Ignoring climate change won’t make it go away.
Source: TreeHugger – How “the year without summer” demonstrated the big effect just a few degrees of climate change can have
Monthly Archives: January 2017
Fret Zepplin: An LED Guitar Learning System That Attaches To Any Guitar
This is the Kickstarter for Fret Zepplin, a system of LED lights that are placed above the frets of a guitar (they’re only half as thick as standard frets so they don’t get in the way) and light up to teach you notes, chords, scales or songs. The system currently costs $200 through their already-funded Kickstarter, and is controlled by an iOS/Android app, which also doubles as a guitar tuner. But that’s not all! You can also program the full-spectrum (4.6-million color) LEDs to make rainbow light effects or whatever the hell else you want for EXTRA FLAIR while you’re rocking out on stage. Or in your dorm room trying to impress a girl. *giggles, twists hair around fingers* Play me some Nirvana. “Wait — you’re not a girl.” Hey man you have any beer in that mini-fridge or what?
Keep going for their Kickstarter video explaining how it all works.
Source: Geekologie – Fret Zepplin: An LED Guitar Learning System That Attaches To Any Guitar
Resident Evil 7: The Kotaku Review
Horror games are a difficult thing to get right. They can feel like carnival attractions, full of overblown scares, or have so little horror that they elicit nothing but eye rolls. Resident Evil 7 gets it right. It’s a scary and violent blast of survival horror that sneaks up behind you before plunging a chainsaw in…
Source: Kotaku – Resident Evil 7: The Kotaku Review
What the US Can Learn From Canada's Battle With an Anti-Science Government
We’re only a few days into the Trump era and it’s becoming painfully clear that the new president is mobilizing for a war on science. This situation is eerily reminiscent of attempts to suppress science in Canada during Stephen Harper’s tenure as Prime Minister, from 2006 to 2015. Here’s what Canadians say American…
Source: Gizmodo – What the US Can Learn From Canada’s Battle With an Anti-Science Government
Facebook's New Privacy Basics Page Is An Interactive Guide to Facebook's Obtuse Privacy Settings
Facebook has been trying to simplify and help people understand its privacy settings for a while now, and today they’re launching a new interactive tool that functions as both a series of how-to guides and a checkup tool.
Source: LifeHacker – Facebook’s New Privacy Basics Page Is An Interactive Guide to Facebook’s Obtuse Privacy Settings
A thousand moviegoers will get their minds monitored all at once
It’s an “action film for the mind”. That’s the pitch. To promote new sci-fi movie MindGamers, someone thought it would be a good idea to strap a thousand audience members into “cognitive bands”. Tying into the movie’s debut, the bands will let resear…
Source: Engadget – A thousand moviegoers will get their minds monitored all at once
Latest Mass Effect: Andromeda Trailer Gives Best Look Yet at New Aliens, Enemies
More alien romance is almost a certainty in Mass Effect: Andromeda. There’ll be some new races to horizontal tango with. And are those space pajamas or what?
Source: io9 – Latest Mass Effect: Andromeda Trailer Gives Best Look Yet at New Aliens, Enemies
Another Mass Effect: Andromeda trailer dropped today, and in it, we’re introduced to more teammates
Another Mass Effect: Andromeda trailer dropped today, and in it, we’re introduced to more teammates than before. Also, hello, kissing scene! The game will be released on March 21st.
Source: Kotaku – Another Mass Effect: Andromeda trailer dropped today, and in it, we’re introduced to more teammates
The Doomsday Clock Is Reset: Closest To Midnight Since The 1950s
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has taken the unprecedented step of moving the Doomsday Clock ahead 30 seconds, taking the world to two-and-a-half-minute to midnight. The scientists said Thursday that several factors weighed heavily in their decision, particularly climate change denial by people in power — they cited U.S. President Donald Trump — and talk about more nuclear weapons. From a report on NPR: The setting is the closest the clock has come to midnight since 1953, when scientists moved it to two minutes from midnight after seeing both the U.S. and the Soviet Union test hydrogen bombs. It remained at that mark until 1960. “Make no mistake, this has been a difficult year,” Rachel Bronson, executive director and publisher of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said as the new setting was announced Thursday.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – The Doomsday Clock Is Reset: Closest To Midnight Since The 1950s
Hugo Barra leaves Xiaomi for Facebook, will lead Oculus as VP of VR
Enlarge / Hugo Barra and Mark Zuckerberg celebrate Barra’s hiring in Facebook’s (unnamed and unreleased) social VR app. (credit: Mark Zuckerberg)
Hugo Barra, a former vice president at Xiaomi and Google, is leaving Xiaomi to lead the VR efforts at Facebook. The move was announced by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on (where else?) Facebook last night. Zuckerberg said Barra would “lead all of [Facebook’s] virtual reality efforts, including our Oculus team.” In a later post, Barra said his title was “VP of Virtual Reality” and that he would “lead the Oculus team.”
Barra became well known in the tech world when he worked at Google, where he was the VP of Android. At Google he was generally the company’s main presenter for events, where he introduced several Nexus phones and versions of Android. Barra left Google for Xiaomi, where he was “VP of International.” Again he was basically the face of the company outside of China and hosted most of the company’s product launches. In a post on Facebook, Barra said he left Xiaomi due to a desire to move from China back to Silicon Valley, which he considers his home.
At Xiaomi, Barra launched Xiaomi Global under which the company expanded to India, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and 20 other markets. Xiaomi partnered with Google to launch the “Mi Box” Android TV device in the US, but the company has yet to bring its smartphones to the US. Xiaomi recently released the stunning Mi Mix in China, but tough times are ahead as Chinese rivals Huawei, Oppo, and Vivo are passing the company in sales. Xiaomi has also said it’s skipping out on Mobile World Congress this year.
Read 3 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica – Hugo Barra leaves Xiaomi for Facebook, will lead Oculus as VP of VR
Google Pixel 2: Improved Camera, CPU, Higher Price, "Budget" Pixel Also In Works
It looks like I am going to be using my Note 3 for another year. With news of the Pixel 2 already dripping out, I can definitely hold off on purchasing the current model, which feels like it just came out yesterday. It sounds like the successor is going to have a killer camera, as well as a waterproof body. Sadly, the rumor is that the Pixel 2 is going to be even more expensive, which is sad because the original was arguably overpriced to begin with. The good news is that we have a potential offset—I guess they are taking a page out of Android One (or just using plain-old common sense), as they will be releasing a cheaper “2B” version that will be “significantly” cheaper.
…our source has indicated to us that Google is internally testing a “few” prototypes of a device they referred to as “Pixel 2B”, which would purportedly be released either “alongside or shortly after Pixel 2”. This phone would bring with it a lower-price point and less powerful hardware, and would be “aimed at different markets,” our source says. Google’s end goal is to bring the “Google experience and the Google Phone to emerging markets,” which is something the company definitely has shown a passion for in the past. As for the price of the next Pixel, we’re told that — as of the time of this writing at least — Google is expecting that there will be “at least” a $50 USD increase in price. As for the budget-level “Pixel 2B,” we’re told this device “will be significantly cheaper” if it ever actually launches. As is the case with the rest of the details we’re sharing today, however, these price points are subject to change.
Discussion
Source: [H]ardOCP – Google Pixel 2: Improved Camera, CPU, Higher Price, “Budget” Pixel Also In Works
"A Plastic Tide" film depicts shocking plastic pollution worldwide
Sky News has launched an Ocean Rescue campaign with an excellent 45-minute film that puts the serious plastic problem into perspective.
Source: TreeHugger – “A Plastic Tide” film depicts shocking plastic pollution worldwide
MSI Trident 3 Announced: A Core i7 Console
Over CES, MSI announced a new console-like PC called the Trident 3. The new unit packs the latest Intel’s Kaby Lake CPU, a NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPU, memory, an SSD and a hard drive. The system weighs just about three kilograms and its dimensions are smaller than dimensions of Microsoft’s Xbox One.
Current-generation game consoles, while closed systems ripe for optimization, can have difficulty providing performance sufficient for Full-HD gaming. Many console gamers prefer to play their games on HDTVs rather than on monitors, and so makers of boutique PCs were set on introducing console-like computers featuring gaming-grade hardware. Manufacturers of computer components were, for various reasons, reluctant to launch their own SFF gaming PCs for the living room until last year. However in the recent months we have seen a number of computers from motherboards/GPU vendors cards that are both small and powerful. MSI began to sell its Trident system in November-December timeframe without making any loud announcements, and this month the company upgraded its mini PC with Intel’s Kaby Lake processors but retained the chassis and the platform.
The MSI Trident 3 is based on a custom Intel H110 powered motherboard, along with a choice of Intel’s Core i7-7700 / i5-7400 processors and NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1060 / 1050 Ti graphics cards. By default the PC comes with 8 GB of single-channel DDR4-2400 memory (upgradeable to 32 GB), a 256 GB M.2 SATA SSD, one 1 TB hard drive and a 230 W external PSU. Despite the miniature size, the MSI Trident 3 is upgradeable: the CPU, the graphics adapter, the DRAM and storage devices may be changed. Due to lack of space inside, it is impossible to install a video card longer than 17 cm or additional drives, but such limitations are understandable. Moreover, keeping in mind that many SFF PCs use mobile components soldered to their motherboards, so using desktop-class components is a tradeoff between replaceability and size.
| MSI Trident 3 Specifications | ||
| Mainstream | High-End | |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-7400 4C/4T 3 GHz/3.5 GHz 6 MB L3 Cache HD Graphics 630 65 W |
Intel Core i7-7700 4C/8T 3.6 GHz/4.2 GHz 8 MB L3 Cache HD Graphics 630 65 W |
| PCH | Intel H110 | |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4 GB GDDR5 memory NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 3 GB GDDR5 memory NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB GDDR5 memory |
|
| Memory | 8 GB of DDR4-2400 (one SO-DIMM installed) Up to 32 GB is supported |
|
| Storage | 256 GB SSD (SATA) 1 TB 2.5″ HDD |
|
| Wi-Fi | Intel AC3168 IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi + BT 4.2 | |
| Ethernet | Intel I219V GbE | |
| Display Outputs | 1 × HDMI Front 2 x HDMI Rear (1 x VR Link) 1 x HDMI (GPU) 1 × DisplayPort 1 × DVI-I |
|
| Audio | 5.1-channel audio (Realtek ALC1150) Audio Boost 3, Nahimic 2.5 |
|
| USB | 1 × USB 3.0 Type-C (5 Gbps) 3 × USB 3.0 Type-A (5 Gbps) 4 × USB 2.0 Type-A |
|
| Other I/O | – | |
| Dimensions | Vertical with stand: 353.73 × 251.35 mm × 97.56 mm Horizontal without stand: 346.25 × 71.83 × 232.47 mm |
|
| PSU | 230 W | |
| OS | Windows 10 Home | |
When it comes to connectivity, the MSI Trident 3 has a lot to offer: three USB 3.0 Type-A ports (two front, one rear), one USB 3.0 Type-C header (front), four USB 2.0 connectors (rear), Gigabit Ethernet, an IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi with BT 4.2 module, six display outputs (four HDMI, one DisplayPort, one DVI) to easily connect VR headsets and up to three monitors, 5.1-channel audio with Audio Boost 3 and Nahimic software enhancements and so on.
MSI’s Trident 3 can be installed both horizontally and vertically, depending on its owner’s tastes. Moreover, the system is equipped with RGB LEDs so to customize its look.
The MSI Trident 3 featuring Intel’s Kaby Lake CPUs will be available shortly with the basic configuration (Core i5-7400, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4 GB, etc.) starting at $899, while the more advanced builds will naturally cost more.
Related Reading:
- Digital Storm BOLT X: A Kaby Lake-Based SFF PC with Custom Liquid Cooling
- Corsair’s Bulldog 2.0 Gets Kaby Lake-Compatible Z270 Motherboard, New Cooler
- ASUS VivoPC X: Core i5, GeForce GTX 1060, 512 GB SSD, 5-Liter Chassis, $799
- GIGABYTE’s New Console: The ‘Gaming GT’ PC Launched with Core i7-K, GTX1080, TB3
Source: AnandTech – MSI Trident 3 Announced: A Core i7 Console
Human-Pig Chimeras Suggest a Long Road to Organ Farming
Several dozen embryos sat in a lab that seemed straight out of a David Lynch film—part pig, part human. It’s just the first step in a strange journey that may one day lead to a new way to grow and harvest human organs.
Source: Gizmodo – Human-Pig Chimeras Suggest a Long Road to Organ Farming
Twitter apps' Explore tab combines moments, trends and more
A new Twitter tab marked “Explore” has squeezed its way between Home and Notifications in the microblogging website’s mobile app. When it makes its way to your device, that’s where you’ll have to go to find Twitter’s trending topics, Moments, search…
Source: Engadget – Twitter apps’ Explore tab combines moments, trends and more
Batman V Superman: When Good Toys Come From Bad Movies
Can you hate a movie but love its characters, or does a bad cinematic experience poison you against them? Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice was a massive disappointment for me, but damn if I don’t adore DC Films’ Superman and Armored Batman figures.
Source: Kotaku – Batman V Superman: When Good Toys Come From Bad Movies
Apple sued over singer’s right of publicity in iPhone ad singing
An iPhone ad featuring the Jamie xx song “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)” is the subject of a lawsuit filed Tuesday in California Superior Court.
The plaintiff’s convoluted connection to Apple is laid out by The Hollywood Reporter, which was first to report the case. “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)” is the most popular track on Jamie xx’s 2015 Grammy-nominated album In Colors. That album includes samples from a 1971 song by The Persuasions called “Good Times.”
Persuasions lead singer Jerome Lawson is the plaintiff in the new suit against Apple—but this isn’t a copyright case. Rather, Lawson has said that the use of his voice in the ad violates his right of publicity under California state law.
Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica – Apple sued over singer’s right of publicity in iPhone ad singing
The offroad racer that started life as Colin McRae: Dirt is getting another sequel this year.
The offroad racer that started life as Colin McRae: Dirt is getting another sequel this year. Codemasters has officially announced Dirt 4, coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows in June.
Source: Kotaku – The offroad racer that started life as Colin McRae: Dirt is getting another sequel this year.
Microsoft shuts down “Snap” multitasking feature on Xbox One
Enlarge / You’ll no longer be able to watch Parks & Rec while doing some light virtual golfing on the same screen on the Xbox One.
Fans of multitasking on game consoles will be sad to learn that Microsoft is planning to do away with the Xbox One’s much-ballyhooed Snap mode, which lets users plant an app in a column on the edge of the screen while they’re playing a game or using another app.
This isn’t quite akin to what happened last year when Sony removed certain Vita apps because the company didn’t want to put in the effort to support underused features anymore (though that might be part of it). Instead, Microsoft’s Mike Ybarra tweeted yesterday that the removal of Snap is intended “to improve multitasking, reduce memory use, improve overall speed, and free up resources going forward for bigger things.”
That gels with what we knew about how Snap’s multitasking requirements limited what developers could do with the system. Microsoft admitted just before the Xbox One’s launch that the system reserved 10 percent of its GPU processing time for Kinect voice command processing “and for the rendering of concurrent system content such as Snap mode.”
Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica – Microsoft shuts down “Snap” multitasking feature on Xbox One
Pick Up an Extra Wireless Xbox One Controller For Only $30
Need an extra controller for your Xbox One? eBay has one for only $30 right now if you hurry. Just a head’s up: it’s the old model, but for $30, it’s totally worth it to have an extra controller hanging around.
Source: Kotaku – Pick Up an Extra Wireless Xbox One Controller For Only