Tiny Sticker-Like Sensors Will Let You Monitor Everything, Everywhere

Source: http://gizmodo.com/tiny-sticker-like-sensors-will-let-you-monitor-everythi-733444895

Environmental sensors are used everywhere from heavy industry to UAVs hunting the troposphere for water vapor. The new postage-stamp sized, self-powered, flexible wireless sensor unveiled today by Japan's Green Sensor Network Laboratories could make home applications a breeze, letting you measure the humidity of your greenhouse or make sure your pipes don't burst in a winter freeze.

The sensor, about as thick as a credit card, has a three-layer construction composed of a microprocessor, a flexible antenna, and a power-generating semiconductor nanofiber. The flexible construction allows the sensor to be attached to surfaces like a sticker, and once deployed, data is transmitted wirelessly. The sensor can be configured to monitor things like temperature, CO2, infrared light or dust levels, and at under $10 a piece, you could network a whole gang of them for highly-detailed data. Current prototypes generate about 80% of the electricity needed, but the research team intends the sensors to be self-powered by launch time.

So whether you're planning on measuring industrial smog output or you just want to see how hot your apartment gets during a summer workday, these sensor-stickers could someday let you put a gauge on pretty much anything, though we're not sure when they might reach production. [PhysOrg]

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LG Optimus G Pro Value Pack now rolling out to AT&T subscribers (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/10/lg-optimus-g-pro-value-pack-rolling-out-to-att-subscribers/

American LG Optimus G Pro owners no longer have to look on with envy as their Korean friends take advantage of the Value Pack: the update is now available to AT&T subscribers over the air. As in other countries, the upgrade brings Smart Video to pause playback when looking away, a Dual Camera mode for photo shoots and Pause & Resume Recording for Vine-like video cuts. LG has also upgraded the Quick Remote for better Smart TV control, added emoticons to its messaging apps and opened up customization of the home button's LED alerts. The Value Pack isn't the same as getting a G2, but it will help the G Pro keep up with the Joneses.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, AT&T, LG

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Source: AT&T

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This Painting Robot Constantly Adjusts Its Style to Create Masterpieces

Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-painting-robot-constantly-adjusts-its-style-to-cre-731305977

E-David isn't the first industrial robotic arm that's been re-programmed to paint. There have been many similar creations before it, but they've all worked sort of like elaborate photocopiers, perfectly recreating a digital image stored in memory. What sets e-David apart is that it's the first robot painter that constantly adapts its technique and brush strokes as it works based on what it's seeing through a camera pointed at its canvas.

Robot arms are designed and built to perfectly reproduce the same movements again and again, so in the past it's been hard to classify what a robot painter produces as 'art' since technically it's just reproducing a digital image. But using the feed from a camera, the software that powers e-David continually analyzes the paint strokes that have been added, deciding where to put the next stroke based on where shade or light needs to be added to perfect its masterpiece.

And with 24 shades and five different brushes at its disposal, e-David has created some stunning pieces so far. Because the robot hasn't spent much time exploring the real world, it still needs to be fed an image to use as inspiration for its creations. But thanks to its unique artistic approach, the results are always unique—to the point where we wouldn't be surprised to see e-David get its own gallery showing, or eventually go crazy and cut off one of its microphones. [The Creators Project via Notcot]

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Outbound calls from desktop Gmail are back, with free calling to the US and Canada

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/09/outbound-calls-from-desktop-gmail-are-back-with-free-calling-to/

Today Google has brought back the ability to make phone calls from desktop Gmail, Google+ and via its Chrome extension, and also announced that calls to the US and Canada are free (from countries where Hangouts calling is available. The feature disappeared when Google introduced its new Hangouts setup, but a post on the Gmail blog claims that now it's better than ever. According to the company, "Hangouts is designed to be the future of Google Voice," with making and receiving calls just the beginning. For now, users can enjoy new features like adding multiple phone numbers and video participants to the same call, and using sound effects from the Google Effects app. Current Hangouts users should see a new phone icon in Gmail, or a "call a phone" menu item in Google+ and the Chrome extension.

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Source: Gmail Blog

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Murchison Widefield Array goes live, will study the sun, space junk, the early universe and more

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/09/murchison-widefield-array-goes-live/

We hope IBM's hardware is ready to chew through the feast of data it's going to receive, as the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) radio telescope is officially open for business science. Located in the outback on the same site as the Australia SKA Pathfinder, it's one of three "precursor" programs that'll help steer future development of the extra powerful Square Kilometer Array. The MWA low-frequency telescope has plenty of work to be getting on with, and some of its first tasks include gazing into the sun to observe solar flares, storms and other activity, as well as scanning the Milky Way for the likes of "black holes and exploding stars." It'll also look into the tracking of hazardous space garbage using FM radio waves that are lost to the void, and explore the early life of the universe as far back as 13 billion years. According to Curtin Un! iversity 's Professor Tingay, the MWA's commendable work ethic (read: data quality) means we could see initial results from some of these projects "in as little as three months' time."

Filed under: Science, Alt

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