Sunday, June 08, 2014

Take A Tour Of Meta, The Company That Wants The World To Be Like An 'Iron Man' Movie

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/meta-campus-tour-2014-6

Meta Spaceglasses demo

In the hills of Portola Valley, California, is the headquarters for Meta, a company that's trying to change the future and also, perhaps, the world. 

They're hoping to accomplish this feat by creating a pair of augmented-reality glasses that bring to life technology that seems to be taken straight out of the "Iron Man" movies.

Physical objects are rendered virtually, and those objects — be it a game or a document or even a keyboard — are all manipulated by your hands.

A team of fewer than 50 people lives on a 20-acre rented estate overlooking the wilderness above Silicon Valley.

It's something out of a movie, with a pool, a tennis court, and even pictures of Tony Stark of "Iron Man" fame adorning the walls. 

The team lives together on the estate, putting in 14-hour days, and then eating together and afterwards washing dishes together. All for the common goal of bringing to life a pair of glasses that can completely change the way we think of computing. 

Through these gates is a driveway that leads up to Meta's campus.



Portola Valley is a little bit west of Stanford University, which is about 30 miles south of San Francisco. The house is located about 15 minutes off the freeway, up a windy road.



Next door is the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation, which oversees one of the largest collections of historical military vehicles in the world.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






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Saturday, June 07, 2014

3D Printed Steel Structures Are As Efficient As They Are Awesome-Looking

Source: http://gizmodo.com/3d-printed-steel-structures-are-as-efficient-as-they-ar-1587214335

3D Printed Steel Structures Are As Efficient As They Are Awesome-Looking

No matter how many times you hear about a new breakthrough, 3D printing is amazing, transformative technology. Now, a new method for 3D printing steel joints stands to revolutionize the construction industry. It looks pretty badass, too.

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Airbnb Will Help You Grab A Seat At A Stranger's Dinner Table

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-will-help-you-grab-a-seat-at-a-strangers-dinner-table-2014-6

Brian Chesky Airbnb Portrait Illustration_02

Airbnb has made its name finding users inexpensive places to stay, usually in people's homes. Now, the San Francisco startup is not only willing to find you a bed, but also a spot at the dinner table.

"Experience San Francisco like a local," Airbnb.com advises. "Get off the beaten path with the Airbnb community."

Airbnb calls its new feature Experience, and sports a handful of categories: Eat With Locals, Sightseeing, Outdoors, Food And Drinks, and Explore And Learn. Currently, Experience seems to be limited to San Francisco and Paris.

The Eat With Locals category is the one that will snag you a seat at supper for a price.

Some are simple.

Airbnb experiences

Airbnb experiences

Some are educational.

Airbnb experiences

Some are themed.

Airbnb experiencesAirbnb experiences

This isn't the first time Airbnb has tried out a non-house-sharing feature. Earlier this year the startup began testing its cleaning ser! vices for Bay Area users.

SEE ALSO: 12 amazing Airbnb rentals in Brazil

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Friday, June 06, 2014

Folding OLED Displays Could Make a Bendy, Bright Kindle Someday

Source: http://gizmodo.com/folding-oled-displays-could-make-a-bendy-bright-kindle-1587049092

Folding OLED Displays Could Make a Bendy, Bright Kindle Someday

Well, e-ink, you've had a great run. You showed us that reading on electronic displays could be just as enjoyable as paper, and somehow you thrived in a world of color-screen tablets. But with these new OLED displays that can be folded up like a magazine, your days could finally be numbered.

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Scientists Invent a Laser That Fires Electrical Charge, Not Light

Source: http://gizmodo.com/scientists-invent-a-laser-that-fires-electrical-charge-1586783382

Scientists Invent a Laser That Fires Electrical Charge, Not Light

Researchers at the University of Michigan have just stumbled upon the most important development in laser research since the invention of the semiconductor diode in the 1950s. It promises to create a new class of lasers that use 250 times less energy than today's, and that's not even the craziest part.

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