NASA building Space Launch System with laser melting, adapts 3D printing for the skies (video)

As we know it, 3D printing is usually confined to small-scale projects like headphones. NASA is ever so slightly more ambitious. It's using a closely related technique from Concept Laser, selective laser melting, to build elements of its Space Launch System on a pace that wouldn't be feasible with traditional methods. By firing brief, exact laser pulses at metal powder, Concept Laser's CAD system creates solid metal parts that are geometrically complex but don't need to be welded together. The technique saves the money and time that would normally be spent on building many smaller pieces, but it could be even more vital for safety: having monolithic components reduces the points of failure that could bring the rocket down. We'll have a first inkling of how well laser melting works for NASA when the SLS' upper-stage J-2X engine goes through testing before the end of 2012, and the printed parts should receive their ultimate seal of approval with a first flight in 2017.

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Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ tentatively rooted for the paper UI-phobic (video)

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Google House View: funny concept hits home for the privacy-concerned [VIDEO]

NSFW: There is a bit of cursing and slightly explicit material in this post.

It seems Google is everywhere nowadays. The tech giant has dibs on all our information, owning some of the most popular services in the world – like Gmail, Android, Chrome/Chromium OS, Google TV, Google Maps, Google Search (of course) and soon they will even have self-driven Google cars taking you everywhere. All of this information is used to make your life easier and improve advertising, but just how far can Google go before raising some major privacy concerns?

This video from thekloons takes Google’s omnipresence to make a funny, but worrisome video of how far things could get if Google continues to grow at this rate. The video displays a theoretical feature called “House View,” which would allow anyone to see inside of houses with pictures taken by a little Google robot.

We may be giggling right now, but there might come a point when privacy does become a concern. One of the best features of Android 4.2 is Photo Sphere, bringing us the ability to take 360-degree pictures and uploading them to Google Maps. These immersive images would then be available for the world to see on Street View. Pretty Nifty, right? No doubt, it would be fun to share our experiences with friends and family in full detail. Hell, you can even put your room in Street View… or uncaring visitors could do it for you.

While some people may be indifferent about it, many of us would be very uncomfortable about having our private space readily available for anyone’s viewing pleasure. Especially if you have kids to worry about, or criminals in your neighborhood. Google should definitely have an option to remove Photo Spheres from Google Maps if these happen to invade people’s privacy. There are still some concerns, though, as some naughty images have definitely slipped through Google’s hands in the past.

On the other hand, this can be a great feature we don’t want to let go of. You can share your hiking adventures better, or check out museums and historic landmarks more interactively. Users can take advantage of Photo Sphere to expand a business, by letting others see the premises. How about making your house available in Google Maps Street View if you have it for sale? The possibilities are endless, but there definitely needs to be some privacy control.

With all of this in mind – how do you guys feel about the new Photo Sphere features in Android 4.2? Would you mind having 360-degree images of your house online? Would it be too hard for Google to monitor and curate appropriate Photo Spheres? You can go ahead and participate in our poll or sound off in the comments with your own opinions!

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Netduino Plus 2 offers four times the speed, full round of futureproofing (video)

The original Netduino Plus was a welcome alternative for Arduino developers that had its limits -- even networking was almost a step too far. Secret Labs doesn't want any of us to bump our heads on the ceiling with its just-launched Netduino Plus 2. The networkable, .NET-friendly developer board runs a four times faster 168MHz processor with double the RAM (over 100KB) and six times as much code space (384KB) as its two-year-old ancestor. Having so much headroom lets the team build common OneWire and Time Server code into the firmware; Secret Labs reckons that there's enough space that the Plus 2 can easily grow over time. The ports are just as ready for the future with four serial ports, software control of any add-on shields (including Rev C Arduino shields) and a new header that lets programmers debug both managed and truly native code at once. If the upgrade is sufficiently tempting, project builders just need to spend $60 today to enjoy some newfound freedom.

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Epson's video board pumps composite inputs to the Moverio BT-100 headset (video)

Bummed that your $700 Moverio BT-100 headset doesn't have video input? Well, Epson's here to tease you with a board that plugs into the trackpad and accepts any composite video source. Despite best attempts to hide the identity of hardware it's being tested with and give the lawyers a weekend off, it's shown to receive feeds from a PS3, an iPad and a 360 with Kinect. Check out the honk-filled video of all the fun you're not having, and contact Epson if you've got an interesting idea for using the board, because they might just give you one. How about -- "I want to play games on it?" That sounds like a pretty good reason to us.

[Thanks, Joe]

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Google kicks Xperia S Android Open Source Project out of its nest, Sony takes it under its wing (video)

Reception and call quality 9.7 Display 9.8 Battery life 7.4 Camera 9.4 Ease of use 8.8 Design and form factor 9.5 Portability (size / weight) 9.4 Media support 9.4 Durability 8.8 Ecosystem (apps, accessories, etc.) 8.9

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Tokyoflash launches the Kisai Maru watch, lets you live out your Tony Stark fantasies (video)

By Daniel Cooper posted Nov 8th 2012 2:00AM

It's that time of the week when Tokyoflash launches another one of its charming, barely-decipherable timepieces. Except, this time out, the face is eminently readable -- with the only baffling addition a ring that joins the minute and hour hands. While it's available in black and silver, the sienna variant with its reddish-brown casing go hand-in-hand with the bracelet's chunky stylings to make it eerily reminiscent of Tony Stark's superhero outfit. If you'd to indulge your own arc reactor-infused fantasies, the company is selling the timepiece for $109 (€85, £68) until 2:00 AM ET Saturday, after which it'll set you back $149 (€116, £93). If you want to take a moment to see it in action before you order a cheeseburger and declare yourself Iron Man, head on past the break.

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Jam with Chrome: Google reinvents browser-based band practice (video)

Wish you could spend your downtime practicing your guitar licks with your friends, but lack a garage and / or sympathetic neighbors? Google's just made both problems moot with its browser-based music service, Jam with Chrome. Unsurprisingly, Chrome users can invite up to three friends to join in a practice session, controlling synthesized instruments straight from the browser. We've been trying it for the last few minutes and it's still a little fussy when it comes to actually, you know, inviting your friends in, but when that minor issue is resolved, we've got big hopes that The Engadgets will knock that Bieber fellow off the top of the charts.

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MR-808 recreates Roland drum machine with robot instruments, puts them in an 808 State (video)

Music lovers will often tell you that Roland's TR-808 gave birth to modern music. Acid house, rap, techno and other genres owe some of their original (and even current) sounds to that synthetic beat. Moritz Simon Geist appreciates the effort, but has built a solution for those who think the drum machine is a little too perfect: his MR-808 installation has robot limbs playing all the equivalent real-world instruments, right down to the cowbell. A laptop musician at the helm sends MIDI input to an Arduino controller that then triggers the robot's instrument motors and matching lights. The effect is a unique mix of flawless cues with imprecise, almost organic sounds -- imagine 808 State or Kanye West replacing each and every machine with a live band and you've got the idea. Although the sheer size of the MR-808 sadly nixes chances you'll ever see one at the local nightclub, it could give any of Geist's recorded music one of the more distinct vibes we've heard.

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Drift HD Ghost helmet cam available to pre-order today for $400 (video)

Drift Innovation Debuts the Drift HD Ghost – the First?Ever Action Camera Equipped with Two?Way LED Remote and Continuous Loop Video – Solving the Age Old Question: "Am I On?"

The Drift HD Ghost packs industry?leading features including wearable on/off remote control with LEDs displaying mode in use, continuous loop video recording, built?in Wi?Fi
and an integrated 2?inch Gorilla Glass® LCD screen for instant playback and sharing

LONDON – November 7, 2012 – Drift Innovation, the award?winning action sports technology company specializing in the capture and sharing of digital imagery, launched the most feature?rich and intuitive action camera yet – the Drift HD Ghost. Building upon a unique feature set, which includes an industry? first two?way LED remote control with on/off indicator light, video recording/tagging capabilities in continuous loop mode, and an integrated 2?inch Gorilla Glass® LCD screen, the Drift HD Ghost is the best all?in?one solution on the market.

Unlike other point of view cameras that require aftermarket accessories and peripherals for functionality, the Drift HD Ghost includes everything action sports enthusiasts need to capture professional quality video immediately. Plus, the intuitive interface is easy to use, easy to navigate and easy to set up, so users everywhere can begin recording moments after opening the box.

Drift Active StatusTM Two?Way Remote with LED Lights
The Drift HD Ghost is the only action camera packaged standard with a wearable on/off remote control with LEDs and wrist strap. The strategically placed LED lights on the remote instantly communicate the mode currently in use displaying a color?coded system indicating Video, Photo, Timelapse or Photoburst modes. The remote also streamlines functionality by allowing users to take photos and change function modes from up to 30 feet (10m) away, as well as to start and stop recording. This saves precious memory space and battery life so you can capture a full day of activities without wasting time.

"For years, the action sports crowd has looked for a solution to the question enthusiasts hate to utter: 'Am I on?'" said John Rounds, Managing Director of Drift Americas. "Finally, Drift solves the problem with a two?way remote control. The wearable remote features the Drift Active StatusTM LED indicator which lets you know if the camera is recording or not. Sometimes you only get one shot, and it's devastating when you miss it."
Drift FlashbackTM Video Tag/Loop

Action sports enthusiasts can save a recorded event up to five minutes after it happens while in Video Tag/Loop mode, which records footage in a continuous loop style. The video clip is stored in the camera's memory, and will save the clip only if the user chooses to "tag" it.
Built?In 2?Inch LCD Screen with Gorilla Glass®

The screen allows quick, real?time viewing of camera angles before you even press record. It also supports instant video playback of recorded footage, making it easier than ever to edit, delete and re? live your favorite actions whenever, and where ever, you want. Plus, its screen is covered with Gorilla Glass® to ensure scratch?proof performance even in the most rugged terrains.

Drift DataLinkTM Wi?Fi Enabled & Drift App
The Drift HD Ghost comes Wi?Fi?enabled to communicate instantly with smartphones. Combined with the Drift Mobile App (coming soon for both IOS and Android) you can preview and line up a shot remotely from your phone, change camera settings, shot recording, photo capture and playback, directly through your mobile device. You can even download content from the camera to your smartphone instantly and share content wirelessly across your favorite social media platforms.
Drift PowerStationTM

The Drift HD Ghost has the longest standard battery life on the market, providing 3 hours of recording time per charge, courtesy of the included 1700 mAh rechargeable lithium?ion battery. The Drift PowerStationTM also uniquely places the battery in the center of the camera maximizing battery life and providing an anti?vibrational system.

Advanced Drift PureTM Audio Technology
The microphone features digital and mechanical dynamic modulation technology which offers the latest innovations in digital signal processing and wind?noise reduction to provide crystal clear audio. Standard in all Drift cameras are multiple sensitivity settings and an external 3.5mm microphone connector to further enhance the captured audio.

Enhanced 7 Element Lens Design
The Drift HD Ghost boasts an upgraded lens design consisting of seven elements, ensuring optically pure performance whether filming in the Gobi desert or on top a high mountain peak. This guarantees the user high clarity, vibrantly colored, stunning HD video. While recording crystal clear HD video in a variety of resolutions (ranging from 1080p, 960p, 720p to WVGA), you can simultaneously shoot still photos without interrupting filming, so you never miss a moment.
Nine feet (3m) waterproof without any housing

The Drift HD Ghost features an improved design allowing the camera to be nine feet (3m) waterproof out of the box. So whether surfing in Indonesia or kiteboarding on the Hood River, Drift has you covered. For deep water enthusiasts Drift offers a uniquely designed waterproof housing which allows you to capture underwater adventures up to 180 feet (60m) depth.

The Drift HD Ghost is available for purchase for US $399 on http://store.driftinnovation.com/camera/drift?hd?ghost. Learn more about Drift HD Ghost specifications and features at http://driftinnovation.com, as well as Drift Innovation's full line of accessories and high? definition cameras, including the predecessor Drift HD awarded the prestigious Red Dot Design Award in 2012 for superlative packaging design. Follow Drift Innovation on http://facebook.com/driftinnovation and on Twitter, @DriftInnovation.

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Baidu buys control of streaming video portal iQiyi, raises stakes in China's media wars

Baidu Announces Acquisition of Providence Equity Partners' Stake in iQiyi

BEIJING, Nov. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU), the leading Chinese language Internet search provider, today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement with Providence Equity Partners ("Providence") pursuant to which Baidu will purchase shares of iQiyi.com ("iQiyi") held by Providence for an undisclosed amount. Upon completion, Baidu will have a substantial majority stake in iQiyi.

iQiyi, launched in April 2010 and known as "Qiyi" until November 2011, is the first online video platform in China to focus exclusively on fully licensed, high-definition and professionally-produced content. In August 2012, iQiyi was ranked as the number one online video platform in China in terms of average time spent per user and number two in terms of total monthly time spent, according to iResearch, a China-based research firm.

Baidu and Providence expect the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2012, subject to customary closing conditions. Upon completion of the transaction, iQiyi will be consolidated into Baidu's financial statements. iQiyi will continue to operate as a separate brand with its existing management team.

"Online video is a key strategic vertical for Baidu as user numbers and time-spend continue to increase exponentially, underscoring the tremendous potential in the sector," said Robin Li, chairman and CEO of Baidu. "We are very pleased with the progress iQiyi has made and have confidence that iQiyi's management will continue to grow its leading position. Going forward, we see users spending more and more time on online video and we will integrate iQiyi's content more seamlessly into Baidu's overall search and mobile services."

Mr. Li added, "I want to extend my appreciation to the Providence team for their contribution to and support of iQiyi over the last two-and-a-half years."

Dr. Yu Gong, founder and CEO of iQiyi, added, "iQiyi has established a great business foundation and strong brand recognition and we look forward to leveraging our relationship with Baidu to further drive superior user and advertising customer experience."

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Visualized: Space Shuttle Atlantis makes its final journey, arrives at new home (video)

By Alexis Santos posted Nov 3rd 2012 10:00AM

On Friday, Space Shuttle Atlantis made its final voyage, marking the last time an orbiter in America's shuttle program would be on the move. We were on-hand during the occasion and followed Atlantis as it slowly trekked to its destination, a 90,000 square-foot exhibit building at Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex. To live out the event vicariously, check out the photos below or hit the jump for the video.

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Evernote 5 for iOS coming soon: new UI, revised places view, same inability to forget (video)

Features 8 Display 9 Battery life 9 Ease of use 10 Storage capacity 8 Design and form factor 9 Portability (size / weight) 8 Durability 7

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Panasonic launches tweaked AG-AF105A MFT pro camcorder with 10-bit HD video

Panasonic Introduces The AG-AF100A Series Micro Four Thirds Camera Recorder Featuring Full HD Progressive Recording And 10 Bit 4:2:2 Camera Live Output Via SDI Terminal

Osaka, Japan (November 5th, 2012) -- Panasonic Corporation will release the new AG-AF100A Series Memory Card Camera Recorder in November 2012.

The AG-AF100A Series is the professional HD camera recorder with a Micro Four Thirds mount. As with the conventional model AG-AF100 Series, AG-AF100A Series can use a wide range of lenses* including Micro Four Thirds compatible DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) lenses and Cinema lenses with a mount adapter. AG-AF100A Series also features two-channel XLR audio input terminals and more functions to meet the professional needs.

In addition to the professional high quality PH mode (average approx. 21Mbps, maximum 24Mbps), AG-AF100A Series complies with the AVCHD ver. 2.0 (AVCHD Progressive) standard in its new PS mode (average approx. 25Mbps, maximum 28Mbps) for recording, playing and outputting (via HDMI only) Full-HD progressive (1080/59.94p, 1080/50p) images. The PS/PH modes support uncompressed 16 bit LPCM 2-channel audio recording.

The AG-AF100A Series can newly output HD signals with 10 bit 4:2:2 quality via the camera's live output function and record onto the external devices, such as P2 Recorder, compatible with 10 bit high quality recording through SDI. P2 Recorder also syncs Rec Start/Stop with the AG-AF100A series trigger.

The AG-AF100A Series is newly equipped with the expand focus assist function, which enlarges the center of the displayed image, and 2.39:1 (cinema scope size) safety zone marker.

The AG-AF100A Series will be available in November 2012 at an open price in Japan.

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