If it takes off, this tiny quadcopter could be something special

Why it matters to you

If you’re looking for a truly portable drone, it may be worth waiting to see how the Kudrone turns out.

The Kudrone certainly looks pretty cool in its promo video — its features are great and the price is impressive, but will its maker really deliver?

Let’s hope so, as this mini drone is offering a phenomenal experience for a mere $99 for early-bird Indiegogo backers. Even its expected retail price of $189 is remarkably cheap, considering the competition.

So let’s take a quick look at what Shenzhen-startup Ruiven has created with the Kudrone. First up, it’s small. Really small. The metal body is just 3.7-inches across, making it tiny enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

“We designed it to be compact so that you can easily take it on to go and it can stay by your side no matter where you are – on the side of a mountain, biking a rough trail, or exploring a new land,” Ruiven director Kayven Zou told Digital Trends.

The Kudrone tips the scales at a mere 80 grams and comes packed with features that include a 4K video camera (Sony CMOS sensor) that can also snap 13-megapixel stills, GPS, intelligent obstacle-avoidance sensors, a 3-axis gyro accelerometer,  a MicroSD card slot, throw-to-fly capability, and auto-follow and emergency-landing modes.

For maximum portability, Kudrone’s designers have done away with a separate controller and created a feature-rich app for iOS and Android that gives you full control over the flying machine while offering a slew of stats on flight status.

More: From pocket copters to $50,000 monsters, these are our favorite drones

Of course, being a mini drone, you can’t expect all the features of a more expensive consumer drone like DJI’s Phantom 4 Pro or Mavic Pro. For example, flight time only lasts eight minutes with the Kudrone, but the battery is removable so if you carry a few spares you can keep it in the air for as long as you like. Also, you can only take it to a height of 30 meters, though its operating range is decent enough for such a small machine at 80 meters.

Smaller drones can sometimes find it hard to keep video steady in windy conditions, so we’ll be interested to see how well this particular quadcopter handles such conditions.

Funding

The team smashed through its $50,000 funding target this week and has more than doubled the value of its pledged funds in the last 24 hours, so it’s on course to start delivering the Kudrone in August, 2017.

It certainly looks like an exciting bit of kit, so let’s hope it doesn’t go the same way as another mini drone that promised much and ended up delivering nothing. Zou certainly appears confident, telling Digital Trends his company “already has the manufacturing expertise and supply chain partners to mass produce [the Kudrone] at a consumer-friendly cost.”

NVIDIA and Bosch team up for AI-powered autonomous cars

NVIDIA lined up quite a few partners at CES this year, including Audi and Mercedes, to use its powerful upcoming Xavier chip in autonomous vehicles. But days ago, Intel bought MobilEye for $15 billion to develop self-driving software and hardware to use across auto brands. To compete, automotive supplier Bosch announced a partnership today with the graphics chip maker to collaborate on an AI-powered self-driving computer intended for mass-market cars.

MobilEye corners about 70 percent of the market to supply integrated cameras, chips and software for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). As Bosch directly competes with the company, the NVIDIA partnership is a deeper commitment to continue building their tech in-house. The graphics chip maker introduced its upcoming Xavier processor to power the self-driving systems of tomorrow back at CES, but partnering with the automotive component giant can help get the chip into automakers’ cars at scale. The companies are aiming to release their self-driving computer system in 2020, according to Reuters.

Via: Reuters

Source: NVIDIA Newsroom

Watch these declassified nuclear test films on YouTube

There’s something both beautiful and unnerving about a mushroom cloud. The United States conducted around 216 atmospheric nuclear tests between 1945 and 1992, many taking place in Nevada and the Pacific Proving Grounds. Now, rare videos of those detonations are declassified and available to the public for the first time.

Greg Spriggs, a nuclear weapon physicist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and a film expert named Jim Moye are working to locate and preserve the videos. Spriggs estimates they’ve found about 6,500 out of 10,000 films, but so far they’ve only scanned around 4,200 and analyzed 400-500. Today, the laboratory uploaded 64 declassified videos to its YouTube channel.

Spriggs believes it will take at least another two years to find and scan all the films. Declassifying them could take even longer, since that requires a military review. But, Spriggs hopes they’ll lead to valuable benchmark data that can be used by future weapon physicists. “By looking at these films, we found a lot of different pieces of information that had not been analyzed back in the ’50s, and we’re discovering new things about these detonations that have never been seen before,” he said.

Via: Gizmodo

Source: YouTube

Google will soon sell the LG Watch Style (and maybe Watch Sport) in Canada

The LG Watch Style is coming to Canada just in time for Spring!

Google tends to take a slow-and-steady approach to selling phone-adjacent products in its e-commerce store outside of the U.S. While the LG Watch Sport and Watch Style went on sale in early February in the United States, their expansion has been slow — until now.

Google has put up a waitlist registration page for its LG Watch Style (and, hopefully soon, the Watch Sport) on the Canadian portal, albeit with no clue as to when it will go on sale, but we do know it will cost $319 CAD, a $70 premium over the U.S. version. But this is a good start: we know the first Android Wear 2.0 watches are coming soon.

Android Wear 2.0 is a big upgrade, and will soon roll out to older hardware like the Moto 360 (2015) and Huawei Watch. It brings a redesigned interface, an emphasis on standalone apps, and more robust support for standalone cellular smartwatches.

See at Google

Thanks Puleen!

The Great Barrier Reef’s fate rests on slowing global warming

There’s no question that the Great Barrier Reef and other coral fields are hurting as a result of rising water temperatures. But is there a relatively straightforward way to save them, or do they require more drastic action? Unfortunately, it’s not looking good. Researchers have found that typical efforts to fight coral bleaching, such as improving the water quality or tightening fishing controls, haven’t helped much at all. Whether an area was immaculate or dirty, it was just as susceptible to damage. The four large-scale bleaching events in the past two decades were the result of increased water heat — that is, climate.

As such, the only surefire solution would be to take “urgent and rapid action” to slow global warming. While the faster-growing coral can usually recover in between bleaching events, that’s not an option for others. Also, it’s “no longer realistic” to hope that there will be an extended gap between events that gives the slower coral a chance to come back.

Actually making that happen would be no mean feat, even if you limit the efforts to Australia. The Guardian notes that both the national Australian government and the state of Queensland have been pushing for a coal mine that would not only contribute to warming through its emissions, but would require that ships travel over the Great Barrier Reef. It might require a rude awakening for officials to back away from policies that hurt coral reefs, and there’s no guarantee that one will happen in time.

Via: The Guardian, New York Times

Source: Nature

Lucid’s luxury electric car will start at $52,500

When the Lucid Air made its debut late last year, all the hype over the electric car’s trick features was countered by one overriding question: would the price be anywhere near competitive with that of the Tesla Model S? Apparently, the answer is a solid “yes.” Lucid has revealed that the Air will start at $52,500, slotting it in well under the Model S (which starts at $71,300 as of this writing) and the upcoming Model 3. You’ll get quite a bit for the money, too, although there will clearly be incentives to splurge.

The ‘entry’ car will offer all the hardware you need for autonomous driving, Lucid claims — a big deal when Tesla makes you drop about $10,000 (for Enhanced Autopilot and full self-driving support) for similar features. You’ll also get a respectable 240-mile range, the equivalent of 400 horsepower with rear wheel drive, LED headlights, a 10-speaker audio system, 12-way power seats, 19-inch wheels and that all-important three-touchscreen cabin. You won’t be hurting for comfort, really.

Perks will mostly come in the form of more power and creature comforts. You can spring for 315-mile or 400-mile batteries, with up to 1,000HP in a dual-motor all wheel drive setup. An active suspension is on tap as well. There will likewise be options to upgrade the seats (both front and back), audio and wheels, but the real draw may be the signature glass canopy roof, giving you that open-air feeling. Do be prepared to pay, though: a decked out Lucid Air will cost you somewhere above $100,000.

Also, you’d better have a well-padded bank account if you expect to be an early adopter. The first models reaching customers will be 255 Launch Edition variants, all of which will be “well optioned” with the 315-mile battery, 1,000HP, 21-inch wheels and a more powerful sound system. They’ll cost over $100,000, Lucid says. While this strategy isn’t unusual (Tesla tends to lead with top-spec models), it does mean that you’ll have to be patient if you want something less extravagant.

Source: Lucid

Facebook adds an easy way to find your local government officials

In part of his 5,700-word manifesto last month, Mark Zuckerberg hinted at plans to make Facebook a more informed and civically engaged social network. Now, some of those ideas are getting a concrete solution with a new feature called Town Hall, which is rolling out to Facebook users in the US today. Found in the “Apps” tab on mobile or the “Explore” section of the sidebar on the web, Town Hall lets users easily track down their representatives in local, state and federal government.

The feature is pretty straightforward: enter your address and Facebook will return with a list of government officials sorted by jurisdiction, from your local city council representatives and state assemblymembers all the way up to VP Mike Pence and President Trump. From there you can quickly click through to follow them on Facebook or contact them directly. However, whether or not you can call, email or message your rep will depend on what information their office has shared with Facebook. So, while the service could be useful at your next postcard-writing party, it’s not exactly a perfect directory and some representatives could just as easily opt-out, forcing you to find their contact information the old fashioned way — by googling it.

For those officials who are more active on social media — say your Cory Bookers and your Elizabeth Warrens — it does provide a simple way to connect and keep those updates coming into your news feed.

Via: The Verge

Stare into an active volcano with Google Street View

Standing next to a boiling lake of molten rock the size of two football fields has got to be awe-inspiring, but it’s also pretty damn dangerous. Google partnered with two explorers to capture images of one such volcano as they rappelled down the walls of the Marum crater on Ambrym, an island a thousand miles off the coast of Australia. The team carried a Street View camera during their journey to let you see this natural wonder with Google Maps.

“Standing at the edge and feeling the heat lick your skin is phenomenal,” team member Chris Horsley told Google. “I hope that by putting this place on the map people will realize what a beautiful world we live in.”

Chances are none of us will visit Ambrym or any of the other far-off places that you can simply click through to using any web browser. Still, it’s pretty darn impressive to check out the active volcano there, as well as the little village in the nearby rainforest.

If you’re looking for more amazing spots to check out, Google Street View has a ton of them, including historical and natural sites like the Faroe Islands near Norway, the Samburu National Park in Kenya, and many iconic African landmarks. Features like these make Google Street View a valuable resource for kids and adults alike, letting us all see the world without risking falling to our death in a lake of boiling lava. Of course, some might say that’s the best part.

Source: Google

Need a new pair of kicks? IBM and Visa want your shoes to make that payment

Why it matters to you

IBM and Visa are taking us one step closer to utopia by allowing our expiring devices to replace themselves.

As technology grows, so do the options for making purchases. Already millions of people are able to buy things using PayPal or Apple Pay, but IBM and Visa want to expand that even further. Together, they want all connected devices to act as mobile payment systems.

By collaborating with Visa, IBM will use its own Watson Internet of Things (IoT) platform to allow businesses to quickly add secure payment options to any device connected to the internet. These days, that means anything from a car, to a ring, or even a shoe.

More: Apple Pay is the most popular mobile payment system in the U.S.

With IBM’s platform, everything in life could be a little more convenient. Consider the modern car. With more cars connecting to the internet, a driver could be alerted when the car’s warranty or certification is soon to expire. Alternatively, if a specific part needed replacing, the driver could be alerted and a service appointment could be scheduled. Eventually, the car could even connect directly to a gas pump to pay for gas.

In a smaller scale example, a runner might receive an alert from his shoes when it is time to be replaced. This alert could include recommendations for the best shoe and the best price from the best retailer. Other recommendations for equipment and nutrition could be offered based on performance and other metrics.

“The Internet of Things is not only driving a more connected world, it’s changing the way we live, shop and pay, by moving data and the point-of-sale to wherever the consumer wants it to be,” said Jim McCarthy, executive vice president of Visa Inc.”With the power of Watson’s cognitive technologies and IBM’s leadership in IoT and security, they are the ideal partner to help us deliver secure payments to ‘virtually anywhere’ and on the enormous scale of the IoT.”

In the future, all Watson IoT customers will have access to Visa payment services via the IBM Cloud. This way, they can begin building personalized commerce experiences. Consumers can also rest easy knowing their account information is safe. Visa’s Token Service replaces sensitive information with a unique digital identifier that is used to process the payments instead. By 2020, IBM hopes to support payments and commerce on nearly 20 billion connected devices.

Need a new pair of kicks? IBM and Visa want your shoes to make that payment

Why it matters to you

IBM and Visa are taking us one step closer to utopia by allowing our expiring devices to replace themselves.

As technology grows, so do the options for making purchases. Already millions of people are able to buy things using PayPal or Apple Pay, but IBM and Visa want to expand that even further. Together, they want all connected devices to act as mobile payment systems.

By collaborating with Visa, IBM will use its own Watson Internet of Things (IoT) platform to allow businesses to quickly add secure payment options to any device connected to the internet. These days, that means anything from a car, to a ring, or even a shoe.

More: Apple Pay is the most popular mobile payment system in the U.S.

With IBM’s platform, everything in life could be a little more convenient. Consider the modern car. With more cars connecting to the internet, a driver could be alerted when the car’s warranty or certification is soon to expire. Alternatively, if a specific part needed replacing, the driver could be alerted and a service appointment could be scheduled. Eventually, the car could even connect directly to a gas pump to pay for gas.

In a smaller scale example, a runner might receive an alert from his shoes when it is time to be replaced. This alert could include recommendations for the best shoe and the best price from the best retailer. Other recommendations for equipment and nutrition could be offered based on performance and other metrics.

“The Internet of Things is not only driving a more connected world, it’s changing the way we live, shop and pay, by moving data and the point-of-sale to wherever the consumer wants it to be,” said Jim McCarthy, executive vice president of Visa Inc.”With the power of Watson’s cognitive technologies and IBM’s leadership in IoT and security, they are the ideal partner to help us deliver secure payments to ‘virtually anywhere’ and on the enormous scale of the IoT.”

In the future, all Watson IoT customers will have access to Visa payment services via the IBM Cloud. This way, they can begin building personalized commerce experiences. Consumers can also rest easy knowing their account information is safe. Visa’s Token Service replaces sensitive information with a unique digital identifier that is used to process the payments instead. By 2020, IBM hopes to support payments and commerce on nearly 20 billion connected devices.