Storehouse, an iPad app that lets users create and share digital stories from photos, videos and text, has raised $7 million in Series A funding, the company announced Thursday. Storehouse's cofounder and CEO is Mark Kawano, Apple's former user experience evangelist and iPhoto and Aperture design...
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/22/unreal-engine-4-tappy-chicken/
Epic Games can crow all it wants about how easy its next-gen development toolset is to use, but until we actually see results, those words are pretty hollow. That changes today with the release of Tappy Chicken, the first Unreal Engine 4 game released for Android, HTML5 browsers and iOS. Yeah, it's a far cry from the fiery demon we've come to associate with anything UE4-related (and it looks more than a little bit like another flying fowl), but the key here is that Epic says it's the work of exactly one person using a sort of simplified scripting system called Blueprints. What's more, the developer isn't even a coder -- he's an artist by the name of Shane Caudle. Caudle designed the game-play loop for the procedurally-generated game in an evening and spent around a week on the menus and squashing bugs. Epic says that it could even be ported to consoles pretty easily. The reason for the free game? To show how easy it is to mod and add-on with UE4 even by someone who doesn't know a lick of typical programming languages like C++. If you want to give it a go for yourself, all it takes to start is $19.
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Mobile
Source: Google Play, Apple App Store
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Source: http://gizmodo.com/using-explosives-to-put-out-wildfires-is-actually-a-gre-1579732658
Picture this: a drought-fueled wildfire is heading for Los Angeles, and fast. Millions of lives are at stake, and water can't stop it. When suddenly, a helicopter—armed with what can only be described as a giant cannon—flies straight for flames and BOOM. There's an explosion, and the fire's gone.
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The 360Cam, which hit its $150,000 goal on Kickstarter today, isn't the first 360 degree camera to pop up on a crowdfunding site. But the team behind it at Giroptic pitches a more unusual application: virtual reality. For $249 to $329, anyone can shoot 360 degree video for Oculus Rift and the coming range of competitors.
Last month I wrote about Jaunt, a startup that wants to create beautiful cinematic film for Oculus Rift. Their demo made a compelling case for film as a virtual reality application; like gaming, it just works in 360 degrees.
But Jaunt's camera and editing software will be aimed at professionals at first. Models accessible to individuals could be years away. In the meantime, Oculus Rift and other competitive virtual reality headsets could find their way into consumer's hands in the next year.
The 360Cam can shoot video or photos. It uses three microphones to capture 360 degree sound. It is also waterproof; for an extra fee, buyers can purchase tiny goggles that correct the cameras' lenses underwater. It's not meant for only virtual reality; photos and videos can be viewed on mobile devices and desktop computers as well.
A sample view of the 360Cam app. Photo courtesy of Giroptic.
The 360Cam won't shoot nearly the same quality of video as Jaunt and some of the existing ball cameras as it relies on just three cameras lenses, distorting the resulting image. But it's a cheap option that could satisfy the curiosity of early venturers into virtual reality video.
The Kickstarter campaign runs through July 4. The cameras will ship in November.
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/21/worlds-smallest-motor-can-pump-drugs-into-cells/
Scientists at the Cockrell School of Engineering in Texas have created a nanomotor less than one micrometer in diameter, smaller even than a cell. Powered by electric fields, it consists of a nanowire, magnet and electrode and can spin at a terrifying-sounding 18,000 RPM for over 15 hours (see video below). That's as fast as a jet engine, but don't worry (much). During testing, it showed the ability to pump fluids at hyper-fast speeds and to move around freely in other liquids. That opens up beneficial applications like highly controlled insulin delivery, or devices that could specifically target malignant cells. Of course, that would mean you'd have to let intelligent nano-devices with mini-saws roam about your body -- I guess you're allowed to be a bit terrified.
Via: CNET
Source: Journal of Nature Communications
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