Nest, Samsung and others team up for better home automation
A group of tech companies including Samsung, Google’s Nest Labs and chipmaker ARM are teaming up to create a unified system to run all of your connected home gadgets. Thread uses low-power mesh networks to run all of your devices, promising greater reliability and cloud access for every piece of hardware in your house. The name might be new, but an early version of the protocol is already used to drive Nest’s thermostats and smoke detectors. The group also believes that a simple software update would enable plenty of other existing smart home products to join in the fun. Of course, this isn’t the only group trying to marshal the disparate forces that are trying to make in-roads into our homes. For instance, Qualcomm and Apple all have rival platforms in various stages of development — so perhaps the next generation of forum debates arguments will be about which connected washing machine is “better” than the rest.
Filed under: Wireless, Samsung, Google
Via: Yahoo
Source: Thread
Google prepares modular phone dev kits (but your idea had better be good)
If you’re a developer eager to start tinkering with Google’s Project Ara modular phone technology as quickly as possible, it’s time to get in line. The company has started taking requests for test boards; if you fill out the form before July 18th and meet Google’s expectations, you could have (very) early hardware in your hands before the end of the month. Latecomers can get in on a second wave if they sign up no later than August 18th. Just don’t assume that you can pick up a kit purely out of curiosity. Google is prioritizing the board requests based on your know-how and the “strength” of your proposed module concept — it wants signs that there’s a real device in the works. You’ll have to sit tight if you’re simply a fan of the build-your-own-phone concept, then, but it’s apparent that Project Ara is quickly becoming a tangible reality.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Via: Pocketnow
Source: Eduardo Ruiz (Google+), Project Ara
Watch an AlphaDog robot venture into (simulated) battle for the first time
They grow up so fast, don’t they? It seems like only yesterday that Boston Dynamics’ AlphaDog (aka LS3) robot was finding its legs, and yet it has already gone out on training exercises with the US Marine Corps for the first time. The cargo-hauling machine dutifully trotted behind a Marine squad traversing a simulated combat zone in Hawaii, proving that it could both navigate rough terrain and resupply other platoons that would otherwise have to wait for an ATV.
As you can see in the clip below, this mechanized pup is still going through some growing pains. There are occasionally places LS3 can’t go, and it’s still pretty noisy. It won’t be jogging around the front line any time soon. However, the semi-realistic test run will help Boston Dynamics refine the ‘bot and get it truly battle-ready. And besides, it’s clear that the Marines are already warming up to their new companion — they’ve affectionately nicknamed it “Cujo.”
[Image credit: Sgt. Sarah Dietz, US Marine Corps]
Via: Sploid
Source: DVIDS
[DEALS & STEALS] Get a refurbished Nexus 7 (2013) 32GB on eBay for $160 (54& off)
Nexus 7 (2013) is definitely not the newest tablet, a year has passed since Google announced it. Not only that but we’ve been seeing a lot of rumors on its successor, we might even see it announced rather soon. All this aside, Nexus 7 (2013) is still a great device and it will serve you like a champ.
If you’re not waiting to see what will Google bring with its refresh, you can get this device rather cheap on eBay. Refurbished 32GB model is on sale now for $160 (54% off) with free shipping for U.S., although it is available all around. If you’re interested in getting one of these you might want to hurry, we don’t know how long will this last. You can pick one up by following the source link below.
Source: eBay
The post [DEALS & STEALS] Get a refurbished Nexus 7 (2013) 32GB on eBay for $160 (54& off) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
MIT’s new material opens the door to squishable, shape-shifting robots
Robots tend to be either very rigid or very soft, but neither extreme is ideal; ideally, machines could both squish themselves into tight spaces and remain sturdy for strength-dependent tasks. They just might, thanks to a team-up between MIT and Google’s Boston Dynamics. The two have developed a composite material that can switch between hard and soft states on the fly. The design mates a compressible foam inside with an external wax coating. If a robot needed to deform, all it would have to do is soften the right joints with a bit of heating. It could even heal damage by heating and cooling an affected area.
It’s still early days, but there are already plenty of potential real-world applications for the material. DARPA (the impetus for the project) wants robots that can literally slip through the cracks to reach otherwise inaccessible areas; they could rescue survivors trapped under rubble, for example. MIT, meanwhile, pictures surgical bots that could repair hard-to-reach body parts. We’re still a long, long way from the liquid metal of Terminator 2‘s T-1000, but these findings suggest that the concept of a shape-shifting automaton isn’t completely far-fetched.
Filed under: Robots, Science, Google
Via: TechCrunch
Source: MIT News
Google Glass founder heads to Amazon
The optics savant that helped Google create Glass has just announced that he’s “super excited” to be joining Amazon. Babak Parvis was one of the original members of Google’s Project X skunkworks lab, and the first head of the Glass project team. Prior to that, the Seattle resident was a researcher at the University of Washington where he developed the first contact lenses with integrated circuits. Later, he worked with Microsoft on research for blood-glucose monitoring contacts with Microsoft, a project he eventually brought to Google. Parvis didn’t say exactly what he’d be doing with Amazon, but projects like Google’s Tango, the Oculus Rift and Amazon’s new Fire phone and Firefly app have made optics designers a hot commodity. Meanwhile, Glass is well past the research stage where Parvis shined, so Google now has design guru Ivy Ross in charge for a likely consumer launch.
[Image credit: loiclemeur/Flickr]
Filed under: Wearables, Science, Amazon
Via: Android Police
Source: Google+
Google’s augmented reality turf war, ‘Ingress,’ arrives on iOS
Google’s Niantic Labs grew the potential audience for Ingress in a big way late last year, when it put out the finished Android version of its augmented reality game. Today, the studio is taking the next (if fairly obvious) step toward grabbing more players: it’s releasing the long-promised iOS edition. Both iPad and iPhone owners can now capture territory (“portals” in Ingress-speak) and build up their virtual skills by visiting real locations. The experience will be very familiar if you’ve played before; missions give you an incentive to keep coming back, while faction chats let you coordinate turf battles and meet fellow players. There aren’t any major tweaks or upgrades that we’ve seen. The game ultimately remains an excuse to explore new places, but that’s not a bad thing if you’re tired of visiting the same old haunts — hit the App Store if you’re willing to give it a spin.
Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Mobile, Google
Source: Ingress
Google Launches iOS Version of Multiplayer Augmented Reality Game ‘Ingress’ [iOS Blog]
Google’s mobile-augmented reality game Ingress today launched for iOS devices, coming seven months after the game’s general release on Android. The title’s product manager confirmed last October that an iOS version of the game was in the works after a closed beta saw over ten thousand active players a month and one million total activations.
The title’s story centers around The Enlightened and The Resistance, two factions who compete against each other to unlock clues about a mystical technology. Events in the game progress in real-time as Google delivers new clues each week, while players claim local landmarks in the real-world to earn points for their respective team.
The World is the Game
Move through the real world using your iOS device and the Ingress app to discover and tap sources of this mysterious energy. Acquire objects to aid in your quest, deploy tech to capture territory, and ally with other players to advance the cause of the Enlightened or the Resistance.Strategy
The struggle is being played out globally. Track the progress of players around the world, plan your next steps, and communicate with others using an Intelligence map.Form Alliances
The struggle to save the planet spans the entire world. Groups of people acting together can be more effective than individuals acting alone. Cooperation across neighborhoods, cities, and countries will be needed to achieve the ultimate victory.
Ingress is a free app for iOS devices and can be downloaded through the App Store. [Direct Link]
Google’s Play Store is getting a big, visually intensive makeover
Many would argue that the Google Play Store for Android is useful in its current form, but pretty? Not so much. However, there are now signs that it’s going to be much better-looking — if not necessarily more functional. Android Police has obtained a wealth of screenshots hinting at a big Play Store revamp that borrows more than a few pages from the company’s new Material Design handbook. Extra-large artwork is everywhere, and there are now a slew of icons that make it clear what you’ll be getting, such as mature content. The layout isn’t perfect; there’s a lot of scrolling, for example, and some of the sharing features appear to be buried at the bottom. With that said, the new storefront is billed as a work in progress with no definite release date. It wouldn’t be out of the question to see a few tweaks before the store reaches your mobile device of choice.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Google
Source: Android Police
From idea to exhibition: developing art for Google
Digital Revolution is an art exhibition currently running at London’s Barbican Centre. Part of the exhibition is Google’s “DevArt” project — a selection of code-based installations. Google commissioned three established artists for the show, and ran a competition to find an up-and-coming artist to join them. Below we take a look at how an idea goes from concept, to code, to creation.
AIVAnet 