Eight hours of air traffic in one image
A couple years back, a composite image showing seven hours of takeoffs at LAX airport went viral. The man behind that image, Mike Kelley, has spent the time since working on expanding his initial idea.
The result is Airportraits, a photo series that repeats the trick . From Tokyo’s Haneda to London’s Heathrow, Kelley sat, stood and occasionally danced while shooting hundreds and thousands of photos of aircraft taking off. He then stitched the images together to create a composite image (a single image comprised of elements from multiple photos) that represents his time at each location.
Kelley leaned on his experience as an architectural photographer to build the images. He often uses light painting, blending natural and artificial light to create composite images that cast buildings and interiors in an almost magical light.
Happy to announce a new series, Airportraits. Two years, 75,000 miles traveled, way too much time in Photoshop. https://t.co/TWonED7F6V pic.twitter.com/hruSa250Pd
— Mike Kelley (@mpkelleydotcom) 17 October 2016
Where the Airportraits differ from the original viral image is in composition. While the LAX image was impressive, there was no sense of place; it could’ve been any airport, anywhere. For the new series, Kelley shot from a range of vantage points — a Sydney shot from a beach, Tokyo from a boat out on the bay, Amsterdam over a meandering river and so on. There are also people, animals, cars and other elements that sell each image as a scene, or a story, more than before.
Perhaps my favorite from the series is the image atop this article, taken near Zurich, Switzerland. It depicts eight hours of takeoffs from a pair of runways. Speaking to Resource Magazine, Kelley explained what makes this image so special: “Due to a complicated noise abatement scheme, Zurich Airport actually uses runways oriented in different directions depending on how light or heavy the winds are. This made for a very interesting photo when combined with the idyllic Swiss countryside that surrounds the airport,” he said.
You can view more of the series on Kelley’s site, read more about individual images at Resource Magazine or buy prints in various sizes from his store.
The Big Picture is a recurring feature highlighting beautiful images that tell big stories. We explore topics as large as our planet, or as small as a single life, as affected by or seen through the lens of technology.
Via: Kottke
Source: Mike Kelley, (Store)
Automakers are beating Silicon Valley at its own game
When Google unveiled its self-driving car and rumors surfaced that Apple was also working on a car, it looked like the future of driving belonged to Silicon Valley. Turns out, automakers were up to the challenge, and the “hobbies” of tech giants are going to be left behind.
While Apple reportedly scales back its EV/autonomous car project, called Titan, and Google continues to send out monthly updates about how many times other drivers run into their vehicles, companies like Ford, GM, Audi, Mercedes, Honda, BMW and Tesla (the closest thing to a tech company that makes cars) have already introduced vehicles with semi-autonomous features. Research is great, but shipping a product is the end goal. Automakers are shipping.
Not only are the automakers actually putting vehicles on the road; they’re iterating faster than they used to. The accepted timetable from design to showroom for a new car has traditionally been five years. GM’s upcoming long-range EV, the Bolt, will go from concept to retail within about three years.
Meanwhile, Google has noted that it wants to partner with an automaker, while Apple is reportedly hoping to do the same thing. The big question is: Do the car companies need them?
Most automakers have established Silicon Valley offices to recruit the talent needed to build their own autonomous system. Plus, while Google and Apple are mum on the future of their side projects, carmakers are making very public plans. Currently GM has a huge investment in Lyft, and the pair are already testing that company’s system on San Francisco streets. Recently Ford said it’ll have ride-sharing autonomous vehicles on the road in five years. And Tesla has one of the best semi-autonomous systems on the road. Even ride-sharing juggernaut Uber seems to have bested Google and Apple by putting customers in its autonomous cars in Pittsburgh.
It’s commendable that large companies like Apple and Google want to make the streets of the world safer with autonomous vehicles. In fact, their movements into the space might have forced automakers to move quicker. But the reality is that building an autonomous car — actually, any car — is more difficult than producing a phone, computer or operating system. Also, a company needs to be willing to spend the money. In 2015, Google’s Moonshot division — which the car is part of — spent $3.6 billion on R&D. That sounds impressive until you realize that VW spent $15.3 billion that same year.
Building a car can’t be a hobby or a side project. It needs to be the focus of an entire company if it’s going to become a reality. Just ask Tesla — it took nine years before it had a vehicle people actually wanted.
The next stage of driving (or not driving, as the case may be) is exciting. But right now and for the foreseeable future, it’s going to be automakers, not tech giants, pushing the technology forward.
Moov made a heart rate sensor you wear on your head
When representatives from the fitness tracking company Moov first told me they had made a heart rate sensor that you wear on your head, I thought the idea was ridiculous. But after I saw the Moov HR Sweat headband and swim caps (Moov HR Swim), it all made a bit more sense. The new device sits firmly on your forehead to get what Moov says is a more accurate pulse reading than from your wrist or chest. It then relays that information to a companion app that coaches you to work out better.
First off, putting the optical heart rate sensor on your forehead is supposed to be more accurate than conventional designs, according to the company, partly because there’s less skin in the way. Your forehead also moves a lot less than your arm does during a workout, and that motion makes it harder to get a precise read. Sweat and muscle constriction also get in the way of an exact measurement. Because the Moov sweatband absorbs moisture and stays pretty firmly in place, these interferences are kept to a minimum, in theory making for better results.
In a recent demo, this was indeed effective. I placed my hand on my jugular while trying on a Moov HR sweatband and looked at the visualization of my pulse on an interface the company made for demo purposes. A bouncing dot plunged each time I felt my heart beating. I also watched as my pulse increased when I stood up and walked about after a period of sitting down.
That information is then sent to your phone, where Moov’s voice-based AI coach will tell you what actions (burpee, jumping jack, etc.) to do and what cardio zone you’re in. This is why the precision of your heart rate data is so important to Moov: If your readout is off, you could be exercising in a completely different zone than you need to. I also appreciated the app telling me (and showing me, with visual aids) exactly what to do — kind of like following an aerobics video that knows what you’re doing.
In addition to being accurate, the new placement also made more sense than I initially thought. After all, a lot of people already wear swim caps or sweatbands when they work out. The headbands are available in black and teal at launch, and the one I tried felt secure and didn’t budge while I moved around a small room. It was, however, a bit of a hassle to get my bangs out of the way and make sure the heart rate sensor was sitting just above my eyebrows so it would work well.
The Moov HR Sweat and Swim are available for $60 each or $99 for both until Nov. 18th. After that, they’ll cost $99 each. That’s relatively affordable, considering most wrist-worn heart rate trackers, such as the Fitbit Charge 2, cost about $200. But those devices also do more than just monitor your pulse. Chest straps are cheaper, starting from $50 for one from Garmin, but they require a companion Garmin device, are unwieldy and move around a lot during a workout. The Moov HR specifically targets those who want super-accurate cardio info and don’t mind buying a dedicated gadget to do that, and its seemingly precise measurements (from my brief time with it, at least) could win those people over.
Tech giants outspend banks in US lobbying
It won’t shock you to hear that tech companies are trying to cozy up to politicians, but they may have more influence than you think. Bloomberg has determined that the five largest tech firms in the US (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft) spent more than twice as much on lobbying in 2015 as the five largest banks — $49 million versus $19.7 million. Facebook and Google argue that the money is necessary to both explain their operations and defend an open internet, but there are mounting concerns that they may have too much sway.
For instance, New America Foundation’s Barry Lynn warns that these companies are terrified of “competition policy” that could restrict their businesses, such as a repeat of the federal anti-monopoly case against Microsoft. Google may not have dismissed the FTC’s antitrust probe due to lobbying, but there is a concern that companies could have officials look the other way. And it’s safe to say that they’re not fond of measure that would force them to repatriate cash stored overseas and pay taxes.
At the same time, it may be difficult for the feds to completely reject tech industry overtures. The government needs to cooperate closely with these companies for everything from fighting terrorist propaganda to modernizing data. The future administration will likely have to walk a fine line between listening to what tech has to say and preventing it from dictating policies that hurt both your market choices and the country’s bottom line.
Source: Bloomberg
Lost Japan-only ‘Legend of Zelda’ game is available to play
Even the biggest Nintendo fan out there might not be familiar with Satellaview. It was a Japan-only peripheral for the Super Famicon (the country’s version of our Super NES) that broadcast games via satellite — one of which was a remixed version of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Now, as reported by Kotaku, fans outside of Japan can give The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets a shot for the first time.
The game was originally only broadcast in Japanese, but you can now download language patches in English, French and German here and try the game out through an emulator for yourself. But getting a working version of the game together took more than just translation. Originally, The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets was broadcast in four one-hour chunks. That’s right, the game was broadcast at a specific time once a week for four weeks, and you could only access that particular part of the game at that time.
Making things even more tricky is the fact that each game’s broadcast was accompanied by streamed audio that contained voice acting and orchestrated music — getting that entire four-hour audio broadcast together and in sync was one of the biggest challenges in offering a complete version of this game. Semi-complete ROMS have been offered for a long time, but this seems like the closest we’ve gotten to a comprehensive vision of the game.
You can download the game now, and this site has way more details about this Nintendo oddity. Anyone who loved Link to the Past (and that’s a lot of people, given the game’s status as one of the best of the entire series) should give this a shot. For more on Satellaview and the Zelda games that were broadcast over it, check out the video below.
Source: Zelda Legends, Kotaku
Google Docs helps you figure out who’s responsible for tasks
It’s not always easy to determine who’s responsible for what in a given online project, but Google thinks it can sort out that mess. It’s introducing a slew of Google Docs updates (as part of a larger G Suite upgrade) that help you delegate tasks. On the desktop, typing phrases that assign tasks will automatically suggest action items — write “Andrea to schedule a weekly check-in” and you’ll foist that duty on your colleague. Both desktop and mobile users can also manually assign items by mentioning people in comments, so it should be easier to ask for an edit or status update. You’ll get a heads-up on any files with tasks assigned to you.
This refresh is also a big deal if you’re using Slack to chat with your coworkers. Thanks to a partnership, you can now hit the “+” button in Slack to share Google Docs files, or anything from Google Drive, within the app. You don’t have to interrupt your conversation just to bring up a spreadsheet. And if you’re fond of Docs’ voice typing, you should now have an easier time deleting words, adding links and changing text color without reaching for your mouse and keyboard. All told, Google is clearly bent on greasing the wheels at work… even when you’re not using one of its apps.
Source: Google G Suite
The Pixel’s wallpaper app is now available for all Android phones
If you’ve ever picked up a Chromebook, you’ve probably noticed that Google loads them up with dozens of gorgeous wallpapers. But for some reason, Google has only offered a paltry handful lately on its Android devices. That changed with the Pixel and Pixel XL, which came with a great Wallpapers app with the same variety and quality we’re used to seeing on Chromebooks, and now the app is available for all Android devices.
The Wallpapers app, which is now live in the Play Store, offers images in five different categories: Earth, landscapes, cityscapes, life and textures. Each category has more images than I wanted to count, and there’s an option that’ll cycle through a particular category with new options every day. Naturally, you can also access your device’s default wallpapers as well as your own photos in this app, as well.
If you want to see more from the photographer who took each shot, you can tap an “explore” button to see details on the artist and location — it’ll bring you to the shot on Google+ or the 500px photo-sharing community. And Google says it’ll keep adding more images over time. It’s not the kind of app that’s going to change how you use your phone, but it might just make it a little more pleasant to look at.
Via: Android Police
Source: Google Play Store
Apple Working With Home Builders to Bolster HomeKit Adoption
Apple is partnering with various building companies to integrate its HomeKit platform directly into homes from the get-go, with the hopes that such ingrained smart home features will convince prospective buyers into sticking with the Apple ecosystem for the long haul. The news comes in a report by Bloomberg, which looked specifically at a four-bedroom stucco house in Alameda, California as one of Apple’s many HomeKit-enabled properties coming to the market.
David Kaiserman, president of the technology division at construction company Lennar Corporation, walked Bloomberg through the potential advantages of buying a smart home from the start, mainly centering around the sometimes frustrating installation of devices like smart blinds and locks. In the home in Alameda, Siri responded to “Good Morning” light requests, while Apple’s new Home app played music from connected speakers, and even ran a bath. All told, $30,000 worth of connected technology was integrated into the house.
The model smart home in Alameda, California
Apple’s vice president of product marketing, Greg Joswiak, said that the company’s goal with these so-called “test beds” of internet-connected smart homes is to eventually introduce complete home automation into a mainstream market, which could otherwise be tricky if users have to go out and buy dozens of separately-sold products. As such, Joswiak concluded that “the best place to start is at the beginning.”
The gamble is that pricey wireless home devices will be an easier sell when bundled into the home itself. Builders market granite countertops and brushed-nickel fixtures at thousands of models homes across the U.S. Why not video doorbells?
“We want to bring home automation to the mainstream,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of product marketing. “The best place to start is at the beginning, when a house is just being created.”
Purchasing a house with smart devices already installed doesn’t appear to come at a discount, however. The $30,000 worth of products inside the Alameda home included devices like Lutron’s automated shading system, which starts at $349, and the Schlage Connect Touchscreen Deadbolt, which retails for $199. As Bloomberg pointed out, “a regular deadbolt fetches $32 at Home Depot — and there’s always hiding a key under the flower pot.”
Apple is said to be working with other builders besides Lennar, including Brookfield Residential Properties Inc., but neither company said when the smart homes would actually go up for sale. Kaiserman mentioned that he hopes working with Apple in the smart home market will produce a “halo effect,” in any neighborhood that the homes sell in, convincing potential buyers that the new home has a “cool” factor that other properties nearby lack.
All the same, some people watching the rise in connected home devices believe “the hype may be getting ahead of the reality,” with examples given centering around products like a wireless onesie for a baby that can turn on lights and play soothing music when the child stirs. Likewise, IDC analyst Jonathan Gaw cited “useless” products like the recently announced smartphone-controlled candle LuDela, which “only hurts the message. It tells people that we have gone too far. There’s too much crap out there, it’s only diluting stuff that’s really cool.”
For people interested in smart home tech, it’s predicted that a total of $24 billion will be spent on home automation in 2016. While it may take a while for its popularity to catch on, research firm Strategy Analytics believes that number will jump to over $40 billion by 2020, potentially with the help of companies like Apple leading the way into whole-home integration of the technology.
Check out the full Bloomberg report here.
Tag: HomeKit
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T-Mobile to Pay $48 Million For Lack of Transparency About Throttling Data-Heavy Users on Unlimited Plans
The FCC today announced it has reached a $48 million settlement with T-Mobile, including a $7.5 million fine and $35.5 million in consumer benefits, following an investigation into whether the carrier adequately disclosed speed and data restrictions for its so-called “unlimited” data plan subscribers.
FCC investigators determined that ads and other disclosures from T-Mobile, and its prepaid brand MetroPCS, failed to adequately inform customers about its policy that de-prioritizes the top 3% of its heaviest data users during times of network contention or congestion, resulting in slower network speeds.
“Consumers should not have to guess whether so-called ‘unlimited’ data plans contain key restrictions, like speed constraints, data caps, and other material limitations,” said FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc. “When broadband providers are accurate, honest and upfront in their ads and disclosures, consumers aren’t surprised and they get what they’ve paid for. With today’s settlement, T-Mobile has stepped up to the plate to ensure that its customers have the full information they need to decide whether ‘unlimited’ data plans are right for them.”
As part of the settlement, eligible T-Mobile and MetroPCS subscribers will automatically receive an additional 4GB of 4G LTE data for one month in December and be offered 20% off any single accessory at participating T-Mobile stores with a promo code to be sent via text message in December.
Good settlement with FCC today. @TMobile believes more info is best for customers. #themoreyouknow https://t.co/XFY6dHPfN6
— John Legere (@JohnLegere) October 19, 2016
T-Mobile has agreed to update its fine print disclosures to clearly explain its “Top 3 Percent Policy,” what triggers it, who may be affected by it, and its impacts on data speeds. T-Mobile will also be required to notify individual customers when their data usage approaches the threshold for de-prioritization.
Tags: T-Mobile, FCC
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Apple Files $2M+ Lawsuit Against Counterfeiter, Finds 90% of ‘Genuine’ Accessories on Amazon Are Knockoffs
Apple has filed a lawsuit against Mobile Star LLC, accusing the firm of infringing upon its registered trademarks and copyrights by selling counterfeit 5W USB Power Adapters and Lightning to USB cables on Amazon and Groupon, according to court documents published electronically this week.
Apple said the counterfeit power products pose a significant danger to consumer safety because, among other things, they lack adequate insulation and/or have inadequate spacing between low voltage and high voltage circuits, creating risks of overheating, fire, and electrical shock.
The safety of Apple’s customers is of paramount importance to Apple, and Apple devotes significant resources to ensuring its power products meet industry safety standards and are subjected to rigorous testing for safety and reliability. Apple brings this suit to stop Mobile Star from any further distribution of counterfeit Apple products to the public.
The legal complaint says the products, shipped and sold by Amazon through its Fulfilled by Amazon program, were listed as genuine Apple products, often using the company’s copyrighted marketing images. Apple said Mobile Star’s counterfeit products hurt its sales and damage its reputation.
Apple determined at least a portion of Mobile Star LLC’s chargers and cables were counterfeit upon purchasing them as part of its routine efforts to combat the distribution and sale of knockoff products. It then alerted Amazon, which subsequently removed Mobile Star’s selling privileges.
Takedown notices are standard procedure for Apple, which found that almost 90% of so-called genuine Apple products and accessories it purchased from Amazon over the last nine months were actually counterfeit.
Over the last nine months, Apple, as part of its ongoing brand protection efforts, has purchased well over 100 iPhone devices, Apple power products, and Lightning cables sold as genuine by sellers on Amazon.com and delivered through Amazon’s “Fulfillment by Amazon” program. Apple’s internal examination and testing for these products revealed almost 90% of these products are counterfeit.
Apple went one step further and filed a lawsuit in this case because it said Mobile Star’s distribution of counterfeit Apple products “brazenly continues” and extends beyond Amazon, including Groupon and direct sales. Mobile Star has also allegedly failed to cooperate with Apple upon being contacted.
Mobile Star’s distribution of counterfeit Apple products is ongoing and extends beyond Amazon.com as shown by Apple’s purchase of 10 counterfeit Apple products directly from Groupon in December 2015. […]
In addition, an Apple investigator recently purchased counterfeit Apple EarPods headphones and Lightning cables directly from Mobile Star, showing that Mobile Star is brazenly continuing to sell counterfeit Apple products even after learning that Apple was on to it.
Apple is seeking damages of up to $150,000 for each registered copyright infringed, in addition to damages of up to $2 million per trademark infringed. Apple has demanded a jury trial in the case, titled Apple Inc. v. Mobile Star LLC, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Tag: lawsuit
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