Biggest US total solar eclipse in decades happens next year
Lunar eclipses are pretty amazing, but statistically speaking, they aren’t really all that rare. Catching a full solar eclipse, on the other hand? That’s hard. The moon blocks our planet’s view of the sun about ever year and a half — but these eclipses can typically only be seen from extremely remote locations. Next year, things will be different. On August 21st 2017, a total solar eclipse will be viewable from 14 US States in North America — marking the first time Americans have been able to see the phenomenon since 1979. If you’re reading this from the USA, that means you’re only one year and a short road trip from seeing an exclusive celestial ballet.
As the first eclipse to pass over the lower 48 US states since 1918, the event is being billed as the “Great American Total Solar Eclipse.” It won’t technically be be visible from every US state, but the eclipse will follow a diagonal path from northern Oregon, over Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee in the nation’s center and head back out to sea through South Carolina. According to Space.com, that puts over 220 million people within a one-day drive of the totality zone — directly passing over 12 states and catching the edge of an additional two.
Even if you do make the trek out, the phenomenon won’t last long — at best, the full eclipse will only last two minutes and forty seconds. Still, if you’re looking for an excuse to plan a road trip next year, a once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse is a pretty good one.
Source: Space
Microsoft will fix Surface Pro 3 battery issues through software
Microsoft was right about its hunch that Surface Pro 3 battery degradation was a software problem. The company reports that it has ruled out hardware as a cause for the shrinking battery capacity, and that it’s working on a patch that should bring your Windows tablet back to normal. You’ll get the fix as soon as it passes testing, Microsoft says. In the meantime, it’s advising against asking for a hardware replacement.
The news isn’t pleasing everyone. Surface Pro 3 owners have complained of paying steep replacement fees ($450 or more) to get new models that they’re now learning aren’t necessary. Also, some are worried that their slate’s battery will be all but useless before the patch is ready, forcing them to pay for a replacement. Will these users get compensation for their troubles? We’ve asked Microsoft what it will do, and we’ll let you know what it has to say.
Via: Panos Panay (Twitter)
Source: Microsoft Community
Six futuristic data storage technologies
By Cat DiStasio
Digital technology is taking over the world, and scientists are hard at work finding better ways to store data — lots of it and for long periods of time. Scientists are exploring new materials for data storage as well as new methods for printing data on their chosen medium. While some companies are storing data on the ocean floor, other imagineers look upward, dreaming of giant storage skyscrapers. With so many different innovations happening in such a short period of time, the race is on to unlock the keys to near-limitless data storage potential.
5D Glass Data Disc
Data storage in five dimensions, embedded in nanostructures within glass discs, could inspire the next wave in record-keeping. A research team at the University of Southampton’s Optoelectronics Research Center (ORC) created a prototype the size of a quarter that can hold 360 terabytes of data and withstand extreme heat up to 190°C (374°F). The team believes their invention could be used to store data for up to 13.8 billion years (the age of the universe, FTW) because, unlike CDs and DVDs which hold their data on the surface and are prone to scratches, the 5D glass discs protect that information within their structure, safe from bumps and scrapes.
Underwater data centers
It’s no surprise that Microsoft has tons of data to keep secure, and last year the tech giant started experimenting with putting the “cloud” deep under water. Project Natick enclosed data servers in a huge watertight capsule and sunk them beneath the waves in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Washington. After a two-month test period, the 38,000-pound steel container was brought back to the surface, where its contents — a data center with the computing power of 300 desktop PCs — were nice and dry. Learning that the concept works may lead Microsoft to someday install more underwater data centers, but for now it has no firm plans.
Iceland’s proposed data skyscraper
Still in the concept phase, this epic data-storing skyscraper was designed to be located in Iceland. The building would act as a giant cylindrical motherboard with a hollow center, allowing for plenty of natural air flow to keep the data servers cool — which shouldn’t be too big of a problem in a chilly place like Iceland. The country’s renewable energy infrastructure also means the tower could be powered by 100 percent clean energy. The design concept won third place in the 2016 eVolo Skyscraper competition, although there’s no telling if it will ever become a reality.
Hitachi’s Quartz Glass Disc
Electronics leader Hitachi produced another version of 5D glass data storage in 2012. Using binary code, researchers packed 40 megabytes of data into a one-square-inch piece of quartz glass (the type beakers are made from). At barely two millimeters thick, each square can hold the same amount of data as a CD and endure temps up to 1,832°F as well as run-ins with chemicals and water. The data can be retrieved with an optical microscope and, just like the glass panes we are all accustomed to, is perfectly transparent no matter how much data is etched into it.
Floating cantilever for low-energy devices
An international research team based in South Korea and Scotland developed a proof of concept for a new type of data storage that relies on a floating cantilever for small gadgets like cell phones and MP3 players. The self-propelled cantilever reacts to electrical currents within the device to convert this electrical information into binary code, and it’s both faster and more energy-efficient than existing technologies. Although the tech hasn’t made its way into consumer electronics yet, there’s still potential for the breakthrough to lead to more efficient data storage down the road.
Abandoned mines as data centers
While many researchers are hard at work developing new data storage devices, others are looking for better locations to put servers. Some say the answer is right beneath our feet, so to speak. Abandoned limestone mines across the country could be retrofitted into the perfect locations for underground data centers. An efficient data storage center will have a consistent cool temperature and humidity level — two requirements that lead to massive energy use above the ground. Deep inside a mine, however, the conditions are just right. At least one architectural firm, Callison, has already converted a former mine site to an underground data center somewhere in the Northeast United States, but the exact location is top secret. Talk about secure data storage.
Lyft reportedly tried to sell to Apple, Uber and others
Apparently General Motors wasn’t the only potential buyer for Lyft’s ride-sharing business. According to the New York Times, the San Francisco-based company has been trying to sell itself to everyone from Apple and Google to Amazon, Uber and Didi Chuxing — albeit without any luck. While the Times notes the company is currently sitting on $1.4 billion in cash and isn’t in any danger of shutting down, the fact that Lyft couldn’t find a buyer at it’s unicorn valuation of $5.5 billion speaks to some of the volatility left in the ride-sharing industry.
Specifically, Uber and Lyft both take anywhere from a 20 to 25 percent cut of each ride, but once you factor in marketing costs or the never-ending stream of free promotions and discounted fares, some of those rides actually net out to zero dollars in revenue for the company. Still, the Times’ sources reiterate that Lyft’s stockpile of cash is a good indicator that it’s not actually in danger of disappearing anytime soon. In May, Lyft also announced plans to test a self-driving fleet sometime in the next year, but Uber is already looking to beat it to the punch.
Source: New York Times
Oracle funds a group trying to tarnish Google’s image
It won’t shock you to hear that Oracle is nursing a grudge after it lost its big copyright case against Google. It’s pushing for a new trial, for one thing. However, the software giant is also trying to undermine its rival in roundabout ways. Oracle has confirmed to Fortune that it’s funding Campaign for Accountability, a non-profit advocacy group with a decidedly anti-Google bent. While it promotes some common causes, such as fighting “big oil” and promoting LGBT rights, it also has a Google Transparency Project that aims to “track the company’s influence” on government and personal lives. And not surprisingly, most of it is critical — the project is obsessed with the possible ethical implications of Google’s White House meetings.
Ironically, CfA isn’t very transparent about its own membership. Microsoft has explicitly denied funding the group, however, so it’s not necessarily a haven for tech giants with an axe to grind. The big concern is that Oracle will use CfA as an astroturfing (fake grassroots) weapon to undermine Google, particularly among politicians who might not either see the Oracle connection or are willing to turn a blind eye to it.
Source: Fortune, Campaign for Accountability
How did Microsoft fare at Gamescom this year?
Microsoft has a ton of Xbox exclusives in the pipeline. Gears of War 4, ReCore, Dead Rising 4, Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 3 — the list goes on. Here at Gamescom, we’ve been speaking to the developers behind each title, listening to their pitches and, in some instances, going hands-on. So what impressed us and what didn’t? I took 10 minutes with Engadget Senior Editor Aaron Souppouris to break it all down. (Hint: I really liked Scalebound…)
We’re live all week from Cologne, Germany for Gamescom 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
Grab the Honor 5X for an ultra-low $160 today from Newegg
Honor is a growing brand in North America — the Huawei sub-brand just announced that its latest flagship, the Honor 8, is coming to the U.S. at the end of the month — but it made its debut last year with a 5X.
With a 5.5-inch 1080p display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a 13MP camera, and a 3,000mAh battery, the Honor 5X has the hardware — and if you can deal with Huawei’s Emotion UI 3.1 software (which is based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow), it’s a pretty nice phone.
Right now, you can get it from Newegg for $160 including shipping using the coupon code ESCEMGE24EDU, which brings it down from its current price of $189.99. That’s a pretty great price for a decent phone, so get on it!
See at Newegg
Android 7.0: Better and more interactive notifications
Android N makes notifications more interactive and meaningful — and they can be backward compatible.
Getting notifications on your phone isn’t something new or something that started with Android. Whether we’re talking about annoying pop-up boxes or that addictive red blinking light, our phones have always been able to tell us it wants our attention.
But with Android 7.0, things are going to get a lot better, largely because developers now have more control over the way notifications are displayed.
Let’s talk about the changes and new features.
- Direct Replies are something you might have already seen on your phone with some apps. The Hangouts app is an example. If someone sends you a message in Hangouts, and you have no other pending notifications, you get a single message view that you can reply to right from the notifications shade. Since this has been possible since the original Nexus 6 launched, a good number of apps have coded it in.
These kinds of actionable notifications have been further refined in Android 7.0, and the developers can decide to add more context to the notification (think a multi-line chat history in that Hangout’s notification, for example) and keep the notification active after you reply if a return response is anticipated. You could have a running Hangouts chat, complete with history, right in your notification shade. And because it’s a native view of an app that’s already active, it’s light on resources.
- Bundled Notifications are the improved version of the “stacks” we’ve seen since Lollipop — using Nougat’s new visual styling features. This is why they may feel familiar to you — app developers have been able to implement a form of them for well over a year.
Simply, when multiple notifications for a single app are received, they can be bundled together into a single group. This group can be expanded to see the individual messages. Changes in Android N allow developers to “progressively” expand the notification stack so that they can add context to the group or each notification. That means in our Hangouts example, you could expand a notification bundle showing 3 unread messages and see the chat history for one or all of them — and with the Direct Reply feature, you could act on them.
Developers can use these new features in their apps and still be compatible with older versions of Android
These changes may feel familiar to anyone using an Android with Lollipop or higher because the behavior is built on changes made in Android 5.0 (API 21). They are also what we already use on Android Wear watches with a new visual style. Because of this, Bundled Notifications and inline Direct Replies are backward compatible with any application built for Lollipop or higher. All the developer really needs to do is check that they meet the new best practices. Even if they don’t bother, the existing API functions seamlessly call on the newer versions. This is important because the reality is that many apps we use every day rarely get updated.
Even better news is that using existing support libraries, developers can implement these changes and still have an app that works as intended for versions of Android as old as Honeycomb (Android 3.0). That’s 98.2% of all Android devices still in use.
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Notification Peeking brings back the old pop-up display for an incoming notification, but makes them smarter. A developer can use the peeking window to display the latest incoming notification of a bundled group. Our Hangouts notification is now collapsible and expandable to see content as we like, we can reply to each individual message thread and we could (if implemented by the developer) set things up so a reply can “peek” on our screen for a moment or two — and allow us to directly reply from the peeking window.
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Custom Views and Message Styles let a developer change how the notifications look for a particular app. This can be very important when you are creating bundles and peeking, and can help us as users get the right information at a glance. Message Styles allow customization of a notification’s labels, and now our Hangouts notification has a title — “Chat with Dad” or “Bad Jokes” — and if there are multiple participants, each reply could be labeled or colored.
Wrapping it all up, Custom Views allow a developer to define the artwork of a notification bundle (the icon) or define an icon for an individual notification, then use everything else without building their own user interface. A great app can have a unique notification style without worrying about how to handle replies, bundle multiple notifications into a stack and define the individual labels for each view without doing any of the heavy lifting themselves.
So far, these changes appear subtle, and that’s because we’ve only seen Google’s take on their implementation. Nobody making Android phones has to keep things low-key and mostly white, and developers now have some tools to make notifications for their apps stand out. We won’t like them all, but the next great idea can be built using these tools.
Make notifications great again.
Android Nougat
Android Nougat is the 12th nicknamed version of Android and will be released to the public in the fall of 2016. Here’s everything you need to know so far!
- What’s new in Android Nougat
- Will my phone get Android Nougat?
- All Android Nougat news
- Should you use the Android N Dev Preview?
- Join the Discussion
North Face’s Access Pack was made for obsessive gadget lovers
A lot of backpacks and messenger bags now come standard with padded laptop sleeves. Whether that’s due to most people taking a notebook or tablet with them, I don’t know, but laptop bags are a thing, with an increasingly wide range of prices, shapes and styles. The North Face Access Pack caught my attention for a couple of reasons. First, it’s an established bag and apparel maker that’s made something for people like me. The company already has several backpack designs with laptop sleeves — and even battery packs — built-in.) Then there’s the fact that it’s been sold out for a while (despite the $235 asking price) on the company’s retail site. It’s in demand. So I demanded to try one.
The bag has a rigid shell that makes it look like it’s constantly filled to the brim. It isn’t. The Access Pack is constructed from a stylish mix of grey and black nylon panels, with the padded straps making it surprisingly comfortable to carry around all day. There’s also a clasp that goes across your chest, keeping the bag high on your back. It all looks looks cooler than it has any right to — at least for a brand that many of us associate with brightly colored windbreakers and navy fleeces. All told, the rigid shape and understated (perhaps too understated) colors make for a stylish work backpack.
The backpack’s primary compartment shuts with a satisfyingly meaty latch that’s quick to operate and quicker than drawstring toggle or a zip. It folds out to reveal a surprisingly wide opening, making it easy to dip your hand in and reach around. The laptop sleeve itself is entirely separate, in a padded water-resistant, zippable pocket along the back of the bag.
This is also where you’ll find one of the Access Pack’s notable features: pull tags for the pockets. When it comes to laptops up to 15 inches big, a hardy nylon handle at the top of the sleeve pulls at the base of bag, gently drawing your laptop toward you. It’s not entirely effortless — you’ll need both hands — but the handle means the laptop smoothly slides out without having to grasp deep into the sleeve for the machine. There’s also an extra zipped compartment in the back specifically for glasses or sunglasses, with a solid enclosure to help avoid any accidents.
The bag’s structured shape comes with a cost: It weighs around 4 pounds. I otherwise haven’t paid attention to how much backpacks weigh, but when empty the Access Pack is noticeably heavier than softer backpacks I’ve owned, which might not make it not ideal for, say, a quick coffee break.
It was fortunate, then, that I was auditioning this bag as a possible new work backpack. With laptops, adapters, chargers, cameras and miscellaneous technology to test, I need a lot of pockets just to make some semblance of order from a nest of cables. Inside the main part of the bag are two phone-size pockets (spare phone, battery pack), pen holders that I didn’t trust — pens leak on me — as well as a deep internal pouch that’s good for magazines and bigger tablet models. (My iPad Mini got lost in there, if that’s any indication of what can fit inside.)
As with the laptop sleeve, North Face added pull tabs to the two phone compartments and the tablet pouch. They’re lighter, rubberized tabs that have some elasticated give. The things you’ll put in here will weigh less, obviously, but I’m cautious about how much abuse these pull tabs could take, day after day. Two weeks of daily use didn’t break anything yet. Do you need these tags? No. But the laptop assistance, in particular, helps when you’re trying to get to work in a tightly packed cafe or even on a train or plane. (I’ll admit I didn’t fly during my time with the Access Pack. Apologies.) The smaller internal tags make retrieving what’s in them just as easy as if they were in the main bag compartment; the less effort I have to make, the more organized my bag will be.
There’s also a stretchy pouch just underneath the aforementioned latch that serves as an excellent pocket shrapnel and gum receptacle. Yes, I’m running out of synonyms for space, but we’re almost done. There’s also a pair of zipped pockets at the front. They’re both relatively narrow but deep, and while they overlap with one another, they’re completely separate: good for cables, maps and other slim items.
The hard thing about assessing backpacks is that how you use it (and when, where) inform what you look for in a bag. Everyone’s different. There’s no built-in battery pack for charging your phone, although there are plenty of pouches to store one, and the shell means it seems to bump into things and people moreso than other bags I’ve used. Those smartphone pockets are a little too tight for phones around the size of a Galaxy Note 7, and there’s no way of securing the main compartment; at least if there were zips, you could lock them together. (Yes, you can do that for the laptop part.)
The Access Pack is classy-looking bag whose design is centered around gadget storage and removal. However, you have to consider whether these convenient features — and modern looks — warrant a $235 upgrade. They don’t quite cut it for me.
Source: The North Face
‘Outreach’ is a space adventure game set in the Cold War
A renewed interest in spaceflight has sparked a wave of video games looking at the harsh realities of living in space. We’ve had Adrift, a near-future survival epic similar to the film Gravity, and soon Tacoma, a story-driven exploration game set inside a space station in 2088. Now, you can add another title to that list: Outreach, the first game from independent developer Pixel Spill. Whereas Adrift and Tacoma are set in the distant future, Outreach looks to the past, exploring the tail-end of the pivotal “space race” that took place between the US and the Soviet Union.
Presented from a first-person perspective, you play as a lone cosmonaut that’s been sent into space to investigate a military station. Russian officials have lost contact with the people on board, so it’s unclear if the crew is alive or how much of the craft is still intact. If you think that sounds like the opening of Dead Space, a horror-centric game from 2008, you’re absolutely right. But the two games are vastly different, both in their scope and subject matter. In Outreach, you have to quietly float inside and outside the space station, looking for objects and conducting repairs set out by ground control.
Look closer and you’ll see evidence of a mission that doesn’t jive with what the Russian government has been telling you. Audio logs, written documents and personal items will shed light on the different crew members and their experiences on board the ship. Pixel Spill says it’s a political game about propaganda and how technological innovation was presented near the end of the Cold War. You’ll begin to question the orders given by your superiors, and have to decide which account — the official line, or the fragmented one being told by the environment — is correct.
“In that way, we’re hoping to emulate the kind of political and broadcast environment that was present in the 1980s on Earth, during the Cold War,” Pixel Spill’s Christopher Bingham told me at Gamescom. “We’re creating a microcosm of that media frenzy when you weren’t really sure what was true and what wasn’t, and what either side were working on.”
The small, British developer says the game is a little like Gone Home, the critically acclaimed walking simulator by Fullbright. Bingham said there’s also “a bit of L.A. Noire” in its DNA, because you’ll be acting as a detective and asking questions as you spend more time in space. I would also compare it to Bioshock, because the story encourages the player to doubt their mission and the person they’re constantly communicating with.
“At the end of the game you’ll be asked to make a decision that has consequences,” Bingham hinted. “If we’ve done our jobs correctly, that decision is going to be different for different players. It will be emotional and entirely removed from gameplay — it won’t be a decision about winning or losing or unlocking some new mode. It will be a decision that you’ve reached as an individual based on what and how much you’ve discovered while you’ve been on the station, as well as which characters you believe.”
The team has spent countless hours striving for historical authenticity. The story is mostly fictional — it builds on a few conspiracy theories about “lost” missions that were never disclosed by the USSR — but it’s rooted in the technology and politics of the time. Pixel Spill’s artists have looked at the suits and spacecraft designs of the 1980s, and replicated them with just a dash of creative license. Unlike most space games, which feature fantastical technology, Pixel Spill wants everything to feel real and rudimentary. Storage panels creak and transmitters frequently fall offline. You’re always one small break or technical fault away from death.
The time period and its technological shortcomings are exposed during space walks too. If you lose your grip or jump in a peculiar direction, you’ll die instantly — there are no chords or thrusters to save you. Handles will glow when they’re close enough to grab and you’ll need to judge when to push off and drift to another part of the space station. The astronaut will float in a straight line with zero opportunity for course correction. To survive, you’ll need to execute each jump with expert precision.
There’s no oxygen supply to worry about, however, and no hands to show what you’re holding onto. Both omissions, while disappointing, are realities of the game’s budget and the size of Pixel Spill’s team. With only 10 employees — a bunch of which are part-timers — it’s decided to focus on the atmosphere and story instead. Bingham said: “A technique like that, it looks great but it doesn’t necessarily add anything to the gameplay, and we have to weigh up as a small team whether it’s going to be feasible.”
If Outreach was set in modern times, it would feel pretty uninspired. Pixel Spill has been smart to choose an era largely unexplored in video games, and focus on a nation that is often ignored or conveyed as the villain in pop culture. The Soviet Union played an integral part in the space race — it put the first human in space and conducted the first space walk, after all. These achievements were conducted above a fragile and ever-changing political landscape, one filled with dangerous and distrusting nations. Presenting that tension through the eyes of an astronaut could, if done correctly, provide a fascinating story and perspective for the player. I can’t wait.
We’re live all week from Cologne, Germany for Gamescom 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
Source: Outreach
