Category: reader

Broadcasters want phones to come with a ‘hybrid’ radio format

You may think that radio is dying in an era when on-demand music streaming is nearly ubiquitous, but some of the world’s biggest broadcasters (unsurprisingly) disagree. The BBC, Clear Channel, HD Radio’s Ibiquity and a handful of others are researching a “hybrid” radio format that would give smartphone users the advantages of reliable, low-intensity digital or FM radio with the interactivity and “enhancements” of internet streaming. In theory, this would keep your costs down and your battery life up without giving up the creature comforts of modern technology. Supposedly, there’s a lot of demand for this — a BBC-commissioned study claims that the “majority” of smartphone owners want radio of some kind, and two thirds of them liked the idea of hybrid radio. Whether or not it pans out as hoped is another matter, though. There’s no definite timetable for when this hybrid format would be ready, and getting manufacturers to cooperate may be tough. Apple , Microsoft and others frequently have a vested interest in promoting internet-only radio services, and access to DAB or FM isn’t usually a major factor in phone purchases. Even so, don’t be surprised if your next phone puts a bigger emphasis on broadcasts. Filed under: Cellphones , Internet , Mobile Comments Source: BBC Media Centre

Visit link:
Broadcasters want phones to come with a ‘hybrid’ radio format

Millions of Voiceprints Quietly Being Harvested

An anonymous reader sends this excerpt from The Guardian: Businesses and governments around the world increasingly are turning to voice biometrics, or voiceprints, to pay pensions, collect taxes, track criminals and replace passwords. “We sometimes call it the invisible biometric, ” said Mike Goldgof, an executive at Madrid-based AGNITiO, one of about 10 leading companies in the field. Those companies have helped enter more than 65M voiceprints into corporate and government databases, according to Associated Press interviews with dozens of industry representatives and records requests in the United States, Europe and elsewhere. … The single largest implementation identified by the AP is in Turkey, where the mobile phone company Turkcell has taken the voice biometric data of some 10 million customers using technology provided by market leader Nuance Communications Inc. But government agencies are catching up. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

More here:
Millions of Voiceprints Quietly Being Harvested

Google Glass can now display all your phone notifications

Google Glass Explorers will soon be able to see all their phone’s notifications (not just the ones from compatible apps) right on the eyewear’s screen. It’s the same feature that comes with Android Wear , which allows the platform to forward each and every notification to smartwatches, so users won’t have to take out their phones unless it’s for something truly important. Explorers have to wait for the latest MyGlass software to arrive sometime later today to be able to glimpse each ping with just a flick of the eye. Once they’ve installed the update, they’ll need to activate Notification Sync in their phone’s settings. There are a few pages to go through during the process, but nothing overly complicated, so long as they follow the video after the break. Filed under: Wearables , Mobile , Google Comments Source: Google Glass

See the original post:
Google Glass can now display all your phone notifications

All the National Chains That Offer Free Wi-Fi

Sometimes, you just need to quickly grab some free Wi-Fi while you’re walking through town. You probably know that nearby coffee shops offer Wi-Fi, but tons of retailers and restaurants offer it too—you just need to know where to look. Read more…

Originally posted here:
All the National Chains That Offer Free Wi-Fi

You Can Customize This E-Ink Watch Down to the Strap

If there’s one group that will surely embrace smartwatches, it’s those who like to change their background image and the look and feel of their devices every day. But the FES Watch doesn’t just let you change the watch face whenever you tire of the current design, using E-Ink technology it actually lets you change the look and style of the entire timepiece. Read more…

See original article:
You Can Customize This E-Ink Watch Down to the Strap

Lockheed Martin’s new fusion reactor design can change humanity forever

This is the interior of an invention that could change civilization as we know it: A compact fusion reactor developed by Skunk Works, the stealthy experimental technology division of Lockheed Martin. It is the size of a jet engine and they say it will be operative in only 10 years. Read more…

Read More:
Lockheed Martin’s new fusion reactor design can change humanity forever

Samsung’s experimental 5G network delivers 150MB per second at freeway speeds

5G isn’t quite a thing yet. Industrial standards and the finer details are yet to be completely cemented , but that’s not stopping companies with a thumb in the carrier network pie trying to show us some crazy ( but awesome ) ideal of future wireless… ness. Samsung’s next in line, and it’s been able to crank its 5G network download speeds to 940MB while stationary, which is bananas. However, the company then decided to take the testing outdoors, to the racetrack, and apparently notched download speeds of around 150MB per second, while racing around at 100KPH (roughly 62MPH). Samsung says these impressive figures are due to the high-frequency 28GHz signal used. Previously, this meant a short range, but the company says it’s got around that weakness with “Hybrid Adaptive Array Technology” that boosts the range of the signal. And if that collaboration between Korea and Europe still stands, these ridiculous on-the-go speeds could well make their way outside Asia. Please. Please. Filed under: Wireless , Networking , Samsung Comments

View original post here:
Samsung’s experimental 5G network delivers 150MB per second at freeway speeds

Rogue Albanian drone flies over Serbian soccer stadium, cancelling match

Deadspin An already tense soccer match in Belgrade between the national teams of Albania and Serbia has been suspended after a drone flew over the field waving an Albanian flag. Based on online footage, the drone appears to be a DJI Phantom or a Phantom 2, which retails for roughly $500 to $800 depending on the model. The Tuesday game, which was to be a Euro 2016 qualifier match between the two sides, was the first time they had met in the Serbian capital since 1967. According to The Guardian , away fans were not allowed in the stadiums in either Belgrade or in the upcoming rematch in Tirana, the capital of the Republic of Albania. The two sides’ enthusiasm for soccer has been overshadowed by a larger political issue: Kosovo, a republic that broke away from Serbia in 2008. Kosovo, which has a majority ethnic Albanian population, is not formally recognized by Serbia but is recognized by the United States, Canada, Australia, France, the United Kingdom, and many other states. Read 4 remaining paragraphs | Comments

See the article here:
Rogue Albanian drone flies over Serbian soccer stadium, cancelling match

LumiLor Electroluminescent Coating Has Some Serious Untapped Potential

“Everything can be a lamp with LumiLor, ” writes Darskide Scientific, the company that developed it. LumiLor is a patented coating that glows when a current is applied to it. (And yes, it’s safe to touch, as it’s sealed and insulated.) The brilliance of the system is that since it’s water-based, you can load it up into any paintspraying system or airbrush and you’re off to the races. Here’s how the process is applied: (more…)

Read More:
LumiLor Electroluminescent Coating Has Some Serious Untapped Potential