Tag: guides

MIT scientists make it easy to tweak designs for 3D printing

Two different groups of MIT researchers found a way to print out objects with glass instead of plastic and to make a printer spew out 10 different materials at once earlier this year. This particular team along with researchers from the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya in Israel, however, have chosen to focus on creating a system that makes it possible for even novices to customize the objects they want to print. Designers typically have to adjust a CAD file to tweak the object’s looks by typing in numerical values, and then wait for minutes to hours for a simulation software to make sure the final product is viable. The system this group developed dramatically speeds up the process. It displays the design along with sliders representing different parameters — say, the height of a shoe’s heel or the base size and width of a mug — on a web browser. The user can then easily play with the sliders to achieve the look they want. Now, here’s the best thing about it: it won’t let you design unstable structures or anything that can’t be printed or used. Nobody has to spend hours waiting for software to make sure the modified digital object is feasible, and all the user needs to do is to send it straight to the 3D printer. Filed under: Science Comments Source: MIT Tags: 3dprinter, 3dprinting, MIT

Taken from:
MIT scientists make it easy to tweak designs for 3D printing

Waze sued for allegedly stealing map data

Google and its mapping service Waze are being dragged to court over allegations that Waze stole data from a rival’s map database. The lawsuit filed in San Francisco federal court on Tuesday by PhantomAlert alleges that the navigation app used proprietary data from PhantomAlert without permission. Both apps share road, red light and traffic information. According to PhantomAlert CEO Joseph Seyoum he noticed that Waze was using the same fictitious location information in its app that his company had used to test PhantomAlert. The only way Waze would have that fake location data is if it was using information from Seyoum’s company. In a statement Seyoum said, “I started PhantomAlert seven years ago as an entrepreneur with a dream, and now that dream has been crushed by companies that are profiting from the years of blood, sweat and tears our team put into our product.” PhantomAlert lawyer Karl Kronenberger alleges that Waze used his client’s data to increase its value and become more attractive to potential buyers. Both Google and Facebook were reportedly interested in purchasing the mapping app with Google securing the deal for around $1 billion n 2013. The suit seeks monetary damages and an injunction against Waze and Google regarding the app. Google has not responded to queries for comment about the lawsuit. Filed under: Transportation , Google Comments Via: CNET Source: PhantomAlert Tags: google, Lawsuit, Mapping, Waze

Visit site:
Waze sued for allegedly stealing map data

Just add water and this squid-inspired plastic heals itself

While you’ve been busy scarfing down fried calamari rings, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have been doing something else with squid . Namely? Studying the cephalopod’s ring teeth for a way to create a material that heals when water’s present , much in the way that those tentacle-bound choppers do. The way the report spotted by Popular Science tells it, the researchers were able to reproduce the type of proteins found in the self-healing squid teeth and trigger bacteria to make it in a lab environment. To test just how strong the new material was, the scientists formed the protein into the shape of a dog bone and cut it in two with a razor blade. After pressing the two segments back together, dousing them with a bit of water and applying pressure, the pieces fused and were still as strong compared to before they were cut. Like PopSci notes, this type of material could be used to coat things deep-sea internet cables or perhaps help biomedical devices have a longer lifespan, but is still a ways off from primetime. That and it still needs to be tested against shark bites , of course. [Image credits: Getty/Jeff Rotman (lead), Demirel Lab/Penn State (lab photo)] Filed under: Science , Alt Comments Via: Popular Science Source: Penn State University , Nature Tags: bacteria, nature, protein, science, SelfHealing, squid, squidteeth, UniversityOfPennsylvania, upenn

View original post here:
Just add water and this squid-inspired plastic heals itself

Samsung jumps into Ultra HD Blu-ray, as Fox provides the movies

Today Samsung is the first company to announce an Ultra HD Blu-ray player, taking the lead in 4K and HDR video. Following up on its big Ultra HD push at CES and the movie streaming/ download tech that has arrived in the months since, Samsung is ready to push super high resolution movies (four times the resolution of Blu-ray, and 64 times as many colors) on discs too. There’s not much detail available on its new player, although we expect it will cost less than the $1, 000 price its first Blu-ray player commanded nearly a decade ago and it should launch early next year. Joining the tech company on its IFA 2015 stage are Fox execs, with president Mike Dunn proclaiming the studio is committed to releasing its slate of upcoming movies in Ultra HD with HDR day-and-date with the Blu-ray and Digital HD releases. That includes Fantastic Four , Maze Runner , Kingsman: The Secret Service and more. Samsung’s Ultra HD Blu-ray player is curved to match its TVs , and also includes a number of UHD streaming services. The other news today at IFA is that Samsung’s TVs will be the first ones getting a software update to support HDMI 2.0a , necessary to receive HDR info from the new Blu-ray players. As far as that UHD Alliance the tech industry and Hollywood are creating to push their new video standards, Fox CTO Hanno Basse said it has tripled in size, and hopes to share more details in “the coming months.” Filed under: Home Entertainment , HD , Samsung , Microsoft Comments Tags: 4K, Blu-ray, Fox, hdpostcross, HDR, IFA, IFA2015, microsoft, MikeDunn, samsung, SUHD, UltraHD, UltraHDBlu-ray

Taken from:
Samsung jumps into Ultra HD Blu-ray, as Fox provides the movies

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

See the original article here:
Hulu without the ads is here, for $4 more per month

ASUS unveils the Intel-powered, Windows 10 VivoStick

Intel generated a storm of interest when it launched the HDMI-based Compute Stick , but is anybody willing to buy a tiny, under-powered PC? Who knows, but ASUS has just launched its own model that trumps Intel’s in nearly every way. It’s a lot less clunky-looking and one-ups Intel’s Atom CPU with a Cherry Trail model, while adding an extra USB 3.0 port and headphone jack for good measure. Otherwise, it has the same 2GB of RAM and 32GB storage, and works in the same way: you plug it into any HDMI TV, add a keyboard and mouse, then compute away on Windows 10. At least, we hope so. As we noted in our review , Intel’s stick is far from a powerhouse and not quite up to its primary task of serving music and video streaming to your TV and sound system. However, at $129, the ASUS VivoStick runs a bit less than Intel’s $150 Compute Stick, which might make it worth the gamble. Availability has yet to be determined. Filed under: Wireless , Storage , ASUS Comments Tags: asus, ComputeStick, HDMI, IFA2015, PC-on-a-stick, PC-on-a-TV, USB3.0, VivoStick

See the original post:
ASUS unveils the Intel-powered, Windows 10 VivoStick

Amazon beats Netflix to offline movie and TV show streaming

For years, Netflix subscribers have asked for the ability to download movies and TV shows offline. The company is yet to introduce such a feature — so Amazon has taken the initiative and added exactly that to its rival streaming service. If you’re signed up to Prime Video, or have an active Amazon Prime account, you can now download and watch titles covered by your monthly subscription. It’s supported in both the iOS and Android app — although the latter will require you to download the app through the Amazon Appstore. The regular Amazon app in Google Play, which also supports Prime Video, doesn’t seem to have the feature just yet. Regardless, offline playback is a massive addition — if you’re a frequent flyer, for instance, you no longer have to break your Transparent binge-session or purchase the full series before takeoff. Now, how long will it be before Netflix offers the same? Filed under: Cellphones , Amazon Comments Via: Amazon Source: Amazon Video (iOS) , (Amazon) Tags: amazon, android, app, download, instantvideo, ios, offlineplayback, primeinstantvideo, streaming

See original article:
Amazon beats Netflix to offline movie and TV show streaming

Google is working to make 4K video less of a data hog

Ultra HD 4K video is still in its infancy, but there’s no doubt the format will become increasingly popular in the next year or two. Huge players like YouTube and Netflix already support it, but delivering such high bandwidth video content remains a challenge. Google’s trying to do its part to solve that problem by developing a more efficient video compression codec called VP10. The new codec has been in the works for nearly a year, but the company gave some details about how effective it can be over the VP9 format it’ll eventually replace. In an interview with CNET , Google product manager James Bankoski said that VP9 uses half the bandwidth needed to deliver the same quality video as the popular H.264 format — and with VP10, the company is trying to cut it in half again. Reduced bandwidth usage isn’t the only thing VP10 has going for it — it should also provide shaper images, better color, and a better dynamic range between lights and dark. But despite some strong technical credentials and the backing of Google, widespread adoption of VP10 is hardly a foregone conclusion. H.264 is still the dominant video compression standard, and its successor (HEVC / H.265) will likely see widespread support. Still, this is a battle that isn’t yet won, and the dominance of YouTube means that VP10 will have a fighting chance against HEVC. The fact that VP10 is open source is another point in its favor; the licensing for HEVC could add red tape and costs for developers and devices makers. It’ll be a while before this conflict comes to a head, however: Google said it hopes to hit its performance targets for VP10 by the end of next year. Filed under: HD , Google Comments Source: CNET Tags: 4k, google, h264, h265, hdpostcross, hevc, vp10, vp9, youtube

See more here:
Google is working to make 4K video less of a data hog

Algorithm turns any picture into the work of a famous artist

A group of German researchers have created an algorithm that basically amounts to the most amazing Instagram filter ever conceived: a convolutional neural network that can convert any photograph into a work of fine art. The process takes an hour (sorry, it’s not actually coming to a smartphone near you), and the math behind it is horrendously complicated, but the results speak for themselves. The algorithm leverages how complex neural networks process object recognition to help it rebuild photographs in the style of specific artists. On a very basic level, the network treats the art style of a source image as a “texture, ” and filters the target image through several layers of computational units to create a representation of it that agrees with the features of the original art. It’s a pretty neat trick, but not the actual point of the group’s research — the art project is simply an example that shows that convolutional neural networks are now capable of separating the content and style of an image. That said, researchers admit that content and style have to be careful balanced if the output image is to make any sense — too much focus on style, and the output image won’t look anything like the original photograph. The group plans to publish an additional paper on the algorithm in Nature later this year — but you can read the original report at the source link below. Filed under: Science Comments Via: Washington Post Source: Corell University Tags: art, imagerecognition, NeuralNetwork, picasso, vangogh

View post:
Algorithm turns any picture into the work of a famous artist

Colombia is conducting widescale illegal surveillance

Want to know why it’s important to have checks on mass surveillance programs? Colombia should serve as a good example. Privacy International reports that the country not only collects bulk internet and phone data on a grand scale, but violates the law in the process — it’s supposed to require judicial approval for any surveillance, but regularly ignores that oversight. Colombian agencies have also relied on controversial tools like IMSI catchers (which scoop up nearby cellphone data) and Hacking Team’s spyware, and they’ve sought to expand their powers rather than rein things in. It’s no secret that Colombia has a history of surveillance, fueled in no small part by its decades-long battles with rebels and drug cartels. And unfortunately, the pressure to keep an eye on communications isn’t likely to drop anytime soon. A Venezuelan immigrant crackdown has forced many Colombia-born residents back to their homeland, increasing tensions between the two countries. It may take a long while before the political climate is truly conducive to surveillance reform. [Image credit: AP Photo/Fernando Vergara] Filed under: Cellphones , Wireless , Internet Comments Via: The Verge Source: Privacy International Tags: colombia, hackingteam, imsicatcher, internet, privacy, security, spying, spyware, surveillance

Follow this link:
Colombia is conducting widescale illegal surveillance