Getting a fully-laden cargo ship across an entire ocean requires enormous amounts of energy—usually derived from pollutant-rich diesel fuel. But one environmentally-minded shipping company has bucked that convention and instead begun construction on a pair of hybrid containerships—the first of their kind—that run primarily on cleaner burning liquefied natural gas. Read more…
Link:
The World’s Largest Natural Gas-Powered Ships Are Almost Ready to Sail
MojoKid (1002251) writes “Security researcher Gene Bransfield, with the help of his wife’s grandmother’s cat, decided to see how many neighborhood WiFi access points he could map and potentially compromise. With a collar loaded with a Spark chip, a Wi-Fi module, a GPS module, and a battery, Coco the cat helped Gene identify Wi-Fi networks around the neighborhood and then reported back. The goal here is obvious: Discover all of the unsecured, or at least poorly-secured, wireless access points around the neighborhood. During his journey, Coco identified dozens of Wi-Fi networks, with four of them using easily-broken WEP security, and another four that had no security at all. Gene has dubbed his collar the “WarKitteh”, and it cost him less than $100 to make. He admits that such a collar isn’t a security threat, but more of a goofy hack. Of course, it could be used for shadier purposes.” (Here’s Wired’s article on the connected cat-collar.) Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Follow this link:
Connected Collar Lets Your Cat Do the War-Driving
Chances are that if you don’t play Minecraft yourself, you’ve probably at least heard of it or know someone who does. The charming indie game has invaded nearly every facet of pop culture, casting its blocky spell on everything from Legos to feature films and has even been used for tourism . With over 54 million copies sold , Sweden-based developer Mojang made $128 million last year largely thanks to Minecraft and has become one of the most successful game studios in the world. But what actually is Minecraft ? We’re glad you asked! WHAT IS IT? At its core, Minecraft is a massive, open-ended, first-person game with a focus on exploration and crafting. Every time you load a new game, the environment is randomly assembled so no two plays will be exactly alike. Unlike most games, Minecraft offers little in the way of directions, or a campaign/story mode to work through for that matter: It’s a free-form, easygoing affair with the player figuring out what they can and can’t do through trial and error (or by scouring a wiki ). Think something like Grand Theft Auto ‘ s gigantic environment , but instead of attempting a hyper-realistic world, everything is pixelated blocks. Objects in the world are made of gravity-defying, 1 x 1 blocks that can be stacked and manipulated to form just about anything one could imagine, from intricate recreations of Game of Thrones ‘ Westeros , to movie posters, and even Game Boy emulators capable of playing the first level from Super Mario Land . Hell, the Danish government has servers running so would-be tourists can check out a 1:1 recreation of the happiest country replete with highways, houses and landmarks. Minecraft’s official trailer, which now has over 98 million views on YouTube That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though, and we’re sure there are at least a few crazy projects going right now that we don’t even know about. There’s no score, and no real “end” (though that’s up for debate, and we’d be spoiling bits if we got into the argument too deeply here). In the game’s main mode, you start in a world full of resources (rock, wood, etc.) and are “tasked” with making a life for your character (who’s named Steve). A day/night cycle provides constraints: Use the daylight to gather resources and build, with the intent of surviving the night. The Creeper in his natural environment Zombie-like creatures roam the land at night, and the only way to survive is by building housing to keep them out. Should that not provide challenge enough, a green enemy lovingly named the “creeper” lives primarily underground, where you mine for resources. Enter the wrong mining cavern and you may end up suddenly exploded. Any resources you’ve got on your person remain where you died until you can go retrieve them. It’s a delight! The game is available on just about every platform: Android, iOS, Mac, PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, with updated versions coming to the PS Vita, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this year. Minecraft was initially released for free as a work-in-progress back in May 2009 and developed by one person, Markus “Notch” Persson . Since then, numerous updates have been released, with the full release coming about two-and-a-half years later in November 2011. Essentially, the public was playing along as the game was being developed under its very fingertips. WHY SHOULD I CARE? For starters, single-developer games are pretty rare, and ones that are this successful are even more unique. As a result, Notch has become a bit of a celebrity in the gaming community and now has some 1.7 million followers on Twitter. Minecraft ‘s success, however, has had a price. After filing for a trademark for Mojang’s follow-up, Scrolls , publisher Bethesda Softworks (known for the role-playing series The Elder Scrolls, among others), filed a trademark lawsuit over the Swedish developer using the word “scrolls.” It all worked out in the end, but Mojang had to agree to not use the word in in subsequent releases. The city of King’s Landing, from Game of Thrones, recreated entirely in Minecraft Minecraft is also the progenitor of releasing a game to players before it’s done. The concept of PC-gaming platform Steam’s Early Access program practically owes its existence to this, and it isn’t going to stop there either. Sony has admitted that it’s flirting with the idea of releasing unfinished, alpha versions of games on the PS4, too. Notch’s baby has also had a tremendous impact on video games as a whole, creating an entire genre and style of play. Titles like Rust (which also happens to be a Steam Early Access title), Terraria , and the upcoming PS4 stunner No Man’s Sky likely wouldn’t exist had Minecraft not popularized the idea of virtual free-form exploration and building. Even established franchises like Everquest have taken notice, with the next game, Everquest Landmark , taking a few pages out of Minecraft ‘s customization and crafting book. The game is also a blank canvas that can be used for just about anything. Sure, recreations of Great Britain are impressive, but even more so is that it’s been used in the classroom as a teaching tool for proper online behavior and collaborative problem-solving. It’s even been implemented to get kids interested in architecture and civics. A group of kids playing Minecraft Edu at school WHAT’S THE ARGUMENT? Getting access to a game before it’s fully finalized might sound like a great idea on paper, but in practice that’s not always the case. There are numerous games on Steam right now under the Early Access banner that are simply unplayable. Whereas Minecraft was free to start, people are paying for these test-builds (which will convert into the full version if completed) in the hopes that eventually the full release will fix the gamut of glitches they’re encountering. The thing is, that’s placing an awful lot of faith in oftentimes unproven developers to finish a game; there have already been notable disasters delisted from Steam, and there will assuredly be more. WANT EVEN MORE? If you can put the pick-axe down long enough, check out Rolling Stone ‘s recent profile of Notch that chronicles the effects his youth and father’s suicide had on both the way he designs games and him as a person. Should you want even deeper inside the man’s head, Persson also maintains a personal blog . Still not satisfied? How about booking travel to Europe for this year’s Minecon convention ? Better gear up with a Creeper mask and foam diamond-sword ahead of time, though. Or, maybe you haven’t played the game just yet and all of this has gotten you curious to try it out. Well, there’s a super-limited free demo that should give you an idea of what it’s all about before you buy the real deal . [Image credits: Fortunatemend / Imgur ; KJarrett / Flickr ] Filed under: Cellphones , Desktops , Gaming , Handhelds , Home Entertainment , Tablets , Software , HD , Sony , Microsoft Comments
The only thing that’s better than using Steam is digging through its source code to see what’s coming in the future. On a recent trawl through the digital store’s inner workings, Twitter’s @SteamDB found the words film, tvseries and music as app types that people could, theoretically, buy. If so, then Valve might be ready to get serious about Steam’s ability to rival other digital storefronts from Google and Apple, which is logical, since Valve’s platform has around 75 million registered users . Of course, these options might be just be tweaks to existing functionality, since game soundtracks and one movie are already available on the service. Hell, it could even be an amendment to the Steam Music Beta, enabling people to binge on locally-stored content while playing — but we’d give props to the person who could enjoy DOTA 2 and Breaking Bad at the same time. [Image credit: @SteamDB] Filed under: Gaming , Internet Comments Via: IGN Source: SteamDB (Twitter)
Read the article:
Will Steam challenge iTunes and Google Play for your media-buying cash?
Until now, if you wanted a Chromebook with a full HD display, you only had one option: the 13-inch Samsung Chromebook 2 . Want epic battery life? Yep, all roads lead to Samsung there, too. Well, not anymore, anyway. Acer just announced the Chromebook 13, and it matches Samsung nearly spec for spec with an optional 1080p display and NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra K1 chip, promising up to 13 hours of runtime (details on that after the break). This is interesting for two reasons. First off, although this is essentially the same class of product as what Samsung is selling, it costs $100 less: $299, versus $400 for the Chromebook 2. Sounds good, right? What’s more, this is the first-ever Chrome OS device with an NVIDIA processor inside. This is potentially good news even if you’re not a self-described chip geek: Tegra K1 offers long battery life, just like Samsung’s own Exynos chip, but the graphics should be better for things like gaming and interactive websites — the sorts of rich web apps frequently used in classrooms. And if you’ve ever used a Samsung Chromebook, you know there’s room for improvement there: For all of Samsung’s plus points (a crisp display, comfortable keyboard), the Chromebook 2 is relatively sluggish. But will this be more robust than those new Core i3 models we’re seeing? That remains to be seen. On a superficial note, the Chromebook 13 is definitely more basic-looking than the Chromebook 2. Whereas Samsung’s model comes kitted out with a fake-leather lid, the Chromebook 13 is made of plain white plastic. It’s clear that if Acer made any sacrifices to reach that lower price point, this is it. Then again, this is a perfectly serviceable, if unexciting, design, and the full-sized keyboard is naturally more spacious than what you’ll find on Acer’s older 11-inch Chromebooks . The Chromebook 13 is up for pre-order today, starting at $279 with a 1, 366 x 768 display, and $299 for the full HD model. Of note: The full HD machine is rated for 11 hours of battery life, compared with 13 for the 1, 366 x 767 version. In addition to the US, it will be sold in various European countries, including the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain, South Africa and Switzerland. As a heads-up, the Chromebook 13 doesn’t have a touchscreen for now, though that could change: When we asked an NVIDIA rep if a touch edition was in the works, he winked and said “That’s an interesting idea.” Consider it confirmed, folks. Almost. Filed under: Laptops , Google , Acer , NVIDIA Comments
See the original article here:
Acer’s Chromebook 13 lasts a stunning 13 hours on a charge
A specific number of variables need to be in place so I can shrug off procrastination and get some real work done. Chief among them is setting the right aural mood. Read more…
More:
Slip Into the Sweet, Ambient Sounds of Science Fiction
Dan Goodin, Ars Technica In the vexing pursuit of passwords that are both easy to remember and hard to crack, many people embed clues into their login credentials, choosing for instance, “playstationplaystationdec2014” to safeguard a recently created gaming account or “L0an@ w0rk!” for an IT administrative account at a financial services company. Now, a whitehat hacker is capitalizing on the habit with a tool that automates the process of launching highly targeted cracking attacks. Dubbed WordHound, the freely available tool scours press releases, white papers, and Twitter accounts belonging to companies or sites that have recently suffered security breaches. The software then generates a list of commonly found words or phrases that attackers can use when trying to convert cryptographic hashes from compromised password databases into the corresponding plaintext passcodes. The tool, devised by security consultant Matthew Marx, was unveiled Wednesday at Passwords 14 conference in Las Vegas. “People are influenced greatly by their environment when choosing a password,” Marx, who works for consultancy MWR Info Security , told Ars. “It could be a work environment, their personal life, or the sport teams they like. I wanted to create a tool that leveraged this human vulnerability.” Read 8 remaining paragraphs | Comments
See the article here:
Meet WordHound, the tool that puts a personal touch on password cracking
Megan Geuss RENO, NV—On an uncharacteristically rainy day in Western Nevada, a small tour bus of journalists rumbled past security gates at the Ormat Steamboat Complex in Washoe County. We were there to learn about geothermal power, a renewable energy resource produced by transferring heat from underground rocks up to power plants. Most people think of Iceland when they think of geothermal power. On that island, approximately 90 percent of homes are heated by geothermal energy. But some 12 gigawatts of geothermal power are generated worldwide, and the US is one of the largest producers of it, generating nearly 3.4 gigawatts in 2013 . Ormat’s Steamboat Complex is within the Reno city limits, and it’s made up of seven smaller plants that collectively generate 78 megawatts of power. A typical coal-fired power plant can generate around 660 megawatts of power , so Ormat’s 78 megawatts are not a lot by comparison. But when compared to other renewables, geothermal has some advantages. Read 23 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Read More:
Geothermal energy has success in Nevada, wants to spread to the rest of the west
If you’ve been wondering just when a company would take advantage of the US’ relaxed rules for accurate satellite imaging, you now have a date to mark on your calendar: Lockheed Martin has set the launch of DigitalGlobe’s high-resolution WorldView-3 satellite for August 13th. You won’t see results from it right away, but its creators can start selling extra-sharp pictures (with detail down to the 10-inch level) six months after the craft is up and running. The data should lead to much nicer imagery in online mapping services from companies like Google and Microsoft (both of which are DigitalGlobe customers), although it’s not just cosmetic. Higher-res photos will help track large farms, spot mineral deposits and otherwise deliver a clearer view of our planet that has previously been limited to the government — don’t be surprised if it’s easier to spot landmarks on a map without using markers. Filed under: Science , Internet , Microsoft , Google Comments Source: DigitalGlobe
View the original here:
First satellite with high-resolution public imaging launches on August 13th
theodp (442580) writes “Google earned kudos from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel this week for teaming up with Staples to fund the projects of 367 of the city’s 22, 519 public school teachers on “begfunding” site DonorsChoose.org. “Everything that you asked for…every project that the teachers put on to help their students learn, exceed and excel here in the city of Chicago, you now have fully funded, ” Mayor Emanuel said. “Chicago’s hardworking public school teachers are doing all that they can-and more-to support their students, but they need more help, ” said Rob Biederman, head of Chicago Public Affairs at Google. “We jumped at the chance to join with DonorsChoose.org and Staples to make Chicago’s local classroom wishes come true.” So what kind of dreams did Google make possible? Ironically, a look at Google Chicago’s Giving Page shows that the biggest project funded by Google was to outfit a classroom with 32 Microsoft Surface RT tablets for $12, 531, or about 6.5% of the $190, 091 Google award. Other big ticket projects funded by Google included $5, 931 for a personal home biodiesel kit and $5, 552 for a marimba (in the middle of the spectrum was $748 for “Mindfulness Education”). In addition to similar “flash-funding” projects in Atlanta (paper towels!) and the Bay Area, Google and DonorsChoose have also teamed up this year to reward teachers with $400, 000 for recruiting girls to learn to code (part of Google’s $50 million Made With Code initiative) and an unknown amount for AP STEM teachers who passed Google muster (part of Google’s $5 million AP STEM Access grant).” Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Read the original:
Chicago Mayor Praises Google For Buying Kids Microsoft Surfaces