The Technology Thread

[Teelie]

It works with your smartphone so some hacker can decide to burn your toast too.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

BitTorrent Sync Now Works With Network Storage

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BitTorrent Sync is basically explicitly designed for people who need to move huge amounts of data back and forth between different devices. Now the service is getting support for the network attached storage these types are likely to use.

Cloud-based syncing services like Dropbox, MediaFire, and Google Drive are incredibly useful for most most people but if you've got a huge amount of data or need to sync massive files it's not a terribly efficient way to move stuff between devices. BitTorrent Sync basically streamlines this by using the BitTorrent protocol to bypass the cloud altogether. A common use might be a video editor that needs to move large files between home and work computers.

Until today, though, you've only been able to use the BitTorrent Sync App with mobile devices and your computer. Now, you'll be able to use it with NAS as well, which makes a lot of sense because if you've got so much data that the cloud is inconvenient, you're likely to need some networked storage for backup. At launch, NetGear will be the first partner, with support starting immediately, but BitTorrent told us that they'll have more partners soon.

http://labs.bittorrent.com/

This could be a great tool for many things

 

[Teelie]

And some of the anti-piracy groups claim Bit Torrent has no valid uses either. t:

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

This Could Be Amazon's Rumored 3D Smartphone

BGR has photos it claims show the long-rumored Amazon smartphone. According to the report, the phone sports six cameras, and a novel hardware interface that creates a glasses-free 3D effect.

What you're looking at in the image above is a photo of the phone covered in a protective case that obfuscates its design, so that unauthorized eyes can't take a look at what's going on under that shell. According to the report, this is one of two phones the company is developing. The first to launch will have a Snapdragon processor and 2GB of RAM. Those are standard specs seen on every flagship smartphone out there today.

Amazon's phone will supposedly sport a 4.7-inch, 720p display. That screen size would be approximately the same as competitors, though lower resolution than the 1920 x 1080 flagships out there.

As for those six cameras, BGR says they will be used to track your eye position so that the phone can continuously alter the position of the elements on the screen to help achieve a 3D effect on the phone's home screen wallpapers and in several apps. It's out of character for Amazon to use such advanced technology. The company usually opts for the value play, offering cheaper hardware than its premium competitors.

The folks at BGR have a solid track record on Amazon leaks, so we're inclined to believe the report. They say they've got several sources, but as always, a rumor is a rumor until we've seen the real announcement.

http://bgr.com/2014/04/15/amazon-smartphone-photos-specs-kindle-phone-exclusive/

Not sure if I "need" a 3D phone but I'm sure we will all have one eventually

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Apple CarPlay Comes to Pioneer's Aftermarket Infotainment Systems

Apple iOS car integration is coming to loads more vehicles now, thanks to a firmware update that'll make CarPlay available through Pioneer's popular aftermarket in-dash infotainment systems.

Apple is at long last jumping into in-car "infotainment" systems. As we recently saw in a Volvo demo, CarPlay basically puts iOS in your car's dash, allowing you to access iOS apps like messages,, music, and phone in a more familiar interface.

The firmware update will bring CarPlay to five of Pioneer's NEX in-dash systems sometime early this summer. According to Pioneer, after the update, CarPlay just launches when you plug in your iPhone. We haven't actually seen a demo of the Pioneer CarPlay integration in action, but it appears to be refreshingly simple. It's not an app that needs to pair with your phone, it just works. Some of the more intricate infotainment systems out there are needlessly complicated, much like the horrible jargonized name the industry has given them.

What's most important is that CarPlay is coming to aftermarket systems, and not just to the advanced stuff in new cars. So your 1992 Toyota Tercel will have access to seamless iOS integration, just like the newest Swedish rides.

http://www.pioneer-carglobal.com/CarPlay/

I'm sure all the iNuts will jump all over this

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Amazing Arcade Flight Simulator Spins Players Completely Upside-Down

The arcades that dominated the 1980s and 1990s slowly died off as home video game consoles became more and more capable, but there are apparently still some good reasons to keep a pocket full of quarters handy. Namely this arcade simulator for a game called War Thunder that puts Afterburner to shame.

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Most arcade simulators bounce you around with a little bit of movement, but this one spins passengers completely upside-down to the point where they have to strap into the game so they don't fall out. It's almost something you'd expect the Air Force to employ, but thankfully you don't need to enlist to take it for a spin.

http://slorum.net/

I hope Dave & Busters gets a couple of these, although I don't know how fun they would be after a few drinks

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Dyson's Massive Floating Trash Vacuum Could Clean Up Our Rivers

James Dyson's has an idea for a new form of sucking machine—one so large it requires an entire barge to house it.

The idea here is to let a giant water-going vessel free and allow it to "mine" rivers of all the floating junk that's been tossed away into waterway everywhere since man first invented plastic bottles and tin cans. The potential M.V. Recyclone barge, as it's known, would unfurl nets and pull 'em back in laden with trash

Then, it would separate its catch, shredding plastic waste as it came in, for eventual recycling. This large-scale Roomba is only a concept at the moment though, with Dyson taking the opportunity to promote his cyclonic home vacuums—did you know he made vacuums?—in his design brief.

Still, it's a pretty neat idea, and seems like it could be an incredibly effective ways to clean up our rivers. Let's hope it happens.

http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/14/5613224/dyson-recycling-barge-concept

Seems like a good way to clean some stuff up

 

[Teelie]

After a few drinks and someone taking a spin in that thing you'll probably need a full-time janitor just for that ride alone.

 

[NickNitro]

Oh my God PLEASE let that be true. The trash in our waters is so horrible and disgusting it makes me sick.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

10-Gigabit Wi-Fi Is Promised By 2015

Think your 802.11ac Wi-Fi is fast? Think again: Quantenna Communications has announced that it's working on a chipset due 2015 that will supports speeds of up to a staggering 10 Gbps.

Most current high-speed wireless chipsets send and receive three data streams at once, and are referred to as 3x3 MIMO chipsets (that last bit just stands for multiple input/multiple output). That allows manufacturers to provide speeds of up to 1.3Gbps on a 5GHz frequency band, and Asus is even managing to push that to 1.7 Gbps.

But Quantenna is working on an 8x8 MIMO chipset that will provide some face-melting Wi-Fi speeds. PC World explains how it will works:

It's based on MU-MIMO technology (multi-user MIMO). MIMO technology sends and receives data streams using multiple antennas on one transmitter and multiple antennas on one receiver. Multi-user MIMO can transmit to a number of devices at once, leveraging the antennas on a host of independent access points. The chipset will also deliver adaptive beam forming, in which the transmitter and receiver analyze the signals they exchange in order to ascertain the optimal path and to reject spurious signals.
The upshot for us humble end users: 10 Gbps of Wi-Fi goodness that is backward compatible with 802.11ac and all the older 802.11a/b/g and n standards, too.

Quantenna reckons the chipset will first appear in enterprise and consumer networking, as well as in ISP infrastructure. But some bad news: it isn't panning to turn it into a chipset for mobile devices or USB Wi-Fi adapters. So, at best, it might make it to your laptop and desktop computers—until someone else picks up the baton, at least.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2142...it-will-deliver-10-gigabit-wi-fi-in-2015.html

Crazy how fast we move in the tech world. I still remember freaking plugging up my dial-up computer and logging into the net for the first time

 

[Teelie]

The two main problems I see with the vacuum dredger are picking up the truly heavy trash, appliances like refridgerators, washers, cars and it picking up bottom-dwelling life or disturbing the naturally decaying detritis.

 

[Destructus86]

This Could Be Amazon's Rumored 3D Smartphone

http://bgr.com/2014/04/15/amazon-smartphone-photos-specs-kindle-phone-exclusive/

Not sure if I "need" a 3D phone but I'm sure we will all have one eventually

Looks cool!




I still don't own a smart phone.

 

[NickNitro]

edit

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Self-Stacking Building Blocks Are Nothing Short of Magic

Deciding that the lowly building block was due for an upgrade, researchers at MIT have created something amazing. The simple-looking M-Blocks are made from an aluminum frame filled with electronics, an electric motor that can spin up to 20,000 rpm, and a flywheel. And they can perform some amazing feats without any human intervention.

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A small rubber belt means the energy stored up in an M-Blocks' flywheel can be instantly transferred to its frame, letting it flip, roll, and even jump short distances. And with a collection of 24 magnets covering every edge of the M-Blocks's outer surface, they're able to stick to each other on-demand, so they can self-assemble into complex structures.

In their current form the blocks need to be large enough to accommodate the electronics and mechanics inside, but one day their guts might be small enough to facilitate self-assembling Lego sets, plastic brick creations that are easy to bring to life, or the world's smallest automated circus act.

http://www.popsci.com/article/gadgets/robotic-cubes-stack-themselves

These blocks are pure awesome

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Jobs' Death "Best Opportunity to Attack iPhone," Wrote Samsung Exec

The longrunning legal battle between Apple and Samsung has certainly had its low points, but an internal email unearthed by CNET sent by a Samsung executive just five days after Steve Jobs' death sheds new light on just how callous the competition got. In this case, the subject was how to leverage the death of Steve Jobs to Samsung's benefit.

Acquired by CNET, the email sees Michael Pennington, head of national sales for Samsung, encouraging his team to strike while the iron's hot.

Unfortunately, Steve Job's [sic] passing has led to a huge wave of press coverage of Apple's and iPhone's 'superiority,' all created by the 'passionate, tireless, perfectionist...' The point here is that there is an unintended benefit for Apple, since the external messages by 3rd parties are all highlighting and/or supporting the consumer perception that Apple products are superior, since Jobs' [sic] was such a visionary and perfectionist. What consumer wouldn't feel great about purchasing a device developed by such a person.

Sorry to continue to push this issue, but I have seen this far too long and I know this is our best opportunity to attack iPhone. If there is no consensus on the approach I initially proposed, I will stop pushing, but I would like to better understand our strategy so I can align with that.
Is it a good business move? Probably! But it's still just as sobering to see corporate motives laid so bare. And a reminder that what while we just see two companies squabbling, they see all-out war.

http://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-em...s-death-as-best-opportunity-to-attack-iphone/

Man that is cold blooded

 

[Teelie]

Cold-blooded but no more so than Steve Jobs was. The stories about him I've heard... maybe hot-blooded might be more accurate since some of them were how much of an angry ******* he was towards his employees and how demanding he was for perfection.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

You can't get ahead in business by being nice and not going for the throat when it's presented I guess

 

[Teelie]

There is also going too far with it. If you create a work environment so hostile and so detrimental to your employee's and company's health it will eventually implode and you will fail.

 

[NickNitro]

Bill Gates is nice as **** and hes' a bagillionaire! Don't tell me you have to be mean to get ahead

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Google Street View Accidentally Made an Algorithm That Cracks CAPTCHAs

House numbers on Google Street View can turn up as blobby, blurry things, so its engineers built a pretty crazy neural network to decipher them. Except this algorithm also turns out to be very very good at deciphering other blobby, blurry texts—like CAPTCHAs, which it cracks with 99 percent accuracy. Take that, human.

Earlier this year, Google Street View engineers published a paper describing a neural network, modeled off of animal nervous systems, that was pretty good at identifying house numbers. "We can, for example, transcribe all the views we have of street numbers in France in less than an hour using our Google infrastructure," wrote one of the engineers in the paper. It got the numbers right with 90 percent accuracy.

But give it a small, black-and-white CAPTCHA with none of the lightning or color variables, and the neural network does even better. That includes those nearly inscrutable CAPTCHAs at the top of this post.

What this all means, really, is that blobby, blurry text is not the defining test between human and bot. Last year, Google actually decided to make CAPTCHAs less distorted and easier to decipher for humans. Its system takes into account other factors like how you interact with the page in what it calls "advanced risk analysis," the specifics of which they very purposefully do not explain. Googles says not to worry about CAPTCHAs being cracked—for now anyway.

http://googleonlinesecurity.blogspot.com/2014/04/street-view-and-recaptcha-technology.html

Google will be responsible for the machine uprising

 

[Teelie]

Skynet? More like Goonet.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

How to Turn Off Facebook's Auto-Playing Video Ads

Facebook recently introduced auto-playing video ads on desktop and mobile, but thankfully there's now a switch to opt out. Here's what you have to do.P

On the Desktop

For Facebook on the desktop, you can turn off auto-play videos in your settings:P

On Facebook, head to the drop-down menu in the upper right-hand corner and go to Settings > Videos. You can also click here to go straight there.
Next to the Auto-Play Videos setting, click the "On" box and change it to "Off."
Safari users may have to try using another browser, as some people are reporting that this setting does not show up in Safari for some reason.P

On Android

Unfortunately, there is no way to completely disable Facebook's video ads on mobile. However, you can disable them when you're not on Wi-Fi:P

Open Facebook, open the left sidebar, and tap "App Settings."
Check the "Auto-Play Videos on Wi-FI Only" box.

On iOS

Similar to Android, there is no way to disable the ads completely, but you can disable them when you're not on Wi-Fi.P

Go to the iOS Settings app from the home screen, and open up Facebook's settings.
Tap the Settings option and under "Video," switch the "Auto-Play on Wi-Fi Only" option on.

Those videos are annoying as hell so I figured you, like me, would want to know how to stop them

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Tiny Magnetic Robots Might One Day Work On Equally Tiny Assembly Lines

We've successfully engineered giant robot arms for building cars on an assembly line. But smaller mass-produced items—like electronics—still mostly rely on the nimble hands and fingers of a human. Building and controlling robots on a very small scale is still very difficult, but a company called SRI International may have found a clever solution using magnets.

SRI isn't the first to manipulate a tiny robot using magnets, but they are the first to find a way to control then individually even when there's a swarm of them moving about. The secret is to deploy the robots on a circuit board where the magnetic fields can be precisely localized so that each one can be controlled without affecting others nearby. And from the looks of it, the new technique is remarkably effective.

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Not only can the robots be maneuvered with impressive precision, they can also zip around with impressive speed for their size. And while the robots might not be strong, the advantage is that they're small and lightweight enough to work almost anywhere they can be affected by a magnetic field. So while they're assembling a piece of electronics, for example, they could easily crawl around inside it during assembly, speeding up the whole process.

And more importantly, if you've ever stepped on an ant, you have a pretty good idea of how easy it would be stop one of these robots in its tracks if it ever tried to rebel.

http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/...pectrum/automaton+(Automaton+-+IEEE+Spectrum)

Little tiny robot workers, sounds cool

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Walmart Is Downsizing Its Superstores and Putting Apartments on Top

Walmart, the leviathan of the U.S. retail economy, has had a tough year. So tough that the company's new CEO is prescribing a surprising strategy to slow decaying sales: Build smaller stores. And, in at least one case, put housing on top of them.

Fort Totten, a neighborhood in northeastern D.C., is about to be home to a new type of Walmart. At 125,000 square feet, it's not quite as small as the other miniature stores Walmart has opened up elsewhere, but it's unique for another reason: 345 residential units will be stacked above the ground-floor podium occupied by the megastore.

Architectural Record has the story of designing this hybrid box store/housing block, which is the work of the same D.C. firm, Hickok Cole, that recently completed the headquarters of NPR. According to Michael Hickok, the process of accepting the project wasn't easy:

"We went into it with great trepidation," Hickok admits. The design team worried not just about the retailer's wanting supersized signage, but also about the more prosaic challenge of putting residential plumbing above a grocery store.

In the end, Walmart was fine with smaller signage and the plumbing issues were resolved without any produce being harmed. The renderings show a typical peri-urban apartment development, complete with a pool, cafes, and wandering dog walkers—the only difference being that, rather than a coterie of cafes and boutiques you might expect, the ground floor is full of Walmart.

Which brings us to the irony of this pivot. Walmart, a company infamous for squeezing out mainstreet-style independent retailers, is now taking urbanism tips from them. And a tougher problem: If a Walmart spurs urban renewal in an otherwise stagnant neighborhood, can we fault it?

http://archrecord.construction.com/news/2014/04/140416-Walmart-Scales-Down-and-Branches-Out.asp

Not sure I would want them as my landlords but it would be great if you worked there

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Bill Gates' New Patent Would Keep Cameras/Google Glass From Spying on Your Screens

Google's big Glass free-for-all has come and gone, but whether or not anyone actually bought the damn thing, cameras are popping up all over the place, and people are starting to get (perhaps rightfully) paranoid. Fortunately there could be tech in the future to save your screens from prying camera eyes. And Bill Gates has the patent.

The patent, which lists Gates as one of the inventors, describes itself as "a system for detecting and responding to an intruding camera." Essentially, the technology (which could work on any device that has a screen and a camera) would scan the area around it for any intruding cameras and, upon seeing one, respond in one of several ways: alerting the user, editing the screen, or even blurring the screen altogether.

As the patent pitches it, this anti-camera protection actually seems pretty discerning. It even knows when a camera has its lens cap on. From the patent application:

Intruder analysis module scans the input for viewers, and classifies them as either intruders or safe viewers. Intruder analysis module also scans the input for cameras or camera-equipped devices (e.g., SLR cameras, camera-equipped cellular phones, point-and-shoot cameras, building-mounted camera systems, etc.). Intruder analysis module may classify an object as a viewer or camera using any number of detection algorithms. For example, intruder analysis module may apply motion detection algorithms on the sensor information, and may classify any moving object as a viewer. As another example, intruder analysis module may apply shape detection algorithms that scans the sensor information for lens (e.g., circular) shapes. As another example, intruder analysis module may apply shape detection algorithms that scans the sensor information to determine whether a detected camera has a lens cap emplaced; in this case it may not be considered as an intruder. As another example, intruder analysis module may apply shape detection algorithms that scans the sensor information to determine the orientation of a detected camera....
The processing circuit (via the intruder analysis module) analyzes the information to determine the presence of intruding camera. The processing circuit (via the edit generation module) edits or changes content on electronic media display device in response to detecting intruding camera. For example, the processing circuit may blur the contents of the display or cause an alert to appear, thereby notifying user of the intrusion. In this manner, sensitive content can be protected from being captured by unauthorized cameras. It should be understood that the application is not limited to detecting cameras attached to buildings, and that other scenarios are envisioned. For example, electronic media display device 1300 may detect another cellular phone equipped with a camera. Similar embodiments are also useful in public locations or while a user is taking public transportation, where intruding cameras are likely to be present.

Of course, as with any patent, there is a very real possibility that we may never see anything that uses this sort of tech on shelves. But as people's concerns about Glass and other wearable, camera-equipped tech continue to grow, you can bet that we'll be seeing a lot more attempts at camera-blockers in the years to come.

http://www.geekwire.com/2014/bill-gates-vs-gl*******s-pending-patent-thwart-video-snooping/

I'd say this will be needed in the coming years