World News: makes

Showing posts with label makes. Show all posts

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Robotic fabric acts like a muscle, makes foam blocks wriggle

bySean Buckley|@seaniccus| 16 hours ago

When we think about robotics, we don't typically think about a lump of inert foam -- but with the right clothing, it counts. Researchers at Purdue University are developing a robotic fabric that can be used to make so-called "soft" robots out of foam and other lightweight materials. The team has embedded fabric with a flexible polymer that changes shape and rigidity when heated, allowing it to be contracted or relaxed at will. Wrap a specifically assigned swatch of this cloth around a piece of foam, and it can be coaxed into bending, wriggling or moving in specific ways. "We will be able to design reboots on the fly," Purdue University's Rebecca Kramer says. "Anything can be a robot because all of the robotic technology is in the fabric or skin."

The material could conceivably be used in space missions, as an easy means to build exploration robots with cheap, lightweight material that can be transported easily. In fact, Purdue's research is related to work Kramer did though a NASA Early Career Faculty award based on elastic skins for soft robotics. Even so, robots aren't the only potential application: the fabric could also be used to build strength enhancing clothing and medical braces that offer extra support.

[Image credit: Purdue University / Rebecca Kramer]

Via: PhysOrg

Source: Purdue University

Tags: fabric, PurdueUniversity, robotfabric, robotics, textiles Hide Comments 0Comments

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Alibaba IPO makes it worth $231 billion, more than Amazon and eBay combined

byRichard Lawler|@Rjcc|2 days ago

We'd heard that the US IPO for Chinese company Alibaba could be among the biggest ever, and it did not disappoint. Closing at a stock price of $93.89, it raised $21.8 billion for the company and is the biggest IPO in US history. According to Bloomberg, it could become the biggest ever (topping Agricultural Bank of China's $22 billion IPO in 2010) if underwriters make use of an option to buy more shares, which market observers expect they will. Now that Alibaba has joined the club of recent tech IPOs like Facebook and Twitter and it has cash to throw around, many wonder if it will start acquiring smaller companies the way its Silicon Valley rivals have lately. Despite being mostly unknown in the US Alibaba is massive in China, operating sales platforms described as similar to Amazon, eBay and Paypal, and Reuters says it controls more than 80 percent of online sales there. Jack Ma (pictured above) founded the company in his apartment in 1999 and is now China's richest man, personally worth some $18 billion as of market close, according to the Wall Street Journal.

[Image credit: PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images]

Source: Reuters, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Bloomberg, Politico

Tags: Alibaba, AlibabaGroup, china, ecommerce, ipo, jackma, nyse, Taobao, tmall Hide Comments 0Comments

Monday, July 7, 2014

Vodafone's WorldTraveller makes roaming cheaper in eight expensive countries

BYMatt Brian @m4tt15 hours ago

Vodafone's decided to do away with itemised roaming charges in eight far-away countries, today announcing that customers will be able to use their existing voice, text and data allowances in the USA, India, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Ghana, Qatar and South Africa for £5 per day. This WorldTraveller add-on complements Vodafone's existing EuroTraveller offering, which covers allowances in numerous European countries for £2 per day (£3 after August 31st). However, both bundles fall noticeably short of Three's Feel at Home service, which offers free roaming in 16 countries, although Vodafone does cast a wider net than its rival. To opt-in, pay monthly customers can dial 5555 when they touchdown in any supported country, and they'll only be charged for days they use the phone.

0 Comments

Source: Vodafone WorldTraveller

Origin: Engadget UK

Tags: calls, data, mobilepostcross, roaming, text, travel, uk-feature, vodafone, voice, worldtraveller Next: Vertu launches 'Bentley' collection of luxury smartphones .fyre .fyre-comment-divider > span.fyre-comment-reply-wrapper {top: 18px;}.fyre .fyre-comment-divider > a, .fyre .fyre-comment-divider > a:hover {top: 20px;} ✖AboutAbout EngadgetContact usAdvertiseAbout Our AdsCommunityForumsEngadget MetaCommunity guidelinesReviewsProduct reviewsWrite a reviewContributeSend us a tip!Add to our databaseWrite a reviewStart a discussionAsk a questionLive eventsEngadget ExpandEngadget LivePopular topicsMobileHDAltSoftwareAppleFollow EngadgetEngadget AppsMore Apps from Engadget

Subscribe to Engadget Newsletter

Top categoriescellphoneslaptops / portablestabletsheadphonescamerasroutershdtvs / televisionsportable media playersfitness devicese-book readersdigital media playersMobileCellphonesTabletsBluetooth HeadsetsGPSPhotographyCamerasCamera LensesCamcordersDigital Photo FramesGamingConsoles (home)Consoles (portable)Controllers / GamepadsJoysticks / Flight / RacingComputersLaptops/PortablesDesktopsOperating SystemsPeripheralsKeyboardsMiceMonitorsComputer SpeakersHeadsetsPrintersScannersPen TabletsUSB / Firewire HubsWebcamsPersonal TechHeadphonesPortable Media PlayersE-book ReadersFitnessMiscellaneous DevicesNetworkingRoutersSwitches / HubsStorageExternal Hard DrivesFlash DrivesMemory CardsNetwork StorageRAID / Drive ArraysHome TheaterHDTVs / TelevisionsSpeaker DocksDigital Media PlayersRemotes / ControllersA/V ReceiversDVRsSpeakersVideo Disc Players Engadget International EditionsEspañol繁體中文简体中文日本版DeutschlandAOL Tech.

#close-ad{ display: none; } @media only screen and (max-width: 768px) {#mobileaddiv {width: 100%;position: fixed;bottom:-4px;z-index: 1000; overflow-y: visible; padding:0;margin:0} #close-ad { display: none; position: fixed; bottom: 45px; right: 5px; z-index: 2000; background: #000; padding: 0px 5px 0; border: 2px solid #fff; border-radius: 50% 50%; } #close-ad a{ color: #fff; font-size: 12px; }}

View the Original article

Monday, June 30, 2014

California makes it legal to pay with Bitcoin and other virtual currencies

BYJon Fingas @jonfingas17 hours ago

If you've previously paid for goods with Bitcoin or other digital currency in California, you're technically a criminal -- the state has long had a law requiring US dollars, even if it hasn't been enforced. As of this weekend, though, you're officially in the clear. Governor Jerry Brown has signed a bill that legitimizes payments with Bitcoin, other forms of virtual money, community currencies and reward systems like coupons and points. As state assembly member Roger Dickinson explained when fighting for the measure, modern commerce has "expanded" beyond cash and credit; to him, it only makes sense that the law keeps up with the times.

This isn't the same as federal approval, so you won't be paying taxes with cryptocurrency in the near future. All the same, it's a rare instance of explicit approval for digital cash in the US; normally, it exists in a gray area. There's no certainty that California's move will get the feds (or anyone else) to change their minds, but it at least means that you can feel guilt-free when shopping with virtual money in the Golden State.

[Image credit: BTC Keychain, Flickr]

AB-129

0 Comments

Via: NewsBTC

Source: LA Times

Tags: ab-129, ab129, bitcoin, california, cryptocurrency, currency, internet, law, legislation, money Next: The ACLU and the NSA's ex-director will debate spying on June 30th .fyre .fyre-comment-divider > span.fyre-comment-reply-wrapper {top: 18px;}.fyre .fyre-comment-divider > a, .fyre .fyre-comment-divider > a:hover {top: 20px;} ✖AboutAbout EngadgetContact usAdvertiseAbout Our AdsCommunityForumsEngadget MetaCommunity guidelinesReviewsProduct reviewsWrite a reviewContributeSend us a tip!Add to our databaseWrite a reviewStart a discussionAsk a questionLive eventsEngadget ExpandEngadget LivePopular topicsMobileHDAltSoftwareAppleFollow EngadgetEngadget AppsMore Apps from Engadget

Subscribe to Engadget Newsletter

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Ofcom makes switching fibre broadband suppliers cheaper and easier

BYMatt Brian @m4tt9 hours ago

From July 1st, it could become a whole lot easier for you to switch between superfast broadband suppliers. After setting out its original guidance back in May, communications regulator Ofcom has gained approval from the European Commission to set new targets for BT. Currently, if you switch from one fibre-optic provider to another, Openreach (the company that controls BT's phone and broadband infrastructure) will enforce a £50 connection fee against your new ISP, which can be passed down to you. Ofcom's new rules will cut that wholesale fee down to just £11, shielding you from that value-added cost and allowing new companies to launch their own superfast services for less. Ofcom has also slashed the minimum-term contract between BT and ISPs from one year to just one month, and will force BT to fix line errors within two working days of you notifying them, if weather permits. Those small changes could make a big difference, especially if you're looking for a cheaper short-term broadband supplier.

0 Comments

Source: Ofcom

Origin: Engadget UK

Tags: broadband, bt, ec, european commission, ofcom, openreach, superfast Next: Costco is now selling iPads and iPhones, with a patchy selection .fyre .fyre-comment-divider > span.fyre-comment-reply-wrapper {top: 18px;}.fyre .fyre-comment-divider > a, .fyre .fyre-comment-divider > a:hover {top: 20px;} ✖AboutAbout EngadgetContact usAdvertiseAbout Our AdsCommunityForumsEngadget MetaCommunity guidelinesReviewsProduct reviewsWrite a reviewContributeSend us a tip!Add to our databaseWrite a reviewStart a discussionAsk a questionLive eventsEngadget ExpandEngadget LivePopular topicsMobileHDAltSoftwareAppleFollow EngadgetEngadget AppsMore Apps from Engadget

Subscribe to Engadget Newsletter

Monday, June 9, 2014

New film makes shatterproof phone screens a practical possibility

Sure, the screen on your smartphone is likely scratch-resistant, but it still won't survive a drop to the sidewalk. However, that could all change if University of Akron scientists get their shatterproof touchscreen film into shipping hardware. They've developed transparent electrodes that, when layered on polymer surfaces, are just as transparent as current technology (indium tin oxide) but much more durable. You can bend them over 1,000 times without breaking, and they also hold up against peeling.

More importantly, the technology is cheap. In fact, the university believes that it should be less expensive to make this film than the touchscreen tech in use today; you can simply mass-produce it in rolls. While there's no firm production timetable, scientists fully expect their technology to hit stores in the future. Eventually, you won't have to worry quite so much that your phone might slip out of your hands.

View the Original article

Monday, May 26, 2014

Any.DO makes a serious push toward bigger screens with new web app

Task-managing applications like Any.DO are known for helping you stay on top of things, like reminding us to pick up that milk on the way home -- because we all know how important it is to do that. But while the service has made its presence be felt on mobile, a dedicated web app is something that Any.DO users have long been waiting for. And now it's here. As of today, you can start using Any.DO outside of iOS and Android and on any browser, not just via a Chrome extension. For the most part, it'll be the same on your web browser as it is on the smartphone app, but there are some new features that Any.DO has tailored specifically for bigger screens. Focus Mode, as seen above, lets you quickly glance at what to-do's you have coming up; Planning Mode, meanwhile, shows multiple folders and allows tasks to be moved across one another.

As part of this announcement, Any.DO also let it be known that it has now reached 10 million users worldwide, and it is hoping the newly minted web app will only help it grow further. "There's a world of people who haven't considered us because they need a full web experience, right on their computer screens. They're going to use Any.do for the first time and that's what I'm most excited about," said Any.DO CEO Omer Perchik.Any.DO web app

View the Original article

Friday, May 23, 2014

Spotify-based service makes an end to lousy coffee music

It is likely that music on your local restaurant sucks. If the owner not only in the lift or radio music are pipeline construction, they can be a CD or Internet stations. Bo your brand has a better solution: he has only one service on the basis of Spotify (and partially financed by Spotify) which is aimed at public places. The current platform allows an unlimited amount of music in five places with programmed playlists and offline support transferred. You need to hear not the same song every day at the coffee shop, even if his Internet access cut Center of Cappuccino.

The service is currently limited to Sweden, where it costs 349 SEK ($53) a month. To the large outlets, 799 crowns ($121) offer the option of a future. There's no word on a US deployment, but here it is in the hope of coming soon if you don't like us, you are probably a little tired recycled from the air in your preferred institution. 0 comments to share

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Soundtrack of your brand

Tags: Business, Internet, music, Soundtrackyourbrand, spotify, Spotify business, streaming following: FOURSQUARE now automated tasks on the basis of your Fitbit activity .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

View the Original article

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Amazon's studio photography patent makes Apple, Samsung look reasonable

Smucker's, believe it or not, has a patent for the process of making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You should see the filing, too -- based on the complex diagrams you'd think it detailed architectural concepts or maybe even some weird new camera lens. While the PB&J company won't likely sue for damages the next time you make yourself some lunch, a recently granted Amazon patent addresses another very simple concept, one used by professionals around the world: photography (and video) of items against a white backdrop.

The patent, simply called Studio Arrangement, accounts for one of the most essential foundations of commercial photography: shooting objects in front of a clean white background with very controlled lighting. Though the concept is one familiar to virtually all studio photographers, the patent narrows in on some very particular settings, which Amazon apparently thinks eliminate the need for much post-production work. These include "an ISO setting of about 320," an elevated surface "positioned about 21 inches above a floor level" and so on. Heck, it makes Apple's famous slide-to-unlock patent look incredibly general.

According to Kyle Coburn, a Dallas-based wedding photographer, Amazon's patent for such a well-known technique is "absurd. That fact that it was granted by the patent office is even more ridiculous." After all, it definitely makes you wonder what the point is -- and why the USPTO would be willing to go along with it.

Since the patent entails so many specific settings, it's unlikely that Amazon reps will be able to tell if you're guilty of using a "plurality of light source consuming about 40 kilowatts." Still, what does Amazon have in mind in addressing such a widely used practice?

We can only hope Amazon -- and Smucker's before it -- is making a joke of the US patent system by demonstrating just how much companies can get away with. Piling onto the ridiculousness might not be the quickest way to bring about reform, though. In any case, we've reached out to the e-commerce giant for comment, and will update the post should we get a response.

0 Comments Share

Via: Wired UK

Source: USPTO

Tags: amazon, patent, patents, photography, studio arrangement Next: A Westerner's guide to Japanese toilets .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

View the Original article

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Huawei makes an investment in its international image

Outside of its home grounds, Huawei hasn't had the easiest of times making a dent in markets such as the US and Europe. But that's not to say the company hasn't been been trying. Just last year, the Chinese communications giant outlined a plan to regain its share of the European smartphone market, with the focus being to build premium handsets and spend more money on research and development. Now, based on that foundation, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei intends to expand his company's presence in Europe by investing even more and boosting hires in the region.

In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Zhengfei said that the company will further increase investment in European R&D, in an effort to change people's perception of Huawei being a "mysterious" corporation. As part of this strategy, Huawei is set to "extend an employee incentive plan to all key non-Chinese employees this year in order to attract and keep top talent," according to the WSJ report.

Across the pond, meanwhile, in the all-important United States market, Zhengfei believes that Huawei's image has been temporarily tainted, after having to deal with accusations of holding corrupted ties to the Chinese government by US Congress. "I believe at the end of the day that it might take 10 or 20 years for the US to know that Huawei is a company with integrity and a good face," Ren told the Wall Street Journal.

View the Original article