Hasta La Gadget!

It’s been 30 years since we saw Deckard track down replicants by having a machine “enhance” pictures, and yet we’re still stuck with distant-looking photos when we want more detail than our smartphone cameras can manage. While we’d argue that a few phones already live in that Blade Runner future, Google has just obtained a patent that could give the rest of us a helping hand. If the zoom isn’t up to snuff, the proposed software could gauge a mobile device’s position and orientation to offer a closer, already-taken photo from a server as a substitute, whether it’s a Street View shot or a more traditional image. The geocoded system could even cue photos based on the time of day and year to provide that extra dash of authenticity. We already get a trace of the concept through photo overlays within Street View itself, although there’s no indication as to whether or not Google will link our camera apps directly to a cloud of substitute photos — suffice it to say that the industry has changed a lot since Google was using the iPhone 3G to illustrate its photography concepts.

Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Internet, Software, Mobile

Google patent delivers close-up photos when your phone can’t, Blade Runners would approve originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While Alan Turing’s conversational test remains the gold standard for marking artificial intelligence, an annual software tournament called BotPrize has turned up a two bots which have convinced human judges that they were human. However, a Turing test involves a conversation where a person is fooled, but the winning bots from this year’s BotPrize only had to play first-person shooter Unreal Tournament.

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By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Romo smartphone bot can double up as a spybot, Unreal Engine runs in Flash,

Gameloft is certainly no stranger to the high-end mobile gaming scene. They’ve been releasing some of the top games for Android and iOS for a long time and today they’ve just issued a teaser for what could be their best game yet. The popular Modern Combat series is getting its 4th iteration, and the graphics look so good we’re amazed this is for a mobile device. Lets take a peek!

Gameloft has seen huge success on both iOS and Android with Modern Combat, as well as other games such as their acclaimed Asphalt racing series. They recently announced their new Unreal Graphics Engine powered Wild Blood, but this latest game looks even better. All those iPhone 5 owners can get excited knowing this game will look amazing on that 4-inch Retina display.

Impressive right? It certainly leaves you wanting more, that is for sure. I couldn’t help but feel a certain Call of Duty or Black Ops feeling while enjoying the trailer, but either way we still completely enjoyed it. Gameloft has continued to push the edge for mobile games and this looks to be no different.

Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour looks to set the bar for first person shooter games on both iOS and Android if you ask us. Those graphics look impressive for a mobile device, or any device for that matter. While we don’t have any additional details from Gameloft the video does unveil that we can expect to see this epic new FPS hit the iPhone, iPad, and Android this fall.

[via Modern-Combat]

Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour trailer revealed for iPhone, iPad and Android is written by Cory Gunther & originally posted on SlashGear.
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A classic since its inception in the 1940s, the Swiss Army Blanket is as rugged as it is soft. Crafted from pure wool, the hand-woven blanket is revered for its red band and white cross along the edge. Now these vintage blankets have been crafted into duffel bags, perfect for weekend jaunts to another locale, whether it be urban or rugged. More »

Google just chalked up one of the more important victories for driverless cars. California Governor Jerry Brown has signed bill SB1298 into law, formalizing the legal permissions and safety standards needed to let automated vehicles cruise on state-owned roads. While the bill lets anyone move forward with their plans, it’s clear from the ceremony that local technology darling Google is the primary impetus for the measure: Brown visited Google’s Mountain View headquarters to put ink to paper, and Google co-founder Sergey Brin oversaw the signing with his Google Glass eyewear on full display. If you’re dying to see driverless vehicles become mainstays of the Golden State, the official act making that possible is already available to watch after the break.

Continue reading California Governor Brown signs bill clearing use of driverless cars on public roads (video)

Filed under: Robots, Transportation

California Governor Brown signs bill clearing use of driverless cars on public roads (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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