Self-Driving Cars

Would you buy a self-driving car that couldn’t drive itself in 99 percent of the country? Or that knew nearly nothing about parking, couldn’t be taken out in snow or heavy rain, and would drive straight over a gaping pothole? If your answer is yes, then check out the Google Self-Driving Car, model year 2014. Of course, Google isn’t yet selling its now-famous robotic vehicle and has said that its technology will be thoroughly tested before it ever does. But the car clearly isn’t ready yet, as evidenced by the list of things it can’t currently do—volunteered by Chris Urmson, director of the Google car team. Google’s cars have safely driven more than 700,000 miles. As a result, “the public seems to think that all of the technology issues are solved,” says Steven Shladover, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley’s Institute of Transportation Studies. “But that is simply not the case.” No one knows that better than Urmson. But he says he is optimistic about tackling outstanding challenges and that it’s “going to happen more quickly than many people think.” Google often leaves the impression that, as a Google executive once wrote, the cars can “drive anywhere a car can legally drive.” However, that’s true only if intricate preparations have been made beforehand, with the car’s exact route, including driveways, extensively mapped. Data from multiple passes by a special sensor vehicle must later be pored over, meter by meter, by both computers and humans. It’s vastly more effort than what’s needed for Google Maps. I got this from this site.

 

3D Printing

3D PRINTING

A 3D printer cannot make any object on demand like the "Star Trek" replicators of science fiction. But a growing array of 3D printing machines has already begun to revolutionize the business of making things in the real world.

3D printers work by following a computer's digital instructions to "print" an object using materials such as plastic, ceramics and metal. The printing process involves building up an object one layer at a time until it's complete. For instance, some 3D printers squirt out a stream of heated, semi-liquid plastic that solidifies as the printer's head moves around to create the outline of each layer within the object. I got this from this site. If you’re just getting started you can try some of 3D modeling software which can be downloaded for free.

• Google SketchUp - This Google SketchUp is fun and free, and is known for being easy to use. To build models in SketchUp, you draw edges and faces using a few simple tools that you can learn in a short time. With with Push/Pull tool you can extrude any flat surface into a 3D form. Furthermore, it works together with Google Earth, that you can import a scaled aerial photograph directly from Google Earth, or use SketchUp to build models which can be seen in Google Earth.

• 3Dtin - The simplest 3D software. You can draw directly from your browser. 

• Blender - Blender is the free open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems under the GNU General Public License. Blender was developed as an in-house application by the Dutch animation studio NeoGeo and Not a Number Technologies (NaN). It is a powerful program contains features that are characteristic of high-end 3D software. 

• OpenSCAD - OpenSCAD is a software for creating solid 3D CAD objects. It is free software and available for Linux/UNIX, MS Windows and Mac OS X. it does not focus on the artistic aspects of 3D modelling but instead on the CAD aspects.

• Tinkercad - Tinkercad is a new and faster way of creating designs for your 3D printer. With only three basic tools you can create a wide range of useful things. Once your project is ready simply download the STL file and start your 3D print.

Check out the more software in the free software list. 

Commercial software such as CAD software AutoCAD and Pro Engineer, software packages Rhino, Maya, and SolidWorks are all pretty good for designing 3D models. I got this from this site. Enthusiasm is high, and so is the market for 3D printing in both consumer and enterprise space. According to Gartner research, printers under $100,000 were expected to grow almost 50 percent in 2013, and will increase 75 percent this year. Right now, enterprises are using the printers to prototype objects, but we'll see an increasing amount used to make product designs this year. i got this from this site.

Starbucks

Starbucks

To say Starbucks purchases and roasts high-quality whole bean coffees is very true. That’s the essence of what we do – but it hardly tells the whole story… Their coffeehouses have become a beacon for coffee lovers everywhere. Why do they insist on Starbucks? Because they know they can count on genuine service, an inviting atmosphere and a superb cup of expertly roasted and richly brewed coffee every time. We’re not just passionate purveyors of coffee, but everything else that goes with a full and rewarding coffeehouse experience. We also offer a selection of premium Tazo® teas, fine pastries and other delectable treats to please the taste buds. And the music you hear in store is chosen for its artistry and appeal. It’s not unusual to see people coming to Starbucks to chat, meet up or even work. We’re a neighborhood gathering place, a part of the daily romutine – and we couldn’t be happier about it. Get to know us and you’ll see: we are so much more than what we brew. I got this from this site.
This article is about the coffeehouse chain. Starbucks Corporation, doing business as Starbucks Coffee, is an American global coffee company and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world ahead of UK rival Costa Coffee, with 23,305 stores in 65 countries and territories, including 13,049 in the United States, 1,909 in China, 1,555 in Canada, 1,089 in Japan and 927 in the United Kingdom.^[1][5]

Starbucks locations serve hot and cold beverages, whole-bean coffee, microground instant coffee, full-leaf teas, pastries, and snacks. Most stores also sell pre-packaged food items, hot and cold sandwiches, and items such as mugs and tumblers. Starbucks Evenings locations also offer a variety of beers, wines, and appetizers after 4pm.^[6] Through the Starbucks Entertainment division and Hear Music brand, the company also markets books, music, and film. Many of the company's products are seasonal or specific to the locality of the store. Starbucks-brand ice cream and coffee are also offered at grocery stores.

From Starbucks' founding in 1971 as a Seattle coffee bean roaster and retailer, the company has expanded rapidly. Since 1987, Starbucks has opened on average two new stores every day.^[7] Starbucks had been profitable as a local company in Seattle in the early 1980s ^[8] but lost money on its late 1980s expansion into the Midwest and British Columbia. Its fortunes did not reverse until the fiscal year of 1989-1990,^[9] when it registered a small profit of $812,000. By the time it expanded into California in 1991 it had become trendy.^[10] The first store outside the United States or Canada opened in Tokyo in 1996, and overseas stores now constitute almost one third of Starbucks' stores.^[11] The company planned to open a net of 900 new stores outside of the United States in 2009,^[12] but has announced 300 store closures in the United States since 2008.^[13] I got this from this site.
 Watch this video.

New Gaming Technology

New Gaming Technology

 Amazon has inked a deal to acquire Twitch Interactive, a real-time video platform for gamers. Prior to the disclosure, rumors had been building that it was on track to snatch Twitch from Google, which reportedly had been very close to buying it. The pending acquisition was rumored to be for upwards of $1 billion. However, Amazon said it was buying the company for $970 million cash. Google apparently is adding another prominent streaming video service to nestle alongside YouTube in its stable. It reportedly has acquired Twitch for around $1 billion. When the deal will be announced and the official purchase price are not yet clear, though Twitch investors are said to be pleased with their return. Twitch allows gamers to stream their gameplay and commentary to others. Facebook on Monday unveiled an iPad app update designed to make the site a hub for game, video and content discovery. A new panel appears on the right-hand side of the iPad providing news and entertainment. Games are heavily featured. More than 70 percent of Facebook for iPad users played a Facebook-connected game in the past 90 days, the company noted. Mojang on Thursday announced that its popular game Minecraft soon will be available to users of the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita consoles. "Apologies for the delay, but putting Minecraft on new consoles is a serious business.” explained Owen Hill, Mojang's chief word officer. All three editions are due to arrive in August. Explained Owen Hill, Mojang's chief word officer. All three editions are due to arrive in August. I got this from this site. SMI has developed a set of specs that combine eye tracking, active shutter 3D and head tracking – and they’re compatible with Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect too. Basically, these glasses are virtual reality on steroids, as the eye tracking knows exactly what you’re looking at within the 3D environment and can make objects react accordingly – a process known as “gaze interaction”. An example would be an adventure game with interactive objects within the environment that glow or otherwise react when you look directly at them.  Virtual Reality is coming back in a big way thanks to the Oculus Rift 3D gaming glasses. One of the most successful Kickstarter projects of all time (it raised over US$2.4 million) Oculus Rift will use two HD screens, one for each eye, and will provide a much wider field of view than the VR goggles of yesteryear to really make you feel like you’re inside the game you’re playing. And without games, of course, the concept falls flat on its face – so the fact that the developers like Valve, iD and Epic Games have all endorsed Oculus Rift suggests that won’t be an issue here. Nor will the price: while it hasn’t been set, the makers have promised it’ll be within the budget of the average gamer. With luck, it could be released this year. Read our hands-on preview. I got this from this site. The Gaming Technology Conference is the gaming industry's premier technology conference.  The event features hands-on technology updates, insights and strategies, addressing real-world technology challenges and solutions for all segments of the gaming industry.

In addition to learning through in-depth conference sessions, GTC attendees view firsthand the latest and greatest technologies that vendors have to offer in the largest targeted trade show in the gaming industry. Dozens of exhibitors dazzle the crowd, from the largest and most well-respected names in the industry to the smallest cutting-edge developers. Who Attends the Gaming Technology Conference?

·       Hundreds of senior-level executives attend the Gaming Technology event every year, including CIOs, Vice Presidents, Directors and Managers.

·       Executives from marketing, operations, hotel, food and beverage and other departments all meet at Caesars Palace Las Vegas to learn how technology can improve operations, increase revenues and control costs.

·       The people at the Gaming Technology event represented casino operators, vendors, racetracks and lotteries.

It provided a unique opportunity to mix and mingle with a wide cross-section of gaming industry executives all speaking the same techno-savvy language! I got this from this site.

New Military Technology

The U.S. Army is moving forward to replace the Cold War-era M9 9mm pistol with a more powerful handgun that also meets the needs of the other services.

As the lead agent for small arms, the Army will hold an industry day July 29 to talk to gun makers about the joint, Modular Handgun System or MHS.

The MHS would replace the Army's inventory of more than 200,000 outdated M9 pistols and several thousand M11 9mm pistols with one that has greater accuracy, lethality, reliability and durability, according to Daryl Easlick, a project officer with the Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Ga. I got this from this site. WASHINGTON (Army News Service, July 31, 2014) -- The Army has confirmed what Soldiers have been hearing rumors of for months now -- a new camouflage pattern for combat uniforms is on the way with a number of improvements.

Beginning in the fall of 2015, the Army will begin issuing to new Soldiers an Army Combat Uniform that bears the Operational Camouflage Pattern. That same uniform will also become available in military clothing sales stores in the summer of 2015.

Soldiers are expected to retire their current uniform and begin wearing the new pattern by the summer of 2018.

The uniform bearing the new pattern will be largely the same as what Soldiers wear now, except that the lower leg pockets will be closed by a button instead of the "hook and loop" fabric fastener on the current Army Combat Uniform, or ACU. Soldiers complained that fastener made too much noise in combat environments, officials said. The insert pockets for knee pads and elbow pads will also be removed from the new uniform, according to Program Executive Office Soldier.

Other changes that will be considered by the 2015 Army Uniform Board include:

-- elimination of the mandarin collar and replacement with a fold-down design
-- change of the infrared square identification for friend or foe, known as the IFF tab
-- removal of one of three pen pockets on the ACU sleeve
-- elimination of the drawstring on the trouser waistband

These last four potential changes have not yet been approved but are being considered, according to PEO Soldier. I got this from this site. 

New Phone Technology

Phone Technology

A mobile phone used to be a simple device for texting and calling. Then it became a smartphone boasting of Internet and camera functionalities. Now, the smartphone can be converted into a microscope through an attachable lens that can help magnify the object. One might wonder what the future would be like with a smartphone capable of projecting 3D holograms floating into thin air. Ostendo, a startup based in California, makes this possible following its creation of a hologram projector chip for smartphones with two versions rolling out in 2015 or 2016. The cost of the chipset is estimated at $30. I got this from this site. Samsung’s CEO Kwon Oh-hyun spoke about the future of its mobile phones. What can we look forward to? Well, the recently introduced Samsung Galaxy Round is just the beginning, as the curved phone will be joined by flexible and foldable hardware in the future. According to SammyHub.com, the first bendable phones will come in mid-2014, with foldable devices nearer the end of 2015. 

Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/samsung-future-galaxy-tech-plans/#ixzz3CA8KJdYA
Follow us: @digitaltrends on Twitter | digitaltrendsftw on Facebook. I got this from this site. The biggest names in electronics manufacturing have signed on to integrate "kill switch" tech into their new handsets.

As of July 2015, models built for retail sale in the U.S. will offer a baseline anti-theft tool which can render the device inoperable if lost or stolen.

Apple, AT&T, Google, HTC, Motorola, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon have already signed on to participate in a voluntary program from CTIA, the wireless industry trade group. Starting next summer, new smartphones will come preloaded with (or offer the option to download) the so-called "kill switch" function.

Left your Android device at the club? Had your iPhone swiped while waiting on the subway platform? Users will be able to remotely wipe all personal data—contacts, photos, emails—and render the smartphone inoperable to unauthorized users, a.k.a. anyone who doesn't know your password. I got this from this site.