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Showing posts from September 20, 2018

Bing implements Google's fast-loading AMP tech

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If you're in the US and use Bing as your search engine on mobile, you might start coming across AMP's lightning bolt in the results page. While Microsoft already uses AMP in some of its apps, including Bing, it's only now that the search engine has started implementing Google's open-source technology for its search results within a browser. You can think of AMP as the solution Google conjured up to make web pages load faster on mobile, and it works with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera and UC Browser. For this stage of the rollout, Bing only shows AMP versions of pages in the US within the news carousel, which is also where Google displays them in its own search results. However, Microsoft plans to use AMP for more web sites and for other links in the results page, in the future. It's also hoping to deploy the technology in more countries ...

Astronomy Picture of the Day: Irregular Galaxy NGC 55

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Irregular Galaxy NGC 55 Irregular galaxy NGC 55 is thought to be similar to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). But while the LMC is about 180,000 light-years away and is a well known satellite of our own Milky Way Galaxy, NGC 55 is more like 6 million light-years distant and is a member of the Sculptor Galaxy Group . Classified as an irregular galaxy , in deep exposures the LMC itself resembles a barred disk galaxy. Spanning about 50,000 light-years, NGC 55 is seen nearly edge-on though, presenting a flattened, narrow profile in contrast with our face-on view of the LMC. Just as large star forming regions create emission nebulae in the LMC, NGC 55 is also seen to be pr oducing new stars. This highly detailed galaxy portrait highlights a bright core crossed with dust clouds, telltale pinkish star forming regions, and young blue star clusters in NGC 55. September 21, 2018 via NAS...

Jordan XXXIII adds lacing tech 'informed' by Nike's HyperAdapt

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Tonight Nike's Jordan Brand unveiled the Air Jordan 33 , and besides a design that harkens back to the Jordan III shoe from 1988, it includes technology relating to a more recent model. The "FastFit" tightening system that activates by tugging a strap on the forefoot took some hints from Nike's $720 self-tightening HyperAdapt 1.0 that debuted in 2016. Similar to shoes like the FlyEase models that Nike has developed, it's more accessible for people who may struggle with laces for various reasons, and easier to adjust in-game for serious athletes. According to designer Tate Kuerbis, "We were inspired by how space suits look and function. It's all very utilitarian, and the various elements and what they do are all clearly called out. Thinking about this led us to highlight the pull cord, eject cord and the inner workings of FastFit, and ma...

Walmart turns to VR and Oculus Go for associates' training

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Walmart is harnessing the power of virtual reality to train over a million associates across the country. The big-box retailer will deploy 17,000 Oculus Go headsets to almost all of its 5,000 stores in an effort to provide its employees the caliber of training its managers get at the Walmart Academy facilities. Walmart took VR training for a spin at those facilities using PC-tethered Oculus Rifts, but the standalone Go headsets make it so much easier to expand the program. The retail giant will launch its VR training efforts in October, sending four headsets to every supercenter and two to every Neighborhood Market and discount store. Walmart US Academies senior director Andy Trainor explained that the method, which uses repeatable and scalable content, is effective because "[w]hen you watch a module through the headset, your brain feels like you actually experi...

Amazon's new Echo lineup targets Google, Apple and Sonos

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It wouldn't be an Amazon event without a slew of new Echo devices, and this time is no different. The company announced not one, not two, but seven new Echo products today at an event today in Seattle. Not only are there now new versions of the Echo Dot , the Echo Plus and the Echo Show , Amazon also introduced several new Echo companions that you can use to bring Alexa to every room in your house -- and even your car. Like the new Echo Show , the new Echo Dot and Echo Plus look a better this year than last. The Dot, for example, no longer looks like an oversized hockey puck. Instead, it now has a curved shape wrapped in fabric -- charcoal, heather gray or sandstone color -- which would certainly blend in a lot more nicely with your home decor. More than looks, the Dot is also now much louder -- over 70 percent louder, according to Amazon. I had a brief demo follo...

Jordan Peele will host CBS All Access’ ‘Twilight Zone’ reboot

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We knew that CBS was working on a Twilight Zone reboot and that it was being produced by Jordan Peele. Now the company has released a short teaser that reveals Peele will also host and narrate the new series. The Twilight Zone will stream on CBS All Access and is set to debut sometime in 2019. 📺🌀 pic.twitter.com/CygbVi4JFC — Jordan Peele (@JordanPeele) September 20, 2018 The show will join a number of other series available exclusively through CBS All Access. Those include Star Trek: Discovery , One Dollar , a Muhammad Ali documentary series , the Will Ferrell-produced No Activity and a new Star Wars series that will see the return of Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard. Source: CBS All Access via Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/2poiZra ...

Blizzard bans third-party 'Overwatch' stats apps

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Blizzard has declared that players are not allowed to use certain third-party Overwatch stat-tracking apps. The company said running software such as Visor and Pursuit while playing the game violates the End User License Agreement, and those who continue to use those tools could face permanent bans. "Recently, we've investigated third-party applications designed for use while playing Overwatch and we'd like to reiterate which of these applications are not permitted in Overwatch ," community manager Tom Powers wrote in a forum post . "To provide more clarity, any third-party application that impedes on the competitive integrity in Overwatch is not allowed. For example, a third-party application that offers users information such as enemy position, enemy health, enemy ability usage, or Ultimate readiness creates an uneven playing field for every ot...

Tesla Model 3 receives a perfect safety rating from NHTSA

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has given the Tesla Model 3 five-star ratings in every single category. That includes the overall front, overall side, side barrier, side pole and rollover categories. The vehicle follows in the footsteps of Tesla's Model S and Model X , both of which received five-star ratings in the past as well. The Model 3 did receive some criticism earlier this year when Consumer Reports chose not to recommend the vehicle due to multiple factors that included a long 60-to-0MPH braking distance. Tesla initially took issue with the group's claim, saying the car consistently demonstrated a 133-foot braking distance. But it later promised a firmware revision to address the problem, and when Consumer Reports retested the car, it chose to issue a recommendation . You can check out the NHTSA's review here . ...

Why rivers rise long after a hurricane is gone

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Environment Florence damaged the coast with storm surges, but farther inland the worst was yet to come. Though the storm surges and lashing winds we see on TV are dramatic, they’re only the first half of the story. These coastal hazards happen during the hurricane, when… via Popular Science "https://ift.tt/2MP8uXd"

Twitch is reportedly blocked in China

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Last month, Twitch became the third most popular free app on China's App Store as users wanting to watch the Asian Games flocked to the app . But now, Abacus reports, residents in China are finding that Twitch is no longer accessible and that the Twitch app has been removed from the country's App Store. While Twitch was available in China previously, it never gained much traction since its service is much slower than it is elsewhere. But when the country's CCTV state broadcaster chose not to air the Asian Games, those wanting to watch the event's eSports competitions sought coverage from other outlets. Now, with Twitch seemingly blocked in the country, it follows in the footsteps of other banned sites , including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Google, however, is said to be working on a censored search engine for the country. Meanwhile, Valve is pr...