Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Glass Nest lets users control their homes from their heads

Glass Nest apps lets us control our homes from our heads

Those who already own Google Glass are more likely than most to embrace new technologies like Nest's thermostat, so it only makes sense that an especially eager adopter would find a way to combine the two. That would be James Rundquist and his new Glass Nest app: Glass owners now just have to announce that they're coming home (or heading out) to make their Nest units change the climate. More exacting homeowners can fine-tune the temperature, too. While the utility is both unofficial and quite limited at this stage, Rundquist has posted source code that lets anyone expand on the project. If you're in the rare position of owning both gadgets, we'd suggest giving Glass Nest and its code at least a cursory look.

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Meet Magura's eLECT, an electronic suspension fork for tech-savvy cyclists

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DNP Magura introduces eLect, a lightweight electronic suspension system

If you're looking to trick out your bike, Magura's eLECT might be the electronic suspension system you crave -- if you're willing to sacrifice optimal reaction time. Using a 3D accelerometer, the eLECT analyzes terrain with a 0.2 second window to adjust to how bumpy or smooth your ride is. At first glance, 0.2 seconds seems impressive, but it equates to a distance of 3.6 feet when traveling at 12.4MPH. Indeed, on challenging trails, a lot can happen in 3.6 feet, and eLect's reaction time might be a touch on the slow side. While the system isn't quite perfect, it does offer some sweet options. For example, cyclists can toggle between automatic and manual control of the compression damper using the accompanying Bluetooth remote. Magura's eLECT isn't the first of its kind -- RockShox and Fox both have their own e-suspension systems -- but it's one of the lightest; the combined weight of the damper and remote is a mere 0.2 pound. There's no word yet on availability or pricing, but you can check out the results of Bike Radar's test ride at the source.

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Gigabyte introduces BRIX, a customizable mini PC powered by Ivy Bridge CPUs

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Gigabyte introduces BRIX, a customizable mini PC powered by Ivy Bridge CPUs

The mini PC market isn't exactly a crowded one, but it's never a bad thing to have options. Well, if you're into the idea of adding an ultra-compact to your setup, Gigabyte's just announced its highly customizable BRIX. The palm-sized PC appears to be the very same one we saw back at this year's CES, but it's now taken on a more polished, ready-to-hit-shelves look. Gigabyte's providing interested parties the ability to load this itty-bitty thing with a vast selection of Ivy Bridge chips (Core i3, i5 and i7), plus their own SSD / RAM combo and operating system of choice. Ports-wise, there are two USB 3.0 sockets, HDMI and a Mini DisplayPort -- Gigabyte notes it can power up to two displays simultaneously. Naturally, the cost depends on the specs you choose, and the company only goes as far as to say that the BRIX covers "a range" of price points.Gigabyte BRIX press shots See all photos 3 Photos

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Wearable-technology pioneer Thad Starner on how Google Glass could augment our realities and memories

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Wearable technology and AR pioneer Thad Starner on how Google Glass could augment our realities and our memories

Countless wearers of Google Glass stalked the halls of this year's Google I/O developer conference, but only a lucky few were sporting the prescription model, which makes room for lenses in a more conventional glasses frame. Among those lucky early adopters with imperfect vision was Thad Starner, a Georgia Tech professor who, in 2010, was recruited to join a top-secret project at Google's fabled X Lab. That project, as it turned out, was Glass, and Starner's role on the team as a technical lead would be a vital one.

Starner invented the term "augmented reality" in 1990 and, after experimenting with wearable technologies for 20 years now, offered us a rare perspective on where the stuff has been and where it's headed. So, then, we were very glad to get a few moments to chat with the man at I/O and get his insight into how we got to be where we are and, indeed, get some suggestions from him on where we're going from here.

Wearable technology and AR pioneer Thad Starner on how Google Glass could augment our realities and our memories

Starner says he's been wearing computer devices of some form or another daily for the past 20 years, a claim that few others can make. Before becoming an assistant professor at Georgia Tech, he founded MIT's Wearable Computing Project. It's in these years that he made the acquaintance of a pair of grad students named Larry Page and Sergey Brin. The group had discussions about the future of search and, given Starner's tech persuasions, how wearables might fit in to that:

We talked about how it would make you more powerful if you could have web search on your eyeball ... One of the problems was simply making a search engine that was good enough that the right hit was in the first four links, versus AltaVista which was the first 14 links. That took way too long to navigate.

They went their separate ways, Starner continuing to refine his wearable prototypes while Page and Brin built themselves a little search engine. After about a decade, Starner thought that it was time to reconnect:

About 2010, I sent Sergey an email saying, "Now that you guys are doing Android and you're doing these phones, you should really take a look at the wearable computing technology that we've been working on in academia. Why don't you come out to Atlanta and I'll show this stuff to you?" Next thing I know I'm on a plane out [to Google Headquarters] to join the Glass team. They had the same kind of thoughts. The time was right. The next thing you know I'm working on it too, making the early prototypes.

The term "artificial reality" had already been used by one Timothy Leary to describe a drug-induced state.

The term "augmented reality" comes from Starner's earlier work, a 1990 fellowship proposal. (Fun fact: this wasn't actually Starner's preferred term. "Artificial reality" had already been used by Timothy Leary to describe a drug-induced state.) However, his concept of a life augmented by technology is rather different than the "AR" that we generally think of when describing things like the Layar browser.

Starner's term for augmented reality simply referred to "information you can use while you're doing other things." He continued: "Your point on a map is in some senses augmented reality. Knowing what restaurants are nearby is augmented reality." What we typically think of as "AR" is an extension of augmented reality called registered graphics. In this way, a system is fully aware of your 3D position in space plus your orientation and is able to use that information to virtually paint information over the landscape.

"You're really trying to make interfaces that allow people to augment their eyes, ears and mind, but not get mired in the virtual world."

This, for many users, is the perceived Holy Grail of wearable technologies: a fully immersive experience where virtual displays appear and disappear at will, where every friend you spot in the real world is highlighted by an icon floating over their heads and where you can always find your way by following the all-knowing green arrow hovering over you. For Starner, these applications aren't nearly as compelling as a system that quickly provides information when you need it and then disappears just as quickly:

The big thing that people don't realize is that it's not about the full-field-of-view, registered AR experience. It's much better to have something you can interact with in micro-interactions. That's what Glass is all about, having these short interactions throughout the day. You're really trying to make interfaces that allow people to augment their eyes, ears and mind, but not get mired in the virtual world.

There's value in physicalities, he continued: "There's a lot to the tangible nature of devices and their interfaces that make a lot of sense. I'm loathe to give up on tangible interfaces ... Having an actual physical object that everyone is looking at and sharing is an important thing."

In this way, Glass is already in good shape on the AR front. That, though, is only one of three key aspects that are, for Starner, crucial to wearable devices. In a 1993 article called "The Cyborgs are Coming," he suggested two other crucial features.

The first is augmented memory, which is simply the ability to look up information previously learned, but possibly forgotten. For Starner, the primary focus has been conversation. "Having access to your education, having access to your everyday conversations on that level, so you can actually use it in face-to-face education, is invaluable," he said. "It makes professors seem smarter than they are -- which is a very big thing when you're a professor!"

Wearable technology and AR pioneer Thad Starner on how Google Glass could augment our realities and our memories

He gave us a quick demonstration of a system called a Remembrance Agent, which he runs on all manner of wearable devices. It is, effectively, a massive text buffer of everything he's said or thought was worth typing down. Through this he can quickly and easily search within using a single-handed keyboard called a Twiddler. (Despite its one-handed nature, Starner is quite proud of his ability to type at 130 words per minute.) Using a little regex search, Starner can query through decades of textual memories. The results aren't great, but there's potential, he said:

Everything I say goes into a text buffer and then it automatically searches my past history for things that are relevant. Most of the time it pulls up garbage, stuff that doesn't matter. But 5 percent of the time it pulls up something that's really relevant. All it takes is a one-line summary to remind me of what was so important. It's not that it's replacing my memory; it's helping me recall stuff. Computers are really good at recall and really bad at recognition. People are the other way around.

The final, and in some ways most complicated, aspect is the development of what Starner calls "intellectual collectives." These are, effectively, social networks -- but not in the Facebook or (more appropriately) Google+ kind of way. These networks are much more focused on real-time information sharing and collaboration. In other words: they make people more productive, not less.

"You try to read your email while you're having a conversation, you lose 40 IQ points."

Starner described the process of interviewing candidates on the Glass team at Google: face-to-face conversations between a single candidate and a single interviewee while other members of the team watched remotely, conversing with the interviewer actively while he or she in turn conversed with the interviewee. It all sounds horribly distracting; a side-channel that Starner said is actually perfectly intuitive:

Because it's focused on the conversation you're having, it's not distracting. You try to read your email while you're having a conversation, you lose 40 IQ points. When you actually are taking notes and doing stuff that's related to your conversation you can do it just fine.

In this way the entire team could participate in the interview at the same time without physically needing to be there, hitting the hapless interviewee with questions from multiple minds all delivered through a single mouth. An intimidating process for the recipient, perhaps, but it certainly beats the typical corporate interview procedure of bouncing between offices and getting asked the same questions over and over again.

Starner described another situation, talking about wearable technology at the National Academy of Science. As ever, he was sporting some headgear, which in this case showed him a sort of chat room full of students back at Georgia Tech. The students watched a live stream from Starner and used the chat room to provide information and ask questions.

This was also shown to the physically present Academy members on a larger display. At first, the students provided information to Starner about what he was discussing and asked questions. Eventually, the members of the Academy began conversing openly and directly with those students, none of whom were actually in the room. In this way, the collective was formed.

But could this be done on Glass? Absolutely, said Starner, but he isn't confident there's a lot of priority for it:

One of the academics will do it. The question is whether there's a commercial reason for it. When you make something like this that has a clear focus, has a clear use, stuff that's well-baked, stuff that's compelling -- but when that hardware gets out to all my buddies [at universities] you'll see them adapting to some very interesting uses.

And that's where a line may need to be drawn, dividing Starner's vast experience in wearable technologies and the future of Glass and other derivative devices. In an academic setting, when you actively research something new and contribute to a broader project, you can get away with wearing a backpack full of circuitry while constantly adjusting a weighty pair of glasses on your nose. After all, you're doing it for science.

Wearable technology and AR pioneer Thad Starner on how Google Glass could augment our realities and our memories

When it comes to the commercial world, however, to the creation of a profitable and thriving ecosystem used by average people in the average world, the standards are higher. Devices must be smaller, their interfaces must be intuitive and everything must simply work and work simply. From a researcher's point of view this is an unworkable limitation. From an engineer's point of view, this is a necessary challenge. From a consumer's point of view, this is just the way it is.

In some ways, Glass in its current form is limited compared even to the devices Starner wore years ago. The real question, of course, is whether it offers enough to finally bring wearables to the mainstream? That remains to be seen, but if it does, remember this: Thad Starner did it way before it was cool.

[Second photo credit: College of Computing at Georgia Tech]

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Vizio's 42-inch 5.1 soundbar setup available now, costs $330

VIZIO's Premium 42" 5.1 Home Theater Sound Bar Delivers Big Audio, Completing the Big Screen Experience

-New Sound Bar Features Stunning Modern Design
with Advanced Convenience Features like Bluetooth, Wireless Subwoofer and Display Remote

Irvine, CA- May 21, 2013 - VIZIO, America's #1 Sound Bar company*, today announced the pricing and immediate availability of their award winning 42" 5.1 Home Theater Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer and Satellite speakers (S4251w). Winner of CNET's 2013 Best of CES Home Theater and Audio award, VIZIO's newest Sound Bar brings enhanced innovations to the category with superior surround sound and new convenience features, such as a Display Remote and Bluetooth connectivity.

Featuring a wireless subwoofer that can sit up to 60' feet away and rear satellite speakers that easily connect to the subwoofer, the 5.1 Home Theater Sound Bar envelops the living room in immersive, true cinematic audio. Complete with Dolby Digital® and DTS Digital Surround™ audio technologies, the sound bar matches superior sound to great picture thanks to 102 dB of crystal clear, room shaking audio with less than 1% Total Harmonic Distortion**. Additionally, DTS Circle Surround™ upgrades standard stereo content from the listeners favorite band or artist, resulting in 5.1 surround sound playback. Ideal for medium to large sized HDTVs, VIZIO's newest audio solution sports a stylish design, comes with all the cables needed to connect to your TV and conveniently mounts under screens as a seamless extension of the entertainment experience.

"The new 42" 5.1 Home Theater Sound Bar has been engineered to project 102dB of sound with very low distortion, further ensuring audio is heard as the artist intended," said John Schindler, VIZIO VP of Product Management. "As one of the only 5.1 sound bars on the market, our award-winning 42" model is a great value, featuring a wireless subwoofer that offers room-shaking bass performance going down to 40Hz, satellite speakers for rich, immersive audio and Bluetooth so you can stream music from your smartphone or tablet and enjoy it in 5.1 surround sound without even turning on the TV."

Understanding how consumers interact with their sound bars, VIZIO's flagship 42" 5.1 Home Theater Sound Bar features a remote with built-in LCD display, making it easy to control volume and settings from a distance. This new Display Remote eliminates the need to squint across the room to view current input, adjust bass or enable the built-in DTS audio technologies. The added convenience of built-in Bluetooth support also gives consumers the ability to stream music to their VIZIO sound bar directly from Bluetooth-enabled smart phones, tablets or other audio playback devices.

Packed with the latest audio technology in a modern, industrial design, VIZIO's 42" 5.1 Home Theater Sound Bar provides a best-in-class surround sound solution, able to satisfy even the discerning ears of serious audiophiles. Additionally, the award-winning model has the ability to connect to nearly any HDTV right out of the box with all necessary audio cables included.

Consumers can find the 42" 5.1 Home Theater Sound Bar now at Amazon.com, Costco, Costco.com, BestBuy.com, Walmart.com, VIZIO.com and in-store at Best Buy the week of 5/27 for $329.99.
VIZIO also currently offers a 32" 2.0 Home Theater Sound Bar (VSB207BT) with Bluetooth through retailers such as Amazon.com, Walmart and Walmart.com and VIZIO.com for $89.99. Ideal for consumers with smaller TVs or living rooms, the 32" sound bar is a serious sound set-up with built-in Bluetooth that allows users to stream audio wirelessly from their smartphone, tablet or other Bluetooth enabled device. Other exciting additions to the VIZIO sound bar family will roll out later this summer.


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Amazon launches Kindle Worlds publishing platform for fan fiction, will pay royalties to writers and rights holders

Amazon Publishing Introduces "Kindle Worlds," A New Publishing Model for Authors Inspired to Write Fan Fiction-Launching with an Initial License of Popular Titles from Warner Bros. Television Group's Alloy Entertainment

Like Kindle Singles and Kindle Serials, Kindle Worlds Adds a New Approach to Digital Publishing

SEATTLE-(NASDAQ: AMZN)-May 22, 2013-Today, Amazon Publishing announces Kindle Worlds, the first commercial publishing platform that will enable any writer to create fan fiction based on a range of original stories and characters and earn royalties for doing so. Amazon Publishing has secured licenses from Warner Bros. Television Group's Alloy Entertainment division for its New York Times best-selling book series Gossip Girl, by Cecily von Ziegesar; Pretty Little Liars, by Sara Shepard; and Vampire Diaries, by L.J. Smith; and plans to announce more licenses soon. Through these licenses, Kindle Worlds will allow any writer to publish authorized stories inspired by these popular Worlds and make them available for readers to purchase in the Kindle Store.

Amazon Publishing will pay royalties to both the rights holders of the Worlds and the author. The standard author's royalty rate (for works of at least 10,000 words) will be 35% of net revenue. As with all titles from Amazon Publishing, Kindle Worlds will base net revenue off of sales price-rather than the lower, industry standard of wholesale price-and royalties will be paid monthly.

In addition, with the launch of Kindle Worlds, Amazon Publishing will pilot an experimental new program for particularly short works-between 5,000 and 10,000 words. For these short stories-typically priced under one dollar-Amazon will pay the royalties for the World's rights holder and pay authors a digital royalty of 20%.

Beginning today, interested writers are encouraged to visit Kindle Worlds (www.amazon.com/kindleworlds) to learn more and get a head start on writing. In June, the Kindle Worlds store is expected to launch with over 50 commissioned works from authors such as #1 New York Times best-selling author Barbara Freethy, Bram Stoker Award-winner John Everson and RITA Award-winner Colleen Thompson. At that time, the Kindle Worlds self-service submission platform, where any writer can submit completed work, will also open.

World Licensors benefit from Kindle Worlds because:
It's an entirely new way to monetize their valuable franchises
It allows them to extend their Worlds with new stories and characters and more deeply engage with existing fans, while also reaching new audiences
Amazon Publishing will work with them to establish content guidelines that balance flexibility and openness for writers with what's reasonable for the franchise

"Our books have generated a massive amount of fan fiction, and we see this as an evolution in publishing and a valuable way of broadening our brands and engaging fans," said Leslie Morgenstein, President Alloy Entertainment. "When working with Amazon Publishing on this scale, we know we're in good hands and everyone will benefit."

"Seeing Pretty Little Liars fans adapt and create their own stories is both exciting and flattering and I think what Amazon Publishing is offering through Kindle Worlds is a great way to reward their ingenuity," said Sara Shepard, author of Pretty Little Liars.

Writers benefit from Kindle Worlds because:
Amazon Publishing has already secured the necessary licenses to write about any Kindle World
They can earn royalties writing about established characters and universes
The Kindle Worlds self-service submission platform is easy to use

"I loved writing the characters in this world, the dynamics of the friendship between the four girls as they deal with life-threatening situations," said Barbara Freethy, writing in Pretty Little Liars. "I also really enjoy the ongoing mysteries and surprising twists that always keep the reader guessing. It's great that Amazon Publishing has given those who put passion into fan fiction the opportunity to commercialize this work."

And readers benefit from Kindle Worlds because:
They can find a stream of new stories in Worlds they love
They can discover new Worlds and corresponding great new stories
As with all Kindle books these are "Buy Once, Read Everywhere"-they can read on Kindle or Kindle Fire as well as with a free Kindle app for all of the most popular devices and platforms

"At Kindle, we're not only inventing on the hardware and software side of the business, we're inventing new ways to create books," said Philip Patrick, Director, Business Development and Publisher of Kindle Worlds. "Our goal with Kindle Worlds is to create a home for authors to build on the Worlds we license, and give readers more stories from the Worlds they enjoy. We look forward to announcing additional World licensing deals in the coming weeks."

Amazon Publishing is engaged with additional rights holders from different areas of entertainment-books, games, TV, movies and music-and looks forward to announcing future deals soon. To get started writing works in licensed properties, visit www.amazon.com/kindleworlds for submission guidelines and updates on licensed properties.

About Alloy Entertainment
Alloy Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Television Group, develops and produces original novels, television series, and feature films. More than seventy-five of AE's books have been on the New York Times bestseller list, including The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, The Clique, The Lying Game, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Private and The Luxe. AE has successfully adapted several of its top selling books into hit television shows for broadcast across multiple networks including The CW, ABC, ABC Family and Nickelodeon. Current Alloy Entertainment television series include Pretty Little Liars, The Vampire Diaries, Lying Game, and soon to premiere Originals, Ravenswood and The 100.

About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the most-advanced e-reader ever constructed with 62% more pixels and 25% increased contrast, a patented built-in front light for reading in all lighting conditions, extra-long battery life, and a thin and light design. The new latest generation Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, now features new, improved fonts and faster page turns. Kindle Fire HD features a stunning custom high-definition display, exclusive Dolby audio with dual stereo speakers, high-end, laptop-grade Wi-Fi with dual-band support, dual-antennas and MIMO for faster streaming and downloads, enough storage for HD content, and the latest generation processor and graphics engine-and it is available in two display sizes-7" and 8.9". The large-screen Kindle Fire HD is also available with 4G wireless, and comes with a groundbreaking $49.99 introductory 4G LTE data package. The all-new Kindle Fire features a 20% faster processor, 40% faster performance, twice the memory, and longer battery life.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, www.amazon.es and www.amazon.com.br. As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment and data center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.


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