Tiny body-roaming robots could be the future of wearables
Wearables have gotten smaller and less obtrusive over the years, culminating in today’s compact fitness trackers and smartwatches that stay immobile and out of the way. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Researchers at MIT and Stanford teamed up to develop Rovables, miniature robots chock full of sensors that roam around the human body while the wearer goes about their lives.
This gives them an edge over traditional static wearables, the research teams says in their paper: Rovables might seamlessly assemble into a wristwatch or nametag, reacting to the host or the environment. The bots are little bigger than a ring box, but they pack a microcontroller, wireless communications and a battery that powers them for 45 minutes of continual use. Their magnetic gripping wheels on either side of clothing let them crawl up, down and around unmodified garments.
By mimicking the locomotion typical of living organisms, Rovables can become truly autonomous, the team argues. Movement lets them perform self-maintenance, like plugging themselves back in to charge, or maneuver to let their sensors get different readings. Finally, it would let the devices tuck themselves away when done, suggesting an eerie but efficient vision of wee bug-like robots storing themselves after performing their function.
The current Rovables are only capable of moving linearly: The team hasn’t built a microprocessor powerful enough to handle the complex algorithms required for 3D movement, they told Recode. Aside from the lengthy development needed to turn these petite rovers into the self-assembling swarm of bots imagined by the team, there’s no way to predict whether other innovators will latch on to the concept. After all, it’s much easier to just cram sensors into a wristband.
Source: Recode
Lynk & Co’s EV is the first car with its own app store
As a rule, automakers see software in a car as a means to an end. Even Tesla, as cutting edge as it may be, is only willing to give its code so much attention. However, China’s Geely wants to see what happens when you put code at the forefront. It’s launching a new Lynk & Co brand whose inaugural electric vehicle, the 01 compact SUV, is supposedly the most connected car to date. The centerpiece is an open software platform (built with help from Alibaba and Microsoft) that lets developers sink their teeth in — it even has the first dedicated app store for cars. Lynk & Co doesn’t provide examples, but it’s easy to see a streaming music service offering an app just for your 01, or custom navigation apps that go beyond the usual in-car GPS.
This is also one of the first vehicles built with sharing in mind, and we don’t just mean paid services like Zipcar. You can create digital locks that let specific people drive the 01 for a set amount of time. While you can run a car-sharing business if you like, Lynk & Co sees this more as a way of reducing the need for every family to have their own ride. You could share an 01 with others in your apartment building, or let a friend borrow it without having to give them a set of physical keys they could lose. You’ll only need tangible keys as a backup, the company says.
While there aren’t many specifics about the car beyond its software, the Lynk team says it’ll use the Compact Modular Architecture from its sister brand Volvo. In other words, it’ll have a safety-focused underpinning that can adapt to different vehicle shapes. You can also expect a flurry of driver assists, such as autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and pedestrian detection.
For some, the biggest deal may be how you buy Lynk & Co’s cars. Much like Tesla, most sales won’t take place in person at all: you’ll typically buy the 01 online (at a fixed price) and have it delivered to your home. While there will be a handful of stores, the brand is hoping that cutting out dealers will significantly lower the cost. There’s even talk of getting the vehicle through a subscription model in addition to more conventional financing options. The main catch? You’ll have to wait. The first Lynk & Co vehicles reach China first in 2017, with Europe and the US coming later. It could be a while before you find out whether or not the 01 lives up to its early fanfare, let alone get a chance to buy it.
Source: Lynk & Co
Netgear Nighthawk X10 AD7200 Smart WiFi Router Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Netgear
Have $500 lying around? Netgear has something that you might want to spend that on: the all-new Nighthawk X10 AD7200 Smart Wi-Fi router. It’s the second router on the market that supports the latest 802.11ad Wi-Fi standard, after the TP-Link Talon AD7200. (UK and Australian prices are yet to be announced, but the US price converts to roughly £400 or AU$650.)
You can read more about 802.11ad here, but in a nutshell it works on the 60GHz frequency band. This allows for extremely fast Wi-Fi, up to 4.6Gbps in the case of the X10, but it’ll only hit that speed at extremely short range — up to about 30 feet — and with a clear line of sight.
Overkill
Obviously, in order to experience 802.11ad, you need compatible devices and as far as I know there’s only one right now on the market, the Acer TravelMate laptop, which can connect at 2.3Gbps over Wi-Fi, in my trial. But even then, there’s not much you can do with that speed. This is because on the other end of the connection, currently the fastest home devices would top out at the speed of a wired Gigabit connection. And Gigabit is already much faster than anything in your home would require to work well.
But the X10 itself can do more than Gigabit. It supports link aggregation, allowing you to combine two of its six network ports into a single 2Gbps connection. It also has a 10Gbps fiber port to connect to a supported NAS server. This means if you’re a hardcore user, and willing to spend more on super-high-speed peripheral devices, you can truly enjoy 802.11ad speed. Now.
For most other home users, however, the Netgear X10 is way ahead of the curve and as good as future-proof. But for the most part, it’ll be about as useful as any other quad-stream 802.11ac router.
Full technical features:
- AD7200 Quad Stream Wave2 Wi-Fi supports wireless speeds up to 4,600Mbps (60GHz band) + 1,733Mbps (5GHz band) + 800Mbps (2.4GHz band)
- Built-in Plex Media Server
- 1.7GHz quad-core processor with high-performance active antennas
- Six Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports with dual ports that can be operated in line aggregation mode for faster file transfers (up to 2Gbps wired speeds)
- Two USB 3.0 ports
- Automatic backup to the cloud with Amazon Drive
- Netgear ReadyCloud that provides easy and secure way to access USB-connected storage
- 10Gbps fiber port for super-fast connection to a supported NAS server
- MU-MIMO for simultaneous streaming of data to multiple devices
- New Netgear Up app for Android or iOS mobile device to help with the setup process
- Netgear Genie app for a personal dashboard to monitor, control and repair your home network, now works even when you’re away from home
While extremely expensive, the X10 seems to be the most souped-up router to date. Who knows, it might just be worth every penny. Check back soon for CNET’s full review.
Samsung Gear 360 review – CNET
The Good The well-priced Samsung Gear 360 produces some of the best spherical video you can get from a consumer-grade 360-degree camera at the moment. Easy to use on its own or with its full-featured mobile app. Can be used as a single-lens wide-angle video camera. Clips can be transferred, trimmed and shared with your Galaxy phone or edited on a computer. Body is splash- and dust-resistant and battery and storage are removable.
The Bad The camera’s app currently works on only select Samsung phones. The lenses can be easily scratched and replacements aren’t available. Included editing software is Windows-only and editing without it is difficult at best. Transferring clips longer than a couple of minutes takes a long time.
The Bottom Line The Samsung Gear 360 is great for simple 360-degree video and photos. You’ll just need the right Galaxy phone and a Windows computer to get the most from it, right out of the box.
Samsung’s Gear 360 is one of the best consumer 360-degree cameras you can get at the moment, and yet for most people it’s probably not going to be “the one to get.”
Mainly that’s because the camera — available for $350 in the US and £350 and AU$500 in the UK and Australia — is currently only officially supported for use with Samsung Galaxy S6/S7, S6/S7 Edge, S6 Edge+ and Note 5 phones for use with the Samsung Gear 360 Manager app. That cuts a lot of other Android and all iOS users out.
On top of that, the bundled editing software called Gear 360 Action Director made by Cyberlink is Windows-only. This wouldn’t be so bad if there were more consumer-level editing options for 360 content available, but there aren’t. The bigger issue, though, is that you need either one of those Galaxy phones or the Cyberlink software to easily convert what the camera records from its two separate cameras into an equirectangular view (think flattened sphere) that can be edited and uploaded to YouTube and Facebook.
Basically, if you’re considering the Gear 360 because you want a simple way to capture, edit and share 360-degree video and photos, you better have at least one of the aforementioned Galaxy devices and maybe a reasonably powerful Windows PC, too. You can still use the camera on its own without connecting to its mobile app and do the stitching and editing with other software (here’s how to do it using Kolor Autopano Video software, for example), but it is much more difficult and time-consuming.
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A point-and-shoot with two cameras.
Josh Miller/CNET
The camera itself is pretty straightforward to use. With the three buttons on the camera and its small screen you’re able change basic settings and shooting modes, of which there are four: Video, Photo, Time-lapse Video and Looping Video. Switch to the mode you want, press the record button on top and the camera does the rest, simultaneously capturing the view from the front and rear cameras and combining them into one MP4 video or JPEG photo. (You can also shoot with just one of the cameras giving you a regular wide-angle video at resolutions up to 2,560×1,440 at 30 frames per second.)
Want more control? Wirelessly connect the camera to a Galaxy device, open the Gear 360 app and you get a preview of your shot as well as sharpness, white balance, HDR, exposure, ISO limit and wind cut settings. You can also turn on a 2-, 5- or 10-second timer.
When you’re done, you can view and transfer content straight to your Galaxy phone and as that happens it will stitch together the views from the two cameras into photos and videos that will give you the full 360-degree spherical experience. Keep in mind, though, the longer the clip, the longer the transfer takes, so it’s best to keep your videos short.
LeEco uMax85 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
TV makers with big names in China, like TCL and Hisense, are coming to the US market to challenge the dominance of Samsung, LG and Vizio. And the latest, LeEco, actually bought Vizio earlier this year.
Now LeEco is launching TVs under its own name and packing in some high-end technology at aggressive prices. Its first four will go on sale at the company’s own site, LeMall, in November.
The most remarkable is an 85-inch monster called the uMax85 that’ll cost a cool $5,000. That’s a huge TV and a lot of money, but for perspective, like-sized sets from Samsung and Sony cost $3,000 more, and don’t feature the kind of high-end picture enhancements used by LeEco.
LeEco has an 85-inch TV for $5000
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The uMax85 has a full-array local dimming (FALD) backlight with 448 zones, more than any other TV we’ve heard claim, including the Vizio Reference series and the Hisense H10 (the Sony Z9D might have more, but Sony isn’t talking). FALD generally provides superior image quality compared to other LCD technologies. LeEco claims 90 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color space, which is decent but not as wide as some high-end sets, such as OLEDs or LCDs that use Quantum Dots.
Like LG and Vizio TVs, the uMax86 supports both high dynamic range (HDR) standards, Dolby Vision and HDR10. In our tests we haven’t found a definitive advantage for one over the other, but in general it’s nice for a TV to support both. HDR usually provides superior image quality to standard 4K or HDTV video.
LeEco also talks up the TV’s smart innards, including 4GB of memory, 64GB of RAM and a quad-core processor. Its SmartTV system is Google’s Andoid TV. That means it has access to all the apps in the Android TV store, as well as the nifty Cast system used by Chromecast.
James Martin/CNET
In addition to the 85-inch model there’s a trio of smaller, less expensive TVs:
- Super4 X65: 65 inches, $1,400
- Super4 X55: 55 inches, $900
- Super4 X43 Pro: 65 inches, $650
All have 4K resolution, HDR10 (but not Dolby Vision) compatibility, and lack local dimming, so we don’t expect them to perform as well as Vizio’s similarly-priced M series. They have the same smart TV system as the 85-incher, albeit with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (the 43-incher has 16GB of storage).
The company’s LeMall website will offer limited-time discounts ($1,000 off the 85-incher; $200 on the smaller sets) for people who sign up in time for the “flash sale” on November 2. LeEco’s representatives didn’t tell CNET when those discounts would expire.
Good luck buying a 128GB Pixel XL at Verizon tomorrow
Pre-order, pre-order, pre-order. While doing so with video games is basically pointless these days (the chances of a huge AAA title not being readily available at launch are slim), plopping down money in advance for electronics is sadly becoming a necessity. Case in point: If you want a 128GB Pixel XL on Verizon’s network tomorrow, you’re out of luck. “Initial inventory of Pixel XL 128GB is SOLD OUT… NOT in stores Thurs,” Verizon’s Jeffrey Nelson tweeted on Wednesday.
As The Verge notes, you could always opt for the smaller handset and still get the storage size you want. If you hit Verizon’s website, the 128GB 5.5-inch device is backordered until November 18th. Opening Google Play to buy direct isn’t going to change your fortune either. But hey, patience is a virtue, right?
Via: The Verge
Source: Jeffrey Nelson (Twitter)
Faraday Future will unveil its production car at CES 2017
You shouldn’t have to wait too much longer to see what Faraday Future’s production electric car looks like. The company tells us (and has confirmed on Twitter) that it will unveil its production vehicle at CES 2017, which kicks off in early January. It’s not divulging any new details beyond that, and says only that the car is a “premium” EV with “holistic design,” loads of technology and “industry leading range” thanks to LG’s super-dense batteries. One thing’s for sure: we’re only weeks away from finding out whether or not Faraday can translate the hype from its supercar concept to a street-ready car you can actually buy.
1. We founded a company. #FaradayFuture
2. We created a concept. #FFZERO1
3. We joined a race. #FormulaE
4. We unveil the future. #CES2017 pic.twitter.com/TVk3gZ2Dey— Faraday Future (@FaradayFuture) October 19, 2016
Source: Faraday Future (Twitter)
Apple ‘Hello Again’ Mac event: What to expect and where to watch
Apple has scheduled an event for 27 October.
Two months after unveiling the latest iPhone models, the Cupertino, CA-based company has invited the media to a second autumn hardware event, where it will likely introduce new Macs. Here’s everything you need to know about the event, including what to expect and how to watch.
Apple ‘Hello Again’ Mac event: What’s with that tagline?
The tagline on Apple’s invite, “hello again,” is an obvious nod to the Mac, as Apple originally introduced the product with the word “hello” in 1984. Several reports have also previously claimed that Apple plans to introduce a new MacBook Pro soon, as well as a new iMac desktop, new MacBook Air, and new standalone 5K display. Also, the last Apple event held in October was in 2014, when the company revealed the latest iMac.
Apple ‘Hello Again’ Mac event: When time is the keynote?
Apple will kick off its event on 27 October in San Francisco with a keynote at 10 am PST. For other time zones, check the list below:
- New York (Eastern Time) – 1pm
- Berlin/Paris/Barcelona (Central European Time) – 7pm
- Cape Town, South Africa – 7pm
- Dubai, UAE – 9pm
- Mumbai, India – 10:30pm
- Sydney, Australia – 3am on 8 September
Apple ‘Hello Again’ Mac event: Can you watch online?
Apple will stream a broadcast (otherwise known as a livestream) of the event, and there are a number of ways you can access that stream.
- iPhone: Visit this link with Safari on iOS 7.0 or later
- iPad: Visit this link with Safari on iOS 7.0 or later
- Apple TV: Go to the Apple Events channel on your Apple TV (2, 3, or 4)
- Mac: Visit this link with Safari 6.0.5 or later on OS X v10.8.5 or later
- PC: Visit this link with Microsoft Edge on Windows 10
You will not be able to embed the livestream anywhere, but if you miss it, Apple normally publishes the video within a few hours after the event, so you’ll be able to catch up (possibly even on YouTube).
Apple ‘Hello Again’ Mac event: What will Apple unveil?
MacBook Pro
Martin Hajek
Apple’s MacBook Pro laptop line hasn’t received a major upgrade since 2012 (though it’s added a Retina display, Force Touch trackpad, and other improved specs). The new MacBook Pro is expected to be overhauled. It’ll be much thinner and lighter than the current models, with the trackpad getting a bigger footprint. The machine will also add USB-C for connectivity and charging.
The new MacBook Pro will therefore ditch the MagSafe. The biggest change coming, however, is the addition of a new OLED touch strip. It will replace the physical function keys at the top of the keyboard. The strip might be contextual, according to rumours, with virtual buttons that change based on apps currently in use. For example, when using iTunes, the bar could show media and volume controls, where as in a photo-editing program, it could show tool shortcuts or commands. Apple is said to be working with third-party developers to ensure that apps will work with the touch strip at launch.
The new MacBook Pro might also add Touch ID on the power button of the machine, allowing users to unlock their machine without typing in their actual password. You can also expect some speed boosts under-the-hood. Check out Pocket-lint’s round-up for more rumours.
MacBook Air
Apple is rumoured to be discontinuing the 11-inch MacBook Air in order to direct more attention to the 12-inch MacBook and 13-inch MacBook Air. The MacBook Air’s design and display quality will likely remain the same, but it could add USB-C support, according to a new Bloomberg report. Keep in mind this is Apple’s entry-level laptop, so don’t expect top-of-the-line features.
According to ZDNet, the latest rumours suggest the MacBook Air will drop the MagSafe 2 power port, replace all the existing ports with a single USB-C port, and add a Touch ID sensor as well as the Force Touch trackpad.
iMac
Pocket-lint
Like the MacBook Air, the iMac isn’t expected to receive a major upgrade. Bloomberg claimed it would get under-the-hood changes to keep it up to date, such as a graphics performance boost and maybe even the addition of USB-C.
External 5K Display
Although Apple discontinued the Thunderbolt Display earlier this year, Apple is rumoured to introduce a new 5K external display that includes a built-in GPU. According to 9to5Mac, it should feature a resolution of 5120 x 2880. Other specs – as well as pricing – is unclear at this point.
AirPods
Pocket-lint
When Apple unveiled its wireless AirPods in September, it said they would be available in late October. We expect Apple to announce an actual release date at the event – or maybe even launch them after the event.
Want to know more?
Check out Pocket-lint’s Apple hub for related news and reviews.
Nintendo promises our ‘first glimpse’ of the NX tomorrow at 10AM ET
After all the rumors, we’re about to get a look at Nintendo’s mysterious NX system. The company has invited everyone to check out a “preview trailer” tomorrow on Nintendo.com at 10AM ET. Nintendo Japan tweeted that it will only last about three minutes, so prepare your expectations accordingly. Nintendo already announced the console will launch in March next year, but other than the release window and a few game titles, we don’t have much hard information to go on. What we do know for sure is that despite the success of Pokémon Go a new console can’t come a moment too soon for Nintendo.
Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima has called the NX “something unique and different” from its predecessors the Wii and Wii U. That shift is also necessary to separate itself from the PS4 Pro and Xbox One / One S / Scorpio competition it will face in 2017, which crank up the horsepower to focus on graphics, realism and VR. A Eurogamer rumor pointed to an NVIDIA Tegra-powered tablet with a docking station and detachable controllers, while a patent application showed off a controller with a large touchscreen.
Be among the first to discover #NX. Watch the Preview Trailer at 7am PT/10am ET! pic.twitter.com/R2QTzjyLUo
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) October 20, 2016
【お知らせ】本日10月20日23時より、全く新しいコンセプトのゲーム機「NX（開発コード名）」の映像を、任天堂ホームページで公開します。3分ほどの短い映像ですが、よろしければご覧ください。 https://t.co/QNYCwf5cun
— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) October 20, 2016
Source: Nintendo America (Twitter)
Anonymously speak to a Trump supporter with ‘Call a Deplorable’
If this Presidential race has got you stuck in a political echo chamber on Facebook, then maybe you just need a safe space to ask someone how on Earth they could possibly hold different political views than yourself. That’s the intention behind CallADeplorable.com and CallAnElitist.com, anyway — an opposing pair of new sites that popped up in advance of tonight’s third and final Presidential debate.
The premise is pretty straightforward: if you’re With Her, you’ll want to visit the former to call a Trump supporter. If you’re hoping to Make America Great Again, then you can head over to Call An Elitist to speak with someone who has already made up their mind for Hillary. You have to enter your phone number, of course, but the sites connect you anonymously so you can still maintain some anonymity, should the other side turn out to have a frighteningly hostile opinion about their candidate. Keep in mind, however, that the matching process may take up to a few hours, depending on demand and how many of the opposite team’s supporters are willing to talk at that moment.
The sites were created by former Facebook product manager Alexandre Roche and although Roche admitted to TechCrunch that he thinks Trump is unreasonable, the goal is to start real-life conversations and acknowledge that the other side exists, rather than just shouting into the social media void. “I thought connecting people and letting them have some empathy would be good for both sides,” Roche explained. On the other hand, if the sites get overrun with trolls, there’s a chance Roche could pull the plug. Either way, here’s hoping it does reintroduce at least a modicum of civility into our civic process before November.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Call a Deplorable, Call an Elitist
AIVAnet 