Virtual ‘top hats’ ensure swarming drones won’t crash

Drone swarms can be used for lots of things, like creating holograms, putting on a Superbowl halftime show or collecting military intelligence. One of the problems with a bunch of quadcopters executing maneuvers in close proximity, however, is that they can crash when they touch or fly under each other. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have found a way to avoid both issues by creating a virtual bumper area around each copter so that they don’t accidentally touch. They’ve also ensured that each copter has a little “top hat” of space above it so it won’t go underneath another drone and get caught up in its airflow.

Ph.D. student Li Wang figured out that the top hat must be as tall as five times the diameter from one rotor to another by flying drones atop one another. The 0.6-meter vertical space ensures the quadcopters avoid undercutting each other. A set of algorithms gives the drones the ability to quickly maneuver out of the way when they detect another robot next to or above them.

As drone swarms become more ubiquitous, they’ll need systems like these to keep people and themselves safe. “It’s not possible for one person to control dozens or hundreds of robots at a time. That’s why we need machines to figure it out themselves,” said Magnus Egerstedt, director of Georgia Tech’s Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines.

Another team at the lab are finding ways for autonomous blimps to detect and react to human faces and hand gestures in a project to find better ways to get people interacting with drones. Slow-moving blimps are more approachable, according to the researchers, and may someday take the place of store greeters or information kiosks. “Imagine a blimp greeting you at the front of the hardware store, ready to offer assistance,” said project lead Fumin Zhang. “People are good at reading people’s faces and sensing if they need help or not. Robots could do the same. And if you needed help, the blimp could ask, then lead you to the correct aisle, flying above the crowds and out of the way.”

Source: Georgia Tech

United flight crew inadvertently shares cockpit codes online

You don’t need lax airport screening to create security risks aboard flights. As the TSA found out, you just need someone to post the wrong details on the internet. The Wall Street Journal has learned that a United Airlines (yes, it’s in the news again) flight attendant mistakenly posted cockpit door access codes online. While the Air Line Pilots Association says the situation has been resolved, the codes haven’t changed yet. Until then, pilots will have to be extra-cautious — they’re already supposed to look at would-be visitors, but they just got a reminder that they can’t take a valid code for granted.

It’s not clear what the solution is. A memo only mentions “corrective action.” United was quick to stress that its cockpit security measures go “beyond door-access information,” though. And in practice, it’s not very likely that terrorists or pranksters will storm the cabin — not when the codes haven’t been widely published. Even so, the incident suggests that airlines may need to both educate crews on the risks of internet sharing and look at secondary barriers to prevent determined attackers from getting through.

Via: TechCrunch, Axios

Source: Wall Street Journal

YouTube TV adds AMC, BBC America and more

YouTube’s streaming TV service launched just over a month ago and its limited 39-channel range was a clear drawback compared to its more established competitors. But the company is following up on its promises to add more by including seven more cable networks, including AMC, BBC America and Telemundo to its basic $35-per-month package.

Rounding out the new channels are Universo, Sundance TV, We TV and IFC, bringing the service’s lowest tier up to 46 cable channels. That somewhat trails behind the 90 you can currently get with rival service Sling TV, but YouTube TV is barely a month out of the gate. New users still get a free trial month and a free Chromecast with their first paid month, so there’s little pain in trying it out.

Source: 9to5Google

Future Apple Watch Rumored to Include Glucose Monitoring and Smart Bands

Apple is planning major new health features for future versions of the Apple Watch, according to a new report from BGR citing sources with knowledge of Apple’s plans.

The company is said to be working on implementing a new glucose monitoring feature and interchangeable smart bands, which could add new health functionality to the Apple Watch. Both features have been previously rumored in the past, but BGR suggests the functionality could be coming soon.

It has been rumored that Apple is interested in glucose monitoring, and it appears that the time may now be right. Previous rumors have stated that Apple might only be able to achieve this through a separate device that might complement the watch, however BGR has learned that this might not be accurate.

In April, a CNBC report suggested Apple had a team of biomedical engineers working to develop sensors for non-invasively monitoring blood glucose, with work on the sensors far enough along that the company had started conducting feasibility trials. BGR claims Apple has hired more than 200 PhDs in the health field in the last year with the aim of “innovating in the health space” through a glucose monitoring feature that will be released in an “upcoming Apple Watch.”

The site also says Apple is working on interchangeable “smart watch bands” that would add “various functionality” to the Apple Watch, allowing Apple to introduce new features without driving the base cost of the wearable device higher. Glucose monitoring could perhaps be introduced through one of these smart bands, rather than added to the watch itself.

A smart watch band with such functionality makes some sense, as Apple CEO Tim Cook has said previously that Apple does not want to put the Apple Watch through the FDA approval process, something that would likely be required for the introduction of a glucose monitoring feature. A standalone band would allow Apple to get the approval it needs without impacting the base device.

Along with glucose monitoring, BGR says that an Apple Watch band that adds a camera to the watch is another possibility, as is a battery band that extends available battery life. Apple has filed multiple patents covering modular smart bands for the Apple Watch that connect to the device through the Apple Watch diagnostic port.

While BGR says the new features will be added to an “upcoming new version of the Apple Watch,” it is not clear if that means the third-generation Apple Watch rumored to be coming in the fall of 2017. Current information about that device has suggested it will be a more minor update focusing on improving battery life and performance, with few design and hardware updates.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch Series 2, watchOS 3
Tag: bgr.com
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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Board Kings – The town building, board game mashup (Review)

Everyone loves board games! Okay, okay. That’s a very broad and generalizing statement. MOST people like at least some board games. There’s something fun about seeing what twists and turns will happen and maybe the best part of all is getting one over on your friends. Jelly Button Games took this magic formula and mashed it up with a town building mobile game format to make Board Kings. So grab your dice, chose your game piece, and let’s see if this game is worth passing Go.

Developer: Jelly Button Games
Price: Free/In-App Purchases
Download: Google Play/iOS

Just going for a hop around town.

The Setup

Since this is a board game, and they are usually played with others, you initially get the option to connect to Google Play Games and to Facebook. You can always add these later and they are not necessary to play, but I will say that it is much more fun to play with people you know than just randoms. You are given the choice of 4 common game pieces to play as before you get dropped on the start space and are given the chance to roll the dice. The game has a nice tutorial that runs while you play for first few turns and guides you through all the different types of spaces you can land on and is quite thorough while not being overly complicated. Then you are on your own and are free to start building your town or terrorizing your friends.

Controls

Controls for this game are pretty easy. There is a dice button on the bottom of the screen, and as long as you have rolls left (this games equivalent of energy) you can move around the board the number of spaces that you rolled. Buildings are marked by a green upgrade arrow then they are ready to be upgraded, so simple taps around the board are all that it takes to be in control of your town.

This is my shop. I’m the captain now.

Gameplay

Your game board is filled with a variety of spaces, from chance card spots that give you some unique bonuses, to a vending machine that gives out new game pieces. There are cop cars to scatter about, a piggy bank to store money in, and even a steal space to steal money from other players. There are lots of things to do on your board alone, but what’s really fun is traveling to other players boards and breaking their stuff or taking over ownership of their buildings, netting your cash and bonuses all while trying to dodge their police. A big part of this all happens by chance, however.

Board Kings is a little bit of strategy and a lotta bit of luck. You roll the dice, then move that number of spaces. For every space you move, you get some cash which is awesome, but you have to move what you rolled. Most actions on your board can only be performed when on certain spaces, so since you can’t choose to stop on a particular space, you may find yourself really wanting to stop by the vending machine or the steal space to get a hefty sum of money, only to find yourself coming up short or overshooting. I have found that every time that I jump on and use all of my 35 rolls, the max number you can have banked at any one time) that I will usually end up hitting every space on my board at least once, but it will take several trips around and nothing is guaranteed.

I personally love that there is a bit of chance to it, much like playing Monopoly or Life where I’m not guaranteed to get the property I want to hit the celebrity status I dreamed of, but I know it can be frustrating to not be able to get rid of someone’s ownership of your building because you just can’t seem to land on that one space. This is what keeps the game interesting because you never know what you’re going to land on.

My parents always knew this day would come.

Graphics & Sounds

The cartoony board aesthetics are full of life and fun to look at. From Main Street (your starting board) with all of its city sights and sounds, to Carrot of the Caribbean with its beachy pirate theme, each world looks unique and offers visuals that suck you in. Each board also has 10 different unlockable themed game pieces you can purchase from blind boxes in the vending machine (with a free purchase each time you land there, so IAPs are NOT necessary).

The boards all play the same despite having unique looks, but this means that you will never have a board that everyone is picking because it has less for people to steal from or is more difficult to navigate. Personally, I would have liked to see a little variety in this so that it’s not just the same diamond board for every person I visited. The pirate theme could have been rounded or wavy as you hop along the shore. It’s a small personal gripe and in no way takes away from the game at all.

My list for revenge goes on and on and on…

Longevity

This game has a lot going on. There are loads of upgrades for every building on your board. There are over 6 themes to collect with ten game pieces each, plus after collecting multiples of the same piece they unlock silver and gold pieces. The real fun, in my opinion, comes from taking the train to a friend’s town and wrecking buildings, capturing businesses and raiding their piggy banks. This can lead to rivalries and a battle for land, but it’s also way more lucrative and if you’re a competitive person watching as your face is plastered on top of one of your friend’s buildings is an opportunity you can’t pass up.

Conclusion

Board Kings is everything people love about board games in a town building, mobile game setting. You build your town, you destroy your friend’s town, and you collect items all while rolling a dice and hoping you get a six so you can finally get that last upgrade to get to the next level. There’s a bit of luck involved, since this is a board game with dice, but with a relatively large energy pool, you’ll have enough turns to make it everywhere and get done what you want to get done. The game is great fun on it’s own with random other players, but the real fun comes from playing with friends and being able to take over their town and lock them up in your jail. If you’re looking for a bite-sized game to play with your friends, this is definetly one to not pass up.

Asus reportedly set to discontinue its underperforming ZenWatch series

Why it matters to you

Asus may chose to exit the smartwatch business altogether rather than go another round with the Apple Watch.

Asus may be killing its line ZenWatch line of smartwatches. That’s according to Digitimes sources, which describes sales of the company’s watches as being “lower than expected.”

Asus launched the first ZenWatch, which runs Google’s Android Wear operating system, in 2014. The newest — the ZenWatch 3 — debuted in 2016, and is the first in the series to feature a Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor and a circular, Corning Gorilla Glass-shielded AMOLED display (400 x 400 pixels). It’s IP67 resistant against water and dust; features three programmable buttons on the right that can assigned to particular apps; and lasts about one to two days on battery. And it charges quickly, thanks to Asus’ HyperCharge technology — up to 60 percent in 15 minutes.

It wasn’t enough to motivate sales, apparently. According to Digitimes, sales of the ZenWatch family totaled 5,000-6,000 units a month, on average, compared to the 3.5 million Apple Watch units that Apple shipped in the first quarter of 2017.

The ZenWatch isn’t the first smartwatch that’s fallen victim to Apple’s wearable juggernaut.

Malarie Gokey/Digital Trends

According to a Canalys analysis, Apple Watch dominated sales in 2016, taking nearly three times as much market share as its nearest competitor. Shipments reached an estimated 9 million units — a record — and accounted for more than 80 percent of the market’s total smartwatch revenue. For 2016 on the whole, Canalys estimates that Apple Watch sales accounted for 17 percent of the market, trailed by Samsung at 15 percent.

It’s a stranglehold that’s discouraged other smartwatch makers from pursuing the market more aggressively.

In December 2016, Motorola told The Verge that it wouldn’t release a new Moto smartwatch in time for the next major version of Android Wear, Android Wear 2.0. Shakil Barkat, head of global product development at Moto, said that the company didn’t “see enough pull in the market” to launch a new smartwatch. And in May 2016, Jawbone fully ended production on its line of fitness trackers and sold remaining inventory to a third-party reseller.

In October 2016, meanwhile, Microsoft stopped selling its Band 2 fitness tracker and removed all references to Band devices from its website. It subsequently rechristened its existing activity-tracking Health app as Microsoft Band, potentially to pave the way for new, non-Band-dependent Health apps that work with its Health service.

In other cases, the Apple Watch has been the downfall of wearable startups.

Fossil Group acquired Misfit, maker of wearable activity trackers like the Shine 2, for $260 million in November 2015. And in December 2016, Fitbit acquired smartwatch maker Pebble’s “key personnel and intellectual property related to software and firmware development” — reportedly to jump-start development of a new Blaze smartwatch.

Right now, you can get a Samsung Gear VR Headset for only $48 on Amazon

Updated on May 12, 2017 to reflect the current deal offer.

Virtual reality is the future, and heavy hitters such as Sony, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook are betting big on the newfangled tech. If you want a taste of the adrenaline-pumping, 360-degree action that virtual reality has to offer, you can score the latest international version of the Samsung Gear VR headset for only $48 on Amazon right now. The headset carries a retail price of $100, but is now available at a 52 percent discount.

We got some hands-on time with the new Gear VR back in August and found that it’s the best way to experience virtual reality on your phone. The Gear VR was our favorite product in 2015 because of its promising technology, and it hasn’t failed to impress us since. From the design to the price point, it truly is a headset for everyone, providing an experience unlike anything you can get on your phone, computer, or TV alone.

The latest model is focused on improving the small details to make an even better product. It still has the same basic interface and uses the Oculus app store, which now has about 250 games and apps on offer. This version comes with improvements such as a black design that prevents light from bleeding in, meaning you’re less likely to get distracted while using it. The lenses are also larger and now have a separator between them, giving you a slightly larger 101-degree field of view. Even the phone cover is more attractive, so while your phone is snapped in, you won’t look all discombobulated.

The only catch is that this international version may have packaging that is in a different language than English, but you can easily figure out how to set it up and get going with a few Google searches. There are no wires or complicated programming required, as you just snap your smartphone into the Gear VR and dive right into you 360 experiences. It’s fully compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S6, and Galaxy S6 Edge.

You can score the black Samsung Gear VR for just $48 on Amazon for a limited time only.

$48 on Amazon

Top Microsoft lawyer slams government for ‘stockpiling’ vulnerabilities

Why it matters to you

A Microsoft exec pulled no punches in criticizing the NSA’s part in this weekend’s WannaCry incident.

As IT departments around the world are still reeling from the weekend’s spate of ransomware attacks, Microsoft’s head legal counsel has slammed the United States government for “stockpiling” vulnerabilities.

In a blog post, Microsoft president and chief legal officer Brad Smith criticized the NSA for collecting and storing zero-days that it could lose control of. That appears to be exactly what happened this past weekend when the WannaCry ransomware was unleashed on companies like FedEx, NHS hospitals in the United Kingdom, car manufacturers, and telcos. The malware is believed to have been stolen by a mysterious hacker group called the Shadow Brokers and leaked online.

Smith said this case and the recent case around WikiLeaks publishing details of hacking tools and vulnerabilities used by the CIA are causing “widespread damage”.

“An equivalent scenario with conventional weapons would be the U.S. military having some of its Tomahawk missiles stolen,” he said. “And this most recent attack represents a completely unintended but disconcerting link between the two most serious forms of cybersecurity threats in the world today — nation-state action and organized criminal action.”

The culprits behind the attacks remain unknown. On Monday morning, businesses returned to work with apprehension as their IT departments were still assessing the damage. Staff in NHS hospitals in the U.K. were advised to not log in to their computers this morning as it was still awaiting a new antivirus installation.

The global incident should be a “wake-up call” to governments, Smith said in the blog post, which pulled no punches. Smith suggested that governments need to treat malware with the same rules as physical weapons and the effect they can have on ordinary people. In the case of hospitals attacked by WannaCry, there were reports of some important patients’ procedures being postponed.

Smith went on to reiterate Microsoft’s call for a “Digital Geneva Convention” to regulate how governments handle zero-days, requiring them to disclose these vulnerabilities to vendors so they can be patched promptly.

“We should take from this recent attack a renewed determination for more urgent collective action. We need the tech sector, customers, and governments to work together to protect against cybersecurity attacks.”

AMD’s new Vega graphics card with 16GB of memory spotted in the wild

Why it matters to you

If these specs are as impressive as they appear, AMD’s Vega line could have some contenders for the title of most powerful card in the world.

The latest leak to hint at the potential of AMD’s upcoming Vega range is rather exciting because it has the potential to go far beyond what we saw with previous leaks. This unnamed card that sports the Vega device ID has a full 16GB of memory but just as exciting, is its maximum clock speed of 1,600MHz.

Following on from AMD’s strong showing earlier this year with the release of its Ryzen CPUs, Vega has received a lot of hype that it might not have otherwise. While it’s been a long time since AMD competed directly with Nvidia’s top-end graphics cards, Vega is expected to do so and this latest leak backs up that claim.

While we don’t know all the details about the card in question, whatever it is, it should be rather powerful. With a boosted core clock that is said to have a maximum of 1,600MHz, that goes beyond even the enhanced clocks of the RX 500 series and is leaps and bounds beyond the recent 3Dmark Vega results card.

Sixteen gigabytes of memory is impressive, too, even if it is only GDDR5. However, with the rumor that Vega will make use of the second-generation of the high-bandwidth memory (HBM2) used previously in the Fury range of cards, 16GB of that holds huge potential.

There has been some speculation on sites like VideoCardz, that this latest leak could instead be of a Radeon Pro card, featuring dual graphics processors. However, the recent Polaris Radeon Pro reveal sports a clock speed of just 1,243MHz per chip, which suggests that cooling a card with dual chips at higher clock speeds would be problematic.

We’ll need to wait for the expected June release date to get concrete details about Vega. However, if AMD fan wishes have been granted and this card is indeed a single-chip Vega card with a 1,600MHz core clock and 16GB of HBM2, it would likely give anything Nvidia has a run for its money.

Got an F in art class? This 3D clay printer is for you

Why it matters to you

ClayXYZ is a new Kickstarter desktop 3D printer that varies from its rivals by printing in modeling clay.

Over the past several years, the number of materials it’s possible to 3D print with has exploded. Here’s one we’ve not come across before, though — clay.

This addition to the 3D-printing universe is thanks to the arrival of ClayXYZ, an innovative new additive manufacturing tool for the sculpture and pottery set. Allowing you to create anything from intricate vases and bowls to masks and models, it’s a great idea — and something any self-respecting maker is going to want to add to their home studio.

“ClayXYZ is a user-friendly desktop clay 3D printer for everyone,” a spokesperson for the campaign told Digital Trends. “It will bring your remarkable design to real-life objects. No matter what you are designing, from building models, vases, cups, bowls, lampshades, sculptures, to even musical instruments, ClayXYZ can help you realize all of them. Just load the clay, download the model, and start.” (Its creators have helpfully created a range of freely-available models users will be able to test out.)

There are a few particularly neat things about the promise of this 3D printer. One is the fact that it uses basic modeling clay, which makes it incredibly easy to find suitable printing material for.

Another is the intricacy with which it’s possible to print. Precision for the printer’s XY axis is 15 microns, while the Z axis is 5 microns, and the nozzle layer precision is between 0.2 and 0.8mm. These figures may not blow your mind if you’re used to 3D printing, but anyone who has tried traditional pottery will know that it can be very tough to add the level of detail you want. That’s not the case with ClayXYZ, where you’ll be able to print objects with a level of detail it would be very tough for all but the most seasoned pottery experts to achieve through traditional means.

The other nifty part is reusability. Provided you haven’t baked your finished piece in a kiln, the malleability of clay means you can simply add water and reuse the material. That applies whether you want to reprint the whole thing, or just make slight alterations to your printed model. Then, once you’re happy with the final piece, just fire and glaze it as you would do with any other piece of pottery.

ClayXYZ is currently raising funds on Kickstarter. If you’re interested in getting your hands on a finished unit you can place a pre-order, with prices starting at $699. Shipping is set to take place in March 2018.