The Grand Tour more popular than Game of Thrones, to pirates at least
Amazon’s The Grand Tour is reported the most illegally downloaded TV show of all time, beating Game of Thrones to the unwanted pinnacle of the piracy charts.
Data analyst Muso told the Daily Mail that the first episode alone had been illegally downloaded 7.9 million times. In comparison, one of the previous record holders, Game of Thrones season four episode seven, was illegally downloaded 1.5 million times in a similar time frame.
Episode two of The Grand Tour was downloaded 6.4 million times, while episode three was pirated 4.6 million times.
Torrenters in the UK have been the most active, with the country making up 13.7 per cent of the overall download total.
Amazon is yet to reveal its official, legal viewing figures for The Grand Tour but did reveal that it the first episode was the “biggest show premiere ever on Amazon Prime Video, breaking records around the world.”
- When is The Grand Tour on TV and how can I watch it?
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Even just counting those who have seen it illegally, Clarkson, May and Hammond have trounced their old programme. The first episode of the new Top Gear was watched by 4.3 million viewers, with the second dipping to 2.8 million.
Muso chief Chris Elkins was taken aback by the figures. “It is the most illegally downloaded programme ever. It is off the scale in terms of volume,” he said.
“It has overtaken every big show, including Game Of Thrones, for the totals across different platforms. We monitor thousands of campaigns and this one really stands out.”
Super Nintendo World coming to Universal Studios Japan
Nintendo will launch the Super Nintendo World park attraction at Universal Studios Japan, the two companies revealed. The themed area will open in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with similar attractions coming later to Hollywood and Orlando in the US. Nintendo first revealed news of the attractions last year, and in November announced the three locations. It has now added more details, saying the park attraction will have “state-of-the-art rides, interactive areas, shops and restaurants, all featuring Nintendo’s most popular characters and games.”
Naturally, that means Super Mario and associated friends, along with other “globally popular Nintendo characters,” according to Nintendo. The teaser image in the tweet below shows Mario and Luigi, and if you zoom in a bit, you can see Disney-like mascots for Peach and Toad. It also shows the castles of Princess Peach and Bowser on each side of the park. The characters and attractions will be developed “at the highest level of quality” by Universal Studios and Nintendo’s creative fellow (and gaming talent judge) Shigeru Miyamoto himself.
The price of the development is expected to exceed 50 billion yen, or around $433 million, the companies say. The attraction will use Universal Studios Japan land currently designated for parking and future expansion. Nintendo optimistically estimates that Super Nintendo World will bring over a million jobs to Japan within a decade after it opens.
#SUPERNINTENDOWORLD featuring attractions based on many Nintendo titles is coming to Universal Studios Japan! pic.twitter.com/NcmxK0GAZ6
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) December 12, 2016
Via: Polygon
Source: Nintendo (Twitter), Universal Studios
NASA is helping Stephen Hawking get a tiny ship to Alpha Centauri
NASA is helping Stephen Hawking and Russian venture capitalist Yuri Milner with the monumental task of getting a tiny probe to Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to Earth. Project Starshot aims to propel a lightweight silicon “StarChip” to one-fifth the speed of light by hitting it with lasers from Earth, getting it to the star within 20 years. The space agency will help solve one of the thorniest problems — the intense radiation of interstellar travel.
To accelerate it a chip with lasers to 134 million mph — 1000 times faster than a regular spacecraft could go — it has to be feather light. That means that radiation shielding is out of the question, as it would add too much additional weight, NASA believes. Another option, changing the chip’s route to Alpha Centauri to avoid radiation, would add time without significantly decreasing the radiation problem.
NASA and researchers from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) think that the best option might be “self-healing” transistors. The team tested an experimental gate-all-around nanowire transistor to see if it could self-heal from radiation damage. Such chips can be used for both flash memory and logic transistors, and would be ideal for the project, according to KAIST researchers. That’s because they have very small 20-nanometer features, making them both lightweight and relatively impervious to cosmic rays.
On such chips, the logic gate completely surrounds the nanowire channel, so by adding an extra contact, you can pass current through the gate and heat it up. That causes a heating and cooling “annealing” effect, restoring the functionality of a chip that has been damaged by ionizing radiation. “Therefore, the lifetime of devices can be extended, which opens an opportunity for nano-spacecraft sustainable for more than 20 years of deep space exploration,” according to the paper.
There’s a lot more experimentation required to prove conclusively that it works, but it’s a step in the right direction. It’s also just one of a huge number of other potential problems that need to be solved before the chip can be laser-beamed on its way (see the animation video, above).
It’s worth the effort, however, as we’re lucky enough to have a three-star system (completely with a potentially habitable planet) so close to Earth. If they succeed, it would represent a huge breakthrough in space travel, and you might even get to see it in your lifetime.
Via: Independent
Source: Spectrum IEEE
Google Home now integrates with Netflix and Google Photos
You can now ask Google Assistant to play your favorite shows on Netflix.
Last week, Google rolled out third-party integration for Google Home through Actions on Google, giving developers the ability to build conversational interfaces and integrate their services with the Google Assistant.
With Google Home offering fairly limited support for third-party content, the goal with Actions is to boost the extensibility of the Google Assistant by enabling it to hook into more services. Google demoed Netflix integration on Google Home during the October 4 launch event, and now the integration is live on the device.
You can now link your Netflix account with Google Home and play TV shows and movies to a Chromecast or a Cast-enabled device by issuing voice commands. Google Photos is also integrated with Home, allowing you to see your photos on your TV. To set up the integration, you’ll have to navigate to the Videos and Photos section under Google Home’s settings.
Even though I was able to link my Netflix account with Google Home, I didn’t have any luck getting Assistant to stream content to my TV. It looks like Google is yet to enable server-side integration, so it may be a few days before you can ask Google to stream The Crown on Netflix using your voice.
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Researchers digitally reconstruct the face of a legendary Scottish king
Robert the Bruce, a medieval warrior and hero-king of the Scottish people, is something of an enigma. While his exploits in battle against both domestic rivals and British occupiers have been well-documented, descriptions of his physical appearance have long been lost to history. But thanks to a collaborative effort between researchers at the University of Glasgow and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), we may finally know what he looked like.
The research team, led by University of Glasgow professor, Dr. Martin MacGregor, based its CGI reconstruction on a skull cast from the Hunterian Museum at London’s Royal College of Surgeons. This skull purportedly once belonged to Robert the Bruce. “The skull was excavated in 1818-19 from a grave in Dunfermline Abbey, mausoleum of Scotland’s medieval monarchs,” Dr MacGregor explained in a statement. “After the excavation the original skeleton and skull were sealed in pitch and reburied, but not before a cast of the head was taken.”
Using this cast, the researchers were able to accurately reconstruct both the muscle structure and determine the overlying facial features — much like the LJMU team did when English King Richard III’s skull was discovered under a parking lot in 2012. Unfortunately, since the teams were working with a cast rather than the actual bone itself, they could not extract DNA from it to establish hair, eye or skin color. Still, this is the most “realistic appearance of Robert the Bruce to-date, based on all the skeletal and historical material available,” according to Professor Caroline Wilkinson, Director of LJMU’s Face Lab. “There have also been a number of advances in facial reconstruction techniques since previous depictions of this Scottish hero, including better facial feature prediction and more advanced CGI.”
The reconstruction shows that Robert the Bruce would have been a powerfully-built man but not altogether healthy. Historians have long suspected that Robert suffered a chronic ailment, possibly leprosy, given the disfigurement to the cast’s the upper jaw and nose. So, the research team worked that affliction into their CGI reconstruction as well.
“The case of Richard III revealed how far the technology had advanced,” Dr. MacGregor explained. “I saw an opportunity to apply the technology to the Hunterian skull held here at Glasgow: first to test the credibility of its connection to Bruce, and then to try to add to our knowledge of Scotland’s greatest king.”
Source: University of Glasgow
University of Michigan teams with Google to track Flint water crisis
Thanks to the prolific ineptitude of elected officials, the water in Flint, Michigan has been tainted with lead and undrinkable for more than a year. And while the federal government has, just last week, finally gotten around to earmarking $170 million for infrastructure improvements in the blighted city, tangible relief for its residents is still months if not years away. A new app developed by the University of Michigan with backing by Google will help those living in Flint track the rebuilding progress.
Computer science researchers at U of M’s Flint and Ann Arbor campuses developed the Mywater-Flint app (as well as a website) with financial and technical support from the internet search giant. The app will provide tools so that residents can monitor water-testing results and the progress of pipeline replacements. Water and filter distribution centers will also be highlighted. The app can even predict where lead contamination levels are highest, based on the age and value of a home (hint: it’s the oldest houses in the poorest neighborhoods).
Hopefully, this new service will provide a modicum of transparency for those affected by the crisis, though given how little progress has been made to date, any insights gleaned going forward likely won’t do much to dissuade the public’s just and righteous anger with their elected officials.
Via: Popular Mechanics
Source: Mywater
Apple Reseller B&H Says BeatsX Earphones Delayed At Least 2-3 Months
Apple’s new BeatsX wireless earphones remain listed as “coming this Fall” on its website in the United States, despite just nine days remaining before the first official day of winter in the northern half of the world.
Now, we have reason to believe Apple may miss this target. In an email to a customer this weekend, authorized reseller B&H Photo Video said Apple has informed them shipping will not begin for at least 2-3 months.
This email is being sent in regards to your order for 1 of the Beats by Dr. Dre BeatsX In-Ear Headphones (Black).
We regret to inform you that the manufacturer has informed us that they still do not know when they will begin shipping this item but they do know that it will take at least 2-3 months. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this delay has caused you.
If the timeline holds true, BeatsX shipments would not begin until around February or March. Apple could still release BeatsX earphones on its website ahead of time, before providing shipments to B&H Photo Video, but a 2-3 month gap before third-party sales begin would be unusual for an Apple product.
Apple announced the BeatsX at its iPhone 7 event in September alongside its AirPods, which were also delayed beyond their planned late October launch and have yet to become available. Apple pundit John Gruber cited manufacturing issues at scale with AirPods, so perhaps Apple is facing similar issues with BeatsX pairs.
In terms of AirPods, Gruber loosely said he has heard from at least one source who pointed to a launch in the next week or so, although Gruber is not ruling out a launch in January or later. Listen to the latest episode of The Talk Show podcast, where he and guest Glenn Fleishman discuss the topic around the 76:35 mark.
New versions of Beats Solo3 and Powerbeats3 headphones powered by Apple’s new W1 chip were released in September and October respectively.
(Thanks, Christian!)
Tags: Beats, BeatsX
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These are the Snapchat Spectacles
Snapchat Spectacles is the first wearable from Snapchat. It basically looks like a regular pair of sunglasses, but comes with a built-in camera lens that lets you record up to 10 second videos and then share on the social media platform. These aren’t the easiest to get your hands on, but we were finally able to do so. Here is our first impressions as we unbox the Snapchat Spectacles!
A lot of people enjoy using Snapchat, and the Spectacles offer a new and fantastic way to share things from your perspective, quite literally. You can record 10 second snaps using the glasses, and the video will then be sent to the app, from where you can either send it to anyone on your Snapchat or share it to your “My Story.”
As mentioned, the Spectacles are really hard to get, given that they are sold via vending machines, called Snapbots, that pop up around your city. The Snapchat Spectacles website features a “Find a Bot” section with a countdown timer, and once the timer hits zero, a random location is mentioned which tells you where you can find the Snapbot. I’ve tried three times to get to the vending machine and have waited in line for hours on end without success, and I was finally lucky enough to get one.
The Spectacles come in a yellow case that also doubles as a charging dock. Once you run out of battery on the glasses, you can put them back in the case, that has connector pins on the corner, to charge them.
In the box is the setup guide, which says that you need to hit the button on the glasses and then open the Snapchat app and connect to it via a code that it generates. It uses Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to connect, and the Spectacles are compatible with both iOS and Android devices. Also included in the package is a cleaning cloth which takes the shape of the Snapchat ghost, as well as a proprietary charging cable.
Once the glasses are paired to the phone, you can start taking 10-second snaps with it by using the button on the top left side. As far as comfort when wearing the glasses is concerned, something to keep in mind is that only one size is available for the Spectacles, so it may end up being a touch small and in my case, I do feel a slight pinching on the sides. There are also black bars on the insides that tend to block your peripheral vision, which isn’t necessarily distracting, but something you definitely do notice.
In the Android app, you will find all the snaps you’ve taken using the glasses in the Memories section. There will be a new section just for the Spectacles, and you will be able to select what snaps to send out to other users or share on My Story.
When you look at the video in the Memories section, you will see a snap that is full screen and traditional looking. However, if you save it to your Gallery or send it to other users, it will put a circular crop on the video, which is a little bit distracting. I would have preferred being able to send the full video without the circular crop. Hopefully this is something that will be included later on, because the camera obviously takes full video, and it is in the app that the circular crop is added.
On the right side of the spectacles is an indicator that tells people when you are recording something, which helps alleviate some privacy concerns, with them not having to worry about being recorded without their knowledge. You get to see a light as well on the left side, so you know when the glasses have stopped recording.
Tapping twice on the side will also tell you how much battery is left. I haven’t been using the Snapchat Spectacles long enough to arrive at a definite conclusion, but from what I’ve seen so far, and from what I’ve heard from other users, the battery life is pretty good.
These are sunglasses, so it isn’t a good idea to wear them when the sun goes down or while indoors, where it will obscure your vision. Of course, there will definitely be situations where you will want to take snaps, so the best idea here will be to just hold up the glasses and take a shot, instead of wearing them.
So there you have it for this first look at Snapchat Spectacles! Stay tuned as we bring you the full review that will be coming up shortly, and until then, you can also follow me on Snapchat over the weekend too see what the snaps from the Snapchat Spectacles look like.
Amazon Prime Video Now Supports HTML5 Playback in Safari
Amazon Prime Video’s HTML5 video player now supports Safari on Mac, as spotted by Reddit user netmute over the weekend.
Amazon Prime Video previously required downloading the Microsoft Silverlight plugin for playback in Safari, or switching to an alternative browser such as Chrome or Firefox, which already supported HTML5.
Some users on Reddit reported that, while HTML5 is now supported, AirPlay Mirroring and Picture in Picture functionality is lacking.
Tags: HTML5, Safari, Amazon Prime Video
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Apple Addresses iCloud Calendar Spam With New ‘Report Junk’ Option
Apple has added a “Report Junk” option to iCloud.com to help combat a recent increase in calendar spam, as noticed by a Reddit user over the weekend.
Now, when an iCloud user receives an unsolicited calendar invite from a sender who is not a contact, the event can be double clicked on and reported as junk.
Clicking on “Report Junk” opens a window confirming the invitation has been reported as junk. Junk invitations are automatically deleted from the calendar, and the sender’s details are presumably reported to Apple for further investigation. There is also a “Not Junk” option if users make a mistake.
The option is currently only available on iCloud.com, but a Reddit user claims an Apple Support representative informed him it will be rolling out to the Calendar app on iOS, and presumably Mac, soon—which would make sense.
iCloud calendar spam is nothing new, but there was a major uptick in spam leading up to the Black Friday shopping holiday in November. The spam invites appear to originate mainly from Chinese email addresses, advertising questionable discounts on products such as Ray-Ban and Oakley sunglasses.
Late last month, an Apple spokesperson apologized and said the company is working to block spam calendar invites.
We are sorry that some of our users are receiving spam calendar invitations. We are actively working to address this issue by identifying and blocking suspicious senders and spam in the invites being sent.
iCloud users should not click on Accept, Decline, or Maybe if they receive a spam calendar invite, as choosing any of these options simply notifies the spammer that the account is active and ready for more unsolicited offers.
Instead, there are two fixes. First, users can navigate to the iCloud.com settings and choose to receive all event invitations as email. Second, users can create a new calendar, name it Spam, move the spam invitation to the Spam calendar, and then delete the calendar entirely. Follow these step-by-step instructions.
Tag: iCloud
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