Geek News

Ball lightning (those bright spheres of light during some thunderstorms) remains mysterious despite decades of study. But how are you supposed to get a better look at it in a lab? Researchers might have discovered how through a happy accident: create a tangled atomic mess. They created a Shankar skyrmion, a quasiparticle whose artificial magnetic field, it turns out, mimics the electrical and magnetic fields of ball lightning. The team applied a magnetic field to a Bose-Einstein condensate (a state of matter for boson gas cooled to near absolute zero), in this case made of rubidium, to get the atoms to spin along the surface of a ball yet twist inside that ball. It sounds complex (and it is), but it leads to one clear advantage: you can take snapshots of the gas and examine the inner workings of its structure. This could help understand the behavior of ball lightning, of course, but it could be also be useful for the next generation of computing. Quantum computers need to maintain ...

Opposition to the FCC's repeal of net neutrality grew this week, as six more tech companies filed suit against it. Etsy, Kickstarter, Foursquare, Shutterstock, Automattic and Expa petitioned the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit as part of a group called the Coalition for Internet Openness. The group's goal is to stop the FCC from overturning the rules that ensure a free and open internet. "We believe that everyone has the right to access information on places, spaces and people, and that business leaders and brands need to be able to interpret trends and patterns as they truly exist," said Marc Ellenbogen, Foursquare's chief compliance officer and general counsel. This is just the latest group pledging to fight the FCC. Earlier this year, internet giants like Amazon, Facebook, Google, Netflix and Twitter sued the regulatory body as part of the Internet Association lobbying group. 23 attorneys general have also filed a challenge to the repeal, and the ...

This week we double up on Marvel releases as Thor: Ragnarok is available on Blu-ray (in 4K and HDR), and Netflix premieres season two of its Jessica Jones series. For gamers Life is Strange: Before the Storm wraps up its episodic run with a bonus episode and boxed set release, while The Darwin Project launches in Early Access on PC and Xbox One. Amazon Prime is streaming the second season of Sneaky Pete and NBC starts the next season of Timeless. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed). Blu-ray & Games & Streaming Thor: Ragnarok (4K) I, Tonya (VOD) Blue Planet II (4K) Lady Bird The Dark Crystal (4K) Death Wish (Steelbook) Duck, You Sucker Lords of Dogtown The Strangers Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Farewell (PC, Xbox One, PS4) Way of the Passive Fist (PS4, PC) North (PS4, Xbox One) Scribblenauts Showdown (Switch, PS4) Fear Effect Sedna (PS4, Xbox One) Final Fa...

MoviePass responded late this evening to a number of reports calling into question the company’s privacy policy after CEO Mitch Lowe publicly claimed the theater subscription service tracks its users’ locations. A spokesperson for the company clarified that MoviePass has no intentions to sell this data, and the company at the moment is only “exploring” utilizing location-based marketing as a way to “enhance the overall experience by creating more opportunities” for subscribers to “enjoy all the various elements of a good movie night.” Use of location-based data is mentioned only once in MoviePass’ privacy policy, which says a user’s location is checked only to verify whether they are in fact nearby the specified theater they intend to... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FfMXYI"

The gold standard of personal drones, DJI’s Mavic Pro, has dropped to just $769 . That’s the lowest price we’ve ever seen, beating last year’s Black Friday sale of $815. The MSRP for the Mavic Pro is $999, which makes this deal a 23-percent discount. When it was released in 2016, T he Verge gave Mavic Pro a 9.5 score , saying it “has all the range, battery life, and advanced features of larger drones” while small enough to fit in a jacket pocket. It’s more powerful than last year’s Spark (also on sale at Amazon for $339, down from the already discounted $399) and more portable than DJI’s flagship quadcopter series, Phantom. (The latest edition, Phantom 4 Pro, retails for $1499 .) DJI announced a new Mavic drone earlier this year, the Mavic... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2oOKOZ0"

MoviePass' approach to gathering viewer data might raise eyebrows. According to Media Play News , CEO Mitch Lowe told those at a business forum that the movie subscription service's app not only tracks your location, but follows you to and from the theater. "We watch how you drive from home to the movies," he said, adding that "we watch where you go afterwards." Not surprisingly, the company is hoping to understand customer habits and "build a night at the movies." If people tend to have dinner before the movie or to have a drink afterwards, for example, MoviePass could steer customers to restaurants and bars and take a cut of the revenue. It's no secret that MoviePass would want to collect at least some data. It can use that to help movie studios gauge how well their shows are really doing, which is particularly important now that MoviePass has a stake in some productions . However, the company doesn't tell you that it's actively t...

Amazon's sports documentary series All or Nothing is coming back next month for a third season and this time it follows the Dallas Cowboys . The eight-episode season starts off on a handful of positive notes -- owner Jerry Jones was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and head coach Jason Garrett is 2016's NFL Coach of the Year. But it's not all good news. The league suspends running back Ezekiel Elliott for six games following an investigation into allegations of repeated instances of domestic violence -- a decision that was then appealed and put on hold multiple times. And the team is put in the spotlight over its and Jones' response to NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. Ultimately, the Cowboys' season, full of ups and downs, ends just short of the playoffs. All or Nothing , which followed the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams in previous seasons, won a Sports Emmy last year. Like past seasons, All or Nothing: The Dallas Cowboy...

Today Roland announced its new flagship drum machine, the TR-8S. Succeeding the Aria TR-8, which came out in 2014, the TR-8S brings sound libraries from five classic machines — the 808, 606, 909, 707, and 727 — and expanded performance capabilities, informed mostly, Roland says , by customer feedback over the past several years. The TR-8S is a rhythm performer, designed with live sets in mind. There is a lot new with this version in comparison to the TR-8, but immediately noticeable is the sleeker and lower profile, along with RGB color faders. The faders can have individually customized brightness, glow, and color, useful for distinguishing sounds or grouping sets of sounds together. Another essential update: the TR-8S comes with all the... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2oQe5Ub"

While Facebook and Twitter have continued to delve into how Russian groups used their platforms to influence the last US presidential election , we haven't heard much from Reddit about the issue. However, in a post today , Reddit CEO Steve Huffman shared some findings from the company's investigation, describing what it has uncovered so far and how it has responded. First, Huffman says that the company has been pretty quiet about the topic because its investigation is ongoing but that there are some findings he would like to share regarding ads, direct propaganda from Russians and indirect propaganda spread by Reddit users. When it comes to ads, Huffman says that the company hasn't found many originating from Russia before or after the election and that currently, all ads from Russia are blocked altogether. As for direct propaganda, Reddit's investigation has uncovered and removed a few hundred accounts. "The vast majority of suspicious accounts we have found...

Entertainment Seeds, adventures, medicine, and more. While you patiently wait for spring to sprout, here's five science books to occupy your mind (and couch) with. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2oHRedm"

It wasn’t that long ago we were praising BenQ for a reasonably priced 4K HDR projector, the HT2550 . That projector ended up selling for $1,500 in the US, and compared favorably to the budget 4K offerings from Optoma . But now, just a few short months later, BenQ is back with another $1,500 4K HDR projector: the TK800 . The TK800’s standout spec is its 3,000 lumen rating, which is a good bit brighter than the HT2550’s 2,200 lumens. BenQ also claims the TK800 has improved color accuracy and reproduction. It’s still nothing nearly as impressive color-wise as a modern HDR OLED or LCD TV, but you’re almost always trading away a good amount of quality for screen size when you get a projector. Also, if the price didn’t make it obvious, it’s good... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2oW3INQ"

Gadgets I put Apple's smart speaker in various nooks and crannies of my house to see how it sounds Apple's HomePod speaker is exactly the smart hub you'd expect from Apple. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2D1lKmG"

Bentley has been promising a hybrid version of its Bentayga SUV for over 3 years, and it's finally here... although you might not want to pat yourself on the back if you buy one. The simply-titled Bentayga Hybrid delivers the same ultra-luxurious design of the regular model, but replaces the usual powerplant with a 3.0L V6 and an electric motor. However, that motor will only get you about 31 miles of pure electric driving -- fine if you're a footballer driving to the local nightclub, but not very useful for visiting family. It's meant more to offset the lousy fuel economy from the V6, which musters just 12MPG in the city and 19MPG on the highway. You do get some perks that you won't find in many other PHEV models. For one, famed designer Philippe Starck crafted the charging station -- you may not mind that it takes 2.5 hours to top up, but at least you'll have something pretty to look at while you wait. Also, Bentley uses the GPS positioning to calculate the be...

If looking for more nostalgic content from episodic prequel Life is Strange: Before the Storm , you're in luck. A new bonus episode, titled "Farewell," is available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Steam (PC). It stars Chloe and Max's original voice actors Ashly Burch and Hanna Telle, too, so you know it will be up to snuff. In addition, the boxed retail version of the game will launch March 6th in the US, with PAL versions available on Friday, March 9th. The box will contain a physical art book and the licensed soundtrack on CD. Before the Storm is set in Arcadia Bay three years before the events of the first game, Life is Strange . You play as 16-year-old Chloe Price as she makes friends with Rachel Amber, a popular girl who seems set for success until a family secret threatens to destroy it all. "We can't wait for fans to play 'Farewell.' Max's return is the perfect way to end the season and we can't wait for fans to experience Life ...

Rocket League® - DC Super Heroes DLC Pack , all new content for Rocket League® is Now Available on Steam! Experience the ultimate DC Comics crossover as two classic Bat(tle)-Cars from 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises and 1989’s Batman come to Rocket League! Also included: more than 20 customization items and player banners based on Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and other popular characters! via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2tfwSN4"

After a little bit of back and forth , it appears that the White House's meeting with the video game industry is on. At today's press briefing, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed that a meeting will take place this Thursday, March 8th. Separately, the Entertainment Software Association, which has many of the top software publishers (and all three major console manufacturers) as members, confirmed that it would be participating in the meeting. The ESA's full statement follows below. Video games are enjoyed around the world and numerous authorities and reputable scientific studies have found no connection between games and real-life violence. Like all Americans, we are deeply concerned about the level of gun violence in the United States. Video games are plainly not the issue: entertainment is distributed and consumed globally, but the US has an exponentially higher level of gun violence than any other nation. The upcoming meeting at the White H...

HP announced a new line of laptops, displays, and all-in-one desktops resistant to intense cleaning materials for people who work in hospitals and doctors’ offices. There are three products. There’s HP’s EliteOne 800 Healthcare Edition All-in-One desktop, there’s the 27-inch HP Healthcare Edition Clinical Review Display, and there’s the EliteBook 840 Healthcare Edition notebook. The laptop lets you disable the keyboard and touchscreen while cleaning, so that nothing is accidentally inputted. All three products are built to withstand deterioration from being cleaned with germicidal wipes, which may help reduce the spread of health care-related infections. HP has included a few other features specifically meant to help hospital workers.... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2H7pBRx"

GBoard is great for accessing Google without leaving iMessage, but, unless you're already using it as your default keyboard, switching back and forth is clunky. That should change with today's update for the Google app on iOS . Now the Google app is available within the iMessage app drawer and it offers weather forecasts, trending news and location-based information in addition to GIFs, YouTube videos and search. And within the Google app itself on iPad, you can drag a link, image or text into iMessage or the Notes app for safe keeping. Cool. In other iOS love, if you're a Safari fan, now when you share a website using the Google dialog option, you'll be presented with other items related to the URL at hand. The iMessage tools are only available in the US at the moment, which is a little inconvenient. The Giphy extension is hit-or-miss and Apple's own GIF search is stringent in terms of results, so hopefully a global roll-out is imminent. As TechCrunch notes...

Walmart isn't content to sell third-party meal kits in its bid to take on Amazon and Blue Apron. It's launching its own line of kits that will give you a meal for two without hunting down and preparing ingredients. The kits cost between $8 and $15, and range from one-step-and-you're-done offerings like a pot roast (above) to more flexible pre-portioned kits like steak Dijon. The kits are available right now in 250 stores. They'll be available in over 2,000 stores by the end of 2018, and you'll have the option of grabbing them through the company's Online Grocery Pickup service. These aren't quite the same as the kits you tend to get through the likes of Blue Apron, which tend to involve more preparation and more original creations. However, there's no question about Walmart's intentions: it's hoping you'll grab its kits on the way home rather than subscribe to an internet delivery service. You might have to go out of your way, but you...

Animals Its adorable fossil is teaching scientists a lot about bird evolution. How much can scientists learn from one itty bitty baby bird? Well, if the bird in question is around 127 million years old...quite a lot. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2I483XW"

There are plenty of battery pack cases for the iPhone X, but Mophie is the Kleenex of charging cases, and so far it hasn’t delivered anything but wireless charging bases for Apple’s flagship. Well, that looks like it’s about to change. A product listing on the Wireless Power Consortium (as seen on Apple Insider ) just popped up for a new iPhone X case from Mophie . It’s part of the Juice Pack Air line, and it looks just like Mophie’s wireless charging case for the iPhone 7 Plus, except with a different camera hole. Just for clarity’s sake, this case is classified as a receiver, not a transmitter — there are some charging cases available for the iPhone X that actually charge the phone wirelessly, which seems terribly inefficient. The case... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2Ffp9QB"

Taiwanese tech company Acer has made Buddhist prayer beads that can help keep track of recited mantras. The beads have a smart chip that tracks the number of times a mantra is repeated and displays the number on a smartphone app. (The chip senses how many times a user has rotated the beads through their hand. Each rotation marks one mantra.) Buddhism is estimated to be practiced by about over a third of Taiwan’s population, according to the CIA World Factbook’ s 2005 data, making it Taiwan’s most popular religion. Therefore, there are enough people that could use an app to help keep count of how many mantras they’ve recited. The beads also reportedly have the capacity for future features to be added, like electronic payments, or getting... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2H7J2Kf"

Waze just updated its Carpool app , giving drivers and riders more control over who they'll be sharing a ride with. If you're not familiar with the app, Waze Carpool sets up drivers and riders who are headed in the same direction and those behind the wheel get a bit of cash from the individuals they're transporting. The fees are low, since they're meant to just cover driving costs, not be a source of income, and the app is meant to encourage ride-sharing in the name of reduced traffic and benefits to the environment. With yesterday's update, Carpool users will no longer be blindly matched. Instead, using star ratings, profile information and connections to your job or friends, you can choose who you'll be riding with. Those with routes most similar to yours will appear at the top of list. Additionally, users can now filter riders by gender or choose to ride with their coworkers only and can send multiple ride or drive requests in order to up their chances of...

An update has been released for Portal 2. - Fixed crashes on multi-core and multi-CPU systems that can allocate more than 32 threads. via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2FiM5P5"