Science Space Tech

NASA launches $5 million contest to find CubeSats for deep space missions

As reported on Engadget. by Mariella Moon Attention, scientists, hobbyists and anyone in between who can design a mean CubeSat, or a mini cube-like satellite, for space exploration: registration is now open for NASA’sCube Quest contest, and the agency’s giving out cash prizes worth a total of $5 million. NASA’s no stranger to holding competitions in an effort to tap into the brilliant minds of folks outside their roster of employees, but this one is…

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Culture Hardware Dev Tech

Soundhawk’s smart earpiece tunes out noise to augment your hearing

As reported on Engadget. BY CHRIS VELAZCO We’ve all been there. You’re standing around, trying to have a conversation — meaningful or otherwise — but that wretched, raucous noise means all you can do is cock your head and mouth “I can’t hear you!” to your friend. San Francisco-based startup Soundhawk doesn’t want that to ever happen again. The team can’t boost your hearing to Superman-esque levels, but with a new $299 gadget they can at least augment…

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Culture Entertainment Story Tech

France is the first team to benefit from goal-line tech at the World Cup

As reported on Engadget. BY MAT SMITH  Well, the above image might look pretty straightforward, but when the shot from France’s Karim Benzema bounced off the far post and deflected off the keeper into goal, in the midst of a World Cup match, there was more than a little confusion. The referee asked for clarification through the newly instituted goal-line technology, which initially (and confusingly) ruled ‘No goal’. However, that was for the initial rebound, not when it bounced…

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Tech

Broadcom’s new chip lets your phone use any wireless charging standard

As reported on Engadget. BY JON FINGAS Wonder why only a handful of mobile devices support wireless charging? It’s partly because the standards are horribly fragmented: companies have to choose between technologies like PMA, Rezence and Qi, and it’s not clear which of those will last. Broadcom might put the issue to bed with its new (and awkwardly titled) BCM59350 chip, though. The hardware lets gadgets charge using any existing wireless technology — you won’t have to hunt for specific charging pads.…

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Random Tech

IBM’s Watson computer makes a delicious BBQ sauce

As reported on Engadget. BY JON FINGAS We know through first-hand experience that IBM’s Watson supercomputer can make a fine meal, but it’s apparently an ace at condiments, too. Fast Company has tried Bengali Butternut BBQ Sauce, a recipe chosen by Watson to maximize flavor through complimentary (and fairly uncommon) ingredients. The result is a “delicious” concoction unlike what you’d normally throw on your food — butternut and white wine give it a sweet taste, while tamarind and Thai chiles…

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Business History Tech

AI algorithm takes seat on investment company’s board

As reported on Engadget. BY STEVE DENT The coming robot apocalypse will need robot executives to rule over it, but it looks like they’re going to have to start with more mundane business first. A Hong Kong venture capital firm has just “appointed” an artificial intelligence tool called VITAL to its board of directors to help find promising investments. It’ll scan things like financing, IP and clinical trials from prospective companies, share that info with the board and even cast…

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Photography Tech

The beautiful blueprints for Fujifilm’s camera of the future

As reported on The Verge. By Sam Byford The inside story of how the excellent X-T1 came to be “If I want to play my favorite song, I want to choose my favorite guitar,” says Fujifilm designer Masazumi Imai. “It’s the same with cameras. If I want to take a photograph of something important to me, I want to choose a special product.” Photography has been around for close to 200 years and, despite the best…

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History Tech

One man is chronicling the history of a digital universe

As reported on The Verge. By Andrew Webster After a decade of epic battles, ‘Eve Online’ gets its historian After spending months climbing the ranks of the Ubiqua Seraph corporation, on April 18th, 2005, Istvaan Shogaatsu’s moment had finally arrived. He had gained the trust of the corporation’s CEO, Mirial, and while the two were alone on her ship he issued a command that led to the ransacking of nearly every Ubiqua Seraph office and hangar…

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Tech

TinkerForge brings home automation to the masses with its DIY kit

As reported on Engadget. BY DANIEL COOPER Do you have some old 433MHz home automation gear lying around and fancy making your home a little smarter? TinkerForge is releasing a new internet of things controller designed to let you run power sockets, light fittings and even electric blinds from the comfort of your smartphone. The platform markets itself as a coding-free alternative toArduino and Raspberry Pi, so building the control scheme online promises to be entirely safe for novices. If you snag…

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SmartPhone Social Networking Tech

Ambient Proximity Is The Next Phase Of Location Sharing

As reported on TechCrunch. by Josh Constine  accidentally Pulls Popular Shows Off The Service It’s not where your friends are, but how close they are that matters. After years of exact coordinate checkins, both Foursquare and Facebook are now focusing on ambient proximity — constantly and automatically sharing your approximate distance from close friends. Ambient proximity lets you know if a friend is near enough to meet up with, yet without the creepiness of seeing their every…

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