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Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.This theme is Bloggerized by Lasantha Bandara - Premiumbloggertemplates.com.
Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.This theme is Bloggerized by Lasantha Bandara - Premiumbloggertemplates.com.
Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.This theme is Bloggerized by Lasantha Bandara - Premiumbloggertemplates.com.
Go to Blogger edit html and find these sentences.Now replace these sentences with your own descriptions.This theme is Bloggerized by Lasantha Bandara - Premiumbloggertemplates.com.
Tim Peake is shaping up to be a bit of a folk hero in the UK. The European Space Agency astronaut is currently on board the International Space Station, zipping around Earth in orbit. On Friday, Peake went out on a spacewalk along with NASA astronaut Tim Kopra on a mission to repair a power unit outside the station. Peake took a selfie to commemorate the event.
Peake is the first British ESA astronaut on the ISS and the first astronaut to wear a British flag during a spacewalk. The flag patch was attached to the left shoulder of his spacesuit.Astronaut Michael Foale was born in Britain and conducted a spacewalk back in 1995, but did so under the US flag as a NASA astronaut.
The close-up selfie shows Peake's shoulders and helmet with the blackness of space behind him. The Earth is reflected as a blue globe in his visor. But that's not all. Take a close look and you will see part of the station, Peake's hands, the camera and his fellow astronaut Kopra in the distance. That's quite a lot to pack into a selfie.
Though you could've seen just about any kind of consumer technology at this year's CES trade show in Las Vegas, there was one thing you'd have been hard-pressed to find.
Among the 3,631 exhibitors hawking smart cars and drones, not to mention alarm clocks that emit smells, this month's extravaganza included just one presenter showing off smart-gun technology, according to the show's organizers. And the Consumer Technology Association, which runs CES, hasn't discussed encouraging more smart guns at future shows.
At the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show, which starts Tuesday in Vegas, it's a similar story.
Smart-gun tech will almost entirely be absent from the list of the 1,600 exhibitors at the self-billed "largest and most comprehensive" annual gun show.
"There might be some people talking about it, but nothing that comes to my attention indicates there will be any such authorized-user technology demonstrations," said Mike Bazinet, a spokesman for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which runs the SHOT Show.
That's how far smart guns -- which use radio signals or fingerprint scanners to ensure a weapon can be fired only by its owner -- are from the mainstream. They're a no-show at both these major conferences, and they're apparently not much of a topic of conversation among those who might be most interested.
It's not as though the broader public hasn't had guns on the mind. The past year brought a number of high-profile mass shootings, in San Bernardino, California; Charleston, South Carolina; and Roseburg, Oregon, which prompted stirring calls for some sort of response, be it political or technological. President Barack Obama has called for more research into smart-gun technology, helping highlight the handful of small players developing these products.
Proponents say such weapons could cut down on stolen guns, gun accidents and school shootings. But many gun enthusiasts are steadfast against the technology.
"It's not just a question of lack of demand," said Adam Winkler, a UCLA law professor who focuses on the Second Amendment and gun control. "There's very strong opposition to smart-gun tech in the gun world."
That's because a vocal contingent of gun owners see smart guns as a potential form of gun control. They've raised concerns, Winkler said, that if such guns gain a foothold, the technologies behind them could become a requirement for all guns, resulting in a ban on sales of traditional guns. Those fighting against smart guns need only point to a New Jersey law passed in 2002 called the Childproof Handgun Act. It mandates that three years after smart guns become available for sale anywhere in the country, Jersey gun dealers sell only smart guns.
Such concerns led to customer boycotts of gun manufacturers, including Colt and Smith & Wesson, when they pursued smart-gun technology. Gun dealers who have considered selling such firearms have been boycotted too. One Maryland dealereven faced death threats when he attempted to offer smart guns. Currently, there are no US gun dealers who stock smart guns.
Critics of smart guns also point to their potentially unreliable electronic parts, as well as their higher cost when compared with traditional guns.
Despite the blowback, there's evidence the general public is interested in smart guns. In a survey of US consumers last year by researcher Penn Schoen Berland, two-thirds of respondents said they believed dealers should be allowed to sell smart guns, and 40 percent of those who identified themselves as gun owners said they'd consider swapping their firearms for smart guns. Respondents were evenly split on whether all firearms sold should require smart-gun technology.
Though the NSSF, the gun industry's main trade group, and the National Rifle Association say they aren't against smart-gun technology, they've been seen as working to suppress smart guns and fighting against any law that mandates their use, Winkler said. Because of that situation, he added, it would seem a maker of smart-guns would be a rather unwelcome sight at the SHOT Show.
The Force Awakens may be still tearing up box office charts, but incoming director Colin Trevorrow is already dropping hints about what to expect from 2019's Episode IX.
Although there are three moreStar Wars movies to arrive before his -- Gareth Edwards' Rogue One this year, followed by Rian Johnson'sEpisode VIII in 2017 and the Young Han Solo film, currently untitled, for 2018 -- Trevorrow has the ultimate pressure of bringing this new trilogy to a close and answering a lot of questions.
One of the biggest mysteries posed by the latest Star Wars is the matter of new hero Rey's identity. Fans expecting the answer to be revealed inEpisode VIII may be in for an even longer wait though. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Trevorrow hints that the secret may not be revealed until his turn in the director's chair.
"We're going to make sure that that answer is deeply and profoundly satisfying," Trevorrow said. "Rey is a character that is important in this universe, not just in the context ofThe Force Awakens, but in the entire galaxy. She deserves it. We'll make sure that that answer is something that feels like it was something that happened a long time ago, far away, and we're just telling you what happened."
Fan theories on Rey's lineage range from the obvious -- Luke Skywalker's daughter -- to the more interesting. Fans have posited that she might be Obi Wan Kenobi's daughter or grandaughter, or Han and Leia's daughter, and Kylo Ren's sister, echoing Jacen and Jaina Solo from the discarded Expanded Universe. That last one requires Han and Leia to either be lying to, or simply not recognise their own daughter throughout Episode VII however.
Whoever Rey actually is, Trevorrow does hint that her father, at least is someone viewers have met. "What's interesting is I'm not creating a host of new characters," he said. "I have a lot of characters that people really love that we're going to make sure are all honored. No one's going to be left behind."
While also confirming Luke and Leia will have key roles to play going forward, Trevorrow says his film "is something that needs to honour a story that's been told over a period of 40 years. I don't want to ignore any of it, and I respect all of it. It's something I think the fan base is going to embrace."
Fujifilm has announced three new cameras in its X series, known for their retro styling and impressive image quality (as well as their premium price).
Most affordable is the X70 (above), which fits a large 16-megapixel APS-C sensor (a size often found in DSLRs) into a compact body, with a super-flat 28mm-equivalent F/2.8 lens fixed to the front. There's no viewfinder, but there is a new tilting, touch-sensitive LCD. It comes in silver and black, like other Fuji cameras, and will cost $700.
For pros who still want a compact solution, the long-awaited X-Pro 2 combines a brand-new 24-megapixel sensor with an updated version of Fuji's famous "hybrid" viewfinder that switches between electronic and optical displays. There's a new autofocus system and the magnesium body is sealed against dust and moisture. You'll need to bring your own lens, though, which makes the $1,700 price even more daunting.
In between is the X-E2S, a revised version of the midrange X-E2 with updated focus and an electronic shutter. Perhaps the best new feature is the price: The original's $1,000 price has been dropped to $700, or you can pay the full grand to get a nice 18-55mm F2.8-4 zoom lens.
Last summer, neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley spent two months playing video games. For five days a week, he played Meditrain -- which involves meditation and was developed in collaboration with Zynga -- on his iPad, and another called Rhythmicity, which he developed with Mickey Hart, drummer for the Grateful Dead, and Rob Garza of Thievery Corporation.
"It's based on the hypothesis that our brain is a rhythmic machine," Gazzaley says. "If we become more rhythmic, we improve coherence between brain areas and see a benefit oncognition."
Gazzaley would also come into his laboratory at theUniversity of California San Francisco at 7.30am three times a week to play Body Brain Trainer, a game that trains physical and cognitive fitness using motion capture.
"This project is very different from anything I have ever engaged in before," Gazzaley says. "It is my own exploration of a unique neurological CrossFit programme, or what in the lab we refer to as the Neuroman project. It gives me a unique view of being a participant in one of our studies, the gamesthat I helped design and develop and, of course, an opportunity for me to see how many of my 46-year-old cognitive, physical and neural metrics I can push to a 20-year-old's level."
To track his progress, Gazzaley used MRI, EEG, stress tests, physical tests (from VO2 Max to vertical jump measurements), sleep tracking, saliva and blood analysis. The Neuroman project will not scientifically validate these games, but Gazzaley has ongoing randomised placebo-controlled, double-blinded studies that may. Gazzaley is also the co-founder of Akili Interactive, a Boston-based game company that developed Evo, a game that will soon start being clinically tested as part of the US Food and Drug Administration approval process on a clinical population of ADHD patients.
"We need to prove that this game has the same level of clinical efficacy as current pharmaceuticals," Gazzaley says.
That's his belief: in 2016, these games will be the first of a new class of fully digital medicine that can help us not only improve our brains but also treat conditions such as depression, traumatic brain injury, ADHD, dementia and autism.
At his Neuroscape laboratory, Gazzaley and his team not only design video games to activate and simulate specific brain networks but they also test them using a variety of measures: eye movement; EEG activity; skin responses; body movement; and heart rate variability.
"Brain performance data captured during gameplay is fed back into the game engine, so the game is adapted based on that information," Gazzaley says. "We also can take EEG data to guide transcranial stimulation of the brain.
"For 50 years, we've been trying to come up with drugs that improve cognition," Gazzaley says. "We don't have a single success story."
There are various reasons for such failure, he claims: chemical drugs can't target specific areas of the brain; they are not customised to the patient's genes; and they are open-loop, so they don't use feedback to determine if the goal has been achieved. Using video games, Gazzaley is designing a system to improve our brains that is personalised and closed-loop.
"For now, you take a pill, subjectively evaluate your own effects, go to the doctor several months later, and he makes a decision on the spot based on no empirical datawhatsoever," Gazzaley says. "It's very sloppy."
Twitter users will now be able to watch Periscope live streams straight from their feeds.
Starting on Tuesday, video cards will automatically play within Twitter's iOS app for iPhone and iPad. Tapping on this card will allow users to see the stream full screen, including comments and hearts from others -- although hearting or commenting on the stream will still have to be done within the Periscope app.
In a Medium post, Periscope describe the new feature as adding "a whole new dimension to Twitter".
"For broadcasters, this means you can reach the massive Twitter audience. And for everyone on Twitter, there’s now a richer experience in your home timeline, search results, and on anyone’s profile who’s shared a Periscope," it said.
Periscope CEO and co-founder Kayvon Beykpour describedthe integration as "offering a new way to experience the world".
Periscope has been widely seen as failing to replicate the success of fellow Twitter-owned video app Vine, which has a relatively vibrant community both within Twitter and as a standalone community. Conversely, big Periscope hits such as the #DrummondPuddleWatch, which saw more than 500,000 people watching a livestream of a puddle, have been few and far between. Periscope reached 10 million users back in August and claimed to have 1.9million daily users -- far fewer than Vine, with 200 million monthly users, and Snapchat, which has over 100 million daily users.
The feature will roll out over the next few days on iOS, with Periscope promising to "roll out these features on all platforms as soon as they're ready".
The HTC Vive has -- like all virtual reality headsets -- had a long and drawn out birth. For months the headset has been touring around tech shows, video games expos and public arenas to demo its nascent capabilities, to people prepared to wait hours for the chance to stand in a 15-foot-squared booth and encounter a giant blue whale.
I myself have now done a version of this demo four separate times, including once for BBC Radio 5 Live while a producer attempted to hold a microphone close to my mouth while I waved around like an idiot. (Yes, dear reader, I accidentally punched him. And no, that clip did not make it to air.)
Every time I did the Vive demo I enjoyed it -- and the core experience of being able to move around convincingly in a 3D space was always entertaining. My memories of each demo are stronger than those for Sony, Oculus and Samsung's equivalents, perhaps for that exact reason. Tilt Brush, in particular, has always stood out -- this 3D painting application is the dream of 3D printing and graphics tablets completed and rolled into one experience, a transformative creative tool and always too short in my demos.
For all these wonderful, gradually improving glimpses at its tech were fun and enlightening demos, what HTC did not manage to do once in 2015 is convince many people, including me, that the headset was a genuine product.
This is not down to the company's failure to meet its deadlines, necessarily, or due to an inherent problem with the headset, the software or the core experience. The issue was, rather, twofold -- both mundane issues, to some extent, but important too.
The first was how the Vive kit would actually be setup in the home. Expensive PC and tethered headset aside, how would HTC make its required pair of laser-based 'trackers', which have to be placed on the walls of your home in order to draw the virtual 'play room' and track you inside it, be installed? Would this be the job of a technician? Will I need to book an appointment, or can I stick them up myself with a bit of sticky tape?
The second issue was larger -- and more or less boils down to whether the Vive would be dangerous to use without someone else in the room. Sitting at a desk with a VR helmet on is one thing -- and that will be possible with Vive, if you want -- but standing in a living room with tables, TVs, lamps and the occasional human being wandering past while simultaneously trying to direct a battle or fix a menacing robot is potentially another.
Fortunately, following a series of announcements made atCES in Las Vegas, it now appears that HTC appears to have solved both issues -- at least enough to make its announcement that pre-orders for the Vive will start on 29 February both much more welcome, and much more intriguing.
To the first point, HTC has introduced refined versions of its tracking lasers and its controllers, which look much simpler to setup and more forgiving of different spaces. HTC says users will be able to set up smaller virtual rooms or play areas if they choose, and will not need 15 feet squared of space in order to use the kit. Tracking of your hands is improved, with new wireless controllers that have a tracking ring above the hand, a dual-stage trigger controller and haptic feedback. All of this should mean that setting up the lasers and getting a consistent experience is relatively simple -- though exactly how many plugs, battery chargers or other infrastructure you will need is still something of a mystery.
It is in terms of safety and reassurance for wearers that HTC has made the most progress. The 'Pre' -- the second developer headset shown at CES, which is not quite the consumer version but which is said to be close -- now has a camera on the front of the kit which allows you to double press a button and replace your view with a blue world, featuring outlines of nearby objects and humans. The effect lets you see where nearby walls and boundaries are, without having to lift up the headset or interrupt your gameplay. You can also use a 'Chaperone' mode to see the full view of your surroundings.
In practice, the effect is powerful and a big relief for those who have at turns enjoyed and feared the boundary-less immersion of previous HTC headsets. It is possible, for instance, to find and sit down in a chair without assistance, all while wearing the Vive. Augmented reality games and experiences are also possible in the future, HTC said.
There are other improvements in the new Vive Pre kit too. The headset is smaller and more refined in design. The display is brighter and has increased "clarity" if not resolution. There is a system by which foam pieces will enable you to personalise the fit of your device, and each element seems consistent with each other -- together, the kit really does look like a finished product.
Except it's not -- and we don't even have a price for the final version, when it is finally released sometime in April (we hope). If the Vive is even more expensive that the Oculus Rift, and it seems likely it will be, consumers might react badly given the rough treatment Oculus CEO Palmer Luckey has been forced to endure after his own announcement of a £499 Rift. Then there is the high-end PC you'll need to use it. The barriers to entry are still high.
Well, well, well. It looks like Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are going 0 to 60 real quick, because a source tells that Miley is already talking marriage again. We have the scoop, here!
Miley Cyrus, 23, is so thrilled to be dating ex-fiance LiamHemsworth, 25, again that she’s actually aiming for marriage in 2016, See why she’s got a wedding on the brain so soon after their reconciliation, right here!
Miley is 100% back on board with her relationship with former fiance Liam. She’s so committed and happy that she would go so far as to tie the knot with the Hunger Games hunk! “She wants Liam back in her life full time, she’d love for 2016 to the the year they get married, “She’s been slowly working towards that for months.”
Patrick Schwarzenegger with leading her back into Liam’s arms. “In a way Patrick is the one she can thank for pushing them together,“Because when he cheated on her Liam stepped up to the plate to help her get through it. His support helped her cope with the way Patrick humiliated her and since then things have been inching along between them.”
However, while Miley realized that Liam is completely, without a doubt the one for her, Liam needed a little more time before he was comfortable going public. “Mileywould have been happy to jump right back in full time with Liam right then and there, but she knew she had to be patient and let him be the one to lead the way,” We’re so happy these two are back together, they’re meant for each other!
What do you think, Are you glad the couple has reconciled, or were they ebtter off apart? Share your thoughts below.
