The Big Picture: 3D Paris apartment shows what Unreal Engine 4 can do

See that room above? It looks real, but it’s not — and by that we mean it’s just a 3D environment made in Unreal Engine 4. Sure, we already have a pretty good idea what the new engine can do, such as bringing realistic skin (among other things ) to games. But this “Unreal Paris” project by CG designer Dereau Benoît proves that it can be used to create objects and environments that look more like photographs of the real thing rather than CG. Benoît has created a snazzy Parisian apartment with receiving rooms, dining area, kitchen, bedroom, hallways and even a full bathroom. Benoît didn’t skimp on the details: the walls and ceilings are rich with patterns, there’s sunlight flooding in through the open windows, and you’ll see shadows, textures and even reflections mimicking their real-life counterparts. He took down the demo he uploaded on his website (presumably to iron out the kinks), but you can watch a video of the tour below to see what kind graphics to expect in future games. Filed under: Gaming Comments Via: Eurogamer , Neogaf Source: Dereau Benoît

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The Big Picture: 3D Paris apartment shows what Unreal Engine 4 can do

This Spider Catches Prey With a Web of Electrically Charged Silk 

Not all spider silk is created equal. Some spiders spin webs of wet, sticky silk. Others like the Uloborus spider have fluffy webs made of nanoscale filaments. But those fluffy webs are just as good at catching prey, likely thanks to their electrostatic charge. Read more…

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This Spider Catches Prey With a Web of Electrically Charged Silk 

Swyp is yet another one-card wallet vying for your attention

High-tech cards that store all your credit, gift and loyalty card info haven’t exactly made it big yet, but the competition’s already heating up. The newest entry in the race is called Swyp: a metallic device with a screen that transforms into the card you want to use when you need it, so long as you choose the appropriate one using its scroll buttons. In order to upload info, you’ll need to scan credit cards and loyalty cards with magnetic strips (support for scannable barcodes will come later) using a reader that plugs into a phone’s headphone jack. Each card’s details are then stored in the accompanying app, which you can also use to snap pictures of paper receipts. The device itself can store up to 25 cards’ info, more than what its rivals can handle: Coin , its oldest competition, can store up to 8 cards, while Plastc can keep up to 20. According to The Verge , Swyp was designed to deactivate if your phone detects that the card is more than six feet away, though there’s a way to override that if you’re, say, paying at a restaurant. Its creator, Ash Dhodapkar, also told the publication that Swyp will have a rechargeable battery (Coin, on the other hand does not — you’ll have to toss it when it runs out of juice), though it’s unclear if it will work with wireless chargers. It lacks a bunch of other features found on Plastc, including chip-and-pin technology, as well as NFC support, but it is loads cheaper than the competition (Coin costs $100, while Plastc is $150). A small number of Swype cards are now up for pre-order for $49 per, but once those are all gone, you’ll have to pay $99 to get one when it launches this fall. Filed under: Misc Comments Via: The Verge Source: Swyp

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Swyp is yet another one-card wallet vying for your attention

New Linux Bug Could Cause "a Lot of Collateral Damage on the Internet"

Linux users around the world are scrambling to update their operating systems, as a new flaw known as GHOST has been shown to have the potential to cause “a lot of collateral damage on the Internet.” Read more…

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New Linux Bug Could Cause "a Lot of Collateral Damage on the Internet"

Terrifying Medical Instruments Found on Blackbeard’s Sunken Ship

The jolly good life of a pirate was not a jolly healthy one, what with the syphilis and scurvy and ship-raiding. Archeologists excavating Blackbeard’s flagship off the coast of North Carolina have unveiled their latest findings: a cache of medical instruments that include this rather horrifying urethral syringe. Read more…

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Terrifying Medical Instruments Found on Blackbeard’s Sunken Ship

New Google Fiber Cities Announced

New submitter plate_o_shrimp sends word that Google has announced the next group of cities set to receive gigabit fiber infrastructure. They’re concentrating on cities around four metro areas: Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, and Raleigh-Durham. “We’ve been working closely with city leaders over the past year on a joint planning process to get their communities ready for Google Fiber—and now the really hard work begins. Our next step is to work with cities to create a detailed map of where we can put our thousands of miles of fiber, using existing infrastructure such as utility poles and underground conduit, and making sure to avoid things like gas and water lines. Then a team of surveyors and engineers will hit the streets to fill in missing details. Once we’re done designing the network (which we expect to wrap up in a few months), we’ll start construction.” Google also said they’re currently looking into Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, and San Jose. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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New Google Fiber Cities Announced

John Deere’s New Ride-On Mower Is One of the First To Have Airless Tires

Michelin and Bridgestone have been racing to take the air out of everyone’s tires—but in a good way. Both companies have been developing open-air wheels that will never puncture or deflate, and while they’ve mostly seen use in research and military vehicles to date, John Deere will finally offer a ride-on mower that uses Michelin’s see-through Tweels . Read more…

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John Deere’s New Ride-On Mower Is One of the First To Have Airless Tires

FCC: Blocking Wi-Fi in hotels is prohibited

On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission issued an “Enforcement Advisory” stating that blocking W-Fi in hotels is unequivocally “prohibited.” “Persons or businesses causing intentional interference to Wi-Fi hotspots are subject to enforcement action,” the FCC bluntly stated, referencing a dispute between Marriott and its customers who said the hotel chain had blocked their personal hotspots to force them to pay for Marriott’s Wi-Fi services. “The Enforcement Bureau has seen a disturbing trend in which hotels and other commercial establishments block wireless consumers from using their own personal Wi-Fi hot spots on the commercial establishment’s premises,” the FCC wrote. “As a result, the Bureau is protecting consumers by aggressively investigating and acting against such unlawful intentional interference.” Read 2 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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FCC: Blocking Wi-Fi in hotels is prohibited