Sea slug muscle powers this ‘biohybrid’ robot

Some scientists make robots inspired by sea slugs. But this team from Case Western Reserve University took a muscle from a real slug and used it to make a biohybrid robot. To be exact, the group took the muscle from around a California sea hare’s mouth and attached it to 3D-printed parts. When induced by electrical stimuli, the muscle contracts, causing the hybrid to crawl forward.

They chose sea slugs for this project, because the animals are known for being able to withstand sudden and substantial changes in temperature and salinity. Since the marine invertebrates are tough and can adapt to different conditions, the resulting robots are just as durable and can also operate in harsh environments.

A biohybrid robot can be more capable, perform more tasks and be cheaper to make than purely manmade ones. Someday, organizations could deploy swarms of robots like this to, say, locate the source of toxic leaks or to scour the ocean for a plane’s black box. The team has a lot to do before their creation’s capable of those tasks, though, such as finding a way to make the slug machine go just a wee bit faster — their 2-inch robot can only move at a rate of 0.4 centimeters per minute.

Via: PopSci

Source: Case Western Reserve University

LG’s 4K-enabled Action CAM LTE is now available in South Korea

After announcing the Action CAM LTE earlier this year, LG has commenced sales of the accessory in its home market. The camera has built-in LTE connectivity, letting you stream live video to YouTube without the need to pair with a smartphone.

Coming to the hardware on offer, the Action CAM LTE features a 12.3MP 150-degree wide-angle lens that can shoot 4K video at 30fps, Full HD at 30fps, and 60fps, and 720p video at 30fps, 60fps, and 120fps. It is powered by a Snapdragon 650 SoC, and offers 2GB of RAM, 4GB internal storage and a microSD slot that can accommodate cards up to 2TB in size.

The camera can shoot up to four hours of Full HD footage, and can also be used as a CCTV camera as well. It is certified IP67, allowing it to be submerged in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. The camera will retail for ₩399,300 ($350), and will make its way to other markets shortly.

Press release follows:

LG ACTION CAM MAKES LIVE STREAMING WHILE ON THE GO EASIER THAN EVER

Newest LG Friend Pushes the Boundaries of Personal Broadcasting

SEOUL, July 19, 2016 ― LG’s latest Friend smartphone companion device rolls out today in South Korea to be followed by other key markets in the weeks to come. LG Action CAM LTE offers robust features that allow for filming in dynamic environments and its built-in LTE connectivity, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 650 processor, means users can stream directly to sites such as YouTube Live via wireless 3G or 4G networks.

Rated IP67, LG Action CAM LTE is dust- and sand- proof allowing it to be immersed in up to one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. In addition to the included mount, this rugged camera is compatible with various third party action camera mounts and accessories to capture smooth footage while attached to helmets or moving vehicles.

Images and videos shot with LG Action CAM LTE can be downloaded and saved on paired smartphones via the Action CAM LTE app available on Google Play. The camera can record up to three hours of Full HD video on smartphones running Android 5.0 or iOS 9 and higher. The durable camera can also function as a CCTV camera for home monitoring with images and videos saved to users’ smartphones

“LG and Qualcomm Technologies have worked closely together over the years, and we are delighted that LG is extending the Snapdragon relationship, adding the LG Action CAM LTE to the existing 360 CAM and of course the amazing G5 itself,” said Anthony Murray, senior vice president and general manager, IoT, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd.

“LG Action CAM LTE offers a new and exciting experience with unparalleled features and innovation,” said Juno Cho, president of LG Electronics and Mobile Communications Company. “We are committed to developing a range of new Friends for LG G5 as well as premium LG smartphones in the pipeline.”

Earlier this year, LG organized developer conferences in Korea and the United States and distributed an SDK to encourage development of LG Friends as well as sponsoring a competition to attract the best Friends ideas.

Price and exact date of availability will be announced locally.

AT&T rolling out July 1 security patch to the Galaxy Note 5

AT&T is rolling out the July 1 security patch to the Galaxy Note 5. The update comes in at 22.6MB, and increments the build number to MMB29K.N920AUCS2BPG1 and the firmware version to N920AUCS2BPG1. The release notes mention that the build was compiled on July 4, and the patch itself contains fixes from the July 1 update and not those from July 5 (which will likely be rolled into the August update).

On the AT&T Note 5? Head into Settings > System > About device > Software update > Check for updates to initiate the download.

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These leaked photos show Sony’s next Xperia flagship in clear detail

Do you want to know what Sony’s next flagship smartphone will look like? Then cast your eyes above.

GSMArena has published super crisp photos of the “Sony Xperia F8331”, claiming they were slyly left behind in its tip box by a reader. If they are indeed legit, it’s obvious that Sony is going for a design that’s nothing like the Z lineup, though at the same time one might think of the new look as bland or maybe even predictable. It’s hard to say that for sure however until can get our hands on it and review it in full.

• Next Sony Xperia flagship: What’s the story so far?

We can see that the top and bottom of the phone are flat, and both sides of it are curved, while on the back there is a brush-metal finish and a fresh layout for the camera, including a dual-LED flesh. Also, at the bottom of the phone, there’s a panel, as well as a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. As for the front, we can see front-facing stereo speakers and the NFC antenna.

The Xperia F8331 is thought to sport a slightly bigger 1080p screen than what the X Performance features, and it’ll offer 4K video capture on both the front- and back-facing cameras. That’s about all we can tell you for now. We don’t even know when the device will launch, but IFA is around the corner, and Sony is scheduled to attend, so a September launch could be plausible.

Stay tuned to Pocket-lint’s Sony hub for all the latest and breaking news in the meantime. Check out the gallery above, too, for a closer look at all the leaks.

• Best smartphones to look forward to in 2016
• What is Sony PlayStation Vue and where is it available?
• PlayStation Neo (PS4K) vs Project Scorpio

Get 6 IT certifications with the Essential CompTIA and Microsoft Windows Server Administrator Certification Bundle (96 per cent off)

CompTIA certifications are key to entering and excelling professionally, whether you’re interested in an entry-level job or a role at Fortune 500 companies.

If you’re interested in the IT sector, you can set yourself up for high-level IT success with six premium IT certification exam preparations, available in the Essential CompTIA and Microsoft Windows Server Administrator Certification Bundle. For a limited time, this collection is available at 96 per cent off from Pocket-lint Deals.

Through this collection of deep-dive courses, you’ll learn the fundamentals of computer technology, hardware, installing and configuring operating systems and beyond, preparing you to ace your certification exams with flying colors. Establish technical competency in networking administration and support through CompTIA’s Network+ N10-006, while also learning to install and configure Windows Server 2012 R2.

You will also gain essential prep for the Microsoft Exam 70-411, which will certify your ability to administer Windows Server 2012 R2 infrastructure in an enterprise environment. Moving on, you’ll learn to configure advanced services in Windows Server 2012 R2 infrastructure, rounding out your abilities with highly immersive training.

Establishing yourself as an IT professional with the skill set to fully administer a Windows Server will put you in a league of contention for some of the highest-level IT jobs on the market. Your bundle provides a full year of access to the course materials, provided by iCollege, a leading provider of online courses.

Get started today with the Essential CompTIA and Microsoft Windows Server Administrator Certification Bundle, now just £49.26 ($65) on Pocket-lint Deals.

NYC’s next subway cars have WiFi and USB ports built-in

The New York City subway system is gearing up for a major overhaul meant to bring a “modernized look and feel” to lighting, wayfinding and subway cars by the year 2020. At a press conference on Monday, Governor Andrew Guomo announced the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s $27 billion, five-year plan to add 1,025 new subway cars, more informative digital screens, better security features and — most importantly for anyone who needs to get some work done underground – WiFi and USB charging ports in the cars and stations.

“People want to work, and they want their device to work 24 hours a day,” Governor Cuomo during the event at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn. “They don’t want to have to look up. There has to be WiFi, and there need to be charging ports.”

In addition to free juice and an internet connection, the new subway cars will sport “full color digital customer information displays,” as well as new digital ad space. On a practical level, the cars will offer wider doors to expedite boarding times and up to 750 of new cars will feature an open-ended design that allows for more passenger space.

Governor Guomo’s announcement also included plans to create a new, unified design standard for all subway stations, starting with some extensive renovations at 31 key stations across the city. Like the train cars, those stations will be getting amenities like WiFi, improved cellular connections and new digital signage with real-time updates at entrances and count down clocks on the platform – all while being careful to consider each station’s “architectural legacy.” If the first phase of renovations is successful, there are plans to upgrade another 170 stations in the future.

While the plan is still in the proposal stage at this point, the MTA did manage to meet their goal of rolling out a new generation of WiFi-equipped buses on the streets of Queens earlier this year. And if the city’s LinkNYC smart kiosk plan stays on track, there will be a total of 4,550 WiFi public WiFi hot spots above ground by the year 2020 as well.

DJI drones will now get real-time wildfire alerts

DJI has added real-time wildfire alerts to its geofencing system to prevent drones from wandering into affected areas and hampering firefighting efforts. The company already upgraded its Geospatial Environment Online software earlier this month with the ability to auto-download temporary restrictions. This particular update, however, grabs wildfire info from AirMap, which gets its data straight from the Department of the Interior’s incident command system

AirMap is an app that gives drone pilots access to low-altitude navigational info. The wildfire alerts it gets from the US Department of the Interior is more up-to-date than the ones published by the Federal Aviation Administration. Wildfires tend to spread rapidly, and by the time the FAA’s notices go out, they’ve either reached other regions or are already extinguished.

If you’ll recall, the local government of California offered a $75,000 reward in 2015 to catch the drone pilots who flew their UAVs over three different forest fires. In one incident, authorities said the aerial firefighters spotted five drones flying over the area, forcing them to land their vehicles and causing a massive delay. This new feature will prevent that from happening again. Authorities can override temporary restrictions by logging into authorized DJI accounts, though, so first responders can still use DJI’s machines to assess affected locations.

Source: DJI

Apple Pay Now Available in France

Apple Pay today expanded to France, marking the availability of the payment service in a total of eight countries (via iPhoneAddict.fr). MasterCard and Visa credit and debit cards issued by Banque Populaire, Ticket Restaurant, Carrefour Banque, and Caisse d’Epargne can now be added to Apple Pay on eligible devices.

According to the Apple Pay France website, both Boon and Orange plan to add Apple Pay support in the near future, further expanding the availability of Apple Pay in the country.

Cards can be added to Apple Pay by tapping the “Add Credit or Debit Card” option in the Wallet app on a device running iOS 8.1 or later. Apple Pay works with the iPhone 6 or later or the iPhone 5 or later when using an iPhone paired with an Apple Watch. Apple Pay in apps is also available on iPads with Touch ID, including the iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, and both iPad Pro models.

Apple Pay is accepted at a wide range of retailers in France, including Bocage, Le Bon Marché, Cojean, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Fnac, Sephora, Flunch, Parkeon, Pret, and more. Apple Pay payments can also be made at any location that accepts contactless payment options.

Apple Pay is now available in the United States, the UK, China, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Singapore, and France, and Apple plans to expand the service to Hong Kong and Spain later in 2016.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
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Plex rewrites its media streaming app for Windows 10

Plex users on Windows have been stuck with an old Windows 8 app for awhile now, but that changes today. The media streaming server’s desktop app has been completely rebuilt for Windows 10 as a Universal Windows app — giving users the same Plex experience across tablet, desktop and mobile platforms. Well, almost the same experience: Plex says it’s still working on the mobile release of the UWP app, but promises it will be along soon.

Naturally, this update bakes in a few Windows 10 specific features. Specifically, Plex for Windows now boasts Cortana support — and when the mobile version of the app does launch, it’ll use Windows Continuum: the feature that allows mobile apps to morph into their full-sized desktop apps when a Windows Phone is connected to a monitor and keyboard. The app also features a new UI, and support for Plex Hubs and discovery. Ready for an upgrade? Head to the Windows Store (the listing might not be updated yet, but if you install you will get the new version) or check out the source link below.

Source: Plex, Windows Store