Palm maakt rentree met 3,3 inch kleine companion telefoon

TCL heeft samen met een Amerikaanse start-up een telefoon uitgebracht onder de naam Palm. Het idee er achter is niet dat hij je smartphone vervangt maar dat ze samen gebroederlijk naast elkaar leven. Laat je grote telefoon thuis en stop deze Palm in je broekzak. Nieuw is dit idee echter niet.

Deze Palm telefoon heeft niets te maken met het oude Palm. Er is geen webOS besturingssysteem, geen uitschuifbaar toetsenbord en geen enkele knipoog naar het vroegere Palm dat z’n sporen in nagenoeg ieder aspect van de telecommarkt heeft achtergelaten. Het idee achter deze nieuwe Palm is een soort hulpje van je huidige smartphone. Soms wil je die gewoon ook even thuislaten maar je toch voor noodgevallen bereikbaar zijn. Het toestel is alleen verkrijgbaar bij het Amerikaanse Verizon en je moet er een apart abonnement voor af sluiten om je huidige telefoonaansluiting te klonen.

Dat klinkt als een dure oplossing voor een eenvoudig probleem; laat je dure smartphone thuis en koop een goedkope featurephone. Behalve dat deze Palm phone geen featurephone is, het is een redelijk volwaardige Android-telefoon. Om toch de hele dag met de 800 mAh batterij te doen is er “Life Mode” dat notificaties uitschakelt. Dat is geen wonder als je bedenkt dat de telefoon in deze modus alle radio’s uitschakelt en dus geen enkele verbinding meer met de buitenwereld heeft. Palm’s nieuwe telefoon doet in de verte wel wat denken aan de HTC Mini en Mini+. Dit was een als telefoon vormgegeven afstandsbediening voor je smartphone. Het flopte gigantisch. Dat belooft dus nog wat voor Palm’s nieuwe avontuur.

Apple Shibuya Store in Tokyo to Re-Open October 26

Apple has announced the reopening of its Shibuya retail store in Tokyo on Friday, October 26 – the same day as the launch of iPhone XR – following renovation that began almost a year ago.

The Shibuya store opens its doors again on the same date as Apple’s Covent Garden retail location in London, although the Japan store has been out of action for significantly longer.

During the near 11 months of renovation work, the medium-sized store is likely to have undergone significant remodeling to bring it in line with SVP Angela Ahrendts’ objective to increase and modernize Apple’s retail presence in the country, which is currently home to nine Apple stores.

Back in March, Ahrendts announced a five-year plan for Japan, which aims to boost and significantly increase the company’s presence with “extensive modernization” and significant investment.

The Shibuya store has been around since 2005, but Apple opened a new store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, in April and another in Kyoto in August, after teasing the opening of more retail locations in the country.

(Via Storeteller.de)

Tags: Japan, Apple retail
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Microsoft co-founder, Seahawks owner Paul Allen dies at 65

PaulAllen.com

Paul Allen, a Microsoft co-founder and owner of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, died due to complications from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in Seattle on Monday. He was 65. News of his passing was confirmed on the website of his media company, Vulcan Inc.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of our founder, Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft and noted technologist, philanthropist, community builder, conservationist, musician, and supporter of the arts. Mr. Allen died on Monday afternoon, October 15, 2018, from complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in Seattle. Mr. Allen was 65 years old,” Vulcan said in a statement.

Allen co-founded Microsoft alongside Bill Gates in 1975 after the two entrepreneurs started marketing a BASIC programming language interpreter. Allen called the software Micro-Soft. Allen’s ambition for Microsoft was to build software for personal computers. He was able to achieve that goal by helping Microsoft acquire Q-DOS. Together, Gates and Allen transformed Q-DOS into MS-DOS, which eventually became the operating system installed on IBM’s personal computers. In total, Allen holds 43 patents from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Because of Microsoft’s success, Allen’s personal wealth also grew with the company. He became a billionaire in his early 30s; Allen’s net worth is estimated to be close to $20 billion. He made a number of investments in emerging and new technologies and was a frequent contributor to charities. Allen also owned sports franchises in the Pacific Northwest.

“While most knew Paul Allen as a technologist and philanthropist, for us, he was a much-loved brother and uncle, and an exceptional friend,” Allen’s sister, Jody, said in a statement. “Paul’s family and friends were blessed to experience his wit, warmth, his generosity and deep concern.” Allen described himself as a philanthropist, investor, entrepreneur, author, owner of two sports team, guitarist, neuroscience supporter, space pioneer, and Microsoft co-founder.

pic.twitter.com/msJhSPZBXm

— Paul Allen (@PaulGAllen) October 15, 2018

After being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1982, Allen left his role at Microsoft. He overcame the disease after months of radiation. In 2000, Allen resigned from his board position at Microsoft, but remained with the company as a strategy consultant. In 2009, Allen was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The disease was successfully treated until the cancer returned in 2018.

Though Allen never married and isn’t survived by any children, his spirit of entrepreneurship lives on. “As long as we work together — with both urgency and determination — there are no limits to what we can achieve,” his last tweet stated on the day of his death.

Details about Allen’s memorial services will be released as soon as they become available, Vulcan said.

Here’s a useful solution for saving clumsy drone pilots a few bucks

Drone technology has advanced markedly in the last few years, with improved stability and handling making them easier than ever to fly.

But whether through mechanical malfunction or sheer pilot incompetence, there will always be occasions when we’re left watching helplessly as our crippled quadcopter plummets from the sky as if it was never meant to be up there in the first place.

One solution is to stick a parachute on the drone that automatically activates when it detects problems. Such a system would not only save the drone from breaking into multiple pieces when it hits terra firma, but also reduce the risk of injury if the machine lands on someone’s head on the way down.

Among a growing number of such offerings is one from Austria-based Drone Rescue, which has been working on incorporating parachutes into drones for a while now. This week it’s planning to carry out its first public demonstration of its latest system at the tech-focused Intergeo event in Frankfurt, Germany, New Atlas reports.

Drone Rescue has created two parachute modules, the DRS-5 and DRS-10, that can be attached to a range of remotely controlled copters. The DRS-5 is effective for drones weighing up to 18 pounds (8 kg), while the DRS-10 is for drones weighing between 11 and 44 pounds (5 and 20 kg). The team has also created the DRS-M600, which is essentially the DRS-10 designed especially for DJI’s Matrice 600 drone, a machine popular with professional aerial photographers and independent filmmakers.

The automatic parachute system comprises a carbon container for the parachute, together with sensors that tell the system when things are going awry in the sky. The moment the drone begins to drop rapidly, the parachute automatically deploys to decrease the speed of the machine’s descent. An important part of the system ensures that the drone’s motors automatically cut out at the same time as the parachute deploys to eliminate the risk of the propellers slicing through the lines or causing injury to individuals on the ground.

Drone Rescue CEO and co-founder Andreas Ploier says in a release that its system “has the advantage that it manages completely without explosive, pyrotechnical solutions.” This means the parachute can simply be quickly repackaged for reuse, and also results in a system that’s “considerably lighter, and functions even in a worst-case scenario.”

A neat but important touch is the inclusion of a data recorder that allows for more detailed analysis of a drone failure.

While regulators are still wary about letting commercial drones fly out of the line of sight, as well as over populated areas, a system like the one created by Drone Rescue — together with a drone traffic control system — could pave the way for broader use of drones by businesses.

When you see how hard this broadcaster’s hefty camera drone came down at a skiing event a few years ago, narrowly missing one of the skiers, it’s easy to understand how effective a parachute-equipped drone could be when things go wrong in the sky.

Drone Rescue plans to launch its parachute system for drone owners before the end of 2018.

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‘Bloodhound’ rocket car needs a speedy cash injection to survive

Bloodhound

A company bidding to drive a car at an eye-watering 1,000 mph has been forced to put the brakes on the project while it seeks extra funds to help it reach its goal.

The U.K. team behind the rocket-powered Bloodhound car needs investment of 25 million British pounds (about $33 million) in the next few weeks or it may have to wave goodbye to its speed-record dream, the BBC reported on Monday.

The troubling news comes exactly a year after the extraordinary vehicle reached 210 mph in a public test run ahead of a planned 1,000-mph drive in Hakskeen Pan — a vast, dried-out lake bed — in South Africa in 2020.

For last year’s run, which tested the car’s responsiveness and stability among other things, the Bloodhound car was powered by a Rolls-Royce EJ200 jet engine that’s normally found on a Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft.

For the record attempt, however, the team wants to use three Nucleus rocket motors developed by Scandinavian firm Nammo, in addition to the EJ200 jet engine. But those plans now appear to be balanced on a knife edge as the company, Bloodhound Programme, seeks emergency funding.

Speaking to the BBC, Andrew Sheridan of FRP Advisory, the firm aiming to free Bloodhound Programme from its financial difficulties, described the rocket-powered car as “a project that is very much alive and on the cusp of delivering its goal, which is ground-breaking with leading technology.”

Sheridan added: “However, it does need circa 25 million British pounds to get it over the line, and that now requires an investor, be that a wealthy individual or a corporate of some kind.”

If the team behind the supersonic car can secure the vital funds and continue toward its goal, it could yet have a chance to break the current land speed record of 763.035 mph set in 1997. The record-breaking vehicle was the Thrust SSC and in the driving seat was Andy Green, the very same guy behind the wheel of the Bloodhound during its 210 mph test run last year and the person hoping to have a go at setting the new record in South Africa.

Mark Chapman, Bloodhound‘s chief engineer, told the BBC that if they can find an investor, then they could be prepping for the speed record within just 10 months. “We’re that close,” he said.

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How to Use the Preview Loupe Tool in macOS

All of Apple’s Macs come with Preview, the powerful file viewer that’s built into macOS. Preview is the default app that opens up whenever you double-click an image or a PDF, and features several annotation tools for you to use when working with these file types.

The most obvious and oft-used markup tools include things like arrows, lines, ovals, rectangles, and text, but in this article we’re highlighting what is arguably one of the more under-appreciated of Preview’s annotation options: the Loupe tool.

The Loupe tool is useful if you want to zoom in on certain areas in an image or document for the purposes of clarity or to bring attention to something in particular.

You can access the Loupe tool by selecting Tools -> Annotate -> Loupe from the Preview menu bar, or by enabling the Markup toolbar and then clicking the bottom right icon in the Shape menu.

Once you’ve added a loupe to your image, you can easily increase or decrease its magnification level by dragging the green circle along the loupe’s circumference.

Similarly using your mouse, drag the blue circle outwards or towards the center of the loupe to expand or contract the area of magnification.

You can add multiple loupes to the same image or document, and even have them overlap to zoom in on an area that’s already magnified.

Additionally, if you arrange two loupes so that one is stacked on top of or behind the other, you can right-click (or Ctrl-click) them to rearrange their order using the contextual menu options Bring Forward, Bring to Front, Send Backward and Send to Back.

You can easily delete a selected loupe with the Delete key, just remember that the Loupe is an annotation tool rather than a simple zoom function, so if you save or export the file with a loupe still in use then it becomes a permanent feature of that image or document.

Related Roundup: macOS Mojave
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Tech Evolution: How To Adapt in the Era of Digital Darwinism?

“Digital Darwinism” is another industry buzzword that has been making rounds lately in online space. It simply denotes the idea that in the digital era, businesses are embroiled in a struggle for survival not unlike one that occurs in the state of nature. To extend the analogy further, we can say that prey animals, i.e. consumers, are evolving at an accelerated rate, and predators, i.e. companies, are finding it hard to keep up. Businesses that fail to adapt themselves to the current environment are bound to perish, whereas those that manage to develop some form of competitive advantage are likely to stick around, at least for a while.

Just like in nature, these adaptations can take many forms. Some businesses are developing new methods for understanding consumer behavior in order to exploit them more easily. Others are incorporating cutting-edge technologies to surpass present limitations on how they do business. Others yet are mimicking what their more successful competitors on the market are doing to ensure some baseline of success. Finally, there are businesses that use some or all of these approaches in tandem to have the best possible shot at coming out ahead.

If your own company is starting to feel the pressure to adapt or perish, as per the tenets of (digital) Darwinism, take a look at our showcase of modern business survival strategies.

The Impact of New Technologies

Economic thinkers such as Karl Marx have argued that there is an intrinsic relationship between technological development and commercial interest. Mechanical looms, steam-powered mining carts, and other examples of industrial machinery have enabled capitalists to mechanize and automate production, netting them substantial profits in the process. While the dominant technological paradigm has changed significantly since the 19^th century, it is still very much the case that technological sophistication is strongly correlated with commercial gain.

Even though the defining technologies of our age are not all digital in nature, the ones that are influencing the business world as a whole come from the domain of computer science. Distributed communication networks, artificial intelligence software, large dataset analytics, and numerous other implementations of modern computer-based technologies are enabling prosperous digital companies to improve the efficiency of their workflows, to better understand and predict marketplace fluctuations, and to respond more rapidly to changing consumer demand.

A company that wishes to remain competitive in our tech-driven world should therefore keep a close eye on the latest technological trends, and adapt to ones that are likely to be advantageous in their particular business niche. This can mean using AI to automate repetitive tasks, leveraging search engines to strengthen online presence, and other similar technological adaptations.

Changing Market Conditions

Marketplace competition lies at the heart of modern economic theory. This means that companies that respond well to what others of their kind are doing on the market, have a better chance of coming out ahead in the struggle. However, some would argue that the aforementioned struggle became more fierce in recent decades as a result of globalization. Because businesses operating in digital industries are now facing competition from countless companies scattered around the globe, it is difficult to keep track what everyone is doing, or figure out the countermoves one ought to make.

As a result, the majority of business now have to rely on observing loosely defined trends to get a sense of what’s going on the marketplace. Based on this knowledge, they have to make a decision on which trends are worth following, and which can be safely disregarded as passing fads.

It is difficult to give concrete guidelines on this matter, but some business analysts are predicting that companies will increasingly rely on freelance work in their day-to-day operations. Another trend that’s worth keeping an eye on would be workplace automation – more and more companies are utilizing systems for automating certain processes to save on time and resources.

Understanding Consumer Desire

Consumers are the third pillar of the modern economy. Their demand for goods and services is what ultimately decides what the commercial sector will look like. As a result of global economic development, there are now proportionally more consumers than at any previous point in history. This situation is inherently favorable for business, as there is more spending power to go around.

However, this change in numbers was also followed by a change in structure. Modern day consumers are in many respects similar to their predecessors, but they are also exhibiting a range of new behavioral tendencies, some of which businesses have a hard time adjusting to. And if a given company fails to appeal to the modern consumers, its odds of surviving on the modern marketplace will plummet.

There are two main consumer tendencies that modern businesses should take into account. One is a preference for self-service options – contemporary consumers prefer to have access to tools, and not pre-built solutions. The other is a demand for personalization – consumers view the goods and services they purchase as a representation of their persona, so they like having different means at their disposal to express themselves.

Conclusion

Every business generation experiences its share of economic difficulty. Factors outside their control frequently push companies to actively fight for their place under the sun, and many are cast aside in this struggle. “Digital Darwinism” is just a new way to name this fact, but it has little explanatory power on its own. So instead of focusing on the way the problem is phrased, companies looking to ensure their long-term existence ought to take measures for adapting themselves to current technologies, marketplace conditions, and consumer preferences.

Shrimp eyes inspire new camera focused on helping self-driving cars see better

Have you ever looked into an animal’s eyes and thought, ‘I wonder how they see the world?’ We have. We do it all the time. We wonder, for example, what our cat sees as she’s stalking through the woods and how the colorful world appears to a colorblind dog. And when a cockroach scurries across the kitchen counter late at night, we wonder if it can sense the disgust in our hazy gaze.

We know we’re not the only ones that think these things. Viktor Gruev, an electrical and computer engineer at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, shares our intrigue — albeit, from a more technical standpoint.

Gruev and his colleagues recently developed a camera prototype inspired by the mantis shrimp, which have one of the most complex visual systems in the animal kingdom. By mimicking the marine crustacean’s vision, the researchers were able to make significant improvement on today’s commercial cameras and may help mitigate accidents by letting self-driving vehicles see more clearly.

“We have demonstrated a new camera prototype inspired by the visual system of the mantis shrimp, which has enabled us to capture polarization information under high dynamic range,” Gruev told Digital Trends. “This is important because polarization of light is a fundamental property of light that we [as humans] are blind to. It provides key information about the imaged environment, such as material properties of the objects and their geometric shape. It is also useful to capture this information when driving through hazy or foggy conditions, where polarization information can improve detection visibility of objects on the road.”

As for dynamic range, this is a measurement of the brightest and darkest regions that a camera can capture in a given instant. Imagine driving through a dark tunnel and exiting into a bright and sunny day. For a few seconds, that sunlight is practically blinding. An increased dynamic range allows cameras to adjust to that transition more smoothly.

Inspired by recent self-driving car crashes, Gruev decided to address the problem of pedestrian detection through biomimicry. He and his team adopted traits from the mantis shrimp, which are capable of seeing bright and dark images simultaneously.

“There are two innovations in this work,” Gruev said. “The pixel and nanomaterials that we use for polarization sensing. The pixel is novel because it operates very differently than regular cameras, which enables a logarithmic response to the light intensity. This change enabled us to extend the dynamic range of the camera from around 60 dB, which is typical for regular cameras, to around 140 dB. … Then we added aluminum nanowires on each pixel in the imager to be able to sense polarization properties of light.”

Gruev envisions his camera being used to support self-driving cars and underwater GPS. He said they’re currently working with car manufacturers to commercialize the technology.

A paper detailing the research was recently published in the journal Optica.

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Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen Passes Away at 65 Following Battle With Cancer

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen passed away today at age 65 following complications from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Allen earlier this month announced that he was again undergoing treatment for the cancer, which he was first treated for in 2009.

A childhood friend of Bill Gates, Allen co-founded Microsoft with Gates in 1975. He worked at Microsoft until 1983 when he faced his first fight with cancer after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

After his time at Microsoft, Allen used his wealth to invest in real estate, aerospace, sports teams, and filmmaking. Allen was the owner of the Portland Trailblazers and the Seattle Seahawks, as well as part owner of the Seattle Sounders FC. He operated Vulcan Real Estate, funded multiple sports venues, and owned Vulcan Productions, a television and film production company.

Following his death, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that Allen’s contributions to Microsoft and the tech industry were “indispensable.”

Paul Allen’s contributions to our company, our industry, and to our community are indispensable. As co-founder of Microsoft, in his own quiet and persistent way, he created magical products, experiences and institutions, and in doing so, he changed the world. I have learned so much from him – his inquisitiveness, curiosity and push for high standards is something that will continue to inspire me and all of us at Microsoft. Our hearts are with Paul’s family and loved ones. Rest in peace.

Bill Gates said that Allen wasn’t content with starting one company, and instead channeled his intellect and compassion “into a second act.”

“I am heartbroken by the passing of one of my oldest and dearest friends, Paul Allen. From our early days together at Lakeside School, through our partnership in the creation of Microsoft, to some of our joint philanthropic projects over the years, Paul was a true partner and dear friend. Personal computing would not have existed without him.

But Paul wasn’t content with starting one company. He channeled his intellect and compassion into a second act focused on improving people’s lives and strengthening communities in Seattle and around the world. He was fond of saying, “If it has the potential to do good, then we should do it.” That’s the kind of person he was.

Paul loved life and those around him, and we all cherished him in return. He deserved much more time, but his contributions to the world of technology and philanthropy will live on for generations to come. I will miss him tremendously.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and others also shared memories and kind words for Allen.

Our industry has lost a pioneer and our world has lost a force for good. We send our deepest condolences to Paul’s friends, the Allen family and everyone at Microsoft.

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 15, 2018

We lost a great technology pioneer today – thank you Paul Allen for your immense contributions to the world through your work and your philanthropy. Thoughts are with his family and the entire Microsoft community.

— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) October 15, 2018

Very sad to hear of Paul Allen’s passing. His passion for invention and pushing forward inspired so many. He was relentless to the end. My heart goes out to Paul’s family and friends.

— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) October 15, 2018

On behalf of Allen’s family, his sister Jody Allen also shared a statement:

“My brother was a remarkable individual on every level. While most knew Paul Allen as a technologist and philanthropist, for us he was a much loved brother and uncle, and an exceptional friend.

Paul’s family and friends were blessed to experience his wit, warmth, his generosity and deep concern. For all the demands on his schedule, there was always time for family and friends. At this time of loss and grief for us – and so many others – we are profoundly grateful for the care and concern he demonstrated every day.”

Over his lifetime, Paul Allen gave away more than $2 billion through the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and other charitable efforts, funding scientific research focused on the brain, multiple wildlife conservation projects, ebola research, the arts, and education.

Tag: Microsoft
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Here’s how Microsoft’s Hololens is helping NASA build the new Orion spacecraft

Lockheed Martin

As a global aerospace, defense, and security giant, it’s no great surprise to hear that Lockheed Martin has some pretty advanced technologies at its disposal. For its current project building NASA’s Orion spacecraft, however, Lockheed is turning to some smart tech that’s actually available to regular consumers: Microsoft’s mixed reality Hololens smartglasses.

The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle is an American-European interplanetary spacecraft that may eventually carry a crew of four astronauts as far afield as Mars. Announced in May 2011, the Orion MPCV is currently being constructed by Lockheed Martin at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. According to a report by the MIT Technology Review, the Lockheed team working on it is doing so using the Hololens to replace a 1,500-page binder of written work instructions. This enables the technicians to learn tasks or check directions in a way that overlays the information on top of the real world, therefore being less likely to disrupt their work.

Using the headset, the works on the Orion project see holograms displaying models created using engineering design software made by Scope AR. These models display the necessary parts and labels, complete with information such as correct torquing techniques and more. Parts are color-coded according to the role of the person wearing the headset. The Hololens also allows the technicians to see what the project will look like when it is fully completed.

So as to not have to wear the Hololens glasses the whole time, the users supposedly use it to check information in 15-minute increments, as opposed to receiving a constant stream of instructions throughout the day.

Lockheed Martin is not the only aerospace organization to investigate augmented reality to replace the enormous paper manuals they otherwise rely on. Other large firms including Boeing and Airbus have also experimented with the technology. However, neither has reportedly taken the plunge by embracing the technology beyond the simple testing phases. Does that give Lockheed the edge? We’ll get a better idea when we see the quality of the finished Orion MPCV — and then observe how many other firms are keen to follow its example.

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