Chevy truck brings hydrogen fuel cells to the military
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles aren’t just for eco-conscious civilian drivers. Chevy has unveiled the Colorado ZH2, an experimental truck designed to test the feasibility of fuel cells in the military. Its powerplant is much quieter and cooler-running than a conventional gas motor, making it ideal for special ops where conventional trucks would blow your cover. However, its real specialty doesn’t involve driving at all — you can use the modular cell to power devices outside the truck with up to 25kW of continuous electricity. A squad could run equipment while camped out in mid-mission, for example.
There are also some inherent performance advantages to embracing hydrogen, including high torque (since it’s powering an electric motor) and high fuel efficiency. You could even reuse the cell’s water output. Chevy also tells TechCrunch that having exportable power could make it easy to fix vehicles — you could swap fuel cells in the field.
The US Army plans to test the ZH2 in “extreme field conditions” during 2017. There’s no guarantee that the truck will enter service, and we could see a few obstacles to it: it’s still expensive to produce hydrogen, and it’s not as readily available as fossil fuels. A stranded unit likely couldn’t scrounge up fuel without calling in support. It’s hard to deny the advantages, however, and it’s easy to see fuel cell trucks finding at least some use in combat.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: GM
Oregon authorities are investigating Kickstarter darling Coolest (updated)
When Coolest debuted on Kickstarter back in 2014, it set a funding record. The do-it-all cooler campaing took in $13 million for an outdoor beverage option with blender, Bluetooth speaker, USB charging and more. The company asked its backers for more money back in April, saying that the price it offered during the crowdfunding campaign was too low. What’s more, some backers still haven’t received their coolers despite the company selling them for a discounted price on Amazon, its own website and other retailers. The Coolest website says that if you hand over $400 for a cooler right now, it will ship in 48 hours.
As you can imagine, this isn’t sitting well with the backers who didn’t have the rolling party cooler in hand for the summer months this year — or last year for that matter. The Oregonian reports that the Oregon Justice Department is investigating the Portland-based company following 315 complaints over the course of the last year. Those complaints claim that not only did the company fail to deliver the promised rewards, but that it also didn’t fulfill requests for refunds. Kickstarter guidelines at the time required a project to deliver the stated rewards or refund the pledges. Unfortunately, there isn’t a mandatory timeline for either those things to happen.
Coolest set that Kickstarter record in August 2014 and promised backers that it would deliver coolers in February 2015. In August of this year, creator Ryan Grepper explained the product was going on sale at “a national chain” in addition to other retailers. “The faster we can place more Coolest Coolers in more retail stores the faster we can generate the revenue to ship even more Rewards to more Backers,” Grepper said in a Kickstarter update for the project’s supporters.
Pledging money for a Kickstarter project is always a risk, but this is a unique case since the product is actually for sale elsewhere even though some people who committed funds still haven’t received theirs. It would be much different had the cooler not been made. Coolest has said that retail sales allow it to finance those backer orders, perhaps as a way of making up the difference from misjudging the production costs. Kickstarter backers were offered a $185 price tag while the cooler is now selling for more than double on the company’s website now.
After The Oregonian report last week, the company posted an update for backers to Kickstarter. Grepper explained that the company doesn’t have the inventory or money to just ship Coolest to the remaining backers who haven’t received one yet. The retail sales are being used to fund on-going production and get those units sent out. Grepper said that the company has run into a number of issues with Amazon’s Launchpad program, including the online retailer selling the cooler at a reduced rate after promising not to offer it below the retail price of $400. He explained that at the price of $225, the company isn’t making the profit needed to make more inventory. We’ve reached out to Amazon for a comment on the matter and we’ll updated when/if we hear back.
Grepper also said that the company has “cooperated fully” Oregon Department of Justice investigation. He said that Coolest was shipping units to backers who formally filed a complaint or threatened any legal action as a way to avoid pricey legal fees. It has since stopped that practice as it gave customers a way to jump to the front of the line for shipping. Grepper said that around 200 backers have filed complaints so far, compared to the over 300 mentioned in The Oregonian report. He also noted that handling complaints filed with the state is slowing down the process even more as Coolest is a small company.
“We aren’t refusing to send Coolests — we can’t afford to and we lack inventory and resources to fulfill all Backer units,” he explained. “We’ve been very clear about our continual efforts in all our updates and are following Kickstarter terms of service.” The Coolest CEO also reminded backers that Kickstarter isn’t a store and he’s right.
“Backers must understand that when they back a project, they’re helping to create something new — not ordering something that already exists,” KIckstarter’s terms reads. “There may be changes or delays, and there’s a chance something could happen that prevents the creator from being able to finish the project as promised.”
Supporters pledge money in hopes that the project will be made and they’ll have the opportunity to cash in on their reward. Again, there’s no mandatory timeline for doing so, only a shipping estimate given by a project’s creators and details on delays via regular updates. Grepper said that 3/5 of the company’s backers have their coolers and now the only issue is raising the funds needed to fulfill the rest.
Update: Coolest sent Engadget this weekend’s update after this post went live. This post has been updated to reflect the information in that update for Kickstarter backers.
Via: Consumerist
Source: The Oregonian
Crowd control and confetti cannons at the Overwatch Open
The studio is immaculate. Shiny black floors glisten under orange, blue and purple lights. A dozen people dressed in all black, wires dangling from their headphones to the battery packs at their waists, mill around, preparing massive hooded cameras, adjusting light fixtures, sweeping the floors and, way in the back on a raised platform, tweaking the appearance of the stage from behind multi-screen terminals. It’s 9PM on a Friday night and everyone in the room is at work, but the air sizzles with chatter and excitement.
The stage itself is impressive, with three massive, crisp screens alternating between the logo for the 2016 Overwatch Open and the competing teams’ insignias. A cartoon rabbit head wearing goggles and a scar over one eye smirks down from the orange side, representing the European underdog team, Misfits. A stylized white “N” surrounded by a circle looms over the North American favorites, EnVyUs. Twelve young men — some bearded, others clean-shaven — sit in front of their respective screens at two long, curved banks of gaming PCs, getting in just a few more minutes of practice before the big game; just a few more kills, just a few more dodges and clicks and saves. The mood on the stage is deadly serious. Whoever wins tonight takes home $100,000, after all.
A woman in a long-sleeved shirt with “LOVE” printed on it in large, white letters stands on the center platform, in front of the main viewing screen. She yells for someone to turn on Outkast’s “Hey Ya.”
The speakers continue to pump out peppy indie rock.
ELEAGUE analysts prepare the desk before showtime (Image credit: Engadget)
Rows of empty chairs line the studio floor and cascade up three platforms at the back of the room, strategically positioned around cameras and control panels. The on-air talent arrives about an hour before the show starts, settling into their seats for lighting and mic tests. They’ve done this before, but tonight is special. Tonight is a first. Tonight’s games, the ELEAGUE Overwatch Open grand finals, will be broadcast live on TBS, where families across the country will be able to watch it just like they’d switch on football, baseball or wrestling. Tonight, Overwatch eSports will be live on television for the first time ever, shoutcasters, audience and all.
The three analysts at the main casting desk sink into their seats and adjust their papers, jotting down notes and happily chatting with each other.
From the stage, the woman in the LOVE shirt yells again for someone to turn on Outkast’s “Hey Ya.” The music switches off entirely. She stares down the technicians at the back of the studio and calls out again. The speakers remain silent. She calmly makes her way across the room, climbing the stairs to the men manning the control panel in a shadowy corner; she’s not angry.
“The music part is very important,” she says, laughing and leaning over the panel to line up the song herself. “Gotta keep ’em hyped, gotta keep ’em turnt.”
She plays the music video for “Hey Ya,” skipping past the scripted intro and diving directly into the song. By now, people are pouring into the studio, taking their seats on the ground floor and trickling up the platforms. The music energizes the room as the clock ticks closer to 10PM, when the cameras will switch on and the show will go live.
North America’s EnVyUs minutes before the grand finals begin (Image credit: Engadget)
The woman takes the stage again, this time to command the eager audience. She tells them how the evening will go down; she explains their role in the show. They need to be excited, energetic and loud. Every time the studio comes back from commercial, everyone in the crowd needs to scream like this is the night of their life.
Two minutes before going live and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” is blasting through the speakers. She pulls a random fan out of his chair and onto the stage; they dance, both smiling wide as the audience laughs. She dabs and he dabs. The crowd whoops and cheers, and she motions for him to take his seat once again. The show is about to begin. The music shuts off but the audience doesn’t need it anymore; they’re pumped and ready to demonstrate it at a moment’s notice.
She’s not a hype director — she’s a puppet master, controlling the entire studio with electric, warm energy. She starts talking and the audience listens; she says scream and the audience screams. She pulls one string, and then another.
Quietly, from the bank of screens and lights at the back of the room, a man says, “Three, two, one and go. It’s Domino’s, Domino’s, Domino’s, Domino’s…” as the commercials begin. The show starts with a video montage introducing the game. The audience is enraptured and silent, until the puppet master leaps out from behind the main screen and yells for them to scream. They do and she slinks back, out of view of the cameras. The studio goes live.
The puppet master appears at the end of the first few commercial breaks to cue the audience, but by the third one, she doesn’t even need to prompt them anymore. She fades into the background as the crowd responds according to their training, screaming and clapping whenever the show comes back on.
Fans celebrate a big play at the Overwatch Open (Image credit: Turner Sports)
The studio is rocked by waves of screaming jubilation and muted, shifting silence as the crew and the audience alternately watch the games play out and then wait for unseen ads to run their course. The players’ faces, captured by cameras hooked onto the top of their screens, hover above the crowd in two long strips, gazing down on their fans and detractors alike.
There’s no sound from the game in the studio; just the quick, precise chatter of the play-by-play announcers describing everything happening on the screen. But, the audience doesn’t seem to notice or care about the audio: During the matches, the energy is real. The crowd chants, “USA! USA! USA!” unprompted when EnVyUs make a big play and it’s difficult to not get wrapped up in the nationalistic glee.
Someone on EnVyUs selects the character McCree, a vigilante gunslinger, and the massive viewing screen follows him as he hunts down Misfits’ Winston, a gorilla scientist character. McCree unloads a rapid-fire round of bullets directly into Winston’s face, killing him, and the room explodes in cheers, a few hundred #Harambe supporters standing and raising their arms in pure, unironic victory.
It’s midnight by the time the match ends, but the roiling, pumping energy never leaves the crowd, even though the home team loses and Misfits, the European underdogs, leaves with the trophy. A pair of cannons blast out confetti and streamers and the lights go as wild as the audience.
And then the studio empties out, fans pouring into the hallway as they try to take pictures with their favorite players and shoutcasters. The brooms reappear. The puppet master disappears into a back room, leaving behind a trail of invisible, powerful energy that the studio will store for the next live show, dormant, buzzing and ready to be deployed.
Chat app Telegram is now a gaming platform too
If a company has a messaging app, there’s a good chance that chat bots are headed its way. Case in point, today secure-chat service Telegram announced a bot-powered gaming platform. While the app has had text-based games for a while, today’s announcement means those distractions will now have HTML 5 graphics and sound.
To start in on the fun, users can just type “@gamebot” in a group chat to see the list of about 30 available games. Telegram says that hundreds more are coming to the platform and that they will be able to keep track of high scores both within a group and globally.
Plus when someone in a group takes the lead in a game, the rest of the participants are alerted so they can jump back into the chat and try to overtake them.
Updates are currently available for iOS and Android users and because the games are basically tiny web pages, they won’t add to the size of the actual app.
Source: Telegram
Huawei reportedly turned down Google’s new phone strategy
You may be wondering why Google appears to be going with HTC for this year’s Pixel phones instead of Huawei. Wasn’t the Nexus 6P a rousing success? Apparently, Huawei and Google aren’t getting along quite as well as you might think. An Android Police source understands that Huawei bristled at Google’s plan to take more control over its Android hardware, which included erasing any mentions of the phone builder’s name. Huawei wanted a larger footprint in the US, and it wasn’t going to get that by being reduced to a contract manufacturer.
The decision to back out wasn’t helped by trouble with the Nexus 6P launch, according to the tipster. Google had originally promised deals with all four big US carriers, but that never happened. Talks broke down, and the grand launch (which would have included a “multi-hundred-million dollar” ad strategy) was reduced to sales through Google and Huawei stores. Neither this nor the Pixel problem appears to have permanently soured the relationship between the companies (there may even be a Huawei-made Google phone in 2017), but Huawei would undoubtedly be frustrated.
The incidents may be hints of a broader problem with Huawei’s US division. Reportedly, the only device to get any significant traction is the cheap-but-capable Honor 5X. The GX8 (which shares ties with the Honor phone) has seen virtually no sales, while the MateBook is an “absolute flop.” There are hints that Huawei ousted most of its American leadership and has otherwise gone through major management changes in a bid to turn things around.
We’ve asked Huawei for comment on the report. Whether or not the Google stories are accurate, though, it’s no secret that Huawei hasn’t had the best time in the US. Outside of the Nexus 6P and Huawei Watch, the company doesn’t have much stateside recognition or a fiercely competitive lineup. Unlocked phones (beyond Google’s lineup) don’t garner nearly as much attention as their carrier-bound counterparts, and it’s hard to argue for the MateBook when the Surface Pro 4 is both better-known and better-built. In short, it’s not enough to show up — Huawei has to demonstrate that it compete with its biggest rivals on their home turf.
Source: Android Police
Microsoft discontinues its Band fitness wearable
The Microsoft Band is likely no more. While signs pointed to the wearable line’s possible demise a few weeks ago, there was always the chance that the tech giant would flip its noncommittal stance and announce a Band 3. But the final nail seems to be in its coffin: As of today, every listing and mention of the fitness wearable has been completely removed from the company’s Store site.
Best Buy has likewise removed it from its online store, though Band 2 devices are still available on Amazon until their supply runs out, according to The Verge. While a Microsoft spokesperson told ZDNet that it will still support existing Band 2 owners, they have also removed the device’s software development kit from its site.
The writing may have been on the wall when Microsoft supposedly disbanded the team porting the wearable to Windows 10 a few months ago. But they’re still keeping their mobile health apps under the “Band” name, which they rebranded last month as rumor spread that they were dropping their own fitness device. This lets Microsoft continue running its Health backend service on other wearables, extending its lifespan while they quietly let their tracker die.
Source: ZDNet
macOS Sierra Available as an Automatic Download Starting Today
Starting today, Apple is making the new macOS Sierra operating system available as an automatic download to customers running OS X El Capitan in order to encourage them to update.
Customers who have auto downloads enabled will see macOS Sierra start to download automatically, but it will not install without express user permission.
Apple shared the news with The Loop and says the update will only be downloaded on computers that meet the specs for macOS Sierra and have an adequate amount of storage space.
Apple is also being smart about the download. If your computer is low on space, macOS Sierra will not download. In addition, if it has downloaded and your computer starts to get low on space, the download will be automatically deleted.
Customers who do not want to upgrade to macOS Sierra can manually delete the update to keep from being prompted to do the install, and the download can be turned off by disabling automatic downloads. Disabling the feature can be done by going to System Preferences -> App Store and unchecking “Download newly available updates in the background.”
Automatic downloads of macOS Sierra will be rolling out to customers over the next week.
Related Roundup: macOS Sierra
Discuss this article in our forums
Microsoft Likely Discontinuing Microsoft Band Wearable Device
The Microsoft Band, the wearable device Microsoft first introduced in late 2014, is being quietly phased out of existence. As of today, Microsoft has removed all Microsoft Band models from the Microsoft Online Store and has eliminated the Band Software Development Kit.
In a statement given to ZDNet, a Microsoft representative said that the company has sold through all of its Band 2 inventory and does not have plans to release a new Band wearable in 2016.
“We have sold through our existing Band 2 inventory and have no plans to release another Band device this year. We remain committed to supporting our Microsoft Band 2 customers through Microsoft Stores and our customer support channels and will continue to invest in the Microsoft Health platform, which is open to all hardware and apps partners across Windows, iOS, and Android devices.”
Following the Microsoft Band’s 2014 release, Microsoft continued development on the device and released a second-generation model in October of 2015. Priced at $250, the second-generation Microsoft Band featured an optical heart rate monitor for measuring heart rate, an accelerometer and gyroscope for measuring movement, GPS, skin temperature sensors, and more.
It received poor reviews for its price point, design, battery life, and lack of utility, and despite Microsoft’s efforts to push sales with an Apple Watch trade-in program, the Microsoft Band 2 failed to catch on.
Previous information shared by ZDNet has suggested Microsoft disbanded the team that was working to bring Windows 10 to the Microsoft Band and has relocated some of the hardware team. Sources have also told the site that Microsoft is planning to phase out the fitness band and has no plans to work on a Band 3.
Tag: Microsoft
Discuss this article in our forums
Photoshop and Office 2016 Stability Fixes in the Works for macOS Sierra Users
Following the release of macOS Sierra last month, the latest operating system has caused some compatibility and stability issues with Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac that both companies are working to resolve.
A growing number of users on Adobe’s support community claim that Photoshop CC crashes when attempting to print projects after updating to macOS Sierra. Doug Thomson, for example, is unable to print to his Epson 7890, while some other Epson and Canon printer models appear to be affected.
Installed macOS Sierra and now Photoshop 15.5.1 crashes when attempting to print. Print dialogue opens and settings can be modified, but when attempting to print Photoshop crashes perhaps 9 out of 10 attempts. Most frustrating. I’m printing to an Epson 7890, but I have seen the same issue cited for Canon. Adobe support told me that Photoshop has not been tested on Sierra, but in reality Adobe has had Sierra for months and have even published known issues. I pay a ton of money for this thing to work and this nonsense from support is very annoying.
Adobe has since acknowledged the issue in a support document, noting that Photoshop CC version 2015.5 or earlier may crash while printing to some printers from Macs running macOS Sierra. Adobe said its engineers are working on a solution for a future update to Photoshop CC, as echoed by Adobe product manager Pete Green.
@walkyourcamera @Photoshop @EpsonAmerica @AppleSupport We’re working on it from our end, watch this thread for more: https://t.co/JPw38b7r0I
— Pete Green (@_petegreen) October 1, 2016
Adobe recommends users make sure their printer driver is up-to-date. “Just updating the driver may not work,” said Adobe, adding that users “need to delete the driver, delete the printer, install the latest driver then install the printer.” Adobe points towards an Apple support document on troubleshooting printers on Mac. If all else fails, Adobe recommends users print from Photoshop Lightroom in the meantime.
Separately, Microsoft has acknowledged that Office 2016 for Mac closes unexpectedly, or crashes, for some macOS Sierra users. The company’s engineers are working with Apple to investigate and resolve the issue.
MacRumors reader Adam C. emailed us about his problems on macOS Sierra:
Office for Mac is causing me heaps of trouble. Computer hangs, and I can’t even force quit the applications. Have to rudely switch off computer and restart.
Until a fix is released, a new support document suggests turning off “Auto Proxy Discovery” or “Automatic Proxy Configuration” as a possible workaround, if allowed by your personal or organization’s network configuration.
Related Roundup: macOS Sierra
Tags: Microsoft, Microsoft Office, Photoshop, Adobe, Office 2016 for Mac
Discuss this article in our forums
Apple to Sell Fewer Apple Watch Models in 2016 Despite Launch of Series 2
Apple may sell fewer Apple Watch models in 2016 than it did in 2015, according to research conducted by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and shared by Business Insider. According to Kuo, the new Series 1 and Series 2 Apple Watch models suffer from a lack of “killer” applications, inadequate battery life, a heavy reliance on the iPhone and a multi-touch UI that he does not feel will be the ideal solution for wearable devices.
The Apple Watch, says Kuo, has failed to impact sales of the Fitbit, and he does not believe the more affordable Series 1 models will lead to a higher number of sales.
As a result of these perceived shortcomings, Kuo has cut his estimates for 2016 Apple Watch shipments by 15 to 25 percent, projecting sales of 8.5 to 9 million units during fiscal 2016. Kuo made similar predictions in April of 2016.
“Based on these considerations, we revise down our 2016F shipments projection for the entire Apple Watch line from 10.0-10.5mn units to 8.5-9.0mn units (vs. 10.4mn units in 2015),” writes Kuo. “We now predict 2016F Apple Watch sales will decline from 2015 (with shorter selling time of eight months).”
Apple does not break down Apple Watch sales numbers and has never revealed how many of the wearable devices have sold since April of 2015, making it difficult to pin down just how well it’s doing with customers. IDC estimates shared over the summer suggest Apple sold 1.6 million units during Q2 2016, down from 3.6 million estimated units in the second quarter of 2015, aligning with Kuo’s prediction.
It’s important to note that estimates for Apple Watch sales sometimes vary wildly, however. For example, during the March quarter, Swiss bank UBS estimated sales of 1.6 million units, while Strategy Analytics estimated sales of 2.2 million.
The new Apple Watch Series 2 looks identical to the Series 1 Apple Watch models but includes better waterproofing to make it suitable for use when swimming, GPS, a faster dual-core processor, and a brighter display. Series 1 models also feature a faster processor, but are otherwise unchanged from the original Apple Watch.
More substantial changes are expected for the 2017 Apple Watch, including an exterior redesign.
Related Roundups: Apple Watch Series 2, watchOS 3
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
Discuss this article in our forums
AIVAnet 