Uber Partners With University of Arizona on Self-Driving Cars

Posted: August 26, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Theverge.com says Uber is setting up a new self-driving car project at the University of Arizona. The new project will focus on self-driving car technology, particularly the mapping and optics challenges involved in developing a fully autonomous vehicle. Earlier this year, Uber went on a major hiring binge for their Pittsburgh center, which many complained had hired so many experts away from the local robotics lab that they had effectively gutted competing projects. The Arizona partnership will focus on the optics systems necessary for mapping and safety. It appears that Tucson will be a new hub for much of Uber’s ongoing research into autonomous vehicles.

It’s gotten some knocks, but in a testament to how hated Windows 8 was more than anything else, Windows 10 is now up and running on over 75 million devices in less than a month after it was rolled out. zdnet.com reports that Microsoft’s goal is to have the latest OS installed on a billion devices by this time in 2018. Some of the heat surrounding Windows 10 has come from their new privacy policy, and Redmond has now published a ‘Windows 10 and Privacy’ page which details their policies.

Samsung Rolls Out New Phablets & Smartphones

Posted: August 13, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

As widely leaked, Samsung showed a couple of new flagship smartphones today at their Unpacked event, and rolled out two new phablets…the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge +. Techcrunch.com notes that this is the first time they have had a major rollout event in August, hoping to get the drop on Apple, which will show new iPhones, iPads, and more on September 9th. The Note 5 continues with the 5.7 inch screen of the Note 4, but has 4 gigs of RAM, it’s thinner, and jumps the front cam up to 5 megapixels. The rear cam stays at 16. The Edge + increases in size from the 5.1 inch screen of the Edge to 5.7, and also gets the same memory and cameras as the Note. Both have built in wireless charging, but the charger pad is extra.

As previously reported, Windows 10 reports back all kinds of info about you to Microsoft. We covered how to turn it all off with privacy settings…and it’s a hassle. Now, arstechnica.com reports that some apps and servers continue to communicate with Redmond’s servers, EVEN after you opt out in the privacy settings. Worse, some connect to Microsoft through unencrypted channels, exposing users to their information being intercepted.

Amazon Drones? How About Drones Launched From A Delivery Van?

Posted: July 29, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

While Amazon is trying to get the FAA to let them use a band of protected airspace to fly their delivery drones in, Workhorse has applied to that agency for special permission to launch delivery drones from the back of its electric cargo vans! As the van tools around, the roof-mounted HorseFly UAV selects, transports, and drops off the correct parcel right outside its recipient’s front door. Besides driving the route, all the driver has to do is watch to make sure the drone’s landings go ok. Engadget.com reports that the HorseFly drone can fly for up to a half hour carrying 10 lbs. This idea may ‘fly’ better than Amazon’s plan to have drones fly from their warehouses all the way to people’s homes.

Yes, at long last, it’s here…and by most accounts, it’s good. The antidote to terrible Windows 8, Windows 10 is out. According to bgr.com…somewhat in jest…the best new feature is that it’s NOT Windows 8, but actually there’s a lot more. The beloved Start menu is back, for starters. Probably the best new feature is a decent web Browser called Microsoft Edge…which is faster, sleeker, and far less clunky than Internet ‘Exploder.’ Microsoft hasn’t actually killed old Internet Explorer yet, but will be nudging companies to leave it and move on. The Cortana voice assistant is pretty good, but doesn’t work with all systems…some computer microphones, for example, don’t support it well. You will see the update tool appear, but be aware unless you really want to dive into the weeds to update right away, you’ll be put in line for the update to be pushed out to you.

Windows 10 Release Date & Prices Leaked

Posted: June 1, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

The cost and release date of windows 10 may have been leaked by a reseller. A page at newegg.com shows a release date to hardware makers of August 31st, according to zdnet.com. Newegg.com is taking preorders, and lists the Home edition for $109, and Professional edition $149, again to hardware makers. Ed Bott of ZDnet says Newegg also jumped the gun on preorders for Windows 8 in 2012.
Update: The Official Windows blog at blogs.windows.com announces Windows 10 will be available as an upgrade starting July 29th, and you can reserve an edition now.

Uber has wooed away a number of staffers from Carnegie Mellon University’s robotics department. The verge.com reports that the exodus started in January, and now nearly a third of the staff has joined Uber. It’s not uncommon for the National Robotics Engineering Centre to be doing work for external clients, and the staffers that have moved to a nearby building will also be wrapping up projects at Carnegie Mellon’s NREC. This is yet another indication that the move to self-driving cars is getting into high gear. Uber plans to be moving into their own new 53,000 square foot facility in San Francisco’s Mission Bay area by the end of the year.

Galaxy S6 Presales Are Encouraging to Samsung

Posted: April 11, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s no secret that the Galaxy S5 has been disappointing to Samsung. Bgr.com says early signs show the S6 may be the smash hit they badly need. The reviews are good, but more importantly, preorders are already almost double those of the S5 on T-Mobile. The other carriers haven’t weighed in yet on sales of the upcoming Samsung hero phone.

Overall PC shipments have dropped 5.2 percent worldwide first quarter of 2015, but Apple’s Mac has handily bucked that trend. Appleinsider.com reports that Mac sales were up 9% in the US, based on figures from Gartner. That gives Apple 12 % of the US market.

With the upcoming Windows 10 system from Microsoft, Redmond will be merging apps, movies, TV shows, and music into a single location. According to the verge.com, Microsoft will introduce a unified store, and will ensure apps and content can work across PCs, tablets, phones, and the Xbox One. They plan to reveal more about the store at their Build developer conference later this month.

Uh-Oh ‘Butterfingers’ Program For All on HTC One M9 and M8

Posted: March 18, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In an effort to get people to switch to their handsets, HTC has announced the ‘Uh-Oh’ program for the One M9 that launches in a couple weeks. If you break your phone, they’ll replace it free for the first 365 days. Thenextweb.com says HTC will extend the coverage to the M8 after the M9 launches, too.

Windows 10 is coming this summer from Microsoft, sooner than most expected. According to bgr.com, Windows Hello will be able to use your face, fingerprints, or iris scanning, instead of a password or PIN number. The biometric data is local, so hackers can’t grab it as it travels over the web.

The latest version of Apple’s mobile system, iOS 8 is now on 77% of its mobile devices, ahead of the Apple Watch release next month. 9to5mac.com reports that upcoming
update 8.3 has more Emoji characters and more languages for Siri.

More On ‘Project Zero’- the Upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6

Posted: December 5, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A big leak has outed the Samsung Galaxy S6 specifications. 9to5google.com says it will have a metal body, ditching the cheap plastic, and a 20 mp main camera. It’s expected to roll out in March.

Apple supplier Foxconn is finding their new robots aren’t precise enough to build iPhones. Macrumors.com reports that an upgrade to the so-called ‘Foxbots’ may take years. The present ones were scaled from machines that build cars.

Microsoft is still planning to launch Windows 10 by late summer or early fall, according to Microsoft COO Kevin Turner. ZDnet.com says they will show the first preview of the system in January.

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