Cliff Eidelman (pictured) famously penned the ominous score for Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country after (first pick) James Horner was too expensive. Now, the composer has revealed that he was in the running to produce the soundtrack for Star Trek:…
Source: Engadget – Listen to a discarded score for ‘Star Trek: Discovery’
Monthly Archives: October 2017
Global CO2 Levels Surged to a Disturbing, Record High in 2016
Last year’s powerful El Niño left meteorologists expecting a major surge in atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions. A World Meteorological Organization report released on Monday confirms these projections, showing that CO2 concentrations “surged at a record-breaking speed in 2016 to the highest level in 800,000 years.”
Source: Gizmodo – Global CO2 Levels Surged to a Disturbing, Record High in 2016
Mil-spec Infosec Spinout Cryptonite Reveals its Network-Scrambling Tech
Security startup Cryptonite dropped out of stealth ​late last week with a micro-segmentation-based technology designed to prevent​ ​hacker​ ​reconnaissance​ ​and​ ​lateral​ ​movement. Their new appliance, CryptoniteNXT, works by obfuscating network topology. The appliance changes a static network into a dynamic moving target. I’m not a network guru by any stretch of the imagination, but this sounds like technology that should really mess with the hackers out there. If they can’t get a read on the network they won’t be able to attack it.
Obscuring IP topology helps to prevent attacks on legacy or unpatched systems by thwarting any attempts by hackers to map exploitable vulnerabilities on a targeted network. CryptoniteNXT Net Guard, a key component of the technology, maps from an obfuscated network onto the real network.
Discussion
Source: [H]ardOCP – Mil-spec Infosec Spinout Cryptonite Reveals its Network-Scrambling Tech
Deadspin Game 5 Was Murder On Baseballs And Superlatives | Jezebel Kevin Spacey Dodges Allegations o
Deadspin Game 5 Was Murder On Baseballs And Superlatives | Jezebel Kevin Spacey Dodges Allegations of Sexual Advances Toward a Minor By Coming Out | Splinter ‘White Lives Matter’ Mob Attacks Interracial Couple After Tennessee Rally | Earther Is Antarctica’s Scarred Seafloor a Harbinger of Trouble to Come? | The Root …
Source: LifeHacker – Deadspin Game 5 Was Murder On Baseballs And Superlatives | Jezebel Kevin Spacey Dodges Allegations o
Firefox To Get a Better Password Manager
Catalin Cimpanu, reporting for BleepingComputer: Mozilla engineers have started work on a project named Lockbox that they describe as “a work-in-progress extension […] to improve upon Firefox’s built-in password management.” Mozilla released the new extension for employee-use only at first, but users can install it by going to this or this links. Lockbox revamps Firefox’s antiquated password management utility with a new user interface (UI). A new Firefox UI button is also included, in case users want to add a shortcut in their browser’s main interface to open Lockbox without going through all the menu options. Support for a master password is included, helping users secure their passwords from unauthorized access by co-workers, family members, or others.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Firefox To Get a Better Password Manager
'Digital vegetables' emit music and light when touched
Small-plot urban farming used to be widespread in Tokyo, but other than specialized projects like the Pasona Urban Farm, there aren’t many tomato plots around the city anymore. A Tokyo creative lab called Party has created an art installation that ai…
Source: Engadget – ‘Digital vegetables’ emit music and light when touched
This $15 Hand Warmer Can Also Charge Your Phone
This rechargeable hand warmer is like a Swiss Army knife for 21st-century winter. Not only does it warm your hands, it serves as a 6000mAh power bank and a LED flashlight. It’s just $15 today with code ZCL23YL5, so throw out those warming powder packets that don’t charge your phone at all.
Source: Gizmodo – This Hand Warmer Can Also Charge Your Phone
AMD's Open-Source Strategy Is Now Ten Years Old
What an incredible ride it’s been over the past ten years of AMD pursuing an open-source Linux graphics driver strategy.
Source: Phoronix – AMD’s Open-Source Strategy Is Now Ten Years Old
Monday's Best Deals: Family Board Games, Smart Light Bulbs, Patio Heaters, and More
Start off your week with a family board game Gold Box, deals on smart light bulbs, patio heaters, and much more.
Source: LifeHacker – Monday’s Best Deals: Family Board Games, Smart Light Bulbs, Patio Heaters, and More
On The Walking Dead, Jesus Saves
Alexandria, Hilltop, and the Kingdom continued their assault on the Saviors last night on several fronts. The result was The Walking Dead turning into a live-action video game with barely any zombies in it, for the most part. But there were a few interesting conflicts scattered in there that didn’t involve…
Source: Gizmodo – On The Walking Dead, Jesus Saves
Make Holiday Travel a Little Easier With This Discounted AmazonBasics Luggage
Amazon already made some extremely popular packing cubes, and now, you can pair them with Amazon-branded luggage.
Source: LifeHacker – Make Holiday Travel a Little Easier With This Discounted AmazonBasics Luggage
AOC Announces Q3279VWF Display: 31.5”, MVA, 2560×1440, FreeSync
AOC has introduced its new display that promises to combine a set of features with an affordable price of around $300. The AOC Q3279VWF uses a 31.5” MVA panel and features a 2560×1440 resolution, but also comes with FreeSync. It has a reasonable pixel density as well as multiple inputs making it widely compatible.
The AOC Q3279VWF builds upon an 8-bit (+ FRC) MVA panel with a QHD (2560×1440) resolution. The panel has rather typical specs for an entry-level display: a 250 nits brightness, a 3000:1 contrast ratio, a 5 ms GtG response time, as well as a 60 Hz maximum refresh rate. The manufacturer claims that the panel can display 1.07 billion colors due to FRC treatment and states that the display covers 98% of the sRGB color space. Like many other modern monitors from AOC, the Q3279VWF supports AMD’s FreeSync dynamic refresh rate technology to appeal to gamers. The company does not disclose the exact FreeSync’s range, specifically the lower bound, but typically the range is around 30-60 Hz on basic models. In comparison to some other models from AOC, the display does not support any special game and video upscale modes – the manufacturer sells the Q3279VWF8 in Australia, which has some of these features enable.
The monitor uses a solid stand that cannot swivel, but can enable portrait mode and supports tilting (-2/+21.5°). When it comes to connectivity, the Q3279VWF has everything covered: it features a DisplayPort 1.2, a DVI connector, a D-Sub input and an HDMI 1.4 header. AOC says that the display fully supports HDCP, but never mentions the exact version or the ports that support it. With all four types of video inputs, AOC can address a fleet of new and old PCs with the Q3279VWF monitor.
| Specifications of AOC’s Entry-Level 31.5″ Display | ||
| Q3279VWF | ||
| Panel | 31.5″ MVA | |
| Native Resolution | 2560 × 1440 | |
| Maximum Refresh Rate | 60 Hz | |
| Dynamic Refresh Tech | FreeSync on DisplayPort 30?-60 Hz |
|
| Response Time | 5 ms (gray-to-gray) | |
| Brightness | 250 cd/m² | |
| Contrast | 3000:1 | |
| Viewing Angles | 178°/178° horizontal/vertical | |
| Pixel Pitch | 0.273 × 0.273 mm | |
| PPI | 93 | |
| Color Gamut | 98% sRGB 88% NTSC |
|
| Inputs | 1 × DisplayPort 1.2 1 × DVI DL 1 × D-Sub 1 × HDMI 1.4 |
|
| Audio | 3.5-mm headphone jack | |
| Color | Black and Silver | |
| Power Consumption | Standby | < 0.5 W (?) |
| Maximum | 48 W (?) | |
We see two opposing trends in the display industry today. On the one hand, laptops are getting smaller and 12” – 13” notebook displays are becoming mainstream (14” and 15.6” models prevail, but 17” are virtually non-existent). By contrast, average desktop monitors are getting bigger. Over the past year, AOC announced several inexpensive (sub-$200) 24” and 27” displays targeting entry-level PCs. With the Q3279VWF, the company is bringing down the price of 31.5” QHD monitors to ~$300, but is addressing a higher-end market segment with FreeSync. To a large degree, the Q3279VWF responds to demand of mainstream users for bigger displays.
AOC plans to start sales of the Q3279VWF in November. The company has stated it charge £249 ($330) for the product in the U.K. (which includes 20% sales tax). It is logical to expect the product to be available for around ~$300 in the U.S.
Related Reading
- AOC’s Entry-Level C2789FH8 27” Display Weds Gold, Bling, and Curvature
- AOC Teams Up with Porsche Design for PDS241 and PDS271 Displays
- The AOC Q2781PS Announced: ‘Frameless’ Rose Gold 27″ QHD with Swarovski Crystals
- AOC P2779VC: 27” PLS Display with Qi Wireless Charging Base for $199
Source: AnandTech – AOC Announces Q3279VWF Display: 31.5”, MVA, 2560×1440, FreeSync
Amazon Key is a lousy 21st century solution to a 19th century problem
People used to have home deliveries all the time, and they solved the problem with design.
Source: TreeHugger – Amazon Key is a lousy 21st century solution to a 19th century problem
An AI detected colorectal cancer with 86 percent accuracy
We’ve heard of many different uses for AI within the medical field, including for prediction of heart attacks and detection of Alzheimer’s. Now, it looks as though machine intelligence could be applied to early detection of cancer as well. A group of…
Source: Engadget – An AI detected colorectal cancer with 86 percent accuracy
Harman Kardon Invoke review: Cortana isn’t too comfortable in the home yet
Enlarge (credit: Valentina Palladino)
The voice assistant most of us overlook is the one that is available to over 500 million of us on Windows PCs. Microsoft’s Cortana has been sequestered in laptops and desktops for too long, but now it finally has a home in your home via the Harman Kardon Invoke smart speaker.
This is Microsoft’s first attempt to compete with Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Assistant, both of which have established smart speakers (not to mention various versions of them). Microsoft is betting on sound quality to set its smart speaker apart from the rest and convince customers to choose Cortana as their home AI buddy. Cortana needs to have a presence free from the PC, but what might hold the Invoke back initially is Cortana’s limited usefulness as a home assistant.
Design and sound quality
Microsoft’s collaboration with Harman Kardon has been nearly a year in the making, and the final result looks like the first-generation Amazon Echo. The Invoke speaker has a tapered, cylindrical body with speaker grille openings on nearly the entirety of its body. The Invoke’s base has the Harman Kardon logo on the front as well as the power connector, service-only micro USB port, mic/on-off button, and Bluetooth pairing button on the back. The top features an adjustable volume ring and a touch-sensitive panel that glows when Cortana is listening for your command or when the volume changes.
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Source: Ars Technica – Harman Kardon Invoke review: Cortana isn’t too comfortable in the home yet
This Delightful Lego Contraption Deals With Trick-or-Treaters For You
The lead up to Halloween is one of the best times of the year, with spooky parties, scary movies, and copious amounts of cheap candy in stores. But Halloween night, when you’re constantly running to the door to give away your coveted candy stocks, is less enjoyable. So why not build a Lego robot to deal with…
Source: Gizmodo – This Delightful Lego Contraption Deals With Trick-or-Treaters For You
Is AR Eyewear Ready For Consumers? Are Consumers Ready For AR Eyewear?
Ari Grobman, at Techcrunch, asks whether or not consumers are ready for AR eyewear and if the technology is ready yet. Industry thinks AR is going to be big and Apple and Google are heading in that direction since both of them have announced release of AR tool kits to developers. However, I’m not so sure the glasses themselves are going to be ready any time soon. Furthermore, is AR going to truly be anything other than a novelty?
It’s too early to know what the new ecosystem of software and hardware designed to provide AR experiences will evolve into in the future, but it’s safe to predict that AR headsets will be part of the picture. So why is AR suddenly ready for mass consumption? And why aren’t we leaping (magically!) into AR glasses?
Discussion
Source: [H]ardOCP – Is AR Eyewear Ready For Consumers? Are Consumers Ready For AR Eyewear?
It'll Take More Than AI to Get DSLR-quality Photos From Your Phone
Scientists at the ETH Zurich university have trained an AI to improve on photos taken with any phone camera, with a goal of attaining DSLR-quality output. Unfortunately,it’s still not good enough to make a phone camera photo as good as a DSLR photo. However, AI enhanced photos are still pretty good and you can check out the results of the research here. I really like the improvement.
So while DSLR-quality pictures may not yet be a click away on your phone, hardware makers are working to improve their devices in the fields that matter to most people – suggesting appropriate settings, increasing dynamic range, performing automatic edits, developing dual-camera systems for more depth of field, and selecting the best frame out of a burst of shots, all for better results.
Discussion
Source: [H]ardOCP – It’ll Take More Than AI to Get DSLR-quality Photos From Your Phone
Samsung’s Gear Sport Is Easier to Use Than the Apple Watch, But Where Are my Damn Apps?
The Apple Watch might be the most popular smartwatch, but its controls and interface don’t hold a candle to what you get on Samsung’s watches. The problem is that because Samsung has been trying to start its own watch ecosystem with Tizen OS, its watches never received the rabid support that Apple’s got from day one.…
Source: Gizmodo – Samsung’s Gear Sport Is Easier to Use Than the Apple Watch, But Where Are my Damn Apps?
Adam Driver Sets the Internet On Fire With a Potentially Major Revelation About Rey's Past in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Guillermo Del Toro’s Fantastic Voyage adaptation is going to take a little while longer. Go behind the scenes on Jumanji. Felicity heads to Central City in new Flash pictures. Plus, the future of Twin Peaks is still under consideration, creepy New Mutants teasers, and Manu Bennet on the likelihood of a Deathstroke TV…
Source: Gizmodo – Adam Driver Sets the Internet On Fire With a Potentially Major Revelation About Rey’s Past in Star Wars: The Last Jedi