Google rolls out latest Glass update, plenty for Explorers to play with

With every monthly update Google rolls out for its Glass device, the futuristic face-based gadget takes another step toward its commercial release.

The latest update, announced by the Mountain View company on Monday, will roll out to Glass-owning Explorers over the course of this week, and it appears there’ll be plenty more new stuff to play with.

For starters, there are new controls for Glass’s video feature, including tap-to-play, tap-to-pause, swipe-back-to-rewind, and swipe-forward-to-you-can-probably-guess.

A new feature many are likely to find useful is the ability to check something on your timeline during a video call. Simply swipe down to shift the call to the background before turning to the required Glass app. Doing this mutes the camera function until you return to it.

New contextual voice commands for navigation and the ability to add a caption by voice after taking a photo or video have also been introduced. A new “hashtag” voice command is set to make tagging simple, too.

The Web giant has also added Google Now cards for reservations and events, so you’ll (hopefully) never miss another date, appointment or meeting.

Glass’s growing third-party ecosystem gets a look-in too, with two new voice actions offered for Glassware apps Path and Evernote.

“You can now update your Path feed by saying ‘OK Glass, post an update,’” an entry on Google’s Glass support page explained. “Similarly, sending a note to Evernote is as easy as saying ‘OK Glass, take a note.’” Google is calling the new app functions “just the beginning”, promising more voice actions over time.

As you can see, this latest release is pretty meaty, and, like all the promised monthly updates Google’s been rolling out, helps to push the project closer to completion. Many expect Google’s augmented-reality gadget to hit the market some time in 2014, leaving at the very least four more software updates between now and then, each of which is set to enhance and refine a product which recently has really started to take shape.

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan). As far as electronics are concerned, he's in the right place, with the East Asian country continuing to produce a plethora of gadgets and gizmos for tech addicts around the world. When not writing for Digital Trends, Trevor can be found out and about taking far too many photos, or in front of his computer trying to sort them all out.

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Meet social media’s drug dealers, also known as ‘The Stupidest People On The Internet’

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Could you live without tech? You might have to

No matter where you stand on the NSA’s surveillance activities, one thing is not up for debate: To use the Internet is to be spied on to one degree or another, either by clandestine government agencies tasked with preventing terrorism or marketing companies looking to make a buck from your personal data.

If you don’t want to be watched, stop using the Internet – there is really no realistic alternative for the average person, and there won’t be unless some highly unlikely reform packages make their way through our gummed-up government.

The Internet and the gadgets that connect to it are now indispensable tools, for better and worse.

Of course, “stop using the Internet” is worthless advice – it’s neither desirable nor feasible, and I’m certainly not suggesting anyone would be better off taking that course of action, even if it were possible (which it’s not). Business, education, entertainment, and critical infrastructure networks all rely on an Internet connection to operate and survive. Even my 70-year-old father, who literally sells dirt for a living, must use the Internet on a regular basis. And nothing short of an asteroid hitting Earth or a supervolcano eruption is going to change that. The Internet and the gadgets that connect to it are now indispensable tools, for better and worse.

But it doesn’t take an international spying scandal to make clear that the high-tech tools on which we rely put us at a distinct disadvantage when things go wrong. Anyone whose cell phone battery has died – i.e. everyone – knows exactly what I’m talking about. As does anyone whose online accounts have been taken over by malicious hackers. In those rare instances, at least for a moment, days before the Internet – hell, days before electricity (as if any of us can remember such a time) – don’t seem so shabby.

All of this has led me to the conclusion that, while the Internet and smartphones are great, we are fools to rely upon them entirely, without having the skills, tools, and knowledge necessary to carry out a low-tech backup plan.

Take, for example, the tale of a pair of day hikers who recently got lost in an Oregon state park. As my colleague Molly McHugh tells it, the hikers were only able to escape the wilderness because of a number of helpful smartphone apps, including (of all things) Instagram, as well as Google Maps, Share My GPS Coordinates, and the flashlight app.

It doesn’t take a wild imagination to see how, as helpful as those apps may be, relying upon them as a backup plan in the off chance that you wander down the wrong trail is nothing short of idiotic. What would have happened if their batteries died before they found help? What if they didn’t have cell phone service? You can see where this is going. Of course, I would wager that the couple of lost hikers didn’t plan on getting lost, and didn’t think that they would need anything more than their smartphones if they did – regular old compasses are so 1990s, right?

Of course, you might say, any experienced hiker knows this, and would never find themselves deep in the forest without some fool-proof way to get out. And you’d be right. But that’s because it’s easy to plan ahead for being lost in the woods. You can anticipate the problems, and prepare accordingly. But what about situations that we aren’t ready for simply because they seem so unlikely that to prepare for them in advance might make you feel like you’ve turned into a paranoid freak?

If you plan on spending a day in the great outdoors, please, learn to use a regular old compass, and make sure to pack it for the trip.

I can think of two such instances in my own life. The first came on September 11, 2001. My brothers and I had gone surfing at Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York, on that fateful Tuesday morning. With hurricane Aaron floating off the Atlantic coast, the 12-foot waves pounded on the shore. Then, around 8am, we all know what happened. Within minutes, cell phones jammed. There was virtually no way to instantly communicate with anyone outside my immediate vicinity. The network, as it was, had failed.

The second example came a couple of years later, when the entire U.S. Northeast and parts of Ontario, Canada, experienced a massive blackout due to a software bug at the FirstEnergy Company in Ohio. Roughly 55 million people were without power – meaning no cell phone service, Internet, television, traffic lights, or air conditioning – for roughly 24 hours.

Just as getting lost in the woods is relatively unlikely, so too are these extreme cases of things gone wrong. And even the NSA spying scandal, which has so far led two trusted email service providers to shutter their doors over government requests for user data, is an extenuating circumstance. But these things do happen, and in a time when our reliance on networks and gadgetry is so high, the consequences of things going haywire – a power outage, terrorist attack, or cybersecurity meltdown – is just as significant. Should you base your entire life on things going wrong? No – but to not have a contingency backup plan in place is just as foolish.

So what does that mean? For businesses and governments, that answer is far too complicated for me to answer. For individuals, however, I can at least recommend having a plan in place for how to communicate with loved ones and employers. Keep you important files and documents stored in multiple locations, including at least one that has no direct connection to the Internet. And if you plan on spending a day in the great outdoors, please, learn to use a regular old compass, and make sure to pack it for the trip.

(Image via Shutterstock, all rights reserved.)

Staff Writer for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on the intersection of technology, law, politics, and policy. Prior to Digital Trends, Couts served as associate editor of TheWeek.com, executive editor of COEDMagazine.com, assistant editor of Maxim magazine, and writer/editorial assistant of Stuff magazine. In his few moments spent away from a computer, Couts can be found hiking with his dog, or blasting around on motorcycles. Twitter: @andrewcouts | Email: acouts@digitaltrends.com

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Feedly wants $5 to definitively replace your Google Reader – is it worth it?

Now that Google Reader is long gone (we miss you!), avid RSS junkies have been trying to find a new place to nest. Feedly has been one of the most-popular options amongst Google Reader refugees so far, with quick and easy merging of RSS feeds and a beautiful user interface that’s easy on the eyes. Most recently, though, Feedly introduced a paid version of the service, called Feedly Pro, which gives users a few more features for just $5 per month. It seems a bit strange to pay for an RSS reader after we’ve been using Google Reader for free for so long, but those extra couple of bucks might be a good investment. Let’s see what you’ll get for the price of your daily latte. 

Straight and simple, here are the features that you’ll get when you pay for Feedly Pro:

Search functionHTTPS capabilitiesEvernote integrationBetter customer serviceWe’ve been wondering why Feedly didn’t already have a search function, but it looks like the company will only be offering that convenience to paying subscribers. That was one thing that made Google Reader great; you could search and find older RSS items quickly and easily.

As for HTTPS, Feedly says that this will eventually come to free users at some point, and it’ll be “the first feature to go free when the next batch of Feedly Pro is available.” This means that if it’s secure browsing that you really want from Feedly, it’s probably best to wait it out until it becomes available for free users.

Evernote integration is probably one of the biggest paid features in the group. Details on how exactly the integration will work is still a mystery, but Feedly says that Pro users will be able to save a Feedly RSS item to any Evernote notebook with just one click. Of course, Feedly already offers a feature where you can save an item to read later on, but for those with strong ties to Evernote, this is a huge win.

Lastly, Feedly Pro users will be able to get their customer support requests answered in a timely fashion. Feedly is promising that Pro users will get bumped to the front of the line when they come to customer support with any problems. This is obviously a really nice perk, but it’s probably not something you’ll need to take advantage of regularly (we hope).

As for whether or not Feedly Pro is worth the cost, it’s really up to the user. If you use Evernote religiously, constantly search for past content, want a secure browsing experience, and love to be at the front of the line at customer service, then Feedly Pro is easily worth the $5 per month you’ll be paying.

However, chances are these four features don’t score the quadfecta for you, and you might only be interested in one or two of them. If that’s the case, you’re probably better off sticking with the free version of Feedly for now.

Feedly says that it’ll be “iterating and adding new features regularly,” but for starters, those four features are what users will get with their $5 per month. The service initially offered an early-bird special that allowed users to buy a lifetime subscription to Feedly Pro for $99, but that has since been “sold out.”

Furthermore, Feedly says that the next batch of features will actually be decided on by Feedly Pro users themselves, who will get to vote on what features they want to see next. While Feedly doesn’t mention this in its feature list for Feedly Pro, having the chance to have your voice heard about future Feedly Pro features might be worth the $5 per month.

Feedly Pro will only be available in the Web interface initially, but the company says that it will eventually make all Pro features available through the Feedly Cloud API, which means that the Feedly mobile apps will get the new features, as well as other cloud apps with Feedly integration.

As for the free version of Feedly, the company says that it’s still committed to it, and new free features will continually be added over time. According to the company, Feedly Pro makes the service “more sustainable and enables [faster innovation].”

So when can we expect Feedly Pro to officially launch? No exact timeline was given, but the company said the paid subscription model would launch “in a few weeks.”

Craig Lloyd is a freelance writer who's been writing and blogging since 2008. His love for technology goes back even further when he began tinkering with the family computer as a young, naive teenager. Aside from his deep and passionate love for writing and playing around with gadgetry, he enjoys watching and playing baseball, exercising, and getting his hands dirty with DIY projects.

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Woman credits Google Glass for proving “Paralysis doesn’t have to be paralyzing”

When Alex Blaszczuk heard earlier this year that Google was planning on handing out a pre-launch version of its revolutionary Glass device to thousands of individuals in a move to test and develop the product, she wanted in.

To have a chance of being offered the wearable computer, Google set up a contest requesting individuals to submit ideas with the hashtag #ifihadglass.

Alex, who’s been paralyzed from the chest down since a car accident two years ago, knew exactly what she wanted to say.

“I am a New Yorker, a law student, a quadriplegic. #ifihadglass I could finally capture my life on my own. I would show the world how to thrive with physical limitations in the most interesting city on the planet. With Glass, paralysis doesn’t have to be paralyzing.”

Suitably impressed, Google offered Alex the Explorer edition of its device.

The proud owner recently posted a short video (below) showing how Google’s gadget has, in just a short time, helped to open up many new possibilities in her life and rebuild the confidence she lost in the wake of the accident. As Alex herself says, Glass means she can “do things I thought I wouldn’t be able to do anymore.”

Introducing the video, Google writes on its its YouTube page: “Meet Alex Blaszczuk: Google Glass Explorer, law student, and owner of a 20lb cat. In the fall of 2011, a car accident en route to a celebratory camping trip left Alex paralyzed from the chest down, unable to use her hands. Last month, Alex finally made it camping and shared her story through Glass.”

In a piece written for the Alex Blaszczuk Trust website, Alex describes her experiences with Glass and how it might aid others with a disability.

“On our whirlwind camping trip, and beyond, I have used Glass to take pictures, record videos, find directions, search for facts, and dictate emails and text messages,” she says. “I also have several times affirmatively answered the absurd question ‘are you calling me from your glasses?’ For me, this is all much easier (or possible) only with the voice-activated, hands-free device.”

She explains that while Glass doesn’t “fix” a disability, “it is a more accessible tool for self-expression.”

“For communities that are often silent, hidden, marginalized – like that of people with disabilities – these kinds of tools are essential. The more we enable people with disabilities to share their stories and passions, the more they become people, rather than tragic or heroic stereotypes.”

Alex’s account of her early experiences with Glass shows how for people in her situation the device could turn out to be of huge benefit, helping to restore independence and boost confidence. While the gadget is still viewed with a raised eyebrow in some quarters, her inspiring story indicates there could be much to look forward to when Glass hits the market next year.

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan). As far as electronics are concerned, he's in the right place, with the East Asian country continuing to produce a plethora of gadgets and gizmos for tech addicts around the world. When not writing for Digital Trends, Trevor can be found out and about taking far too many photos, or in front of his computer trying to sort them all out.

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Stick it to the man! Phone unlocking skyrockets 70 percent since becoming illegal

If you really want to encourage someone to do something, make it forbidden. Going all the way back to the first stories in the Bible, this age-old theory has been proven time and again. Today’s forbidden fruit just happens to be smartphone unlocking. And since it became illegal earlier this year, phone unlocking has almost doubled in popularity. VentureBeat reports that phone unlocking is up as much as 71 percent by some counts.

The data comes from Darren Kingman, who works for a UK phone unlocking site called Mobile Unlocked, which helps people unlock their phones, an activity that is not so illicit in other areas of the world. Further proving that talking about, and illegalizing, unlocking has boosted its popularity, Kingman explained that his traffic has only increased in the United States.

“U.S. traffic was just eight percent of our site,” Kingman said. “The other 80-90 percent [of the world] has not seen a similar jump.”

Google search trends also show a solid increase in searches for “unlock a phone” since January.

Phone unlocking is the act of freeing your phone from restrictions put on it by mobile carriers. For example, if you purchased a phone from AT&T, that phone normally could likely work on other carriers like T-Mobile, but AT&T adds in code to the phone’s firmware that restricts you from running the device on other carriers. In October 2012, the Librarian of Congress eliminated the 2006 phone exemption to the Digital Millenium Copyright Act that made cell phone unlocking legal. So, beginning in January 2013, it became illegal to unlock your phone, because when you do, you are changing the “copyrighted” firmware of the phone. It’s a silly law, and there is a good bill that could fix things, but because of the Edward Snowden/NSA fallout, Congress appears too scared to tackle any tech legislation. The bill is still stuck in committee.

It could be some time before unlocking your phone is, once again, a legal activity. But, like anything banned that doesn’t seem wrong, it’s now that much more fun to give it a try.

As the Mobile Section Editor for Digital Trends, Jeffrey Van Camp is responsible for the content and direction of coverage on smartphones, tablets, e-readers, and other mobile gadgets and software. Jeff has been writing about tech, video games, and movies on the Web for more than a decade. Before joining DT, he spent several years working with mobile app/game developers and wireless carriers. You can reach him @JeffreyVC on Twitter or Facebook.

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Apple seeks to rid world of sketchy third-party chargers with $10 replacements

It’s never good when you read stories of dodgy phone chargers exploding, and as worrying as it is for us consumers, it’s just as much of a concern for smartphone manufacturers. Apple has decided to take a stand on the issue, and last week offered those in the U.S. the chance to pop into an Apple store from August 16, and they’d replace the iPhone, iPad, or iPod third party charger for an official one.

The deal is this: Take your nasty, potential death trap third party charger to a Genius, hand over $10, and you’ll get a shiny, official Apple USB charger in return. One which almost certainly won’t cause your face to burn off, thanks to Apple’s safety testing. If you don’t have an Apple store nearby, Apple authorized service providers offer the same thing. Apple usually charges $19 for its USB power adapters, so the offer provides a decent discount, and should certainly match the price you would pay for an unofficial charger.

When Apple initially announced the scheme, it was only applicable to those in the U.S., however today, it has updated the page to include several other countries. Now, those in the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and China can do the same thing. In the UK, it’ll cost £10, in Europe 10 Euros, $14 in Australia, $11 in Canada, 68 Yuan in China, and 1000 Yen in Japan. The scheme operates from August 16 to October 18 everywhere except China, where it began on August 9.

Stories of batteries exploding, chargers malfunctioning with shocking (sorry) consequences, and even the threat of malware being spread by using other chargers have been appearing regularly this year, and while we’re sure Apple is concerned for our safety, it’s also concerned about any impact they may have on sales. Regardless of its motivation, we’re pleased to see the introduction of its replacement scheme, and would urge anyone using a third party charger to take advantage of it, even if in reality the likelihood of an accident is quite low.

Andy's fascination with mobile tech began in the 90s, at a time when SMS messages were considered cutting edge, but it would be a decade before he would put finger-to-keyboard as a technology writer. In the interim he wrote about travel, formulated strong opinions about films and owned a series of audacious cars.

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New subscription service delivers retro arcade machines to your door

Detailed by Bloomberg Businessweek recently, a San Francisco based rental company called All You Can Arcade will deliver a massive arcade machine to your home for a rental period of one month. Starting at $75 per month, customers of the service can rent games like Tron, Galaga, Pole Position, Missile Command, Ms. Pac Man, Donkey Kong and many others month after month. All of the coin slots on the machines have been disabled, thus anyone can play for free. There’s no delivery charge for receiving one of the machines, so users can swap out their game each month if they wish.

While the current generation of video game consoles dominate the home theater, All You Can Arcade likely attracts customers that grew up with these machines in arcades throughout the 1980's. In addition, it’s an attractive option for businesses that want to provide a bit of entertainment in the company breakroom. 

According to company co-founder Seth Peterson, the company utilizes the Web to locate old machines that can be refurbished and rented out to customers. Regarding sources for the machines, Peterson said “It’s a lot of fun looking for the bargains, scoring them off Craigslist or eBay or through the Internet forums. Anywhere we can find them.” If the game stops working while rented, a technician is sent out to repair the machine. However, the customer is responsible for any abuse of machines and a $75 deposit is required before the machine can be delivered.

The company is usually able to purchase each arcade machine between $150 to $200, thus getting a return on their initial investment only requires a few monthly rentals. At the moment, All You Can Arcade currently operates all over California, but management is considering expanding to the East Coast at some point in the future. Residents of California can check the company site in order to view available arcade machines in their area.

By day, I'm the content manager for Steve's Digicams, High-Def Digest and Audio Video Revolution. During my free time, I love to write about home theater, digital photography, social media, mobile technology and innovative gadgets!

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The PS4 will lose money at launch, but don’t blame the hardware, blame the yen

In order to ease the concerns of investors worried about the strengthening dollar compared to the yen and what that means for Sony’s profits, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House claimed that the expected losses from the launch of the PlayStation 4 will be nothing like those of the PlayStation 3. According to a report from Bloomberg, Sony initially planned for the gaming division to break even this year, but currency fluctuations have shifted expectations for the worse. The losses will still be minor compared to the last console launch though. 

The PS3 launched in 2006, and each unit sold was sold at a loss. The exact amount each unit lost is difficult to estimate, but it took over three and a half years before the console began to make Sony a profit. Some of that was the cost of the components, while some of it was the associated research and development costs. The PS4 won’t face those same issues.

With the exception of Nintendo, it is conventional wisdom that console manufacturers will take a loss on each unit sold, at least at launch. Manufacturing new hardware is expensive, from crafting the components that are often custom made, to the research expenses. The PS4 is likely to sell at a loss initially, but it is expected to be a very small one, as most of the costs leading up the manufacturing of the new system were much lower than the last time. 

“We will not generate anything like the losses we did for the PlayStation 3,” House told investors.

Sony’s CFO, Masaru Kato went on to explain that because the PS4 is using a design that utilizes standard PC chips rather than expensive custom components the PS3 used for its Cell processor, the cost is “much, much smaller.”

The biggest issue facing Sony’s game division this year will actually be the weakening yen and the U.S. dollar, which is increasing in value and is expected to continue to increase through March. Over the last few years, Sony has paid suppliers with the dollar instead of the yen, which was until recently much stronger. As the two currencies get closer in value, Sony’s profit margin changed to match, causing the predictions to shrink as well.

Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering local news, travel features, and politics. He has also been a frequent guest on podcasts, radio programs, and TV spots. Ryan is a diehard gamer and follower of the gaming industry, an avid filmgoer, and a passionate supporter of his alma mater, the University of Kansas. Find Ryan online at: Facebook: www.Facebook.com/RyanFlemingPDX Twitter: @RyanFlemingPDX XBL: Iridium Six PSN: IridiumSix

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Is Soundhalo a Spotify killer or just a concert-goer buzzkill?

All Barry Palmer’s son Declan wanted to do was share a moment from a live concert with his dad. But he didn’t just want your run-of-the-mill iPhone footage; he wanted great video. He wanted high quality sound – he wanted it to be like his dad was actually there, experiencing the concert. The lights, the screaming, the musicians faces, the whole package. 

“Having struggled to share even half decent mobile phone footage of the concert, Declan imagined an app that would allow sharing HD quality videos in real time,” explains Palmer, an indie label music executive who is the CEO and co-founder of a service that aims to do exactly that: Soundhalo. Palmer employs an in-house production team that captures professional quality sound and video from concerts and provides them in a shareable format to fans. 

Soundhalo is trying to create a whole new catalog of unique, live experiences.

But maybe you already know Soundhalo as the service that Thom Yorke endorses. The Radiohead front man recently put Spotify in the spotlight by yanking tracks from his latest project, Atoms for Peace (as well as much of his solo work), from the streaming service. The choice prompted plenty of discussion about the economics of music streaming services and whether or not they can help artists or will only encourage a race to the bottom in terms of what musicians can make. 

This was followed by a rather surprising twist when Yorke and Atoms for Peace announced a partnership with Soundhalo. While Soundhalo says the deal was in the works before Yorke’s Spotify tirade, the announcement did make Yorke’s actions seem pretty PR stunt-like. So, what is it about Palmer’s digital music service that satisfies a streaming skeptic like Yorke? 

The main thing is the most obvious one: there’s no streaming. On Soundhalo, you pay for what you consume – around $1.60 per song or $16 for an entire concert – as opposed to a Spotify-style payment plan that gives you all you can eat, commercial free, for a flat monthly fee. Also, Soundhalo isn’t trying to license every track ever recorded the way Spotify does; it’s trying to create a whole new catalog of unique, live experiences. Soundhalo’s production team records video and audio from a concert that is then mixed and mastered by their “world class mastering engineers.” Then, this content is made available for users to download online almost immediately after the concert is over – as Soundhalo tells it, “just moments after the last note rings out on stage.”

Once you’ve purchased Soundhalo songs, they’re yours to store and sync however you want (they offer cloud storage if you don’t want to lose space by downloading), and the content is all shareable. You can Facebook it, tweet a link, whatever – you can even email the file itself to a friend.

Clearly, Spotify – or Rdio, iTunes, Google Music, whatever – Soundhalo is not. While “traditional” digital music services provide some live music, it’s limited; selection is limited by what the record labels have in their catalogs (and which of those the services can get rights to), and the offering itself is limited to sound and sound alone. Soundhalo looks to create the next best thing to attending a concert yourself – not just hearing a concert but seeing it, too, all in the highest quality format possible. 

It’s difficult to know how big a draw the live music gambit it, since none of the established services provide metrics on how popular their live offerings are. But there are some interesting things we do know: For starters, while album sales have dropped thanks to the digital music evolution, there’s been an increased demand for concerts. You could argue that, as our access to music increases, our interest in paying for the real deal – the live concert – increases, too.

Consumer interest in only one part of the equation; there’s also consumer behavior

And maybe that means Soundhalo is on to something. If we’re willing to pay for the ticket, maybe we’re willing to pay for the download, too. There’s something to be said for “the next best thing,” and this next best thing comes at a fraction of the cost of a concert ticket and gives you much more dynamic content than the audio of a live recording you’re listening to on Spotify or downloading from iTunes. There’s also information suggesting that the digital concert experience is something that will only become more popular in the future.

In the ultimate irony, research conducted in part by Spoitfy determined that live music events are leading to increased illegal downloads. “Our analysis uncovered some examples of torrents spiking immediately after festival performances,” says Spotify. “Festivals increase demand for artists’ music, [that] festival-goers mainly sample through unauthorized channels.”

But consumer interest is only one part of the equation; there’s also consumer behavior. The way Palmer talks about it, you’d think every concertgoer experiences the same frustrations as his son. “Put the phone down,” Palmer recently said about the tendency to self-document concerts. “We are on the cutting edge of the future. [Soundhalo] is about live videos straight from the stage direct to your smartphone.”

Yorke’s Atoms For Peace and Radiohead collaborator Nigel Godrich, for one, agrees: ”Part of the reason Soundhalo was interesting to me was that I found myself wondering why, whenever you go to a gig, the next day there are a million shaky, horrible sounding YouTube videos already online,” he said in a release. 

But this is where Soundhalo starts to sound potentially out of step with its own potential customers. The videos Godrich complains about are all over the internet because, by all accounts, we – the listeners – want them there. Apps focusing on documenting the live event and specifically the concert experience are coming out of the woodwork, and don’t appear to be going anywhere. Instagram, Vine, Viddy, they are a staple at every concert; they’re the reason for all those lit up screens thrust into the air throughout entire performances. They exploit one of the truest things we know people want to do with social media: Brag. Brag about our music choices, the fact we’re at a live event and an interesting place, that we’re experiencing something unique. (Much to Beyonce’s dismay.)

When Soundhalo is described as a “sharing” app, this isn’t sharing the way many people currently think of it, as it relates to their own concert-going experiences. Your friends aren’t recording and sharing the event with you, Soundhalo – and the artists it’s working with – is. And while you can share what they’ve created with your social circle, it’s not something you made or experienced in the narrative sense that drives so much of what we post to our various social channels. Does cutting out the “I was here and I did this” element in favor of super high quality sound and video sound awesome or awful to you,? Soundhalo needs the answer to be the former. 

Of course, before it ever gets an answer to that question, there’s lots to do. The app is still in beta and Soundhalo isn’t releasing details on the other artists it’s working with or how it intends to scale up what sounds like a pretty expensive production model to capture anything beyond a tiny number of concerts on any given day or week. Whatever happens, there’s about to be a whole new way to consume and share music digitally, which can only benefit us, the fans. Then again, ever since music went digital, hasn’t that always been the case?

Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey. She's a sucker for animated GIF blogs, hours-long Wikipedia hunts, road trips, YouTube binges, and the Portland Trail Blazers. Molly is a graduate of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications (go Ducks). You can find her on Twitter (@iammollymchugh) and Instagram (@mollygrams).

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Elon Musk’s Hyperloop would go 700 mph, do LA to San Fran in 30 minutes, and cost 20 bucks

On Monday, tech wunderkind Elon Musk, founder of Tesla Motors, SpaceX and a driving force at SolarCity, released a PDF  detailing his initial vision of the inner workings of the Hyperloop, a high-speed transportation system inspired by Musk’s disdain for a proposed ”high-speed” train line between Los Angeles and San Francisco that would cost tens of billions of dollars and go only 115 miles per hour.

Musk estimated the system could carry 7.4 million people a year at about $20 per one-way ticket. Yes, twenty dollars.

“How could it be that the home of Silicon Valley and JPL – doing incredible things like indexing all the world’s knowledge and putting rovers on Mars – would build a bullet train that is both one of the most expensive per mile and one of the slowest in the world?” he asks. Tell us how you really feel Elon. 

Called “Hyperloop Alpha,” Musk envisions a “fifth mode of transportation” (after planes, trains, automobiles, and boats) that travels up to 700 miles per hour and ferries passengers between California’s two major cities – incidentally, a commute Musk makes with some frequency – in just 30 minutes. Oh, and it could cost less than one tenth of what the proposed high speed train would cost. 

The Hyperloop is a (relatively) short distance high-speed transportation system consisting of a pair of enclosed tubes held above the ground on pylons. Inside, small capsules holding passengers would zip though the tubes at near the speed of sound. The tubes are joined at each end to form a “loop.”

According to the Alpha plans, most of the air would be pumped out of the tubes to decrease aerodynamic drag on the capsules but it would not operate in a vacuum, which Musk says is not practical, due to the engineering challenge of building a system completely free from any leaks at any time. Rather, Musk envisions a “low pressure” system with air pumps deployed to keep the pressure even throughout the system. 

The capsules would scoot through the tubes on Linear Induction Motors, which requires some explanation. If you’ve ever pushed two magnets together and felt them push away from each other, that’s the basic principle for levitating and making the capsules move. By amping up the magnetism with electricity and laying out a long line of magnets in the track and along the bottom of the capsules, the capsules can both be levitated and pushed along by the repulsive forces.

The capsules would ride on a magnetic track with rails – not wheels – on the capsules moving in slots to keep things stable, all pushed along by a periodic boost from the repulsing magnets. due to the log drag in the system, Musk said the electromagnetic lifting system would only need to “boost” the capsules every 70 miles or so – or about once a minute.

What would it be like to ride in the Hyperloop? Musk claims it would much like riding in a modern jet on a turbulence-free flight

With capsules traveling up to 700 miles per hour, pressure would naturally build up ahead of them. To deal with this challenge, Musk proposes compressor fans built into the front of the capsules, which would suck the high pressure air under the capsule to lift it and then expel it behind the capsule to help maintain velocity. The release of on-board compressed air would also help keep the capsules “flying” as it were. It’s an elegant solution to the otherwise energy-intensive problem of pushing air out of the way, as the air would serve to both stabilize and propel the capsules rather than stack up against them and slow them down.

Even though the air pressure in the tubes would be low, the capsules would move fast enough to somewhat “fly” along the inside of the tubes, lessening the amount of power need to lift them free of contact. The route would have to be pretty direct as tight turns are not in Hyperloop’s bag of tricks. Musk said any (very, very gradual) turns would not be felt by passengers.

The track tolerances would be tight but Musk says a “combination of the capsule control system and electromagnetic centering forces allows the capsule to safely enter, stay within, and exit such a precise gap.” Because at some point, the train must slow down pull into the station.

Another interesting bit: the Hyperloop tubes would rest atop huge pylons, but would not be fixed the way a freeway overpass is bonded to its supports. That way, if an earthquake hit, their ability to squirm about as the ground shook, coupled with 3-axis motion dampeners, would make the system more earthquake-proof than traditional infrastructure. 

SF to LA in 30 minutes? And for about $20 one way? That’s the vision laid down by Elon Musk for the ‘Hyperloop’ high-speed transportation system. The capsules would speed along de-pressurized tubes 100 feet off the ground, suspended by quake-resistant pylons.

What would it be like to ride in the Hyperloop? Musk claims it would much like riding in a modern jet on a turbulence-free flight; there would be no sensation of speed. Since the system is enclosed and elevated, the problems of weather, crossings, land use and malcontents putting things on the track are largely eliminated.

Electrical power for the seemingly sci-fi transport would come from solar panels mounted on the top of the Hyperloop’s twin tubes, although Musk said covering the entire length of the system would actually generate too much power. And at night or in poor sunlight, batteries similar to those used in his Model S electric cars could power the system and then charge up again by day.

This wouldn’t be some tubular Concorde for the well-heeled or wealthy. Musk estimated the system could carry 7.4 million people a year at about $20 per one-way ticket. Yes, twenty dollars.

Musk says unlike a regular rail system, the elevated Hyperloop could largely trace the established Interstate 5 corridor along the San Juaquin Valley. At 700mph, it would be faster than any current airliner.

The plan is not without caveats. Musk said the Hyperloop system is a better fit for shorter distances of 900 miles or less because supersonic transport aircraft would be more economical and faster over longer distances and of course, would not require an infrastructure of tubes. Presumably he’ll be making that available to the masses as soon as he’s done with Tesla. 

Musk said the ideal route for the Hyperloop would be along the relatively straight Interstate 5 corridor through California’s San Juaquin Valley down to Los Angeles. The pylons would be 100 feet high – or about eight-to-10 stories – which makes it likely that someone somewhere along the route would complain about the Hyperloop mucking up their view.

But Musk says any inconveniences of the Hyperloop pale in comparison to a “traditional” high-speed rail line which is subject to weather, is noisy, and takes up huge swaths of land. And, of course, there’s the massive cost of laying down not-even-best-in-class bullet train tracks, which partly got this Hyperloop feedback loop started.

Musk rails at the proposed price of the rail line, which he estimated would actually top $100 billion before completion and would essentially be out of date on arrival – if not before construction – and still fail to trump air travel in terms of cost or convenience. He estimates the SF to LA Hyperloop would cost $6 billion to complete. Even at twice that figure, it would be a bargain and a technical marvel that could lap (literally) the fastest existing trains in the world, which can’t even sniff at 400 mph. 

Musk says he wants the Hyperloop to be open-source so other smart people can improve it and add new ideas. In a press conference Monday, he essentially said he wants someone else to build it because, basically, he’s too busy now with Tesla and SpaceX. But the longer he talked about the project, the more he appeared to talk himself into being involved. “I’m tempted to at least make a demonstration prototype,” he said, before adding that he could be involved with the initial phases of the project. “I think I’ll probably end up doing that.”

Successfully building the Hyperloop on any scale near what Musk is proposing would leapfrog every other high-speed transportation system in the world and he claims it could be done in seven to 10 years time.

What do you think of the Hyperloop idea? Tell us in comments.

At Digital Trends, our focus is on both what's new and cool but also on the rapidly evolving technology powering modern cars and motorcycles. While I love performance machines, the new wave of EV and hybrid vehicles is an exciting focus for me. Follow me on Twitter: @BillRobersonDT

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Thinner iPad and Mini with Retina set to launch by year-end, report says

It’s that time of year again, folks, when “people familiar with the plans”, “unnamed sources in the supply chain who’ve been informed of the news”, and “those who know what’s going on but asked not to be identified for fear of a visit from shadowy figures in the small hours” start lobbing into the Apple-based rumor stew all sorts of scuttlebutt, with the words “thinner”, “lighter”, and even “bezel” usually found floating somewhere near the surface.

We’ve already heard from DT’s Jeffrey Van Camp on the very latest iPhone gossip, but the iPad and iPad Mini are also in line for a refresh, likely coming “in the final three months of this year”, a Bloomberg report said Monday.

Citing “people familiar with the matter” (there, I’ve said it now), the report said the fifth-iteration of the full-size iPad will have “a body that more closely resembles the current iPad Mini,” likely resulting in a thinner bezel (bezel!) than it has now.

In another report Monday, the Wall Street Journal suggests the 9.7-inch iPad will sport a thinner design, made possible with the use of a film-based touch panel (beneath the cover glass) like the one found on the iPad Mini, instead of the thicker and heavier glass-based touch panel currently used.

This would also contribute to making the device a little lighter, bringing the iPad’s weight back down toward that of the iPad 2. The Wi-Fi-only third- and fourth-generation iPads tip the scales at 1.44 pounds (652 g) whereas the iPad 2 comes in at 1.33 pounds (601 g).

Backlighting utilizing a single LED light bar instead of the two LED light bars used in the current iPad will also help toward a lighter design for the next iteration of Apple’s slate.

The 7.9-inch iPad Mini, meanwhile, will come equipped with Apple’s high-resolution Retina display, Bloomberg said. This seems even more likely in light of the recent launch of Google’s new 7-inch Nexus 7, a tablet with a crisp, super-sharp display that’s wowing many a user.

Some commentators have suggested executives at Apple fear an iPad Mini with a Retina display may serve to cannibalize sales of the more lucrative full-size iPad, but with consumers apparently rather taken by the smaller form factor, it may be the only way to go.

Let’s face it, if the Mini’s makeover leaves out a Retina display, potential buyers who were eagerly awaiting the update with wallet at the ready may just quietly close it and look elsewhere.

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan). As far as electronics are concerned, he's in the right place, with the East Asian country continuing to produce a plethora of gadgets and gizmos for tech addicts around the world. When not writing for Digital Trends, Trevor can be found out and about taking far too many photos, or in front of his computer trying to sort them all out.

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Rumor: LG is working on the Vu 3, could reveal all in September

LG’s next major smartphone release could be the successor to its Optimus Vu II smartphone/tablet hybrid, if the latest rumors prove to be correct. The news comes from Asia Economic, a Korean publication, where it’s claimed the Vu 3 will do battle with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 next month.

The Optimus Vu II never made it far outside LG’s home country, unlike the original Vu, which was rebranded the LG Intuition and launched on the Verizon network last September. It’s not clear what LG’s plans for the Vu 3 are yet, but as it has made an effort to release the newly announced LG G2 further afield, perhaps it will do the same with its phablet?

However, from the leaked spec, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between the two devices. The Vu 3’s screen is said to be increased in size to 5.2-inches, the same as the G2, but it’ll keep the same, slightly weird, 4:3 aspect ratio. The resolution could be increased to 1280 x 960, an improvement over the Intuition’s 1024 x 768 panel.

The good news is LG may use the Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor inside the Vu 3, the same chip found in the G2, and we’re guessing the same 13-megapixel camera too. The Korean report also notes the Vu 3 will connect to the country’s new LTE-Advanced network. As for the operating system, it’ll be Android, but whether it’ll be a repeat of the G2’s 4.2.2 or an upgrade to 4.3 probably won’t become known until the launch.

So when will this be? It’s rumored to be during the IFA Show in Berlin next month, which is certainly not a coincidence, as it’s where Samsung will launch the Galaxy Note 3. Judging by the leaks, the Note 3’s specs could soundly beat the Vu 3, so if LG is planning a wider release for it, the price had better be competitive.

Andy's fascination with mobile tech began in the 90s, at a time when SMS messages were considered cutting edge, but it would be a decade before he would put finger-to-keyboard as a technology writer. In the interim he wrote about travel, formulated strong opinions about films and owned a series of audacious cars.

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From ‘F.E.A.R.’ to ‘Betrayer’: Coloring colonial America in black & white

Mystery is the lifeblood of the grey-scale world that Blackpowder Games created for its debut effort, Betrayer. Spurts of red seep into the black & white spaces shown off in the game’s reveal trailer in much the same way that the plot’s secrets are revealed gradually, as you explore deeper. The premise: it is 1604 and you are a shipwreck survivor bound for a Virginia colony that turns out to be deserted when you arrive. It quickly becomes clear that something dreadful happened here, and you’re left to find out what.

Craig Hubbard, Blackpowder Games

The Blackpowder team is small enough that titles aren’t important, but de facto creative director Craig Hubbard – lead designer on the original F.E.A.R. and No One Lives Forever - admits that the push for a colonial America setting came from him. “It was a fairly organic process,” he tells Digital Trends of the studio’s first steps toward Betrayer. “I wanted to make a game set in this era. I’ve wanted to for a long time and I could never do it at a big publisher.”

Hubbard cites a literary inspiration for the setting: Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe series, which charts the experiences of British army man Richard Sharpe during the 19th century. “I don’t remember how many years ago, but I read Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe series… which is set during the Napoleonic wars. That made me want to make a game with muskets,” Hubbard says. “As soon as we got this opportunity, I really wanted to get muskets into a game. Then of course the other weapons are really fun too; I really like bows in games, and I like throwing things at enemies, so getting tomahawks in there was a blast.”

It’s not the action that sells Betrayer, but rather the striking black & white art style. There’s nothing quite like it out there in the wider gaming world. Platinum Games’ blood-soaked Wii exclusive MadWorld comes close, but Betrayer is much more sparing in its use of red. This isn’t the sort of action that spatters blood across your field of view; Blackpowder injects color to serve as more of an indicator, a guide to help you find your way through 19th century America’s forests and forts. If you see a flash red in the world, it’s something you ought to explore further.

“I wanted to make a game set in this era. I’ve wanted to for a long time and I could never do it at a big publisher.”

“We always wanted to have a unique look,” Hubbard says. “We went through a whole bunch of experimentation to try other approaches [and] what we found is: the more it got away from that really crushed, high-contrast look, the more it felt like a pretentious art choice as opposed to what it is, which is really about the experience. We even tried variations on the contrast with a light color wash, but it started feeling a little too summery, a little too pleasant. It didn’t fit the tone of the game, or the premise. This look actually dovetails perfectly with the premise.”

“We were originally thinking of something a little more storybook stylized,” Hubbard continues. “As I was doing some experiments, I found a photograph that I really liked and it was high contrast. I was playing around in [Unreal Development Kit], trying to get something similar. The way I test things is I usually go to the extremes. I’ll push it all the way to max and I’ll push it all the way to min, and then I’ll try to figure out what the range is and start working into the middle. So when I did that … it just totally crushed the scene down into almost like a 2D image.”

Hubbard compares the result that he got to Frank Frazetta’s (of Fire and Ice fame) black & white comic book work, something he’s a self-professed fan of. He realized as he played around with the look in UDK that he was on to something. The details that you lose using this more stylized look are automatically filled in by the player’s brain. “The Law of Closure describes how we can take little pieces of visual information and our brains are wired to interpret them into images,” Hubbard explains.

It’s like watching a motion-capture session during the recording process. The actor in the suit is is a flesh-and-blood human in the performance space, but he or she is rendered by the computer as a bunch of connect-the-dot points. Your eyes see dots on a screen, but your mind decodes and identifies it as a wireframe human form. Betrayer‘s look is similar; you don’t see every little detail, but the spaces and objects within them are laid out in such a way that you’re able to spatially orient yourself.

“It was that sort of sensation when you’re playing,” Hubbard says in reference to the Law of Closure. ”It takes a little bit of translation in your brain to sort out the environment, which is really engaging, but it’s also really tense. Especially when there’s dangerous enemies that can pop out of anywhere. Initially we were all a little bit nervous because it is very different from anything that’s out there, but it just felt so cool that we just had to do it.” 

“The tone is sort of action/adventure; there’s a fair amount of combat, but it’s not a blistering action game by any means. It’s more about exploration.”

There’s a very large world designed around this unique look. Hubbard compares the makeup of Betrayer‘s environments to GSC Game World’s S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games. The entire region is broken into smaller (but still large, and open) loading areas for you to explore. There are seven of these in all, plus an eighth introductory area. As you work your way through each one – occasionally backtracking with the help of a fast-travel feature – you slowly start to understand more of the mysterious circumstances that led to this colony being deserted.

“It’s not actually totally deserted,” Hubbard says. “There is a woman in a red cloak who is communicating with you by means of firing arrows with notes attached to them. You don’t know why she’s doing that, but it factors into the story.” Players will also find loot and other secrets hidden away, as well as spectral quest-givers and store chests – an admitted video game-y contrivance – where ammo and improved weapons can be purchased. That’s not the focus, however.

“The tone is sort of action/adventure; there’s a fair amount of combat, but it’s not a blistering action game by any means. It’s more about exploration,” Hubbard says. “The colony is deserted in the sense that there’s only this one other woman that you see, but you do encounter these wraith-like people that also seem to view you as something of a ghost. So you don’t know exactly what’s going on there. You’ll be able to interact with them, and as you discover clues about what happened and the various horrific crimes that have taken place in this area, you can talk to them about the evidence you find.”

Betrayer‘s planned Steam Early Access launch, set for August 14, 2013, serves up only a small chunk of the full experience. Just the introductory area and the first full environment, amounting to only a couple of hours of play. Hubbard promises a “very regular release” of new content after the initial launch. The piecemeal delivery is entirely a product of the team’s long-held appreciation for playtesting as well as a desire to ensure that the various bits and pieces of Betrayer work before too much effort is poured into the larger game.

“We’ve always been a very playtest-focused group,” Hubbard says, referring to the advantages of going with a Steam Early Access release.”N.O.L.F. 2 is when we really started getting into it. We really like refining a game by getting people to play it and seeing what works and what doesn’t. The more that we can do, the better.”

“We’re trying to make a game where we just sort of dump you on a beach and leave a bunch of clues for you and let you figure out what’s going on instead of hand-holding you through it. We don’t want to make a tour guide experience where we’re telling you everything you should do. It’s much more about discovery and exploration.”

Adam Rosenberg serves as Deputy Section Editor of Digital Trends' Gaming and Film channel. Previously, he worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends, Joystiq, G4, Official Xbox Magazine, MTV News, and Rolling Stone.

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Scientists invent skin-prodding laser device to tell you when you’ll die. Thanks, science.

People may often tell you to live as if you’ll die tomorrow, but that only makes sense if you are actually diagnosed with terminal illness and decide to quit your job to enjoy some last moments on earth. For everyone else, this concept just attempts to glorify YOLOing recklessly or justify that one night stand with the waitress from Hooter’s. No! Not okay! Unless you have a definite estimate on how much time you have left in life, there’s no reason to behave dangerously. To get that estimate, however, you might need to wear one of these “death test” watches to predict when you’re going to kick the bucket.

Created by physics professors Aneta Stefanovska and Peter McClintock from Lancaster University in England, the Endotheliometer is a watch-like device that can administer these so-called death tests. Using laser technology to evaluate your health conditions, the watch sends beams deep into the wearer’s skin to analyze tiny cells inside the ­capillaries and determine how the body is aging. 

“Everything that goes on in your cardiovascular system, whether you are going to have a stroke or heart attack, starts off as something going wrong in the endothelium,” Stefanovska said. By testing the tissue under the skin, doctors will be able to see early signs of diseases, such as cancer, coronary heart disease, or dementia. Using the data gathered from these laser beams, cell functions are rated between 0 to 100 based on optimal levels. This number is then used to calculate the person’s remaining life span.

“I’m hoping we will build a database that will become larger and larger, so every person measured can be compared against it,” Stefanovska said. “We will then be in a position to tell them the values [that] predict a certain number of years.”

The prototype is currently described as “bulky and experimental,” but the team says they are working to miniaturize the size to that of a wristwatch. They estimate the device to cost between £200 to £300 (approximately $310 to $464), and hope to have the product ready for market in the next three years. Just don’t die before then if you want to keep living on the edge, and maybe cut back on a few fried Oreos.

[Image via Flickr/LEOL30]

An avid gadgets and Internet culture enthusiast, Natt Garun spends her days bringing you the funniest, coolest, and strangest news in tech to make the information overload a bit more digestible. She joined Digital Trends as staff writer after spending five months in Hong Kong and formerly working as an assistant travel writer. Her published works can also be found on Business Insider and Gizmodo. Natt hails from S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University with a degree in magazine journalism. E-mail her at ngarun@digitaltrends.com or tweet her @nattgarun.

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Twitch sets records with eSports, and one team takes home over $1.4 million in prizes

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that eSports are just a minor, niche attraction. You can’t walk in to a bar, strike up a conversation at random, and hope for a good chance of having a knowledgeable conversation with a stranger about eSports like you would a traditional sport. But if the numbers coming out of Twitch from over the weekend are an indication, give it time.

This weekend was packed with eSports competitions. The Pokemon World Championship was held, along with the European Gaming League’s 10th event, focusing on Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Halo 4, and FIFA. The biggest draws, however, were the StarCraft II World Championship Series Season 2 Regional Finals, and especially The International DotA 2 Championships.

Together the various events contributed to a record-breaking day for Twitch, the online streaming platform that plays host to most eSports competition. On Sunday alone, the site registered 4.5 million unique viewers, for a total of more than 550 million minutes watched, and an average of over two hours per viewer.

Of the various competitions, the DotA 2 Championship was the biggest pull. With a $1.4 million championship purse and over $2.8 million in total prizes on the line, the stakes for the DotA 2 competitors were insane. In the end, the winners were the five man Swedish group, Alliance, who managed an impressive come from behind victory over team Natus Vincere, aka Na’Vi.

Next up will be the various competitions coming out of Gamescom August 21-25, including the StarCraft II finals and more.

Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering local news, travel features, and politics. He has also been a frequent guest on podcasts, radio programs, and TV spots. Ryan is a diehard gamer and follower of the gaming industry, an avid filmgoer, and a passionate supporter of his alma mater, the University of Kansas. Find Ryan online at: Facebook: www.Facebook.com/RyanFlemingPDX Twitter: @RyanFlemingPDX XBL: Iridium Six PSN: IridiumSix

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Motorized ‘For Rent’ sign stalks pedestrians until they give it some love

In a world filled with advertisements, most consumers do their best to avoid and block out blatant signs, ads, billboards, and commercials – especially if they’re hurrying elsewhere. So it’s no surprise that if you are the one posting an ad yourself, it could be hard to make these signs stand out and grab the attention of the ever-so-busy pedestrian typing away on their smartphones. One designer in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, however, has some tricks up his sleeve. If people aren’t going to pay attention to the world around them, he’ll make the big bold signs stalk them until they notice.

“Sherbrooke’s downtown has many abandoned shop fronts. My installation was set up in one of them,” Niklas Roy explained. “And as nobody likes to stroll in roads with empty shop windows, I wanted to do this retail space a favour and help it to find a new tenant who can care about it.”

Instead of a generic, stagnant “For Rent” sign, Roy installed a surveillance camera that tracked a passerby’s walking direction. As the camera is able to calculate the trajectory, the sign moves along a motorized track to follow the pedestrian. Basically, the sign stalks the person until they give it some attention, which is admittedly kind of creepy but also pretty innovative. At least the signs won’t talk and badger you into putting your email down for a listserv (I’m looking at you, clipboard people).

Though there are no reports of whether the trick helped sell any real estate, the project is a novel way to draw attention to widely-used business signs that are often overlooked. It’s too bad for the pedestrians passing by who just wanted to look in the mirror for a reflection of themselves. Admit it, how many times have you glanced at a storefront with a giant window to check yourself out?

An avid gadgets and Internet culture enthusiast, Natt Garun spends her days bringing you the funniest, coolest, and strangest news in tech to make the information overload a bit more digestible. She joined Digital Trends as staff writer after spending five months in Hong Kong and formerly working as an assistant travel writer. Her published works can also be found on Business Insider and Gizmodo. Natt hails from S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University with a degree in magazine journalism. E-mail her at ngarun@digitaltrends.com or tweet her @nattgarun.

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Study says your Facebook friends hate you and your stupid photo uploads

We all have that overactive Facebook friend who just cannot stop it with the status updates, whether it’s in the form of a photo of their latest kitchen experiment, a detailed account of their date with a significant other, or their penchant for liking every single thing you have ever posted, regardless of topic or relevance. The fact that your feed is still plagued by this noise definitely contributes to the site’s information algorithm problem and your dwindling peace of mind, but there are other issues that could have an even bigger effect, not just online: Recent research claims that users who are trigger-happy with the photo upload and share buttons on the site and use them a little too regularly not only cause their friends to ignore their posts, but risk losing them altogether. 

It’s not just the act of posting photos on Facebook that inadvertently alienates your contacts – according to the study performed by University of Birmingham, the University of the West of England, the University of Edinburgh, and Heriot-Watt University, the amount of photos you upload and the subject or theme of the photo albums you share have a direct impact on the relationships you have with your contacts on the social network. To test this theory, the proponents evaluated their test subjects through a two-part analysis. The first part involved asking over 30 Facebook users with a wide range of ages to identify the type of photos shared on their Facebook, which enabled the researchers to determine that photos typically shared on the social network can be classified under the following categories: self, friend, event, family, scene, object, and animal.

The second part involved five control groups with different relationship types: Relative, partner, close friend, colleague, and general Facebook friend. Over 500 Facebook users were assigned their control group and asked to rate the quality of their relationships with a friend they can associate with their assigned relationship type, with the ratings based on the amount of support and intimacy they share. “It’s worth remembering that the information we post to our ‘friends’ on Facebook, actually gets viewed by lots of different categories of people: Partners; friends; family; colleagues and acquaintances; and each group seems to take a different view of the information shared,” lead researcher and author Dr. David Houghton said, according to a report on the study. “Our research found that those who frequently post photographs on Facebook risk damaging real-life relationships. This is because people, other than very close friends and relatives, don’t seem to relate well to those who constantly share photos of themselves.”

In a nutshell, here’s what the study found based on both levels of support and intimacy:

Older users, across all relationship types, care less about your photos than your younger friends do. This is true, no matter how frequently you post photos on the social network.Female pals tend to care more for your picture posts than your male friends do.General acquaintances, despite being filed under the Facebook category that effectively minimizes their appearance on your News Feed, care more for you than your colleagues do. This makes sense – you really shouldn’t mix your personal with your professional life, anyway (unless you work with your bestie – that’s the only exception).The only people who get a kick out of your selfies and your family photos are your partners, relatives, and closest friends. Even then, too many selfies ultimately bum people out, whatever their relationship is to you.Apparently, over-sharing photos can spark jealousy: Close friends and partners who post photos of their other friends experience lower levels of intimacy.

What does this all mean? To avoid unwarranted unfriending, consider utilizing Facebook’s friend list feature, like, right now. That way, the next time you post an album of vacation photos, you know to limit access to your significant other, your next of kin, and your inner circle of friends (you know, those friends who can write your biography for you).

Next, be sensitive to your Facebook friends – don’t torture your close friends with too many photos of you and your other friends. Spare them the agony of seeing your canoodling with your beau every frickin’ weekend and keep that for your private enjoyment. If you really have to, limit your post to one picture. Having said that, if the photos you are about to share are meant for people like the person you are living with or the pals you hang out with on a regular basis, opt to show them the photos in person versus uploading them online. There’s nothing worse than this scenario:

You: Hey, did you see that photo/link I shared on my Timeline?
Significant Other: No. Why don’t you just show me/tell me about it now?
Y: But… I already shared it! Just check it out on Facebook.
S.O.: Ugh… do I have to?

Oh, and for the love of social media and all your friends online, spare us from too many selfies – save them for Sundays.

When she's not busy watching movies and TV shows or traveling to new places, Jam is probably on Facebook. Or Twitter. Or Instagram. Her other interests include board games, good food, and Jason Mraz. You can get to know her more through Twitter (@MrazGal), Instagram (@thatgaljam), or jamkotenko.com, which she's trying to update more.

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Rumor: Galaxy Note 3 to feature 5.68-inch screen, Android 4.3, and 3GB of RAM

We’re now less than a month away from seeing the Galaxy Note 3 revealed, a fact confirmed by Samsung’s less than subtle, “Note the date” event invitation, and the latest leak gives us the most complete picture of its specs yet. The information comes from the SamMobile blog, a serial leaker of Samsung secrets, and clarifies much of what we already suspected.

This version of the big-screen device, which essentially created the phablet genre, will be Samsung’s third and seemingly largest yet. The screen, according to this leak, could measure 5.68-inches and have a 1080p resolution. This would give the screen a pixel density of around 380, slightly lower than the Galaxy S4’s excellent 441ppi.

Powering at least some Note 3 phones could be Samsung’s eight-core Exynos 5 Octa, but not the old version seen in international S4 devices. According to the leaked spec list, it’ll be the Exynos 5 Octa 5420, the revised version announced in July. The clock speed is up to 1.8GHz for the primary cores, while the secondary cores now run at 1.3GHz, plus there’s a new graphics core onboard. Despite all this, it’s not known if the eight-core Note 3 will be sold everywhere, or if most markets will end up with an alternative, presumably the quad-core Snapdragon 800 chip.

It’s also written the Note 3 will have 3GB of RAM. While 2GB is common on high end smartphones this year, we’ve yet to see a phone with 3GB. However, Samsung announced at the end of July it had started mass production of low power, 3GB LPDDR3 RAM for mobile, and devices using it would appear during the second half of 2013.

The Note 3 could be one of the first devices to come with Android 4.3 installed from the factory too. Not only is this mentioned by SamMobile’s anonymous industry source, but a phone with the model number SM-N900 (believed to be the Note 3) undergoing certification by the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) also lists the device as having Android 4.3 onboard.

Finally, like the Galaxy S4, expect a 13-megapixel camera, a choice of 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of storage memory, and 4G LTE connectivity. To power all this, the battery may have a capacity of 3200mAh, slightly up from the 3100mAh cell in the Note 2.

We’ll find out if all this is correct on September 4.

Andy's fascination with mobile tech began in the 90s, at a time when SMS messages were considered cutting edge, but it would be a decade before he would put finger-to-keyboard as a technology writer. In the interim he wrote about travel, formulated strong opinions about films and owned a series of audacious cars.

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Can a Grumpy Cat make you LOL if it’s an APNG and not a GIF?

If you thought animated GIFs were all the rage, there’s a new animated image standard in town: APNG. Currently being funded on KickStarter, developer Rei Kagetsuki is building a tool that will make replacing animated GIFs with animated PNGs a breeze. The goal is to help APNGs become the standard for moving images, surpassing the GIF we all love and know so well today. 

“Essentially APNG is like a much better animated GIF,” Kagetsuki says on his Kickstarter page. “A large problem hindering widespread use is the lack of tools to create APNG.” Kagetsuki’s plan is to take the leading APNG conversion tool, called apngasm, and turn it into a conversion library and a full graphics editor. 

So what’s so great about an APNG? The short answer is: image quality. The animated PNG files can support 24-bit images and 8-bit transparency, which aren’t available for GIFs. “Animated PNG, a high quality animated image format complete with full alpha channel and graceful degradation has been available and usable since 2004,” Kagetsuki said. According to Hot Hardware, APNG support is already built into Firefox and Opera, and there’s a Chrome extension that can be downloaded. 

APNGs give you cleaner, brighter, vivid images with cleaner edges and transparency. As you can see in the demo here (check out Demos 4 and 5, and make sure to open the link in Firefox), the APNG version looks smoother because it has more frames, allowing it to run fluidly on an array of backgrounds. 

Kagetsuki describes APNG as a “rebel format,” and a “rogue standard” that is continuing to see widespread implementation. At the time of publication, this project had already received $4,340 out of its $5,000 goal with 27 days to go, so it seems that APNG standardization is something people are indeed interested in. Soon, we’ll be arguing about how to pronounce APNG instead of how to pronounce GIF. 

Jennifer Bergen is the Computing Section Editor at Digital Trends and is in charge of all things laptops, desktops, and their accessories – be they functional or downright silly. She has worked for PCMag, Geek.com, ZDNet, ConsumerSearch, Popular Science, and Good Housekeeping. Hailing from Boulder, Colorado, where she got a degree in News Editorial journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Jennifer traded in the mountains for the skyscrapers of New York City. She was a DJ for three years at her college radio station and continues spinning records in Brooklyn at Monday Night Vinyl Club. You can follow her on Twitter at @jennybergen.

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Tesla fights to replace analog rear-view mirrors with video cameras

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Security concerns: Norway blocks Apple from gathering 3D Flyover imagery of capital city

Ever since the disastrous launch almost a year ago of the Apple Maps software – software that was so obviously not ready CEO Tim Cook felt compelled to issue a letter of apology to users – the company has been quietly beavering away to make it better, rolling out incremental updates to no fanfare (though I guess a fanfare of any sort would be somewhat inappropriate), hiring so-called ‘ground truth managers’, and so on.

However, its bid to beef up the Flyover element of its app, which offers 3D aerial images of a location, has hit a snag – in Norway, at least.

In an effort to maintain control over data relating to government buildings and installations, the nation’s National Security Authority is refusing to let the Cupertino company gather 3D imagery of capital city Oslo from the sky.

Security in the European nation has tightened considerably since 2011 when Anders Breivik exploded a bomb outside government offices in Oslo before going on to shoot dead nearly 70 people at a youth camp.

According to Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, a special license is required by those wanting to fly over the city to gather imagery. However, satellite imagery – used by Google, Apple and others – is not covered by the ban.

In an interesting development, Apple is said to be working with the US Embassy in Norway in an effort to find a solution. Representatives from the embassy are said to be liaising with Oslo mayor Fabian Stang, who in turn has asked defense minister Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen to look at Apple’s application again, pointing out that the tech giant has so far encountered no such issues with other Western governments.

While failure to obtain Oslo Flyover imagery for its Maps app won’t see Tim Cook booted out and Apple brought to its knees, the company nevertheless wants to offer a complete set of data for users, and so will no doubt be hoping the Norwegian authorities relent. One obvious solution is to reach agreement with the government as to precisely which buildings can and can not be included, a deal which would still see the vast majority majority of the city appear on Apple Maps in all its 3D glory.

[Source: BBC/9to5Mac]

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan). As far as electronics are concerned, he's in the right place, with the East Asian country continuing to produce a plethora of gadgets and gizmos for tech addicts around the world. When not writing for Digital Trends, Trevor can be found out and about taking far too many photos, or in front of his computer trying to sort them all out.

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BlackBerry’s new 9720 will run old OS, won’t change its financial situation

BlackBerry has announced a new smartphone, the BlackBerry 9720, which runs the older BlackBerry OS 7.1 software. If you’re wondering why BlackBerry’s releasing another OS 7 device, when BlackBerry 10 is supposed to be the software which will save the company, it’s because OS 7 is still outselling BB10 hardware.

Going where the interest is seems like a sensible strategy, but the 9720 isn’t going to be setting any pulses racing at all. It looks like every other QWERTY equipped BlackBerry phone, and has a 2.8-inch, 480 x 360 pixel resolution screen, making it less exciting than the Q5. It will, however, probably be cheaper, and therefore could steal even more sales from the newcomer.

A basic 806Mhz processor drives the BlackBerry OS 7.1 software, and is assisted by 512MB of RAM. The phone has 512MB of storage space to store literally dozens of songs or apps, plus a microSD card slot to make life a little easier. A 5-megapixel camera sits on the rear panel, along with a LED flash, plus the 9720 has Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi, 3G HSPA connectivity, a 1450mAh battery, and weighs 120 grams.

It’s going to come in several different colors, including pink, white and purple, plus there is a dedicated BBM key on the side of the phone. You know, ready for when all your friends have the BBM app installed on their Android and iOS devices. The BlackBerry 9720 will go on sale in the next few weeks, and it’s initially coming to Asia, Latin America, parts of Europe including the UK, Africa, and the Middle East. The price hasn’t been confirmed, but we doubt it’ll break the bank.

If we sound harsh or disinterested, it’s because we want more from BlackBerry, not yet another Curve-alike; particularly as its launch follows the company’s decision to pursue alternative options to turn the company’s fortunes around. The BlackBerry Z30 is perhaps that device, but it’s going to have to turn up soon if it’s to have much of a chance.

Andy's fascination with mobile tech began in the 90s, at a time when SMS messages were considered cutting edge, but it would be a decade before he would put finger-to-keyboard as a technology writer. In the interim he wrote about travel, formulated strong opinions about films and owned a series of audacious cars.

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New images of Sony ‘lens camera’ surface, show how it’d play with smartphones

Well, would you look at that: Sony’s “lens camera” could be a real thing, after all. Last month, Sony Alpha Rumors reported that Sony is working on a high-end smartphone accessory that would add a camera-with-lens to the back of a mobile device. Although SAR claimed the information came from “two trusted sources,” the accompanying blurry image was a bit hard to believe. It raised many eyebrows, ours included – although we didn’t doubt such a product could exist, we had our reservations. However, the latest photos SAR has posted could put a lot of our doubts to rest.

Now, there’s a small chance that this could still be a big elaborate hoax, but judging from the quality of the photos this time around, it’s very likely this product could be Sony’s next big announcement. If real, it’s a big score for SAR. (One of the images even shows what could be the rumored Sony “Honami” smartphone, a high-end device with a 20-megapixel camera.)

The information about the camera hasn’t changed much from the original rumor, however SAR has added some new important details. According to SAR, the “lens camera” is not one but two products, called the DSC-QX10 and DSC-QX100 (launch products of a new category called the QX). The QX100 will share the 20.2-megapixel, 1-inch sensor and Carl Zeiss lens as the RX100 Mark II. A second model won’t be as powerful with an 18-megapixel, 12.3-inch CMOS sensor and 10x, f/3.3-5.9 G zoom lens (same as the WX150), but will be more affordable and compact (from the image above, you’ll notice a zoom lever and what could be a shutter button). Both will have a Bionz processor and all the camera components inside the lens barrel, and will attach to a smartphone magnetically (we had wondered how this would be done). The cameras will work with Android and iOS, using the smartphone display as the LCD and “controller” (via Wi-Fi and NEF). However, the original rumor stated that both cameras are technically independent of the smartphone, and was reported that they could be used without a phone. No word if these cameras would have their own storage, or utilize the phone’s (which could affect capacity, considering high-resolution images take up a lot of room).

This image shows the QX100 being used with what could be the upcoming Sony “Honami” smartphone.

There’s no price or date announced, although SAR is guessing September 4 to coincide with the Honami i1. Although smartphones have become popular cameras for casual photography, they have always been hindered by tech in terms of photo quality. These Sony “lens cameras,” if real, could finally bring smartphones on par with traditional digital cameras. It’s also an example of how a traditional camera company could play a role in the smartphone conversation.

Besides the “lens camera,” SAR also reported that Sony is set to announce new action cameras and NEX mirrorless cameras and lenses, possibly a full-frame NEX (Sony NEX-5t, 16-70mm E-mount lens, and a third product called the ILC-3000 in late August; Sony’s first full-frame NEX camera and Zeiss full-frame lens in late September), and the aforementioned “Honami i1? smartphone on September 4. But, most likely, it’s these “lens cameras” that will steal the show. 

(Images via PetaPixel via Sony Alpha Rumors)

As the photography editor for Digital Trends, I bring with me more than 10 years of tech and lifestyle journalism experience. I have written for a variety publications that include Laptop, Men's Fitness, Computer Shopper, More, Best Life, and Men's Journal. My approach to tech is simple: Highlighting the best products that are easy to use with the most bang for your buck. On the side, I am an airline nerd who enjoys building Lego sets.

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Protect and accessorize your Galaxy Note 8.0 with these cases and adapters

Are you the proud owner of a new Galaxy Note 8.0 or thinking about buying one? The Note 8.0 (read our review) is one of our favorite Samsung tablets – it’s just the right size and has a good display, great pen support, and equal awesomeness for entertainment and productivity. If you’re looking to take better advantage of the Note 8.0's features and functionality or just want something attractive to carry it around in, this guide is for you. Below you’ll find the best cases and bags, tools to aid your productivity, plus multimedia connectors and docks.

Did we miss anything? Shout out your favorite Galaxy Note 8.0 accessories in the comments.

The Note 8.0 works with smart cases that can put the tablet to sleep when you close them or wake them up when opened. Samsung’s official Book Covers are nice but don’t always lay flat, so the screen might be on without you knowing. As an alternative, check out MoKo’s case. The screen cover lays flat more reliably and folds into a stand that holds the Note in two positions. Plus, it comes in a dozen colors and is a lot less expensive.

If a book-style cover doesn’t suit and you’re looking for a good, lightweight sleeve, this one from Built is the perfect size for the Note 8.0. The neoprene material will protect from minor bumps while the tablet rides around in your bag and the soft inner material won’t scratch the screen. The front flap hides a small zippered pocket for cords and other accessories. We also like that it comes in fun colors and patterns.

Chances are if you’re down with a stylus-optimized tablet you’re probably not afraid to rock an old school (or old world) look. If so, then you definitely need to check out the Outback products from Waterfield design. This San Francisco-based company makes a lot of great bags, cases, and sleeves for tablets of all sizes, including the Note 8.0. The Outback sleeve features waxed canvas which is nicely accented by the leather trim. The protective neoprene inside is thick enough that you can toss the Note 8.0 in a bag without having to worry about it getting knocked around yet still pretty light. Pair this sleeve with the new Muzetto Outback and you’ll have a matching set. The Personal and the 10-inch sizes are big enough for the tablet and sleeve plus a few other items. It’s great for people who like to travel light.

Technically, this bag is made for the iPad, but if you’re not too Samsung-centric to buy something made for that other tablet the Ristretto has many wonderful qualities. The compartment made for the tablet is padded well enough that you won’t need a sleeve to keep the device safe. For a small bag, the Ristretto has a lot of compartments and pockets that fit more than you’d guess at a glance while keeping everything separate enough that you won’t have to dig around for things. We’re also fans of the interchangeable straps and the color variety.

Doing serious work with a tablet usually means getting a solid portable keyboard for typing things longer than an email or status update. There aren’t many good keyboard/case combos out there for the Note 8.0. Luckily, good standalone keyboards are easy to find. We like the rechargeable, Bluetooth-enabled Flex from ZAGG because it’s light and compact but not so small that the keys are cramped (as is the case with many iPad Mini keyboards). Another great aspect is that it works with both Android and iOS devices and can connect to phones and tablets, so you’re not restricted to just one device. The included cover acts as a stand and the whole thing weighs just over 11 ounces.

Unlike almost all of Samsung’s other tablets, the Galaxy Note 8.0 has a Micro USB port instead of a proprietary one. This port is OTG compatible, meaning it’s possible to connect USB devices to the Note as long as you have the right dongle. OTG connectors are very common and don’t cost much but are amazingly useful. You won’t need a special camera connection kit to plug in a USB flash drive or a USB memory card reader. You can even connect a keyboard or mouse if you really want to do things old school.

The S Pen that comes with the Note 8.0 is nice and long, but isn’t as big as a traditional pen. Those who are particular about weight and heft when writing might be tempted to check out Samsung’s S Pen with Eraser which is shaped more like a traditional pen. It’s an okay choice, though still on the skinny side. Plus, the eraser part has the potential to scratch the screen. We like the BT S Pen much better even though the functionality is a little out there. This Bluetooth version of the S Pen is about the thickness of an executive pen and the side button is placed so that it’s much harder to click accidentally. Aside from the normal S Pen features, this stylus is also a Bluetooth headset. Yes, you can take calls with it. And yes, it works with the Galaxy Note 2 as well. It’s not an official accessory for the U.S. version; as of right now imports aren’t hard to find.

Many of the cases we found that do double duty as tablet stands only offer one or two resting angles and aren’t always stable enough to hold up to tapping or on-screen typing. The Fixie from Incipio is versatile, sturdy, and really clever, which makes it a favorite. The stand is made up of two pieces that fit together in four different ways for four different viewing angles. Rubber grips are there to keep the tablet steady and the aluminum material used keeps it light while remaining strong. When not in use, the two halves are compact enough to slip in even a small bag without taking up too much space.

Want a stand that is even more compact and light? There are several inexpensive plastic stands like this one online and in retail stores. If you don’t mind spending a little extra money, the Griffin XPO is a worthy upgrade. It folds up smaller and flatter than a pair of sunglasses and adjusts to fit almost any size tablet or smartphone. The XPO will hold the Note 8.0 in portrait or landscape and the groove is big enough that the tablet will still fit even with a case on.

With this dock you can hook up three USB devices, an HDTV or monitor, and a set of external speakers to the Note 8.0, all with one connection. That makes it a powerful accessory for productivity, yet it’s also great for making your existing TV a smarter one. With a mouse you can control the Note from across the room while sitting on the couch. And with the ability to connect a flash or external SSD via the USB port, you can play music videos you’ve downloaded as well as streaming media. There’s only one drawback: Samsung doesn’t list this dock as officially compatible with the Note 8.0. However, several users gave it a try and found that they do work together.

If all you want to do is connect the Note 8.0 to an HD screen and you don’t need the extra ports, this Smart Adapter is just as easy to hook up and is less expensive. Just plug your normal HDMI cable into one end and the Note’s screen appears on the big screen. Works great for watching movies, playing games, or making presentations.

A light and compact tablet deserves a light a compact portable speaker to accompany it when on the go. The Beats Pill pumps excellent audio for something so small and connects via Bluetooth or via the headphone jack (cable included). Long battery life coupled with ultra portability mean you won’t need an outlet for an impromptu dance party. The Pill comes in a fun shape and you can get it in white to match the Note 8.0 or a number of other bold and fun colors.

For those times when you need to keep your jams private, we recommend the Tracks HD line since every aspect from the sound drivers to the headband to the cord are interchangeable. You can build a pair to match your favorite outfit or the Note 8.0 or snag one of the designer pairs from Tokidoki, deadmau5, and other famous fashion icons. Beyond the aesthetic value the Tracks HD offer good audio quality for a decent price. They’re made to last as well – the headband is almost indestructible and even if the cord goes out due to wear, it’s replaceable for around $20.

K. T Bradford is a lover of gadgets and all things geek. Prior to writing for Digital Trends she cut her teeth on tech writing at Laptop Magazine as the News Editor. Her reviews, insights, and proof of geek cred can also be found at GottaBeMobile, the late, lamented Tecca.com, io9, and Black Enterprise magazine. Besides indulging her gadget nerditry, she also writes essays on pop culture and writes science fiction.

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