Tag: fitness

Smoother movements help robots save a lot of energy

Eliminating the herky-jerky movements of robots isn’t just good for comforting nervous humans… it helps the robots, too. Researchers have developed smooth movement algorithms that slow the acceleration and deceleration of robots, saving as much as 40 percent of the energy they’d normally use. The trick is to order tasks in a way that lets robots move at their own pace without colliding into each other. Factory robots typically rush through tasks in a rigid order, only to wait for their fellow automatons to catch up. Here, they’re more flexible as to when and how quickly they get things done. You may see these more graceful robotics sooner than you think. General Motors is one of the partners in the project, and it has a vested interest in saving as much energy as it can. Robots use roughly half of the electricity at a vehicle assembly plant — if GM can save a lot of money using nothing more than code, you know it’s going to leap on that opportunity. While it’ll likely take a long time before robots ship with smoother movements from the get-go, it won’t be surprising if the underlying algorithms eventually become ubiquitous. [Image credit: Oscar Mattson, Chalmers University] Filed under: Robots , Science Comments Via: Geek Source: Chalmers Tags: algorithm, chalmers, ChalmersUniversity, factory, generalmotors, gm, robot, robotics, science, video

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Smoother movements help robots save a lot of energy

Ferrofluid ‘font’ produces trippy, one-of-a-kind art

You may have seen ferrofluid (aka magnetic ink) used for clever science demonstrations in school, but it might just get a much cooler application before long. Linden Gledhill and Craig Ward have developed Fe2O3 Glyphs , wild-looking characters created by putting a ferrofluid between glass plates and subjecting it to spinning magnetic fields. The result is a sort of anti-font — while the “letters” look like they could be part of an alien language, they’re so unique that you’d likely never produce the same effect twice. The creators are producing a digital typeface that you can use for your own projects, and they also hope to create a limited run of letterpress art prints to show your friends. You’ll need to pitch in to make both of these a reality, though. The duo has launched a crowdfunding campaign that gives you both the digital font and at least one print (either unique or copied). You’ll need to pledge at least $30 to get something in return, but it might be worth the cash if you’ve ever wanted science-influenced artwork in your home. Filed under: Science Comments Via: The Creators Project Source: Kickstarter , Words Are Pictures Tags: art, crowdfunding, ferrofluid, font, glyph, ink, kickstarter, magentic, magnet, magnetism, science, video

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Ferrofluid ‘font’ produces trippy, one-of-a-kind art

Netflix hopes you won’t mind losing access to some big movies

Here’s hoping that you weren’t bent on watching The Hunger Games: Catching Fire or World War Z on Netflix — if so, you don’t have much time to do it. Netflix has confirmed that it won’t renew its longstanding movie deal with Epix , which will lead to many Lionsgate and MGM titles disappearing from the service come September. The company hopes you won’t mind, though. As Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos points out, there are legions of original shows lined up — Netflix is betting that you’ll be too busy watching Narcos to worry that a favorite flick just disappeared. And where is Epix going? If you believe Recode , it’s not giving up on third-party services altogether. Reportedly, it’s is “likely” to sign a deal with Hulu instead. That’s bad news for folks outside of the US (where Hulu is virtually non-existent), but it beats losing all subscription-based access. Whatever happens, it’s clear that Netflix is making a calculated move to get as much popular content as it can without breaking the bank. As you might gather, content agreements like the one with Disney are expensive — it could be difficult to preserve absolutely every deal when only some of them are likely to translate to more subscribers. Moreover, it’s getting difficult to offer a truly wide selection when there’s a race to snap up exclusives . Like it or not, you may have to subscribe to more than one streaming provider (or rent the missing titles) to cover your typical viewing habits. Filed under: Home Entertainment , Internet , HD Comments Via: Recode Source: Netflix Tags: epix, hdpostcross, hulu, internet, lionsgate, mgm, movies, netflix, streaming

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Netflix hopes you won’t mind losing access to some big movies

1 billion people used Facebook on Monday

What were you doing Monday? According to Mark Zuckerberg, it probably included using Facebook. He just posted that for the first time, the social network notched one billion individual users in a single day, calling it “just the beginning of connecting the whole world.” With that kind of scale, it’s no wonder the exec is focused on drones , lasers and satellites to connect the rest of the world to the internet ASAP, because he’s got an idea what they’ll be logging in to eventually. We just passed an important milestone. For the first time ever, one billion people used Facebook in a single day.On… Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday, August 27, 2015 We made this video to celebrate all you’ve done to help our community connect one billion people in a single day. It’s an amazing milestone. I hope you enjoy. Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday, August 27, 2015 [Image credit: AFP/Getty Images] Filed under: Internet , Facebook Comments Source: Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) Tags: activeusers, billion, facebook, MarkZuckerberg, video

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1 billion people used Facebook on Monday

Amazon Underground has completely free apps, including in-app extras

Free apps sometimes try to rope you into in-app purchases to make a profit. Not so with Amazon’s new approach to free software, though, as the online retailer is offering over $10, 000 in apps, games and even those in-app add-ons at no cost. Yes, it sounds too good to be true on the surface, but Bezos & Co. will compensate developers based on how long you use their apps. Amazon will shell out per-minute payments in exchange for developers nixing any fees, which means for the software is free to download and use. GdgtSpot reports that the company’s “Free App of the Day” promotion is no more, so it looks like Underground will replace it. Since Google Play’s rules don’t allow for apps that serve up other apps or games, you’ll have to download the Underground app directly from Amazon. And when you do, look for the “Actually Free” designation for items that are included in the new initiative. Filed under: Software , Mobile , Amazon Comments Source: Amazon Tags: amazon, amazonunderground, app, apps, mobilepostcross, software, underground

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Amazon Underground has completely free apps, including in-app extras

Researchers may have found a cancer cell’s ‘off’ switch

Aside from their abnormal growth rates, cancerous cells aren’t that much different from normal healthy tissue. That’s why radiation and chemo treatments can’t effectively target just tumors. However, a team of researchers from the Mayo Clinic believe they’ve discovered a mechanism that can rein in cancer’s uninhibited growth by retraining these wayward cells to die like they’re supposed to . See, when cells get old and prepare to die, they’re supposed to stop dividing. This process is controlled by “biological processors” called microRNAs which feed the cell just enough of the PLEKHA7 protein to inhibit division. But in the case of cancer, the microRNAs don’t deliver enough of the protein and the cells begin to divide out of control, resulting in a tumor. In a recently published study in the journal Nature Cell Biology , the Mayo Clinic team found that by injecting microRNA directly into a tumor, PLEKHA7 levels returned to normal and the cancerous cells stop reproducing. “This is an unexpected finding, ” Chris Bakal, a specialist at the Institute for Cancer Research in London, told The Telegraph . “Normal cells touch each other and form junctions, then they shut down proliferation. If there is a way to turn that [process] back on, it would be a way to stop tumors from growing.” What’s more, the method has shown to be surprisingly effective against some especially aggressive forms of cancer, at least in initial lab tests. However, the researchers don’t believe this will be some magic bullet that cures cancer outright. “This important study solves a long-standing biological mystery, but we mustn’t get ahead of ourselves, ” Henry Scowcroft, Cancer Research UK’s senior science information manager, told The Telegraph . “There’s a long way to go before we know whether these findings, in cells grown in a laboratory, will help treat people with cancer. But it’s a significant step forward in understanding how certain cells in our body know when to grow, and when to stop. Understanding these key concepts is crucial to help continue the encouraging progress against cancer we’ve seen in recent years.” Still, any step forward in the fight against this disease will be a welcome one. [Image Credit: Scott Tysick / Getty Creative] Filed under: Science Comments Via: Telegraph , Quartz Source: Nature Tags: cancer, chemo, MayoClinic, medicine, microRNA, PLEKHA7, protein, radiation, tumor

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Researchers may have found a cancer cell’s ‘off’ switch

There’s a new Tesla Model S long-distance record: 452.8 miles

There’s a reason this guy’s so popular. Bjorn Nyland might be familiar to readers because he just earned himself a free Tesla Model X by successfully getting ten people to buy a Model S . He was able to promote the all-electric car so well because he’s been doing it for ages. He’s proven the capability of the S by taking it 233 miles on a charge even in the deepest, darkest Norwegian winter . He also knows how to wring a lot more miles out of an electric car when the weather’s warm. A little over 452 miles, to be exact. Decked out in a Model S with a “Slow” sticker on the rear end, Nyland and his friend Morgan Tørvolt drove for 18 hours and 40 minutes at an average speed of just 24.2 miles per hour (ouch) to get 452.8 miles out of their battery pack. They started and ended at the Supercharger station in Rødekro, Denmark. That’s an extreme bit of hypermiling that I think throws down the challenge gauntlet to Wayne Gerdes or anyone else who wants to see just how far a big EV with two people inside can go. Unsurprisingly, the duo did the drive in a P85D, which has an 85-kWh battery pack, the biggest Tesla currently sells. A P90D model is on the way , so we’ll open up the floor to comments to see how many miles you think can be be stretched out of an extra 5 kWh. Pure math would say Nyland and Tørvolt got 5.3 more miles per kWh, which would translate to 26.5 more miles. Somehow we think that’s a floor, not a ceiling. The previous record for hypermiling an 85-kWh Model S was set by the father-son duo of David and Adam Metcalf in last 2013. Their record was 423.5 miles . The Metron 7 team took their modified all-electric Mazda minivan 513.3 miles on one charge , but that was using a 108-kWh pack. Filed under: Transportation Comments Via: Teslarati Source: Bjørn Nyland (YouTube) Tags: autoblog, bjornnyland, hypermiling, ModelS, morgantorvolt, p85d, partner, syndicated, tesla, tesla p85d, video

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There’s a new Tesla Model S long-distance record: 452.8 miles

Windows 10 is on 75 million PCs after only one month

If you’re still wondering why Microsoft made Windows 10 free, just consider the latest stats: It’s now on 75 million computers one month after its big launch, Windows corporate VP Yusuf Mehdi tweeted today. In comparison, it took six months for Microsoft to sell 100 million Windows 8 licenses , a more nebulous stat that didn’t necessarily include actual installs. None of this is a surprise though: We’ve written extensively about Microsoft’s desire to build a long-lasting Windows platform , and that starts with prioritizing the number of people running Windows 10 rather than mere revenues. Mehdi also divulged some other intriguing tidbits: More than “90, 000 unique PC or tablet models” have upgraded to Windows 10; over 122 years of gameplay have been streaming to Windows 10 PCs from Xbox One consoles; and, perhaps most intriguingly, the Windows 10 store “has seen 6x more app downloads “per device than Windows 8.” That last point is likely yet another big reason Microsoft chose to make Windows 10 a free upgrade. Microsoft worked hard to promote the Windows 8 app store, but it never managed to land a killer app (and in many cases, Windows 8 apps were simply worse than their iOS and Android counterparts). Developers waited until people actually started using Windows 8 apps, but that never really happened because there weren’t many to choose from. But with Windows 10, there’s an influx of new users eager to try out newer apps, and Microsoft has also made it easier for devs to bring over iOS and Android apps . 1. #Windows10 : More than 75 million devices running Windows 10 – and growing every day. 1/10 pic.twitter.com/g0kqGizU0c — Yusuf Mehdi (@yusuf_i_mehdi) August 26, 2015 Filed under: Software , Microsoft Comments Tags: microsoft, Windows10

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Windows 10 is on 75 million PCs after only one month

GOG Galaxy lets you roll back broken or unwanted updates

The latest version of gaming platform GOG Galaxy now supports patch and update rollbacks, letting you quickly restore a game to a previous version. Rollbacks were originally touted by the company as an DRM-free, anti-Steam feature , letting you skip an update if you hated it. “We know that patches can occasionally break a game or affect your mods, ” said tech VP Piotr Karwowski. GOG Galaxy has other ways you can avoid being locked down, like an opt-out for automatic updates and the ability buy games straight from its store sans the platform. Other game clients, including Steam, generally require such updates, a bone of contention for some players. The main drawback to GOG is a dearth of the latest games, though it does have fairly recent, popular titles like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt . The company describes the Galaxy client as “fully optional, ” though you’ll miss things like multiplayer, achievements and chat if you don’t use it. Along with rollbacks, the new version brings download pausing, extra installation options, improved friend searching, more speed and an updated UI. It’s now available to anybody in the preview program (you can enroll just by selecting the “receive preview updates” option), and will roll out to everybody else a bit later. Filed under: Gaming Comments Tags: Galaxy, GOG, GOG Galaxy, GoodOldGames, PCGaming, Platform, Steam, update, Windows

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GOG Galaxy lets you roll back broken or unwanted updates

MIT’s newest 3D printer spouts 10 materials at a time

One of the biggest hindrances to current 3D printers is that they almost exclusively stick to a single precursor be it plastic, metal or glass . At most, you can get one that extrudes three materials at a time and they’re going set you back a quarter of a million dollars . However, a team of researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory ( CSAIL ) have debuted a novel solution that allows users to create more complex items in a fraction of the time and cost by printing up to ten different materials simultaneously. Dubbed the MultiFab, this machine doesn’t extrude materials. Instead, it mixes microscopic droplets of photopolymers together and shoots them through inkjet-style printers. The system is also quite complex despite being constructed primarily from off-the-shelf components. A central computer directs the printer while receiving a continual stream of data from a 40-micron resolution 3D scanner and camera array as the item is being created. This feedback data — which measures in the dozens of gigabytes — allows the machine to correct and re-calibrate itself as the item is being printed. It also allows the user to place other objects, say a CPU chip, into the project and then print around it. The team envisions users being able to place a cellphone in the machine and 3D-print a case directly onto it. “The platform opens up new possibilities for manufacturing, giving researchers and hobbyists alike the power to create objects that have previously been difficult or even impossible to print.”says Javier Ramos, CSAIL research engineer at CSAIL co-author of the paper. The team believes that the technology could easily be scaled for use in commercial and hobbyist applications alike. Filed under: Science Comments Via: Popular Science Source: MIT Tags: 3D, 3D printing, 3D scanner, camera, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, MultiFab, scanner

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MIT’s newest 3D printer spouts 10 materials at a time