NASA is developing better gears to make tougher robots
Any robot NASA sends to harsh, distant worlds has to be tougher than garden-variety machines. Since every component has to be able to withstand extreme conditions, a team of researchers over at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory are looking at the possibility of using bulk metallic glass for their gears. Metallic glass is a metal with glass-like atomic structure — it has low melting temp and can be blow-molded when heated. Gears made out of the material don’t get brittle and won’t need lubricants even in extremely cold environments.
NASA says the Curiosity rover has to heat up lubricants every time it wants to move — metallic glass gears could save precious energy when exploring alien worlds. As JPL Materials Development and Manufacturing Technology Group program manager Peter Dillon explains:
“Being able to operate gears at the low temperature of icy moons, like Europa, is a potential game changer for scientists. Power no longer needs to be siphoned away from the science instruments for heating gearbox lubricant, which preserves precious battery power.”
Yet another advantage is that it’ll make strain wave gears, which you can see below, much cheaper to mass produce. They’re pretty tricky to make, so a tougher material that can cut down costs could be a huge boon to consumer robotics. “This is especially true for humanoid robots, where gears in the joints can be very expensive but are required to prevent shaking arms,” said project lead Douglas Hofmann. “The performance at low temperatures for JPL spacecraft and rovers seems to be a happy added benefit.”
[Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech]
Source: NASA
Sony Releases PlayStation Communities iOS App
Sony has released a new PlayStation Communities iOS app that allows players to interact with fellow PS4 gamers from their Apple phones and tablets.
The app works much like a forum portal: Players using the app can search for, join, and interact with groups, where they can post messages and images on a community wall. Members can stick to chatting about gaming or join groups to set up multiplayer games.
PlayStation Communities are places where you can find players who have similar interests and preferences.
Within a Community, you can join parties and launch into games with other Community members, or talk about your shared interests. For instance, if you’re having trouble finding players to tackle Destiny’s newest raid, Wrath of the Machine, a Destiny community may help you fill out your fireteam.
The PlayStation Communities app joins two other Sony apps for its console – a flagship PlayStation app released three years ago, and a PlayStation Messages app released in 2015.
PlayStation Communities is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store.
(Via The Verge.)
Tags: Sony, PlayStation
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Apple Music’s ‘Head Diva’ Bozoma Saint John Speaks at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit
Apple Music global marketing executive Bozoma Saint John gave a brief interview at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit on Tuesday where she spoke about how self-confidence was crucial in her rise to prominence at Cupertino.
Known as “Boz” to her friends, Saint John joined the Apple team when the company acquired Beats Music in 2014. After her fun and memorable on-stage demonstration of the new Apple Music features at WWDC 2016 – not to mention her appearance in a recent Apple Music ad alongside senior Apple VP Eddy Cue – she has since become the recognized “head diva” for Apple’s music services.
Emigrating from Ghana to Colorado at the age of 13, Saint John told technology reporter Leena K Rao that her height for such a young age and her skin color made it all but impossible to hide amongst her peers, but it taught her early on the importance of self-confidence.
“I couldn’t hide, there wasn’t a choice to do that,” Saint John said. “So the choice was do you try to do what everybody else was doing? I couldn’t be blond, I couldn’t be white. I just couldn’t be anything else, and so it meant that I had to become just all of everything that I have.”
The experience of moving to the U.S. as a child meant that she embraced who she was early on, she said, which helped put her on course for success, beginning at Pepsi, moving on to join Beats, and now finding herself at Apple. At 13, she said she learned what it meant to walk into a room and “not care when everybody else turned around” and looked at you. “And here I am,” she said.
Tag: Apple Music
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U.K. Minister Wants to Reduce iPad Use in Schools to Curb Bullying
Schools in the U.K. should reduce the use of iPads during lessons because some children are using them to bully and harass others, according to a government minister (via The Telegraph).
Edward Timpson, the Minister for Children and Families, claimed a number of schools were letting children spend too much time using iPads and said that headteachers should use their powers to confiscate them if they are being used “inappropriately”.
Timpson told peers on the House of Lords Communications Committee:
“A problem in a number of schools which we’ve sought to address is the iPad or the tablet coming into schools and it forming far too much of the school day’s activities of children and it being used inappropriately for some of the bullying and harassment that we know sadly goes on the back of it.
“That’s why we’ve strengthen the powers of headteachers to confiscate and remove material and so on.”
Timpson argued for a “technology balance” to ensure that teachers still interact with pupils and avoid a “battleground” between children and their tablets.
“Children will be spending more of their life living through a tablet. It is the direction we now know is going to be taking hold for the foreseeable future and we have to respond to that,” he said.
Over 90 percent of U.K. teenagers have mobile phones, according to The Telegraph. Meanwhile, a study by the London School of Economics found that an outright ban on the devices in schools saw test scores rise by an average 6 percent.
In England, there is no government policy on the use of mobile phones in schools, which are left to set any restrictions themselves.
Tag: United Kingdom
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DirecTV Now review – CNET
The Good DirecTV Now has most of the live channels offered by your local cable provider, without hidden fees or contracts or extra equipment (no satellite dish required). The $35/month introductory price for 100 channels is an amazing value. You can add HBO or Cinemax for just $5/month each.
The Bad That $35 price will expire eventually, and the basic package prices are much less appealing. No CBS, and live ABC, Fox and NBC only available in a handful of major cities. No cloud DVR (for now), so you can’t schedule recordings. Roku compatibility is coming, but not available yet.
The Bottom Line For cable cord-cutters and the cut-curious who prioritize live TV over on-demand access, DirecTV Now is a very good value.
Starting at $35/month
$35 per month for 100 channels. That’s what DirecTV Now delivers today. If that was all you needed to know, you could stop reading right now, cancel your cable or satellite service, subscribe and start saving.
Alas, it’s more complex than that.
For starters, you’ll need a compatible device and a fast-enough Internet connection. Those aren’t big hurdles for a lot of people (compatible devices, if you don’t already have one, start at just $35), but the main issue is that TV and Internet are often bundled together, and canceling your cable subscription could mean paying more for “just Internet,” nullifying some of that precious savings.
Then you’ll have to consider channels and features. DirecTV Now has most channels you’re used to with traditional cable, but it’s missing CBS. (Full disclosure: CNET is owned by CBS). Other local channels (ABC, Fox and NBC) are only available live in a few major cities, and your favorite team’s sports network might not be available at all. NFL football games (on NBC, Fox and ESPN) are effectively blacked out on non-Verizon mobile devices, although you can watch them on TVs and PCs.
Unlike cable TV and competing service PlayStation Vue, there’s no DVR (yet) so you can’t record programs to watch later or skip commercials. You’ll have to depend on the service’s on-demand offerings for non-Live shows, and while DirecTV claims they’re substantial, they’re not comprehensive.
DirecTV Now gives 100 channels for $35 (pictures)
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Finally there’s the biggest caveat: That $35/month price is an introductory offer, only good for a “limited time.” DirecTV isn’t saying when the offer expires. Even after it does, however, people who subscribed for that price won’t lose any channels. In other words, early subscribers are grandfathered into that price and can keep the 100+ channel package for $35/month, as long as they don’t cancel. If you decide to cancel and then resubscribe, you’ll have to pay the standard prices — which aren’t that much better than the competition, or much savings over a typical cable or satellite package.
But it’s not all bad news. One big advantage of DirecTV Now is that AT&T subscribers who stream DirecTV Now on their phones won’t have the data count against their monthly cap. You can also run two independent simultaneous streams on a single DirecTV Now account. And, like Sling TV and PlayStation Vue, there are absolutely no contracts, so you can cancel any time.
Aside from the introductory price, all those aforementioned caveats and conditions are fairly common in the brave new world of “Multichannel live TV over the Internet.” DirecTV Now is a very important new addition to that world, and in many ways (especially sheer number of channels) it surpasses competitors like Sling TV and PlayStation Vue. I still like Vue better overall, mainly because of its cloud DVR and its access to CBS, and Sling is much cheaper, but DirecTV Now holds its own. If you’re interested, it’s worth talking advantage of the free 7-day trial.
View full gallery Sarah Tew/CNET
The basics: What you need to know
Before we get too deep into it, here’s the basics on DirecTV Now, including how it’s different from TV you may know, pricing, device support and other important stuff.
- It’s separate from DirecTV, the satellite service, but both are owned by AT&T
- Subscribers can watch numerous live TV channels using their Internet connection
- Prices range from $35 to $70 per month, depending on channels (see below)
- A channel package that normally costs $60 per month is discounted to $35 for a limited time
- One you download the app or visit the web site, you can watch on a TV, a mobile device like a phone or tablet, or a computer
- To watch on a TV, you’ll need an Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick, an Apple TV, a Chromecast (Android at launch; iOS in 2017), or a Google Cast-enabled TV (like LeEco or Vizio SmartCast TVs)
- To watch on a computer, you can use Internet Explorer, Chrome or Safari web browsers
- You can also watch on any any iPhone, iPad or Android phone or tablet
- Roku, Amazon Fire tablet and additional Smart TV support is coming in 2017
- Subscribers to AT&T’s cell phone service can watch without using their mobile data; Subscribers to other services use mobile data as normal
- There’s a free 7-day trial available
- There’s no contract or early termination fee, so you can cancel at any time
- It’s available as of November 30
- It’s only available in the United States
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At launch the service works with mobile phones and computers, as well as these TV devices.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The channels: Lots and lots of live TV
DirecTV Now offers more live channels than competitors Sling TV and PlayStation Vue, and almost as many as a typical cable package. The big exception is CBS. That broadcast network is not available on DirecTV Now (and neither is CBS-owned premium channel Showtime). That said, there’s an easy workaround: To get CBS, you could subscribe to CBS All Access ($6/month) or use an antenna to receive the local broadcast for free. The standalone Showtime app costs $11/month.
Check out the article below for the full channel breakdown.
DirecTV Now vs. Sling TV vs. Playstation Vue: Channel lineups compared
Another big exception has to do with where you live. To watch other broadcast networks, namely ABC, Fox and NBC you’ll need to live in or near certain major cities–and coverage isn’t great right now. Unless you live in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles or San Jose you won’t get all three networks, and many major cities get only one. If you don’t live in one of those markets, shows from those networks will be available on demand with a 24 hour delay. Check out the chart below for details.
DirecTV Now local network availability (ABC, Fox, NBC)
The arrangement is similar to PlayStation Vue, although that service covers more cities and does CBS (and charges extra for people who live in those major markets). For its part Sling TV only offers ABC in a handful of select markets, and it costs another $5/month.
DirecTV Now has four basic channel packages. Here’s how they stack up.
DirecTV Now packages
| Monthly price | Introductory price | Number of channels | Highlights |
| $35 | N/A | 60+ | ABC, Fox, NBC (where available), most basic cable channels |
| $50 | N/A | 80+ | Adds select regional sports networks, ESPN News, more |
| $60 | $35 | 100+ | Adds NBA TV, NHL Network, FXM, Sundance TV, more |
| $70 | N/A | 120+ | Adds 8 Starz/Encore channels, Boomerang, El Rey, more |
The big deal here is the introductory offer of $35 per month for the 100-channel “Go Big” package. During the introductory period there’s basically no reason to subscribe to the two smaller packages, and very little reason to pay double for the full monty “Gotta Have It” package. Even after that deal expires, the cheapest tier of DirecTV Now has more channels than the basic tiers of Sling TV and PlayStation Vue.
Another big deal is the ability to add HBO or Cinemax for just $5 extra (each) to any package. That’s a substantial discount ($10) off the normal premium channel rate. Unlike a service like HBO Go however, not every episode of every HBO series is included on-demand. For example, “Game of Thrones” only has one episode from season 6, and many episodes are missing from other seasons.
View full gallery Sarah Tew/CNET
You can use your DirecTV Now login credentials to sign in (authenticate) the HBO Go app, however, and gain access to the full library of shows that way. Other TV everywhere apps that will work with DirecTV Now at launch are Max Go, Watch ABC, Watch Disney Channel, Watch Disney Jr., Watch Disney XD, Watch Freeform and Watch ESPN. DirecTV Now says it’s planning to add more in the future (Vue, by comparison, authenticates with more than 60 apps).
2017 Honda CR-V review – Roadshow
The Good The 1.5-liter turbocharged engine is pretty peppy, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on EX trim lines and above.
The Bad It’s a capable and good-looking vehicle, but it’s still not terribly exciting to drive.
The Bottom Line The 2017 Honda CR-V promises to be a big seller for Honda. Its sophisticated looks, zippy engine and myriad features give it a jump on the competition.
Instead of joining pals on an impromptu trip to Mexico to watch the Baja 1000 after the Los Angeles Auto Show, I was sick, cruising in the 2017 Honda CR-V to the only place I knew would make me feel better: Mom’s house.
Notice that even in profile, the 2017 CR-V has more artfully sculpted bodywork.
Honda
If you’ve ever tried to negotiate traffic while sick, you’ll understand my pain. The miles tend to creep by ever so slowly as you gingerly move from gas to brake and back again. But I had a secret weapon this time. This new CR-V arrived with low-speed adaptive cruise control. I just let the car do the work while I concentrated on not throwing up, looking forward to Mom taking care of me in the comfort of my childhood bedroom.
This is what driver-assistance technology is made for.
The CR-V has been one of America’s best-selling SUVs for the past twenty years. Look around, and you’re sure to see more than one of the four-million units sold since its debut in 1997.
Now in its fifth generation, Honda has given us a brand-new CR-V, and none too soon, as the previous model was looking, well, a bit long in the tooth.
All new, all the time
Just looking at the 2017 CR-V, with its distinctive new rear fascia, sharply flared fenders and a sculpted hood, is a delight. The fifth generation gets available LED lights all around, a longer wheelbase and larger wheels. Design is subjective, but the new additions add up to a much sleeker and more sophisticated design than the outgoing generation.
Total cargo space is up, too.
Honda
A crossover is only as good as its cargo area, and here Honda introduces a nifty new feature. A kick-operated power tailgate is available, and it has a user-defined height feature, so if you’re vertically challenged or maybe your garage has a low ceiling, you can program the tailgate to open at lower than maximum height.
Inside, the CR-V boasts not only more legroom for rear passengers, it has a whopping 10 inches of additional linear cargo space with the rear seats folded down. Total cargo is up to 75.8 cubic feet, an increase from 70.9 in the 2016 model. That beats the pants off the current Mazda CX-5 and just edges out the Toyota RAV4.
Pixel grabs 10% of the premium smartphone market in India, but there’s a long way to go
The Pixels are off to a great start in India.
The Pixel and Pixel XL made their debut in India on October 26, retailing for ₹57,000 ($830) and ₹67,000 ($975) respectively. The launch was followed by an advertising blitz by Google that saw billboards plastered across major urban centers and commercials on major channels. With a Note 7-sized hole waiting to be filled, Google shipped 33,000 units of the Pixels in the country, catapulting the phone to the third spot in the premium segment (devices over ₹30,000) with a market share of 10%.
That’s according to data from market research firm Counterpoint Research, cited by ET Tech:
A refreshing and feature-packed Pixel is making for a good proposition against Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s S series.
Google does not want to miss out on the opportunities and is leaving no stones unturned with heavy spend on marketing. Going by spends on advertisement and offers provided by the company, Pixel is sure to maintain its market share if not extend it in the quarter.
A spokesperson Google India also chimed in, stating that the company was “enthused by the feedback from Indian customers,” and that the initial response for the Pixel “has been extremely positive and in line with our expectations.” While the numbers posit a healthy growth for the Pixel in India, they don’t tell the whole story. The figures are units shipped to retailers and not sales to customers, and as such don’t necessarily represent how the Pixel is doing in the country.
With 33,000 units shipped, Pixel takes the third spot in the premium segment in India.
As is often the case in the high-end segment in India, the pricing is the main drawback for the Pixels. With the 32GB Pixel XL selling for ₹67,000 ($975), the phone is out of reach of most buyers.
Then there’s the larger issue at hand. Earlier this month, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi rolled out policy to deregulate high-denomination notes (₹500 ($7.20) and ₹1,000 ($14.40) in an effort to curb counterfeiting and corruption. In doing so, he invalidated nearly 85% of all active cash in circulation, or $241 billion in total.
The move has led to a severe cash crunch, and its effect is felt particularly in the phone segment. A majority of phone sales are conducted offline in cash-only transactions or online through Cash-On-Delivery. According to IDC, sales in the smartphone segment are set to decline by 17.5% this quarter as a result of demonetization. As such, it’ll take a while for the category to stabilize.
That said, Google nailed the basics with the Pixels, both in terms of the phones and their availability. The handsets are up for sale from most major offline retailers, and the incessant commercials has led to more consumers being aware of the Pixel brand. It failed on both fronts with Android One, so it is promising to see Google make headway with the Pixels.
Google Pixel + Pixel XL
- Google Pixel and Pixel XL review
- Google Pixel XL review: A U.S. perspective
- Google Pixel FAQ: Should you upgrade?
- Pixel + Pixel XL specs
- Understanding Android 7.1 Nougat
- Join the discussion in the forums!
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Google Earth’s Timelapse feature shows how much the world has changed in the last 32 years
See how the planet has changed over the last three decades.
Google Earth’s Timelapse feature made its debut in 2013, offering a wealth of satellite imagery data from 1984 to 2012. The feature picked up a comprehensive update today, with Google adding four additional years of imagery and petabytes of high-resolution data from Landsat and Sentinel-2A satellites, giving us a “sharper view of our planet.” Google combined 5 million images — sifting through three quadrillion pixels — to create “33 cloud-free annual mosaics, one for each year from 1984 to 2016.”
The result is a set of zoomable and pannable timelapses that give us a glimpse at how the world has evolved over the last three decades. You can see glaciers melting away, entire cities being constructed from the ground up, rivers being rerouted, and so much more. Google also made a 40-minute YouTube playlist that serves up highlights from locations around the globe.
Google Earth Timelapse
Nougat OTA starts rolling out to the Xperia X Performance
Nougat is now available for unlocked U.S. and global variants.
Sony has started rolling out Android 7.0 Nougat to the Xperia X Performance. The update is now available for the unlocked U.S. model (F8131) as well as the dual-SIM global variant (F8132). As spotted by Xperia Blog, the update increments the phone’s firmware to 39.2.A.0.327.
The Nougat update brings split-screen support, new camera options, improved Stamina mode, and more. If you’re using the Xperia X Performance, head to Settings -> About Device -> Software Updates to see if an update is available for your phone.
Elsewhere, the LG G5 has started to receive the Nougat update, and Samsung is letting more users join its Galaxy S7 Nougat beta program. HTC is rolling out Nougat to the unlocked HTC 10, and Motorola has kicked off the Nougat update with the Moto Z.
Android Nougat
- Android 7.0 Nougat: Everything you need to know
- Will my phone get Android Nougat?
- Google Pixel + Pixel XL review
- All Android Nougat news
- How to manually update your Nexus or Pixel
- Join the Discussion
AI will shape health care plans for US veterans
American veterans needing health care are about to get help from an unusual source: artificial intelligence. The Department of Veterans Affairs and Flow Health have forged a 5-year alliance that will see the two build a massive medical knowledge graph (based on the records of 22 million veterans) that uses deep learning to customize health plans for vets. The system aims to identify the common genetic factors that make people vulnerable to given diseases and not only improve diagnoses, but recommend treatments on a case-by-case basis.
Government interest in AI is nothing new, and we’ve seen multiple efforts to implement deep learning in health care. However, the combination of the two is promising. It could improve the overall health of veteran soldiers and save money, of course, but that’s just the start. The Department is a very high-profile customer, and any success here could make a strong case for AI-assisted health care both elsewhere in government and the private sector.
Source: BusinessWire
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