Tag: engadget

Samsung’s consumer Gear VR is available now for $99

We knew it was coming , but now it’s finally here. Samsung’s newly improved virtual reality headset, the Gear VR , is launching today in the US for $99 . This iteration of the Gear VR is, without a doubt, the most consumer-ready VR headset to date. One of its downsides is that it only works with Samsung’s latest smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 Edge+ — but that’s great news for people who own handsets. As you may recall, Samsung’s Gear VR is powered by Oculus software, and services like Hulu have already announced compatibility with the device. If you’re Stateside, you can grab the Gear VR now from retailers including Amazon and Best Buy . As for worldwide availability, an Oculus spokesperson says that will be announced “soon.” Source: Oculus

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Samsung’s consumer Gear VR is available now for $99

NASA’s FireSat system will be able to detect wildfires from space

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and San Francisco-based company Quadra Pi R2E are developing a space-based wildfire detector that can keep an eye on the whole world. This system, called FireSat, will be made up of over 200 thermal infrared imaging sensors installed on satellites in low-Earth orbit. It will be powerful enough to detect wildfires 35 to 50 feet wide within 15 minutes from the time they begin. And since wildfires spread very quickly , it will have the capability to contact authorities, so they can send emergency responders to the scene as early as possible. Source: NASA

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NASA’s FireSat system will be able to detect wildfires from space

Air Force torch cuts through locks like a hot knife through butter

Firefighters, police and soldiers don’t have many good options when they want to breach a door: blowtorches and lock picks are usually slow, while battering rams, explosives and guns aren’t exactly subtle. The US Air Force and EMPI recently crafted a far better solution, though. Their TEC Torch creates a brief but super-hot (5, 000F) metal vapor jet that cuts through steel in less than a second, making short work of virtually any lock. In some ways, it’s like Star Wars ‘ Qui-Gon Jinn cutting through doors with a lightsaber — it’s just faster and less dramatic. Via: We Are the Mighty , Business Insider Source: US Air Force (PDF) , EMPI

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Air Force torch cuts through locks like a hot knife through butter

One Google Glass follow-up reportedly ditches the screen

Google Glass (aka Project Aura ) might not include so much actual glass the next time around. Sources for The Information understand that there are three next-generation headsets in development, and that one of them doesn’t have a screen at all — it’s an audio-focused model meant for the “sport” crowd. That sounds like an amped-up Bluetooth headset to us, but we’ll reserve judgment until there’s something to see… or rather, hear. Don’t worry if you still want that signature eyepiece, though — there’s talk of at least an enterprise-focused model with a display, Things are reportedly still up in the air (Google may cut its three models to two), but this could give you an idea of what to expect when Project Aura arrives sometime next year. [Image credit: AP Photo] Source: The Information

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One Google Glass follow-up reportedly ditches the screen

Pop-up sensor would give robot surgeons a sense of touch

Robotic surgery is no longer the stuff of science fiction. However, these robots can’t really feel their way around — the need for super-small mechanisms rules out existing approaches to touch. That’s where Harvard researchers might come to save the day. They’ve developed a pop-up sensor whose four layers collapse to a tiny footprint (just a tenth of an inch) when necessary, but expand into a 3D sensor thanks to a built-in spring. The design is extremely sensitive, too, with a light intensity sensor that can detected mere millinewtons of force. Source: Harvard University , IEEE Sensors Journal

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Pop-up sensor would give robot surgeons a sense of touch

Netgear’s Nest Cam competitor has seven days of cloud video recording

These days, connected cameras like the Nest Cam (previously known as the Dropcam) aren’t exactly special. There are a slew of competitors out there, like Logitech’s Circle and Samsung’s SmartCam , so the only way to stand out is by offering something others don’t. And that’s precisely what Netgear is doing its latest connected camera, the Arlo Q, by giving you seven days of cloud video recording for free. Logitech offers 24 hours of free cloud recording, in comparison. And Nest, whose original camera pioneered this whole category, still doesn’t have any video recording without a subscription. Beyond that, the Arlo Q delivers what you’d expect: 1080p video recording and two-way audio that’s accessible through a mobile app. It’ll be available in the US come December for $220, and it’ll eventually head to Australia, Canada and Europe.

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Netgear’s Nest Cam competitor has seven days of cloud video recording

MetroPCS site flaw exposed the data of 10 million subscribers

It’s not just hacks that put your personal data out in the open — sometimes, it’s just poor coding. Security researchers Eric Taylor and Blake Welsh have shown Motherboard a MetroPCS website bug that, until it was fixed this month, made it easy to get sensitive info for over 10 million subscribers. All you needed was a phone number to get a person’s home address, phone serial number and more. And if you weren’t picky, you could have whipped up a script to harvest all of the data within two days. Source: Motherboard

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MetroPCS site flaw exposed the data of 10 million subscribers

Google’s cars have driven 1.2 million miles without getting a ticket

This afternoon Aleksandr Milewski posted a picture that suggested the ticket-less streak might come to an end, but now Google says its car was flagged down because it was going so slowly. These new prototype models are classified as “Neighborhood Electric Vehicles” and have their speeds capped at 25mph, so they stick to slower-moving streets. The officer had some questions about the car, which is apparently common for the cartoony vehicles. According to Google, its self-driving vehicles have driven 1.2 million miles, or the equivalent of 90 years of experience for an average person — and probably still can’t get an insurance discount. Source: Aleksandr Milewski (Facebook) , Google Self-Driving Car Project (G+)

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Google’s cars have driven 1.2 million miles without getting a ticket

A startup is growing faux shrimp meat in the lab using algae

Someday, you might be able to throw a lab-grown meat party with not only burgers , but also tempura on the menu. A startup called New Wave Foods is developing artificial shrimp meat in the laboratory, urged by environmental destruction and the other troubles brought about by commercial fishing. According to Motherboard , the team is currently testing different ways of extracting proteins from algae that the crustaceans eat, mixing and mashing them together with protein gels to create the meat. So far, they’ve already nailed the taste, but mimicking the seafood’s texture is proving to a bit more difficult. Source: Motherboard , New Wave Foods

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A startup is growing faux shrimp meat in the lab using algae

Cyberpunk PC classic ‘System Shock’ is getting a proper remake

While System Shock might have only just received a facelift when it launched on GOG.com earlier this year, an entire remake of the legendary PC game is now in the works — and perhaps even System Shock 3 . And if you’ve never heard of System Shock ? You should have: both the creators of BioShock and Deus Ex were involved in the game, which is a 1994 classic in its own right. Night Dive, the same company that was tasked with this year’s digital renovation, will handle the remake. It’s picked up full rights to the franchise. Via: PC World Source: Fast.Co

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Cyberpunk PC classic ‘System Shock’ is getting a proper remake