California’s legislators are taking self-driving cars seriously, having already instated regulations that forbid humans from falling asleep behind the wheel of autonomous vehicles. And the Golden State must think the future is pretty near; it will start granting licenses to driverless cars in September, allowing them to travel on public roads provided the DMV’s stringent requirements are met. The California DMV will issue licenses — at $150 apiece — to self-driving vehicles on the condition that the test drivers are employed by the manufacturer and have the appropriate permit. Oh, and they’ll need to have an insurance policy for $5 million. Manufacturers can apply for a license starting in July, but they won’t take effect until September 16th. The new legislation seems pretty much tailor-made for Google, which has its headquarters in the state, but Ford and several other companies will likely take advantage as well. Filed under: Transportation , Google Comments Via: IEEE Spectrum Source: California DMV , California DMV

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California will soon issue licenses for driverless cars

Yelp is about to let you to catch the vibe of your favorite eateries with video as well as pictures, according to Business Insider . Provided that you’re an elite user, you’ll be able to upload 3-12 second clips as early as June, and all users will be able to see such videos next month on the iOS and Android apps too. Yelp said that’ll help reviewers convey the ambiance of or a hangout in a way that regular photos can’t (or emote about it, as in the video below). It’ll also give intrepid food shooters another creative outlet that won’t clog up their friends’ and family’s Instagram feeds. [Image credit: Business Insider] Comments Source: Business Insider

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Yelp will soon let you add video to your reviews

DARPA has long sought a heads-up display to give soldiers situational awareness without distracting them, and it looks like technology has finally caught up to that ambition. It recently unveiled a new ULTRA-Vis prototype at its DARPA Demo Days , saying the breakthrough was a “holographic wave guide” display. Similar to how the Oculus Rift headset works (but not in 3D), it’ll project color images locked to the terrain — even if you move your head — thanks to motion-sensing and GPS systems. For instance, targeting icons will stay fixed on enemy or friendly positions, even tracking targets behind GIs with a 360-degree ring-like display. It’ll also allow soldiers to communicate with each other, their base camp or air support, and play drone video in the display. Like similar projects , the prototype is far from battle-ready, but will function as a test-bed for all of DARPA’s wild ideas until the final design is complete. [Image credit: Breaking Defense] Filed under: Wearables Comments Via: Breaking Defense Source: DARPA

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DARPA flaunts wearable display with Oculus-like head-tracking

It has been in beta since mid-November, but Steam’s In-Home Streaming is now available to all. Folks who have a fleet of computers at home can link ’em up and then remotely install and play PC games just like you were sitting at your desk. As you might expect, this also enables access to titles on machines running other OSes — like OS X, Linux and SteamOS , of course. You’ll still have to wait a bit to nab up a Steam Machine , but if you’re champing at the bit to give it a go, all the info you’ll need to get start awaits via that source link. Filed under: Gaming , HD Comments Source: Valve

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Steam In-Home Streaming now beams PC games to any room of your house

eBay has just posted a strange message up on the community homepage and press page of its daughter company, PayPal. The headline is a bit worrying, implying that eBay has possibly had some kind of security or maintenance problem, leading it to request all users to change their passwords. On the other hand, the body of the post is empty except for the words “placeholder text, ” and nothing has yet been published on eBay’s own site. We’ve contacted eBay’s press office to find out what (if anything) is going down, but in the meantime it might be worth changing those passwords, just in case. Update : We haven’t heard anything back, but eBay’s website people seem to be in the process of removing the password message. It’s gone from the community page and is now only visible on the press site, so it’s looking increasingly likely that it was posted in error. Filed under: Internet Comments Source: PayPal

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eBay wants all users to change their passwords

Scientists at the Cockrell School of Engineering in Texas have created a nanomotor less than one micrometer in diameter, smaller even than a cell. Powered by electric fields, it consists of a nanowire , magnet and electrode and can spin at a terrifying-sounding 18, 000 RPM for over 15 hours (see video below). That’s as fast as a jet engine, but don’t worry (much). During testing, it showed the ability to pump fluids at hyper-fast speeds and to move around freely in other liquids. That opens up beneficial applications like highly controlled insulin delivery, or devices that could specifically target malignant cells. Of course, that would mean you’d have to let intelligent nano-devices with mini-saws roam about your body — I guess you’re allowed to be a bit terrified. Filed under: Science , Alt Comments Via: CNET Source: Journal of Nature Communications

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World’s smallest nanomotor can pump drugs into cells at 18,000 RPM

Verizon and AT&T, the two largest mobile operators in the US, have spent the last couple years in a race to deploy next-generation voice technology known as Voice over LTE (VoLTE). With its announcement last week, AT&T was the first to deploy the fast-speed VoIP network, but don’t count Verizon out of the race quite just yet: executives explained to us today that it’s still on track for nationwide deployment sometime this year. Considering AT&T launched VoLTE last week, it appears that Verizon may be experiencing a few setbacks. (Of course, Verizon originally promised its network would be ready by 2012, so we’d argue that setbacks are nothing new for VoLTE deployment.) However, execs pointed out that its competitor’s offering is currently limited to just a few markets and devices, whereas Verizon will launch VoLTE nationwide from the very beginning. Nationwide availability will be crucial to the network’s success, as calls using the new tech can’t fall back to CDMA when you leave LTE coverage. Unfortunately, the company won’t say specifically when this year we can expect the new network, but we were told that when it’s ready, several devices will be VoLTE-capable either through purchase or an over-the-air update. Fortunately, Verizon confirmed that its network will be interoperable with any of its VoLTE-capable competitors — since you’ll only be able to enjoy richer call quality when both callers have compatible devices, this means the service won’t be exclusive to in-network conversations. The company also tells us that it will offer FaceTime-like video calling as soon as VoLTE launches, which means that you’ll be able to activate the service directly from your phone’s dialer, and you’ll be able to easily switch back and forth between video and audio-only calls. Additionally, it’ll also launch HD Voice by leveraging AMR-WB, a wide-band speech standard that’s already used by T-Mobile for its high-def voice service . [ Image Credit: Getty ] Filed under: Cellphones , Mobile , Verizon Comments

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Verizon’s next-gen voice service still planned for this year, will come with video calling

No, that’s not a detached tank tread you’re looking at, it’s a treadmill — and it doesn’t care which direction you’re walking. It’s called the Infinadeck, and we found it hiding in a dark corner of the Silicon Valley Virtual Reality Expo. Each of its tank-like treads is covered in a moving belt which, when used in tandem, gives the user the ability to stroll in any direction. The omni-directional treadmill has apparently caught the attention of CBS too, as a possible prop for filming on green-screen sets, but it isn’t ready: the prototype still requires an active operator to change directions. It’s also quite loud. Infinadeck says its trying to secure funding to build a more compact version with motion sensors, which should automate the process. Want to see how it works? Skip on past the break, videos await. Filed under: Misc Comments

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This treadmill lets you walk in any direction

The Lightning LS-218 boasts a model number that actually means something. Back in 2012, a prototype of the electric bike clocked in a wholly unnecessary (yet much appreciated) 218mph, helping it to win at Pikes Peak and setting it up to become the world’s fastest production motorcycle. The finished version is now ready to make good on that promise, having just been revealed at the Quail Motorsport Gathering in California, prior to a scheduled launch in the summer — at which point it’ll likely cost upwards of $38, 000. The bike has a much sharper look now, but the key specs are just the same, including a liquid-cooled 200-horsepower motor and a max range of 180 miles, depending on which battery option you choose. The weight of the battery causes it to be a heavy ride (225kg / 495 pounds) compared to some gas-powered superbikes out there, but what makes the Lightning stand out is the incredible torque (168 ft-lb) delivered by its gearless, direct drive internals. If you want to get a taste of what that feels like while blowing past someone on the highway, check out the video below at 3:10 — you’ll see a white sedan disappear into the background so quickly that you can barely identify the make. Filed under: Transportation Comments Via: Gizmag Source: Lightning Motorcycles

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Meet the electric motorcycle that’s now the fastest production bike in the world

Satya Nadella and his team are hosting an event in New York City, where Microsoft has already revealed its Surface Pro 3. Not surprisingly, the company’s placing a lot of focus in the integrated pen. ” When you hold a pen in your hand, it has to feel light, ” said Panos Panay on stage. But what exactly is Microsoft doing to make this happen? Well, according to Panay, it is very important to know that the Surface Pro 3’s pen is “not a stylus, ” but rather meant to mimic a real, ink-based pen, with a similar form factor and weight. Developing … To show off the new pen, Microsoft brought out the New York Times Crossword app, which you can see in action in the video below. Also shown off on stage was Final Draft, an app designed specifically for the Surface Pro 3 that uses the pen to let you edit movie scripts in real-time. “I t doesn’t just mean writing; it’s experiences, ” said Panay about the applications. That’s not it, though, as you can also use it to take notes with OneNote — a simple click on the pen seamlessly sends your scribbles to the cloud, even if the device is off. Photoshop CC users, meanwhile, can expect some integration with an upcoming touch-friendly version Adobe is working on, which is expected to be optimized to take full advantage of Microsoft’s new tablet. As Adobe’s Michael Goff puts it, the software is expected to be “a creative’s dream come true. Filed under: Microsoft Comments

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Microsoft wants its new pen to be a big part of the Surface Pro 3