US charges cryptocurrency creators over $6 million scam

US regulators are making good on their promise to get tough on crypto fraud. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has filed complaints charging My Big Coin Pay and two of its operators, Randall Crater and Mark Gillespie, with using the company’s My Big Coin cryptocurrency as part of an ongoing, not-so-subtle Ponzi scheme. Crater and Gillespie allegedly drew investments in the virtual money by making numerous bogus claims (that it was traded on multiple exchanges, backed by gold and had a MasterCard partnership) and promptly “misappropriated” the $6 million in funds for buying a home, jewelry, vacations and other indulgences.

To make matters worse, the scammers reportedly tried to hide their fraud by issuing additional coins and claiming to have a new exchange deal that ‘conveniently’ made it a bad idea for customers to redeem their holdings.

This isn’t the only case in the pipeline. The CFTC had already filed fraud charges against three other operators the week before. However, it illustrates the shadiness that still pervades cryptocurrency startups. While many initial coin offerings are sincere efforts, some are questionable cash grabs — and in the most extreme circumstances, they’re outright rip-offs or prone to theft. Continued crackdowns like this might deter some perpetrators, but it may be hard to completely eliminate as long as cryptocurrency values are through the roof.

Via: Reuters

Source: CFTC

Udacity’s ‘flying car’ engineering course starts next month

Flying cars have always been a goalpost of the future, but last year companies like Toyota, Airbus, DeLorean and Volvo’s parent company invested in or announced plans to get their own units flying soon. If you wanted to get in on the ground floor of tomorrow’s transportation, you might try joining the first class of ‘flying car engineers’ in a new nanodegree program at Udacity fronted by Sebastian Thrun, the former leader of Google’s self-driving car program.

Thrun has quite a pedigree as a founder of Udacity himself along with the Kitty Hawk prototype flying ‘car,’ but the rest of the course’s instructors are likewise impressive. They include MIT professor Nicholas Roy, founder of the Alphabet-backed Project Wing whose drones air-delivered burritos to Australians last October; Aerospace professor at University of Toronto Angela Schoellig; And lastly the founder of Kiva Systems (now Amazon Robotics), Raffaello D’Andrea.

The course itself aims to educate engineers on both robotics and aerospace concepts to understand particular demands of ‘flying cars.’ Then they’ll learn how to code test programs in simulators to refine their designs. The program might be the first of its kind, and no others have sprung up since we heard the course was coming last September, but it’s certainly pricey: Its two 12-week terms cost $1200 apiece (though you can get a $300 discount on the first if you apply soon), so this is quite an investment in the nascent field of drone transportation and as-yet-realized flying cars. But hey, who remembers the naysayers of SpaceX?

Via: BBC

Source: Udacity

Android Messages adds Smart Replies for Project Fi users

In 2015, Google debuted a new feature in its Inbox app: Smart Replies, which offered a trio of context-aware options for users to quickly reply with a few taps. That spread to other services in the company’s suite, from Gmail last year to news last week that it might be added to Gboard. Now it’s coming to tje Android Messages app — but only for Project Fi subscribers, at least for now.

Messaging on the go? Smart Reply for Android Messages lets you text with a tap, rolling out starting today on Project Fi. pic.twitter.com/FRYO4hu9Ah

— Project Fi (@projectfi) January 24, 2018

Per the above tweet, Smart Replies are now live for Android Messages users subscribed to Google’s WiFi-based carrier. It’s unclear why Project Fi will be getting this feature on the Android Messages app exclusively, or when it will be available on other carriers, but we’ve reached out to Google for clarification.

Via: Android Central

Source: Project Fi (Twitter)

Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S9 on February 25th

Samsung has started sending out invites for the Unpacked event this year, where it will take the wraps off the Galaxy S9. The date? February 25th. Its upcoming flagship phone will make its debut at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, just like what DJ Koh, the Korean conglomerate’s mobile chief, promised at CES. The teaser Samsung posted on Twitter hints at the S9’s “reimagined camera.” While the company didn’t say anything more than that, one of the phone’s rumored features is a variable aperture camera.

From 02.25.2018. #Unpacked will change how you experience everything. pic.twitter.com/llrGt0Q6gF

— Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) January 25, 2018

According to the rumors going around, the device’s 12-megapixel shooter will be able to switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4 apertures. As you might know, f-stop pertains to the opening that lets light into the camera. The bigger the number is, the smaller the opening and the smaller the amount of light that can go in. Having the ability to let more light in could improve a phone camera’s performance in low lighting. Of course, we still don’t know if this is the feature Samsung’s hinting at — we’ll just have to wait for the big reveal a month from now.

Source: Samsung (Twitter)

iOS 11.3 and tvOS 11.3 Introduce Support for AirPlay 2

The new developer betas of iOS 11.3 and tvOS 11.3 introduce AirPlay 2 features, allowing for multi-room music playback on Apple TVs using your iPhone.

With iOS 11.3 installed on an iOS device and tvOS 11.3 installed on one or more fourth or fifth-generation Apple TVs, you can use AirPlay 2 to stream music to multiple devices at the same time.

For example, with two Apple TVs running tvOS 11.3 set up in different rooms in the house, you can use the iPhone to play the same song on both, successfully using the multi-room audio feature of AirPlay 2.

Installing tvOS 11.3 prompts you to add your Apple TV to your HomeKit setup, and you’ll be asked to choose a room for it during the setup process. After that’s done, the Apple TV is displayed as an available device in the Home app. You can’t do much with Apple TV in the Home app, but you can play and pause music.

Announced as part of iOS 11 back in June when the operating system was first introduced, AirPlay 2 introduces features like multi-room audio playback from iOS devices and improved buffering.

AirPlay 2 functionality is limited to devices running the current iOS 11.3 and tvOS 11.3 developer betas, so it basically only works with the Apple TV right now. AirPlay 2 has not yet officially been released by Apple, but in the future, third-party speakers and Apple’s own HomePod will support the feature. When AirPlay 2 compatible devices are widely available, you will be able to use AirPlay 2 to control all of the different speakers and devices located throughout your home, for a full multi-room audio experience.

HomePod, which will be available starting on February 9, will not ship with multi-room audio support. It’s possible multi-room HomePod playback will be available once iOS 11.3 launches to the public, however, as iOS 11.3 is not set to be released until the spring.

Apple hasn’t provided specific details on when the HomePod will be updated with multi-room support beyond stating that it will come in a later update, and AirPlay 2 was missing from the detailed rundown of iOS 11.3 features that Apple shared this morning ahead of the beta’s release, so Apple’s plans aren’t quite clear.

At the current time, AirPlay 2 on iOS 11.3 and tvOS 11.3 is rather buggy and the implementation is clearly incomplete, but Apple will likely make significant improvements over the iOS 11.3 beta testing period.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, iOS 11Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)
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Everything New in iOS 11.3: iCloud Messages, Animoji, Health Records, AirPlay 2 and More

Apple today released the first beta of an upcoming iOS 11.3 update, and it introduces quite a few new features, including several major changes and a long list of smaller tweaks. iCloud Messages, a long-promised feature has finally made its debut in iOS 11.3, and there are new Animoji, new ARKit tools for developers, and tons more.

In the video and post below, we’ve outlined all of the new features that we’ve discovered in the iOS 11.3 beta so far.

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Major New Features

Ahead of the release of the first beta, Apple outlined many of the upcoming changes in iOS 11.3 in a preview that explains the new features and lets users know what to expect when the update is released to the public this spring.

Messages on iCloud

iCloud Messages is a feature that was highlighted as a key new iOS 11 component when the operating system was introduced at the June Worldwide Developers Conference, but it was pulled from the iOS 11 update while it was still in beta testing and was not reimplemented before iOS 11’s September launch.

Apple said the feature would return in a future update, however, and it appears iOS 11.3 is that update. When opening up the Messages app after installing iOS 11.3, you’ll be prompted to turn on “Messages on iCloud.”

Messages on iCloud will free up space by keeping photos and other message attachments in iCloud, plus it will sync your messages across all of your devices — even new ones. If you have two-factor authentication and iCloud Backup enabled, Messages on iCloud is automatically enabled.

New Animoji

iOS 11.3 introduces four new Animoji, which are the little animated characters that mimic your facial expressions and voice using the TrueDepth camera. Animoji are limited to the iPhone X, but iPhone X owners with iOS 11.3 will be able to access dragon, bear, skeleton, and lion Animoji, bringing the total number of available Animoji to 16.

ARKit 1.5

For developers, iOS 11.3 introduces ARKit 1.5, an upgraded version of ARKit that can more accurately map irregularly shaped surfaces and recognize and place virtual objects on vertical surfaces like walls and doors. The prior version of ARKit was not able to detect vertical planes.

With ARKit 1.5, augmented reality apps can recognize the position of 2D images like signs and posters, integrating these images into AR experiences like interactive exhibits in a movie theater or a movie poster that comes to life when you view it. ARKit 1.5 also supports 50 percent greater resolution (1080p instead of 720p) and it now works with auto-focus.

Health Records

Apple has worked with several hospitals, clinics, and medical providers to add a “Health Records” feature to the Health app. Health Records is designed to aggregate all of a person’s medical records in one easy-to-access spot in the Health app.

Health Records can store data from multiple participating medical institutions, and it can provide users with notifications when lab results and prescriptions are available. Apple says all Health Records data is encrypted and protected with a passcode.

Participating medical providers include Supported providers include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Cedars-Sinai, Penn Medicine, Geisinger Health System, UC San Diego Health, UNC Health Care, Rush University Medical Center, Dignity Health, Ochsner Health System, MedStar Health, Ohio Health, and Cerner Healthe Clinic.

Apple says additional medical facilities will connect to Health Records in the future.

Minor Tweaks and Changes

In addition to these major features highlighted by Apple, there are also several other smaller tweaks and changes that have been made to the iOS operating system in iOS 11.3.

– Apple News – Apple News will now offer a list of the top videos of the day in the “For You” section, and the algorithm that displays the top stories in the For You section has been improved.

– HomeKit – iOS 11.3 introduces official support for HomeKit software authentication options, which will allow developers to add HomeKit support to many existing accessories. Until software authentication was available, developers were required to meet Apple’s HomeKit specifications through hardware, limiting HomeKit’s backwards compatibility with existing devices.

– Emergency Calls – Support for Advanced Mobile Location (AML) has been introduced in iOS 11.3 to automatically send a user’s precise location over GPS or WiFi when making a call to emergency services. AML requires carrier support and it is not available in the United States. It does, however, work in the United Kingdom, Estonia, Lithuania, Austria, Iceland, and New Zealand.

– iBooks – The iBooks app has dropped the “i” and it’s now known as just “Books.”

– App Store updates – In the App Store’s “Updates” tab, the version number for each app and its installation size is now listed right under the app’s name, both for updates that have already been installed and updates that are available for download.

– Face ID side button – On the iPhone X, when you install an app in the App Store, there’s now a little animation that instructs you to double press the side button to confirm the installation. This animation is also present whenever you need to press the side button, such as when you confirm an Apple Pay payment.

– Privacy screen – When go through the device setup process after installing iOS 11.3, there is a new Privacy screen and icon, which explains that you’ll see the icon whenever an Apple app or feature asks to use your personal information.

– Game Center – In Game Center, you’re now able to manage your Game Center friends and remove individual people. Prior to this update, you could only remove all game center friends in one go.

– AirPlay 2 – There are some AirPlay 2 features built into iOS 11.3 and tvOS 11.3, which allow music to be controlled on multiple Apple TVs using an iOS device once the updates have been installed.

Future Additions to iOS 11.3

Apple outlined several features that are coming to iOS 11.3 but haven’t been implemented as of yet.

More Detailed Battery Info

A later beta of iOS 11.3 will feature new, more detailed information about the health of a device’s battery. The change comes following controversy over power management features implemented in older devices to prevent unexpected shutdowns. Those power management features throttle iPhones with degraded batteries at times of peak power usage to maintain stable performance.

The update should provide a lot more data about battery health, and there will also be an option to let customers turn off the power management feature entirely, though Apple does not recommend disabling it. The new features will be available in Settings -> Battery and are available for iPhone 6 and later.

Business Chat

Business Chat is designed to give iPhone and iPad users a way to communicate directly with businesses using the Messages app. Business Chat will launch in a beta capacity when iOS 11.3 becomes available to the public in the spring.

Select businesses will support the feature at launch, including Discover, Hilton, Lowe’s, and Wells Fargo.

Business Chat will let you have a conversation with a service representative, schedule appointments, and make purchases using Apple Pay in the Messages app. Your contact information is not shared when you use Business Chat, and you can end a chat at any time.

Apple Music Videos

Apple is planning to introduce some improvements to music videos in the Apple Music app. According to Apple, Apple Music “will soon be the home for music videos.” Users will be able to stream all the music videos they want without ads, and they’ll also be able to view and create music video playlists.

Release Date

According to Apple, iOS 11.3 will be released to the public in the spring, which means we’re going to see an extended beta testing period. Technically, “spring” kicks off on Tuesday, March 20, so the beta will be in testing throughout the entire month of February and much of March. That will let Apple iron out the bugs to make sure things like iCloud Messages are running smoothly ahead of launch.

While iOS 11.3 is currently limited to developers, Apple plans to make a public beta available for public beta testers in the near future.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
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What is AirBnb? Here’s all you need to know about being a guest or host

Instead of copying travel sites like Expedia and Travelocity, Airbnb takes a unique approach toward lodging. Part of the “sharing economy,” Airbnb offers you someone’s home as a place to stay, instead of a hotel. On Airbnb, you can find places to crash on your backpacking trip through Europe, or you can find a place to stay for a month during your internship in Los Angeles. Also, if you want to rent out extra space in your home, you can host through Airbnb and make money for allowing a guest to stay the night.

This all sounds pretty simple, but what is Airbnb exactly? Here’s what you need to know about the popular homesharing site before you book a stay or become a host.

Airbnb had a rough start

Airbnb founders Joe Gebbia, Brian Chesky, and Nathan Blecharczyk developed the business in 2008. Initially, Gebbia and Chesky started off using their own place as a bed and breakfast to make a few extra bucks to pay rent. With a big design conference coming to the San Francisco area and a city full of sold-out hotels at the time, they saw a potential market for the idea and developed a website called airbedandbreakfast.com. To fund their operation, the guys sold breakfast cereals during the 2008 presidential race — Obama O’s and Cap’n McCains — and the cereals earned them around $30,000.

Airbnb was not an immediate success, though. The startup experienced several ups and downs, and it went through at least three separate launches. A number of investors didn’t take the idea seriously. However, one venture capitalist, Paul Graham, did see a potential lottery ticket in Air Bed & Breakfast. Graham invited the founders to join a program called Y Combinator, which provides a startup with cash and training in exchange for a percentage of their company. In 2009, Air Bed & Breakfast became Airbnb, and that was the company’s turning point. As of August 2016, Airbnb was worth $30 billion, Business Insider reports.

How Airbnb works for guests

Airbnb does not own any properties. It acts as an intermediary between those who want to rent out space and those who are looking for space to rent. Creating an account on Airbnb is free, and it is relatively simple. To do so, you enter in your name, email address, birthday, and a password. Airbnb also asks that you agree to treat everyone equally, regardless of race, religion, sex, or other factors. Once you agree, your account is active. You also have the option to sign up through Facebook or Google.

Airbnb has listings all over the map, from Savannah, Georgia, to Honolulu, Hawaii, to international listings. As of late, Airbnb has listings in more than 65,000 cities around the world. Once you click on a listing, you can see a plethora of information about that listing, including the size of the space and amenities, check-in and pricing information, a detailed description of the space, house rules, safety features, and availability. You will also see reviews from other guests, and information about the hosts. For instance, the hosts of a listing in Honolulu say they “love surfing, scuba diving, kite surfing, running, and hiking the beautiful natural trails on Oahu.”

If you like the listing, you can request to book it. The site prompts you to go through a few more steps, like entering in more of your information and including a profile picture. Once you complete those steps, you can complete your request and pay for your room.  After your first booking, the process is much quicker and easier.

Before your reservation is final, however, you must wait for approval from the host, unless your listing is an “instant book” listing, as those listings don’t require host approval.

For non-instant book listings, Airbnb also recommends that guests message hosts before booking to double check availability. If you don’t hear back from the host in a timely manner, you can continue to message other hosts in the area until you find one you like. Under the host information section of each listing, you can see the host’s response rate and response time to get an idea of how quickly a host will respond to your message.

How Airbnb works for hosts

Airbnb has three different hosting options — you can rent out the extra space in your home, you can host for others in your neighborhood as a neighborhood co-host, or you can host experiences in your area.

To rent out extra space in your home, you must first create a free Airbnb account. Then, you click on “become a host” in the upper right hand corner of the page. After that, you’ll need to create a listing for your space. A listing is a lot like a profile page for the space you want to host; just like a social media profile, the nicer your page looks, the more attention it will draw in. It’s a good idea to make your space look as nice as possible and take flattering pictures of the space. How much should you charge? Airbnb helps you set pricing by indicating the averages for your area.

Student cracks DNA code to take home $10,000 worth of bitcoin

At the 2015 meeting of the World Economic Forum, European Bioinformatics Institute researcher Nick Goldman set a challenge with a three-year time limit: Decode a DNA sequence in order to gain access to a key that would unlock a digital wallet. With the deadline coming up on Monday, January 29, it seemed that no one would claim the prize — until Goldman sent out a reminder on Twitter.

The tweet captured the attention Sander Wuyts, a 26-year-old Ph.D. student studying at the University of Antwerp. He requested one of the vials of DNA that Goldman had handed out at the WEF meeting, and once he received it, he set about cracking the code.

Working alongside his colleagues, the computational microbiology student used the genome sequencing tools available via his university to make a play for the prize, according to Motherboard.

The process Goldman used to encode the information as a DNA file saw him rewrite a text document in base-3. Using zeroes, ones, and twos, he could map the data to the four nucleobases: Guanine, adenine, cytosine, and thymine.

Nine files were encoded, encrypted with a keystream — a random series of characters intended to keep the plaintext message hidden — that was supplied alongside the fragments. When Wuyts successfully decoded the message, he was presented with the key to unlock the digital wallet.

Claiming his reward, he found the logo for the European Bioinformatics Institute, a drawing of James Joyce, and one bitcoin.  This bounty was worth around $200 when the task was set, but its value has since swelled to $10,000. The fact that the challenge would have expired just five days after his victory definitely played into Wuyts hands’ when it comes to the amount of money he’s set to receive.

Wuyts will apparently use some of his winnings to thank the colleagues that helped him and will pour the rest back into his research. Meanwhile, the fact that the key was successfully decoded demonstrates how DNA storage might be used to great effect. According to Goldman, it’s a particularly safe way to store keys since not everyone has access to sequencing software — and since it takes a matter of days to read the data, it can protect investors against their tendency to sell in a panic.

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Check out 25 of the best Android Wear apps for your smartwatch

Some of the best smartwatches around run Android Wear and there are loads of apps that add all sorts of handy capabilities. These apps do more than just bring notifications to your wrist — they can entertain you, track your fitness and health, and help you to stay organized.

So, with all of that in mind, here are our picks of the best Android Wear apps, starting with a few that have been enhanced for Android Wear 2.0. Most of these apps still rely on a partner app on your smartphone, but a few offer standalone functionality. Either way, they’re all must-haves for your watch.

Bring! Grocery Shopping List

Simon Hill/Digital Trends

Incredibly clear and easy to use, Bring is the ideal shopping list app for your Android Wear watch. You can create groups of friends, family, or colleagues and share shopping lists for different events. It’s easy to add products via clearly labeled icons and you can even add your own photos.

Google Play

Infinity Loop

Simon Hill/Digital Trends

Most games for smartwatches are an exercise in frustration because of the limited screen real estate, but Infinity Loop works beautifully on your wrist. It’s a simple, relaxing puzzle game that can kill a few minutes while you’re waiting at the bus stop or in line at the store.

Amazon Google Play

Glide

Simon Hill/Digital Trends

If you’ve been dreaming of making video calls from your wrist since the emergence of the smartwatch, then Glide is an app you need to download. You need to install it on your paired phone as well, but once you do, you will be able to receive and watch video messages on your wrist. You can also send back audio, or even record video if your watch has a front-facing camera.

Google Play

Telegram

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

You can send voice or text messages, browse your chat history, or create group chats with this accessible instant messaging app that has been updated for Android Wear 2.0. It also supports emojis, stickers, and themes.

Google Play

Lifesum

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Here’s an app for the health-conscious, which tracks your food and water intake to help you achieve the right balance. Set your personal health goals and Lifesum will guide you to success with a personalized plan that includes exercise tips.

Google Play

Strava

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

If you want an alternative to Google Fit, then Strava is well worth a look. It’s available on Android Wear 2.0 as a standalone app that can track your runs and other sporty activities. If you’re cycling or running it’s great to be able to leave your phone at home, but still record your progress.

Amazon Google Play

Foursquare City Guide

With a fresh design for Android Wear 2.0, the Foursquare app is one of the easiest ways to find great places to eat, drink, and be merry in the city you’re in. It works without your phone, and you can filter by all sorts of different categories to find the exact spot you want.

Google Play

Uber

Missed the last train? No need to worry, you can now book an Uber directly from your smartwatch. This is a standalone app for your Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch that allows you to order a ride, check driver progress, and get time estimates for your journey all from your wrist. There’s no need to use your phone at all.

Google Play

Stocard

Running out of space on your keychain due to the many little loyalty and membership cards you lug around? Stocard not only lets you digitize all those cards so they’re accessible in a single mobile app, it even works with your Android Wear watch to display them. This means you just need to let the cashier scan your watch, instead of physical cards or your smartphone, to collect your rewards or access your gym.

Amazon App Store Google Play

Google Slides

Here is a new incentive to use the latest version of Google Slides for your presentations: You can now use your Android Wear smartwatch to both timekeep and remotely control your slides. The only catch is that you need to first “cast” your slides to a Chromecast-enabled display, or present them in a video call, before your watch will transform into a slick presentation remote.

Google Play

If by IFTTT

Let’s be real, app developers aren’t mind readers who know exactly what functions you need, so why not create your own with IF by IFTTT? Short for the programming lingo “If This Then That,” this meta-app lets you create “recipes” that link two unrelated apps in order to create an action. For example, you can tell the app to send a copy of every photo you take with your phone to your Android Wear watch.

Amazon App Store Google Play

Tinder

Start planning for your hot date tonight by swiping right or left through Tinder — on your wrist. With one of the best dating apps around bringing its features to Android Wear, you can now check out potential dates in your area, see notifications on new matches, and respond to their messages, right on your watch. Just to make it extra easy to access the app, you can even use your voice to tell Google to open Tinder on your smartwatch.

Amazon App Store Google Play

Vuzix serves up thee new ways to get your hands on its cool Blade smartglasses

After finally debuting its “smart” Blade-branded sunglasses for mainstream customers during CES 2018, Vuzix now offers three new programs under the “‘Blade Edge” umbrella for gaining access to the new augmented reality-based device. They replace the former Blade Beta Developer kit pre-order program, which supposedly ran dry immediately after January’s technology show. These programs are open to all, whether you’re a developer, a major corporation, or a mainstream customer who missed out on Google Glass. 

For developers, the Blade Edge Architect program is their ticket to Vuzix’s smart sunglasses. Included with this program is the software development kit, an emulator, technical specification updates, and eventually the hardware itself. Developers also have access to a secure forum to chat with the Edge engineers. 

For the enterprise, Vuzix offers the Blade Edge @ Work program. Corporations get the same software and hardware bundle, but instead of receiving access to the private chat channel, Vuzix assigns an account manager. This individual will make sure companies get everything they need to develop, pilot, and deploy projects based on the Edge smartglasses. 

Finally, Vuzix serves up the Blade Edge Engage program for everyone else. Individuals are essentially signing up to test the hardware and software, and provide feedback. In return, they’ll be placed in a short line to receive one of the first Blade models rolling off the production line. Members will speak directly to Vuzix and other Blade Edge Engage participants. 

The catch is that developers and companies must supply a $250 deposit during the application phase. If approved, the remaining $750 plus shipping charges and taxes must be paid prior to the hardware and software kit’s deployment. Presumably all parties will not be charged $250 if they do not qualify during the application phase. This deposit plans appears to apply to the Blade Edge Engage platform too. 

The Blade AR smartglasses made a big splash during CES, touted as the smartglasses Google wished it built with Glass. Vuzix already offered a version for the enterprise sector as a more stylish solution than its other AR-based products. But the company brought its Blade smartglasses to the mainstream market in early January, and saw a quick depletion of its pre-order supply.  

On the outside, Blade resembles a standard set of sunglasses. But they include two transparent displays that project data into your field of view. Backing these screens is a four-core processor, Wireless AC connectivity, and a Bluetooth connection to any Android or iOS device. That means you can make calls, get driving directions, receive notifications, and more without removing the phone from your pocket. 

Even more, the Blade smartglasses include an embedded 8MP camera capable of capturing 1080p video. The onboard storage capacity is unknown for now, but the device includes a MicroSD card slot for capturing and storing all those photos and videos. How the general population will react to the embedded camera is unknown for now, but it could suffer the same privacy-related ridicule experienced by Google Glass. 

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