that would trip up their organic counterparts.

Via: IEEE Spectrum, Popular Mechanics

Source: IHMC Robotics (YouTube)

Best T-Mobile phones

The best phone options available through T-Mobile.

Whether you’re a long-time T-Mobile subscriber looking to upgrade your phone or you’re switching and want to find out what’s available at a glance, we’re here to help.

We’ve broken down the best devices available to buy through T-Mobile. Check out our reviews to learn more about each of these and if you’re ready to take the plunge, we’ve included links to buy directly from T-Mobile.

• Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge
• Samsung Galaxy Note 7
• HTC 10
• BlackBerry Priv

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

Samsung really delivered with this year’s flagship devices, the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. They brought back great features, like expandable memory via microSD and a bigger battery, and improved on the sleek, one-piece design of the Galaxy S6. Plus, they’re both water and dust-resistant.

These devices are beautiful, featuring a stunning QHD Super AMOLED display, protected by Gorilla Glass on the front and back. Both the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge take amazing photos, even in low-light conditions, and include must-have features like Samsung Pay and wireless charging. Oh, and they’re also VR-ready with the Samsung Gear VR.

The Galaxy S7 edge features the curved screen edge and a slightly beefier battery.

The 32GB Galaxy S7 is available via T-Mobile in Black Onyx or Gold Platinum, while the 32GB Galaxy S7 edge is also available in shimmering Silver Titanium.

Check out our Galaxy S7 review and Galaxy S7 edge review for more.

See at T-Mobile

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Sometimes, life is better with a stylus. The Galaxy Note 7 is the sixth-generation iteration of Samsung’s popular phone-tablet hybrid. It has everything you need for being extremely productive on the go, as well as enough firepower for mobile gaming. The Note 7 features many of the same specifications as its flagship predecessor, the Galaxy S7, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 12-megapixel Dual Pixel rear-facing camera, which snaps photos almost as well as a DSLR.

The Note 7 is also equipped with a long-lasting 3500 mAh battery and a pop-out pressure sensitive stylus that’s perfect for artists and serial note-takers alike. If you’re in the market for a smartphone powerhouse, consider the Galaxy Note 7.

T-Mobile offers the Galaxy Note 7 in Black Onyx, Silver Titanium, and a beautiful Blue Coral.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall FAQ

Note: Samsung has issued a broad recall for the Galaxy Note 7 due to issues with the battery. While our recommendation for the Note 7 stands, we advise checking with T-Mobile to ensure that it has received new stock of the phone with batteries from an updated supplier. Follow the link above for more information.

See at T-Mobile

HTC 10

If you want to stand out from the crowd of Samsung and Apple devices, the HTC 10 is a great option. Featuring a solid aluminum body, this thing runs like a dream and features one of the best cameras available for Android phones. It also allows for expandable storage via microSD, a pretty decent battery that supports Quick Charge 3.0, and amazing audio quality for when you’re listening to music.

T-Mobile offers the HTC 10 in Glacial Silver with 32GB of built-in storage.

Check out our review for more.

See at T-Mobile

BlackBerry Priv

BlackBerry is back — on Android! The Priv is BlackBerry’s first phone built on the Android OS and is definitely worthy of your consideration. For starters, if you’ve owned a BlackBerry in the past, you’ll probably be happy to see the option of a slide-out physical keyboard — one of the key features that separates the Priv from the rest of the pack. But it also sports a great battery, a pretty decent main camera and a build that feels solid in your hands.

Check out our review for more.

See at T-Mobile

Ben Heck’s Intel Edison laser harp, part 1

Inspired by #MTFBerlin and the projects at Music Tech Fest, the Ben Heck Show team uses Intel’s Edison chip to build an electronic harp. The team harness the power of lasers, virtual studio technology and the prototyping tools at their disposal in the workshop to produce a fully working instrument. Ben uses an oscilloscope to measure the capability of a photoresistor when hit by a laser. Felix writes up code to handle the input from the photoresistors into the Intel Edison chip, which will then be processed and exported using an audio codec. Finally, Ben gets on with designing the harp and the housing for the lasers using Adobe Illustrator. What instrument would you like to control with the power of electronics? Get in touch over on the element14 Community, where you can also find the build files and behind-the-scenes footage.

Android and chill: Reflection and remembrance

Today we mark the 15 year anniversary of the September 11 attacks in the United States.

While it wasn’t the first time terrorists targeted the innocent (it wasn’t even the first time it happened in the U.S.), it stands out as something that forever changed our country and the people who live here. I think that’s because the attackers were so brazen — hijacking a plane with the intention to kill yourself and as many others as possible isn’t something that a sane person can ever understand — but I’ll leave the reasoning and explaining to people who claim to be experts because I’m certainly not.

Most everyone who lived in New York or Washington, D.C. has a 9/11 story. And while none of them are happy, not all of them end in the same tragedy. Mine started and ended at a kitchen table.

Most people from New York or D.C. have a 9/11 story. Mine starts and ends at a kitchen table.

I had that day off, I don’t remember why. I was sitting at my kitchen table talking to my wife who was making breakfast. She’s the cook and I’m the dishwasher because I can burn water. My phone rang and when I answered it was clearly my mother, completely hysterical and trying to tell me about my father. When she realized that nothing she was telling me made any sense, she told me to go turn the TV on. It instantly made sense when I saw a huge hole and burning debris on the lawn of the Pentagon.

My dad worked for the government. He wasn’t a spy or anything glamorous, but he was part of an “essential” team that worked in any of three different intelligence offices in the D.C. area. One of them was the Pentagon, and that’s where he was when the plane hit according to the list with contact numbers he gave us every week.

Like my mother, I instantly believed the very worst thought that one could have — my dad was dead. To make matters worse, my work phone (a Nokia 5190 that I think I might still have somewhere) rang to tell me that we had people “in the air” who were headed west from Boston and we didn’t know the flight numbers. It took a few minutes of digging through papers and making more phone calls to determine that they were on a flight that had left hours earlier and should be safe. It took a few days to find out where they landed and get them home to their own frantic families, but that’s another story.

My mother and I had a phone number we could call and leave a message so my father could call us back if we needed to talk to him. I’m not sure what things are like now, but back then you didn’t just call a receptionist and have someone paged at the Pentagon, or NRO, or Langley. That number didn’t work (of course) nor did the emergency number or the number for anyone else we knew that worked for the Dept. of Defense. My wife went to get my mother and bring her over so she wasn’t alone, and I sat with my face in my hands for 20 minutes absolutely certain that my old man would be counted among the victims when all was said and done. Thankfully, when my wife and my mother walked in an hour later, I found out differently.

My father did come home days later. Many other fathers did not. This is why we remember.

My father’s boss was one of those important people (or thought he was, I can’t tell the difference) and was able to have someone sent to my mother’s house in the suburbs to let her know that dad was OK. The messenger, a nervous young man in an Air Force uniform according to my mother, was leaving just as my wife arrived. He had a long list of other folks who needed to know that their fathers (or sons, or wives, or … ) were safe, too. I wish I had been able to meet him so I could thank him for bringing good news to my family and others exactly when we needed some good news.

It was about 40 hours before dad was able to call us. I was sitting at the same kitchen table with my wife and my mother and I’ll never forget dad’s answer when I asked him if he was OK — “Yeah. These boots are killing my feet. Have your mother put my sneakers and some underwear in a bag so you can drop them off at the Chantilly gate [another intelligence office that was outside the area] for me. Love you boy.” That was so my dad. And I was so happy to hear it. He never got his sneakers or his underwear. But he did get to come home a few days later, when so many others didn’t.

If you lost loved ones in any of the four attacks on 9/11, or any of the senseless war and violence that has happened as a result, I’m truly sorry for your loss. I can’t say I know how you feel, but I can say I know what that kind of despair feels like, even if just for an hour or so.

A 3D-printed autonomous car, and more in the week that was

3D printing and autonomous cars are two of today’s hottest emerging technologies — so why not combine the two? That’s the idea behind Local Motors’ latest vehicle, which features a 3D-printed body, a windshield video screen and no steering wheel. Meanwhile, OX launched the world’s first all-terrain flat-pack truck, which can be quickly shipped anywhere in the world. Cannae Corporation announced plans to test an “impossible” zero-exhaust microwave thruster that could revolutionize space travel. And Electra Meccanica launched SOLO, an affordable three-wheeled electric vehicle for one.
In energy news, this week Sonos Motors announced plans to debut a solar-powered car within two years, and Soel Yachts unveiled a sun-powered motorboat that glides through the water without making a sound. A team of Swiss researchers developed the world’s most efficient solar cell, which can double the efficiency of rooftop arrays. And in Israel, researchers developed a new strain of algae that produces five times more hydrogen fuel during photosynthesis.

3D printers can create incredibly complex objects, but they don’t lend well to on-the-fly improvisation. Meet the 3Doodler, an amazing printing pen that can draw wood, copper and bronze structures in mid-air. In other design and technology news, Egloo launched a brilliant electricity-free heater that can warm your home for pennies a day. We were glad to see Apple launch a new water-resistant iPhone, which should cut down on e-waste due to drowned gadgets. And a plant-covered mobile living room took to the streets of Europe to purify the air.

iPhone 7 Plus Orders Begin Shipping to Customers

After quickly moving to the “Preparing for Shipment” stage on Friday, the first wave of iPhone 7 Plus shipments from Apple are now on their way to customers for delivery on Friday, September 16. Apple has not yet officially updated order statuses to “shipping,” but a number of customers have found their new devices showing up in their Apple support profiles and in UPS order tracking. We’ve seen quite a few reports of iPhone 7 Plus orders showing up, but it’s not clear if iPhone 7 units are shipping in volume yet.

U.S. customers can try to find their orders by using the “Track by Reference” function on the UPS website and searching with their phone numbers, typically the phone number associated with the Apple ID under which the order was made. The Apple order number minus the last two digits may also work. UPS customers who have My Choice accounts may already see their shipments showing up on their accounts without even needing to search.

The first wave of shipments is scheduled to arrive to customers on Friday, with delivery services holding packages until that date even if they arrive to regional hubs early. It is not unusual, however, for a few packages to slip through and arrive a day ahead of schedule for a handful of lucky customers.

Those interested in tracking the progress of their phones may want to check out our dedicated forum threads and external links below:

• Apple Pre-Orders
• AT&T Pre-Orders
• Verizon Pre-Orders
• Sprint Pre-Orders
• T-Mobile Pre-Orders
• Canada Pre-Orders
• U.K. Pre-Orders
• Apple Orders Page
• Reserve and Pick Up
• iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus Discussion
• iPhone Launch Meetups
• FlightAware for iPhone 7 and UPS
• UPS Tracking
• FedEx Tracking

Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Discuss this article in our forums

Major cyberattack seller knocked offline as it faces arrests

One of the more popular cyberattack peddlers just came crashing down. Israeli law enforcement has arrested Yarden Bidani and Itay Huri as part of an FBI investigation into their alleged control of vDOS, one of the most popular paid attack platforms. According to information unearthed by security guru Brian Krebs from a third-party hack targeting vDOS, the two teens raked in at least $618,000 launching “a majority” of the distributed denial of service campaigns you’ve seen in recent years. The platform itself is also offline, although that’s due to one of vDOS’ victims (BackConnect Security) using a bogus internet address claim to stem the flood of traffic hitting its servers.

Bidani and Huri weren’t exactly careful about covering their tracks, Krebs says. The pair hosted vDOS on a server connected to Huri, and its email and SMS notifications pointed to the two. They even wrote a technical paper on DDoS attacks, while Bidani’s old Facebook page references the AppleJ4ck pseudonym he used to conduct vDOS business. And if that weren’t enough, vDOS refused to target any Israeli site since it was the owner’s “home country.”

Both suspects are out on bail, although they won’t have much freedom. Officials have placed them under house arrest for 10 days, confiscated their passports and barred them from using any telecom devices for 30 days. It’s unclear if they face extradition to the US.

The bust isn’t going to stop paid denial of service attacks. As Bidani and Huri demonstrated, it doesn’t take much more than a botnet and some basic business savvy to get started. However, it may put a temporary dent in the volume of those attacks — and it’ll certainly spook vDOS competitors who’ve been careless about hiding their activities.

Source: The Marker (translated), Krebs on Security (1), (2)