Get served by this tennis-instructing drone

If tennis is your game and you’re looking for help that a ball-spitting machine can’t provide, luxury gym chain Virgin Active has your back. They’ve built a drone to drop your racquet’s prey from above so you can work on your awful smash without any witnesses.

Jokes aside, any effort to integrate UAVs with training expands the frontier of technology and sports. The tennis drone hangs the ball via extremely thin string and drops it on command. It also has a downward-facing 4K camera for coaches to monitor the player’s form and technique.

Is it gimmicky? Yes — in fact, it’s just a DJI Phantom 3 commercial drone with a Virgin Active sticker on it. But it’s also a step toward drones that could fire balls toward players at angles and velocities simulating professionals’ shots. The drone is being trialled at Virgin Active’s Northwood location, so head there if you fancy trying out the future of sports training.

Via: Mashable

Source: Virgin Active (YouTube)

How to hide your porn browsing habits on your Chromebook

Cover your tracks like a Ninja with these tips for keeping your browsing habits private on your Chromebook.

The internet is filled with naked sweaty people doing naked sweaty things. It’s also used by folks who like to look at them — but don’t really want anyone else to know about it. While there’s not much you can do to make sure nobody can see where you’ve been and what you clicked on, you can erase your tracks in case someone grabs your Chromebook and looks through the history.

We talked about how to cover your tracks on Android, and most of the same principles apply for your Chromebook. Your internet service provider is always going to be able to see your first connection (so using a VPN or TOR keeps the sites you visit private, but your ISP knows you’re using a VPN or TOR through your Android phone) and the people sitting in the same room as you are going to be able to see what’s on your screen. That’s why the library frowns on folks surfing for porn on their computers. So we should never assume we’re really anonymous when we’re on the internet.

Now that your dreams of being fully incognito on the internet are ruined, let’s talk about how to cover your tracks locally when you’re using your Chromebook.

Read: Hide your porn browsing habits on Android

User accounts and passwords

You can use a Chromebook as a guest user, but that means you’re not going to be able to install extensions from the Chrome Web Store. You can sideload an unpacked extension and make it work, but there’s an easier way — anyone who might want or need to use your Chromebook can have their own local account. This works great for your partner or roommate. Not only do they have quick access to the web when they need it, but they can personalize their experience. Anything they download or install is going to take up some space, but they won’t be able to access your account data or your stuff at all. And you won’t be able to see theirs — privacy works both ways. To add a user, when you’re on the login screen click the Add person link at the bottom of the page.

The next step is to make sure you need a password when you wake up your Chromebook. Open the settings and scroll down to the People section, and you’ll see a checkbox to require a password to wake from sleep. When your Chromebook times out, or if you shut the lid, you have to type your password to do anything but look at your account picture.

Install some extensions

You can’t use a browser with “better” privacy settings on your Chromebook, but you can install some extensions to keep things as anonymous as possible. We’re focused on scrubbing your local history in this article, but it’s not unheard of for scripts and ads — especially the scummy ads that seem to always be present on porn sites — to do things like blocking your screen with pops until you click something you shouldn’t or to try and use your IP address to “remember” you the next time you visit. Advertisements, cookies and other forms of user profiling can be useful and beneficial to both the user (that’s us) and the provider but the sheer abundance of crapware and malware that is drawn to porn sites means you should never visit one without a way to try and stay safe.

I can recommend these extensions from the Chrome Web Store:

• Ghostery — Ghostery does a great job of blocking trackers that want to know where you are, what site you came from and what sites you’re going to next. They track you, which is why they are called trackers.
• Privacy Badger — This is another extension that blocks trackers from the EFF. It’s an alternative to Ghostery, but the interface is a bit more detailed and can be confusing. It’s also in beta, and sometimes beta software can be buggy. You don’t need to use Ghostery and Privacy Badger at the same time, but you can.
• Adblock Plus — Adblock Plus blocks ads. It does a damn good job at blocking ads. A gazillion users will tell you that it is a great way to block ads.
• Script Blocker — Blocks JavaScript, Java, Flash, and other plug-ins by way of a whitelist/blacklist. You might need to allow Flash or scripts to see your porn — if that happens, find a new porn site. Don’t let scripts and plug-ins run as they please.

Extensions are able to store data when you allow them in incognito mode. I feel good about recommending these and am confident that they aren’t going to expose you or your habits. Install them normally, then open your extensions page by entering chrome://extensions in the browser search bar. Find these in the list, and check the box to allow them in incognito mode.

Incognito mode

I’ve mentioned it enough times that you knew this was coming. Always use incognito mode (in tandem with some extensions to help control what the internet can do to you) when you are doing something you don’t want to be associated with your Google account.

Open the browser app on your Chromebook, and click the three dots in the upper right to open a menu. You’ll see a listing that says open a new incognito window. Click it. When it opens, go back and close the original window to be extra sure and paranoid like I am.

You can also open an incognito window directly from the desktop by pressing Control+Shift+N, but I usually forget which keys to press so I use the menu. Whichever way you do it, just do it.

Remember, that anything you download gets saved where anyone can see it, and any site you bookmark will get mixed in with your regular bookmarks (and saved to the cloud) so don’t do either.

This isn’t going to make you invisible on the internet. That’s impossible. But it will cover your tracks if someone else gets to snooping around. Stay safe.

Also, It’s OK to want to keep some things private but never forget to communicate with your loved ones. I’m a little past looking at porn on the internet, but when I do have a look at naked Twister activities I do it with my wife. It’s a lot more fun that way, and it’s easier than trying to keep secrets.

Scientists use light to nuke cancer cells in mice

In the great fight against cancer, scientists look for solutions that are both effective and less ravaging than current treatments like chemotherapy. One experimental concept, optogenetics, uses light to reduce or eliminate cancer cells. Researchers at UT San Antonio have devised a method using this school of treatment to attack inoperable or hard-to-reach tumors, which could give options to patients who were considered too high of risk to help.

The technique involves injecting the chemical compound nitrobenzaldehyde into the tumor and waiting for it to diffuse through it. Then a beam of ultraviolet light is aimed at the chemical-filled tumor, which becomes so highly acidic that it basically commits suicide, according to a UT San Antonio press release. In two hours, 95 percent of the cancer cells targeted in the test mice were dead, estimated the researcher.

While still very experimental, this method limits the treatment to a specific area, unlike chemotherapy that affects all cells in the body. Since it only requires an injection it’s also non-invasive, making it appealing for complicated areas like the brain stem or spine. There are others tinkering with optogenetic methods: Tufts University researchers injected frog embryos with genes that produced light-sensitive ion channels in tumor cells that shrunk when exposed to blue light. While both are still far from ready for human trials, they’re promising options for future patients who wouldn’t be treatable today.

Via: MedicalXpress

Source: “Photodynamic acidification therapy to reduce triple negative breast cancer growth in vivo” (study)

George Stroumboulopoulos to Kick Off Canadian ‘Takeover’ of Beats 1 Tomorrow

Canadian music and TV personality George Stroumboulopoulos will kick off a Canadian “takeover” of Beats 1 with an hourlong segment on July 2 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time, Apple has confirmed to the Financial Post.

George Stroumboulopoulos, left, and Beats 1 host Zane Lowe (Financial Post)

Part entertainment, part education, these hour-long sessions are a chance for local talent to shine a light on a particular country’s artists for people around the world, or even someone unaware down the street. Now it is Canada’s turn to take the stage for the first time.

Stroumboulopoulos most recently served as the main host of Canada’s popular Hockey Night in Canada show, but he will be replaced by his predecessor Ron MacLean as of the 2016-17 NHL season. The 43-year-old is also known as being a former VJ for Canadian music channel MuchMusic and for hosting the CBC talk show George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, formerly The Hour, from 2005 to 2014.

“People have spent decades trying to discuss who Canadians are, so it’s impossible to accomplish such a big task in one hour,” said Stroumboulopoulos, a popular voice in the country’s music scene thanks to his work at CBC Radio and MuchMusic. “What I worry about is if I can create a show that gives you an idea globally about what’s cool and what’s happening here … reflecting the coast-to-coast-to-coast of this country.”

After Stroumboulopoulos, Beats 1’s Canadian “takeover” series will continue for four successive Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time:

– July 9: Josie Dye and Dine Alone Records
– July 16: Coeur de Pirate and Dare To Care Records
– July 23: Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew representing Arts & Crafts Productions
– July 30: Metric’s Emily Haines and Last Gang Records

Beats 1 has hosted similar country “takeovers” for Australia and Japan over the past year.

Beats 1 turned one year old on Thursday. Canada celebrated its 149th birthday on Friday.

Tags: Canada, Beats 1
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NASA’s New Horizons probe is officially set to explore the Kuiper Belt

After capturing and transmitting the most detailed images of Pluto we’ve ever seen, NASA’s New Horizons space probe is getting a new mission. NASA announced today that the probe had received funding to continue its exploration of the outer reaches of our solar system. Going deeper into the Kuiper Belt, New Horizons is set to reach the small icy object known as 2014 MU69, which was first discovered by the Hubble telescope in June of 2014. This potential destination was announced last year, but now the probe has officially been given clearance to make the trip. It should arrive at 2014 MU69 on January 1st, 2019.

2014 MU69 is estimated to have a diameter of only 20 to 30 miles, making it a much smaller target than Pluto. But scientists believe that Kuiper Belt objects (KBO) like 2014 MU69 are similar to what the pieces that made up Pluto when it came together billions of years ago. And the limited amount of sunlight reaching the Kuiper Belt means that this a pretty well-preserved specimen.

Despite the fact that New Horizons is set to intercept the KBO in early 2019, the probe’s mission in full has been extended to 2012, reports The Verge. And on the trip, it’ll be collecting information about dozens of other KBOs along the way. While the images and info gathered on this trip probably won’t be quite as attention-grabbing and dramatic as the probe’s photos of Pluto were, we’re still talking about all kinds of info from a new region of space that’s a billion miles away from Pluto — there should be plenty to dissect and analyze as New Horizons makes the trip.

Via: The Verge

Source: NASA

How to use Samsung Smart Switch to backup your Galaxy phone

How do I back up my data on my Samsung Galaxy device?

Looking for a reliable way to back up the data on your Samsung Galaxy phone? Look no further than Samsung’s Smart Switch application.

Simply download the application onto your computer, connect your phone, and before too long you’ll have everything backed up in case you need to transfer your data to a new phone, or restore your phone to an older state.

• How to install Samsung Smart Switch on your computer
• How to set up Samsung Smart Switch for the first time
• How to backup your phone data with Samsung Smart Switch
• How to restore your phone from a previous backup using Samsung Smart Switch

How to install Samsung Smart Switch on your computer

We’ll show you the process for installation on Windows, but it’s a pretty standard installation process on Mac as well.

Navigate to the Samsung Smart Switch support website.
Click on the download link for Windows or Mac — whichever system you’re using. For this how-to, we’re using Windows

Click to launch the downloaded .exe file (.dmg on Mac).

Click the two check boxes to verify that you accept the terms of the licence agreement.

Click Next.

Click Finish once the installation process is complete. Smart Switch will then launch by default.

Now that we’ve installed Samsung Smart Switch, let’s set it up to connect to your Samsung Galaxy phone.

How to setup Samsung Smart Switch for the first time

Once you’ve installed the Smart Switch application, you’ll need to get it synced up with your phone.

Launch the Samsung Smart Switch application after installation or from the desktop icon on your computer.

Connect your phone to your computer via USB cable to get started. The program should instantly recognize when it’s connected. You may be prompted to allow USB file transfers on your phone.

Switching over to your phone, unlock and swipe down from the top to pull down the notification shade.

Tap the notification for other USB options.

Tap the Transferring media files option.

Switching back over to the computer, your phone should now be connected in the Smart Switch application.

How to backup your phone data with Samsung Smart Switch

Once you’ve launched the Smart Switch application and have your phone connected, backing up your data is as easy as pie.

Launch the Smart Switch app on your computer.
Click Backup.

You’ll be required to allow access permissions on your phone.

Pick up your phone.

Tap Allow.

Once the backup is complete, you get a breakdown of all the data that was successfully backed up. Click OK to finish.

How to restore your phone from a previous backup using Samsung Smart Switch

If it’s time to upgrade to a new Samsung phone or something has gone wrong, requiring you to restore your data, it’s super easy if you’ve got an existing Smart Switch backup.

Launch Samsung Smart Switch on your computer and connect your phone via USB.

Click Restore.

Click Select a different backup if you want to restore from an eariler backup, otherwise click Restore now.

You will be prompted to allow access permissions on your phone.

Switching focus to your phone, tap Allow to continue the restore process

Once the restore process is complete, you’ll get a breakdown of the data that’s been restored. Click OK to finish the restore.

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