Looked at objectively, the images on Samsung’s curved, Ultra HD TV sets do live up to their name. When Samsung streams custom-made 4K content, which is four times more detailed than 1080p, on any of the sets (which range from 55-inches to a room-swallowing 105-inches), the effect is surreal (or perhaps, “hyper real”). However 4K content is still in short supply, even with all the 20th Century Fox content Samsung is promising to deliver on a 1 terabyte drive ($299). What about Joe T.V. Watcher, sitting at home with his HD feed from the local cable company? How will his picture look? We posed that question and a few others on some pressing issues facing the next big wave of HD TV technology to Samsung SVP Joe Stinziano, who spoke to Mashable shortly after the company gave a closer and more detailed look at its upcoming Ultra HD TV line, including a group of curved displays, some new 4K content options and a few new sound devices. Stinziano was also, famously, Michael Bay’s counterpart at the CES keynote that will go down in history. Standing in the cavernous Guggenheim Museum atrium, right above where Stinziano made his presentation to press, the Samsung exec promised that, thanks to some pretty intense upscaling technology, the 1080i content from your cable or fiber company will actually look better on Samsung’s UHD TVs. That sounds great. Of course, there’s no way for us to know if that’s true (Samsung has never shown the sets running a standard HD feed) until we get a UHD TV in at Mashable HQ and hook it up to a Time Warner Cable feed. Image: Mashable, Christina Ascani Stinziano also shared the based prices for the smallest UHD TV, a 55-inch $2,500 model and talked a bit about the sound limitations of these ultra-thing devices. Samsung spent some time on Thursday talking about the Shape sound system it introduced last year (they have a new design option) and the new Sound Stand, a 1.5-inch audio device that can sit under 55-inch UHD. Joe admitted that sound really needs air to be powerful and these flat TVs simply don’t provide the space. Hence, the sound systems. You can hear more of Stinziano’s comments and get a closer look at the new UHD TVs in the video above. Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/03/20/samsung-uhdtv/
The Muse headband, made by the interdisciplinary team at InteraXon, is currently seeking funding on Indiegogo to bring brain-controlled computing to the mass market. While wearing the brainwave-sensing headband, users can focus their attention on simple commands to control their electronic devices, apps and games. Muse sits across your forehead and rests behind your ears. EEG sensors make contact on your forehead, while reference sensors rest on the back of your ears. Muse connects wirelessly to your devices via Bluetooth and uses the sensors to pick up the electrical outputs generated by your brain’s activity, detecting any subtle changes. InteraXon is looking to use these brainwaves to interact with devices in the real world–devices that respond to your thoughts like turning off your smart phone when you are asleep or turning off the TV. But just as important is how seeing your brainwaves can help you learn more about yourself and improve yourself while strengthening your brain. Early birds can get their hands on a Muse headband for a pledge of $135. This article originally published at PSFK here Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/23/muse-headband/
If an adorable robot asked you a series of personal questions (“Who do you love most in the world?” “What really scares you?”), would you be more inclined to answer than if asked by a human? As a part of a documentary project affiliated with the TriBeCa Film Festival, cute robots with video cameras for eyes have been filming people as they answer various sensitive questions. Called “Robots in Residence” and created by robot company BlabDroid, the footage collected from Friday until Sunday, April 21 from festival attendees will be pieced together for a short film. It will become the first documentary filmed entirely by pre-programmed robots. The concept is based on the “ELIZA effect,” a theory from a computer scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who believes people are more likely to engage emotionally with artificial intelligence than others. The robots are small and unassuming, with a sweet smile and the voice of a seven-year-old boy. “Tell me something you’ve never told a stranger before,” it asks. From deep secrets to confessions of only visiting a dentist once, here’s a trailer of what to expect: The robots are intended to be comforting and non-judgmental, so people can have real interactions with them. The company also launched a Kickstarter project this week to help bring the robots into the consumer market. Robots in Residence is a part of the TriBeCa Film Festival’s first annual Storyscapes exhibit, which features five transmedia projects that embrace telling stories in a creative, unique way. One project will be named the winner. What do you think of the project? Would you feel more comfortable telling personal information to a robot? Let us know in the comments below. Images via Mashable Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/04/19/robot-documentary/
In what looks like a robot scene pulled from The Terminator, a government agency has released a video of a search-and-rescue robot that can do everything from climb stairs to crossing narrow passages The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) — which is a part of the U.S. Department of Defense — uploaded the video to YouTube to bring attention to the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC). The contest is looking for robots who can maneuver and assist during dangerous and disaster relief situations. The winning team will be rewarded $2 million. The robot in the video — which is called Pet-Proto and is the predecessor to DARPA’s Atlas robot — undergoes a series of obstacles similar to what robots will face in the challenge. The robot has decision-making abilities to determine the best route to go, when to jump and what to avoid. Do you think robots like this will be the future of search and rescue missions? How would you like to see robots used? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. 5 Household Robots For Easier Living 1. Neato XV-11 In a market where consumers have plenty of vacuum robots to choose from, the Neato XV-11 really stands out. Unlike many, the Neato doesn’t need to bump into a wall to know it’s there. Rather, it maps out the room before deciding a path to take. Its nimble movements prevent it from scratching your furniture while cleaning room after room. We were fond of the charging plate that sits against the wall, instead of protruding from it. Price: $399.99 2. iRobot Looj 330 Featured once before on Mashable, the Looj is a gutter cleaning bot. From the makers of the popular Roomba, this relatively small robot sits in your gutter and uses augers and brushes to remove leaves and other clutter. You’ll need a ladder to position Looj, but once it’s in place you won’t need to do more than press a button. Price: $299 3. Robomow Forget spending money on gas to fill your lawn mower, and eliminate the pain that comes with pushing one. Robomow is the only robotic mower on the market that mulches your lawn for a professional-looking cut. Simply install wire around your lawn’s perimeter — then the robot will cut your grass on a schedule that you set. Price: From $1,000 4. Windoro WCR-I001 Attached to your windows by four large magnets, Windoro cleans windows small to large. With adjustable magnets, you can fit the window cleaner bot to single or double pane windows. Price: $539 5. Nanda Home Tocky We included the Nanda Home Tocky not only because it’s cute, but because we can all agree that waking up can be a chore. Once the alarm goes off, this robot jumps from your nightstand and starts rolling away from your bed. What’s worse than having to chase your alarm clock around your bedroom? Realizing you forgot to buy coffee. Watch a video of Tocky in action here. Price: $69 […]
The Pebble smart watch, which was made hugely popular when it raised more than $10 million on Kickstarter last year, can finally display real-time fitness information related to workouts. RunKeeper announced Tuesday an app update for iOS and Android that fully integrates with the Pebble watch, allowing runners to keep track of their activity and providing a detailed analysis of their performance. The companies have been teasing this news for a little over a year now; in fact, RunKeeper was Pebble’s first app partner. The blending of these two companies could be powerful. There’s already an immense interest in the smart watch, and teaming up with RunKeeper will give users a way to stay connected without constantly needing to check their smartphone. “Pebble integrates tech into people’s daily lives in a fashionable and unobtrusive way. We’re excited that RunKeeper will be among the first apps to showcase our smart watch’s capabilities and how we support your day-to-day interests and activities,” said Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky in a statement. “With the RunKeeper app, fitness enthusiasts can benefit from Pebble to track their workouts, get motivated and meet their goals.” Pebble users can also control music and manage incoming messages, calls and notifications directly through the device. Developers can get their hands on a software developer’s kit (SDK) to introduce more apps to the device. Image via Pebble Pebble Hands-On Rock On Music controls on Pebble are intuitive and easy to use. Email Scrolling through email is as simple as pressing the down button on the side of the watch. Custom Watch Faces Pebble has a number of unique watch faces available. Fuzzy Time This Fuzzy Time watch face spells the time out for you. Time to Party You can select between a number of watch faces, including this clock face. Power Up The Pebble is charged using a magnetic charger similar to the magnetic power connectors on MacBooks. Rainbow Colored There are a number of different colored Pebble watch faces and bands, including an all white and all black model Kickstarter Edition The Kickstarter edition of the watch has “Kickstarter Editon” on the back of the watch face. Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/05/07/pebble-runkeeper/
Even without dropping any hardware this week, Apple made a ton of news at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, unveiling Mac OS X Yosemite and iOS 8 — along with many accompanying features in each. But how will these updates affect your Apple experience? Mashable hosted a MashTalk Hangout on Air Wednesday to answer these questions, and also discuss how these moves will impact other companies. What questions do you have about Apple’s latest unveilings? Share them in the comments below or tweet them with the hashtag #MashTalk. Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/06/04/apple-wwdc-2014-hangout/
History of Windows Startup Sounds 1. Microsoft Windows 3.1 Startup Sound Back in 1992, 3.1’s startup sound was jarring and unpopular. This prompted Microsoft to create a more aurally pleasing version for its next operating system. 2. Microsoft Windows 95 Startup Sound In 1994 Microsoft asked Brian Eno to create a piece of music that was (in his words) “inspiring, universal, blah- blah, da-da-da, optimistic, futuristic, sentimental [and] emotional.” The resulting seven seconds — about twice as long as Microsoft’s initial brief requested — has made tech history as a recognizable “sonic logo.” 3. Microsoft Windows NT Startup Sound In 1996, Windows NT 4.0 revealed a fresh, futuristic sound. Legend has it that the shutdown sound played the startup sound backwards. 4. Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Sound Microsoft audio producer Ken Kato is credited with the creation of the Windows 98 sound. 5. Microsoft Windows 2000 Startup Sound Microsoft tinkled the ivories with its professional “2000” operating system. 6. Microsoft Windows ME Startup Sound The consumer-aimed “Millennium Edition” shared the same audio. 7. Microsoft Windows XP Startup Sound The startup chime (and other system sounds within XP) are based on live orchestral recordings. Composer Bill Brown worked with Emmy-award winning sound designer Tom Ozanich to create the audio. 8. Microsoft Windows Vista Startup Sound The Vista startup sound was a collaboration among progressive rock guitarist Robert Fripp, record producer, musician and composer Tucker Martine and Microsoft’s own engineer (and musician) Steve Ball. In a blog post, Microsoft described the tune as having “two parallel melodies played in an intentional ‘Win-dows Vis-ta’ rhythm,” with four chords — one for each color in the Windows flag. 9. Microsoft Windows 7 Startup Sound Finally, Windows 7’s default startup audio is the same as Vista’s. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/24/windows-startup-sounds/
No one really wants to be on an airliner that loses cabin pressure, but if it happens to you, rest assured your iPad will continue to work. The Jeppesen division of Boeing, which creates digital flight charts and sells iPad-based electronic flight bags used by commercial and military pilots, said it recently completed a rapid decompression test of iPads, including the new mini. The test was conducted in an on-ground pressure chamber that simulated a quick drop in flight altitude from 51,000 feet to 8,000 feet, and the gizmos just plugged along. Of course, a paper chart also would function just as well in such a test. But who uses paper anymore? Your Router Could Be Behind Lizard Squad’s Attacks The Man from Google Who Came to Fix Federal IT Still Doesn’t Have His Own Website Why Republicans are Desperate for a Net Neutrality Compromise Federal Cybersecurity Spending is Big Bucks. Why Doesn’t It Stop Hackers? This article originally published at Nextgov here Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/11/15/ipad-rapid-decompression/
Kevin Rose on the Old Digg, the New Digg and Google Kevin Rose’s Biggest Regret About Digg Kevin Rose answered questions in an AMA (ask me anything) on Reddit, responding to some queries on YouTube. Here he talks about what happened with the troubled launch of Digg v4 in 2010, seen as the biggest mistake in the company’s history. Kevin Rose’s Thoughts on the New Digg Kevin Rose on Google Kevin Rose on Future Diggnation Episodes Kevin Rose on His Businessweek Cover Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/08/02/digg-kevin-rose-reddit/
MakerBot CEO Jenny LawtonJenny Lawton took a somewhat circuitous route to the helm of 3D printing leader MakerBot. Before joining the company as “Head of People” in 2011, Lawton spent ten years in retail, running her own bookstore in Greenwich, Connecticut. And though physical book selling might appear the polar opposite of 3D printing, which takes digital ideas and makes them physical, Lawton told me she learned a lot in the “down and dirty” retail business. “Retail is tough, tough work,” said Lawton and her bookstore taught her valuable lessons about small business, inventory management and the critical nature of customer relations. Lawton was able to layer that knowledge on top of a rather rich and impressive background in startups and technology. The 51 year old Quantico, Virginia, native studied applied math at Union College before going to work at the MIT in the late 1980s. In 1991, Lawton (along with Christopher Caldwell) launched the Web consulting firm Net Daemon Associates and rode the Internet wave (they created Monster.com) and subsequent bubble right up to the 1999 burst when Lawton sold the company to Interliant. After that, Lawton spent a couple of years in venture capital. Then 9/11 happened. It was, for Lawton, a pivotal experience. She been living what she called a “a go-go” lifestyle. After the terrorists attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, Lawton took stock and thought, “Hey, there’s a different way to do this.” Her love of reading led her to buy the bookstore and build it into a community based service. “I can’t tell you how cool it is to turn a kid onto reading.” A different passion Now, however, Lawton is turned on by the sound of 3D printers and whenever she gets to bring kids into her home to show them any of her five 3D printers in action. She’s also excited about the future of MakerBot, even if the short term does not include new 3D printing hardware. “I am happy to say that we’re not going to be launching new hardware products at CES,” said Lawton sounding gleeful. She told me that MakerBot introduced five new products at CES 2014, including a giant $7,000 3D printer capable of printing 10 objects at once. All that hardware leaves MakerBot with lots of work to do on many fronts, including solidifying the ecosystem and polishing the projects that are still just rolling out to customers (the mini started shipping in May.) “We really feel like they need time in the market. Next year is not the year of hardware: Focus on ecosystem and material space,” said Lawton. In other words, MakerBot’s new smart extruder will likely take the company well beyond printing with tradition 3D printing materials like the biodegradable PLC. Growing up A little more than a year ago, MakerBot was acquired by another 3D printing company, Stratasys. Little has changed since then, with the notable exception of the company leadership. Over the summer, MakerBot Co-Founder and CEO Bre Pettis […]
