Startlingly lifelike Abe Lincoln robo-bust is absolutely awesome, honest!

Why it matters to you

Amazingly realistic Abe Lincoln robot bust shows just how far animatronic technology has come.

Not since Daniel Day-Lewis’ acting master class as America’s 16th president have we seen a more realistic Abe Lincoln. Created by Garner Holt Productions, one of the world leaders in animatronics, a photo-realistic rendition of “Honest Abe” combines 40 unique motions, 1,000 “animation frames” per second, and some amazingly realistic synthetic skin. The results are facial expressions so lifelike they could happily fit in among the robots of Westworld.

“As a company, we’ve been around for 40 years,” CEO and founder Garner Holt told Digital Trends. “We’re the largest company that provides animatronics to the theme park industry and others. We’ve provided more animatronics to the Disney parks than any other company, ranging from small songbirds to enormous fire-breathing dragons. We also do our own internal projects to try and push the limits of what’s been done before. A while back, we embarked on a project to try and create the most realistic human head that’s ever been made. We wanted to take this to a level that’s never been done before by anybody.”

You only have to watch the above video to realize that Holt is not kidding. While the animatronic head’s facial expressions can appear exaggerated at times, Holt says that that is because the robot is designed to show off just how much expression can be exhibited by a modern-day animatronic model. Think of it like an actor’s showreel — running the gamut from subtle performances to out-and-out slapstick. Interestingly, some of the technology it uses was actually developed for the military, which previously brought in Garner Holt to help create training exercise models for the Marines’ Infantry Immersion Trainer at Camp Pendleton in California.

The Lincoln bust was first shown off at Disney’s D23 Expo extravaganza in July, and will eventually form part of a series titled “The Living Faces of History.” The plan is that it will tour theme parks and museums, accompanied by other memorable historical players. The finished product will be like Madame Tussauds brought to life.

All of which leaves us with just one question: If animatronics are so insanely good these days, why do so many Hollywood blockbusters still insist on serving up unconvincingly weightless CGI effects? Someone get Garner Holt on the job, stat!

Nvidia says gamers’ “needs and demands” unfilled as cryptocurrency hogs hardware

The Nvidia earnings call for the second quarter of the 2018 fiscal year was optimistic, as the company beat revenue expectations and boasted growth in numerous areas. Gamers, the company’s oldest and most loyal audience, turned out in force, driving revenue up by 52 percent year-over-year in that area.

Yet that victory was dampened somewhat by strong demand from cryptocurrency miners. Ethereum, a Bitcoin alternative that began to surge in price in late March 2017, drove hordes of miners to Nvidia in hopes of using its fast hardware to crank out virtual coins.

While the price of Ethereum has dropped about 25 percent from its high, it’s back on the upswing. Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, seems to think cryptocurrency-driven demand for the company’s cards is no fad. “It’s very clear new currencies will come to market. And it’s very clear the GPU is ideal for cryptography,” he said, adding “this is a market that’s not likely to go away anytime soon.”

That’s good news from Nvidia, but may not be good news for gamers. Huang acknowledged that, saying, “There were gamers whose needs and demands weren’t filled last quarter, and the second quarter is an important part of the year for us.”

While the company plans to continue production of cards built for cryptocurrency mining — these exclude frills like video ports, which aren’t needed — Nvidia seems unsure exactly how the competition of demand between gamers and miners will play out. It can only produce so much hardware, and if that’s not enough to satisfy both miners and gamers, supply could remain a problem.

Nvidia didn’t offer any hint at an all-new gaming GPU soon, and didn’t comment on the upcoming release of AMD’s Radeon Vega, a new line of high-end video cards that aim to compete with Nvidia’s GTX 1070, 1080, and 1080 Ti.

However, Huang did deliver one nugget of hype. He responded to a question about Volta for gaming by saying, “We haven’t announced anything. All I can say is that our pipeline is filled with exciting new toys.” That sounds like a non-denial denial. You can read up on Volta here if you want to know more about the hardware, which is tooled to power AI and machine learning.

Researchers are trying to make pig organs more viable for transplant

We have a huge supply and demand problem when it comes to organ transplantation. Closing that gap with animal-grown organs is an idea that’s been on the table for some time, but it comes with a slew of issues that have prevented it from being a viable option. Pig organs are the right size for human transplants and are similar enough to our own, but pigs have viruses embedded in their DNA that could potentially infect humans and cause serious harm. However, a new study out today in Science shows that with the gene editing tool CRISPR, those viruses can be removed, bringing pig organs one step closer to human bodies.

While patients that have received treatments made from pig pancreas cells and pig skin haven’t contracted any porcine viruses and some researchers think that they don’t pose a major risk, this study showed that the viruses were able to infect human cells in vitro, which could then infect other human cells. So, while it’s unclear how threatening these viruses are to humans in practice, they do at least have the ability to jump to humans.

To get around this problem, the researchers used CRISPR-Cas9 technology to snip out the viral DNA from the pigs’ genomes. These edited cells were then used to create embryos that were implanted into sows and the birthed piglets were born virus-free.

The study reports that 37 piglets were born and 15 are still alive. The oldest piglet is four months old. It’s not yet clear whether the survival rate is impacted by the gene editing and the research team is following the animals to observe any long-term effects. The group is planning to combine this method with a similar one that would make transplanted pig organs less susceptible to human immune responses.

eGenesis founder George Church, a leader in the CRISPR technology world and an author of the study told Scientific American, “I generally hesitate to say we’ve solved a two-decade-old problem, but in this case, we have.” And he’s said that pig-to-human transplants could happen as early as two years from now. But David Sachs, a Columbia University professor, is a little more cautious about those predictions. He told the New York Times, “I am afraid that he may find these goals more difficult to achieve than he expects, but I would be happy to be mistaken.”

Source: Science, eGenesis (1), (2) (PDF)

Amazon’s US ticket sales talks stall over customer data

Are you hoping that Amazon will sell event tickets in the US and put an end to the dominance of giants who charge endless hidden fees? You might not want to hold your breath. Reuters sources back previous claims that Amazon is in talks with American venues to sell their tickets, but add that negotiations are stalled over access to customer data. Venue owners reportedly want the info to help target their artist bookings and social networking campaigns, but Amazon has “yet to budge.” Amazon has even talked to Ticketmaster as a possible partner, but that too has run aground over control of customer info.

The company is willing to take huge steps to score deals, the tipsters say. It offered to spend millions of dollars on venue sponsorships, for example, and has talked about selling tickets on the secondary market, StubHub-style.

Live Nation, Ticketmaster’s parent, has declined to comment. We’ve asked Amazon if it can comment.

As before, Amazon has plenty of incentives to offer tickets. Its sales elsewhere are built around up-front pricing, and it could become a major player if it lures fans tired of seeing one ticket price and getting another. Also, this could be yet another way to drive Prime subscriptions. If you knew you could get first dibs on concerts in addition to Prime’s other perks, you might be more likely to sign up. At the same time, it’s easy to see why Amazon wouldn’t make many concessions on data. Whether or not it’s concerned about customer privacy, its gigantic account database is one of its most valuable assets — it likely doesn’t want to do anything that undermines the value of that data.

Source: Reuters

Snapchat’s ‘Phone Swap’ show is heading to television

Snapchat is making a television show, folks. Phone Swap, a dating series whose first season net more than 10 million viewers per episode, is breaking out of its Snapchat prison and heading to TV. Snapchat teased the show in June, but executives confirmed the news on today’s earnings call. Early reports said reality television producer Robin Ashbrook (MasterChef) would work with Snapchat and Vertical Networks, the company that actually creates Phone Swap, to bring it to TV.

Phone Swap is a dating series that has so far existed solely on Snapchat. It follows strangers as they exchange phones and trawl through each other’s dirty digital secrets, after which they’re able to swipe right or left on the entire situation. It’s charming with a hint of, “Wow, this is really how the world works now.”

Snapchat isn’t alone in its foray into television. Silicon Valley is all about building TV shows at the moment, though Snapchat has positioned itself at the forefront of this new frontier.

The Wirecutter’s best deals: The UE Roll 2 Bluetooth speaker drops to $50

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.

You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends at The Wirecutter. Now, from time to time, we’ll also be publishing their recommended deals on some of their top picks. Read on, and strike while the iron is hot — some of these sales could expire mighty soon.

LucidSound LS30 Wireless Gaming Headset

Street price: $135; MSRP: $150; Deal price: $97

At $97, this is the best price we’ve seen on the LucidSound LS30 wireless gaming headset and it’s a nice opportunity to pick one up in black (the white is only $3 more, matching our previous low of $100). The LS30 headset usually sticks close to a $150 price with sales down to $130 or $120. While we’ve seen more sales on this headset recently, it is still very much a deal at this new low price. Shipping is free.

The LucidSound LS30 is our wireless pick in our guide to the best gaming headsets. Kimber Streams wrote, “The one thing that all of the aforementioned headsets have in common is that they’re wired. A small percentage (15 percent, to be exact) of the Wirecutter readers we surveyed about gaming headsets insisted that wireless was the only way to go in this category. Last time, our testers struggled to fully embrace any of the wireless models we tested. This time, we all fell in love with the LucidSound LS30 due to its solid performance, especially intuitive controls, sleek design, and cross-platform compatibility. Although it doesn’t officially support PCs, we tried this headset with two different desktops and didn’t have any issues.”

Netgear CM500 Cable Modem

Street price: $70; MSRP: $70; Deal price: $50

Clip the on-page coupon to get the deal price of $50 on this recommended cable modem. We’ve seen a number of deals on the CM500 of late, with it hitting a low of $48 in early to mid-July. At just $2 more, this is a nice deal and definitely one we wouldn’t hesitate to grab as this modem is often over $70. Shipping is free.

The Netgear CM500 modem is our runner-up pick in our guide to the best cable modem. Patrick Austin and David Murphy write, “If the SB6183 is out of stock or too expensive, or you use Time Warner Cable and need IPv6 support (which that ISP currently doesn’t support on the SB6183), consider the Netgear CM500. The CM500 is a DOCSIS 3.0 16×4 cable modem compatible with nearly the same number of ISPs as our pick. It’s well-reviewed and popular (if not quite as widely liked as the SB6183), but has only a one-year warranty.”

L.L.Bean Stowaway Day Pack

Street price: $40; MSRP: $40; Deal price: $32 w/ code KIDS20

A good, easily stow-able day pack is a necessity for travel and useful in a number of other situations as well. Use code KIDS20 in cart to get $8 off this recommended packable day pack, the L.L.Bean Stowaway. This day pack is usually $40, but with the use of the code you can get it for $32. The one downside – a number of colors are presently backordered, but all but one are scheduled to be back in stock by next week, so as long as you’re willing to wait a short time, this is a good opportunity to pick one up cheaply. Shipping is free. This deal ends 8/27.

The L.L.Bean Stowaway Day Pack is the top pick in our guide to the best packable day pack for travel guide. Jean Yoon writes, “Among the backpacks in our test group, the L.L.Bean Stowaway Day Pack offers the most versatile combination of comfort and organizational features. Fully unpacked, the Stowaway Day Pack performs almost as well as a dedicated backpack thanks to its ventilated and comfy straps and back panel, yet it still compresses down to the size of a 99¢ chip bag. While it isn’t the smallest or lightest of the daypacks we picked, it is one of the few equipped with a waist belt and sternum strap—which help with heavier loads—and the only one to combine that design with an external kangaroo pouch that can accommodate a pair of shoes, rain gear, or anything else you wouldn’t want to muck up the inside of the bag. Its ripstop-nylon construction sheds rain and resists wear better than cheaper polyester, but should anything go wrong, it’s covered by L.L.Bean’s legendary lifetime satisfaction guarantee.”

UE Roll 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Street price: $75; MSRP: $100; Deal price: $50

Here’s a great deal on our top portable Bluetooth speaker, matching the lowest price we’ve seen. While we’ve seen it hit this price before and more often over the past few months, it’s still a great deal to pick up this speaker. These sales are still usually pretty brief, so it’s unlikely this deal will stick around for more than a day. Currently only available in blue, purple, and a black & gray pattern. Shipping is free.

The UE Roll 2 is our top pick in our guide to the best portable Bluetooth speakers. Brent Butterworth writes, “The original UE Roll was our unanimous pick for the best portable speaker when we tested 30 new models last year, and we feel just as strongly about its replacement, the UE Roll 2. Like the original, the UE Roll 2 sounds full, with smooth reproduction of everything from bass notes to cymbals, and it plays loud enough to fill a hotel room or a spot at the beach with sound. It’s so watertight, it will survive being dunked 1 meter underwater for 30 minutes. Seven months of worldwide traveling with the original Roll have only confirmed our love of this design. The only real downside is that it lacks a speakerphone function.”

Because great deals don’t just happen on Thursdays, sign up for our daily deals email and we’ll send you the best deals we find every weekday. Also, deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go to The Wirecutter.com.

Xbox’s self-published indies have their own space on the store

Finding self-published indie games on Xbox is a lot easier as of today. You’ll be able to find them on the Xbox Store hidden in their own “Creators Collection” marketplace. Microsoft’s Chris Charla (director of its ID @ Xbox indie outreach program) says this is a way to maintain the main store’s curated experience — citing concerns for families with young kids who could stumble across something that isn’t age-appropriate.

You know, because the M-rated Resident Evil: Revelations Collection featured on the store’s landing page is appropriate for everyone. Especially compared to utterly gruesome fare like party game Animal Rivals and the “relaxing puzzle game” ERMO.

Much like the program’s predecessor on Xbox 360, this wall, as minor as it might seem, cordons off the high-profile indies Microsoft has a vested interest in pushing — and limits potential income for developers — from the ones anyone can publish on the system. I digress. The offerings has grown since the Creators games were available in limited fashion, and a vast majority of them are free. The most expensive title is Derelict Fleet from developer Bionic Pony priced at $9.99. For more info, check out Xbox Wire and the video below.

Source: Xbox Wire

Google cancels all-hands meeting due to safety concerns

At the same time Google fired the author of a 10-page memo criticizing its diversity efforts due to “biological” differences, CEO Sundar Pichai scheduled a company town meeting for today to discuss the issue. Now, Recode and Business Insider report that he sent another email to employees canceling the event, citing websites that posted personal information about employees critical of the memo. Instead, the company plan is that “in the coming days we will find several forums to gather and engage with Googlers, where people can feel comfortable to speak freely.”

Source: Business Insider, Recode

Investment firm sues Uber’s Kalanick to oust him from board

It has been only a couple of days since Uber co-founder Garrett Camp promised that former CEO Travis Kalanick would not be coming back to the company as CEO. Now Benchmark Capital, an early investor with a seat on Uber’s board, is suing Kalanick for fraud. The complaint seeks to invalidate an earlier vote to expand the board with three seats, one of which Kalanick assigned himself to after stepping down as CEO. Benchmark claims that it would never have voted for the board expansion in June of last year had it known of Kalanick’s “gross mismanagement and other misconduct at Uber.”

“Plaintiff Benchmark brings this action to redress the fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and breaches of contractual obligations perpetrated by Kalanick, the former CEO of Uber, to entrench himself on Uber’s Board of Directors and increase his power for his own selfish ends,” states the complaint.

Benchmark also claims that the former CEO promised to only fill the remaining two seats with full board approval, but that he has not made the changes official via an amended voting agreement. Should the June 2016 stockholder vote — which created the three new board seats — be invalidated as per the lawsuit, then Kalankick would no longer be on Uber’s board. Benchmark Capital is also seeking a preliminary injunction against any involvement in the company’s board by Kalanick. This would also make it so he could not be considered for the currently open CEO position. Uber has declined to comment on this matter.

Source: Original Complaint, Axios

Clever new satellite propulsion system borrows a trick from inkjet printers

Why it matters to you

Miniature micropropulsion system will help tiny satellites better maneuver through space.

When you think about next-gen propulsion technologies for space travel, your mind probably goes to something like NASA’s EmDrive project or ion engines before it does a material like boring old water. After all, we like our propulsion materials to be rare and science fiction-sounding, as opposed to a freely available liquid that covers two-thirds of our planet.

That could be where you are making a mistake, though. At Purdue University, researchers are developing a smart new micropropulsion system which uses a configuration of tiny nozzles that release precise bursts of water vapor to maneuver outside Earth’s atmosphere. The propulsion system is not designed for big spacecraft, however.

“[What we] have developed with the Film Evaporation MEMS Tunable Array (FEMTA) is a tiny microthruster rocket engine for orienting CubeSats or other very small satellites,” Anthony Cofer, a spacecraft laboratory engineer at Purdue, told Digital Trends. “The thruster uses microscale effects to obtain a thermal valve with no moving parts.”

Purdue University/Erin Easterling

CubeSats refer to some of the (relatively) low-cost “microsatellites” and “nanosatellites” which are currently being launched to carry out various tasks — ranging from high-res imaging to internet services to military surveillance. These satellites are much smaller than traditional ones or other spacecraft, therefore necessitating a smaller propulsion system.

The Purdue engine works using small heaters which create water vapor as the water inside is forced through tiny capillaries, just 10 micrometers in diameter. The result is something that functions much like an inkjet printer, which employs heaters to push out ink droplets — only in this case the droplets provide thrust.

In demos, the thruster exhibited a thrust-to-power ratio of 230 micronewtons per watt for impulses lasting around 80 seconds. The entire prototype weighs just six pounds, including electronics and an inertial measurement unit sensor for monitoring the thrusters’ performance.

Looking to the future, the team is optimistic about the project. “Our plan is to work with NASA Goddard to progress to the required Technology Readiness Level for insertion into a space flight mission,” Alina Alexeenko, a professor in Purdue’s School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, told us.

Best of all, if it turns out that there is indeed an abundant source of water on the Martian moon Phobos, a water-based propulsion system such as this will have a ready-made refueling station in space. Smart, huh?