Tag: gadgets

Dainese’s airbag jacket doesn’t rely on a motorcycle to activate

Airbag jackets for motorcyclists typically rely on the bike to activate the safety features, which, in some cases, could be a bit tricky. Dainese remedied the issue by packing all of the requisite tech inside the jacket itself on its D-air Misano 1000. The collection of sensors, GPS and other electronics that are housed in the back protector “monitor the dynamics of the rider’s body 800 times a second” and deploy the airbag when they detect impact or tumbling. As you might expect, there’s an on/off switch to activate the system when you’re in the saddle and an LED status like keeps your informed of its status. Looking to snag one? The D-air Misano 1000 will arrive in November for €1, 499 (around $1, 700). Filed under: Transportation Comments Via: Gizmag , Gizmodo Source: Dainese Tags: airbagjacket, d-airmisano1000, dainese, jacket, motorcycle, safety, transportation

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Dainese’s airbag jacket doesn’t rely on a motorcycle to activate

Researchers create a near-perfect sound absorbing system

We’ve come a long way since the days of pouring wax into our ears to block out siren songs . A team of researchers at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have developed a sound-cancelling system that eliminates 99.7 percent of noise, no matter how quiet. Typically, passive sound deadening technologies have relied on materials that simple absorb sound waves (and usually only along a narrow band of frequencies). But even the most absorbent material tends to scatter some of the sound incoming sound waves. As such, this new system absorbs incoming sounds not once but twice. It uses a pair of ” impedance-matched ” resonators. These are devices that naturally vibrate at a specific frequency and, in the case of “impedance-matching”, that frequency is equal to that of the the background medium (whatever the resonator is mounted to). The first resonator eliminates a majority of the incoming sound waves. However at very low energy levels (ie very quiet sounds), even the best resonator tends to scatter a little bit of the sound at its own frequency. That’s where the second resonator comes in — it’s tuned precisely to the first resonator’s frequency, allowing it create destructive interference for any sound the first resonator scatters. This single-layer system builds and improves upon the team’s earlier work, published last year in Nature . That study fit a soft absorbent layer atop a hard reflective one and separated them with a thin layer of air. The idea was that any sound that got through the soft layer would bounce off the reflective layer and cancel out any incoming sound waves . [Image Credit: AFP/Getty Images] Filed under: Science Comments Via: Motherboard Source: Applied Physics Letters Tags: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, HongKong, NoiseCancelling, resonator, sounddampening

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Researchers create a near-perfect sound absorbing system

Uber and Lyft officially allowed to operate in Nevada

Nevada’s Transportation Authority has granted both Uber and Lyft permits to operate in the state, a few days after approving new rules for ride-hailing services. Those include having to pay administrative fees and to stick decals onto cars that are part of the companies’ fleets. That doesn’t mean you can hail a ride from either app right now, though: neither company has a firm launch date yet. They still have to deal with Clark County officials who refuse to let the companies run their business until they have the proper license. Problem is, the county doesn’t even have a licensing category for ride-sharing/hailing services yet. Clark County plans to start working on a legal framework today, but it could take several weeks to complete the process. That said, both companies hope to begin offering rides in Nevada soon — a Lyft spokesperson even told Tri-City Herald that they are legally required to deploy cars in the state by October 15th. Uber was already available in Nevada last year, but it got suspended after being slapped with a preliminary injunction due to security and insurance concerns. In order to get approval from authorities to operate an unlimited fleet for $500, 000, it had to promise to address four minor issues. Lyft was allowed to deploy 2, 500 cars for $150, 000 if it fixes the Department of Insurance’s concerns about its insurance policy and alter the language for part of its terms of service. [Image credit: Shutterstock] Filed under: Transportation Comments Source: Tri-City Herald , Las Vegas Sun , Reno Gazette-Journal Tags: lasvegas, lyft, nevada, permit, uber

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Uber and Lyft officially allowed to operate in Nevada

UK’s first driverless ‘pod’ readies itself for public trials

Britain wants to be at the forefront of driverless car technology, so it’s funding a handful of research projects that will look at different vehicle designs and how people react to them. One of those initiatives, led by Transport Systems Catapult and the RDM Group, is inching closer towards public trials today with the unveiling of a new “Lutz Pathfinder” pod. We first saw the vehicle back in February , covered with Union Jack decals, but that was actually just a prototype. The new two-seater pod unveiled this morning is far closer to completion — it just needs to visit Oxford University’s Mobile Robotics Group, where it’ll be fitted with an autonomous control system. Researchers will then do a number of calibration tests on a private test track, before it’s finally sent out for public testing in Milton Keynes. Slideshow-319650 If all goes to plan, the Lutz Pathfinder will be the first fully automated vehicle to be trialled in a pedestrianised space in the UK. “When you consider that there wasn’t even a design in place for this vehicle less than 18 months ago, it has been a really quick turnaround, ” Steve Yianni, CEO for Transport Systems Catapult said. Safety is, unsurprisingly, the project’s primary concern. When it first hits the pavement, the pods will be driven manually so they can map their surroundings. They’ll then drive autonomously, with a trained operator on board that can override the controls if necessary. Transport Systems Catapult hopes the pods will eventually be used as a mode of public transport, with the option for commuters to summon them with their smartphone. It’s a long, arduous process, but the UK government is praying that its efforts will make it an early pioneer in self-driving technology, and eventually pay dividends as car makers grow increasingly dependent on it. Filed under: Transportation Comments Tags: driverless, DriverlessCars, lutz, pathfinder, pod, selfdriving, SelfDrivingCar

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UK’s first driverless ‘pod’ readies itself for public trials

Facebook’s new read receipts promise to ruin your friendships

Ever had a Facebook friend send an event invitation that you ignored, whether it was because you couldn’t attend or (let’s be honest) had no interest in going? Unfortunately, you may have to explain yourself in the near future. Facebook has confirmed to The Daily Dot that it’s testing event read receipts which tell organizers when you’ve seen an invitation, making it clear when you’re avoiding things. Ostensibly, this is to help event creators message the right people. However, it really amounts to (as the New York Times ‘ Daniel Victor puts it ) a “friendship destruction device” — take a glimpse at that polka party invite and you may need to come up with an excuse to avoid alienating a long-time pal. The good news? There’s no certainty that Facebook will roll out the feature to everyone, so you might not be making enemies any time soon. [Image credit: Adam Berry/Getty Images] This is what Facebook’s new friendship destruction device (event read receipts) looks like pic.twitter.com/Nv1IZfnCJ6 — Daniel Victor (@bydanielvictor) September 14, 2015 Filed under: Internet , Facebook Comments Via: The Daily Dot , The Next Web Source: Daniel Victor (Twitter) Tags: facebook, internet, socialnetwork, socialnetworking

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Facebook’s new read receipts promise to ruin your friendships

The second ‘StarCraft II’ expansion arrives November 10th

It’s been a long time coming, but the second StarCraft II expansion is nearly here: Blizzard has announced that Legacy of the Void will arrive on November 10th. As with both the original game ( Wings of Liberty ) and Heart of the Swarm , this latest title will focus primarily on one species. In this case, you’re reuniting the mysterious Protoss so that they can confront a dire threat and reclaim their homeworld. You’ll also get new units for all factions, and there are fresh multiplayer modes that include shared bases and objective-based co-op. It’s not really a revolution, then. However, this also represents the end of the StarCraft II story line — if you’re determined to see the conclusion to Blizzard’s five-year sci-fi saga, you’ll want to check this out. Filed under: Gaming Comments Via: Kotaku Source: Battle.net , BusinessWire Tags: activision, blizzard, gaming, legacyofthevoid, starcraft, starcraft2, starcraftii, starcraftiilegacyofthevoid, video

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The second ‘StarCraft II’ expansion arrives November 10th

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

Google Fiber considering Irvine, Louisville, and San Diego for expansion

Google has announced that it is considering rolling out its high-speed Fiber internet service to three additional American cities . The company stated on its Fiber blog on Thursday that it hopes to enter a joint planning process with the cities of Irvine, California; Louisville, Kentucky; and San Diego, California. “We’ll work with Irvine, Louisville and San Diego to conduct a detailed study of factors that affect construction, ” wrote Jill Szuchmacher, Director, Google Fiber Expansion, “such as local topography, housing density, and the condition of existing infrastructure.” This isn’t a guarantee that the cities will actually receive the service (just as Portland, San Jose and Phoenix are still in the planning stages), only that Google is considering expansion into those regions. With each city offering unique benefits and challenges, there is no set timetable for any of them moving forward. [Image Credit: Lede – Bloomberg via Getty Images, inline – Google Fiber] Filed under: Internet , Google Comments Source: Google Fiber Tags: fiber, FiberOptic, gigabit, google, Google Fiber, Irvine, California, Louisville, Kentucky, San Diego, San Jose, California

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Google Fiber considering Irvine, Louisville, and San Diego for expansion

California Unemployment office says Uber driver was an employee

If you ask Uber, none of their drivers are employees — just independent contractors who happen to use their network to get fares. If you’ve been watching the news though, you know some drivers disagree: filing lawsuits both in California and the UK for the right to be recognized as employees. Those drivers just got some vindication, by way of the California unemployment office. According to the Employment Development Department, at least one former Uber driver qualifies for unemployment benefits. According to Reuters , the EDD decided that a former Uber driver in southern California was an employee; the decision was held up twice by a administrative law judge when Uber appealed. Apparently, Uber’s control over the driver was a deciding factor — the company gets to define fares, bar drivers from picking non-Uber passengers and can even charge drivers a cancellation fee for choosing not to pick up a fare. That’s “in fact an employer / employee relationship, ” according to the decision. Uber says this ruling doesn’t have any impact on pending litigation, but it’s certainly a feather in the hat of drivers who want a more traditional relationship with the company. We’ll have to wait and see how that turns out as the class-action lawsuit moves forward. Filed under: Misc , Transportation Comments Source: Reuters Tags: edd, lawsuit, uber, unemployment

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California Unemployment office says Uber driver was an employee