Tag: features

Honda will test self-driving cars on California streets

Honda just took a big step toward getting its self-driving car technology on to American roads. The automaker has quietly received the approval needed to test its autonomous cars on California streets, letting these robotic rides venture beyond a closed-off facility in Concord. The company is relatively late to the party — Audi, Lexus and other brands have had the state’s A-OK for a while. Still, we’re not going to knock Honda when this will eventually lead to more variety in hands-off vehicles. Filed under: Transportation Comments Via: Reuters , Ars Technica Source: California DMV Tags: acura, autonomous, california, car, honda, self-driving, self-drivingcar, transportation, vehicle

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Honda will test self-driving cars on California streets

All gas stations in Russia will have to install EV charging stations

The Russian auto market is struggling recently , and falling energy prices aren’t helping the country’s oil industry, either. With the economy looking somewhat uncertain, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is taking a baby step toward a greener future by mandating every gas station in the country have an electric vehicle charger by November 1, 2016. The rule is meant to boost Russia’s dismal EV segment that currently numbers a grand total of about 500 vehicles across the vast territory, according to Autostat data cited by The Moscow Times . Unfortunately, while this mandate is trying to overturn the status quo, it already looks easy to circumvent. A major problem is that the new rules don’t specify the type of charger to install, and the government isn’t offering any financial assistance to gas station owners. Therefore, they’re expected to take the cheapest option to satisfy the law. According to The Moscow Times , the least expensive charging equipment costs the equivalent of $1, 480 to import before installation expenses. However, a site like this would take nine hours to fully power-up an EV. “We believe that the new decree could stimulate business, ” Yelena Burenina, a spokesperson for the Moscow United Electric Grid Company, said to The Moscow Times . Although, at this point practically anything would be an advancement. Just 140 EVs were sold in Russia last year and fewer than 50 in the first half of 2015. Russia’s frigid winters are considered a major hurdle for EV adoption because the low temperatures cut back their total range. Somehow, though, chilly Norway is figuring out how to make green cars sell. [Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images] Filed under: Transportation Comments Via: Gas2 Source: The Moscow Times Tags: autoblog, charger, DmitryMedvedev, ElectricVehicle, EV, GasStation, partner, russia, syndicated

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All gas stations in Russia will have to install EV charging stations

3D-printable files of TSA master baggage keys are out for download

If you never trusted your luggage lock much to begin with, then you’re going to warily look at it in suspicion from now on. Some security enthusiasts took that photo of TSA’s master baggage keys that The Washington Post published and turned them into 3D-printable CAD files — in fact, they’ve recently uploaded them on GitHub , making them freely available to everyone. The person who released the files told Wired that while he tried to be as accurate as he could, he didn’t exactly expect the keys to work. Thing is, at least one of them did work: Bernard Bolduc, who describes himself as a “Unix wizard and security geek” on Twitter printed out a key and tried it on his TSA-approved lock. The result? He told Wired it took him one try to open the lock even though the key was made of common PLA plastic using commercially available printer. He didn’t even have to tweak the design in any way. We can assume that the rest of the files can be used to print out keys that can open other types of locks that the TSA uses to check baggage at airports. Sure luggage locks were never really lockpick-proof, but it’s still unfortunate how the agency made it even easier for thieves to open travelers’ suitcases. OMG, it’s actually working!!! pic.twitter.com/rotJPJqjTg — Bernard Bolduc (@bernard) September 9, 2015 [Image credit: Getty/Zoonar RF] Filed under: Misc Comments Source: GitHub Tags: 3dprint, security, tsa

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3D-printable files of TSA master baggage keys are out for download

Apple’s OS X El Capitan launches on September 30th

Apple’s latest desktop OS upgrade, dubbed ” El Capitan , ” is scheduled to launch on September 30th, Apple announced today. El Capitan is like an update within an update: It’s named after a landmark inside of Yosemite (the name of the previous OS version) and it features a series of minor, yet useful, tweaks. El Capitan offers a new split-screen view, changes to email and app management, drag-and-drop options for Notes, and updates to Safari and Maps, among other improvements. We got our hands on the developer build back in June and concluded it was a nice upgrade, if not revolutionary: “There simply is no killer feature this time around. But as minor as some of them may seem, they’re all at the very least nice to have, and in many cases genuinely useful.” Apple teased the El Capitan release date yesterday with a sneaky little screenshot during its iPad Pro event : Filed under: Misc , Software , Apple Comments Source: Apple Tags: apple, ElCapitan, iphone2015, OSX, osxelcapitan

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Apple’s OS X El Capitan launches on September 30th

Office 2016 starts rolling out on September 22

Microsoft’s next major Office update is now only a few weeks away: the software giant just announced that it will start rolling out Office 2016 starting on September 22. While it’s not nearly as exciting as new hardware, it’s still a significant release for Microsoft. It’ll be the first version of Office built specifically for Windows 10, and it also brings in some long-awaited features like real-time co-authoring and the addition of OneDrive attachments in Outlook. It also comes a few months after we saw the release of Office 2016 for Macs . You can still get a taste for Office 2016 on PCs today with the Public Preview , and it looks like you’ll be able to easily upgrade to the final versions of those apps once they’re available. Filed under: Software , Microsoft Comments Tags: microsoft, Office2016

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Office 2016 starts rolling out on September 22

iOS 9 will be available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch September 16th

An official announcement of new iPhones usually means a release date for the latest version of Cupertino’s mobile operating system as well. Today was no different as Apple announced that iOS 9 would be available as a free download September 16th. When it arrives next week, you’ll be privy to new features like a new and improved Siri , system-level security settings and split-screen multitasking on the iPad (hello, iPad Pro ). Native apps like Maps (now with transit info), Notes and others have also been refreshed, so if you haven’t been adventurous enough to test drive the public beta , there will be a load of new stuff for you to try. And there’s that brand new News app too, serving up personalized content to your devices for reading on the go. To help store all of those newfangled Live Photos , iCloud pricing has been revised to 50GB for 99 cents a month, 200GB for $3/month and 1TB for a $10 monthly fee. If you’re looking to make the switch from Android, Apple’s new “Move to iOS” app will arrive alongside iOS 9 as well to lend a hand moving your stuff over to a new phone/tablet. In terms of compatible devices, the new OS will play nice with iPhone 4s and later, 5th-gen iPod touch and later, iPad 2 and later and iPad mini and later when it arrives in just a few days. Filed under: Software , Mobile , Apple Comments Source: Apple Tags: apple, ios, ios9, iphone, iphone2015, mobilepostcross, software, update

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iOS 9 will be available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch September 16th

Android Lollipop is the OS of choice for one in five users

If you own an Android device, find four similarly outfitted friends and line up, shoulder-to-shoulder. Look to your left. Look to your right. Chances are, one of you has Lollipop, the latest Android mobile operating system. Twenty-one percent of Android devices use Lollipop, according to the company’s own breakdown . This figure is up significantly from May, when Android reported just nine percent of its devices used the new OS. The largest share of the Android OS pie goes to Kit Kat, with 39 percent, followed by Jelly Bean with 32 percent. Android’s next update is called ” Marshmallow ” and while it doesn’t yet have a release date, it should hit devices soon. Marshmallow’s focus is ” polish and quality , ” according to Google CEO Sundar Pichai. We checked out the M Preview version in June and found that ” when M works well, it works really well .” A few notes regarding today’s numbers: The Nexus 9 , Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge all come with Lollipop right out of the box. Also, Android’s figures reflect “devices running the latest Google Play Store app, which is compatible with Android 2.2 and higher.” That means older devices, or those without Google Play, aren’t counted in this particular survey. Filed under: Gaming , HD , Google Comments Via: VentureBeat Source: Android Tags: android, google, hdpostcross, lollipop, marshmallow, OS

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Android Lollipop is the OS of choice for one in five users

Google expands health conditions feature to over 900 illnesses

Google’s health conditions feature is about making it easier to find information about an illness. So, when there’s a local outbreak, or you get early symptoms, you can be better prepared. Mountain View has doubled the number of diseases in its database, bringing the number up to over 900 — including neglected tropical diseases and infections that typically affect people in developing nations. If you do a query for any of those illnesses on either mobile or desktop, you’ll see a quick results panel, which contains info on its symptoms, treatments and prevalence. You can even download the panel as a PDF file that you can print — apparently, that’s the most requested feature among the doctors Google worked with to ensure each condition’s accuracy. Unfortunately, the feature remains accessible only via Google US (that’s Google.com, or the one without a country-specific domain), but the company promises to make it available in more languages in the future. Filed under: Misc , Google Comments Source: Google Tags: google, googlehealth

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Google expands health conditions feature to over 900 illnesses

Skype 6.0 brings revamped design to both iOS and Android

Skype users have ridden a rollercoaster of different designs over the years, and the latest version promises yet more change. Version 6.0 has been completely redesigned for both iOS and Android apps, which are now in lockstep with each other. For Google’s ecosystem, the new layout took a page from the Android 5 “Material” playbook with circular icons and other touches. Other features include a floating action button to start new calls or chats (à la Facebook’s Messenger), enhanced search and improved messaging. There are also custom ringtones, photo sharing and web link reviews to bring the app in line with rival messaging products like Google’s Hangouts. On the Apple side, Microsoft made similar visual tweaks and added swipe gestures for calls and messages. It’s also easier to post photos, links and emoticons when you’re on a video or voice call. Other tweaks include enhanced search, location info and other features you’d expect on a messaging system. The Skype iPad app has been completely revamped to take advantage of the larger screen, and now includes group calling to boot. Both the Android and iOS apps are now available, and as for Skype on Windows 10 Mobile, MIcrosoft said it’s working hard on the next version and “we’ll let you know when we have more to share.” Filed under: Cellphones , Tablets , Mobile , Microsoft Comments Source: Skype Tags: Android, iOS, iPhone, microsoft, mobilepostcross, Skype, Skype 6.0

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Skype 6.0 brings revamped design to both iOS and Android

Hulu without the ads is here, for $4 more per month

Just as rumored , Hulu has finally decided to offer a version of its subscription without the ad breaks . Ad-free Hulu will cost $12 per month, as opposed to the regular $8 subscription (or the shows it offers for free), and of course it will soon include more movies (that Netflix doesn’t have ) thanks to the company’s deal with Epix . One small catch however is revealed by the FAQ , which indicates that due to licensing, a few shows will still have ads before and after (but not during) episodes. Hulu’s ads have always separated it from online streaming competition like Amazon and Netflix, and even though ads are a way of life on cable and broadcast television, its annoying tendency to repeat the same few selections always drove me crazy. Now, with more original content ( Seinfeld , The Mindy Project , the just-renewed Difficult People and others ), it’s a serious, although slightly more expensive, competitor for our attention. Developing… Will all shows and movies be commercial free? In response to feedback from our viewers, we started offering a commercial-free experience on Hulu. For a small number of shows, however, we have not obtained the rights to stream commercial free and they are not included in our No Commercials plan. You can still easily access these shows with a short commercial before and after each episode with no interruptions during the episode. Specific shows that still have commercials accessible through the No Commercials plan will be noted throughout the signup, switching, and playback experience. While the list of shows may change, these shows are currently: Grey’s Anatomy, Once Upon A Time, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Scandal, Grimm, New Girl, and How To Get Away With Murder. Filed under: Home Entertainment , Internet , HD Comments Source: Hulu Tags: ads, breaking news, hdpostcross, hulu

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Hulu without the ads is here, for $4 more per month