Tuesday, 6 February 2018

The Morning After: The return of smart glasses?

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Engadget Email Newsletter

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It's Tuesday, February 06, 2018.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Good morning! Interested in a three-wheeled EV? How about a Han Solo origins movie? Ah, okay, how about Intel trying to make smart glasses a thing? We also take a closer look at how a US Paralympian designed Team USA's snowboard prosthetics for this year’s Winter Olympics, while we get ready for the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch planned for this afternoon.

A low-powered laser beams images into your eye.
 

Intel’s smart glasses are subtle enough that you might want to wear ‘em
 

Intel’s smart glasses are subtle enough that you might want to wear ‘em<br />   

Intel has launched an impressively light, regular-looking set of smart glasses called Vaunt, confirming last week’s rumors. Seen by The Verge, they have plastic frames and weigh just under 50 grams, a bit more than regular eyeglasses but much less than Google Glass, for example. The electronics are crammed into the stems and control a very low-powered, class-one laser that shines a red, monochrome, low-fi image into your eye. Perhaps crucially, the glasses contain no camera, eliminating the big brother vibe from Glass and other smart glasses. Vaunt is mainly aimed at giving you relatively simple heads-up notifications. Intel says the glasses are more stealthy than a smartwatch, allowing you to check notifications while doing other activities. But would you want a pair?

He's as overconfident as ever.
 

Solo: A ‘Star Wars Story' trailer reveals Han's roots
 

Solo: A ‘Star Wars Story' trailer reveals Han's roots<br />   

The troubled spin-off production finally manages a trailer.  
 

From pro snowmobiler to Paralympic athlete.
 

A US Paralympian designed Team USA's snowboard prosthetics
 

A US Paralympian designed Team USA's snowboard prosthetics<br />   

Mike Schultz was a professional snowmobile racer, but in 2008, his life's course took a turn after a competition accident shattered his left knee and left him clinging to life. When his injuries began causing his kidneys to shut down, doctors decided to amputate the leg just above the knee.
 

"I spent a total of 13 days in the hospital and was able to get back home on Christmas Eve to a whole new world of challenges," he explained. "Later that spring, after learning how to walk on my everyday prosthetic leg, I realized pretty quickly that I needed a plan B to get back into sports and the fun activities that I wanted to do." That plan B turned out to be designing his own prosthetic leg -- one purpose-built to handle the rigors of extreme sports -- and starting a fabrication company, Biodapt, to produce it. Thus, the Moto Knee was created.
 

Jay Y. Lee was meant to spend five years in jail, however...

Disgraced Samsung boss walks free from prison
 

The heir to South Korea's largest company has avoided a lengthy spell in prison after a court suspended his sentence. Samsung vice chairman Jay Y. Lee was meant to spend five years behind bars after being found guilty of bribing public officials. Now, after spending close to a year in detention, he has been released and will spend the next four years on probation.

Lee was arrested as part of the corruption scandal that brought down South Korean President Park Geun-Hye, herself awaiting trial.
 

The nation is trying to battle a big uptick in road deaths.
 

France bans smartphone use in cars even when you pull over
 

France bans smartphone use in cars even when you pull over<br />   

Road deaths have been on the rise lately in France and with nothing much else to pin it on, authorities are going after scofflaw drivers who text or call. It's now illegal to hold your phone on public roads even when you're pulled over to the side, whether you're blocking traffic or not. The high-court ruling means that taking what some consider to be a safe step -- pulling over to talk on the phone -- could still result in points and a fine of 135 euros.
 

The company just has to make more than one.
 

Sondors' three-wheeled EV is affordable and stylish
 

Sondors' three-wheeled EV is affordable and stylish<br />   

Starting a new car company is tough. In fact, it's nearly impossible. Then Tesla pulled it off. As we transition from the internal combustion engine to electrification, startups and even a few established players are taking a chance on EVs. Building a three-wheeled autocycle isn't revolutionary, exactly. But making an EV starting at $10,000, with all the usual amenities, makes it a car worth watching. Plus, it looks spectacular. Three wheels, c’mon!
 

But wait, there's more...

1. 'The Cloverfield Paradox' would be doomed without Netflix

2. SpaceX animation shows the ideal outcome for the Falcon Heavy launch

3. Google flips on Pixel 2's HDR+ feature for Instagram, Snapchat and more

4. SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launch gets a spacesuit-clad 'Starman'

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't subscribe.

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Monday, 5 February 2018

Editor's Pick: Amazon's Soaring Healthcare Ambition: The Promise and the Problem


Rob Enderle
Feb 5, 2018 10:57 AM PT
Healthcare is a mess in the United States. Consumers pay more and get less than in most other developed countries. Strong comprehensive healthcare is unaffordable for most without substantial help, which is why putting the burden on the government really does not work. If people cannot afford something, individually aggregating it under what amounts to a tax is not really any better. [More...]

More Picks:
HighGround CEO Andee Harris: Find Your People
"Human capital management is the idea that your humans are your capital, and so you should be investing in them and managing them, making sure that you're giving your talent opportunities to grow, and that they have purpose in their work," said HighGround CEO Andee Harris. "Human resources is more about HR benefits and core HR systems," she noted, while HCM "is more about people systems." [More...]
Open Source Software Turns 20-Something
Saturday marks the 20th Anniversary of open source, sort of. Open source led to a new software development and distribution model that offered an alternative to proprietary software. No single event takes the prize for starting the technology revolution. However, Feb. 3, 1998, is one of the more significant dates. On that day, Christine Peterson, a futurist and lecturer in the field of nanotechnology, coined the "open source" term. [More...]
There May Be Gold in Them Thar Podcasts
User engagement with podcasts has been steadily increasing, and many listeners actually prefer longer-format content, based on results of Apple's Podcast Analytics reported this week. The service, which Apple launched late last year, gives podcasters a way to track performance metrics including number of listeners, total time listened and time per device. [More...]
Skype Comes to Linux in a Snap
Canonical has announced the availability of Skype as a Snap file, the universal Linux app packaging format. Skype now can deliver its communication service to a wider range of Linux users, not just those who run Canonical's Ubuntu Linux distribution. Skype, a Microsoft product, is an application that lets users make video and voice calls, and send files, video and instant messages. [More...]
SAP to Forge Stronger Links With $2.4B Callidus Buy
SAP has agreed to acquire Callidus Software for about $2.4 billion to improve back-office to front-office links. The transaction is expected to close in Q2 2018, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions. SAP will get Callidus Software's CallidusCloud, which offers a full suite of sales performance management and configure-price-quote solutions. [More...]
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The Morning After: New Westworld, new Cloverfield

Engadget Email Newsletter

Engadget Email Newsletter

Engadget Email Newsletter

Engadget Email Newsletter

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It's Monday, February 05, 2018.

Hey, good morning!

We’re kicking off the week with Netflix’s Super Bowl surprise, hints about the future of Windows 10 S and more details around SpaceX’s upcoming Falcon Heavy launch.
 

Day-and-date announce and release is a new wrinkle.

Netflix surprise released 'The Cloverfield Paradox' worldwide after Super Bowl LII
 

Netflix surprise released 'The Cloverfield Paradox' worldwide after Super Bowl LII<br />   

Last year, Netflix's Super Bowl ad focused on a season of Stranger Things we still had months to wait for, but this year things are different. The streaming company dropped a surprise 30-second teaser for The Cloverfield Paradox, a sequel to the 2008 monster movie, which became available for viewing worldwide right after the game. The Paramount/J.J. Abrams flick had been planned for a theatrical release this weekend, but this agreement with Netflix reportedly made the $45-million movie "immediately profitable." And you can watch it, well, right now.
 

Say hello to S Mode.
 

Microsoft to drop Windows 10 S as a stand-alone product
 

Microsoft to drop Windows 10 S as a stand-alone product<br />   

Both Thurrott and Neowin have discovered that Microsoft is dropping Windows 10 S as a stand-alone product for everyday users in favor of S Mode, which is already available for the enterprise crowd. The cost of unlocking full access would depend on what you're running: Windows 10 Home S users could unlock to the regular Home release for free, while those using Windows 10 Pro S would pay $49.

Good luck with that.
 

SpaceX confirms it will try to land all of Falcon Heavy's boosters
 

SpaceX confirms it will try to land all of Falcon Heavy's boosters<br />   

Elon Musk's outfit has confirmed it will attempt to land all three boosters on Falcon Heavy's launch, which is now slated for a 2.5-hour window starting at 1:30PM Eastern on February 6th. As expected, the two side boosters will come back to the on-ground landing zones at Cape Canaveral, while the center booster should land on a drone ship off the coast.
 

Over $200 million minimum -- and a lot of luck.
 

Here’s what it would take to make Overwatch’s ‘Blizzard World’ IRL
 

Here’s what it would take to make Overwatch’s ‘Blizzard World’ IRL<br />   

Last week, the Overwatch team released a new map: Blizzard World. The multiplayer arena is a colorful amusement park filled with attractions and rides themed after Blizzard's stable of games. It's a delightful backdrop for the team-based shooter, filled with in-jokes and puns that make it look like a rapturous place for a gamer to visit. But what would it take to bring Blizzard World to life? Come dream with us.
 

The solar-based project promises to stabilize power and lower prices.
 

Tesla will create “virtual power plant” with 50,000 Australian homes
 

Tesla isn't done bolstering Australia's power grid just because its giant battery farm is up and running. South Australia premier Jay Weatherill has unveiled a partnership that will provide 5kW solar panels and Tesla Powerwall 2 batteries to "at least" 50,000 homes in a bid to create the largest-ever "virtual power plant," where homes contribute their surplus energy to the grid. The move will theoretically stabilize the Australian state's electricity infrastructure, reducing the blackouts and surging prices that have plagued the region in recent times.

Banks ban credit purchase of cryptocurrency due to risks
 

Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase are anxious.
 

If you use your Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase or Citigroup credit card to buy cryptocurrency, then you'll have to find an alternative ASAP. Banks have reportedly banned crypto purchases using their cards due to the virtual coins' volatile nature. BofA has already started declining credit transactions with known exchanges, though its debit cards aren't affected by the ban. Citigroup also announced on Friday that it'll no longer process crypto purchases, while JPMorgan Chase's new rule will take effect today.
 

But wait, there's more...

1. Open Source turns 20: Here's how it all started

2. Steadicam Volt's cinematic smartphone stabilizer is a little fiddly

3. 'Westworld' season-two trailer shows us what comes next, and when

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't subscribe.

Craving even more? Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Have a suggestion on how we can improve The Morning After? Send us a note.
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Copyright © 2016 Aol Inc. All rights reserved.

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