Category: World

Airbus and Uber Partner to Provide On-Demand Helicopter Service

After taking over your city roads, Uber now has plans to take over the vacant skies too with its latest marketing strategy. According to reports, the famous on-demand cab service will be partnering with Airbus to bring to its customer base a new offering, one which will involve helicopters to ferry them around the city.

According to the information disseminated by the company, this will be a pilot project which will include helicopter rides around Utah city during the Sundance Film Festival this month. Reports further cite, that the service will use H125 and H130 helicopters to ferry passengers. Uber will use its cars to get passengers to and from the landing site. Pretty innovative indeed.

Uber has offered helicopter rides before. In 2013, it tried this idea during the United States Formula 1 Grand Prix in Austin. The rides cost a minimum of several hundred dollars back then, and it is expected that these rides during the Sundance Film Festival will also cost a bomb. Nonetheless, this is a positive move and shows that both Uber and Airbus are looking to expand their horizons for potential customers.

We can’t really say if something like this could be done in India soon, or for that matter, if at all it’ll be rejected outright because of the high fare of such Uber powered helicopter rides, but one thing we do know for a fact is, it’ll be pretty cool to see Uber Helicopters show up on our Uber smartphone app.

January 18, 2016
This App Blocks Third Parties From Tracking Your Location

There is no denying the omnipresent existence of the Internet in our lives. The virtual trail left behind by a user online has ensured that pretty much all their personal information has been documented in some form or the other in a deep, dark pocket of the Internet.

Checking-ins on social media platforms, booking cabs and taxis, looking for train or plane tickets or simply the nearest cafe to grab a cuppa -all these activities have ensured that that details about our location and day to day activities are on public display all the time, leaving us vulnerable and unprotected.

However, not all is lost. A university in the US has developed an app which ensures that third-parties have no access to your location. Developed by a team of researchers at Binghamton University, the app makes sure third-parties are blocked from tracking down your location depending on what you search online.

“When we release personal information to the internet, it is out of our control, and can be easily searched and used for malicious purposes. We are trying to provide a more efficient and feasible solution to make sure that kind of information is secure,” says Linke Guo, team leader of the research.

Once developed successfully and put to use, the app would make the virtual space safer for the average user. Let’s see if this attempt manages to cure privacy issues online.

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January 18, 2016
Swedish University Develops Power Paper That Stores Energy

Linköping University’s Laboratory of Organic Electronics in Sweden has developed a type of power paper that is capable of storing as much as 1 F of electricity in a single sheet which is 15 cms in diameter and the fraction of a millimetre in thickness. It is possible to charge the paper hundreds of times, with each charge lasting not more than a couple of seconds.

The paper requires nothing more than renewable cellulose and an easily available polymer as its components. The polymer-cellulose material simultaneously conducts both ions and electrons, thereby setting a world record with this kind of conduction activity. This attribute of the material also allows it to have an efficient power storage capacity.

Some other previous world records set by power papers include highest charge and capacitance in organic electronics, 1 C and 2 F (Coulomb and Farad) and highest transconductance in a transistor, 1 S (Siemens).

Early in July 2015, Pennstate State University also developed a polymer capable of storing energy. However, PennState’s development loses out to its Swedish counterpart in terms of production cost and ability to withstand wear and tear. It is susceptible to defects as well.

The paper developed by the Swedish university has a slight plastic feel to it. The researchers used a sheet to make an origami swan out of it, also providing an index of its strength. Needless to say, it is a brilliant specimen of tech that can go ahead to become a reliable source of reusable energy, at the same time being an efficient means of storing energy.

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January 16, 2016
India Has Most Selfie Related Deaths than Any Other Country in the World

Why the selfie-parade, o people of social media? According to an article in the Washington Post, of the 27 officially recorded selfie-related deaths, almost half happened in India.

Yes, we are a country which has a very tech savvy Prime Minister, with various active social media accounts. PM Modi’s selfie-love is no big secret and now it looks like Indians are taking it a little too seriously.

Three girls were swept into the Arabian Sea while they tried to click a selfie on a rock. One of the girls, and a man who dived in to rescue them, were later reported dead. Following this, Mumbai now has specifically marked “no selfie zones” in the city.

Similarly, the Kumbh ka Mela was another potential site for selfie-disasters last year. Authorities feared that selfie-groups at hugely crowded affair might cause blockages and congestion triggering stampedes.

The selfie-obsession has seen a phenomenal growth ever since its recent arrival. Social networking had brought huge attention to physical appearance. One fine day, people woke up to realise that no other person could make them look their best in their pictures -and hello, selfies.

Thus began a pageant of duck-faces and pouts and squinted-eyes (the latest fad in the selfie-world, in case you were wondering). Leave a toddler with a device with a front camera, and they would never be in want of anything else.

But don’t let any of this stop you from fluttering your eye-lashes in front of a selfie-snapper. Bring out that selfie-stick already, just make sure to keep yourself safe and alive, is all.

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January 16, 2016
US Woman Sues Twitter For Allowing ISIS Accounts on its Platform

A woman in the US has sued Twitter for allowing official ISIS accounts to run on its platform, sparking off yet another debate about the exchange of content on social media.

This lawsuit follows an attack by an ISIS member on November 9th when he shot down five people to death in Jordan. Two of them happened to be Americans. The husband of the plaintiff was one of the two American victims. The lawsuit demands unspecified damages from Twitter.

The fact that ISIS is immensely tech-savvy and uses various social media platforms to assert its presence has been a topic of debate for a while now. The extremist group has a team of social media experts to take care of the content it puts up on different networking websites. But all of these networking portals defend themselves by stating that they are simply the channels of content-exchange, with no participation in the creation of this content whatsoever.

Websites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. It means that these websites are exempt from laws that would otherwise make them responsible for the content that users put up on their platform.

However, the lawsuit claims, “for years, Twitter has knowingly permitted the terrorist group ISIS to use its social network as a tool for spreading extremist propaganda, raising funds and attracting new recruits. This material support has been instrumental to the rise of ISIS and has enabled it to carry out numerous terrorist attacks.”

Twitter defended itself in an official statement where it claimed, “While we believe the lawsuit is without merit, we are deeply saddened to hear of this family’s terrible loss. Like people around the world, we are horrified by the atrocities perpetrated by extremist groups and their ripple effects on the Internet. Violent threats and the promotion of terrorism deserve no place on Twitter and, like other social networks, our rules make that clear.”

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January 15, 2016
Mid-Range Asus Live is Now Official in Three Colour Variants

Asus has come out with a new mid-ranger, Asus Live. It has been launched in Brazil with its specs reminding us a lot of the Zenfone Go.

In terms of hardware, Live is modeled heavily on the same lines as its predecessor. It comes with a 5 inch display with 720p. It has 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage, and is powered by the MediaTek MT6589 SoC. On the camera front, the phone has an 8 MP main camera with f/2.0 aperture and a 2 MP selfie camera. Live is further equipped with Dual SIM support and a 2,070 mAh battery. However, the phone doesn’t offer LTE support.

The dimensions of the device once again remind us of Go. Live measures 144.5 x 71 x 9.98 mm and weighs 140 grams, just a little bit heavier than Go. The new Asus device however has a different colour variants to offer at the time of its launch; they are – Blue, Pink and Yellow. Asus Live is priced at 849 BRL (close to about Rs. 14,000). Let’s see when do we get to see the device in India.

January 14, 2016
Researchers Develop a Lithium Battery That Won’t Explode

Battery is one of the major concerns of the tech world these days. Developers have to ensure that batteries are not only efficient and capable of providing sufficient support to gadgets, but most important of all, they can withstand high temperatures without exploding.

The explosion-scare in batteries is even though not very high when it comes to phones, but exploding hoverboard batteries have made everyone sit up and listen. Fires caused by malfunctioning hoverboards actually forced retailer websites to take the product off and stop selling them for a while.

An exploded hoverboard.

But it looks like a team of scientists at Stanford University have found a cure for these lithium-ion batteries in hoverboards that are the culprit behind all these fires. The team of researchers have developed a lithium battery that has a plastic over-lay filled with nickel particles. If this battery gets over-heated, it shuts down and cuts all power-supply. The supply is resumed only once the temperature has dropped to a safe level. This will ensure that the battery’s electrolyte never catches fire.

The same tech of self-shut down has been seen in batteries previously as well if they sense an explosion threat. However once they shut down, the battery is not functional again. This is primarily what this new battery will be able to take care of, among other things. Though these explosion-proof lithium batteries seem to hold great potential, there are still several years before they can be produced and used in smartphones and other gadgets on a mass scale. We wouldn’t advise you to get your hopes high about them hoverboards just yet.

January 13, 2016
This Wearable Will Track Your Emotions and Stress Levels

Taking mood-rings to the next level is this new awesome wristband by Sentio Solutions. It’s called Feel and it helps the user stay updated about their emotional state. It may not change colours, but hey, it has so much more to offer.

With the help of sensors on its inner-side, Feel tracks and meaures your pulse rate, body temperature and galvanic response using sweat glands on the skin and their behaviour under different conditions. It gets connected to the user’s phone via Bluetooth and provides real-time information about your moods.

This information can also be presented in the form of graphs, suggesting patterns of the mood during the course of a day. The graphs, in turn, lets the user determine what are the most stressful periods of the day and so on and so forth.

Feel also gives tips and pointers on how to reduce stress through Yoga, meditation or breathing exercises. The user is reminded to take deep long breaths during moments of high stress. In some cases, like moments of anger during anger, Feel would give a real-time alert in the form of a vibration which according to George Eleftheriou, the co-founder and CEO, is enough to calm the user down.

The flexible wrist-bank comes in a sleek, inconspicuous design which fits well with all kinds of individual stylistic preferences. It is priced at $199 (about Rs.13,000) and will be available for $149 (about Rs.10,000) on pre-order. Feel will be up for pre-order this spring and is expected to arrive in December. Log on to the official website for more details.

January 13, 2016
Apple Acquires Artificial Intelligence Based Face-Detection Start-Up

Apple recently bought a Sandiego based Artificial Intelligence start-up called Emotient. The firm was established in 2012 to analyse facial expressions and therefore emotions of viewers, helping the company evaluate their response. Needless to say, this move by Apple comes with its own set of doubts and apprehensions. Tech that detects facial expressions has been a topic of debate and dislike for a while now with Australia being one of the latest places to receive flak for incorporating face-detection tech in its administration. A spokesperson of the company confirmed the acquisition leaving us to wonder what Apple plans to do with it. Apple has been pursuing AI and virtual reality actively the last couple of weeks and this comes as the latest development in that sphere.

Facebook and Google are also big on AI and virtual reality and are pushing for it with great zeal. The future of tech, as unclear as it might be, looks quite interesting as of now. AI and virtual reality are definitely going to be the next big thing in 2016. While Zuckerberg works on his home-butler which he likened to Jarvis, let’s see what consumers get out of this race for AI and VR breakthroughs.

January 8, 2016
Uber Fined $20,000 Over ‘God View’ Tool in the US

Uber’s ‘God View’ tool allowed employees to access and track the location of Uber drivers and customers without their permission or their knowledge. The company ran into trouble with the tool in 2014 when an Uber executive tracked the whereabouts of a Buzzfeed journalist while she was not aware of it.

When the issue was brought out in the public, required action was taken against the executive. The concerned executive explained the act by saying the reporter’s location was monitored because she was 30 minutes late for a meeting. Uber later declared the act to be one of “poor judgement”.However, the cat was out of the bag now and had attracted the attention of the lawmakers. What started in 2014 has now finally concluded with a $20,000 fine being imposed on Uber. The settlement was reached between the company and New York Defence Attorney General Eric Schneiderman yesterday.

The settlement also requires Uber to revise its privacy policy. Geolocation for both the driver and the customer would now be encrypted and password protected. Additionally, ‘God View’ would now be available only to a handful of employees, unlike before when a large number of them could use it. The use of the tool is justified only for “legitimate business purposes”, says the company.

January 7, 2016
This Drone Can Carry a Man

If you’re looking for little man-made contraptions humans could fly in, seek no more. A Chinese company, Ehang Inc., unveiled what is being touted as the first ever drone capable of carrying a human being, on Wednesday at CES .

The Ehang 184 was unveiled yesterday as an electric-power drone that can carry up to 220 pounds and is capable of flying for 23 minutes. It looks like a small helicopter, but of course, along with the four doubled propellers of a drone. The air-conditioned cabin has room for one person and is capable of being charged fully in only two hours. It also has a reading light and space for a back-pack, just because.

The passenger is required to give two commands “take off” and “land” once the flight plan has been put in order; both these commands are taken care of using the Microsoft Surface tablet. The drone is designed to fly 1,000 to 1,650 feet off the ground with a maximum altitude of 11, 500 feet. The highest speed it can reach is 63 miles per hour.

Shang Hsiao, co-founder and Chief Financial Officer for Ehang aims to sell the drone at $200,000-$300,000. However it seems there will be a while before the drone is declared legally safe in all aspects. The Federal Aviation Administration is already trying to regulate America’s sudden increased interest in drones. It would be interesting to see them tackle another addition to the territory.

January 7, 2016
Self-Charging Batteries to End Smartphone Battery-Life Woes

We have seen some incredible breakthroughs in technology lately but one issue that still needs to be solved is that of battery trouble. No matter how fancy a gadget gets, it is almost always limited by its battery life. The next big thing the world of tech requires is never-ending batteries, and looks like MIT is paying attention.

A group of researchers at the university are working on self-charging batteries, which in turn means never-ending battery life. The idea is to produce electrical energy out of the mechanical energy of locomotion. The mechanical energy produced as a result of walking can be used to charge electronic devices.

The procedure involves two thin sheets of lithium alloys to serve as electrodes with a porous sheet of polymer, after it has been soaked in liquid electrolyte, placed in between. This design is efficient at moving lithium ions, while at the same time being attached to sensors on the joints on the body like knees or wrists. The sensors would absorb mechanical energy of locomotion and convert it to electrical energy.

This tech could also be used to charge wearables like smartwatches, along with phones. However there is still a long way to go. Right now, the use of this technique can achieve 15% efficiency for a gadget at best. The research team hopes to increase this efficiency to a 100% soon.

January 7, 2016
Haier to Showcase Star Wars Inspired Life-Size R2-D2 Refrigerator at CES

While the entire world is gripped by the Star Wars craziness, Haier has not lagged behind. The manufacturer of consumer electronics and appliances has jumped on the bandwagon with its remote controlled refrigerator inspired by everyone’s favourite droid -R2-D2.

Haier will unveil its life-size refrigerator modelled after the Star Wars character at CES. The refrigerator mimics the droid in sound and movement. It will keep your drinks chilled and deliver them to you with its cooling and movement capabilities.

The appliance also has an in-built projector which is fully functional, making this little refrigerator useful for more than just taking care of your drinks. It is developed and produced by Haier Subsidiary Haier Asia in Japan, is made to order and comes with a serial number, and therefore is a collectible item. Take note all serious Star Wars fans.

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January 5, 2016
US Aviation Association: Over 45,000 Drones Registered in Two Days

America clearly loves its drones. The Federal Aviation Association (FAA) has revealed that over 45,000 drones have been registered just two days after the Federal Drone Registration website went live.

The deluge of registrations has led the FAA to take the website down for a few hours starting Wednesday, 9 PM ET. This move is to prepare the website better for the unexpected response. It will be available again on Thursday morning at 6 AM ET.

Close to 400,000 drones are expected to be sold this holiday season. Strict penalties will be imposed on those who fail to register their drones in time. Drones which are bought post 21st of December must be registered before their first flight. Those purchased before that have till February 19th, 2016 for registration.

The registration is expected to help the FAA trace the owners in case of accidents or injuries caused by drones. The administration has further announced formidable penalties that include fines up to $27,500 and fines which can go as high as $250,000 and/or imprisonment up to 3 years. Drones clearly have taken the tech world by storm. It would be interesting to see how this new piece of technology is incorporated in the contemporary lifestyle.

December 24, 2015
Letv Launches 65-inch Super TV With Curved Screen

Letv has launched a 65-inch split TV with curved screen, called the Super 4 Max65 Curved, and claims it to be the first of its kind electronic. This was launched along with Super 4 Max70, the first smart TV in the world with a glass light guide plate (LGP). Both televisions sets were unveiled at a launch event in Beijing on December 22nd.

Letv has already brought 8-core 1.8 GHz 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor (APQ9084) to its TV sets, along with incorporating Samsung’s ultra-thin curve panel. Now Le 4 Max65 comes equipped with Adreno 430 GPU with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB/ 64 GB Flash, Novatek72324 motion processing chip. The TV also includes independent sub-woofer and an audio system by Harmon Kardon which seems to hold potential for a smooth audio experience as a home theatre.

On the other hand, Super 4 Max70 includes 10^th generation 70-inch 4K panel by Sharp in its specs. The TV also marks the first time Corning’s Iris LGP glass has been adopted by a major Chinese TV brand.

In terms of sales, Letv reveals having sold 3 million smart TVs this year, and aims to double these sales to 6 million in 2016. The Super 4 Max70 will be available for sale starting 29th December on Lemall.com, While January 19th, 2016 is the date when sales of Super4 Max65 Curved Engineering Commemorative Edition begin.

The pricing is as follows – Super4 Max65 Curved Engineering Commemorative Edition is priced $1000 (about Rs. 66,000), while the Super4 Max70 costs $2000 (about Rs.1,33,200) and $2300 (about Rs.1,50,000) respectively for its 2D and 3D versions. The company aims to offer competitive prices for these smart-TVs by generating profits through advertisements and its content ecosystem, thereby bringing down the price.

Le has revealed it plans to hold an official event in New Delhi early in 2016, followed by other major cities in India. This could all be a follow-up to tentative plans of bringing its Le Superphones followed by Super TVs to the country. Let’s see what 2016 has in store for Le’s tryst with the Indian tech scenario.

December 24, 2015