Imagine if we could be like plants, lying outside all day soaking up sweet, sweet energy from the sun. Doesn’t sound like a bad life, does it? So why aren’t the world’s best minds figuring out how to hack photosynthesis into humans?
Source: Gizmodo – Why Humans Will Never Live Off Sunlight
Samsung unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy Note 7 earlier this month. But the company is now delaying its shipments as it conducts additional quality control testing delaying its shipments as it conducts additional quality control testing. The Guardian adds: There have been several unconfirmed local reports of users claiming that the battery of the Galaxy Note 7 battery exploded during charging. Samsung did not elaborate on what further testing was required and to where shipments of the high-priced phablet were being delayed. Quality-control problems delaying the release of the latest Samsung flagship phablet could be a major blow for the worldâ(TM)s largest smartphone manufacturer. Its recent sales saw it capture more market share and return to solid profits, but high sales of the Note 7 along with the Galaxy S7 line are required to maintain momentum in the second half of the year.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Samsung Delays Shipments of Galaxy Note 7 For Quality Control Testing
Four Sided Fantasy as a puzzle game by Ludo Land all about redefining boundaries. It is out now on the Playsation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Mac. Giving the player the ability to lock the screen in place, they can wrap around, fall upwards, and change what it means for a screen to end.
Source: Kotaku – Four Sided Fantasy Cleverly Changes How Sidescrollers Work
You probably know that the best way to get super juicy burgers is to grind your own meat
, but some attention must be paid to safety, particularly when it comes to harmful pathogens.
Source: LifeHacker – “Hot Tub” Meat Before Grinding for the Safest DIY Burger Patties
Are you hooked on all those CBS shows like Angel From Hell, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, and Kevin James Makes That Face Again? Well, pretty soon you’ll be able to watch them all on demand and commercial-free thanks to CBS’s new streaming service tier. And it’s just $10, roughly the same price as Netflix, which by comparison only has a huge catalogue of popular movies and TV shows that people actually want to see.
Source: io9 – Cordcutting Isn’t a Bargain Anymore
Are you hooked on all those CBS shows like Angel From Hell, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, and Kevin James Makes That Face Again? Well, pretty soon you’ll be able to watch them all on demand and commercial-free thanks to CBS’s new streaming service tier. And it’s just $10, roughly the same price as Netflix, which by comparison only has a huge catalogue of popular movies and TV shows that people actually want to see.
Source: Gizmodo – Cordcutting Isn’t the Bargain That It Used to Be
Without the presence of Google, Faroe Island residents had to rely on camera-equipped sheep to provide 360 degree “Sheep View” images of the bucolic isle. While that’s adorable, digital tourists probably want to see more than just areas with the most…
Source: Engadget – Google expands ‘Sheep View’ project with Trekker cameras
Buying a laptop with Intel on the inside often boils down to two choices. Do you go with the potent Core i processor like the i5 or i7, or do you save some money (and battery life) and grab the super low powered Core M processor usually reserved for tiny tablets? Core i and Core M, despite both coming from Intel, are very different families of processors and provide very different services to a computer user. So it’s kind of bullshit that Intel, with the release of Kaby Lake
, has quietly changed the name of two Core M processors (the m5 and m7) and is now calling them i5 and i7 processors.
Source: Gizmodo – Intel Changed the Name of Its Dinkiest Processor and It Will Definitely Confuse You
The new ways of working with wood are getting a run for their money from the old tried and true.
Source: TreeHugger – Old construction tech is new again at Mountain Equipment Co-op’s Vancouver HQ
The feature you didn’t know you wanted for Instagram has finally arrived: pinch-to-zoom. Surprised it wasn’t already there? Don’t be. Originally, Instagram didn’t support large enough images to warrant enlarging — but last year, that changed last ye…
Source: Engadget – Instagram gets pinch-to-zoom on iOS, Android update in tow
It remains
frustratingly difficult to convey what is good or interesting about new VR games, especially to anyone who hasn’t already played games while wearing virtual reality goggles. New VR games come out weekly, many of them not so great. Sometimes, though, we find a game with a spark of promise we need to tell you about.
Source: Kotaku – The Highs And Lows Of VR Gaming, Five Months In
Samsung announced a new smartwatch today, the Gear S3. Like the Gear S2, this is a Tizen-powered smartwatch with a stainless steel case and a rotating bezel.
Samsung is packing everything it can into its smartwatch this year. There’s a bigger, 1.3-inch 360×360 display, an optional LTE version, the addition of MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology for Samsung Pay, a speaker and microphone for calls, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a barometer. Bigger isn’t always better in the smartwatch world, though, and the Gear S3 sounds like a behemoth—the case has grown from 44mm to 46mm. Compare that to the Apple Watch, which comes in 38mm and 42mm sizes.
For specs, the S3 has a dual-core 1GHz “Exynos” chipset (no model given), 786MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, and a 380mAh battery. The watch is IP68 rated for water and dust protection. There are two different styles to choose from this year: the traditionally styled “Classic” watch—which does not have LTE—and a more rugged-looking “Frontier” version, which comes with LTE baked in. Samsung is promising “3-4 days” on a charge, but that’s probably not with LTE turned on. Both watches are 12.9mm thick and are compatible with most 22mm watch bands.
Read 2 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica – The Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch packs LTE into a giant 46mm case
This is the $300 Salt self defense gun. It’s a CO2 powered handgun that shoots rounds filled with powdered pepper spray that can incapacitate an attacker even if you don’t hit them directly. Still aim straight for their eyes though. A single projectile produces a 5-foot pepper cloud that hangs in the air for 3-5 minutes. For reference, that would be a record if it were a fart. Fun fact: a buddy and I made hot wings with pepper spray once and our throats started to close up and we had to go to the hospital. The look on my mom’s face when she came to pick me up — I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such concentrated disappointment.
Keep going for a couple little graphics about the gun.
Source: Geekologie – 0 Salt Non-Lethal Self Defense Gun Shoots Pepper Spray Rounds
It’s never too early to start fostering a deep, almost obsessive love of Star Trek in your children. So while your toddler is innocently rocking back and forth in this lovely wooden USS Enterprise rocking horse, they’ll have no idea they’re secretly being groomed as a future Trekkie.
Source: io9 – This Wooden Star Trek USS Enterprise Rocker Is a Good Reason to Start a Family
Maybe you’re working on a small hobby project and are looking for a unique way to stain your wood without those noxious chemical fumes. You want your birdhouse to attract animals of discriminating tastes, right? Here are a few wood-staining techniques you can try using items you might have in your kitchen.
Source: LifeHacker – Make Natural Wood Stain Using Common Household Items
If there was ever any doubt about Asus’ commitment to Android Wear, squash it now. Earlier today the company peeled the shrink wrap off its third ZenWatch (that’s the ZenWatch 3, if you weren’t sure), and it’s the maturest timepiece from the company…
Source: Engadget – ASUS’ ZenWatch 3 brings fast charging to your wrist
Jim Finkle, reporting for Reuters:SWIFT, the global financial messaging system, on Tuesday disclosed new hacking attacks on its member banks as it pressured them to comply with security procedures instituted after February’s high-profile $81 million heist at Bangladesh Bank. In a private letter to clients, SWIFT said that new cyber-theft attempts — some of them successful — have surfaced since June, when it last updated customers on a string of attacks discovered after the attack on the Bangladesh central bank. “Customers’ environments have been compromised, and subsequent attempts (were) made to send fraudulent payment instructions,” according to a copy of the letter reviewed by Reuters. “The threat is persistent, adaptive and sophisticated – and it is here to stay.” The disclosure suggests that cyber thieves may have ramped up their efforts following the Bangladesh Bank heist, and that they specifically targeted banks with lax security procedures for SWIFT-enabled transfers. The Brussels-based firm, a member-owned cooperative, indicated in Tuesday’s letter that some victims in the new attacks lost money, but did not say how much was taken or how many of the attempted hacks succeeded.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – SWIFT Discloses More Cyber Thefts, Pressures Banks On Security
Dropbox was reportedly hacked back in 2012
. In 2014, hundreds of Dropbox passwords were leaked by an anonymous hacker
. Now Dropbox is forcing password changes on anyone with a password older than 2012
. This story keeps unfolding, but here’s the bottom line: Change your Dropbox password now.
Source: LifeHacker – Now Is a Good Time to Change Your Dropbox Password
It is 2016, and Farm Egg has arrived by mail atop a majestic cardboard bed for consumption by the eager tongues of the one percent.
Source: Gizmodo – Behold: Farm Egg
Ben Wizner, lawyer for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, was pleased when he saw the upcoming movie about his client eight months ago. “This is a dramatization,” Wizner told Gizmodo. “Having said that, it tells a true story.”
Source: Gizmodo – The New Snowden Movie is the Best PR He’ll Ever Get