Kickstarter lets you subscribe to creators with Drip

Kickstarter initially acquired Drip back in March of 2016, though it was launched six years ago by Sam Valenti IV and partner Miguel Senquiz. The crowdfunding giant hasn’t done much with Drip since it was acquired, but that’s about to change. Drip is a crowdfunding tool that allows people to subscribe to a creator and give them monthly payments. This is in contrast to the Kickstarter model, which is to pledge money to one single project. Drip now functions much like Patreon does, with a couple of features that sets it apart.

Currently, Drip is in a limited beta period, and is invite-only for creators. It will open up for more artists early next year. At the moment, a total of 61 artists have subscription pages.

“We’re at the very beginning stages,” Kickstarter co-founder Perry Chen told TechCrunch. “I think there are a lot of people that haven’t seen the tools that currently exist as fitting for their practice. There’s been a good amount of ground gained with serial content creators, and I think the question is can a broader group of content creators find this kind of model as something that can work for them. We’re trying to see if we can have an impact in this space, and honestly, the more the merrier.”

Kickstarter requires creators to get fully funded within in a certain amount of time. Drip doesn’t operate this way, however. Instead, the user account will remain active no matter how much money has been pledged. The platform encourages more people to join and subscribe by allowing creators to choose from anywhere between seven and 30 days for funders to become founding members. They will be rewarded with special perks if they are able to pledge within that time window.

With Drip, you’re also able to move funders and projects over to a completely different crowdfunding platform with ease. This helps to sell the idea that Drip is absolutely all-in as far as supporting creators and artists. “We’re not basing our success or failure primarily on growth,” Kickstarter’s new chief product officer, Jamie Wilkinson, told The Verge. “It’s about, are we succeeding in our mission? Are we helping creator projects come to life?”

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How Hollywood techniques and virtual reality are changing the field of neuroscience

We’re all familiar with the CGI used in big-budget Hollywood movies. When used properly, this technology can help bring even the most fantastical of worlds to life, but Scientific American reports that such technology is making its way into the world of neuroscience where it is being used to study the human brain.

At the 2017 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington D.C., a team of researchers showed off two projects that highlight what this technology can do when applied to the realm of neuroscience.

Tyler Ard, a researcher at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, showed how computer rending techniques can be applied to the results of MRI scans to produce images from large amounts of data. Ard and his team have developed software that will make it easy to import this data. He also said they plan on making it freely available to other scientists.

The team isn’t content to solely make use of CGI for MRI scans, however. They are also combining it with virtual reality to create 3D images of the human brain, allowing researchers to more easily study the brain and perform virtual dissections. Ard believes that this will be a more effective means of learning neuroanatomy than traditional means.

“This can be useful when learning neuroanatomy,” Ard told Scientific American. “The way that I learned it, we had to look at slices, and that’s real hard. This is a way that allows you to understand 3-D structure better.”

Ard is hopeful that the Neuro Imaging in Virtual Reality program will be available next year.

Tracing Neurons with VR

Right now, most of the interest around VR is confined to gaming circles, but a team of researchers at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City have developed a program that will allow scientists to use VR to more easily trace neurons.

The current techniques require scientists to create 2D images of their neuron scans and rotate the image to see what’s behind the neuron’s branches. Considering that a single cubic millimeter of the human brain contains 50,000 neurons and each of those has roughly 6,000 connections to their neighbors, it can be a slow process.

The team from the University of Utah has found a way to create 3D VR images of neuron pathways, allowing scientists to walk around their images and use handheld controllers to rotate them.

In order to show off the program, the team had four professional neuroscientists map a series of neuron images using the new VR technology and standard desktop computer. The VR proved just as accurate as the desktop method, but was 1.7 times faster.

Will Usher, who helped demonstrate the technology, said that his team hopes to release the program for commercial VR devices within a year.

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Tesla launches external battery pack for iPhone and Android devices

At a recent event, Tesla announced its new Roadster and semi-truck, but the company also released another product that didn’t get nearly as much attention. The company best known for its electric cars has released an external battery pack that can be used to charge your Android smartphone or iPhone while you’re away from an outlet.

It might seem a bit strange, but the company does produce batteries for consumer use, such as the Tesla Powerwall, which is used to supply power to homes, especially in the case of a disaster or power outage. The new Powerbank, available on Tesla’s website, is powered by the same 18650 cell used in the Model X and S vehicles, though the cars use more than a single cell, of course.

In terms of technical specifications, the Powerbank doesn’t differ too much from similar external battery packs, and the $45 price tag is a bit steep, considering you can find other models that are more affordable. However, some of the cheaper devices are only compatible with one type of phone. But it’s in the area of design that Tesla puts much of its efforts.  The Powerbank is sleek and compact enough to make it fairly easy to carry with you. As for the looks, the product description reads, “Designed and inspired after Tesla’s supercharger monument at the Tesla Design Studio.”

There were some outlets reporting that the Powerbank were sold out, but it appears that Tesla has added new inventory as the product is still listed as for sale on Tesla’s website.

Whether or not there’s a market for a $45 external cellphone charger is a question that has yet to be answered. We imagine most people will be able to make do with the cheaper offerings found online, but for those who love Tesla and want something a bit more unique, this product could fill a niche. Beyond that, this could also come in handy if you’re in a situation where you need to charge different types of phones. If you’ve got an Android and your friend has an iPhone, then switching this back and forth might be a bit cheaper than buying separate battery packs.

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Faster Wi-Fi is in the cards for passengers on Cathay and Emirates airlines

Your time in the skies may not fly by at 500 miles per hour (even if that’s how fast your airplane is moving), especially with Wi-Fi speeds that feel more like they’re crawling on the ground. But now that two airlines have made commitments to bringing faster connectivity speeds to their flights, you may finally feel as though your flight is as efficient as it really is. Cathay Pacific Group has announced its decision to bring GoGo’s 2Ku satellite-based broadband technology onboard beginning mid-next year, while Emirates is collaborating with Thales to bring 50Mbps Wi-Fi to its Boeing 777X fleet by 2020.

So while you’ll still have to wait awhile to enjoy these upgraded speeds, perhaps by the next decade’s holiday season, you’ll have something to keep you occupied on your way home.

Cathay’s new partner, GoGo, is said to be the “industry’s leading inflight connectivity solution,” and claims to deliver “an internet experience comparable to what passengers have on the ground.” Airlines across North and South America, as well as Europe and now Asia, make use of GoGo’s services, and Cathay is the latest to join the bunch.

Though GoGo hasn’t made clear how fast its new offerings will be, folks flying Emirates will soon be able to enjoy 50Mbps speeds on Emirates flights. “The new agreement is part of Emirates and Thales’ plans to develop state-of-the-art inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) on the airline’s new Boeing 777X fleet,” the company noted in a press release. The airline claims that 800,000 passengers per month currently connect to in-flight Wi-Fi, and this number is expected to increase with the provision of faster services.

Faster or more substantial connectivity options is nothing novel for airlines to be offering in our hyper-connected world. For example, JetBlue recently began providing free Wi-Fi to all customers, while Delta gave passengers the option of using WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and iMessage for free on any Wi-Fi-equipped flight.

So if you need to keep folks on the ground abreast of what’s happening to you in the skies, or want to stay in the know about earthly happenings, these new internet options just may be what you’ve been waiting for.

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Get the PlayStation VR for $200 plus more VR bundles on sale

Don’t just play the game, be the game.

Is this deal for me?

Newegg has the PlayStation VR for PlayStation 4 on sale for $199.99 which is down from its original price of $299.99. All you have to do is plug the VR headset and your PlayStation camera into your PS4 and you are ready to go.

This headset features a 5.7-inch OLED 1080p display and runs up to 120 frames per second. The 3D audio technology allows you to pinpoint sounds above, below, and all around you making your experience that much more realistic. The LEDs around the PlayStation VR headset, on the DualShock 4 wireless controller, and the PlayStation Move motion controller are tracked by the PlayStation Camera, capturing your exact natural movement in virtual space.

Play games like Star Wars Battlefront Rogue One: X-wing VR Mission, Batman Arkham VR, Starblood Arena and Farpoint.

Amazon has some deals on VR’s too. The PlayStation VR (used) is on sale for $270.99 from a third-party seller. The PlayStation VR – Skyrim Bundle is $349 down from $449.99, and the PlayStation VR – Gran Turismo Sport Bundle is $299, which is 25% off its original price of $399.99.

TL;DR

• What makes this deal worth considering? – This price won’t be around for long because this sale ends tonight.
• Things to know before you buy! – Shipping will run you $5.99, but it’s free with ShopRunner or Premier. You will also need a PlayStation 4 for this VR and a PlayStation Camera which are both sold separately.

Honor 7X preview: Performance and style for less

Honor’s latest affordable flagship has an 18:9 display and dual-camera capabilities — for (probably) less than you’d expect.

Honor’s “X” series of phones has always toed a fine line in terms of hardware, feature set and price point. The Honor 5X was one of the first handsets to bring metal construction and fingerprint recognition to a cheaper price tier. And a year ago, the Honor 6X added a surprisingly competent dual camera rig to the experience.

As 2017 draws to a close, the Honor 7X makes things even more competitive. The new phone has been soft-announced announced today ahead of Honor’s full launch event on December 5, and assuming it keeps to a price point in line with its predecessors, it could be one of the most compelling sub-€300 phones we’ve seen.

Starting on the outside, the Honor 7X broadly resembles a mash-up between an Honor 8 Pro and a Huawei Mate 10 Pro. It boasts a new, taller 18:9 aspect ratio, with a 5.93-inch Full HD+ (2160×1080) LCD panel — a first for what we assume will be something priced similarly to the 6X.

And around the back, a brushed, anodized aluminum chassis that’s almost identical to the much more expensive Honor 8 Pro — including the signature navy blue hue that’ll be the main color for the UK. (There’ll also be a black model for the color-averse.)

You could argue about whether, like the 6X and 5X, the design is a bit derivative. What’s more important is that there’s nothing at all cheap-feeling about this phone. Around the front, the 2.5D glass of the display finally has an oleophobic coating, which sounds like a small thing, but is hugely important in stopping the screen getting gunked up by fingerprints. That’s aside from the tall aspect ratio that gives makes phone just as modern-looking as a OnePlus 5T or LG V30.

The premium design and brushed finish of the Honor 7X takes a step beyond 6X and 5X.

Fortunately, the flagship-like aesthetics of the Honor 7X don’t come at the cost of durability. While Honor isn’t advertising the phone as being drop-resistant in the same way as a Moto Z2 Force, the 7X does boast reinforced corners — the main impact point for any drop — to reduce the likelihood of permanent damage if it hits the floor. I haven’t put this to the test with my unit (yet), but I did witness the phone survive a few impromptu drop tests at a meeting in London ahead of today’s announcement.

On the inside, the Honor 7X runs the latest of Huawei’s mid-level Kirin chips, the Kirin 659 — an octa-core 16nm part, along with 4GB of RAM and (in the UK) 64GB of storage, plus microSD. Like many other dual-SIM phones, the 7X’s hybrid slot can support either a single SIM plus SD Card, or two SIMs and no SD card.

For photography, you’re looking at a 16-megapixel main camera with PDAF (phase-detection autofocus), backed up by a 2-megapixel secondary sensor for depth-sensing and portrait mode. (Unlike some Huawei-built phones, the secondary sensor doesn’t capture fine details, it just captures depth.)

We haven’t spent a whole lot of time with the Honor 7X’s cameras just yet — look out for our full review for a more comprehensive take — but the handful of indoor shots I took in a dimly-lit breakfast bar looked decent. The Honor 7X’s photos looked a little smudgier than pics from a Huawei Mate 10 Pro I was also carrying — nevertheless, the cheaper device managed to hold its own.

Around the front, there’s an 8-megapixel setup that’s also capable of capturing portrait mode shots — a feature that’s only just starting to gain prominence in the Android world.

A solid loadout of specs — though you’ll be dealing with Android Nougat out of the box.

There are a few compromises hidden away in the 7X’s attractive chassis, though. It charges over microUSB, a decision which presumably saves money, but seems bizarre for any phone in late 2017. And quick charging is limited to 5V/2A with the built-in plug.

There is at least a 3.5mm headphone jack, which supports audio enhancements through Huawei’s HiSten tuning technology.

And the 7X promises at least decent longevity, thanks to the same 3,340mAh internal battery capacity that served the 6X well. That’s nothing to write home about in the flagship space, but should be plenty for a device like the 7X, running lower-powered silicon.

On the software side, the compromises of running a mid-range chip are also apparent: The Honor 7X runs the older EMUI 5.1, based on Android 7.0 Nougat, as opposed to the newer EMUI 8 found in Kirin 970-powered handsets. Visually, this doesn’t make a whole lot of difference, and Honor has even ported some of EMUI 8’s more useful features back to the older software. Apps that don’t support 18:9 natively can easily be scaled up to fill the full size of the display. And some messaging apps can (optionally) open messages in a split-screen view if you’re watching full-screen video.

Besides that, this is EMUI 5.1 just as we’ve seen it on a number of phones over the past twelve months. It’s an improvement on what came before, with a clean blue-and-white color scheme, but there’s still some software weirdness, including a suboptimal lock screen notification system.

We’ll learn more about pricing and availability for the Honor 7X on December 5.

Any device shipping with Nougat at this stage is less than ideal, though in the case of what (likely) will be a cheaper handset, it’s not the end of the world. Honor says it’s planning to update the 7X to Android 8.0 Oreo and EMUI 8 in the first quarter of 2018, but it’s not going into specific dates just yet.

Honor isn’t announcing pricing details for the 7X until the December event, but considering the starting price of the 6X, and the hardware included in the new phone, you might expect a price comfortably within the sub-€300 ballpark.

Stay tuned for our full Honor 7X review, along with coverage from the launch event on December 5.

Texas authorities serve Apple a warrant for mass shooter’s iPhone

Authorities are persisting in their efforts to get access to the Texas mass shooter’s iPhone despite having missed an early opportunity. The San Antonio Express-News has learned that Texas Rangers served Apple warrants for data on both the perpetrator’s iPhone SE and a basic LG cellphone. In the case of the iPhone, the state law enforcement unit wants access to both local and iCloud info (such as calls, messages and photos) produced since January 1st, 2016.

It’s not known whether officials have obtained information since the warrants were obtained on November 9th. The company declined to comment to the Express-News citing a policy against speaking about law enforcement matters. In a previous statement, though, Apple said it had offered assistance to the FBI “immediately” after a November 7th press conference on the mass shooting, and vowed to “expedite” its response. The FBI didn’t reach out for help.

The Rangers’ warrant puts Apple in a difficult position. Although at least some iCloud data is accessible with a warrant, the iPhone itself is another issue. Police missed their opportunity to use the shooter’s fingerprint to unlock the phone without a passcode, and the nature of iOS’ encryption makes it very difficult for Apple and anyone else to access locked-down data. In the case of the San Bernardino attack, the FBI paid security experts at Cellebrite to get to a shooter’s files. Apple may once again be faced with a situation where it can’t fully comply with data requests.

Via: AppleInsider, TechCrunch

Source: My San Antonio

Tesla Roadster will get even quicker through an option package

When Tesla unveiled a brand new Roadster, it noted that the vaunted 1.9-second 0-60MPH time was present in the base model — implying that there might be headroom for even higher performance. But is there? Apparently, yes. Elon Musk has clarified that there will be a “special options package” that brings the Roadster’s speed to “the next level.” It’s vague, to be sure (does this include Founders Edition models?), but it does indicate that what Tesla quoted wasn’t necessarily the best it could muster.

It’s easy for Tesla to make these promises when the first Roadsters aren’t expected to ship until 2020. This gives it plenty of time to tackle the challenge and figure out exactly how much power they can wring out of this design. However, an even faster car is more plausible than it might seem. The key to the Roadster’s breakneck pace is cramming a 200kWh battery (twice what a Model S P100D has) into a compact body. It wouldn’t take a dramatically larger power pack to see substantial gains, even considering the added weight that usually comes with bigger EV batteries.

As it is, even a modest improvement could make the Roadster tough to beat, at least in some situations. At present, the fastest factory 0-60 time outside of Tesla belongs to Dodge’s Challenger SRT Demon at 2.3 seconds, and that’s a stripped-down single-seater. There are cars with higher top speeds, like Koenigsegg’s Agera RS, but they’re either no longer in production or aren’t as quick to hit the 60MPH mark. Provided the Roadster lives up to Tesla’s bragging, it might only face serious competition once other automakers commit to electric supercars.

Should clarify that this is the base model performance. There will be a special option package that takes it to the next level.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 19, 2017

Source: Elon Musk (Twitter)

High-tech neuroprosthetic ‘Luke’ arm lets amputee touch and feel again

“When I went to grab something, I could feel myself grabbing it. When I thought about moving this or that finger, it would move almost right away,” Keven Walgamott said. “I don’t know how to describe it except that it was like I had a hand again.”

Walgamott was describing the results of an experimental surgery to The Washington Post, where a prosthetic known as the “Luke” arm had been attached with electrodes implanted into his nerves. The real estate agent had lost his hand and most of his arm in an electrical accident 14 years ago, and he volunteered for the program at the University of Utah.

The fingers and hand of the neuroprosthetic device can be controlled by his own nerve impulses. Researchers even worked to restore the sense of touch, allowing him to pick up and manipulate objects.

Researchers dubbed it the “Luke” arm, after the legendary Jedi of Star Wars fame. It was developed by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway, with additional funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Scientist discovered that adding touch to robotic hands improves motor skills and reduces the feeling of “phantom pain,” an unpleasant experience many amputees grapple with. “By adding sensory feedback, it becomes a closed-loop system that mimics biology,” said Jacob George or the University of Utah.

A device known as the Utah Slanted Electrode Array was implanted directly into the nerves in Walgamott’s upper arm. In conjunction with the with electrodes implanted in his muscles, the USEA let him easily control his robotic hand just as if he was making a fist or picking up an object. It took several years to incorporate sensations into the “Luke” arm, by mapping out spots on the hand that correspond with which various nerve fibers in the arm.

Walgamott is delighted with the new arm and the things he can do with it, such as picking up a grape without crushing it or holding his wife’s hand. But his greatest joy is being able to do one of those mundane things that we all take for granted — putting a pillow in a pillowcase.

“When you have just one hand, you learn to adapt,” he said. “To just take a pillow in one hand and put the pillowcase on with the other. I know it sounds simple, but it’s amazing.”

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High-tech neuroprosthetic ‘Luke’ arm lets amputee touch and feel again

“When I went to grab something, I could feel myself grabbing it. When I thought about moving this or that finger, it would move almost right away,” Keven Walgamott said. “I don’t know how to describe it except that it was like I had a hand again.”

Walgamott was describing the results of an experimental surgery to The Washington Post, where a prosthetic known as the “Luke” arm had been attached with electrodes implanted into his nerves. The real estate agent had lost his hand and most of his arm in an electrical accident 14 years ago, and he volunteered for the program at the University of Utah.

The fingers and hand of the neuroprosthetic device can be controlled by his own nerve impulses. Researchers even worked to restore the sense of touch, allowing him to pick up and manipulate objects.

Researchers dubbed it the “Luke” arm, after the legendary Jedi of Star Wars fame. It was developed by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway, with additional funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Scientist discovered that adding touch to robotic hands improves motor skills and reduces the feeling of “phantom pain,” an unpleasant experience many amputees grapple with. “By adding sensory feedback, it becomes a closed-loop system that mimics biology,” said Jacob George or the University of Utah.

A device known as the Utah Slanted Electrode Array was implanted directly into the nerves in Walgamott’s upper arm. In conjunction with the with electrodes implanted in his muscles, the USEA let him easily control his robotic hand just as if he was making a fist or picking up an object. It took several years to incorporate sensations into the “Luke” arm, by mapping out spots on the hand that correspond with which various nerve fibers in the arm.

Walgamott is delighted with the new arm and the things he can do with it, such as picking up a grape without crushing it or holding his wife’s hand. But his greatest joy is being able to do one of those mundane things that we all take for granted — putting a pillow in a pillowcase.

“When you have just one hand, you learn to adapt,” he said. “To just take a pillow in one hand and put the pillowcase on with the other. I know it sounds simple, but it’s amazing.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• Carnegie Mellon’s new robot can use its legs as arms, arms as legs
• Take steps now to see if your data was stolen in the Equifax hack
• Watch a robot named YuMi conduct Andrea Bocceli, and prove no job is safe
• Martin Scorsese is producing a Joker origin film, and he wants DiCaprio to star
• Take steps now to see if your data was stolen in the Equifax hack