You might want to be careful of what you say over the phone the next time you visit the Bahamas. According to The Intercept , NSA documents leaked by Edward Snowden reveal that the security agency is not just listening to all mobile calls made to, from and within the island nation, but also recording and archiving them for up to a month. Apparently the access was legally obtained via the US Drug Enforcement Administration and is part of a top-secret program called SOMALGET, which itself is a piece of MYSTIC, a larger NSA program that The Washington Post wrote about in March. While MYSTIC can detect metadata such as the time, location and date of the call, SOMALGET can supposedly store “full-take audio” or the call’s entire contents. The Intercept reports that MYSTIC is already deployed in countries such as Mexico, the Philippines and Kenya, but SOMALGET is unique to the Bahamas and a mysterious “unnamed country” that the publication refuses to divulge in fear of violent retaliation. The documents state that SOMALGET was enacted to locate “international narcotics traffickers and special-interest alien smugglers, ” though it appears that the NSA has been recording calls indiscriminately, regardless of their connection to the drug trade. Neither the NSA or any of the countries mentioned had any comment, though the agency did tell The Intercept that it does attempt to “protect the privacy of U.S. persons” for “incidentally collected” communications. Comments Source: The Intercept

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The NSA is recording all cellphone calls in the Bahamas

BioLite has been recharging smartphones, action cams and GPS units via camp stove fire since 2012, but now it’s offering a larger model that will grill enough grub to feed your entire crew. The BaseCamp stove offers the same heat-to-electricity conversion, but with a much larger cooking surface for grilling dinner (up to eight burgers at a time) for more than just a pair of weary hikers. The built-in power pack has been upgraded as well, generating 5W and storing power for juicing up devices during dessert alongside a UI that gauges temperature and displays the amount of electricity being generated. Need to use a pot to boil water? That cooking surface can wrangle the flame for optimal output with the flip of a lever. If all of that sounds too good to pass up, units are set to ship in September and you can one for $299 during the company’s Kickstarter effort. Filed under: Misc Comments Via: Uncrate Source: Kickstarter

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Generate power to recharge gadgets while grilling with this camp stove

Holograms are undoubtedly spiffy-looking , but they’re not exactly cheap; even a basic holographic projector made from off-the-shelf parts can cost thousands of dollars . MIT researchers may have a budget-friendly alternative in the future, though. They’ve built a glasses-free 3D projector that uses two liquid crystal modulators to angle outgoing light and present different images (eight in the prototype) depending on your point of view. And unlike some 3D systems, the picture should remain relatively vivid — the technology uses a graphics card’s computational power to preserve as much of an image’s original information (and therefore its brightness) as possible. It’s not a flawless system, at least not right now. While the modulators work at a speedy 240Hz, the resulting output is just 40Hz. That’s fast enough for movies and TV shows, but a far cry from the 60Hz-plus that many regular TV sets can manage. To get wider viewing angles, MIT has also built a special screen using lenticular lenses like those you find in toys and children’s books. However, perfection isn’t really the point here. So long as the technology keeps advancing, it could lead to projectors with a “good enough” holographic effect that tides people over until real holography is within reach. Filed under: Displays Comments Via: Phys.org Source: MIT News , MIT Media Lab

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Glasses-free 3D projector offers a cheap alternative to holograms

AT&T clearly isn’t taking Comcast’s recent acquisition efforts lying down; it just announced plans to buy DirecTV in a deal worth about $48.5 billion. The communications giant sees a takeover as an opportunity to expand how it delivers video beyond just the bundles it has today. If officials approve the merger, AT&T could send conventional and internet-based video to virtually any place you happen to be, whether it’s on your phone or in mid-flight. This also represents a content grab — DirecTV has the exclusive rights to NFL Sunday Ticket and other premium programming, so there’s a chance that much of its content could reach U-verse and other AT&T offerings . The telecom is making a lot of promises to assuage regulators that will no doubt look at the proposed mega-buyout very closely — AT&T clearly wants to avoid a repeat of its failed attempt to buy T-Mobile in 2011. It hopes to bring high-speed internet access to 15 million additional customers, primarily in rural areas where a mix of fixed wireless and fiber-to-the-home could get people online. It’s also guaranteeing internet-only service plans fast enough for online video (“at least” 6Mbps) for the next three years, and it will honor the FCC’s 2010 net neutrality rules (which typically prevent blocking or throttling internet services) for that same period of time. DirecTV’s stand-alone packages would be available at consistent prices nationwide during this stretch, too. The move won’t affect AT&T’s plans to bid in the FCC’s upcoming wireless spectrum auction , and it estimates that the purchase will start adding value within about a year of closing. Whether or not it closes is another matter. The US government already has concerns about the possible anti-competitive effects of Comcast’s proposed buyout of Time Warner Cable; it’s likely that the feds will take a similar approach to AT&T and DirecTV. If Comcast runs into regulatory trouble, it won’t be surprising if AT&T ends up in the same boat. Update: Not surprisingly, consumer groups aren’t big fans. Free Press contends that AT&T has “clearly run out of ideas, ” and that the move is solely about eliminating competition. Consumer Reports ‘ advocacy wing, Consumers Union, also believes that Americans are getting a raw deal. You’ll find its full statement below. On the heels of Comcast’s bid for Time Warner Cable, AT&T is going to try to pull off a mega-merger of its own. These could be the start of a wave of mergers that should put federal regulators on high alert. AT&T’s takeover of DirecTV is just the latest attempt at consolidation in a marketplace where consumers are already saddled with lousy service and price hikes. The rush is on for some of the biggest industry players to get even bigger, with consumers left on the losing end. You can’t justify AT&T buying DirecTV by pointing at Comcast’s grab for Time Warner, because neither one is a good deal for consumers. [Image credit: Associated Press] AT&T buys DirecTV. Thoughts? Filed under: Home Entertainment , Internet , HD , AT&T Comments Source: AT&T

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AT&T to buy DirecTV for $48.5 billion (updated)

The image above isn’t Tutankhamun’s tomb, but the most accurate large-scale facsimile ever made. The replica was created by Factum Arte, from Madrid, Spain, in conjunction with the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt. The real tomb has been open to the public for many years, and suffered gradual decline as a result. The replica has recently opened to the public, and will soon take all the tourist foot-fall strain, while the original is retired for conservation purposes. Factum Arte used a low intensity red light laser with a resolution of 100 microns, a 3D white light scanner (250 – 700 microns resolution), along with hundreds of man hours (and patience) to take detailed scans of everything in the chamber. A milling machine then used the data to carve out incredibly detailed 3D surfaces of the walls and sarcophagus. High resolution cameras, color-matching and digital stitching techniques were used to re-create the art and imagery on the walls. The same techniques will also be used to create replicas of the Tombs of Seti I and Nefertari — both of which currently closed to the public. Filed under: Science Comments Source: Factum Arte

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The Big Picture: Accurately replicating Tutankhamun’s tomb

Microsoft has been teasing a level of interactivity within its slate of original Xbox video programming , but what kind of control will you actually get? The company isn’t revealing everything right now, but it just gave Deadline Hollywood a few small clues . TV producer Stephen David is creating a documentary/drama hybrid for Xbox Entertainment Studios that he says will be “like playing television.” In the inaugural 13 Days of Blood episode, which shows Roman history through the eyes of emperor Commodus (seen in marble here), there will be “new, interactive technology” that should “bring fight scenes to life, ” according to Microsoft. This sounds tantalizing, but it’s clear that the company is keeping its cards close to the vest. While the interaction could involve a full-fledged game component, it could equally be a simple matter of choosing camera angles as you watch gladiators and retiarii slug it out. The docudrama also isn’t due until 2015, so the odds aren’t great that you’ll hear much more about it this year. Nonetheless, these early tidbits give us a better idea of what to expect from Microsoft’s first experiments with self-branded shows. [Image credit: Cmgramse, Flickr ] Filed under: Gaming , Home Entertainment , HD , Microsoft Comments Source: Deadline Hollywood

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Upcoming Xbox history show will let you ‘play TV’

Right in sync with rumors , AT&T has launched its high-quality LTE voice calling in a handful of places across the US. If you live in the right parts of Illinois, Indiana, Minneapolis and Wisconsin, you’ll get pristine-sounding phone conversations starting on May 23rd. There’s no public roadmap for other regions, but AT&T is promising news on a “market-to-market” basis. Just don’t expect a wide selection of phones at first. The only phone that will support voice over LTE from day one is the fairly ho-hum Galaxy S4 Mini — if you just bought a Galaxy S5 or some other hot new device, you’ll still have to wait patiently for word of an update. Many smartphones are capable of handling the technology, however, so don’t be surprised if your next heart-to-heart chat sounds much clearer than usual. [Image credit: Getty Images] Filed under: Cellphones , Wireless , Mobile , AT&T Comments Source: AT&T (1) , (2)

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AT&T’s high-quality LTE calls arrive on May 23rd, but only on one phone

While Ultraviolet digital copies have been pitched as a way to make watching videos online easier, so far they’ve lead to frustration for many users. A recent incident involving the early release of Veronica Mars for Kickstarter backers was a low point, Apple, Google and Microsoft all have yet to tie their services in, and now Disney is finally rolling out its own Movies Anywhere system. To get back on the positive foot, Walmart’s Vudu streaming service is shining a light on Ultraviolet’s ability to let users share their library with up to five friends (no, it’s not quite as easy as sharing a PS4 game ). Now available within Vudu under the title of ” Share My Movies ” it lets users add friends to their library just by sending an e-mail invite. Ultraviolet supports up to three simultaneous streams, so you can even watch movies at the same time. According to the FAQ , once your Vudu account is linked to another person’s library, any TV shows or movies you purchase will be added to that library, so you may want to be careful which ones you add. Done right between a few friends, it can probably add up to a decent online library of movies to watch just from Blu-ray discs and DVDs you already own — check the blog post for more information. Filed under: Home Entertainment , HD Comments Source: Vudu Blog , Vudu Share My Movies

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Vudu’s ‘Share My Movies’ lets up to five friends peek into your library

Move over Jennifer Lopez and Verizon , as Univision has just partnered with T-Mobile to create a new Spanish-language cellphone service called Univision Mobile. Underpinned by T-Mo’s network , the new MVNO will target the 56 million strong Hispanic American market with “custom-built” plans. Like its parent carrier , those will be contract-free starting at $30 for unlimited texts and calls and $45 for a 2.5GB web plan. Both will get unlimited international texting and 100 minutes of free calls to mobile phones or landlines in Mexico and seven other Latin American countries. The new company may not have J-Lo fronting it like Viva Movil, but users will no doubt be able to catch her on their phones — Univision will offer “insights and programming content” for the new venture. Filed under: Wireless , Mobile , T-Mobile Comments Source: Univision

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Univision partners with T-Mobile to create US Hispanic operator