Seafaring drones are navigating Norway’s fjords

While there are government-approved test sites for land-based autonomous vehicles in the US, so far there is only one official test site for their seafaring counterparts. Tucked away in Norway’s Trondheim Fjord, the test site offers wide, open waters similar to a small sea, but with relatively low shipping traffic so there’s less of a chance of a collision should one of the test vehicles go haywire. The site officially opened late last year, but thanks to the cluster of research institutions and businesses in the area, companies like Kongsberg Seatex, Marintek, Maritime Robotics and Rolls-Royce Marine have all flocked to the fjord to test their new robotic and autonomous technologies.

Established as a partnership between the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s Center for Autonomous Marine Operations (NTNU AMOS) and the Norwegian government, the site includes part of Trondheim Harbor and has already been used to test everything from navigation and collision avoidance systems to operational safety and risk management projects. The technologies developed in Trondheim are expected to revolutionize the shipping industry as human crews are no longer needed to literally man the ship.

“As far as we know, there are no such test sites of this kind in the world so the Norwegian Coastal Authorities are taking the lead in a changing maritime world,” Kongsberg Seatex President Gard Ueland said when the site opened. “We will also see technology that has the potential to enable fully autonomous cargo vessels. Much of this will come from Trondheim, thanks to the unmatched maritime expertise here and our autonomous vehicles test bed.”

While pilotless smart ships are a logical application of autonomous technology, Kongsberg Seatex has also been using the Trondheim site for the continued development of its snake-like Eelume underwater cleanup and inspection robot. The modular vehicle, which we saw early versions of last year, is being developed so that it can live permanently underwater without the need for a tethered support ship. Rolls-Royce, which expects to build a fleet of remote controlled ships by 2020, is also using the Trondheim test bed as it builds a new remote fleet management center in Alesund, about 150 miles to the Southeast.

Samsung completes its biggest acquisition ever

Despite its explosive growth, Samsung has mostly preferred to buy smaller startups or develop its own technology. That changed last November when the company announced it would purchase Harman International Industries, Incorporated for about $8 billion, and tonight it confirmed the deal is complete.

Harman president Dinesh Paliwal said “Samsung provides Harman with the scale, platform and complementary technologies to accelerate growth and extend our global market leadership in automotive, smart audio and connected technologies….Samsung and Harman will define – and drive – the future of automotive.” If you’re not sure how that works, remember Harman is the parent company of not only the Harman Kardon brand, but also Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson.

That’s also a different way of going about things compared to Google’s Android Auto and Waymo efforts, or Apple pushing CarPlay and whatever Project Titan really is. It also is a potential boost to Samsung’s smart home and other connected devices, even as Harman, which counts 30,000 employees, continues to operate as an independent subsidiary.

Source: Samsung

SEC rejects Winklevoss twins’ plan to trade Bitcoin as stock

A plan from the Winklevoss twins that would have allowed stock traders to buy and sell Bitcoin without setting up a personal Bitcoin wallet has been denied by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. In an order handed down on Friday, the commission declared that the unregulated nature of Bitcoin markets would have made the proposed fund too difficult to monitor, and therefore ripe for fraudulent activity.

As The Verge notes, the proposed Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) would have created a common stock fund tied to the price of Bitcoin. Traders who purchased shares of the Bitcoin Trust ETF would be investing in the cryptocurrency’s value, without actually owning — or being able to spend — any Bitcoin themselves. Although experts speculated that the price of Bitcoin would double if the Winklevoss ETF was approved, the price of Bitcoin actually sank dramatically after the SEC’s announcement.

While the SEC ruling is definitely a setback for the currency’s official acceptance, it’s unlikely to have a longterm effect on Bitcoin values overall and several hours after the SEC’s announcement, Bitcoin values had started to bounce back. Meanwhile, two other ETFs that were awaiting an SEC ruling are also unlikely to win approval. “We remain optimistic and committed to bringing COIN to market, and look forward to continuing to work with the SEC staff,” Tyler Winklevoss told CNBC. “We began this journey almost four years ago, and are determined to see it through. We agree with the SEC that regulation and oversight are important to the health of any marketplace and the safety of all investors.”

Source: Coindesk

Nintendo prez discusses Switch docks and left Joy-Con issues

Engadget editors have let you know how we feel after extended time with the Nintendo Switch, and in an interview with Time, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime gave us some updates from within the company. Through its first five days on sale, the Switch continued to be Nintendo’s fastest-selling console ever in the US, but the biggest questions are about issues some owners are experiencing. When it comes to that occasionally-finicky left Joy-Con, Fils-Aime said “all I can tell you is that we are aware of and have seen some of the reports. We’re asking consumers a lot of questions….we’ll look and see what the next steps are.”

Nintendo PR followed up with a statement which mentioned: “There are no widespread technical problems, and all issues are being handled promptly, including the reports regarding the left Joy-Con Bluetooth connection.” We don’t know what this means going forward, but for now, if you’re having problems staying connected we’d recommend calling support instead of trying any DIY repairs.

The exec also spoke to owner’s desire for spare Switch docks, saying that “more will be available shortly,” however, don’t expect a Nintendo-made cable that replaces the dock functionality. The way the company sees it, using the dock protects the console from damage, so making a combo USB-C/HDMI cable that’s easier to carry may fall to a third-party.

Source: Time

5 best Google Home compatible devices you can buy today

Google Home is more than just an internet-connected speaker with a voice assistant. It also works as a smart home hub.

Like the Amazon Echo, Google Assistant on Google Home can control smart home devices, although it doesn’t support as many products. But Amazon has spent a couple years integrating and partnering up with third-party manufacturers, whereas Google Home is not even a year old. So, for those of you who opted for Google’s speaker over Amazon’s, here’s a list of devices that respond to “OK Google”.

• What is Google Home, how does it work, and when can you buy it?
• What is Google Assistant, how does it work, and which devices offer it?
• Google Assistant tips and tricks: Master your Android assistant
• Google Home review: Better than Amazon Echo?

Pocket-lint

Nest Thermostat

With Google Assistant on Google Home, you can use your voice to control the temperature in your home, switch between heating and cooling modes, and more. It therefore of course works with Nest Thermostat, a product from Google-owned Nest, which actually sells smart devices other than thermostats. But, for now, Google Home only interfaces with Nest Thermostat.

To adjust the temperature, say “Make it warmer/cooler” or “Raise/lower the temp” or “Raise/lower temp 2 degrees” or “Set the temperature to 72″. To switch heating or cooling modes, say “Turn on the heat/cooling” or “Set the thermostat to cooling/heating” or “Turn thermostat to heat-cool mode”. And to set the mode and temperature, say “Set the heat to 68” or “Set the air conditioning to 70”.

Buy Nest for £199 from Amazon UK or for $249 from Amazon US

Pocket-lint

Honeywell

Google Home works with the Total Connect Comfort line of thermostats. If you want to use Lyric thermostats, like the Honeywell Lyric T6R smart thermostat, you’ll need to use a smart hub (like SmartThings) to connect. Check out Google’s FAQ page for more details about using smart hubs with Honeywell products.

Oh, and all the same commands you can use with the Nest Thermostat also work with Honeywell thermostats.

Buy the Honeywell Lyric T6R for £198 from Amazon UK

Pocket-lint

Samsung SmartThings

Speaking of SmartThings, Samsung’s family of smart home devices offer compatibility with Google Home. That includes several smart lightbulbs, which you can turn on and off, brighten, and dim, as well as motion sensors, which interface with IFTTT so you can really level-up your home automation. As for the SmartThings hub, it opens Google Home up to even more connected devices.

SmartThings hub devices work with a wide variety of smart home products from brands like Philips, Osram, Leviton, Honeywell, and Ecobee, and because Google Home is compatible with this platform, it ensures that SmartThings users have a non-Echo option for a smart home assistant and speaker device. All you have to do is say “Ok Google” to seamlessly turn on lights, adjust thermostats, and more.

Buy the SmartThings hub for £99 from Amazon UK or for $99 from Amazon US

Pocket-lint

Philips Hue Lights

You can use your voice to control the Philips Hue lights around your house without touching a switch. You have the ability to turn lights on or off throughout a house, as well as the option of adjusting their brightness. You can say things like “Turn on <light name>”, “Dim the <light name>”, “Brighten the <light name>”, “Set <light name> to 50 per cent”, “Turn <light name> green”, etc.

Buy the Hue starter kit for £149 from Amazon UK or for $199 from Amazon US

Belkin

Belkin WeMo

If you hook up a compatible hub (again, like SmartThings), the entire WeMo family of devices can be controlled through Google Home. Those of you without a hub will be limited to a few smart plugs and switches.

Browse the Belkin WeMo family of products on Amazon US

Is that it?

Yes. Well, Google Home also works with some smart TVs and streaming devices, including its own Chromecast devices, as well as products from brands like Toshiba, Philips, Sony, Bang & Olufsen, B&O Play, Grundig, and Polk Audio. With Chromecast, you can play YouTube videos, display photos on a TV if you already own the $35 device, and more.

Trump adviser spoke with DNC hacker during the campaign

Roger Stone, an adviser to Donald Trump during his successful presidential campaign, exchanged private messages with Guccifer 2.0, the person (or group) that hacked and leaked documents from the Democratic National Committee in 2016. The DNC hack occurred in July and was followed by multiple other breaches of Democratic party systems.

Stone and Guccifer 2.0 communicated via Twitter private messages in mid-August, according to The Washington Times. The messages were sent about two weeks after Stone published an article on Breitbart claiming Russia didn’t hack the DNC — Guccifer 2.0 did.

The US Intelligence Community found in October that top Russian officials orchestrated the DNC and other hacks throughout the 2016 campaign season, and in January those same officials said they had “high confidence” the Guccifer 2.0 account was a Russian front.

On August 14th, Stone sent Guccifer 2.0 a direct message on Twitter saying he was “delighted” to see the hacker’s account reinstated, The Washington Times says. According to the report, Guccifer 2.0 responded as follows:

“wow. thank u for writing back, and thank u for an article about me!!! do u find anything interesting in the docs i posted?”

Two days later, Stone asked Guccifer 2.0 to retweet a column he had written, the report says. On August 17th, Guccifer 2.0 apparently sent another message to Stone, reading, “i’m pleased to say that u r great man. please tell me if i can help u anyhow. it would be a great pleasure to me.”

As The Hill points out, Stone publicly denied his connection to the Russian-backed hacks in October, after he seemed to predict the leak of emails stolen from Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. Stone tweeted the following message on August 21st: “Trust me, it will soon the Podesta’s time in the barrel. #CrookedHillary.” Podesta’s emails were made public on October 9th.

Trust me, it will soon the Podesta’s time in the barrel. #CrookedHillary

— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) August 21, 2016

Stone tells The Washington Times his contact with Guccifer 2.0 was meaningless. “The content of the exchange is, as you can see, completely innocuous and perfunctory,” he said. Stone continued in a later response: “Even if [Guccifer 2.0] is/was a Russian asset, my brief Aug. 14 correspondence with him on twitter comes AFTER I wrote about his role in the DNC hacks (Aug 5) and AFTER Wikileaks released the DNC material. How does one collaborate on a matter after the fact?”

Russia influenced the US presidential election with the intent to have Trump elected, according to the US Intelligence Community, which comprises 16 separate government organizations including the NSA, FBI, CIA and military intelligence branches. Trump campaign advisers and White House staffers have repeatedly denied any contact with Russian officials or hackers throughout the 2016 presidential campaign. However, it’s been found that multiple Trump appointees have deep ties to Russia or communicated directly with Russian authorities throughout the campaign.

Source: The Washington Times

Watch how ‘Alien: Covenant’s’ android is born

Another Alien film, another terrifying android that could spell humanity’s downfall. In Prometheus, we were introduced to Michael Fassbender’s David, a robot who was a bit too curious about the nature of extraterrestrial life. Now Fassbender is back in Alien: Covenant as “Walter,” a slightly tweaked android with one important difference: He has no human emotions. That should make conversation a bit tougher, but hopefully it will prevent him from using his crew as human guinea pigs.

And if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to buy an android helper of your own, check out the stylish promo below (directed by Ridley Scott’s son Luke). It gives us our first clear glimpse at how androids are born in the series, and it hints at even more trouble when Alien: Covenant hits theaters on May 19th.

Via: Slashfilm

Source: 20th Century Fox (YouTube), Meet Walter

PSVR goes on safari with ‘Virry VR’ nature documentary

Slowly but surely, PlayStation is releasing more non-gaming offerings for the PSVR headset. Next up is Virry VR, an app that wants to put you within arm’s reach of Kenyan wildlife. Among other things, you’ll see rhinos bathing and lions eating according to the European PlayStation Blog. The entirety of the video was filmed at Lewa Downs, a UNESCO heritage site home to elephants, Grevy’s zebras, hyenas and leopards.

From the sounds of it, this isn’t solely a passive experience either. “Virry immerses players in the lives of real animals, encouraging discovery, empathy and problem solving,” the post reads. To aid in building intimacy, the filmmakers apparently used a special camera setup that allowed them to get even closer than usual.

“Most VR footage is filmed using camera rigs which film at a maximum of two meters away from the action. However, Virry VR uses of a special rig allowed action to be recorded just two centimeters from the camera.”

If there’s anything that could affect the immersion though, it’s the PSVR’s lower native resolution. For example, 360-degree YouTube videos don’t look so hot on the headset, so the trailer below likely isn’t an accurate representation of what you’ll experience firsthand.

I’m disappointed to report that it isn’t available in the US PlayStation Store yet, but I’ve reached out to Sony for info about if that’s going to change. Given that remastered versions of PlayStation 2 games have shown up on the European PS Blog prior to the US one, that could be the case here too. Of course, that’s never stopped anyone from creating a PSN account based outside their home region and downloading stuff that way in the past.

Source: PlayStation Blog (Europe)

Delidding AMD’s new Ryzen 7 CPUs just isn’t worth the risk, recent test shows

Why it matters to you

This test proves previous talk that AMD designed its Ryzen desktop processors to be efficient in regard to keeping the chip cool, removing the need to rip off its lid.

Three new AMD desktop processors for enthusiasts are now out: The Ryzen 7 1800X, the 1700X, and the 1700. In a performance-versus-price scenario, the chips are rather cheap compared to Intel-based CPUs offering the same performance for twice the price. But overall, the Ryzen 7 chips aren’t exactly cheap, which is a good reason not to rip their lids off for assumingly better cooling and faster performance.

So why would anyone take the lid off their processor? The practice seemingly started with Intel’s third-generation Ivy Bridge desktop CPUs, as Intel used a cheap thermal interface material (TIM) for transferring the heat from the Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS) to the cooling fan mounted above. The IHS wasn’t soldered to the processor die but positioned using thermal paste and the TIM was simply glued on.

More: Ryzen proves the PC industry can no longer ignore AMD’s comeback

To boost performance, users delidded the processors and either removed the glue so the IHS could sit closer to the processor die, removed the IHS completely, or inserted a high-performance TIM. But the process requires one of two physical means of popping the processor hood — a vice and hammer or using a razor blade. That said, delidding ultimately maximizes cooling and boosts the chip’s speeds.

However, previous reports indicated AMD’s Ryzen processors should not be delidded. The IHS is not only soldered down, but it includes sensors for better temperature management. But that didn’t stop pro-overclocker Der8auer from experimenting with AMD’s Ryzen 7 chips to see if delidding would increase performance due to possible cooler temperatures.

That said, he destroyed two processors before successfully delidding a third. The big roadblock is that there are a lot of components surrounding the CPU die on the printed circuit board including resistors and capacitors. So the first step was to grab a razor blade and carefully go around the IHS to remove the glue. After that, he put the CPU on a heat block to heat up and remove the IHS.

Part two of his video coverage is where he revealed his delidding opinion. He first scratched off a layer of Indium using a razorblade, applied a liquid metal compound directly on the processor die, and then mounted Raijintek’s huge Ereboss cooler onto the CPU for direct metal-to-metal contact. With everything cleaned and mounted, he tested the temperatures.

The conditions of his testing consisted of the chip clocked at 3.9GHz, cores running on 1.3 volts, and a room temperature of 71.78 degrees Fahrenheit:

Maximum
Average
Lidded:
177.98 degrees
169.88 degrees
Delidded:
176.18 degrees
163.22 degrees

As the numbers show, delidding the processor isn’t worth the financial risk of ruining an expensive chip. However, he added that with the lid on, he managed to overclock the chip to 4,000MHz, but not 4,025MHz or 4,050MHz. Yet with the chip delidded, he did manage to achieve 4,025MHz, but he admitted that could have been luck. As it stands now, one degree maximum and three degrees average isn’t enough to justify voiding the warranty and possibly damaging the product

HTC wants U! Everything you need to know about the HTC U Ultra and U Play

Just a few days after the start of 2017, HTC launched two new smartphones, the U Ultra and the U Play. The U Ultra is its major hope for capturing your attention over the coming months, and while the U Play shares a similar look, it’ll likely be a more reasonably priced alternative.

Here’s everything you need to know about the two new HTC phones.

More: Read our first impressions of the HTC U Ultra and U Play here

It’s all about U

HTC U Ultra

What’s with all the U business? HTC is using the letter U everywhere: In the name, in the promotional images, the videos, and in the features itself. The U Ultra and U Play are all about you, due to the inclusion of HTC’s first artificially intelligent assistant, called the Sense Companion.

AI assistants are everywhere at the moment, and HTC’s Sense Companion provides many of the same features we’ve seen elsewhere, but implements them in a different way. For example, instead of it simply telling you the weather when you ask, it’ll tell you to dress warmly. When you’re out and about and it’s the time you normally eat, Sense Companion may recommend a restaurant based on your preferences as you walk by.

Sense Companion has voice recognition that makes use of the four omnidirectional microphones inside the U Ultra’s body, and can be commanded to navigate the phone, make calls, send messages, or turn off alarms. It also integrates with some third-party apps, and machine learning means the Sense Assistant should get more useful the more you use it.

It’s part of both the U Ultra and U Play.

HTC U Ultra

You certainly won’t mistake the U Ultra for any other phone. HTC has used a 3D contoured glass body with what it calls “liquid surface,” and other special processes to make it shimmer, shine, and reflect light in an eye-catching way. It looks fantastic. Like the LG V20, the U Ultra has two displays, a main 5.7-inch Super LCD with a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution, and a second 2.05-inch screen with a 160 x 1040 pixel resolution above it, where notifications and short cuts are shown.

Android 7.0 Nougat with HTC Sense over the top is the main operating system, and the phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and 4GB of RAM. The phone comes with either 64GB or 128GB of internal memory, plus space for a MicroSD card. If you select the 128GB model, it comes with a sapphire glass screen for extra protection against scratches, rather than the Gorilla Glass 5 over the 64GB model.

Audio fans will be sad to note there’s no 3.5mm headphone socket on the device. However, the U Ultra does support hi-res audio files, and comes with USonic, a feature that tailors the sound of your headphones to your ears, enhancing the sound based on the way you should be listening to music.

There are two cameras on the U Ultra. A 12-megapixel UltraPixel 2 cam on the back, with laser autofocus, an f/1.8 aperture, and 4K video recording; while on the front is a 16-megapixel selfie camera with 1080p video recording. Depending on the lighting, the front cam has a 4-megapixel UltraPixel mode, that may help in lowlight situations. Finally, HTC has placed a 3,000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 inside the U Ultra.

HTC U Play

The U Play shares the U Ultra’s gorgeous shimmering glass body, but is smaller and lighter than the flagship model, coming with a 5.2-inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution display, and weighing 145 grams compared to the U Ultra’s 170 grams. You don’t get the second display on the U Play. It also uses the same Android operating system, but the exact version hasn’t been confirmed yet. HTC Sense Companion is onboard ready to help out.

A MediaTek Helio P10 processor with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM powers the phone, with a choice of 32GB or 64GB internal storage. Different regions and carriers will get different versions of the phone, so don’t expect to be able to walk in and choose between them. You may only get one option.

The U Play’s front camera is the same as the U Ultra’s, with 16-megapixels and a 4-megapixel UltraPixel mode; but the 16-megapixel rear camera has an f/2.0 aperture, no laser autofocus, and no 4K video recording. The battery has been reduced in capacity to 2,500mAh, with normal fast charging through a USB Type-C connector.

Where to buy one?

HTC U Ultra

HTC offers the U Ultra through its own online store in the United States. The HTC U Ultra began shipping on March 10 at $750, however the HTC U Play isn’t available just yet.

Prices in the U.K. start at 649 Pounds and we know the U Ultra and U Play will be sold through the Dixons Carphone retail stores, and through Amazon, HTC.com, and Very.co.uk.

Updated on 03-10-2017 by Christian de Looper: Added that HTC U Ultra is now shipping.