Geek News

Facebook's plans for free satellite internet access may have run into some... setbacks , but another company is promising to make that ubiquitous data a practical reality. Quika, a company led by the chief of satellite provider Talia, is launching a free satellite broadband service in the second quarter of 2018. It's promising speedy, low-latency Ka-band data in developing countries where income inequality and a lack of infrastructure (especially in rural areas) make conventional internet access impractical for most. Service will begin with Afghanistan, Iraq and most of Africa, but there are promises of more countries afterward. The strategy behind this no-charge access isn't terribly complicated: Quika is planning to support its free plan through its paid services for enterprises and internet providers. Also, while the service itself will be free, Quika notes that customers may have to pay for setup or make a deposit on the necessary hardware. It's far from certa...

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer now says Democrats in the Senate are a single vote away from restoring net neutrality . According to the senator from New York, they now have a total of 50 votes for a Senate resolution of disapproval that would restore the Open Internet Order of 2015 and deliver a stiff rebuke to Ajit Pai and other Republican members of the FCC. It would also prevent the agency from passing a similar measure in the future, all but guaranteeing Net Neutrality is permanently preserved. Right now the resolution has the support of all 49 Democrats in the Senate and one Republican, Susan Collins of Maine. But Schumer and the rest of the caucus will have to win over one more Republican vote to prevent Vice President Mike Pence from breaking tie and allowing the repeal to stand. Under the Congressional Review Act the Senate has 60 days to challenge a decision by an independent agency like the FCC. With less than 30 days left to go, Democrats will have to move quick t...

Last year, EA's Battlefield 1 received a ton of new expansions , including "They Shall Not Pass," " In the Name of the Tsar " and "Turning Tides." The new maps and story missions featured French and Russian battles, amphibious warfare and some of the most famous battles from WWI. Now that it's a new year, EA is teasing some new additions to the popular video game to come, including a Gallipoli trial (part of "Turning Tides") that will give owners of the base game a chance to try out the fronts from the expansions between January 16th and 22nd. Those with the Battlefield 1 Premium Pass will get to try their luck with the North Sea campaign from "Turning Tides." The night map from "They Shall Not Pass," Prise de Tahure, will also become available for base game owners on January 16th. Of course, EA is also teasing "Apocalypse," a forthcoming bit of paid DLC. "Full details on the fourth Battlefield 1 ...

Chinese e-commerce behemoth Alibaba's counterfeit goods problem refuses to go away. Despite noting improvements on takedown efforts, the Office of the US Trade Representative has again blacklisted Alibaba's eBay-like Taobao shopping site. In its annual report on the trade of illicit goods in online and physical marketplaces, the USTR said Taobao hasn't "objectively demonstrated that the volume or prevalence of counterfeit goods has decreased over the last year." Alibaba cited its brand protection programs and offline cooperation with law enforcement as evidence that it addressed the concerns raised by the USTR. "The number of takedown requests declined by 25% YoY as a direct result of our ability to remove infringing listings before they make it to our marketplaces," said Alibaba group president Michael Evans in his response . He continued: "In fact, 98% of these proactive takedowns were removed before a single sale could be made, and 97% o...

20 years ago, IBM's Deep Blue beat Garry Kasparov in a game of chess and the practice of pitting human against computer continues to this day. Google's AI was the first to beat a Go champion a couple of years back (and it continues to teach itself how to play other games, too). Now Bloomberg reports that Alibaba and Microsoft have both developed AI that scores better than humans on a Stanford University reading test. The Chinese online commerce company's deep neural network was the first to score higher than a human on the reading test. The 100,000-question quiz is considered to be the most authoritative measures of machine reading, according to Bloomberg . The highest humans have score on the measure is 82.304. Alibaba's Institute of Data Science of Technologies scored 82.44. The following day, Microsoft's own AI scored 82.650 on the same test. Ultimately, the idea is to help AI systems process large amounts of written data to more accurately respond to h...

The new Hyundai Veloster just made its debut on the NAIAS 2018 show floor, but the first time we'll be able to drive one is in Forza Motorsport 7 . Following a string of cars debuting in videogames ( BMW M4 Coupe , Porsche 911 GT2 RS ), the Veloster Turbo and Veloster N will come to Forza players tomorrow, well before the cars go on sale in Q2 2018. In real life, the refreshed three-door hatchback has a bit more power and a lower stance, while the new "N" performance version goes up to 275HP and adds track-tuned driving modes. The tech packages are what we're interested in, however, and these cars, naturally, have a premium touchscreen version that includes support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Another option is this Heads-up Display, which projects on a transparent panel that pops up in front of the windshield, then retracts when not in use. If the car is in sport mode, you'll see performance-oriented info like speed, RPM and which gear the car is in....

Chinese automaker GAC is making waves at the North American International Auto Show . "We want you to give us a chance to challenge ourselves," GAC group president Feng Xingya said from the stage, before unveiling GAC's first all-electric concept, the En Verge. The En Verge is a two-door compact crossover SUV. The first thing you'll notice are those massive ports on the front bumper. While they look like they're for cooling, they're actually removable fog lamps. Called G-Torches, they double as flashlights for when you want to do some off-trail exploring. Handy! Then there's the race-inspired steering wheel, and the gull-wing doors that look like they'll make getting in and out of the vehicle a cinch, regardless of if you're sitting in the front or back seat. The driver and person riding shotgun are treated to a flatscreen dashboard that feeds driving data (vehicle speed, GPS, weather info) to the front seat, while the rear passengers have a dif...

I was initially surprised at the reaction to the #MeToo movement , the social media continuation of the sexual-misconduct backlash that toppled prominent men like Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein. I wasn’t shocked to learn that sexual harassment and assault are so widespread — this has been my daily reality for as long as I can remember — I just didn’t realize that anyone besides the victimized actually cared. Very little in my observations of our culture, our criminal justice system, or the industries where abuse so often flourishes led me to believe that was true. Watching the accusations and (sometimes half-hearted) apologies roll out across social media felt like watching a bizarre but welcome universe unfold. One where men’s actions... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2D9ePsv"

Space agencies prefer to launch near the sea or over empty land when given the choice, and China just got a reminder as to why. A booster from a Long March 3B rocket dropped and exploded near the small southwestern town of Xiangdu, roughly 435 miles away from its pad at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. And while these incidents aren't completely unheard of, this is one of the few times the whole incident has been recorded for posterity. As you can see in the clip below, onlookers just a short distance away saw the booster tumble and create a massive fireball. While there were no known casualties or property damage, this doesn't mean it was safe. For one thing, China normally plans booster drop zones carefully and alerts (or in some cases, evacuates) areas to make sure no one gets hurt. This didn't entirely go according to plan. Moreover, the highly toxic rocket fuel and secondary explosions posed risks to curious onlookers. Not that China has much choice in the mat...

Science My primary focus is searching for new forms of life—mostly white, eyeless crustaceans. To study the biology and ecology of coastal, saltwater caves and the marine fauna that inhabit them, my cave diving partners and I head underground and underwater to… via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2DeuYRA"

As cars become more reliant on software, it's critical for automakers to make sure their code is as secure as possible . It's somewhat surprising, though, for a company like BlackBerry to come out with a potential solution. At a keynote during the North American International Automotive Show (NAIAS) today, the company's CEO John Chen announced a new cloud-based tool called Jarvis that can scan the complex software required for modern connected and autonomous cars. Jarvis scans automotive binary code to identify security vulnerabilities in the software used in modern and upcoming cars, much of which is written by third-party suppliers. Blackberry claims it can scan and deliver insights in minutes, reducing the time in one case study from more than 30 days to seven minutes. "Connected and autonomous vehicles require some of the most complex software ever developed," said Chen, "creating a significant challenge for automakers who must ensure the code complie...

Office lobbies are prime spots for corporations to make statements about their values and taste, yet "lobby art" is usually a shorthand way of saying "insipid crap." However, an art installation studio called ESI Designs has given a Chicago office building a much more interesting, experimental and local take on it. Called " Canvas ," it's a 14- by 23-foot LED display installation that generates moving paintings based on video from the Chicago River and Navy Pier amusement park rides. "The daily motion of Chicago 'paints' the pictures into place at 515 North State," said ESI's Senior Designer Ed Purver. ESI Designs created the installation at 515 North State, the first US skyscraper created by Pritzker award-winning architect Kenzō Tange . The building used to be the home of the American Medical Association, but now touts "best-in-class connectivity," rooftop honeybees and organic gardens. The brutalist-style gray lob...

Luxury watchmaker Ressence has a new prototype watch it’s showing off at the SIHH 2018 watch show ( Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie , in case you were curious) called the Type 2 e-Crown Concept , as reported by Hodinkee . While it’s not quite a retail product just yet, it looks like the company may have figured out how to bring the disparate worlds of mechanical watches and smartwatches together. Ever since smartwatches first became popular, traditional watchmakers have struggled to adjust to the new internet-connected landscape that devices like the Pebble, Apple Watch, and Android Wear created. We’ve seen a variety of approaches over the years to try to bridge that gap, with things like Montblanc’s e-Strap idea that stuck a... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2EJtWcn"

We'll see the latest revised set of guidelines for autonomous vehicles this summer, US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has revealed at the annual Detroit auto show. According to Chao, her agency has been preparing for the arrival of autonomous vehicles, conjuring up ways on how to regulate them to keep everyone safe while promoting innovation at the same time. She said the revised guidelines cover not just autonomous cars, but also "barriers to the safe integration of autonomous technology for motor carriers, transit, trucks, infrastructure and other modes." When the guidelines reached the Senate late last year, it reportedly didn't include trucks -- far from ideal, considering quite a few companies are already working on autonomous big rigs. Daimler tested a platoon of them in Oregon, while Toyota and Volkswagen joined a full-scale autonomous truck platooning trial in Singapore. Uber began developing autonomous trucks after its controversial purchase o...

Ever look down at your $1,600 Tag Heuer smartwatch and think, “Gosh, this really could use $195,400 of diamonds on it?” Apparently someone at Tag Heuer did , because at this year’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie Genève watch show (also known as SIHH 2018), the company announced the Tag Heuer Connected Full Diamond, a name that is as unsubtle as the 589 diamonds that stud the entire watch, spotted by Droid Life . Despite the flashy adornment, the Tag Heuer Connected Full Diamond is otherwise identical to the Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45 smartwatch the company launched last year, although at a price of 190,000 Swiss Francs (roughly $197,000), the Full Diamond model is the most expensive Android Wear watch ever made. Although... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2mGT9gZ"

Many car manufacturers have joined the modern era by adopting Android Auto, Apple CarPlay or both, but not Toyota. It insisted on going its own way , and that has usually meant skipping its cars entirely if you cared about smartphone integration. Thankfully, the automaker has seen the light. The 2019 Avalon and future models (including Lexus vehicles) with an Entune 3.0 or Enform 2.0 system will support Apple CarPlay, letting you use the more sophisticated apps from your iPhone instead of making do with limited built-in features. CarPlay will be standard on all Avalon trim levels when the sedan goes on sale in late spring, although that's no guarantee it'll be standard on other models. A spokesperson told MacRumors that CarPlay would initially be limited to US models, and that there's no wireless option. Also, there's no mention of Android Auto. If you carry an Android phone, you'll have to use the Avalon's Alexa voice control and smartwatch support. You ...

Benefit Cosmetics is throwing people all over the world a high-tech lifeline before they drown in desperation over failing to find the right brows for their face shape. The make-up company has teamed up with digital makeover veteran Modiface to create Brow Try-On , an augmented reality tool that can show what you'll look like with different eyebrows before you attack your real ones with a blade and a tweezer. Brow Try-on works by detecting the hair on your brows and cloning each one to create different shapes. Add the tool's ability not too stray too far from your real arches, and you'll get the most natural-looking suggestions. Nothing too high, too pointy or too unnatural that you can't replicate it unless you shave all your brows off and draw them back on an inch higher. The tool is far from being the first cosmetics or beauty-related AR tool/app you can use to see what your face will look like with make-up or with a slightly altered feature. Even cosmetics ret...

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Gadgets You don't need to be The Mountain from Game of Thrones to start moving mass. You don't need to be The Mountain from Game of Thrones to start moving mass. This is powerlifting 101. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2B2LAWs"

The new 2019 Ram 1500 has many things you’d expect from a truck: vast towing capacity, a bountiful maximum payload, and loads of horsepower. But it also has something you might not expect: a massive 12-inch touchscreen display embedded in the dashboard that supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The display is just shy of the 17-inch behemoth found in the Tesla Model S or X, but after spending a few minutes with it on the show floor here in Detroit, it feels just as vibrant and sharp. It’s also just about as responsive as the one that Tesla uses, which is to say it’s not particularly speedy or accurate. It’s easy to swipe or tap so fast that the system doesn’t keep up so well, multitouch inputs are hit or miss, and at least one... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2Dedsgl"

A contraceptive app used by more than 500,000 women has come under fire after reportedly causing 37 unwanted pregnancies. Stockholm's Södersjukhuset hospital has now reported the Natural Cycles app to the Swedish Medical Products Agency (the government body tasked with the regulation of medical devices) according to news outlet SVT . The app scans body temperature during the menstrual cycle to notify women when it is safe to have unprotected sex. Days when it's okay are marked as green on its calendar, but if it shows red couples are advised to use an extra form of protection. It's own research suggests Natural Cycles is more effective than the contraceptive pill when used correctly. The 37 unwanted pregnancy cases stem from a study of over 600 women who sought abortions at Södersjukhuset hospital from September 2017 until the end of the year. "We have a duty to report all side effects, such as pregnancies, to the Medical Products Agency," midwife Carina Mon...

Infiniti's eye toward the future has manifested itself with the Xmotion (pronounced "Crossmotion;" it's a crossover SUV). The suicide-door clad ride boasts hand and eye motion and gesture sensors for the generous door-to-door digital dashboard, climate controls and infotainment system. The latter is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple's Car Play setups, as well as surround sound for the 4+2 seating arrangement. In the stage demo, the display showed off swimming koi and driving information. The fish are actually a virtual assistant, and you can see them in action below. As far as power goes, Infiniti is holding that close to the chest aside from saying it has an Intelligent All-Wheel-Drive system. More than that, it also uses a fingerprint reader instead of a key fob to unlock the doors. It also uses the ProPilot driver assist system for semi-autonomous single lane highway travel. Nissan has sold over 75k semi-autonomous vehicles, saying that it has m...

Toyota’s new 2019 Avalon was just announced at the 2018 North American International Auto Show, and the new model includes a long-awaited and welcome addition: Apple’s CarPlay platform, a first for a Toyota car, according to AppleInsider . Toyota has famously abstained from adopting either CarPlay or Android Auto in its cars. Back in 2015, John Hanson, the national manager of Toyota’s advanced technology communications, commented to The New York Times that the company “prefer[red] to use our in-house proprietary platforms for those kinds of functions.” Even when Toyota switched to another company’s system in 2016, it was to adopt Ford’s SmartDeviceLink app platform , not Apple or Google’s software. Last year at NAIM 2017, Toyota and Ford... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2D6Mv9Y"

In 2016 Acura showed off its "Precision Cockpit" concept that included a touchpad with 1:1 mapping to a central display. It's supposed to improve on both touchscreens, which can require an awkward reach from the driver to somewhere out of their line of sight, and existing remotes that try to copy a mouse-controlled UI. Now the company has announced it's coming to the 2019 RDX branded as a "True Touchpad." This Android-based car OS is the first use of a touchpad with absolute positioning in a car, making sure that wherever the driver taps on the pad corresponds to what is shown on the central 10.2-inch screen, which is mounted high up, in the driver's line of sight. Combined with a new natural language interface, it's supposed to be easier to use than any car software we've seen before. This upcoming version of Acura's luxury SUV has other changes as well, in a "top-to-bottom" remake that will launch around the middle of this ye...