Ever get that feeling that the speakers in your living room are too, well, opaque? Wouldn’t it be cool if it looked like they were just floating there in mid-air blasting jams for all to hear? It’s a heck of a dream, and thanks to a team of Harvard scientists, it might just come true for you.
     |
These days, wearable tech is a beast that cannot be stopped, even if we wanted to (we don’t). We recently got wind of an application Motorola submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (initially filed in February of 2012 and published today) for an electronic device designed “to enfold about an appendage of a user.” While “appendage” could mean a great many things, let’s go wild and call this gadget a smartwatch. The application specifies a few interesting features, including gaze detection, touchscreen controls and a hinged dual display system. Motorola is no stranger to this territory; its MOTOACTV has enough features (like Twitter and Facebook) to be considered a fitness-oriented smartwatch. This newly proposed device includes functions similarly geared towards health-conscious consumers, like vital sign and exercise monitoring. While not all patents materialize into the finished products we might expect, it’s interesting to know that Motorola is actively pursuing one such as this. The application can be read in full at the source link below.
Filed under: Wearables
Source: US Patent and Trademark Office
Actor James Spader speaks onstage during "The Blacklist" panel discussion at the NBC portion of the 2013 Summer Television Critics Association tour.
(Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
“The Avengers” sequel has found its villain.
James Spader has been cast as Ultron in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Marvel announced Thursday.
The Joss Whedon-written/directed sequel will arrive in theaters on May 1, 2015.
Spader, who won three Emmy Awards for playing Alan Shore on “Boston Legal” and “The Practice,” recently appeared on the big screen in Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln.” He’ll be back on TV as the star of NBC’s new drama “The Blacklist,” which premieres September 23. He also played Robert California, the enigmatic CEO of Dunder Mifflin/Sabre, on “The Office.”
What do you think of Spader as the “Avengers” villain? Sound off below.
This story originally appeared on CBSNews.com. [Read more]
Related Links:
Despite warning, fans’ hopes for D23 ‘Star Wars’ news dashed
Lego, you are dead to me
Thousands petition to unmask Affleck from Batman role
YouTube: The most popular superhero is…
Dinosaurs and the inner mind: Pixar’s future looks bright
| |
Its no secret anymore that Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is going to be unveiled next week. Samsung has already confirmed it, but it hasn’t confirmed if it will be launching two different models of it’s new phablet. Rumor has it that the company might offer an affordable model of the Galaxy Note 3, one that has a LCD display and an 8 megapixel camera. The flagship or premium Galaxy Note 3 model is rumored to have a AMOLED display and a 13 megapixel camera. No other differences are rumored, so if this model does come out, it wouldn’t exactly be a “mini” version of Samsung’s new phablet.
The mini versions of a flagship have quite a lot of differences, take the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S4 Mini for example. Size and shape is different and so is the equipment, which results in the latter being relatively cheaper. The differences between these two Galaxy Note 3 models don’t go beyond the display and camera, which will reportedly be toned down to reduce cost. Sure its not impossible to bring cost down by making these two changes, but this is the first we’ve heard of this possibility, of a cheaper Galaxy Note 3 being launched alongside the premium one at the same event. So take this with a grain of salt, unless we hear more information in the coming days, its likely that only one Galaxy Note 3 model will be unveiled on September 4th.
Affordable Galaxy Note 3 Model Rumored original content from Ubergizmo. 
| |
Researchers test a chitin microneedle patch on human skin.
(Credit: Marco Rolandi/UW)
Today, one of the standard tests for tuberculosis involves inserting a hypodermic needle into a person’s arm using a very precise angle and depth — thereby requiring a certain level of skill on the part of the tester and chutzpah on the part of the patient.
Researchers at the University of Washington hope to replace this test with a painless, near-automated alternative — a microneedle patch that they say is more precise and even biodegradable.
“With a microneedle test there’s little room for user error, because the depth of delivery is determined by the microneedle length rather than the needle-insertion angle,” senior author Marco Rolandi, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Washington, said in a school news release. “This test is painless and easier to administer than the traditional skin test with a hypodermic needle.”
Millions of people around the world are tested for tuberculosis every year; the infectious disease requires several types of medication taken for prolonged periods to t… [Read more]
Related Links:
Needle-steering robot could save lives
When wearable tech makes you smarter — by zapping your brain
RoboThespian tests its mettle as stand-up comic
Crave Ep. 133: Blood clot bot steers around your head
How to fix a dented speaker
| |
The ASUS PadFone Infinity was announced earlier this year at the Mobile World Congress 2013. It is a redesigned and upgraded version of PadFone 2. The company hasn’t officially released this smartphone in the U.S., even though it is available for purchase here through unofficial channels. Recently benchmarks of an unreleased ASUS PadFone Infinity A86 were spotted which hinted at the possibility of a Snapdragon 800 powered model. It is believed that the company has delayed PadFone Infinity U.S. release to launch the Snapdragon 800 version instead. Today, the new PadFone Infinity has been pictured, it looks identical to the current one, except that it comes in white as well.
The A86 is said to be compatible with the current PadFone Infinity’s base. There is also chatter of a microSD slot through which customers will be able to externally expand memory, something that’s not possible on the device right now. ASUS hasn’t revealed as yet when it will release the new PadFone Infinity, it is expected to make the announcement at IFA 2013, which takes place in the first week of September. This device is rumored to release in Taiwan in the third week of September, no details as yet on when it will be released in the West. [Image via ePrice]
ASUS New PadFone Infinity Pictured, Release Expected In September original content from Ubergizmo. 
| |
No trip to France is complete without seeing the grand gardens and spectacular palace at Versailles, the place that epitomizes the excess of 18th century France. Who better to lead the tour than everybody’s favorite 21st century French band, Phoenix. Plus also too, drones.
| |
The TiVo Roamio platform is still extremely young, what with it only having been launched earlier this month and all. Still, the DVR maker isn’t wasting any time and is now finding ways to bring as many features as possible to its new set-top boxes. With this in mind, TiVo let it be known today that it’s adding support for Opera’s Devices SDK and TV Store to its lineup of Roamio DVRs, providing developers an opportunity to create a variety of HTML5-based applications. TiVo’s hoping the partnership with Opera can introduce a slew of apps in different categories to the platform, including entertainment, fashion, sports, business, gaming news and more. As for Opera, we can imagine it’s rather pleased to get its app-creating tools used by yet another company.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, HD
Via: TechCrunch
Source: TiVo
It has been a couple of months since Digg launched its RSS reader for iOS. They’ve finally launched it for Android today. The app is now live and available for download. It will display the latest stories from Digg’s homepage as well as Digg Reader. A few features such as “Show Only Unread Items” view, text size, background updating and display mode options are currently missing. Digg says that they’re still testing these features and will add them to the app shortly, it promises steady improvements and updates which will be rolled out over the next few months.
Users can log in to Digg Reader with a Google, Twitter or Facebook account. They can search for and add new feeds which can be organized in folders that can be created, organized and deleted at will. If users want, they can configure diggs to be automatically posted to their Facebook timeline. A story can be shared on a plethora of services such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Tumblr, WordPress and more. Users can sort Digg Reader items by popularity to see which of them are the most talked-out about on social web. Digg Reader for Android is available as a free download from Google Play Store.
Digg Reader For Android Launched original content from Ubergizmo. 
| |
We may have our eye turned towards exploring space, but apparently, there’s still very much here on Earth we have yet to see. After collecting data for years, scientists have just announced the discovery of a 460-mile-long canyon underneath Greenland’s ice sheet, making it even longer than our own Grand Canyon—and no human has ever laid eyes on it before.
| |
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
