Google has been tweaking its self-driving car project for years, but now it’s taking another big step. Later this summer it will start testing prototype vehicles it’s designed from the ground up , instead of merely retrofitting existing vehicles. Announced tonight the the Code Conference, the new prototypes aren’t equipped with a steering wheel, mirrors, pedals or other vestiges of vehicles gone by, and for now are limited to a maximum speed of 25MPH. As explained in an early preview to Re/code , the car is driven entirely by computer, with backup automated systems for brakes and steering that would take over in case of a failure of the primary setup. So far, Google says it’s not planning to sell the vehicles itself, but is looking for “friends and partners to bring them to market. Following rumors from late last year, the automated cars could partner with a “friend” like Uber for a delivery service that runs on autopilot. Take a peek at a demo video after the break. Developing… Filed under: Transportation , Google Comments Source: Google Blog , Re/code

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Google whips up its own self-driving vehicles that lose the steering wheel and pedals

A while back Google said that it would stop letting Windows users install Chrome extensions that didn’t come directly from the Web Store. The company ended up delaying the plan, but there is no more fighting it . Today users of the stable channel of Chrome on Windows will no longer be able to install extensions from outside the Web Store. That won’t impact too many users thankfully, but it could make it difficult for those that like to run experimental add-ons. If you’ve already sideloaded extensions from outside of the Chrome Web Store, those will be disabled starting today; if you want to re-enable them, you’ll have to make the switch to the dev channel of the browser. The idea is to protect users from malicious extensions that haven’t made it through Google’s screening process. Of course, OS X and Linux users can continue to use all the unapproved extensions they want. Apparently only Windows users need to be protected (perhaps from themselves). Filed under: Internet , Software , Google Comments Source: Google

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Google cuts off Chrome extensions that don’t come from the Web Store

3D printing with meat and sugar is fine, but where’s the food for the more health conscious futurists among us? Cambridge based design studio Dovetailed might have the solution, after developing hardware that can print fruit , or at least, a close approximation. Droplets of fruit juice and alginic acid are dropped into a bath of calcium chloride, which causes them to form a gelatinous ball. By repeating this action several times, molecular gastronomists chefs are able to build them up into structures that kinda look like berries. We’re not sure if we’d be able to switch this out for our regular apple-per-day, but hell, it’s better than a diet entirely comprised of burgers and delicately-crafted candy. Filed under: Misc Comments Via: CNET Source: Dovetailed

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Machine ridicules nature by turning fruit juice into fruit

When the Milan Expo opens next year, the centerpiece building will be a masterpiece of sustainable engineering. Designed around the idea of an urban forest, the new Palazzo Italia will generate its own electricity, and will be clad in materials specifically designed to clean the surrounding air. The designers, Nemesi & Partners, are using photocatalytic cement – basically, concrete that’s been mixed with titanium oxide. When the building material comes into contact with ultraviolet light, the titanium oxide reacts with nitrogen dioxide in the air, converting the pollutant to a salt that can easily be washed away. The building will open in time for the Expo’s launch next May, and we’re already planning to book a trip over so that we can spend a day sniffing the air next to the building. Filed under: Misc Comments Via: The Creators Project , GizMag Source: Nemesi Studio , Italcementi

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Milan building will pioneer smog-eating cement

When The Intercept revealed mass NSA “full-take” call recording in the Bahamas and other nations, it declined to name another, sensitive country, citing US concerns about violence. Now Wikileaks has claimed that the nation in question is Afghanistan and said the NSA is bluffing about any possible danger to folks there. In the Wikileaks blog, Julian Assange said that the US has made such statements before and it has never seen any evidence of increased violence following leaks. On the other hand, it’s easy to see why the US government wouldn’t want such information public, given its war against terrorists in Afghanistan. But Assange countered that the press has no obligation to protect a country like the US if it engages in “ongoing crimes” against an entire nation. He added that’s especially true when such calls are sometimes used to target drone strikes, which often kill innocent civilians. The US government has yet to comment on the matter. Filed under: Misc Comments Source: Wikileaks

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Wikileaks: US government recording every call from Afghanistan

Plenty of users weren’t happy when YouTube ditched its commenting system in favor of Google+, and following that backlash the video-sharing service has been working hard to prove it’s listening. Its latest effort is a “Creator Preview” video teasing upcoming features inspired by the feedback of channel owners. These include a standalone mobile app with more useful tools and a new crowd-funding option that lets you contribute money directly through YouTube. The ability to donate to projects without having to hit up Kickstarter or Indiegogo is probably the most interesting tidbit, but a new app tailor-made for creators is also pretty interesting — especially for those who want to manage their accounts on the go. Finally, captions and subtitles will soon be crowd-sourced for 60-plus languages, as YouTube says more than 80 percent of its traffic comes from outside the US. No word on when these new features will show up, but for now you can check out the video below. Filed under: Internet Comments Source: YouTube Creator Blog

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YouTube will soon let you crowdfund projects directly on the site

If you’re with someone and own a smartphone, you’ve at least considered aping those arty monochrome shots on Tumblr by making some homemade erotica . What happens to those images, however, when you and your significant other part ways? A German amateur photographer has found out after his ex-girlfriend took him to court, which ruled that the subjects of smutty pictures can withdraw their consent if they’re naked . The shutterbug was able to keep the clothed pictures, however, as they weren’t considered to compromise the reputation of the woman in question. It’s certainly a blow to the burgeoning ” revenge porn ” industry, and will hopefully ensure that private smut remains, you know, private . Filed under: Internet Comments Via: GigaOM Source: The Local

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German court rules that you can’t keep your homemade porn after you break up

Chat systems like BBM and iMessage are typically very secure, since they’re encrypted end-to-end. However, they still have a glaring flaw: if intruders do crack the code, they can see everything you’ve said. That’s where BlackBerry’s soon-to-launch BBM Protected comes in. As the company showed at its BlackBerry Experience Washington event ( CrackBerry ‘s video is below), the new service makes it extremely difficult to spy on an entire conversation. Each message has its own random encryption key; even a very clever data thief would only get one tidbit at a time, so it could take ages to piece together a full chat. BBM Protected will only be available for corporate-controlled BlackBerry devices when it launches as part of an enterprise suite in June, although that will include anything running the now-ancient BlackBerry OS 6 or higher. The chat client won’t be available for personal phones running BlackBerry Balance until early fall, while Android and iOS users will have to wait until late fall or early winter. All the same, it might be worth holding out if you’re really, truly worried that someone is watching your private discussions. Filed under: Cellphones , Internet , Mobile , Blackberry Comments Via: BGR Source: CrackBerry

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BlackBerry’s ultra-secure chat gives each message its own security key

Previously, when you first joined Facebook , all of your posts would be shared with the world by default. Anyone who stumbled upon your profile could read anything you previously shared, be it a short update or a personal photo, unless you deliberately clicked away from “Public.” Now, the social site’s switched things up for the better , making “Friends” the new default for status updates. You don’t have to do anything to take advantage, but now’s as good a time as any to pay very close attention to your Facebook privacy settings. And maybe be a bit more selective when it comes time to add a new friend. Filed under: Internet , Facebook Comments Source: Facebook

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Facebook stops oversharing, defaults status updates to just friends

FreedomPop’s been signing up customers with the promise of free mobile phone service since last year, but once you’re hooked, you’ll need to shell out a bit of dough to keep things going. The basic plan, which does in fact come with a $0.00 monthly fee, gets you 200 minutes, 500 text messages and 500 megs of data. Once you reach those caps, you’ll pay one cent per minute or 2.5 cents per MB, or you can step up to the new “Unlimited Everything” plan, which will run you $20 monthly for all-you-can-eat voice, text messages and data, with a catch: You’ll only get 1GB of LTE, after which you’ll drop down to Sprint’s 3G network. Assuming you’ll consume that gig of data in far less than 30 days, FreedomPop’s four LTE smartphones, including three from Samsung and Apple’s iPhone 5 , may not be the best fit. Still, $20 is a relative steal for unlimited smartphone service, and if you can live with 3G speeds after that first gig is up, FreedomPop’s ready to start saving you cash. Filed under: Cellphones Comments Via: CNET Source: FreedomPop

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$20 FreedomPop ‘Unlimited Everything’ plan includes 1GB of Sprint LTE, limits