Author: admin

Google

Google invites Glass Explorer Edition owners to upgrade their eyewear

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As reported on Engadget. BY JON FINGAS Google promised early Glass wearers that they could eventually upgrade to next-generation Explorer hardware, and that moment is finally at hand. The company is now inviting owners to swap devices through a free mail exchange before February 5th. While the upgrade isn’t mandatory, Google warns that it’s only developing with the newer Explorer Edition in mind — there’s no guarantee that new accessories or software will work on old models. The invitation is more…

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Microsoft

Microsoft’s immediate plans against NSA ‘threat’: court challenges, encryption and transparency

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As reported on Engadget. BY RICHARD LAWLER  The NSA / PRISM / MUSCULAR scandal sparked by Edward Snowden’s leaks stained many tech companies, and tonight Microsoft has laid out several plans it hopes willconvince customers (particularly non-US businesses and foreign governments) they’re safe using its products and services. In a blog post, general counsel and executive VP Brad Smith lays out a three pronged approach of “immediate and coordinated action” against the threat of government snooping. It’s expanding the use of…

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Art

Photo Gear Frustration Leads to Tripped-Out Seascapes That Go On Forever

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As reported on Wired. BY JAKOB SCHILLER Sky Waves Eastern Passage Caribbean Sea Airstream Hopewell Cape Spring Sea Uncharted Cape Spear Skylight Afterglow Breaking Storm Tor Bay View as gallery   Jeff Friesen’s project Beyond Here is a collection of serene, exaggerated ocean landscapes that border on graphic art. Each image is actually a composite of many imperfect shots Friesen took as an experiment. “I just started going crazy,” says Friesen, who lives in Halifax. “I was purposely over-…

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Security

Radioactive ‘dirty bomb’ ingredients stolen in Mexico

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As reported on The Verge. By Amar Toor UN agency says thieves stole “extremely dangerous” material from a truck outside Mexico City The UN’s atomic energy watchdog today announced that a truck carrying dangerous radioactive material has been stolen in Mexico, adding that the material could be used to produce a dirty bomb. As AFP reports, the truck was carrying the material from a hospital in Tijuana to a waste center before it was stolen near Mexico City. Suspects…

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Culture

Shoot again: pinball is back in New York City

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As reported on The Verge. By Laura June On an unassuming awning at 362 Third Avenue between 26th and 27th streets in New York City, Modern Pinball NYC advertises itself as a “sales and interactive showroom,” but inside, it feels a lot like an arcade. It opened just a few weeks ago with owners Steve Epstein — the near-legendary owner of the now-defunct Broadway Arcade, a Times Square fixture for decades — and Steve Zahler, a champion pinball…

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Hardware Dev

Next-gen USB connector will be smaller and reversible

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As reported on Engadget. BY STEVE DENT In order to squeeze the ultra-fast 10Gbps USB 3.1 standard into the next gen of slim devices, the USB 3.0 Promoter group has just announced the USB Type-C connector. It’ll be similar in size to existing USB 2.0 Micro-B connectors, while bringing USB 3.1 speeds and other distinct advantages over current cables. For starters, the new design will be reversible like Apple’s Lightning ports, meaning at long last you won’t have to worry…

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Google

Google’s next big project is robots, from the man that brought you Android

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As reported on Engadget. BY MAT SMITH Not one to let Amazon get all the robots-are-our-future attention, Google’s revealed that its already got plenty of projects underway, and they’re headed up by Andy Rubin. Yep, the man who made the company’s Android operating system arguably the biggest smartphone OS in the world. In the last six months, Google has managed to claim seven different technology companies en route to its very real robot plans, although its current target…

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Business Cloud Culture

Bill Gates supports Amazon drone delivery, but says Jeff Bezos may be ‘overly optimistic’

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As reported on The Verge. By Chris Welch Jeff Bezos faces many challenges in making Amazon’s Prime Air drone delivery a reality, but he’s got one notable supporter: Bill Gates. Speaking on CNN’s The Lead, Gates voiced strong support for using drones as a means of delivery. But he’s not quite as confident it will come as quickly as Bezos and Amazon would like. “Physical products delivered by drone, I’d say he’s probably on the optimistic or perhaps…

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Culture

Buy Han Solo’s blaster for a quarter of a million dollars

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As reported on The Verge. By Rich McCormick Han Solo’s trusty blaster — most famously used to shoot bounty hunter Greedo first inStar Wars — is set to be auctioned later this month. The “non-firing” sidearm is one of a set of movie props being sold on December 21st, and is expected to reach a price of between $200,000 and $300,000. Other Harrison Ford-related items in the auction include a rubber “stunt” version of Deckard’s pistol used in Blade Runner,…

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Business Cloud Google

Google’s Compute Engine Hits General Availability, Drops Instance Prices 10%, Adds 16-Core Instances & Docker Support

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As reported on TechCrunch. by Alex Williams Google today announced the general availability of the Google Compute Engine, the cloud computing platform it launched in the summer of 2012. As part of the GA launch, Google also announced expanded support for new operating systems, a 10 percent drop in pricing for standard instances, new 16-core instances for applications that need a lot of computation power and a new logo to update its branding. Compute Engine is the cloud platform Google…

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