PowerRay underwater drone can explore the murky depths up to 70 metres

PowerVision Technology Group has announced its PowerRay underwater drone is now available to pre-order. First shown off at CES 2017, the PowerRay drone has been designed to be used by anyone, whether it be professional videographers or water sports athletes, or recreational fishers who want to see where the best spots are.

• Seawolf mini-submarines are the GoPro drones of the seas

The PowerRay drone can be submerged in up to 30 metres of water, and has an optional sonar system that can detect fish up to 40 metres below it, giving an effective diving depth of 70 metres.

PowerRay says the precision of the sonar system is within 10cm, and the internal Wi-Fi system can transmit 4K video and images to a mobile device up to a range of 80 metres.

You use your iOS or Android device as a screen to see what the PowerRay’s camera is seeing in real time, and the software can identify different fish species, give you a real time location of the drone’s whereabouts underwater, its speed and light settings.

The PowerRay drone is available to pre-order in three packages: the PowerRay Explorer, which gives you a drone complete with controller, base station, 50 metre cable (the drone is physically attached to the controller) and 32GB of storage for €1,599. The Angler package adds the sonar fish finder and a Fishing Suit, which can take your fishing bait to a precise location to save you having to cast it out, for €1,988.

Finally, the Wizard package comes with the same add-ons as the Angler package, but 64GB of video storage and a 70 metre cable instead, includes a suitcase to store the drone in, and a Zeiss VR One Plus virtual reality glasses.

• Wow, you can get a drone that can film in HD above and under water for just £50

The glasses let you see what the camera on the drone is seeing in virtual reality, and even lets you control the drone’s location. The PowerRay Wizard package will be available for €2,099. All three packages can be pre-ordered now, with shipping expected from the end of May.

‘Find my iPhone’ helps nab prolific Coachella smartphone thief

If you’re thinking of stealing smartphones, the tech-centric Coachella festival is probably not the best place to do it. Savvy police teamed with equally savvy concert-goers to nab alleged smartphone thief Ronaldo De Jesus Henao with around 130 stolen smartphones. Police first discovered the rash of thefts at a specific tent by checking on Reddit, and were then aided by attendees that activated Apple’s “Find my iPhone” feature.

With so many fans on Instagram and elsewhere, police kept their eyes on it. “I noticed some chatter on social media about phones disappearing on Reddit,” Indio Police Sergeant Dan Marshall told Gizmodo. “One of the common threads was that they were all losing their phones at the Sahara tent.”

Image credit: Indio Police Department

After police kept extra eyes on that area and failed to find a suspect, it was the fans that came through. “A bunch of people activated their ‘find my phone’ and pointed at, ‘Hey, it’s that guy, my phone, my dot, it’s moving with that guy,’ ” Marshall told SFGate. The fans alerted security, who detained Henao, and the police arrested Henao, 36, for grand theft and possession of stolen property.

Henao had over 130 phones in his backpack, many of which have already been returned to their rightful owners, with the rest turned into Coachella’s lost and found department. Marshall pointed out that cellphones are lost by the hundreds at the festival, but are usually turned in, so the brazen theft stood out. “The kids are just here to have a good time,” he said. To help wannabe victims, the Indio Police Department has posted a memo on its Facebook page with tips like “place your wallet/phone in your front pocket instead of the back.”

Via: Gizmodo

Source: LA Times

Steve Ballmer builds an open database of government spending

Our leaders may be determined to make their daily dealings less transparent, but they probably didn’t reckon on bored Steve Ballmer. The former Microsoft CEO has spent more than $10 million on a new project to open up the US government budget. USA Facts, as profiled in the New York Times, is an open, searchable database that tracks where almost all of your federal, state and local tax dollars are spent.

When Ballmer retired from Microsoft in 2014, he initially rejected becoming a philanthropist, believing that the taxes he paid were good enough. But upon wondering where that money was spent, he fell into a data rabbit hole that encouraged him to begin working with the University of Pennsylvania. The result is what is being described as a truly nonpartisan look at revenue and spending across the US.

The site will open at some point later today, and will enable folks to compare and contrast various data sets. For instance, you can see how many police are employed per region and run it against the crime rates in those areas. Same as to the number of parking tickets and how much it costs to collect each one, compared to how much revenue they generate.

Of course, there are other efforts to use big data to draw conclusions from government spending, including the Sunlight Foundation. Then there’s the DATA Act, which requires the treasury and other agencies to open up their reporting on what they spend. By 2018, this information will be available, free for everyone to analyze, at the USA Spending website. So while Ballmer isn’t the first, it’s good to see more people getting interested in the benefits of open data.

Source: USA Facts, NYT

The next Moto Z Force revives the headphone jack

We wouldn’t blame you if you thought that the Moto Z and Z Force ushered in the death of the headphone jack. While they weren’t the first phones to make that leap, it seemed like Apple, HTC and other heavyweights were all too eager to follow suit. However, we have good news: it looks like Moto, at least, is bringing the 3.5mm port back. OnLeaks and Android Authority claim to have leaked 3D renders of the Moto Z2 Force, and — surprise, surprise — the headphone jack has returned. It’s not certain that a standard, not-so-shatterproof Moto Z2 would get the connector (assuming that phone exists), but this is bound to be relieving if the previous Force’s lack of ports was a deal breaker. There’s more to the story, too.

To start, well-known leaker Evan Blass understands that the Z2 Force won’t be a Verizon exclusive like its predecessor. It’ll reportedly be available on T-Mobile as well, while Android Authority hears that Sprint has its own version. That’s a big relief if you’re tired of sticking to Big Red just to get the most advanced Moto phone in the US.

As for the design? You’ll still see a 5.5-inch display and the Z series’ signature modular back, but the new Force is reportedly thinner at just under 0.24 inches (versus 0.28in for the original) while borrowing some styling cues from the Moto G5. You’d also get a dual camera system like so many other high-end phones, and a Snapdragon 835 chip should keep things speedy. About the only mysteries are the Z2 Force’s release date and price. We’d expect the Z2 Force to carry a premium like its ancestor did, but whether or not it’s a compelling handset depends on when you can buy it — those specs won’t be so compelling if you have to wait until late in the year.

Via: The Verge

Source: Android Authority, Evan Blass (Twitter)

Watch NASA’s first 360-degree live stream of a rocket launch

Rocket launch videos are typically captured from afar, putting you in the shoes of a spectator in the crowd. NASA’s live coverage of an Orbital Cygnus spacecraft’s ISS resupply mission, however, will take you to the launch pad itself. For the first time ever, the agency will broadcast a live 360-degree video of a rocket launch on the NASATelevision YouTube channel tomorrow, April 18th.

The agency, Orbital ATK and United Launch Alliance (developer of the Atlas V rocket that will ferry Cygnus to the space station) placed four fisheye-lens cameras on the pad, around 300 feet from the rocket. Nearby, a computer protected by a blast-proof box will stitch images together in near-real time. As with any 360-degree video, you can watch it on your computer and drag it around with the mouse cursor to get the full view. If you want to feel like you’re truly witnessing a rocket roar to life up close, though, you’ll have to watch it on a VR headset.

The broadcast will start airing around 11:01AM EDT, 10 minutes before Atlas V lifts off. It will be about a minute behind, since the computer needs to process the photos, but that’s still much better than ULA’s previous 360-degree launch videos, which were uploaded way after the events ended.

We are GO for LIVE 360! ULA & @OrbitalATK with @NASA, bring you #AtlasV #OA7 tomorrow at 11amET! https://t.co/HyNJM0wYI5 pic.twitter.com/MACcL7Eyv3

— ULA (@ulalaunch) April 17, 2017

Source: ULA, Bloomberg

RBC Raises Price Target on Apple Shortly After Outlining Potential Benefits of a Merger With Disney

RBC Capital Markets raised its AAPL price target to $157 today, up from $155, as it believes iPhone sales were stable to modestly better than expected in Apple’s second quarter, which ended on March 31.

The investment bank’s lead Apple analyst Amit Daryanani said the company’s iPhone mix continues to remain positive, with “more” Plus-sized models sold in the quarter than it previously forecasted. iPhone 7 Plus models carry a $120 premium over iPhone 7 models, contributing to a higher average selling price.

RBC now estimates Apple will report quarterly revenue of $53.5 billion, matching the high end of the company’s guidance. Apple is scheduled to report its second quarter earnings results on May 2 at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time. MacRumors.com will provide live coverage of Apple’s conference call at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

The bank said it remains positive about AAPL based on so-called “iPhone 8” refresh cycle tailwinds, benefits from a possible capital allocation increase, the acceleration of its growing Services category, and potential upside from U.S. Donald Trump’s political agenda in relation to taxes and cash repatriation.

Apple’s stock price has been rising steadily since November, as rumors suggest the company will launch its first iPhone with an OLED display and slim bezels, potentially mirroring the design of Samsung’s new Galaxy S8. Many analysts have maintained a “buy” or equivalent rating on AAPL since March or earlier.

Last week, RBC Capital Markets generated headlines when it outlined the potential benefits of a completely speculative Disney acquisition.

In a lengthy research note, the bank said such a deal would create a “tech and media juggernaut like no other” and instantly expand Apple’s services, content, and media portfolio. Assets such as ABC and ESPN, for example, could lay the foundation for Apple’s long rumored but elusive streaming TV service.

An excerpt from Daryanani’s research note obtained by MacRumors:

Together, Apple and Disney would instantly have access to global distribution via Apple’s installed base and the global iTunes store, and a massive library of content and studio capacity via Disney to make future movies and shows. A digital content service could be put together in relatively short order. Apple has the advantage of integrating its price to consumers with its hardware. For example, buy a new iPhone and receive a 12-month subscription to the streaming service for free.

Daryanani said the so-called “mega deal” would diversify Apple away from hardware and help the iPhone maker fulfill its goal of doubling its Services category by 2020. He also thinks it would be an appropriate use of Apple’s massive cash hoard, should the U.S. ever offer a cash repatriation holiday.

A prerequisite to Apple-Disney is a regulatory environment that would allow Apple to use its huge amount of cash assets for a domestic acquisition. If a cash repatriation tax holiday results in a 9% tax on offshore cash brought to the United States, we estimate that Apple would effectively have access to cash of $223 billion. After adjusting for operational requirements, Apple should have $200 billion cash available for discretionary uses.

Daryanani said there is a “greater than 0%” chance that Apple acquires Disney, but he admitted that the odds are low at this point.

Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s “Mad Money” show, believes the Apple-Disney speculation was more about influencing the stock market than anything else.

“The only thing that’s really accomplished by this kind of speculation? The short-sellers will be afraid to bet against Disney’s stock because of newfound fears of a takeover lurking. It really does put a bid underneath, simply because it was just too juicy to ignore,” Cramer concluded.

AAPL closed at $141.83 on Monday. The Walt Disney Company closed at $113.78.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tags: RBC Capital Markets, Amit Daryanani, AAPL, Disney
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How to pick the perfect camera lens

Congratulations on taking the giant photographic leap to an interchangeable lens camera! Sure, your phone has served you well (and will likely continue to do so) but now it’s time to spread your picture-taking wings. And as cool as your new DSLR or mirrorless camera is now, it won’t reach its true potential until you take a deep dive into the world of lenses. It’s a somewhat sad fact that most interchangeable-lens camera buyers never take off the kit lens that came with the camera, which sort of defeats the purpose of having an interchangeable-lens camera. This is why we’ve put together this guide to help make sure you know what to look for in lenses, and thus get the most out of your new camera.

More: From DSLR to mirrorless and compact, here’s how to choose a digital camera

Your first step

If you’ve yet to pull the trigger on a new camera, make sure to check out the lens options available for the brands and models you’re researching. Sure, it’s unlikely that anyone needs to buy a dozen lenses for their camera, but the larger the collection available, the more variety you will have to choose from, from wide-angle to telephoto and everything in between. Above all, make sure the specific type of lenses you need for your personal photographic style are available for your system of choice. For example, if you primarily photograph landscapes, you’ll want a different type of lens than if you plan to shoot mostly portraits (we’ll get into the specifics in a minute).

When you buy an interchangeable lens camera you’re entering a relationship with the specific hardware mount determined by the brand, so this is not a choice to take lightly. For example, Nikon DSLRs use the F mount and Canon DSLRs use the EF and EF-S mounts. Canon’s EOS-M series mirrorless cameras use a completely different mount, called EF-M. With the exception of Panasonic and Olympus, who share the Micro Four Thirds mount, virtually every manufacturer sticks to its own mount. And while they are all interchangeable-lens cameras, you cannot use Nikon glass on a Canon body and vice versa (well, sometimes you can but this involves using a mount adapter and almost always sacrifices some functionality).

What’s on TV: ‘Full Throttle,’ ‘Fargo,’ ‘Silicon Valley’ and ‘Bill Nye’

This week both the NBA and NHL are cranking through early rounds of playoffs, but we’re a bit more excited by the latest Telltale game. Otherwise, gamers also have access to remastered editions of Full Throttle and Voodoo Vince, plus a new version of Cities: Skylines on Xbox One. While later this week Fargo returns for its third season on FX, Bill Nye is returning to TV with a new Netflix series, and HBO premieres the latest season of Silicon Valley. Finally, this weekend HBO also has its biopic on Henrietta Lacks this weekend. look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).

Blu-ray & Games & Streaming

• Split
• Tales from the Hood (Collector’s Edition)
• Sleepless
• The Founder
• A League of Their Own
• Woman of the Year (Criterion)
• Broken Arrow
• Buena Vista Social Club
• The Handmaid’s Tale
• Donnie Darko
• Killjoys (S2)
• ACA NeoGeo Art of Fighting (PS4)
• Telltale’s Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Episode 1 (Xbox One, PS4)
• Voodoo Vince: Remastered (Xbox One, PC, PS4)
• Full Throttle: Remastered (PC, PS4)
• Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades GOTY Edition (PS4, Xbox One)
• Deformers (Xbox One, PS4)
• Race the Sun (Xbox One)
• Flinthook (Xbox One, PS4)
• Cities: Skylines Xbox One Edition (Xbox One)
• Late Shift (Xbox One, PS4)
• ATV Renegades (Xbox One, PS4)

Monday

• The Voice, NBC, 8PM
• 24: Legacy (season finale), Fox, 8PM
• Dancing With The Stars, ABC, 8PM
• Kevin Can Wait, CBS, 8PM
• WWE Raw, USA, 8PM
• Young & Hungry, Freeform, 8PM
• Man with a Plan, CBS, 8:30PM
• Baby Daddy, Freeform, 8:30PM
• APB, Fox, 9PM
• The Twins, Freeform, 9PM
• 2 Broke Girls (season finale), CBS, 9:30PM
• Better Call Saul, AMC, 10PM
• American Dad, TBS, 10PM
• Rock and a Hard Place, HBO, 10PM
• Scorpion, CBS, 10PM
• Bates Motel, A&E, 10PM
• Taken, NBC, 10PM
• Quantico, ABC, 10PM
• Angie Tribeca, TBS, 10:30PM

Tuesday

• Lucas Brothers: On Drugs, Netflix, 3AM
• Dimension 404, Hulu, 3AM
• The Voice, NBC, 8PM
• Pretty Little Liars, Freeform, 8PM
• The Flash, CW, 8PM
• The Manns, TV One, 8PM
• Brooklyn Nine-nine, Fox, 8PM
• WWE Smackdown, USA, 8PM
• The Middle, ABC, 8PM
• The Mick, Fox, 8:30PM
• American Housewife, ABC, 8:30PM
• Famous in Love (series premiere), Freeform, 9PM
• Deadliest Catch, Discovery, 9PM
• iZombie, CW, 9PM
• Prison Break, Fox, 9PM
• Fresh off the Boat, ABC, 9PM
• The Challenge, MTV, 9PM
• Switched at Birth, Freeform, 9PM
• Face Off, Syfy, 9PM
• Outsiders, WGN, 9PM
• Imaginary Mary, ABC, 9:30PM
• Fargo (season premiere), FX, 10PM
• The Expanse (season finale), Syfy, 10PM
• Problematic with Moshe Kasher (series premiere), Comedy Central, 10PM
• Cooper’s Treasure (series premiere), Discovery, 10PM
• Team Ninja Warrior (season premiere), USA, 10PM
• Trial & Error (season finale), NBC, 10PM
• The Americans, FX, 10PM
• Rebel, BET, 10PM
• The Detour, TBS, 10PM
• Stranded with a Million Dollars, MTV, 10PM
• Imposters, Bravo, 10PM
• Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11PM

Wednesday

• Supermansion (season finale), Crackle, 3AM
• Shots Fired, Fox, 8PM
• Blindspot, NBC, 8PM
• Catfish, MTV, 8PM
• Are You the One: All Star Challenge, MTV, 9PM
• Empire, Fox, 9PM
• Criminal Minds, CBS, 9PM
• Law & Order, NBC, 9PM
• The 100, CW, 9PM
• The Magicians, Syfy, 9PM
• Major Crimes, TNT, 9PM
• Archer, FXX, 10PM
• The Comedy Jam, Comedy Central, 10PM
• Designated Survivor, ABC, 10PM
• Chicago Justice, NBC, 10PM
• Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, CBS, 10PM
• The Expanse, Syfy, 10PM
• Nobodies, TV Land, 10PM
• The Quad, BET, 10PM
• Suits, USA, 10PM
• Ripper Street, BBC America, 11PM

Thursday

• Superstore, NBC, 8PM
• Powerless, NBC, 8:30PM
• Riverdale, CW, 9PM
• The Blacklist (spring premiere), NBC, 9PM
• Kicking & Screaming, Fox, 9PM
• Scandal, ABC, 9PM
• The Amazing Race, CBS, 9PM
• Nightwatch (season finale), A&E, 10PM
• The Catch, ABC, 10PM
• Dark Net, Showtime, 10PM

Friday

• Girlboss (S1), Netflix, 3AM
• Bosch (S3), Amazon Prime, 3AM
• Bill Nye Saves the World (S1), Netflix, 3AM
• Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On (S1), Netflix, 3AM
• Thunderbirds are Go (S3), Amazon Prime, 3AM
• The New Mr. Peabody and Sherman Show (S4), Netflix, 3AM
• Tramps, Netflix, 3AM
• Sand Castle, Netflix, 3AM
• Tangled: The Series, Disney, 7:30PM
• The Originals, CW, 8PM
• First Dates, NBC, 8PM
• Toy Box, ABC, 8PM
• You the Jury, Fox, 9PM
• Disgraced, Showtime, 9PM
• Tattoo Age, Viceland, 9PM
• Vice, HBO, 11PM
• Animals., HBO, 11:30PM

Saturday

• Slam, Netflix, 3AM
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, HBO, 8PM
• Doctor Who, BBC America, 9PM
• Training Day, CBS, 9PM
• The Son, AMC, 9PM
• Class, BBC America, 10:05M

Sunday

• White Princess, Starz, 8PM
• The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth, Showtime, 8PM
• Top Gear (season finale), BBC America, 8PM
• Once Upon a Time, ABC, 8PM
• Sunday Night Baseball: Nationals/Mets, ESPN, 8PM
• Making History, Fox, 8:30PM
• Guerrilla, Showtime, 9PM
• The Leftovers, Showtime, 9PM
• Home Fires, PBS, 9PM
• Family Guy, Fox, 9PM
• Time After Time, ABC 9PM
• Madam Secretary, CBS, 9PM
• The Last Man on Earth, Fox, 9:30PM
• Silicon Valley (season premiere), HBO, 10PM
• Into the Badlands, AMC, 10PM
• American Crime, ABC, 10PM
• Feud: Bette and Joan (season finale), FX, 10PM
• Shades of Blue, NBC, 10PM
• Billions, Showtime, 10PM
• Trapped, Viceland, 10PM
• Veep, HBO, 10:30PM
• Talking with Chris Hardwick, AMC, 11PM
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, 11PM

CBS adds movies to its All Access streaming library

While we patiently wait for the network to finally deliver Star Trek: Discovery, CBS has been slowly growing its in-house All Access streaming service. In the past few months, CBS has added live TV, NFL games and the Grammies to its event lineup, but now its on-demand selection is getting its own upgrade with the addition of full-length movies.

As TechCrunch notes, CBS quietly rolled out the new section last week and only offers a small selection of 18 films licensed from Paramount Studios at the moment. Although the company plans to grow the lineup in the near future, current choices include Election, Rosemary’s Baby and Up in the Air. Anyone who needs a classic Star Trek fix will probably be delighted to learn a number of those films are included, even as they’ve suddenly disappeared from Netflix in the US.

For now, CBS is hoping the latest entry to the Star Trek franchise, as well as its Good Wife spinoff The Good Fight, will be enough to start luring more users to the service. The president of CBS Interactive Marc DeBevoise recently told New York Magazine that the company plans to branch out into even more original content this year, but they’re still trying to find the sweet spot that will drive users to pay for “a premium version of CBS.” As for the release date for Discovery, DeBevoise says production is “going great,” but wouldn’t commit to a fall premiere.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Cord Cutters News

This leaked Galaxy S8 prototype proves it almost had a dual camera

Samsung didn’t do a lot with the Galaxy S8’s rear camera, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t consider seriously upgrading the snapper.

KK on Weibo – a leaker with a decent track record – has shared a leaked prototype of the Galaxy S8 Plus. There’s one obvious difference between this leaked prototype and the version Samsung ultimately unveiled: the prototype sports a dual camera in a vertical arrangement. We’ve seen a similar setup on a number of flagships in recent years, including the LG G6, iPhone 7 Plus, and Huawei P10.

• Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs Apple iPhone 7 Plus: What’s the difference?
• Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus review

The new leak suggests that Samsung considered a dual camera setup too, although company executives have already said that Samsung found no real value for it. Interestingly, the leaked prototype doesn’t show a fingerprint sensor. Does that mean Samsung was originally going to embed the sensor in the front glass? Who knows. But it’s certainly interesting wonder about what could have been.

Keep in mind that Apple is rumoured to include a dual camera on the new iPhone, so even though Samsung balked at the idea for the Galaxy S8, it may ultimately be forced to include one on its next flagship. (Maybe even the Note 8?)

Таким был S8+, таким стал Note 8 pic.twitter.com/Q1Fk8tfMpt

— Eldar Murtazin (@eldarmurtazin) April 16, 2017