Tag: the-end

Get your Windows 10 preview for Raspberry Pi 2 while it’s hot

Day one of Microsoft’s Build 2015 conference is in the books, but that doesn’t mean the news has stopped. The Windows 10 IoT Core Insider developer preview (phew!) has launched for small devices including the Raspberry Pi 2 . Redmond admits that it’s still pretty rough around the edges, but it’s hoping that the maker community can provide feedback for how the platform’s turning out along the road to a full release . What’s more, the software giant is partnering with Arduino for a series of “Arduino Certified” products to bring the ubiquitous DIY boards into the Windows family and take advantage of all that the software has to offer. For example, cloud computing, a familiar user interface, image processing and a ton more. It follows the theme of bringing everything under one roof that Nadella and Co. have been so vocal about lately , and should hopefully help tinkerers develop some pretty powerful stuff in their garage. The Windows IoT shell is a Universal app like any other on Win10. That’s all your RPi will do 😀 pic.twitter.com/GwVkUxUCPA – Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) April 30, 2015 This is what your Raspberry Pi 2 running Windows 10 will boot up to (you can run the x86 version on your desktop): pic.twitter.com/td1qonbdhX – Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) April 30, 2015 Filed under: Desktops , Microsoft Comments Source: Windows Blog , Steve Troughton-Smith (Twitter) (1) , (2)

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Get your Windows 10 preview for Raspberry Pi 2 while it’s hot

iPad ‘test model’ swiped in Cupertino kidnapping

Despite Apple’s notorious love for secrecy, it famously lost a prototype device in the past (maybe even two ), when one of its employees left it in a bar. Now, the company might have lost another: a 20-year-old man reported that a couple robbed his Cupertino home and took an iPad “test model” with them, along with $7, 500, prescription drugs and more electronics. It’s unclear at this point what exactly “test model” means, and if it’s a prototype for an upcoming version or one for an earlier iteration. Either way, it hasn’t been returned yet, even though the couple is already in custody. According to Mercury News , the victim was kidnapped by the duo after answering the woman’s advertisement (its nature wasn’t revealed) and meeting them two blocks away. They all drove to the victim’s house, where his guests pepper-sprayed him at knifepoint. While authorities refused to divulge more details about the tablet, we’ll likely hear more about it in case it’s an upcoming version. After all, Apple has already proven that it’ll go to great lengths to retrieve and protect its unreleased devices. Filed under: Tablets , Mobile , Apple Comments Via: 9to5mac Source: Mercury News

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iPad ‘test model’ swiped in Cupertino kidnapping

3 atom-thick transistor promises ultra-thin electronics

Researchers from Cornell University announced a breakthrough in transistor technology in the latest issue of the journal, Nature . The team has reportedly developed a novel and highly efficient method of producing an experimental material known as transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD). TMD is an exceedingly thin (but highly conductive) film, which makes it useful in many high-tech applications — everything from solar cells to flexible, wearable gadgets — but also makes it a huge pain to produce in appreciable quantities. That is, until now. “Our work pushes TMDs to the technologically relevant scale, showing the promise of making devices on that scale, ” Saien Xie, one of the paper’s lead authors. TMD, like the similarly touted wonder-material graphene , could help extend Moore’s Law by providing a stable and compact substrate onto which engineers can pack an ever-increasing number of circuits. However, since it’s only three atoms thick, TMD production typically suffers from a high rate of breakage and failure. The new method from Cornell, which mixes diethylsulfide and a metal hexacarbonyl compound atop a silicon wafer and then bakes them for 26 hours in hydrogen gas, has proven far more successful. Out of a batch of 200 such wafers created for the study, only two failed — that’s a 99 percent success rate. With these results in hand, the research team hopes to streamline the manufacturing process as well as improve the consistency of the resulting film. The technology is still at least a few years away from being commercially viable but when it is, we could see it usher in a new era of paper-thin, super-powerful electronics. Filed under: Science Comments Via: The Verge Source: Nature

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3 atom-thick transistor promises ultra-thin electronics

Google Now pulls info from 70 more Android apps

Google Now started pulling details from third-party Android apps back in January, but today the folks in Mountain View added support for a truckload more. As expected , in addition to the collection of nearly 40 integrations announced a few months back, Google displays info from 70 more inside the card-based repository. This means that you’ll be able to easily keep track of items like your Zipcar reservation return time and quickly snag directions back to the drop-off spot. We won’t run down the full list of new additions, but you can peruse the currently supported lineup right here — just know that Spotify, ABC News, RunKeeper, Jawbone and OpenTable all made the cut. To leverage the new functionality, make sure you’re device is properly equipped with the latest version of the Google app . Filed under: Internet , Software , Mobile Comments Source: Google (Inside Search Blog)

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Google Now pulls info from 70 more Android apps

Infrared implant brings practical sight to the blind

You can already get a retinal implant to restore some sight when you’re blind, but the quality is usually too poor to be useful for more than avoiding collisions. A better solution is close at hand, however: Pixium Vision has successfully tested an implant that should go beyond basic vision. The tiny chip sits just behind the retina and uses infrared light to both stimulate images in your brain and power the whole device. Tests in rats generate vision equivalent to 20/250. That’s still far from flawless, but it’d be superior to the 20/500 you can get now — good enough that you could read the largest letter on an eye doctor’s chart. The eventual system for humans, which will use goggles to send images, should manage 20/120 and put wearers above the US’ legal standard for blindness. Trial runs start in 2016, so you may not have to wait much longer if you’re eager to give the implant a try. Filed under: Wearables , Science Comments Via: IEEE Spectrum Source: Pixium Vision (PDF) , Nature

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Infrared implant brings practical sight to the blind

YouTube’s making ‘TV’ series and movies with its most popular creators

For many people, Netflix, Amazon Prime and those pirates episodes of Game of Thrones have all but replaced TV. YouTube’s another big draw for “cord cutting millennials, ” but since its videos are all user-submitted, it’s almost powerless to stop its stars being poached by TV networks and movie studios. For instance, Fred: The Movie was a flop, but YouTube must have been terrified to see one of its biggest stars wander off so easily. That’s why the site is now setting up TV-style production deals with some of its most popular creators, as well as entering movie production partnership with AwesomenessTV . The idea is that YouTube will bankroll four original series that it’ll own outright — in a similar way to how Netflix wants to lessen its reliance on its production partners . There are two scripted comedy shows, one from The Fine Brothers, the other from Smosh as well as a prank show from Prank Vs. Prank . Rounding out the list is an oddly described “murder-mystery reality series, ” which makes us hope beyond hope that it’s an ersatz remake of Unsolved Mysteries . At the same time, YouTube is teaming up with Brian Robbins, head of terribly-named studio AwesomenessTV and the figure behind Fred: The Movie . The deal will see Robbins’ outfit create “several feature-length films” over the next two years, all starring YouTube stars and premiering on the Google-owned video site. Let’s just hope that they all build into a Marvel Cinematic Universe-type situation, where Mamrie Hart leads a team of YouTube stars to fight an alien invasion led by The Gabbie Show . Filed under: Internet , HD , Google Comments Via: Deadline Source: Google

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YouTube’s making ‘TV’ series and movies with its most popular creators

Uber’s food delivery service launches in four cities

Uber’s experiments with food delivery in California and Spain must’ve been a resounding success, as the ridesharing outfit is making that on-demand dining a permanent option. UberEats has officially launched in four cities, including the Barcelona and Los Angeles trial areas as well as two new burgs, Chicago and New York City. As before, the service really just substitutes pickups for meals — you choose from curated restaurant menus, and an Uber driver will show up with your selections in a matter of minutes. This will seem very familiar if you’ve tried a restaurant delivery service before, but it’ll undoubtedly be handy if you already use Uber and find yourself craving sandwiches or salads. Filed under: Transportation , Internet Comments Source: Uber Blog

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Uber’s food delivery service launches in four cities

First home HIV test goes on sale in Britain

Although sexual health has become less of a taboo subject, ensuring that people get tested for STDs remains a big issue. The NHS now offers DIY kits for those worried they might have caught something from a partner and don’t want to get tested by a doctor, but home HIV screening has not been possible — at least until today. Britain’s first legally-approved HIV test is now on sale, promising 99.7 percent accuracy from three months after a person suspects they may have been exposed to the infection. It requires a drop of blood and can provide a clear result in around 15 minutes. It’s hoped that by offering the DIY test, Britons will help lower the risk of passing on the disease to other people. According to the National Aids Trust, almost half of the people living with HIV find out late, meaning they’ve carried the virus for at least four years. If the disease is diagnosed earlier, sufferers can receive treatment that makes it more manageable. Right now, the test is only available online for £29.95. Should a test show a positive result, it must then be confirmed with a professional health worker. Filed under: Household , Science , Alt Comments Via: AFP Source: HIV Self Test

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First home HIV test goes on sale in Britain

ESPN sues Verizon for custom FiOS TV plans

We knew ESPN wasn’t happy with Verizon’s recently announced flexible TV plans, and now it is ready to take legal action for it. According to CNBC , The Worldwide Leader in Sports is suing Verizon over the FiOS Custom TV offering, only days after letting it be known that it objected to it. Developing…. Comments Source: CNBC

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ESPN sues Verizon for custom FiOS TV plans

Ultrathin membrane makes plane cabins 100x quieter

While air travel is quicker and safer than driving, it’s also louder. The continuous low-frequency drone of the engines is why some people invest in noise-canceling headphones. To help reduce that non-stop hum, researchers at North Carolina State University and MIT have developed a thin membrane to be inserted into the lightweight honeycomb structure of planes and helicopters. “At low frequencies – sounds below 500 Hertz – the honeycomb panel with the membrane blocks 100 to 1, 000 times more sound energy than the panel without a membrane.” said Yun Jing, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State University. The 0.25mm-thick membrane would only add an additional six percent to the overall weight of the honeycomb structure of aircraft. While that doesn’t seem like much, every ounce counts to airlines trying to maximize flight costs . It’ll be on them to decide whether they’d rather save money on fuel or makes cabins a better place for passengers . Filed under: Misc , Transportation , Science Comments Source: NC State University

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Ultrathin membrane makes plane cabins 100x quieter