When it came to life on Mars , NASA might have struck out, but it’s got a good feeling about Europa . The agency is working on a probe designed to scan its vast oceans for signs of alien life, but there’s a problem, namely the 30 feet of ice that covers the moon’s surface.That’s where VALKYRIE comes in, a torpedo-shaped robot that’ll suck up water, warm it and fire it back into the ice to quickly and easily drill through the layer. Once the hardware reaches its destination, it’ll release a swarm of smaller ‘bots that’ll map the geography and hunt for alien microbes. There’s still a few issues to work out with the gear, like the fact that it can’t properly change course while tunneling, which would be pretty essential if it were to come across a rock or other blockage. Then again, given that we won’t be ready to launch a mission to Jupiter’s moon until the early 2020’s, NASA’s got some time to fix the problems. Filed under: Robots , Transportation , Science , Alt Comments Via: Gizmodo Source: New Scientist

Visit link:
Prototype NASA robot will burrow through sheets of alien ice

Amazon’s recently announced music service for Prime members just got a bit better. Today, the giant online retailer revealed that its Prime Music library is welcoming a bunch of new songs into the mix, from artists such as Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Kendrick Lamar, Shakira, Skrillex, Ella Fitzgerald, DJ Snake & Lil Jon ( #TD4W, anyone? ) and many, many more. To make use of these newly added tunes, Amazon said it has curated “hundreds” of fresh Prime Playlists , citing this feature as one users have come to love since the service’s launch last month. Amazon will need to keep making similar moves if Prime Music is to be a threat to the likes of Spotify , so this is, without a doubt, a step in the right direction. The next natural step would be expanding outside of the US, but record labels might make that a lot more complicated than it sounds. Filed under: Misc , Portable Audio/Video , Internet , Mobile , Amazon Comments Source: Amazon

Follow this link:
Amazon expands Prime Music library with loads of new tracks

Whether you’re looking to replace your laptop or just find something to keep you entertained, there’s a tablet out there to suit you. But with an ever-increasing array of slates crowding the market, narrowing down the list can be a chore. So we’ve sorted through the pile and picked out some of our favorites for both power users and media consumers. Our complete buyer’s guide is always just a few clicks away, but feel free to cruise through the gallery below for a quick rundown of the best tablets you can buy today. Filed under: Tablets , Mobile , Apple , Samsung , Sony , Microsoft , ASUS , Google , Amazon , Acer Comments

View article:
The top 12 tablets you can buy right now

StubHub has revealed that it’s been the victim of a global fraud operation that’s lasted longer than a year. Rather than being hacked, however, criminals obtained user details from other websites and keylogging software, then proceeded to make purchases on the eBay-owned ticket site. Company official Glenn Lehrman has told Reuters that authorities in the US, Canada and the UK will conduct arrests later today, at which point more details will be released. Worried users of the service should relax, for the moment at least, since the company has promised that any unauthorized transactions were spotted and refunded back in 2013. Filed under: Internet Comments Via: WGGB Source: Reuters

See the original post:
eBay’s ticket site StubHub says it’s the victim of a ‘global fraud ring’

Hey look, a new router from ASUS and, apparently, it is super, super fast. According to the Taiwanese company, its RT-AC87 is “the world’s first” with Wave 2 features, which bring better reliability, major speed boosts and overall performance improvements to the 802.11ac generation of WiFi routers — one that, by the way, has yet to break through to the mainstream . Thanks to this novel technology, ASUS’ RT-AC87 can beam out 5 GHz signals with up to 1.73 Gbps speeds, making it a great option for someone who has a lot of different devices under a single roof. People that, you know, love watching stuff on Netflix, like to livestream games to the internet or just have too many connected things happening all at once. The RT-AC87 will be available “shortly” for $270, though it’ll be limited to North America. For the time being, ASUS can enjoy having the speediest router in town, at least until D-Link, Netgear, Belkin and the rest of them show up to the party. Filed under: Wireless , Networking , ASUS Comments Source: ASUS

More:
ASUS has the world’s fastest WiFi router… for now

So far, sophisticated 3D web games have typically required either a plugin (think Quake Live ) or a special environment where they can run native code . While those are just dandy, they aren’t really web games, are they? That’s going to change shortly, as Trendy Entertainment has revealed plans to launch truly web-based versions of both Dungeon Defenders Eternity and the upcoming Dungeon Defenders II . Both Unreal Engine-based titles use a mix of open standards like WebGL , Web Audio and Mozilla’s heavily tuned JavaScript web code (asm.js) to handle desktop-level 3D and sound in your browser at “near native” speeds. You may not notice the difference at all, provided you’re on a reasonably quick PC. If you’re interested in giving either base defense game a spin, you might want to check out the Firefox 31 update arriving at the same time. Mozilla’s latest browser includes tweaks for game-related performance, as well as some handy features whether or not you intend to play; it enables parental controls on supporting sites, malware blocking for downloads and a search field on the new tab page. You don’t need Firefox if you’re only eager to try Dungeon Defenders , but you may want to swing by the source links to see if anything else in the upgrade tickles your fancy. Filed under: Gaming , Internet Comments Source: Mozilla Blog , Firefox Notes

View article:
New plugin-free web games run (almost) as well as their desktop counterparts

It looks like that (pending 2 years for existing customers) price hike hasn’t greatly affected Netflix’s popularity, as it announced today that it has 50 million customers altogether. About 36 million of them are in the US, and Netflix is about to launch in more European countries in September. The only real change we’re seeing mentioned in today’s earning report is that it’s about to start distributing in-store gift cards this fall, so you can give the gift of Netflix or join without having to pay online with a credit card. The company’s focus of course is how it’s building up a library of exclusive content, and it says Orange is the New Black became the most watched series in every Netflix territory when season two launched. Upcoming shows include Sense8 from the Wachowskis and the Daredevil series it’s making with Marvel, and it’s cast a number of big names for those shows already like Vincent d’Onofrio, Naveen Andrews and Rosario Dawson — check the gallery below for more details. Developing… Of course, in a letter to investors Netflix also spoke up on net neutrality and its battle with ISPs over paid peering access, laying out its policy goals. Number one is for the FCC to “not sanctify paid prioritizations” aka fast lanes, two is to either block the merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable or extract a requirement blocking the combo from charging for interconnect. Filed under: Home Entertainment , HD Comments Source: Netflix , Netflix

View article:
Netflix crosses 50 million subscribers worldwide, takes aim at the Comcast / TWC merger

Before Google Fiber, Verizon FiOS was the speedy internet service everyone wanted in their neighborhood. The arrival of 1Gbps connections, a slowed rollout, and an ongoing battle with Netflix that’s slowing streams to a crawl has slightly dulled the cachet, but it’s still one of the fastest providers out there. Now it’s getting even faster , but Verizon isn’t boosting download speeds again — those will stay the same as customers get matching upload speeds on every plan. On the fastest tier (previously 500Mbps down / 100Mbps up), speeds will increase by 5x to 500Mbps, and most customers will see their speeds double. New customers can get the symmetrical speeds right away, and they’ll roll out to existing customers throughout the fall. To go immediately to the front of that list FiOS subscribers can sign up for the MyRewards+ customer loyalty program, which is free, and pretty much just requires inputting your birthdate. [Image credit: Mark Von Holden/AP Images for Verizon] Verizon’s Chief Marketing Officer Mike Ritter tells Engadget that the change is in response to more video devices, cloud uploading in the home, and even the oft-referenced Internet of Things. The faster uploads should reach almost everyone, but about 5 percent of customers will know the truth might not be able to get them for technical reasons. We also asked about Verizon’s deal with Netflix and when the faster performance should kick in, but just heard the same, that it’s working to create peering arrangements in the network. Filed under: Home Entertainment , Internet , HD , Verizon Comments Source: Verizon

Continue Reading:
Verizon FiOS gets a speed boost: now uploads go as fast as downloads

Odds are that you’re used to ironing some of your clothes to keep them wrinkle-free, or taking them to the dry cleaners when you can’t (or just won’t) put them through a washing machine. No great shakes, right? Well, Procter & Gamble and Whirlpool apparently believe that these are terrible burdens — the two have unveiled Swash , an appliance that freshens your clothing one piece at a time. The device uses the combination of heat and a special solution (held in “Swash pods”) to eliminate wrinkles and smells in your apparel without either damaging it or requiring time-consuming care; your duds should be (almost) as good as new in roughly 10 minutes. It doesn’t require water, and it can handle delicate materials like cashmere and lace. At first blush, it looks like a good way to save a favorite coat or sweater from the ravages of time. However, this is most definitely an extravagance. While Reviewed.com found that Swash worked as advertised , you’ll really have to despise dry cleaning to justify the running costs — the device by itself is $499, and each 12-pack of pods is $7. That could quickly add up if you’re using the machine multiple times a week. It’s also not going to remove stains, so you’ll still be in dire straits if you spill a drink on your shirt right before a big date. You can buy the Swash at Bloomingdale’s this September, but you’ll want to think carefully about your typical attire before you splurge on a unit. Just how badly do you want to dress to impress? Filed under: Household , Wearables Comments Source: Swash , BusinessWire

Continued here:
Whirlpool’s new machine freshens your clothes in 10 minutes flat

Summer’s in full swing and the weather’s nice, so how about ditching your gas-guzzlin’ ride for something human-powered? If you do, Google’s latest update to Maps on mobile wants to help make biking a little easier . New features for two-wheeled transportation include routes based on elevation so you can avoid any strenuous climbs and, as Android Police reports , there’s apparently a tool to compare different itineraries based on elevation as well. Should you to stick to a car for getting around (air conditioning is awfully nice), Mountain View didn’t forget about you, either. A handful of voice commands have been added for checking what traffic is like ahead of you, estimated arrival time and next-turn reminders, among others. Unlike the familiar “OK, Google” voice-prompt though, these orders aren’t fully hands-free just yet. Meaning, we don’t recommend searching for the on-screen microphone button to initiate the app’s listening mode while you’re in traffic — fumbling to activate a route overview isn’t worth causing an accident over. If you want to take the app for a test-drive, however, check out the source link . [Image credit: johnthescone/Flickr] Filed under: Cellphones , Mobile , Google Comments Via: Android Police Source: Google Play

See the original article here:
Google Maps for mobile now helps bikers avoid steep hills