ICYMI: Charging lights with foot power
Today on In Case You Missed It: EnGoPlanet is testing streetlights powered by both kinetic footpads and solar panels, placed in a plaza in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the Panther is a military-style drone that can both drive on the ground and fly through the air, while carrying up to 15 pounds of gear.
The guys and girls of Engadget video are stoked about the Beauty and the Beast live-action movie reboot from Disney; the new trailer is here just fyi. The determined garbage kid is here and the AP video of stranded cows is here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for mskerryd.
‘Super Mario Run’ arrives on iPhone and iPad December 15th
At the iPhone 7 event, Apple and Nintendo revealed that Mario would make his way to iOS devices this December. Well, today Nintendo revealed the exact date: December 15th. That’s the day Super Mario Run will be available to play on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The app can be downloaded for free, but you’ll only be able to play parts of the game’s three modes without handing over additional funds. To unlock the full game, you’ll have to pay $10.
When the time comes, Super Mario Run will be available in 151 countries (full list here) and 10 languages including English, Japanese, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Russian and traditional Chinese. If you happen to live in one of those locales, you’ll just need to make sure you have a device that runs iOS 8.0 or later in order to leap over obstacles, take on enemies and collect coins in a few weeks.
Don’t worry, Android faithful: Nintendo says you’ll get a chance to play the mobile game as well. Unfortunately, the company hasn’t announced when, just the vague “at some point in the future.”
Source: Nintendo (Business Wire)
Google wants to share VR with one million UK school kids
As virtual reality becomes more and more popular, companies are looking at new ways to integrate it into people’s everyday lives. Google, for instance, is keen to ensure that children grow up enjoying the benefits of VR, so the search giant has committed to bringing the technology to one million UK schoolchildren. Google CEO Sundar Pichai, in his first visit to Britain since becoming chief, confirmed that the company will offer VR training and resources via its Expeditions programme, allowing teachers to take their students on virtual field trips from the comfort of the classroom.
“Virtual reality can spark students’ imagination and help them learn about topics like how blood flows through the human body or the impact climate change is having on the Great Barrier Reef, in an engaging and immersive way,” Pichai said. “We’ve already received feedback from thousands of teachers in the UK and they believe that Expeditions can improve literacy and writing skills, and help create excitement to complement traditional teaching methods.”
Google’s no stranger to learning experiences for kids. Its Project Blok’s toys help children learn how to code and this past summer, the company put on a number of Summer Squad coding sessions for kids between 8-13. That’s not forgetting its YouTube Kids app, science camps in the US and the 15,000 Raspberry Pis it gave to UK schools back in 2013.
Google Expeditions are open and free to any UK school. To champion the virtual reality app, the Google Expeditions team will visit Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, Newcastle and Inverness in the next couple of months, providing headsets to children who may otherwise have never had the opportunity to enjoy it.
HP’s tiny Xeon-powered PC puts the Mac Mini to shame
HP has unveiled the Z2 Mini, a mini PC that packs workstation-class parts, including an Intel Xeon CPU, NVIDIA Quadro mobile M620 graphics and M.2 SSD tech. By using powerful notebook-sized parts, it squeezed that power into a 2.3-inch-high case that’s “90 percent smaller than a traditional business-class tower,” HP wrote. In its top configuration, the device is twice as powerful as any mini PC on the market, letting it run up to six displays in a stock configuration.
The Z2 Mini is 63 percent quieter than HP’s business-class mini PCs, thanks to a custom cooling system. The PC maker hyperbolically describes the engineering, saying “the octagon form of the Z2 Mini is the most uniquely designed workstation in HP’s 35 years of workstation history.” HP is targeting CAD, design, graphics and 3D users, though it could make a decent gaming rig in some configurations.
Spec-wise, it comes with up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM and an HP Z Turbo Drive, with M.2 SSD read speeds over 1GB/s and a capacity up to 1.5TB. You can get one with an Intel Core i7, i5, or i3 CPU, or pay more (presumably a lot more) for Intel’s Xeon E3-1200v5 family, normally used in workstations and servers.
Another option is NVIDIA’s mobile M620 Quadro GPU with 2GB of VRAM, also geared toward workstations and officially approved for pro apps like Autocad and 3DS max. However, it doesn’t meet NVIDIA’s “VR Ready” criteria, so it’s not certified with the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, and would probably allow middling gaming performance, at best.
The Z2 Mini is missing a few other features, too. While USB-C is available, it doesn’t have a Thunderbolt 3 port, limiting drive options for video editors. And while it has three DisplayPort slots, it lacks an HDMI port (though USB-C can be adapted for that purpose).
As for the price, the compact PC starts at $699, which probably gets you an Intel Core i3 configuration without discreet graphics. Intel hasn’t said how much a stouter setup will cost, but it probably runs over double that with workstation components. If you’re in the market for a small, powerful PC and are tired of waiting for the next Mac Mini, however, it may be your best option. HP said it should arrive to market in December — hopefully we’ll get a better look at it before then.
Source: HP
NVIDIA helps the US build an AI for cancer research
Microsoft isn’t the only big-name tech company using AI to fight cancer. NVIDIA is partnering with the US Department of Energy and the National Cancer Institute to develop CANDLE (Cancer Distributed Learning Environment), an AI-based “common discovery platform” that aims for 10 times faster cancer research on modern supercomputers with graphics processors. The hardware promises to rapidly accelerate neural networks that can both spot crucial data and speed up simulations.
CANDLE will tackle three core problems. It’ll sift through genomic data to find the genetic signatures in cancer DNA and RNA that predict their response to treatments. The AI will also automatically extract and study “millions” of patient records to understand how cancer spreads and reoccurs, and accelerate the simulation of protein interactions to see how they create the conditions for cancer.
The partners haven’t said when they expect CANDLE to be ready, and it could be a while after that happens before you see the practical results. As with other AI-based medical research (including Microsoft’s), its effectiveness still depends on humans — they have to ask the right questions and collect the right data. If everything goes as intended, however, scientists could spend less time waiting for key observations and more time treating diseases.
Source: NVIDIA Newsroom
Marvel’s ‘The Inhumans’ will premiere in IMAX before its TV debut
Marvel is turning The Inhumans into a TV series for ABC, but it will premiere on a screen much bigger than that 65-inch mammoth in your living room. The first two episodes of the series, shot entirely with IMAX digital cameras, will be exclusively shown in IMAX theaters worldwide for two whole weeks before the show starts airing on the network. Since they want you to rewatch those two episodes on ABC anyway — unlike Marvel’s Netflix titles, The Inhumans is a weekly show — the network will air exclusive scenes not included in the cinematic versions. Marvel TV, its parent company Disney and IMAX are co-financing the project, and its success could lead to similar tactics for future titles.
The Inhumans will feature a group of scientific test subjects who developed superpowers and now live as an extraterrestrial society outside the planet. We still don’t know which characters will show up, but we’ll likely hear more about the show before it starts airing. It will premiere in IMAX in early September 2017 and will begin airing on ABC in the fall.
Source: Marvel
Xbox One gets over-the-air DVR through a set-top box
Just because Microsoft has ruled out an Xbox One DVR feature doesn’t mean that you’re without choices. Nuvyyo has introduced an Xbox One (and Windows 10 Anniversary Update) version of its Tablo app, letting you watch and record over-the-air TV streamed from the company’s networked set-top box. You’ll get the “majority” of features you see on other platforms, including a TV guide as well as options to pause live shows and skip ads.
As always, the only real gotcha is the cost. The Tablo DVR’s entry two-tuner model officially costs $220 (a four-tuner version is $300), and the TV guide requires a subscription ($5 per month, $50 per year or $150 lifetime) if you plan to use it. If you’re a cord-cutter and want to use your Xbox as your central media hub, though, the up front price may be small compared to what you save by ditching cable or satellite.
Source: Tablo
Nintendo Announces ‘Super Mario Run’ Will Launch on December 15 for $9.99
Nintendo today confirmed that its iOS endless runner game, Super Mario Run, will launch on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch on December 15 for $9.99, a price that will allow users “full access” to the game’s three modes. Players will also be able to download the game for free, gaining limited access to elements from each mode so that they can try out the game before deciding whether or not they want to buy it.
“The wait is almost over for a Super Mario game that can be played on mobile devices,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Developed under the direction of Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, Super Mario Run brings a new take on the series’ beloved action-platforming gameplay to iPhone and iPad for the first time.”
The game will be compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices running iOS 8 or later, and launch in 151 countries on December 15. Additionally, Super Mario Run will support the following languages: English, Japanese, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Russian and traditional Chinese.
The game was first announced at Apple’s September 7 iPhone event, and will have Mario running to the right with users tapping to make him jump and avoid enemies in order to complete each level.
Tags: Nintendo, Super Mario Run
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15-Inch MacBook Pro With Touch Bar Has Non-Removable SSD
While the new entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro with function keys has a removable SSD, the same cannot be said for the Touch Bar model.
MacRumors reader Jesse D. unscrewed the bottom lid on his new 15-inch MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar and discovered, unlike the 13-inch model sans Touch Bar, there is no cutout in the logic board for removable flash storage. Another reader said the 13-inch model with a Touch Bar also has a non-removable SSD.
Given the SSD appears to be permanently soldered to the logic board, MacBook Pro with Touch Bar owners will be unable to upgrade the notebook’s flash storage beyond Apple’s 512GB to 2TB built-to-order options during the online ordering process. It also increases the importance of backing up data in case of hardware failure.
These are the first MacBook Pro models to ship with non-removable SSDs, following in the footsteps of the 12-inch MacBook.
The photos also show “pretty large, nearly index finger width gaps” around the battery cells, possibly to keep the MacBook Pro’s overall weight lower and to encourage better airflow. The fan placement and internal layout of Touch Bar models is significantly different than the standard function key model.
Official teardowns from the likes of iFixit and OWC should confirm and provide a better look at the non-removable SSDs.
Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer’s Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
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Twitter Addresses Anti-Harassment Concerns With New Mute Filter and Reporting Features
Almost three months after news first broke that Twitter was planning to launch new features in order to address a bevy of concerns leveled at the company in regards to bullying and harassment among its users, the company today announced the launch of a few anti-abuse steps it’ll be taking to make its platform more inclusive. The final product is slightly different from what was detailed in August, and comes as a simple expansion of Twitter’s pre-existing “mute” ability.
Whereas mute was limited to entire accounts before, now users will be able to mute keywords, phrases, and even entire conversations within notifications in Twitter. This way, users can block specific content they don’t want to be notified about, without having to completely mute an entire account. The expansion of mute is still a step behind third-party apps like Tweetbot, which let users mute words, hashtags, and users everywhere they appear on Twitter, not just in notifications.
The amount of abuse, bullying, and harassment we’ve seen across the Internet has risen sharply over the past few years. These behaviors inhibit people from participating on Twitter, or anywhere. Abusive conduct removes the chance to see and share all perspectives around an issue, which we believe is critical to moving us all forward. In the worst cases, this type of conduct threatens human dignity, which we should all stand together to protect.
Because Twitter happens in public and in real-time, we’ve had some challenges keeping up with and curbing abusive conduct. We took a step back to reset and take a new approach, find and focus on the most critical needs, and rapidly improve. There are three areas we’re focused on, and happy to announce progress around today: controls, reporting, and enforcement.
The company also announced, although vaguely, a new way for users to report abuse that violates Twitter’s parameters for prohibiting harmful language “that targets people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or disease.” It’s unclear how this update differs from Twitter’s current “report Tweet” option, but the company said that it offers “a more direct way” for users to report negative conduct when they see it happening.
The process behind the anti-harassment move at Twitter has gotten an overhaul as well, with retrained support teams ready to address user reports of bad behavior, and also overhauled system tools so its employees can “deal more effectively with this conduct when it’s reported.” Twitter said that its goal is “a faster and more transparent process,” with the final outcome aimed to be a “culture of collective support on Twitter.”
All the same, the company noted that it understands such improvements won’t stop hate speech overnight, or “suddenly remove abusive conduct from Twitter. No single action by us would do that. Instead we commit to rapidly improving Twitter based on everything we observe and learn.” The new features will begin appearing on Twitter for iOS, Android, and the web in the coming days. More information on how to install mute keywords and Twitter’s hateful conduct policy can be found in the company’s help center.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Tag: Twitter
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