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Windows 10 launches on July 29th, here’s how to get in line

Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 is coming on July 29th, and you don’t even need to get out of your chair to get a spot in the upgrade line. If you take a gander at your Notification Area in the taskbar, you’ll find a Windows logo that’s suddenly appeared which, when clicked, reveals the Windows 10 upgrade panel. It may look like the world’s smartest piece of spyware, but according to Gizmodo , it’s legit. As before, users will have a year to climb onto the Free Windows 10 bandwagon, but once they do, they’ll get free upgrades for the life of your device. [Thanks, Dan S] Filed under: Internet , Software , Microsoft Comments

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Windows 10 launches on July 29th, here’s how to get in line

The US will protect Japan against cyberattacks

The US knows that it’s not enough to protect its own networks against cyberattacks — its allies have to be safe, too. Appropriately, it’s agreeing to shield Japan from digital assaults against its military and critical systems. The move gives the island nation a big security boost (its online defense unit has a mere 90 people) and hopefully reduces the chances that less-than-sympathetic neighbors China and North Korea will compromise a strategically vital country. While it’s doubtful that the pact will deter many hacking attempts, it could make any local cyberwarfare campaigns that much tougher. [Image credit: AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko] Filed under: Internet Comments Source: Reuters

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The US will protect Japan against cyberattacks

NVIDIA’s GTX 980 Ti has enough power for solid 4K gaming

Who needs a $650 video card? Pretty much anyone who wants to play games in 4K at decent frame rates. That’s the basic pitch for NVIDIA’s new $650 GTX 980 Ti, its latest high-end video card which, naturally, packs in even more power than last year’s GTX 980 . The new card sports 2, 816 parallel processing CUDA cores and 176 texture units, around 38 percent more than the GTX 980, as well as 2 additional gigabytes of RAM giving it 6GB. It’s also based on NVIDIA’s new GM200 GPU, which is at the heart of the company’s absurdly expensive $1, 000 Titan X card . Basically, that means in the instances where its former heavyweight card slows down in 4K — for example, by running Grand Theft Auto V — the 980 Ti should shine. NVIDIA says the new card gets around 60 FPS in GTA V, while many benchmarks of that game with the 980 see between 35 and 45 FPS. The 980 Ti is also good news for anyone waiting for a good deal on the 980, since NVIDIA is also dropping the retail price of that card from $550 to $500. NVIDIA claims its memory bandwidth is also 50 percent faster than its predecessor, which makes a big difference when throwing huge textures around. Of course, the Titan X is an even faster option than the 980 Ti, but its high price makes it far out of reach for most, even hardcore gamers. Together with the $200 GTX 960 and the $330 GTX 970, NVIDIA now has powerful new cards for gamers of a wide variety of budgets. It’s just a shame that we didn’t see a slight price drop for the 970, which so far appears to be the best overall value for high-quality 1080p gaming. Filed under: Gaming , NVIDIA Comments

Google debuts Android M, which is all about ‘polish and quality’

Like clockwork, Google lifted the veil on Android M at its I/O developer conference today, an event that’s traditionally served as the company’s launchpad for its mobile OS updates. No, we don’t yet know what the “M” stands for (we’d love to see Android Marzipan), but as usual that’s not stopping Google from divulging details. After the bold redesign that was Android Lollipop , M is more focused on refining the entire Android experience. “For [Android] M we’ve gone back to the basics, ” said Google SVP Sundar Pichai. “We’ve really focused on polish and quality, we’ve literally solved thousands of bugs.” Those improvements start with more granular app permissions. Android M breaks down permissions into categories like location, camera and contacts. And rather than dealing with permissions before you install an app, you’ll be prompted as the apps require specific features (yes, a lot like iOS). David Burke, VP of engineering at Google, showed off the new permissions on stage by having WhatsApp request microphone access. The new permissions should make it a lot clearer what exactly apps are doing on your phone — they’re certainly a lot more informative than the dump of security information we’ve seen on Android up until now. Android M will also let developers improve the web experience inside of their apps by using Chrome Custom Tabs. Pinterest, for example, now pops up speedy little web windows whenever you tap on a link. Basically, developers will be able to make their in-app web experiences feel just like the apps themselves. Google’s also making deep linking between apps a core feature of Android M, which allows apps to point to specific screens in other apps. (Think of it like being linked to a specific web page, rather than just a home page.) Developing… Don’t miss out on all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2015. Follow along at our events page . Filed under: Mobile , Google Comments

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Google debuts Android M, which is all about ‘polish and quality’

‘3D printing’ used to test a ‘cure’ for type-1 diabetes

Researchers are one step closer to reducing the effects of type-1 diabetes after developing a way to implant insulin-generating cells into the pancreas. According to publisher IOP , this method was previously unsuccessful, but has begun to work now that scientists can “3D-print” a structure to protect the cells. Previous attempts to implant these cells, called islets of Langerhans , have been unsuccessful because the body’s immune system would attack them as soon as they were injected. This time around, however, the team embedded the cells into a three-dimensional structure made from a mixture of alginate and gelatin. Another problem, however, was developing a scaffold that could both hold the islets in place and keep them protected while letting blood and insulin pass through. Right now, the project is just some grim-looking petri dishes at the University of Twente , but if the process can be refined, then type-1 diabetics may never again have to suffer the effects of an attack of hypoglycemia. Filed under: Science , Alt Comments Via: Eurekalert Source: IOP (.PDF)

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‘3D printing’ used to test a ‘cure’ for type-1 diabetes

Adult Swim makes virtual reality even weirder

Virtual reality’s notion of strapping a display to your head is already a bit weird by itself, but Adult Swim just took that strangeness to a new level. The network’s Virtual Brainload app for Android invites you to grab a Google Cardboard viewer and experience the “backside of reality” — in short, it’s going to be a kaleidoscopic mind trip. Whether or not you’re up for the audiovisual assault, you can expect more VR content from Adult Swim’s parent, Turner, in the future. The broadcaster says that it’s working on “deeper, custom-created” virtual content that will arrive as soon as this year, so you can expect these VR side projects to become increasingly important in the near future. Filed under: Cellphones , Wearables , Mobile , Google Comments Via: Boing Boing Source: Adult Swim , Google Play

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Adult Swim makes virtual reality even weirder

The US Air Force hopes to recruit you with a virtual reality game

The US Air Force has an interesting dilemma: how do you convey the thrill of flying a fighter jet to potential recruits without taking them on a very expensive trip? Virtual reality, apparently. The military branch is teaming up with Reel FX on Air Force Performance Lab, a recruiting “experience” whose centerpiece is an Oculus Rift -based VR game that has you flying an F-35 through an obstacle course. It’s more of an arcade game than a simulator, but the use of real throttle-and-stick controls and a rumbling seat could make it feel convincing enough. There’s more tech in the lab beyond this, including a Kinect-based pull-up challenge, a cognitive test on a 42-inch touchscreen and an iPad-based career room. You’ll have to attend one of the Air Force’s recruiting stops (typically at air shows) to see any of this for yourself. Whether or not you can make it, it’s clear that the days of enlisting soldiers through brochures and videos are coming to an end. Filed under: Gaming , Wearables Comments

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The US Air Force hopes to recruit you with a virtual reality game

Microsoft unveils Cortana voice assistant for Android and iPhone

Yes, it’s official : Microsoft is bringing Windows’ Cortana voice assistant to Android and iPhone. Both platforms will get a dedicated app that, much like you see on Windows Phone today, will let you dictate reminders, track flights and otherwise keep your life organized. Cortana’s Notebook, which remembers what you like, will also sync across all your platforms. This won’t be a one-for-one recreation of what you get right now, though — since Microsoft can’t tap directly into the operating system like it can on Windows devices, you won’t get hands-free activation through “hey Cortana” or options to launch apps or settings. Still, it’ll be worth seeing what this Halo -inspired helper can do when it reaches Android in late June, and iPhones sometime later this year — and we’d add that it’s not the only treat Microsoft has in store for your smartphone, either. The Redmond crew is also unveiling Phone Companion, a Windows 10 app (due in the OS preview within a few weeks) that helps you sync your Android, iOS or Windows handset with your PC. It’ll mostly entail loading apps for Microsoft’s services if you’re using non-Windows hardware, but it should take the challenge out of accessing your computer’s content when you’re on the road. And yes, this includes music on all platforms. The company is promising an updated version of Xbox Music for Android and iOS that, like on Windows, will stream your OneDrive music for free. This doesn’t arrive in beta form until July, but it’ll be worthwhile if you thrive in Microsoft’s ecosystem. Filed under: Cellphones , Internet , Software , Mobile , Microsoft Comments Source: Blogging Windows

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Microsoft unveils Cortana voice assistant for Android and iPhone

Super-efficient solar cells can power homes in unforgiving areas

Scientists have long talked about black silicon (that is, silicon with nano-sized structures) having the potential to trump conventional solar power , and there’s now some proof that this is happening. Aalto University researchers have developed black silicon solar cells that achieve a record 22.1 percent efficiency when turning the Sun’s rays into usable energy. That’s a 4 percent absolute boost over the previous best, and good enough that the technology could finally be ready to reach the market and replace existing solar panels. Black silicon is far better suited to collecting sunlight at low angles, which is common in northern regions — you wouldn’t have to live in a sunny, forgiving part of the world to get the most out of clean energy. It should be cheaper, too. So long as these black cells translate well to mass production, you may have an easier time ditching the conventional power grid. Filed under: Science Comments Source: Aalto University , Nature

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Super-efficient solar cells can power homes in unforgiving areas

Firefox browser for iOS is almost ready for testing

It’s been a long time coming, but Firefox for iOS is nearly here… in a manner of speaking. Mozilla has revealed that it’s about to conduct a “limited” beta test of the web browser, and has already posted source code for early testers. The organization would like to have an open beta that gives everyone an early peek ( à la Android ), but that’s not really possible with Apple’s current testing mechanism. Still, a public release is likely close behind — if you’re not a fan of your iPhone’s existing web surfing options, you’ll have another major alternative before long. Filed under: Cellphones , Internet , Mobile Comments Source: Mozilla