Drones and AI help stop poaching in Africa

Several organizations are already using drones to fight poaching, but the Lindbergh Foundation is taking it one step further. The environmental non-profit has joined forces with Neurala in order to use the company’s deep learning neural network AI to boost the capabilities of the drones in its Air Shepherd program. Neurala taught its technology what elephants, rhinos and poachers look like, so it can accurately pinpoint and mark them in videos. It will now put the AI to work sifting through all the footage the foundation’s drones beam back in real time, including infrared footage taken at night.

The AI’s job is to pore over these videos and quickly identify the presence of poachers to prevent them from even reaching the animals’ herds. It’s the perfect addition to the Air Shepherd program that aims to use cutting edge software and drones to stop poaching in Africa.

Neurala CEO Max Versace said in a statement:

“This is a terrific example of how AI technology can be a vital force for good. We’re thrilled to be working with the Lindbergh Foundation in this unique partnership, contributing our deep learning software to such a worthwhile cause and doing our part to preserve endangered species.”

It’ll be interesting to see how effective the program’s drone-AI system is in the future. For now, you can watch the video below to see how Neurala’s technology identifies objects of interest.

Source: Neurala

How to spend $1 million per week on your next vacation and be on Cloud 9

Why it matters to you

Have you ever fantasized how you’d spend $1 million in one week? This is one extravagant option.

If you have reached the age where you can dip into your trust fund capital, or you’ve won the lottery, or maybe cashed in after your tech company IPO lock-up period, we found a way you can spend some of the money. CRN Yachts launched the 74-meter superyacht Cloud 9 earlier this year, according to Boat International, and she’s already listed for charter.

The near-243-foot yacht has a steel full displacement hull, an aluminum superstructure, and teak decks. Cloud 9 was built at CRN’s Ancona, Italy, shipyard. Rome’s Zuccon International Project designed the exterior and the London-based firm Winch Design was responsible for the interiors. She was launched during a ceremony in January.

The buyer is happy the result of the collaboration. The new owner told Boat International, “She’s beautiful. For me it is a very proud day, and for my family and my mother. It takes a lot of energy, passion and commitment to build something so magnificent.”

Cloud 9 is almost 243 feet long and just over 42 feet wide at her widest part. She is powered by two Catepillar 3516C diesel engines with a total of 5,360 horsepower.

Maximum speed is 16.5 knots and she cruises at 15 knots, which means Cloud 9 can go a bit faster than most boats her size (there aren’t too many). Her most economical cruising speed is 12 knots.

Cloud 9 has a 6,000 nautical mile range at 12 knots with her 250,000-liter fuel tanks topped off. That’s 6,904 land miles and 66,044 U.S. gallons of fuel. So put it this way, Cloud 9 can travel the distance from New York to Los Angeles, back to New York, and south to Key Largo, Florida, without refueling.

Cloud 9 has five decks plus a sundeck. When she’s chartered, as many as 12 guests are accommodated in one master suite, one VIP suite, four doubles, and two double/twin staterooms. There is also space for 22 crew members.

The vessel has a custom made limousine tender so getting to and from Cloud 9 will be classy. Onboard is a large beach club aft, a 12-meter (39-foot) pool, a gym, a deck Jacuzzi, and a side-loading garage for her impressive selection of water toys.

The toy list may be excessive, but hey, if you’re going to drop $1 million for the week, excess is expected. The inventory includes two Waverunners, two kayaks, a waterslide, a fly board, wake surf, wake skate, Seabobs, stand up paddleboards, wakeboards, water skis, kneeboards, and snorkeling and fishing equipment. On the chance that you might have the limo (oops, the tender) scoot you into town, there are four 18-inch folding bicycles.

Cloud 9 is available for charter in the Mediterranean from YachtCharterFleet. The weekly charter fee ranges from $970,000 to $993,500, depending on the season, plus expenses.

Expenses will likely put you over the $1 million mark, so be sure to inquire what they cover in advance. At a minimum, there’s probably a daily fuel and basic meal allowance including wine, in which case you’d pay for booze and any excess over the allowances. Or, the full cost of food, drink, and fuel may be on you. You also may be responsible for dockage and mooring fees, which can run in the tens of thousands.

Is your MacBook charger dead? Check these solutions before buying a new one

We like to think of our chargers as simple, dependable devices — which is why it’s so annoying when they fail to charge our devices properly, even when plugged in and connected. When you face the deep disappointment that comes with a MacBook that refuses to charge, it’s time to find out what’s wrong and pinpoint an appropriate solution. That’s where we can help you out! The steps below should help you to ascertain what’s going on, and what you need to do to get your Apple laptop back on track.

Make sure it’s the charger that’s malfunctioning

When first encountering charger woes, make sure it’s the charger that’s the problem. Switch to a different outlet that you know works, and check the LED indicators on your charger — many Mac chargers have some form of these — to see if there’s a response. You don’t want to get worried over a bad outlet.

If you get no response, consider borrowing the same kind of charger from a friend (if possible), or head to an Apple Authorized Service Provider and ask if you can test your unit. If your MacBook turns on and starts charging with a different cable, your charger is likely the culprit. If your MacBook still fails to respond, you probably have a problem with the battery or other hardware, and it’s time to take a different approach.

This is also the perfect time to check on compatibility. Apple’s MacBook lineup has evolved over the years, as have the chargers accompanying each generation. Each iteration of power adapter utilizes a different wattage, and though you can use a higher wattage adapter than is specified for your MacBook, going with one with less wattage can lead to operating issues. If you bought a charger or a used-refurbished Mac online, and your charger doesn’t seem to be working the first time you connect it with your machine, it’s a good idea to make sure you have a compatible charger type.

Apple has more information on just what chargers work with what MacBooks, and how you can get an additional adapter, if necessary. We’ve also included the four major connection types below.

Barrel-type connector
“T”-style MageSafe connector
“L”-style MagSafe connector
MagSafe 2 connector

Clean it up

Okay, you’ve narrowed the problem down to the charger, which should be working but isn’t. Take a look at all the ports and connectors, and check for dirt. A layer of dust or grime may have built up, thus preventing the charger from making a proper electrical connection. Get a cloth or cotton swab and clean away any dirt you see. Also, beware of invisible, sticky layers that may be the real problem. You can also use a quick spritz of cleaner or water, but make sure to dry the charger thoroughly before trying to use it again.

Check for physical damage

It should go without saying that a common cause of charger failure is physical damage. There are two types of damage that you should search for if you’re worried your charger may have gotten a little beat up.

Prong and blade damage: Examine all prongs, blades, and other types of metal tips that your charger may use. If a prong or blade is loose or missing, this could be the problem. It also makes electrical fires more likely, so stop using your charger and get a replacement ASAP.

Strain relief: Strain relief refers to the head of the charger — which plugs into the MacBook — slowly coming disconnected through wear and tear. This is less of a problem with chargers that have the aforementioned “L”-style or other MagSafe connectors, but it does happen with older connectors. If the LED indicator lights seem to switch on and off based on the angle of the charger, you could have a problem. Examine the end of the connector for signs of cable damage, exposed wires, or wear on the insulating covering. If you see evident signs of damage, it’s time to consider replacing your charger.

Make sure your charger isn’t overheating

If your adapter (the large, boxy part of your charger) has been buried under blankets, sat out in the hot sun, or otherwise left in an area with high temperatures, it could be overheating. Adapters are very sensitive to heat, and Apple built them with automatic shut off functions if they start getting too hot — which, of course, means that your MacBook will never get charged if you keep charging in a hot place. Make sure your adapter is always in the shade and well ventilated.

Check for line noise

Alternating currents move in cycles, but between the distance electricity must travel and the electromagnetic interference of nearby devices, these cycles can get exposed to some serious distortion — that is, until the electricity essentially breaks down into a format your laptop battery simply can’t use. Check to see if you have a line noise problem by unplugging your charger and letting it rest for 60 seconds or so. Then, plug it back in and see if it works.

If the charger seems fine again, you probably had a problem with ground noise building up until your adapter shuts down automatically, which allows it to protect itself. Try using your computer away from other appliances, especially refrigerators and fluorescent lights, which are notorious for causing line noise troubles. Your adapter’s “over voltage protection” feature is merely a safety preoccupation, but it is one intended to increase the lifespan of your device.

Reset your battery and settings

Still can’t figure out what’s wrong? There’s one last thing you should try before taking your computer to a licensed professional, but it’s actually related to your computer’s settings instead of the adapter. Even if it appears as though your charger is the problem, we suggest trying the two steps below before moving on, because they can solve a lot of hidden problems in your MacBook.

Reset your battery. This is easy on older MacBooks. Take out the battery, let it sit for a minute or so, and then put it back in. Unfortunately, you can’t remove the battery using the same method on newer MacBooks, so you’ll have to skip to the next skip.

Reset your computer’s PRAM and SMC. These are internal settings that govern how your MacBook manages power, volume, and other basic settings. If these settings start malfunctioning, it can cause serious issues. Check out our guide on how to quickly reset PRAM and SMC on your Mac for more information.

5 songs you need to stream this week: Chris Cornell, Flying Lotus, and more

Every week, there are thousands of new songs hitting the airwaves — and it’s just too much for your two ears to handle. With all those options, you can’t be wasting your time on tracks that deserve a thumbs-down click.

But don’t worry, we’re going to save you the hassle. We listen to some of the most-hyped and interesting songs each week, and tell you which are worthy of your precious listening time.

Here are our top five songs to stream this week. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our Spotify page for a playlist of our weekly picks, which can also be found at the bottom of this post.

Chris Cornell — Fell on Black Days (Live at SiriusXM)

The tragic passing of songwriter Chris Cornell shocked the music world this week, with tributes pouring out from rockers and fans the world over. This acoustic recording of Soundgarden’s Fell on Black Days perfectly showcases Cornell’s iconic voice, with his gravelly tone backed by beautiful live cello and acoustic guitar accompaniment.

Flying Lotus — Night Grows Pale

Electronic king Flying Lotus released Night Grows Pale, a Queen-sampling single, this week, giving fans a heavy-hitting throwback to the hip-hop-style beat-making that helped grow his career in the first place. This one’s a well-layered instrumental track featuring a tastefully down-pitched Freddie Mercury sample to tie it together. It provides listeners young and old with something to chill out to over this late-spring week.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit — If We Were Vampires

Gorgeous acoustic guitar tones in stereo join simple strings on Nashville songwriter Jason Isbell’s latest song, If We Were Vampires. It’s a gentle single about love and loss from his upcoming album, The Nashville Sound. He sings lyrics like, “Maybe we’ll get 40 years together, but one day I’ll be gone, or one day you’ll be gone,” in appropriate harmony with his wife, Amanda Shires.

Beach House — Chariot

There’s a massive scope to the sound of acclaimed indie act Beach House that makes every song feel as though it was designed to accompany big, wide-angle shots of beautiful places. Such is the case with the band’s latest single, Chariot. It’s five minutes of synths, guitars, and soothing voices that feels like it could easily score the next season of Planet Earth or The Cosmos.

Soccer Mommy — Out Worn

This week’s breeziest bedroom pop number comes with melancholy lyrics courtesy of New York-via-Nashville musician Sophie Allison, whose single Out Worn explores a complicated relationship gone sour.

That’s it for now, but tune in next week for more tunes, and check out the playlist loaded with our recent selections below:

How to deal with drift in your Gear VR

Drift is a common and irritating problem with Gear VR.

When it comes to being able to enjoy VR anywhere, Gear VR delivers a great experience. For the most part. However it’s been plagued with issues with the screen slowly and inexorably drifting away at times. This problem can be exacerbated by a number of things, but no matter why it’s happening it’s never fun. We’ve got a few tips to help you cut down on how often it happens, and how to deal with it when it does.

Read more at VRHeads.com!

SoftBank and Saudi Arabia tout the world’s largest tech fund

It’s normally not a big deal if a tech investment fund scores a lot of money (unless you’re a startup CEO eager for cash), but the latest windfall is definitely an exception to the rule. After no shortage of hype, Sprint owner SoftBank and the Saudi Arabian government have secured their first major round for the Vision Fund, a tech investment group hoping to back “transformative technologies” ranging from biotech to communications. How major? About $93 billion dollars — while that’s not quite the $100 billion the creators are aiming for, that easily makes it the world’s largest tech investment fund, not to mention the largest private equity fund. The remaining $7 billion should come by the time the Vision Fund finishies its money-raising efforts in about 6 months.

There are no shortage of big-name contributors. Apple, its nemesis-slash-partner Qualcomm, ARM, manufacturing giant Foxconn and Sharp have collectively poured billions into the fund. Outside of SoftBank and Saudi Arabia, one of the largest backers is Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment — it poured $15 billion into the effort.

As you might guess, each side has its own strong incentives for shelling out so much money. For SoftBank, this is another step on the road to thriving outside of its native Japan. It could be particularly important for SoftBank’s American ambitions — it’s no coincidence that it announced the funding round right as President Trump is visiting Saudi Arabia to land some huge deals. The Saudi government, meanwhile, could diversify the local economy away from its dependence on oil at a time when the world is moving to renewable energy.

And the tech companies contributing relatively small amounts? Naturally, they’re hoping that the fund will back innovations that help them down the road. A $1 billion investment like Apple’s might not sound like much, but it could pay huge dividends if it leads to a breakthrough or gives a partner the resources it needs to grow. You won’t see the effect of the Vision Fund until years from now, but it could reshape the industry if investors play their cards well.

Source: BusinessWire

Leak reveals Facebook’s rules for controversial content

It’s no secret that Facebook’s judgment calls on risky content are sometimes more than a little problematic. But just what are the rules guiding those decisions? You’ll know after today. The Guardian has obtained leaked copies of over 100 internal documents outlining Facebook’s rules for handling sensitive content, and it’s clear that the social network is struggling to walk a fine line between freedom of expression and protecting users. At least some of it is understandable, but there are areas where its decision-making might rub you the wrong way.

For instance, its general rule is to allow violent language unless it involves a “credible” threat to an individual or group. Just what that means is a bit fuzzy, however. While threatening political figures is an obvious red flag, a statement like “I’m going to kill you” is considered too generic. Many people use violent language in “facetious and unserious ways,” Facebook says, and even a disturbing tone doesn’t necessarily mean a statement is violating guidelines. But what about situations where the context turns a normally generic threat into a very specific one? That’s not clear.

There are other gray areas. Facebook will sometimes allow videos of violent deaths and self-harm so long as they’re marked as disturbing and can help raise “awareness” of issues like mental health. It also won’t automatically scrub images of non-sexual animal or child abuse, so long as the material is both flagged appropriately and doesn’t take pleasure in the act. In the case of children, the site will sometimes leave material online to help identify and rescue victims. These are again understandable, but it still raises questions about when preserving content crosses the line from informative to insensitive.

When it comes to nudity, Facebook has clearly learned some lessons from its Vietnam War photo controversy. It’ll allow some “newsworthy exceptions” to photographic nudity as well as “handmade” nude art, but other photos and digital art are off-limits.

Facebook is up front about the complexities of the issues it’s facing: in a statement to the Guardian, Global Policy Management head Monica Bickert explains that people will have “very different ideas about what is OK to share.” There will always be some ambiguity, she says. We reached out ourselves, and Bickert pointed to the company both hiring 3,000 more moderators as well as efforts to “make it simpler” to both report and review posts (you can read her full statement below). In short: Facebook knows it’s in a tricky position, and is betting that it can do a better job by devoting more resources to the task.

Whether or not you agree, Facebook is facing a lot of pressure to get things right. It has nearly 2 billion users, so many decisions can have far-reaching implications. And for some governments, Facebook’s current approach doesn’t go far enough — the UK has proposed fining companies that don’t quickly purge material deemed to be hate speech. The current guidelines might not be perfect, but changing them could be just as risky as leaving them alone.

“Keeping people on Facebook safe is the most important thing we do. Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that over the next year, we’ll be adding 3,000 people to our community operations team around the world — on top of the 4,500 we have today — to review the millions of reports we get every week, and improve the process for doing it quickly. In addition to investing in more people, we’re also building better tools to keep our community safe. We’re going to make it simpler to report problems to us, faster for our reviewers to determine which posts violate our standards and easier for them to contact law enforcement if someone needs help.”

Source: The Guardian

Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: 3-wheeled longboards. smart shirts, and more

At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion crowdfunding campaigns on the web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there — alongside some real gems. In this column, we cut through all the worthless wearables and Oculus Rift ripoffs to round up the week’s most unusual, ambitious, and exciting projects. But don’t grab your wallet just yet. Keep in mind that any crowdfunded project can fail — even the most well-intentioned. Do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.

Rive — anti-texting smartphone car mount

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What’s the best way to ensure you won’t text and drive? Make it impossible to do so. That’s the logic behind new a clever new smartphone accessory called Rive, a combination of hardware and software that promises to “eliminate the ability to text and drive while keeping you connected to what matters.” The goal of the product is to take away both the temptation and the ability to use your mobile device when you’re on the road, while simultaneously keeping your phone on your dashboard. This way, you still have access to things like GPS and music control.

So what goes into Rive? First and foremost, there’s the hardware. Simply plug one side into your dashboard, and the other side (a clip) will block your phone’s home button, which means that you’ll be physically unable to check your phone while driving. As for the Rive software, when your vehicle is in use, the Rive app will hold all your text message alerts (and anything else you ask it to keep for later). If you’re on a longer road trip, your contacts can receive a customizable auto-reply letting them know that you’re driving and can’t get to the phone.

Read more here

10ELEVEN9 — smart, sensor-studded shirt

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More and more, wearable tech is moving beyond wristbands and watches. Now that smartphones have driven down the cost of sensors and made them cheap and easily accessible, designers are figuring out crazy new ways to implement them into things like clothing, shoes, and jewelry. The latest addition to this growing category is 10Eleven9: a smart shirt that attempts to fuse high tech with high fashion.

“This shirt, which looks like a traditional shirt, has the newest technology integrated,” Julia Seeler, senior account manager at Colorfy, told Digital Trends in an interview. “It’s the first smart shirt of its kind. Our goal is to bring a garment to the market which not only looks good, but supports the user in various ways to make his life easier and more convenient.”

In terms of tech and features, 10Eleven9 sports seven pockets, each of which can be accessed through an invisible opening in the shirt’s side seam. Two of these are even RFID-blocking pockets, designed to protect your passport and credit cards from potential high-tech scams. There’s also an obligatory plethora of smart sensors (of course), including heart rate sensors, posture sensor and breathing measurements, which can be read through either vibrating feedback or push notifications sent to your smartphone.

Ever been on a hot date and wished you had a shirt that would tell you to sit straighter and calm down? No? Well it doesn’t matter — your wish has been granted whether you wanted it or not!

Read more here

Landsurf — 3-wheeled surf-style longboard

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There are countless longboards that claim to give you a very surf-like feel while you ride, but Landsurf might be the first one that truly makes you feel like you’re riding a wave. It’s basically a three-wheeled longboard (two normal wheels on a normal truck, then one 360-degree caster) that’s specifically designed to emulate a surfboard cruising on the water.

To create the board, a team of biomechanical engineers and professional surfers used motion sensors to recreate the movements of surfing, then utilized the results to tweak the board’s components and make it as surf-like as possible.

The Landsurf’s wheel configuration provides a rotational pivot that allows users to practice real surfing maneuvers — and that’s what’s so special about it. Unlike a skateboard, the LandSurf doesn’t need to be pushed. Instead, it’s powered by pumping, similar to how you might pump on a wave in the water. The front caster wheel is designed with a slope that matches the direction of momentum, while also allowing for freedom of movement.  The rear two wheels work similarly to surfboard fins, providing stability in the tail of the board.

The Landsurf also comes in a variety of different styles — each of which is better suited for various types of surf maneuvers, including carving, cutbacks, pumping, and snaps.

Read more here

BeeScanning — honeybee protection app

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For decades, the Varroa Destructor mite has ravaged bee colonies all over the globe. Since the invasive species was first introduced into North America in the late 1980s, it’s been responsible for wiping out entire populations of Western honeybees — and it’s easy to see why. Western honeybees are completely defenseless against the mite.

The parasite, no bigger than a sesame seed, latches onto a bee and sucks its blood, eventually either killing it outright or making the bee more susceptible to disease. To make matters worse, beekeepers don’t really have much recourse when it comes to these mites, but thanks to an innovative new Kickstarer project, that might soon change.

BeeScanning is more or less exactly what it sounds like. It’s a mobile app that allows beekeepers to upload photos of their hives and get computer-aided insight into Varroa mite infestation levels. The app is still in development right now, which is why the creators put it up on Kickstarter. The end goal is to gather a bunch of user-submitted photos, and then use these to train an artificial neural network that can spot mites in pictures with far more accuracy than a human. With this tool, beekeepers will be able to more effectively manage their hives and protect them from parasites.

Read more here

Seed — retro-modern record player

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After decades of moving away from records and the old-fashioned record player, history is repeating itself. But this isn’t your (great-great) grandmother’s phonograph — rather, the Seed promises to inject a heavy dose of modernity into a nostalgic piece of technology with its all-in-one multi-function turntable system. Promising top-notch sound quality, high output, and wireless streaming, the makers of Seed say this is the only setup you need to spin your favorite LPs.

It’s definitely not the first reimagining of the classic record player, but the Seed differentiates itself from the rest of the pack with high-end components and a patented suspension design. All this is integrated into all-in-one system driven by 70 watts of high-output amplification. The unique suspension system is meant to isolate the platter and tonearm from speaker vibrations, promising steady, clean sound even when the volume gets cranked. Moreover, Seed comes with a built-in amplifier, two 1-inch tweeters, and two 4-inch woofers, which come together to provide (allegedly) super dynamic sound.

We haven’t had a chance to hear it in person, but if it sounds half as good as it looks, we’ll be happy.

Read more here

Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: 3-wheeled longboards. smart shirts, and more

At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion crowdfunding campaigns on the web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there — alongside some real gems. In this column, we cut through all the worthless wearables and Oculus Rift ripoffs to round up the week’s most unusual, ambitious, and exciting projects. But don’t grab your wallet just yet. Keep in mind that any crowdfunded project can fail — even the most well-intentioned. Do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.

Rive — anti-texting smartphone car mount

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

What’s the best way to ensure you won’t text and drive? Make it impossible to do so. That’s the logic behind new a clever new smartphone accessory called Rive, a combination of hardware and software that promises to “eliminate the ability to text and drive while keeping you connected to what matters.” The goal of the product is to take away both the temptation and the ability to use your mobile device when you’re on the road, while simultaneously keeping your phone on your dashboard. This way, you still have access to things like GPS and music control.

So what goes into Rive? First and foremost, there’s the hardware. Simply plug one side into your dashboard, and the other side (a clip) will block your phone’s home button, which means that you’ll be physically unable to check your phone while driving. As for the Rive software, when your vehicle is in use, the Rive app will hold all your text message alerts (and anything else you ask it to keep for later). If you’re on a longer road trip, your contacts can receive a customizable auto-reply letting them know that you’re driving and can’t get to the phone.

Read more here

10ELEVEN9 — smart, sensor-studded shirt

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

More and more, wearable tech is moving beyond wristbands and watches. Now that smartphones have driven down the cost of sensors and made them cheap and easily accessible, designers are figuring out crazy new ways to implement them into things like clothing, shoes, and jewelry. The latest addition to this growing category is 10Eleven9: a smart shirt that attempts to fuse high tech with high fashion.

“This shirt, which looks like a traditional shirt, has the newest technology integrated,” Julia Seeler, senior account manager at Colorfy, told Digital Trends in an interview. “It’s the first smart shirt of its kind. Our goal is to bring a garment to the market which not only looks good, but supports the user in various ways to make his life easier and more convenient.”

In terms of tech and features, 10Eleven9 sports seven pockets, each of which can be accessed through an invisible opening in the shirt’s side seam. Two of these are even RFID-blocking pockets, designed to protect your passport and credit cards from potential high-tech scams. There’s also an obligatory plethora of smart sensors (of course), including heart rate sensors, posture sensor and breathing measurements, which can be read through either vibrating feedback or push notifications sent to your smartphone.

Ever been on a hot date and wished you had a shirt that would tell you to sit straighter and calm down? No? Well it doesn’t matter — your wish has been granted whether you wanted it or not!

Read more here

Landsurf — 3-wheeled surf-style longboard

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

There are countless longboards that claim to give you a very surf-like feel while you ride, but Landsurf might be the first one that truly makes you feel like you’re riding a wave. It’s basically a three-wheeled longboard (two normal wheels on a normal truck, then one 360-degree caster) that’s specifically designed to emulate a surfboard cruising on the water.

To create the board, a team of biomechanical engineers and professional surfers used motion sensors to recreate the movements of surfing, then utilized the results to tweak the board’s components and make it as surf-like as possible.

The Landsurf’s wheel configuration provides a rotational pivot that allows users to practice real surfing maneuvers — and that’s what’s so special about it. Unlike a skateboard, the LandSurf doesn’t need to be pushed. Instead, it’s powered by pumping, similar to how you might pump on a wave in the water. The front caster wheel is designed with a slope that matches the direction of momentum, while also allowing for freedom of movement.  The rear two wheels work similarly to surfboard fins, providing stability in the tail of the board.

The Landsurf also comes in a variety of different styles — each of which is better suited for various types of surf maneuvers, including carving, cutbacks, pumping, and snaps.

Read more here

BeeScanning — honeybee protection app

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

For decades, the Varroa Destructor mite has ravaged bee colonies all over the globe. Since the invasive species was first introduced into North America in the late 1980s, it’s been responsible for wiping out entire populations of Western honeybees — and it’s easy to see why. Western honeybees are completely defenseless against the mite.

The parasite, no bigger than a sesame seed, latches onto a bee and sucks its blood, eventually either killing it outright or making the bee more susceptible to disease. To make matters worse, beekeepers don’t really have much recourse when it comes to these mites, but thanks to an innovative new Kickstarer project, that might soon change.

BeeScanning is more or less exactly what it sounds like. It’s a mobile app that allows beekeepers to upload photos of their hives and get computer-aided insight into Varroa mite infestation levels. The app is still in development right now, which is why the creators put it up on Kickstarter. The end goal is to gather a bunch of user-submitted photos, and then use these to train an artificial neural network that can spot mites in pictures with far more accuracy than a human. With this tool, beekeepers will be able to more effectively manage their hives and protect them from parasites.

Read more here

Seed — retro-modern record player

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

After decades of moving away from records and the old-fashioned record player, history is repeating itself. But this isn’t your (great-great) grandmother’s phonograph — rather, the Seed promises to inject a heavy dose of modernity into a nostalgic piece of technology with its all-in-one multi-function turntable system. Promising top-notch sound quality, high output, and wireless streaming, the makers of Seed say this is the only setup you need to spin your favorite LPs.

It’s definitely not the first reimagining of the classic record player, but the Seed differentiates itself from the rest of the pack with high-end components and a patented suspension design. All this is integrated into all-in-one system driven by 70 watts of high-output amplification. The unique suspension system is meant to isolate the platter and tonearm from speaker vibrations, promising steady, clean sound even when the volume gets cranked. Moreover, Seed comes with a built-in amplifier, two 1-inch tweeters, and two 4-inch woofers, which come together to provide (allegedly) super dynamic sound.

We haven’t had a chance to hear it in person, but if it sounds half as good as it looks, we’ll be happy.

Read more here

Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: 3-wheeled longboards. smart shirts, and more

At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion crowdfunding campaigns on the web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there — alongside some real gems. In this column, we cut through all the worthless wearables and Oculus Rift ripoffs to round up the week’s most unusual, ambitious, and exciting projects. But don’t grab your wallet just yet. Keep in mind that any crowdfunded project can fail — even the most well-intentioned. Do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.

Rive — anti-texting smartphone car mount

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What’s the best way to ensure you won’t text and drive? Make it impossible to do so. That’s the logic behind new a clever new smartphone accessory called Rive, a combination of hardware and software that promises to “eliminate the ability to text and drive while keeping you connected to what matters.” The goal of the product is to take away both the temptation and the ability to use your mobile device when you’re on the road, while simultaneously keeping your phone on your dashboard. This way, you still have access to things like GPS and music control.

So what goes into Rive? First and foremost, there’s the hardware. Simply plug one side into your dashboard, and the other side (a clip) will block your phone’s home button, which means that you’ll be physically unable to check your phone while driving. As for the Rive software, when your vehicle is in use, the Rive app will hold all your text message alerts (and anything else you ask it to keep for later). If you’re on a longer road trip, your contacts can receive a customizable auto-reply letting them know that you’re driving and can’t get to the phone.

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10ELEVEN9 — smart, sensor-studded shirt

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More and more, wearable tech is moving beyond wristbands and watches. Now that smartphones have driven down the cost of sensors and made them cheap and easily accessible, designers are figuring out crazy new ways to implement them into things like clothing, shoes, and jewelry. The latest addition to this growing category is 10Eleven9: a smart shirt that attempts to fuse high tech with high fashion.

“This shirt, which looks like a traditional shirt, has the newest technology integrated,” Julia Seeler, senior account manager at Colorfy, told Digital Trends in an interview. “It’s the first smart shirt of its kind. Our goal is to bring a garment to the market which not only looks good, but supports the user in various ways to make his life easier and more convenient.”

In terms of tech and features, 10Eleven9 sports seven pockets, each of which can be accessed through an invisible opening in the shirt’s side seam. Two of these are even RFID-blocking pockets, designed to protect your passport and credit cards from potential high-tech scams. There’s also an obligatory plethora of smart sensors (of course), including heart rate sensors, posture sensor and breathing measurements, which can be read through either vibrating feedback or push notifications sent to your smartphone.

Ever been on a hot date and wished you had a shirt that would tell you to sit straighter and calm down? No? Well it doesn’t matter — your wish has been granted whether you wanted it or not!

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Landsurf — 3-wheeled surf-style longboard

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There are countless longboards that claim to give you a very surf-like feel while you ride, but Landsurf might be the first one that truly makes you feel like you’re riding a wave. It’s basically a three-wheeled longboard (two normal wheels on a normal truck, then one 360-degree caster) that’s specifically designed to emulate a surfboard cruising on the water.

To create the board, a team of biomechanical engineers and professional surfers used motion sensors to recreate the movements of surfing, then utilized the results to tweak the board’s components and make it as surf-like as possible.

The Landsurf’s wheel configuration provides a rotational pivot that allows users to practice real surfing maneuvers — and that’s what’s so special about it. Unlike a skateboard, the LandSurf doesn’t need to be pushed. Instead, it’s powered by pumping, similar to how you might pump on a wave in the water. The front caster wheel is designed with a slope that matches the direction of momentum, while also allowing for freedom of movement.  The rear two wheels work similarly to surfboard fins, providing stability in the tail of the board.

The Landsurf also comes in a variety of different styles — each of which is better suited for various types of surf maneuvers, including carving, cutbacks, pumping, and snaps.

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BeeScanning — honeybee protection app

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For decades, the Varroa Destructor mite has ravaged bee colonies all over the globe. Since the invasive species was first introduced into North America in the late 1980s, it’s been responsible for wiping out entire populations of Western honeybees — and it’s easy to see why. Western honeybees are completely defenseless against the mite.

The parasite, no bigger than a sesame seed, latches onto a bee and sucks its blood, eventually either killing it outright or making the bee more susceptible to disease. To make matters worse, beekeepers don’t really have much recourse when it comes to these mites, but thanks to an innovative new Kickstarer project, that might soon change.

BeeScanning is more or less exactly what it sounds like. It’s a mobile app that allows beekeepers to upload photos of their hives and get computer-aided insight into Varroa mite infestation levels. The app is still in development right now, which is why the creators put it up on Kickstarter. The end goal is to gather a bunch of user-submitted photos, and then use these to train an artificial neural network that can spot mites in pictures with far more accuracy than a human. With this tool, beekeepers will be able to more effectively manage their hives and protect them from parasites.

Read more here

Seed — retro-modern record player

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After decades of moving away from records and the old-fashioned record player, history is repeating itself. But this isn’t your (great-great) grandmother’s phonograph — rather, the Seed promises to inject a heavy dose of modernity into a nostalgic piece of technology with its all-in-one multi-function turntable system. Promising top-notch sound quality, high output, and wireless streaming, the makers of Seed say this is the only setup you need to spin your favorite LPs.

It’s definitely not the first reimagining of the classic record player, but the Seed differentiates itself from the rest of the pack with high-end components and a patented suspension design. All this is integrated into all-in-one system driven by 70 watts of high-output amplification. The unique suspension system is meant to isolate the platter and tonearm from speaker vibrations, promising steady, clean sound even when the volume gets cranked. Moreover, Seed comes with a built-in amplifier, two 1-inch tweeters, and two 4-inch woofers, which come together to provide (allegedly) super dynamic sound.

We haven’t had a chance to hear it in person, but if it sounds half as good as it looks, we’ll be happy.

Read more here