Canada may have delivery drones in service by late 2017

Don’t look now, but Canada might just join the likes of France and the UK in ushering in the courier drone era. Transport Canada has approved its first drone test range near the tiny village of Foremost, Alberta, clearing the way for Drone Delivery Canada to launch a robotic cargo service as soon as late 2017. The roughly 927 square miles will help DDC prove that its drones can haul goods across long distances using satellite guidance. Tests with the company’s early partners should start sometime in the first quarter of the year.

The drone delivery system could be more important for Canada than it would be for other nations. Like in other countries, DDC will help both government and corporate clients deliver packages both to each other and to customers (say, from online stores). However, the firm is particularly focused on serving Canada’s northern communities, where roads are few and even modestly-sized towns may be very far away. Drones could supply these communities with medical supplies and other goods on demand, rather than making them wait for the next scheduled cargo flight or truck. That could not only save lives, but improve the quality of life for rural dwellers that frequently have to deal with food shortages and other problems that come with infrequent deliveries.

Source: Drone Delivery Canada

PBS’ new kids’ channel lets you flip between streams and games

When you give kids digital educational content, you’re frequently forced to choose between passive viewing and games. Why can’t you offer both? PBS wants to give it a try. It just launched a free 24/7 national channel, PBS Kids, where a live internet stream is just the start of the strategy. At a later point in the year, you’ll have the option of switching between the stream and an activity that builds on what the show offers. Your young one will have an easy way of putting what they’ve learned into practice.

The channel itself isn’t skimping on programming, either, with shows like Bob the Builder, Wordgirl and (of course) Sesame Street in the mix.

PBS is keen to add that the very existence of the channel could be a breakthrough, however you watch. Many low-income families have no home internet access, and have to rely either on their phones or public hotspots to get online. At the least, the over-the-air TV broadcast will give these families a constant source of live kids’ programming that they wouldn’t otherwise have. Live streams, meanwhile, provide an option for cord-cutter households — especially those that can’t justify the cost of a TV subscription. If all goes well, many more children will have access to educational shows from now on.

Source: PBS

Japan’s experimental mini rocket launch ends in failure

Japan’s space program troubles aren’t over yet, apparently. The country’s Aerospace Exploration Agency reports that the launch of its miniature SS-520 rocket ended in failure. The first stage went off without a hitch, but communications problems prevented the second stage from igniting and carrying a microsatellite, TRICOM 1, into orbit. While rocket failures certainly aren’t unheard of (just ask SpaceX), the incident is a black eye given what Japan wanted to achieve.

SS-520 was billed as the world’s smallest-ever satellite launch vehicle, measuring just 35 feet long and 20 inches wide — it was supposed to be a record-setter that made a case for tiny satellites. After all, it’s considerably more efficient than the giant rockets and satellites that were the standard until recently. This certainly doesn’t mean that the mini rocket dream is dead, but JAXA will definitely want to make sure that its next launches go according to plan.

Source: Reuters, NVS (YouTube)

China tells app stores to register with the government

China sees mobile app stores as an untamed frontier with too much free expression and rampant malware, and it’s determined to put a stop to both. As of January 16th, the Cyberspace Administration of China will require that all app stores register with the government, ostensibly in a bid to improve security. Some stores are terribly managed, officials argue, and offer apps that pose security risks, tread on your rights or contain “illegal information” (read: political dissent). Registration theoretically raises the baseline quality and makes sure that these portals obey the law.

You could see a demand like this coming. China passed a law in 2016 that prevented apps from doing things that allegedly threaten national security or the social status quo, and just recently had Apple pull the New York Times’ app in a likely bid to enforce that law. A registration requirement ultimately helps enforce this measure — the government will have records that it can wield when it wants to target apps or whole stores.

This could have a positive effect for Chinese smartphone owners, since they don’t have official access to Google Play and its tighter security screening. Stores that frequently permit frauds and viruses could find themselves in hot water pretty quickly. However, it’s bad news for anyone hoping to offer apps that normally won’t make it past the censors. Locals might not have much choice but to sideload apps or otherwise work harder to get those titles the government doesn’t want them to see.

Via: New York Times, The Verge

Source: CAC (translated)

Volkswagen’s modern Microbus remake, and more in the week that was

The Volkswagen microbus is one of the most iconic vehicles of all time, and now the automaker is set to revive the classic for the modern era. Meet the I.D. Buzz: VW’s all-electric, self-driving microbus of the future. In other auto news, Nissan debuted a stylish Vmotion 2.0 sedan packed with self-driving technology, and the Chevrolet Bolt was named the 2017 North American Car of the Year. IKEA is known for its flat-pack furniture, but it’s branching out into urban mobility by launching its very first bike. The Sladda is a chainless aluminum cycle that can be kitted out with front and rear racks, panniers and even a towable cart.

Tesla has built one of the biggest buildings on the planet. Now it’s building the world’s largest solar roof to top it off. When it’s complete, the photovoltaic array will enable Tesla’s Gigafactory to operate entirely on clean energy. Meanwhile, the Netherlands announced that wind energy now powers all of its electric passenger trains, and the UK is developing technology to power its trains with off-grid solar. As Inauguration Day approaches, many are worried about the future of clean energy in the US, but Elon Musk thinks the Trump administration may be “positive on renewables,” and President Obama reassured the public that the US’ clean energy transition is “irreversible.”

Could the skyscrapers of the future purify polluted cities? That’s the idea behind this futuristic tower that eats smog and spits out fresh air. Meanwhile, a shopping mall in Israel has built a flourishing rooftop farm that can produce 10,000 heads of lettuce a month. Elsewhere in the world, the largest survival community on Earth has built a massive compound of 575 off-grid doomsday bunkers, and we featured six amphibious houses that literally lift off the ground to escape flooding. In other design and technology news, MIT developed an ultralight material that is 10 times stronger than steel, and Aerochromics launched a line of clothing that changes color when it’s exposed to air pollution.

Facebook tests fake news filtering outside of the US

Facebook’s tools for fighting fake news are about to get their first test run outside of the US… and they might just prove vital. The company has confirmed to the Financial Times that it’ll trial its new filtering tools in Germany in the “coming weeks,” addressing the country’s concerns that bogus stories could influence its upcoming federal election. As in the States, users can report stories as fake, which sends them to a third-party fact-checker. If a story is deemed false, Facebook will flag it, decline to prioritize it and warn users who want to share it.

It’s not certain when other countries will get a taste of Facebook’s filtering methods, but the company says it’s “certainly thinking” about expansion.

Germany is a very logical target for the first dry run beyond US borders. Facebook has a financial incentive, to start. The country is proposing a law that would impose hefty fines on websites for failing to take action against fake news, which could be more than a little costly given Facebook’s sheer clout. Also, Germany has faced some particularly dangerous instances of fake news as of late, including anti-immigrant stories that falsely accused outsiders of burning a church and raping a Russian girl. There’s a concern that letting this fake news propagate could fuel xenophobia in the country, and possibly let countries like Russia skew election results in their favor.

Via: The Verge

Source: Financial Times

Subway Surfers: Surfing it’s way into my heart (Review)

Overview:

Subway Surfers is a Temple Run-styled infinite runner game that has a lot of charm and adds some neat elements to the familiar gameplay mechanics.

Developer: Kiloo

Cost: Free (With ads and microtransactions)

Impressions:

Temple Run was once king of the infinite runner genre, with its tight gameplay and simple controls that had you pushing for just one more high score every time. It’s been a long time since those days, and Temple Run is still around, and still fun to play, but there are so many new infinite runner games that some truly good ones get lost in the shuffle. Subway Surfers is one of those games.

Subway Surfers’ gameplay is nothing new, you simply steer your character with swipes to avoid obstacles and collect coins and powerups. The developers added some extra tricks as well, like a “no crash” hoverboard powerup and moving platforms that add some challenge and strategy to your runs. For the most part, it’s a standard infinite runner with a good balance of fun and challenge that I could recommend it to anyone.

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The graphics are bright and colorful and have a cute cartoon art style that is kid friendly. There is a surprising number of customization options that are unlockable with both in-game currency and in-game collectibles as well, which is a welcome sight. You have a number of characters, costumes, and cosmetic changes to choose from to add some flair to your game and give you a goal to shoot for while playing. The music is nothing too inspired, but it doesn’t get in the way so that’s nice.

Microtransactions and ads are present as well, as expected from a free-to-play mobile game, but thankfully they are unintrusive for the most part. I’d put Subway Surfers on the tolerable side of the spectrum here. Thankfully they reward you for viewing ads with keys and other collectibles so it’s not just ads in your face for nothing. The social aspects of the game are fairly light. You can link your Facebook account for rewards and leaderboards against your friends, but not much else. There is no multiplayer to speak of, which is understandable but would have been an interesting addition.

Conclusion

I don’t have too much negative to say about Subway Surfers. It’s an all-around polished and solid game that offers a lot of content for a simple infinite runner game. If I had to pick something negative it would be that the game is a tad too easy, and also that the microtransactions seem fairly pointless since they really only unlock cosmetics faster. On the whole, Subway Surfers is a good game, and if you’re looking for a fun infinite runner to play or something for the kids’ tablet, then I’d definitely recommend this one.

Download Subway Surfers from the Google Play Store

From the Editor’s Desk: Flagship spotting

Have you heard? There’s a new Android flagship!

This industry has no shortage of irksome buzzwords (see: “iPhone killer,” “phablet,” “innovation” — I could go on.) But one that’s been almost entirely stripped of all meaning is the term “flagship.” It used to be that a flagship — the very best product in a series, intended to bear the standard of a particular brand — was easy to define. Then, with multiple high-end phone releases every year from the big brands, things became murkier.

With numerous product lines — like the Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lines, and LG’s G and V series — intersecting, and each one laying claim to the “flagship” title, confusion can quickly set in. The crown is either shared between multiple products, or rapidly passed along the line in a matter of months. (And the less said of the “mid-range flagship,” or the “entry-level flagship,” the better.)

As we head into the early spring silly season for new Android phone launches, the specter of the Android “flagship” once again raises its head. This week we got the HTC U series, a new “flagship” range from HTC, consisting of one entirely forgettable phone (the U Play) and one promising entrant (the U Ultra) hamstrung by a handful of insane product decisions, an eye-watering price and a two-month wait before shipping. In the case of HTC, that’s led to some questioning whether the U Ultra is it for the Taiwanese phone maker for 2017. (It almost certainly isn’t, but HTC’s liberal use of the word “flagship” does it no favors here.)

This week we also learned of a new Huawei flagship landing at Mobile World Congress, likely the rumored P10. Huawei has only just put its “flagship” Mate 9 on sale, with launches in the U.S. and UK this past week, yet already there’s talk of the next big thing.

HTC has a new flagship series. Meanwhile we’re just a few weeks off the next Huawei flagship announcement.

Will the P10 supersede the Mate 9? Well, no. The earlier MWC launch (as opposed to the usual April event) is probably an indicator that Huawei’s going to repackage the Mate 9’s internals into a more compact device, as opposed to leapfrogging it with a faster CPU or fancy new camera tech. (As happened with the Mate 8 and P9.) Nevertheless, the announcement of a new “flagship” just a month and a half after the old one first went on sale could be problematic. It’ll be interesting to see how Huawei handles a product lineup consisting of a potential P10 (let’s say 5.2 inches), P10 Plus (possibly 5.5), Mate 9 (5.9) and Mate 9 Pro (also 5.5). (To say nothing of the inevitable Honor 9, when that arrives.)

Each of these could be considered a flagship, though Huawei won’t necessarily sell all of them in the same markets. Nevertheless, where any crossover happens, perhaps with the Mate 9 Pro and P10 Plus, there’s plenty of potential for confusion.

I’m as guilty as anyone for splashing around the word “flagship” in headlines, articles and videos. It’s an easy term to fall back on — one that’s attention-grabbing, and that we all more or less understand.

Some other Android-related occurances of late:

• Not to pick on HTC too much this week, but oh my, this thoroughly cringey press release. U Question Why.
• The LG G6 is shaping up to be interesting, based on LG’s recent teasers. I’m fearful LG may have just swapped one gimmick (modularity) for another (“18:9” display.) What LG needs above all is a device that gets the fundamentals right — hopefully it can do that when its big, eye-catching feature is just a slightly weird-shaped screen.
• Speaking of which, whatever happened to the LG Rolling Bot? That’s mostly a rhetorical question — it’s almost certainly been canned. But I’d love to get my hands on one, mainly for decorative reasons. I’d put it right next to my Nexus Q.
• This design (and variations of it) have been doing the rounds as a possible Galaxy S8 this past couple of weeks. Wouldn’t surprise me if it was close to the new “flagship” we’re expecting in April. But at the same time, it wouldnt’s surprise me if all these leaks — including those from case makers — turn out to be nothing more than fan concepts.
• Finally, something not worthy of its own news post, because this stuff can be faked, but I’d expect the next Android version to be 7.1.2, probably landing in early March in line with Google’s new quarterly maintenance release thing. Lots of traffic hitting our servers from Pixels + Pixel XLs on 7.1.2 over the past 2 months — slowly building since mid-November, which usually indicates Googlers testing a new version.

That’s it for this week. Smooth sailing for the week ahead!

Ben Heck’s Xbox One S laptop

Since the teardown of the Xbox One S, Ben has been designing a laptop using the console’s innards. Building a hardware enclosure can be tricky, as Ben has to make sure the specifications are exact. He gets precise measurements with the help of a document scanner, later bringing in a laser cutter and CNC router. Naturally, though, it’s not just the aesthetics that are important: Ben also has to reduce the size of the hardware and ensure it’s cooled properly. To do so, Ben finds an appropriate fan that can be speed-controlled to ensure the laptop stays cool. What would you change about the Xbox One S notebook? Let the Ben Heck Show team know over on the element14 Community.

Bellus3D Face Camera Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

It’s jarring to see someone’s face casually splayed on a conference table like a stack of pamphlets.

Yet, there it was.

The creepiest mask I ever did see.

Xiomara Blanco/CNET

After a confused double-take, I realized what I was looking at that chilly January day at CES: an uncannily realistic, creepy-AF mask of some dude’s face. Bellus 3D was to blame. And, weirdly, to congratulate.

The company makes a 3D face camera for mobile devices that scans your face in high res with crazy detail, an accomplishment. Once it’s scanned, the company can send you a file that you can then send to a 3D printer to make into a mask.

Screenshot/Xiomara Blanco

And the masks that Bellus 3D was showing at CES 2017 were nothing like the wacky, cartoon-esque rubber masks infamously used to make fun of US presidents. These looked really, really real. If the masks looked any better, they would rival the the Hosts from Westworld.

The Bellus 3D folks say the infrared scanners on its camera read over 500,000 3D points on your face, and it’s really simple to use. Once the camera is connected and the Bellus 3D app is launched, you position your head within an outlined parameter, stare straight ahead, turn to the left when prompted and then again to the right.

Screenshot/Xiomara Blanco

The scans, which are available to view shortly after, are impressively accurate with incredible detail. You can see and zoom in on every wrinkle, pore and hair follicle in full color (eek!). The uses for dermatologists, ophthalmologists and cosmetic surgeons are immediately apparent.

Screenshot/Xiomara Blanco

There’s an eeriness knowing that you can make a lifelike replica of your own countenance. Like, what would you even do with it? Could it be used to steal your identity and rob a bank? Will this make catfishing even worse? Are we only a few years away from having the tools to make Westworld a reality? (As in the 1973 movie version, since the HBO TV series is more like year 2067 high-tech.) Is this the Upside Down? At the very least, it’s good enough to trigger my Uncanny Valley reflex of super-creepiness.

But if making accurate 3D face masks sounds up your alley, you’re kinda out of luck. The Bellus 3D face camera will be made available sometime in the first quarter of 2017, in limited quantity, to developers and partners only.

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The wackiest, weirdest gadgets of CES 2017