ICYMI: A prosthetic hand with two senses

Today on In Case You Missed It: We get our first close-up look at Saturn’s rings thanks to the Cassini spacecraft — which just completed the first of its twenty-two passes through the planets’ famed hoops. NASA stitched together the images from the craft to give us Earthlings an incredible first-person (first-spacecraft?) point-of-view of the recent dive, which began at the north pole of the planet and moved down its side. The imaging team working on Cassini’s trips expects to get even better data from the subsequent trips, which will gather information on Saturn’s gravity and magnetic fields.

Meanwhile, a biomedical engineering team at Newcastle University in the UK is using computer vision in a robotic hand to make an “Intuitive” hand prosthetic. The team used a camera, AI and neural networking to enable the hand to recognize objects in front of it, and then change its grasp in response. The hand has four different grips and can react within milliseconds to determine whether it should use a pinch, tripod, wrist pronated or wrist neutral method to interact with the object in question. This is a major development in the field, as prosthetics have historically lacked this vital responsive element. The team hopes to progress the development by integrating it directly into the nervous system to send pressure and temperature.

As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @Dameright.

The OnePlus 5 is the company’s next smartphone

In a move that will shock no one, OnePlus is planning to release a new smartphone this year. What might take you by surprise, however, is the name: OnePlus 5. According to The Verge, OnePlus skipped the number four because it’s considered unlucky in China (it’s pronounced similar to “death” and “decease”). Also, employees really like former NBA player Robert Horry, who wore a number five jersey. Not that it really matters — the OnePlus 3T was released last November, so this is technically the fifth OnePlus flagship. Little is known about the device, although a handful of rumors have pointed to a dual-camera setup and a 3,600 mAh battery.

The OnePlus 3 and 3T were both excellent phones at the time of their release (the 3T is still a good choice if your budget is around $450.) The company has made a name for itself releasing handsets with close-to-flagship performance, but at a price-point far below their competition. If you can’t afford a $700 phone, a OnePlus is often your best bet. How the company hopes to differentiate in 2017 is, for now, a mystery. It might not be long before we know what the company has in store, however — The Verge reports that the OnePlus 5 will be arriving “this summer.”

True Story. https://t.co/1hjRY6s1HP pic.twitter.com/y7ipvbpJ4p

— OnePlus (@oneplus) May 5, 2017

Via: The Verge

Source: OnePlus

Nintendo’s 2DS XL doesn’t need 3D to be a solid handheld

Nintendo’s latest portable, the New 2DS XL, isn’t even out yet and people are already questioning its existence. Does the company really need another handheld gaming console, especially with the recent launch of its hybrid Switch? For Nintendo, the answer is an obvious “yes,” based on the belief that consumers want a 2DS with the form factor of a 3DS XL. At $150, the 2DS XL will slot in between these two models, which cost $80 and $200, respectively. So, what exactly do you get in return? If you’re comparing it to the 2DS, the extra-large version is nearly identical, with the main difference being the clamshell design. Otherwise they both come with the same processor, same battery, same low-resolution cameras and, well, you get the point.

That said, there are a some notable differences between the 2DS and 2DS XL, aside from the most obvious one (read: it folds). While there’s no 3D effect here, the 2DS XL borrows few features from the flagship 3DS XL, such as the C Stick and ZL/ZR buttons, the larger upper (4.88 inches) and lower screens (4.18 inches), as well as built-in NFC. Most importantly, though, the 2DS XL will support software that’s exclusive to Nintendo’s 3DS platform, something that can’t be said for the entry-level 2DS. When the 2DS XL arrives this summer, two games will be released alongside it: Hey! Pikmin and Miitopia, both of which are a ball of fun if you’re into quirky adventure titles.

When I picked up the 2DS XL for the first time, I noticed right away how much lighter it is than the 3DS XL. (The 2DS XL is about nine ounces, whereas the 3DS XL is closer to 12.) That’s good and bad simultaneously, since its lightweight design also makes it feel less sturdy and premium than its 3D-enabled sibling. The black/turquoise colors on the 2DS XL’s launch model are nice, though, as is the overall matte finish on the shell and buttons. Weirdly enough, the thing which made me most happy about the 2DS XL is that the microSD card is easily accessible, meaning you no longer have to worry about unscrewing any compartments. There’s now a cover on the bottom that houses two slots, one for your game cartridge and another for the microSD card.

In terms of ergonomics, the 2DS XL is just as comfortable to hold as the 3DS XL. The face buttons (A,B,X,Y), joystick and C stick are placed the same across the board, although the speakers on the 2DS XL have been moved below the lower screen. That change gives you the sense that the 2DS XL’s display is bigger than it actually is, thanks to the black bezels on the sides. You’ll also notice the stylus now lives more to the center of the device, next to the 3.5mm headphone jack. All in all, I can see how some people may be interested in the 2DS XL, particularly those who don’t want or need the 3D effect but want something with a little more oomph (and a better design) than the 2DS.

If that’s you, the 2DS XL is set to hit stores on July 28th for $150. We’ll know then whether Nintendo was right about the market for its handhelds.

The Apple Watch outsold every other wearable last quarter

Apple might not be selling as many iPhones as it would like, but it sounds like its Watches have been doing quite well. According to Strategy Analytics, it shipped 3.5 million wearables in the first quarter of 2017, 59 percent higher than the 2.2 million devices it did in the same period last year. Cupertino captured 16 percent of the global marketshare and stole the wearables crown from Fitbit, which had a much less stellar quarter. Fitbit only shipped 2.9 million devices in Q1, 36 percent less than the 4.5 million units it moved in the first quarter of 2016. Even Xiaomi sold more devices, putting the beleaguered wearables-maker in third place.

Those results are consistent with Apple’s latest earnings report. The company said its Watch and TV sales jumped up 31 percent year-over-year, and head honcho Tim Cook said Watch sales have nearly doubled since last year. Neil Mawston, Strategy Analytics executive director, said Apple’s Watch Series 2 has been selling well “due to enhanced styling, intensive marketing and a good retail presence.”

On the other hand, there’s less and less demand for Fitbit’s bands, perhaps due to the increasing number of sports-oriented smartwatch options for buyers, among other factors. Its attempt to enter the smartwatch market was also late and quite underwhelming. While Fitbit still sold the most wearables late last year, it was already in trouble by the beginning of 2017. It had to cut 110 jobs in January, which might not sound like much but is still 6 percent of its workforce. In an attempt to recapture part of the market it lost, Fitbit is reportedly preparing to release a new smartwatch and a pair of wireless headphones in the fall.

Source: Strategy Analytics

How tech is changing the world of sports memorabilia

The story of Super Bowl 51 should have been all about one of the most remarkable comebacks in football history. Despite trailing by 16 points with about eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the New England Patriots rallied to take the game to overtime and then basically stole the championship from the Atlanta Falcons. Most of this feat was thanks to none other than Tom Brady, the superstar quarterback who now has five Super Bowl rings to his name. What Brady didn’t have after that game, however, was the jersey he wore that day, which was later reported stolen — a crime that turned the football world upside down.

“Someone stole my game jersey,” Brady whispered to Patriots owner Robert Kraft during the team’s locker room celebrations. “Are you serious? You better look online,” Kraft replied with a nervous smile on his face. It turns out the thief, Martin Mauricio Ortega, was a member of the media who used his credentials to sneak into the Patriots’ locker room and snatched the garment right from the quarterback’s bag. According to experts, that stained and sweaty item would have been worth over $500,000. The problem for Ortega, though, would’ve been finding a way to authenticate his embezzled prize — especially after the FBI got involved.

Tom Brady looks for his jersey after Super Bowl 51.

For the past 15 years, the NFL has worked with PSA/DNA, an authentication service that uses invisible ink to certify items such as helmets, footballs, baseballs, cards and autographs. While the company’s own technology doesn’t cover jerseys yet, there are others looking to fill that void. PROVA, a startup founded by Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith (himself a three-time Super Bowl champion), has created stamp-sized NFC chips that can track when an item is worn or used in-game. PROVA’s smart tags can identify stolen goods too, making it harder for any NFL-owned property to be illegally sold at auction or online. They can also embed valuable information in tagged items, like how many touchdowns a player scored while wearing a particular jersey.

Right now, they’re only being used by the Dallas Cowboys, but Smith hopes that Brady’s case will spark interest from other NFL teams. Given the media frenzy surrounding Brady’s stolen jersey, there’s no way Ortega could’ve gotten away with posting it on eBay or anywhere on the web… at least not without being caught. His options would have been to keep it in his personal collection (also comprised of stolen goods) or sell it on the black market, where he could use a process known as “photo-matching” to authenticate the jersey.

Before PSA/DNA and PROVA’s technologies existed, sports collectors relied heavily on pictures from games to ensure the legitimacy of items. With jerseys or bats, for example, they’d have to look for grass stains, cracks and other unique markings caused by playing football or baseball. Of course, with the high-resolution quality of the latest photography and video cameras, it’s easier than ever to know whether an item is the real deal. Photo-matching certainly serves its main purpose well, but it’s not always efficient, since collectors may not always find the right image to authenticate every item.

Haroon Alvi, PROVA’s president and CEO, says his company’s NFC-powered tags are better than invisible ink because they won’t wear out during the season, which is apparently a common problem with the method used by firms like PSA/DNA. Down the road, Alvi says he hopes to bring these NFC chips to more sports and other industries. One day, he says, PROVA could offer its tech to luxury goods manufacturers, which may help them add another line of protection against counterfeits.

That said, as great as it would be to authenticate a Gucci purse on your smartphone, PROVA does face some challenges. Given that Apple doesn’t provide third-party developers full access to the iPhone’s NFC capabilities, PROVA can only go as far as offering an Android app right now.

Back in the 70s and 80s, it was kind of the Wild West days. [You] really had to know what you were doing.

Stephen Wong

Stephen Wong, a collector and author of Game Worn: Baseball Treasures from the Game’s Greatest Heroes and Moments, says the technology being used by these authentication services has been key to combating non-authentic and forged sports memorabilia. “It’s very different from what it was like 10 years ago and 20 years ago,” he says. “In every collectible, you’re always going to get certain people that are living above the law, whatever, and doing bad things. We’ve had our fair share of that, but a lot of these guys are getting kicked out and ostracized from the hobby.”

Wong, who says he’s been collecting sports memorabilia virtually all his life, thinks what’s missing from the space is a platform that keeps track of every item that goes on sale online or at auction. “It would be nice to have an app that you can just press a button and boom,” he says, adding that there’s not a service at the moment that provides the full history behind items being sold, like who was the previous owner or when the item was worn in a game. “Quite frankly, a lot of the auction houses are not really that thorough,” he says.

Even with PROVA’s smart tags, or PSA/DNA’s invisible ink, you get the sense there’s room for another company to really disrupt the sports memorabilia industry. That’s particularly true when you think about the fact that some collectors are still relying on photo-matching to authenticate items, which may continue to be the case until other technologies prove their worth. PROVA is definitely on the right track with its NFC product, but it needs to figure out a way to expand to the iPhone, because not every collector is going to have an Android device.

Wong, for his part, says companies like PSA/DNA have already changed his hobby for the better. “Back in the 70s and 80s, it was kind of the Wild West days,” he says. “You were buying things without these authentications services, and really had to know what you were doing.”

Images: Getty (Tom Brady / Baseballs)

Apple TV will reportedly get Amazon’s Video app this summer

The squabbling between Amazon and Apple might soon be over — at least, on the TV front. Amazon’s Video app might finally be heading to the Apple TV this summer, giving consumers an easy way to watch Amazon’s streaming content on the set-top box, Recode reports. Up until now, you were forced to use AirPlay to send Amazon’s streaming video titles to the Apple TV. That’s been one of the Apple TV’s biggest downsides since it debuted in 2015, together with a lack of 4K support.

The deal between Apple and Amazon might also lead to other changes. Amazon, for example, stopped selling the Apple TV in 2015 because it didn’t support its Prime Video service. That likely made a big dent in sales for Apple, especially as newer devices from Roku hit the market with 4K support. If Apple actually plans to release a newer 4K Apple TV this year, as rumors suggest, then landing back on Amazon would be essential.

At this point, it’s unclear if anything will change for Amazon’s Video apps on iOS. You can currently use them to watch Amazon Prime videos, as well as things you’ve already rented or purchased, but you can’t actually make those transactions within the app. That’s similar to how Amazon handles digital purchases on its Kindle and Comixology iOS apps. By forgoing in-app purchases on Apple’s ecosystem, Amazon avoids having to give the iPhone maker a cut of the revenue.

Source: Recode

Apple Raises $7 Billion in Debt Ahead of Trump’s Proposed Tax Holiday

Apple has raised $7 billion in debt in a six-part bond sale, according the company’s final pricing term sheet filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission today. The fixed and floating notes mature between 2020 and 2027.

Apple said it entered 2017 with $256.8 billion in cash and marketable securities, but approximately 93 percent of that amount is held outside of the United States. Those foreign reserves would be subject to up to a 35 percent corporate tax rate if repatriated, so Apple turns to the debt markets to raise money at a cheaper cost.

Apple will use the $7 billion raised to continue funding dividend payments and share buybacks. Apple expanded its share repurchase authorization by an additional $50 billion this week, and the company says it expects to spend a total $300 billion in cash under its capital return program through March 2019.

Apple also typically puts the money towards operational expenses, repayment of earlier debt, and acquisitions of other companies.

Apple may not have to raise as much through debt markets in the future, as U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his desire for a tax holiday that would allow domestic companies to repatriate foreign cash at a discounted tax rate. Reports have suggested the rate could be as low as 10 percent.

Interestingly, unlike many of Apple’s recent bond offerings, today’s sale does not include any notes with 30-year maturities. Some analysts believe Apple may be avoiding long-term bonds given the possibility of a tax holiday.

Peter Tchir of Brean Capital in a note to clients obtained by Barron’s:

This is the 7th time Apple has come to market with a big slate of bonds. They started in 2013 with no debt and should be at about $100 billion by the end of today. In each of those prior deals they issued 30 year bonds – but not this time. Is it uncertainty over taxes? Talk about an ultra-bond on treasury side? Repatriation? Maybe it means nothing, but I think it is at least mildly curious that they aren’t doing a new long bond here.

Apple’s financial chief Luca Maestri this week acknowledged “there is a lot that still needs to happen there,” in regards to the Trump administration’s tax plans. “The program we’re announcing today reflects the current tax legislation in this country,” he said. “Obviously we will reassess our situation if things change.”

The debt raised may also fund Apple’s $1 billion advanced manufacturing fund announced by CEO Tim Cook earlier this week.

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: bonds, corporate tax, Donald Trump
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Amazon Prime Video App Reportedly Coming to Apple TV Sometime This Summer

After nearly two years of being absent from the fourth generation Apple TV’s app lineup, Amazon Prime Video is reportedly on its way to Apple’s set-top box and could arrive for Prime subscribers to download and watch videos as soon as this summer. The news comes from Recode, citing sources familiar with the plans of each company who said that Apple and Amazon are “close to an agreement” in regards to Amazon Prime Video finally being available on Apple TV.

Specifically, Amazon employees are expecting the app to appear on the Apple TV App Store sometime in the third quarter of 2017. The sources at the heart of the story didn’t divulge what compromises or agreements might have happened behind the scenes for Amazon to come to Apple TV, but those watching and hearing about the backroom meetings believe that such a deal was made “at a high level,” meaning company CEOs Tim Cook and Jeff Bezos themselves came to mutual terms to make the deal happen.

Amazon and Apple may have reached a truce. The tech giants, who are increasingly competing for customers’ time, eyeballs and money, are close to an agreement to bring an Amazon video app to Apple’s Apple TV set-top box, according to people familiar with the two companies.

One year ago, Bezos briefly discussed Amazon and Apple TV at Recode’s Code Conference, stating that Amazon always seeks out “acceptable business terms” before it brings its video app to streaming devices. On Apple’s side of things, Eddy Cue mentioned in February that Amazon is always welcome to join Apple TV “any time they like,” and said that he hoped they will do so “sometime soon.”

In late 2015, Amazon stopped selling Apple TV devices on Amazon.com, further solidifying the idea that Amazon Prime Video might never arrive on Apple TV. Now, it appears that Apple and Amazon have reached some kind of mutual agreement, the details of which remain unclear.

Late last year, Amazon did launch an app for the Apple TV, but it wasn’t for streaming movies and television from Amazon Prime, and only allowed users to search for and browse items on Amazon.com.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 10
Tags: Amazon, Amazon Prime Video
Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Don’t Buy)
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Square is inviting users to sign up for its debit card

That Square debit card that company chief Jack Dorsey teased back in April? It’s real, and Square has even begun inviting some users to sign up. After a customer tweeted out that he received an invitation to order a debit card, a Square spokesperson confirmed to Recode that it has indeed started sending out invites. Unlike other debit cards, Square’s won’t be linked to your bank account in any way — it uses the balance in your Square Cash app instead.

Considering you can withdraw your balance anytime and use your regular debit or credit card, Square’s doesn’t sound as enticing unless you want to spend the funds in your app ASAP. Besides, if you use Apple Pay, you can already add Square Cash balance as a source for when you want to tap-to-pay for anything.

If you still want a Square card despite not actually needing one, you’ll have to wait for an invite until the company stages a wider rollout. Take note that you’ll have to provide a signature of sorts to print on the front of the card when you sign up. Square will screen any word, name or drawing applicants provide, though, to make sure everything’s clean and G-rated.

Source: Recode

Fender’s new guitar amps can be fine-tuned from your phone

Fender first revealed its mobile software plans back in August of last year when the guitar maker’s digital arm debuted a tuner app for iOS. In November, we learned the company had guitar amplifiers in the works that would wirelessly sync settings with its library of apps. Today, we finally meet the pieces of Fender connected guitar gear: the Mustang GT amps.

In line with previous reports, the Mustang GT series features both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity to get presets from Fender engineers, notable artists and a community of fellow pickers via a companion app. Of course, you can also edit effects, create and share presets, setup a set list for your live gigs and download updates. The company says you can also simply play music through the new amps via the Bluetooth connection should the need arise.

All of those sounds are available inside Fender’s second mobile app: Fender Tone. Here, you can expect the unique sounds from guitarists like Gary Clark Jr., the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Josh Adam Klinghoffer and Anthrax’s Scott Ian. The company promises any changes you make inside the app are beamed to the Mustang GT line of amps in real time. Like the Fender Tune app that debuted last year, there’s also an educational component: Beginners can read up on amp models, learn about effects loops and more.

Guitar amps with built-in effects aren’t really a novel concept. Companies like Line 6 and others have been putting a range of effects options and modeling sounds inside amplifiers for years. Fender is banking on the fact that we’re glued to our phones nowadays and that guitar players in 2017 would rather reach for their trusty handset to change up their sound rather than walking over to an amp. And yes, you can use on-board controls to make your changes if you’d rather. Mobile software that allows to tweak your guitar tone have been around for a while too, including AmpliTube that offers the sounds of Fender, Mesa Boogie, Orange and other popular amps on your phone or tablet.

Fender says the Mustang line of compact amps has been some of its best sellers, so it makes sense for the company to carry the name through this new gear. In addition to Bluetooth and WiFi, the Mustang GT amplifiers have USB output for recording and access to the sounds of 60 different Fender amps. The new trio starts at $299 with the 40-watt Mustang GT 40 (2 6.5-inch speakers) followed by the 100-watt 1×12 Mustang GT 100 ($399) and 200-watt Mustang GT 200 with 2 12-inch speakers ($599). All three models pack in Celestion speakers, if that’s a deal breaker.

If you’re looking for something to use on stage, the company says you’ll want to consider the pricier two models while the $399 option is more for practice and recording at home. All three are available to purchase now and the Fender Tone companion app is ready for download on both Android and iOS.

Source: Fender