loading-chartbeat – Page 21 – Tech Today w/ Ken May

It’s now possible to map your home’s WiFi signal in 3D

We already know that it’s possible to map your home’s WiFi signal in 2D, but that doesn’t help if you’re holding your phone above your head to get connected. Step forward YouTuber CNLohr , who appears to have developed a reasonably low-tech way to analyze the WiFi strength of any 3D space. Using just a WiFi module and a CNC mill, he was able to detect the variability of the signal in an area and then create the funky visualization you see before you. In essence, the system is akin to WiFi radar, using a battery-powered ESP8266 chip to ping a device and measure the signal. If you attach an LED to the handheld hardware, it’ll change color depending on the relative quality in a given location. If you’ve been struggling with a signal blackspot in your home for a while, you can watch the clip below to find out how to build your own. [Thanks, Chris] Filed under: Wireless , Science Comments Source: Hackaday

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It’s now possible to map your home’s WiFi signal in 3D

Microscopic gold tubes can both detect and destroy cancer cells

There’s no doubt that doctors would prefer to treat cancer as soon as they spot it, and it looks like nanotechnology might give them that chance. Researchers at the University of Leeds have successfully tested gold nanotubes that are useful for both imaging and destroying cancer cells. Since the tubes absorb near-infrared light frequencies, which both generate heat and render human skin transparent, you only need to zap them with lasers of varying brightness to achieve multiple ends. You can use a relatively low brightness to reveal tumors, while high brightness will heat the tubes enough to kill nearby tumorous cells. The shape also has room for drugs, so you can deliver medicine at the same time. Scientists have only tried this approach in a mouse model of human cancer, so it’ll be a long while before the technique is ready for your local hospital. However, it might be worth the wait. Besides saving time, the gold nanotubes both enter and leave your body with minimal fuss; you aren’t as likely to grapple with side effects caused by methods like chemotherapy. If all goes well, you’d only need injections and laser blasts to deal with at least some life-threatening conditions. Filed under: Science Comments Via: EurekAlert Source: University of Leeds

Apple reportedly has ‘hundreds’ working on an electric car (updated)

Those ages-old rumors of Apple working on its own cars may have some merit after all. Wall Street Journal sources report that Cupertino has “several hundred” staffers working on an electric car project nicknamed Titan. It’s supposedly early days (a release would be “several years” away), but the current effort apparently resembles a minivan. There’s no mention of whether or not Apple’s camera-toting vans are linked to this EV effort, although it’s certainly tempting to make that connection. One thing is clear, if the claims are true: Apple isn’t taking the project lightly. The WSJ understands that ex-Ford engineer and veteran iPhone leader Steve Zadesky is heading up Titan. The Financial Times , meanwhile, has learned that Apple is recruiting loads of automotive experts, including former Mercedes-Benz research chief Johann Jungwirth (who’s officially tasked with Mac Systems Engineering). The company may be talking to vehicle suppliers like Magna, too. It’s possible that there’s something less ambitious in the works (such as more substantive car infotainment systems ) or that the initiative will fall apart, but the sheer scale and focus suggests that Tesla could get stiff competition in its own back yard. Update: Reuters sources believe that the project is a self-driving electric car. If so, those augmented minivans on the road might be contributing to Apple’s autonomous driving research. [Image credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for (RED)] Filed under: Transportation , Apple Comments Source: Wall Street Journal , Financial Times

Google knows you stink and wants to help

It takes a special patent to pique our interest these days, but Google has just been issued actual intellectual property for a device that would help others evade your stank . The “odor removing device” (below) is designed to “emit a fragrance in response to detected parameters, ” but that’s not the half of it. It would also detect your body temperature, heartrate and other factors to determine if you’re extra rank from working out. Not only will it then dispense perfume to cover it, it’ll even track the location of your friends and find you a route home to avoid them. It could also figure out “fragrance emission schedules” gleaned from your social networks or calendar and how much to spray “based on your sweat history.” Google has cooked up other, similarly bizarre usage cases for the device, but the illlustrations do look legit. Still, though some Google patents do end up as commercial products ( soft of ), we doubt we’ll be smelling this concept later. [Image credit: Getty/Jupiter Images] Filed under: Peripherals , Google Comments Via: Tech Digest Source: USPTO

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Google knows you stink and wants to help

Google and Mattel update View-Master for the VR generation

Remember View-Master ? That hunk of plastic you held up to your face, stuck cardboard reels into and advanced through 3D images of landscapes, animals and cartoons with the satisfying pull on a lever. Well it’s back and Mattel has Google to thank for helping drag the classic toy into the 21st century. The main piece is an update to the iconic red-bodied View-Master that looks a little bit like a Fisher-Price take on the Oculus Rift . The orange lever is still there, albeit in a more compact form, and the front is dominated by a black, branded piece of plastic. But rather than stationary slide, you insert a smartphone into the plastic body which, when paired with the View-Master app and a View-Master “experience reel, ” lets you experience 360-degree worlds, photosphere and educational “field trips.” There will even be bonus content such as historical footage, photos and behind the scenes video that you can access by clicking on icons hovering around objects, people and landmarks in the virtual world. The View-Master experience reels are a little different from the slide reels you’re used to. Instead of inserting them into the View-Master itself, you place them in front of you while you look through the device. Icons representing different experiences then pop out of the reel as augmented reality navigational aids. The reels are purely optional, kids can simply download content directly from the app if they so wish. But, as Doug Wadleigh of Mattel told the press at an event today, kids still like to collect things, and having physical reels to collect will satisfy that urge. It should also help placate older fans who have spent lifetimes collecting slide reels. This is actually the first major update to the View-Master since it was first introduced in 1939. Sure, it has a history beyond simply being an educational toy (both the military and medical schools have used its 3D images to train people), but it’s always worked pretty much the same way; A circular cardboard reel containing 3D slides is inserted into a stereoscopic viewer and manually advanced. That basic experience hasn’t changed for nearly 75 years. The whole experience is built around Google’s Cardboard , a simple and affordable VR platform that uses an Android smartphone as the heart of the device. As we’ve learned, Cardboard is not some half-hearted hobby project from Mountain View, it’s the earnest starting point for the company’s virtual reality ambitions. That also means that you don’t necessarily need to buy Mattel’s $30 View-Master to get the same experience. Though, seeing as how that price gets you a sample experience reel and the plastic viewer that should be more durable than a version actually built of cardboard, if you don’t already own a viewer this would seem like a good value. Sadly, you’ll have to wait until the fall to get your hands on the new View-Master. Once the viewer and app land later in October, you’ll be able to pick up additional experience reels as packs of four for $15. What’s more, iOS support for the gadget is on its way, too. Filed under: Peripherals , Software , Google Comments

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Google and Mattel update View-Master for the VR generation

Nissan has a glow-in-the-dark Leaf EV, but you can’t buy one

Oh, Nissan, you tease. The company has just coated a Leaf EV with some custom-made glow-in-dark paint , which can apparently last for up to 25 years — but it has no plans (not yet, anyway) to make it available for purchase. Nissan partnered with glow-in-dark pavement creator Hamish Scott to concoct a special paint as a symbolic representation of how Leaf inspires its owners to convert to solar energy. It’s easy to find glow-in-the-dark paints these days, of course, and you can even do Tron-like designs on your car if you want, but the company claims the one it mixed up isn’t like any other. The secret formula apparently uses organic materials, including an ingredient called Strontium Aluminate . This concoction absorbs energy from the sun during the day, which gives it power to glow at night for up to 10 hours. A glowy Leaf certainly sounds like it’ll go well with glow-in-the-dark roads ; not to mention, it looks a lot tougher to steal. As we’ve mentioned, though, you can’t waltz into a dealership and demand one ASAP, so you’ll just have to make do with watching it on video for now. Filed under: Transportation Comments Source: Nissan

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Nissan has a glow-in-the-dark Leaf EV, but you can’t buy one

Apple made it harder for hackers to breach FaceTime and iMessage

As a means to further secure your digital life, Apple said today that it’s adding two-step verification to FaceTime and iMessage. That still leaves the likes of iTunes and the Apple website vulnerable to ne’er-do-wells who want to remotely access your sensitive info (and have your password), of course, but now Cupertino’s universal messaging and video chat programs are locked down a bit further. Given the progress that’s been made toward adding the second authorization step to the rest of its ecosystem in recent months , it likely won’t be too long before those spots are buttoned up too. Any questions? The Apple two-step verification FAQ is only a click away. Filed under: Cellphones , Mobile , Apple Comments

Read thousands of comic books with a Scribd subscription

Scribd’s monthly subscription includes unlimited access to its library of audio and e-books , and as of today, you can add comics to that list. The service announced that it added over 10, 000 comic books for leisurely reading, and the more visually striking reading material will be included in the regular $9/month plan. Comics from publishers like Marvel, Archie, Valiant, Dynamite and more are available, meaning titles like Captain America, The Avengers, Harbinger and others can be read both on the web and that trusty mobile device . Not sure if you’re ready to commit? You can try Scribd for a month free of charge before opening your wallet. Filed under: Internet , Software Comments Via: The Verge Source: Scribd

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Read thousands of comic books with a Scribd subscription

BioWare cancels ‘Shadow Realms,’ its first original game in six years

Well, that was quick. Six months after its debut, BioWare’s announced it’s canceled its online action-RPG, Shadow Realms . The Austin-based studio isn’t moving forward with the four-versus-one PC game because, as the studio’s general manager Jeff Hickman tells it, it’s working on other things at the moment –including the next Mass Effect , add-on content for last year’s Dragon Age: Inquisition and the team’s Star Wars online RPG, The Old Republic . As GamesIndustry notes , that last title might attract new players given this December’s release of The Force Awakens . Don’t fret if you signed up for Shadow Realms ‘ closed alpha, though, as BioWare says it’s working on a reward for your trouble. In addition to all the above sequels and additional content it’s working on, the Texas team apparently has its hands in something new, as well. Could it be what the outfit teased last E3? Perhaps. We might not have long to wait until we see it, though — the Game Developer’s Conference is in early March immediately followed by PAX East and then E3 in June. Filed under: Gaming , Home Entertainment , HD Comments Via: GamesIndustry Source: BioWare

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BioWare cancels ‘Shadow Realms,’ its first original game in six years

‘Braid’ creator sacrifices his fortune to build his next game

One of the indie world’s first superstar developers made millions from one game. He’s spent it all to make his next. Jonathan Blow’s beautiful, distinct 2008 platformer Braid is largely regarded as the original indie game — The Notorious OIG, if you will. Blow spent roughly $200, 000 to create Braid and it made him a millionaire . Blow said in 2012 that he was funneling all of the money from Braid into his next project, a Myst -inspired puzzle game called The Witness that he’s been working on since 2009 . He wasn’t kidding when he said all. ” Braid still sells well on platforms that are thriving, but two of Braid ‘s big platforms were the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, both of which are sunsetting at this point, ” Blow tells me in an email interview. Braid was pivotal on Xbox 360. It launched as an exclusive on the digital storefront Xbox Live Arcade and ushered in a wave of successful independent games for the console. “Not so many people are buying digital games there, ” Blow says. “So the Braid income is not nearly enough anymore to fund the team. I have borrowed a bunch of money to finish The Witness . So I hope when it’s done, some people buy the game.” The current console generation kicked off in late 2013 with the launch of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and these consoles now dominate the market. Previous-generation games do sometimes make their way to new consoles; Braid isn’t one of them. It’s still available for PC, Mac and Linux on digital distribution service Steam , where it’s now six years old. GROWING PAINS Since starting development on The Witness in 2009, the game has at least tripled in size , from eight hours to 25-40 hours. The Witness dev team, nine people credited in full and eight additional contributors, hit a development milestone last month: All of the game’s puzzles are complete. There’s still plenty to work on, but the creative heavy lifting is done. There are 677 puzzles in The Witness currently. Blow generally keeps gameplay details vague for fear of spoiling The Witness ‘ main focus, but he says there are 11 different puzzle areas, and to “beat” the game, players will need to solve seven or eight of these. Each section has a different number of puzzles, and some areas can be completed without solving every puzzle therein. “It’s a pretty flexible game that way, ” Blow says. “But if you solve all the areas, of course, you might get a little something extra. Or a lot.” The Witness The Witness ‘ premise may sound familiar to some of you. Late last year, The Talos Principle launched on PC: a 3D, first-person puzzle game composed of separate puzzle areas and a mysterious, overarching story. The Witness is also a 3D, first-person puzzle game bathed in mystery, but Blow says it’s a completely different experience. The Talos Principle , for instance, involves communication with a booming, god-like voice and others via computer terminals. The Witness is about the experience of being alone on an island, finding beauty in that solitude and solving puzzles along the way. “There are some similarities between The Witness and Talos Principle , but most of those similarities are on the surface, ” he says. “I think these two games are ultimately about very different subjects, and were made for very different reasons, and you feel the differences when you play. That said, it is likely that someone interested in one game may be interested in the other game.” Clearly, there’s not a case of any developer “stealing” ideas from another, as Blow has been building The Witness for six years. That’s a long time to tease fans, and Blow knows it. “If there is such a thing as taking ‘too long, ‘ we have probably already done that, ” he says. “20 years from now, I am not going to care about whether we took an extra six months or a year in development; I am going to care about the quality of the game people got to play. It’d be a shame to sacrifice some of that quality just to squeak the game out a little sooner. Though I do sympathize with people who have been waiting a long time to play.” Filed under: Gaming , Software , HD , Sony Comments

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‘Braid’ creator sacrifices his fortune to build his next game