Tuesday, June 24, 2014

drag2share: Nest devices start talking to Google, washing machines and your car

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/24/nest-developer-program-begins/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

Nest Learning Thermostat

Nest's Learning Thermostat and Protect smoke detector are now part of a much, much larger universe. The company has just launched a developer program that lets third-party apps and devices talk to Nest hardware, making it do things that aren't possible through official software. The initiative is kicking off with a whole host of partnerships in place, in many cases with feature updates either available now or due in the near future. Chamberlain's garage doors can now tell your Nest thermostat when you're home, while Mercedes-Benz lets you check the temperature on the road; Logitech's Harmony Ultimate remote can lower the heat in mid-movie, and Jawbone's Up24 fitness tracker can tell Nest when you wake up.

Read More...

drag2share: Scientists simulate time travel using light particles

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/24/simulating-time-travel-with-photons/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

A space-time wormhole lets a particle travel back in time

We may never see practical time travel in our lifetimes, if it's possible at all. However, a team at the University of Queensland has given the Doc Browns of the world a faint glimmer of hope by simulating time travel on a very, very small scale. Their study used individual photons to replicate a quantum particle traveling through a space-time loop (like the one you see above) to arrive where and when it began. Since these particles are inherently uncertain, there wasn't room for the paradoxes that normally thwart this sort of research. The particle couldn't destroy itself before it went on its journey, for example.

As you might have gathered from the "simulation" term, sci-fi isn't about to become reality just yet. The scientists haven't actually warped through time -- they've only shown how it can work. It could take a long time before there's proof that whole atoms and objects can make the leap, let alone a real-world demonstration. Should you ever step into a time machine, though, you'll know where it all started... and ended.

Read More...

Monday, June 23, 2014

drag2share: Watch lightning strike around the world in real time

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/23/lightning-strike-map-worldwide/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

There's a mesmerizing new project from an organization called Blitzortung.org that lets you see real-time lightning strikes around the world. It works using a network of volunteers willing to purchase and set up a $275 or so detection kit consisting of an antenna system, amplifier and controller. Once activated, each station can spot the radio signals from a lightning strike and transmit the precise time and location to the Blitzortung.org's servers. From there, the lightning is displayed (complete with bug-zapper sound) on one of five maps including North America and Europe, along with a line between the strike and detecting station. Curiously, a sensor in New York can pick up lightning in Cuba, for instance, since the low frequency RF waves from lightning can travel thousands of miles. Hit the source if you want to participate, or just check the maps to marvel at another striking example of crowd-sourcing in action.

Read More...

Article: Super cheap Smart Home kit brings automation to the masses

If you're wondering when home automation might tip into the Walmart-level mainstream, here's a sign: Archos' Smart Home starter kit is now on sale. Along with two cameras, two movement tags and two weather tags, they're throwing in a controlling tablet, all for $250 -- or $25 each for the cameras...

http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/20/archos-smart-home-kit-available-250/?ncid=rss_truncated

Sent via Flipboard

Read More...

Sunday, June 22, 2014

This Might Be Volantis, HTC's 9-Inch Nexus Tablet

Source: http://gizmodo.com/htcs-9-inch-nexus-tablet-will-be-called-volantis-1594280149

This Might Be Volantis, HTC's 9-Inch Nexus Tablet

Android Police just published renders and specs on a rumored 9-inch HTC Nexus tablet. With an 8.9-inch, 2048x1440 display, Tegra K1 processor, and zero-gap aluminum body, Android Police's intel says the device, named Volantis, will launch later this year at $400 for 16GB. Though it might not look exactly like the render above. [Android Police]

Read more...

Read More...