Netflix snags ‘Bird Box’ movie starring Sandra Bullock

Hot on the heels of Amazon’s two-season TV show deal with Julia Roberts, Netflix fires back with its own exciting news. The streaming service announced today that Sandra Bullock will star in a dystopian film called Bird Box, with Susanne Bier attached to direct. It will begin production in September in Los Angeles.

Bird Box, based on the novel by Josh Malerman, is set in a post-apocalyptic future where creatures have somehow entered our world. One look at them is enough to drive a person insane. The catch: They’re invisible. We know they’re out there because of the effects they have on people, but we can’t see them. To venture outside, a person must be blindfolded. Bullock will play the main character, Malorie, who is responsible for two children in this horrific setting.

Source: Deadline

Hackers can take control of your Segway hoverboard

We can list so many reasons why you should never set foot on a hoverboard. Now, we’ve got yet another: Cybersecurity company IOActive has figured out how to hijack the Segway MiniPro “self-balancing personal transporter” through its Bluetooth connection.

It seems like only yesterday that we were discussing how hoverboards had a tendency to spontaneously combust and wondering who exactly was actually buying these products. But clearly some of you out there are interested, because Segway has kept cranking them out. The MiniPro, which retails for $600, allows for remote control of the hoverboard-scooter hybrid (seriously, who thought this was a good idea?) through a Bluetooth app. And there’s no way to turn off the Bluetooth if your hoverboard is hacked.

While people can’t cause battery explosions (I guess we should be thankful for the little things), “an attacker could bypass safety systems and remotely take control of the device, including changing settings, pace, direction, or even disabling the motor and bringing it to an abrupt and unexpected stop while a rider is in motion,” says the press release. Hackers could even track and discover the location of the hoverboard user through this exploit.

IOActive did let Segway know about these issues (they discovered them last year; results were partially released today), and they have patched some of the vulnerabilities in the product. Still, this is an increasing problem as devices are becoming more connected. Without proper security (or let’s be honest: even with it), these devices and their users are incredibly vulnerable. At this point, not implementing security for connected devices is shoddy at best and dangerous at worst.

Via: CNet

Source: IOActive

Take a VR trip with Google Expeditions all by yourself

In 2015, Google launched a pilot program of its Expeditions software that let teachers take their students on VR explorations of various sites around the world. A few months later, it released a beta version of its Expeditions app for certain schools to try out, which was then released for anyone to use in June of last year. Today, Google announced that its now releasing a solo mode for the app that makes it easier for users to take tours outside of a classroom setting.

Previously, Google Expeditions allowed teachers to guide their students through a tour as they viewed it on phones enclosed in Google’s Cardboard viewers. Now, with Self-Guided Expeditions, teachers can assign tours as homework and anyone else can easily explore on their own. In Explorer mode, points of interest will be highlighted and relevant information will be provided on the screen. Additionally, teachers will now be able to annotate screens as they guide their students through a tour.

Google Expeditions has over 600 different tours including the Seven Modern Wonders of the World, the Great Barrier Reef and even sites like baseball stadiums and solar power plants. For now, the app is only available for Android, but Google says an iOS version is in the works.

Source: Google

Final season of Telltale’s ‘The Walking Dead’ game debuts next year

Telltale’s roster of graphic adventure games has slowly expanded over the years to include serious AAA properties, like the Guardians of the Galaxy adaptation they released back in April. But the title that pioneered their wildly successful style when it launched in 2012, The Walking Dead, is finally coming to a close. The first episode of its final ‘season’ will debut sometime in 2018 — and so will new adventures for Batman and The Wolf Among Us.

As the developer preview above notes, The Walking Dead’s last story will close Clementine’s arc — which will be a somber goodbye to our plucky heroine. (But it probably won’t be the last game in that universe given last year’s Michonne side series.) Also coming at some point next year is a long-awaited second season of the critically-acclaimed The Wolf Among Us, which debuted back in 2014…and Telltale was denying even yesterday would get more content anytime soon.

But first, we’re getting another adventure with the caped crusader. Batman: The Enemy Within will see the dark knight tested as The Riddler descends on Gotham with his own city-threatening plot. The first episode will drop on August 8th for PS4, Xbox One and PC/Mac, with iOS and Android to follow.

Source: Telltale Games

Rub elbows with music’s C-list on Vevo’s Watch Party Live

Vevo launched Watch Party this past March as a way to watch music videos with your friends. You simply invite a bunch of buddies to a virtual room, built a playlist of videos from Vevo’s catalogue , and everyone gets to watch at the same time. Now, Vevo’s taking the concept even further with the addition of Watch Party Live, in which music stars create the playlist and interact with fans via a picture-in-picture video chat.

Each Watch Party Live session will have an artist to cue up videos and talk with fans. The music stars will be able to control the size of the music video screen and their own live feed, and will have some control over volume, too. Basically, the music celebrity becomes the room’s host, while fans can chat with them in the sidebar. While it’s not brand-new to have famous people interacting with their audience, as with Reddit’s Ask Me Anything, this may be the first time both artist and fans can connect while watching the same piece of video together. It’s like Twitch, only for music videos. A Vevo spokesperson confirmed that the live stream will be available to watch on YouTube, but all interaction is exclusively on Vevo.

The first musical guest to run a Watch Party Live session (at 6:30 ET) will be hip-hop artist Kid Ink. “I’m really excited to be working with Vevo on Watch Party Live — it’s a great way for artists to connect with fans directly,” said Kid Ink in a statement. “Vevo has been holding me down since day 1, so it’s only right that I’m the first artist to be a part of this series!” Grace Vanderwaal and Becky G. are also confirmed for future events, with more on the way.

Via: The Verge

Source: Vevo

Amazon’s Treasure Truck of deals is going on tour

Who doesn’t like a deal? Amazon is pretty sure everyone does, so it’s taking its retail presence on the road this summer with its Treasure Truck stunt. “At Treasure Truck, we hand-pick our favorite new, trending, local or delicious items, load them on the Truck, then cruise around town spreading joy for everyone with a smartphone and an appetite for fun,” Amazon writes.

The promo started in Seattle and is zigzagging across the country, with Amazon teasing everything from discounted headphones to steaks. If you sign up, you’ll get a text notification with what’s on offer that day. From there, you buy it in the Amazon app and then can pick it up at the truck.

Based on past events, it looks like Amazon goes all out on these truck stops. Be it with oysters and shucking lessons, free pints of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream or a trip to Brazil in honor of last year’s Olympic games, there was a lot going on. Oh, and deals. Right. Last February Amazon marked the price of the GoPro Hero4 down by a whopping 64 percent.

Sound good? Hit the link below to sign up.

Source: Amazon

Scientists: Suck CO2 out of atmosphere or face the consequences

We need to start removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as soon as possible. If we don’t, future generations will have to choose between biblical weather events or spending trillions of dollars trying to avoid them. This is the grim prognosis from an international team of researchers led by former NASA climate science chief, Professor Jim Hansen. Speaking to the Independent about the team’s latest research, Hansen said the “shit is hitting the fan” in terms of current climate change progress.

The world has already far surpassed limits on global warming. In 2016 the CO2 levels in Earth’s atmosphere passed the symbolic 400 parts per million threshold, making extremely unlikely pollution in the atmosphere will drop below those levels again in our lifetime. According to the researchers, it’s no longer enough to reduce emission levels, we now need to take steps to physically remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere — by around 12.5 percent.

This could be done with low-cost agricultural measures such as planting trees. Other steps, such as carbon-capture and the development of ‘carbon-sucking’ infrastructure, are more expensive but could become necessary if action isn’t taken soon. The paper estimates such processes could cost up to $535 trillion this century and notes that: “Continued high fossil fuel emissions unarguably sentences young people to either a massive, implausible clean-up or growing deleterious climate impacts or both.”

Via: The Independent

Source: Earth System Dynamics

Reebok’s new foam space boots bring comfy kicks to astronauts

Whether it’s using corn to make sustainable sneakers, or 3D printing some pretty out there looking footwear, Reebok isn’t afraid of taking bold new steps with its shoes. Now, however, it looks like the brand has decided to take one giant leap for mankind. On Tuesday, Rebook revealed that it’s developing a new type of shoe for an upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Christened The Floatride Space Boot SB-01, Reebok’s latest is looking to replace the tough and tragically uncool leather boots that have cramped astronauts’ feet (and style) for years.

The reason for calling on Rebook to make the wrestling boot-esque Floatride is that Boeing is sending its astronauts to the ISS clad in a shiny new lightweight space suit. Like with any solid new outfit, Boeing has decided that these spacemen’ll need fresh new kicks to match. The sci-fi-looking space boot uses Reebok’s Floatride foam, which adds an extra layer of cushioning to the midsole without adding extra weight to the shoe. This latest tech is used in the brand’s latest sneakers too, the Floatride Run.

In an interview with Digital Trends, Reebok’s Vice president of Innovation, Dan Hobson describes The Floatride as “a hybrid of a runner, sandal, wrestling boot, and aviator boot.” Unfortunately, the verdict is still out on the SB-01s with Astronauts currently testing the new kicks. Still, with the classic space boot not seeing an update in the last fifty years, we’re sure that these comfy-looking new shoes will be a welcome sight for many achy astronauts.

Source: Designboom

Apple Teams Up With Balmain for Special Edition Beats

Apple has partnered with French fashion label Balmain to create special edition versions of its Powerbeats 3 Wireless Earphones and Beats Studio Wireless Headphones. The two accessories feature a Safari color with metallic gold accents and prominent Balmain labeling.

The Beats/Balmain collection delivers premium sound and exquisite design reflective of Balmain’s iconic style. The Beats Studio Wireless headphones are finished in Safari color with metallic gold accents to represent Olivier Rousteing’s dreamlike vision of an urban safari. Each comes with a matching suede case adorned with a Balmain plaque and the symbolic Balmain coin zipper pull.

In an interview with fashion magazine Vogue, Balmain designer and creative director Olivier Rousteing said his connection with the Beats by Dre brand began four years ago when members of the team came to a Balmain show in Paris. “What they love about Balmain is that I embrace music. We’ve always had an idea of making something happen together,” he said.

He went on to say that his aim with the design was to bring French luxury to technology. “When it’s about technology, there are challenges, so you need a lot of respect. You cannot treat headphones like a garment,” he said.

Apple and Balmain are working with model Kylie Jenner to promote the partnership and the new headphone line. Kylie Jenner has shared a photo of herself wearing the headphones on Instagram, and she’s featured in product videos on Apple’s website.

The Balmain Beats Studio Wireless Headphones can be purchased from the Apple website for $600, while the Powerbeats3 are available for $250.

(Thanks, Kevin!)

Tag: Beats
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U.S. House Committee Unanimously Approves Measure to Ease Restrictions on Autonomous Vehicles

A United States House panel this morning unanimously approved a proposal that would allow car manufacturers to deploy tens of thousands of autonomous vehicles without adhering to existing auto safety standards, reports Reuters. The legislation would also ban states from implementing and enforcing some driverless car rules as regulators work to create improved federal safety standards for autonomous driving.

Under the terms of the proposal, automakers would be required to submit safety assessment reports to United States regulators, but pre-market approval of autonomous vehicles would not be required.

Automakers would have to show self-driving cars “function as intended and contain fail safe features” but the Transportation Department could not “condition deployment or testing of highly automated vehicles on review of safety assessment certifications,” the draft measure unveiled late Monday said.

Companies working on autonomous vehicles, including General Motors, Alphabet, Ford, and Tesla, have been lobbying Congress to pass a federal measure that would pre-empt rules being considered in California and other states that would limit the deployment of self-driving vehicles. The measure preliminarily approved today would let manufacturers subvert the rule requiring autonomous cars to have driver controls, and it would prevent states from setting self-driving car standards for software and safety systems.

One of the Lexus vehicles Apple uses to test its autonomous driving software
The measure was updated last week to add a directive that would require the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to draft new rules for autonomous vehicles within 18 months, but consumer advocacy groups say that the bill needs tweaking to ensure that automakers prioritize safety and do not put consumers at greater risk of a crash.

Apple has its own autonomous driving software in development and would benefit from the relaxed regulations should the bill be passed. Apple has previously asked the California DMV to re-evaluate some of its rules, including those requiring companies to provide detailed public reports about testing variables and results.

Apple CEO Tim Cook in June said Apple considers its work on autonomous driving systems as “the mother of all AI projects.” Apple is currently testing its software in several Lexus RX450h vehicles that are equipped with a host of sensors and cameras.

The full committee could vote on the measure as soon as next week, but the U.S. House of Representatives will not consider the bill until it reconvenes in September after the summer recess. Representative Robert Latta, who leads the Energy and Commerce Committee subcomittee overseeing consumer protection, plans to continue considering changes ahead of the full committee vote.

Related Roundup: Apple Car
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