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Listen to the eerie sounds of a solar storm hitting the Earth's magnetic field
Scientists converted data from the ESA's three Swarm satellites into ethereal audio.
The drones that announced Joe Biden as the 46th president-elect
The drone air show business is not an easy one, only around two dozen such outfits exist worldwide. The company also keeps its drone manufacturing in-house with its M1 UAV. But for as complicated as the swarm’s movements are, the drones themselves possess virtually zero autonomy.
Swarm to pay $900,000 for unauthorized satellite launch
The FCC announced today that it had reached a settlement with Swarm over the startup's unauthorized satellite launch in 2017. The trouble started in December of last year when the FCC denied Swarm a licence to launch a set of small satellites called SpaceBEEs, with the commission claiming the satellites were too small to be reliably tracked. But Swarm launched them anyway in January and once the FCC got wind, it initiated an investigation. The settlement requires Swarm to pay a $900,000 penalty and submit to extended FCC oversight over the next few years.
Swarm's latest update brings it closer to its Foursquare roots
The line between the Swarm and Foursquare City Guide apps just blurred a little more. Foursquare has released Swarm 6.0 for Android and iOS, and its tentpole features will feel familiar if you're more used to browsing places than checking in. Most notably, you now have a Saved Places section that shows all the locations you've bookmarked on top of a "completely rebuilt" map. If you're new to the concept, it's effectively Pinterest for foodies and tourists -- you can browse your friends' lists (when they grant permission), and your own list will sync with the main Foursquare app.
Rogue satellite startup gets the launch license it needed first time around
Sending things to space is a serious business that normally requires capital investments, rigorous preparations — and taking care of the paperwork. Earlier this year US startup Swarm circumvented the last part and sent a series of probes — so-called SpaceBEEs — into orbit despite being rejected for an FCC license. Although FCC is still looking at how to punish the rogue operator, it has just granted it a temporary license to send up a few more satellites.
Swarm redesign shows just how much it knows about you
Foursquare's Swarm check-in app has catered to lifeloggers before, but never quite like this. The location-centric company is launching Swarm 5.0 for iOS (Android is coming in a few weeks) with your trip history as its focus. The check-in map is now at the very heart of the app, making it easy to see where you've been. You can share it, too, if you want to keep your friends up to date. There's also a revamped profile that gives you a better view of your many achievements, whether it's your ongoing check-in streaks or the number of unique places you've visited. You can even see places you have yet to mark on your 'bucket list.' It's a bit disconcerting to realize how much info you've volunteered to Swarm, but this is a big help if you're trying to remember the last time you visited a given restaurant.
Virtual 'top hats' ensure swarming drones won't crash
Drone swarms can be used for lots of things, like creating holograms, putting on a Superbowl halftime show or collecting military intelligence. One of the problems with a bunch of quadcopters executing maneuvers in close proximity, however, is that they can crash when they touch or fly under each other. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have found a way to avoid both issues by creating a virtual bumper area around each copter so that they don't accidentally touch. They've also ensured that each copter has a little "top hat" of space above it so it won't go underneath another drone and get caught up in its airflow.
Intel unveils a drone made for aerial light shows
Intel isn't just using drone swarms to show off its robotics prowess -- it's building a business around them. The chip maker has unveiled the Shooting Star, a quadcopter drone tailor-made for light shows. Its companion software automates the animation process, telling the drone horde where to fly to create an intended image -- it'll even choose drones based on remaining battery life and GPS reception quality. Light shows that took weeks to design can now be ready in a matter of days, Intel says. You only need one pilot to run everything, and the LED light at the heart of the drone can shine in any of 4 billion color combinations.
Foursquare's revamped city guide app puts search at its center
Foursquare's namesake app is all about finding things to do around town, but it hasn't really put the strongest focus on the finding part -- it's usually focused on suggestions. Well, the company is fixing that today. The new Foursquare 10 for Android and iOS has a redesigned home screen that puts search at its heart. On top of a more prominent search box, you'll also get big quick access buttons that help you find common activities, such as dinner or nightclubs. And if you're on iOS 10, you'll get rich notifications that include photos and quick actions.
ICYMI: Amazingly old sharks and drones for the sea
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A new study just published in Science details the carbon dating process used to find the average age of Greenland sharks is 272, along with pegging one at a likely age of 512. Those engineered shark cell injections for longevity can't come soon enough. By comparison, the Reef Scouts from Ocean Lab are relatively new additions to the sea, with multiple water drones that flock together when only one is controlled. If you're interested in the animatronic shark suit in today's opening, that video is here. The video of a 43-week clean-up on a Mumbai beach is here; use it to get your somehow, still-not-recycling family members onboard. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Swarm brings back Foursquare's real-world perks
Foursquare is continuing its quest to bring back all the things you liked from its old check-in app. Swarm now offers real-life perks depending on where and how often you check in. You'll get a discount if you swing by certain stores, for instance, or enter to win a prize if you complete a challenge across multiple shops. Only some locations will have these benefits, but Foursquare is promising "hundreds" of prizes ranging from cruises to drones to VIP concert tickets.
You can predict city gentrification through check-ins and tweets
Do you dread the thought of gentrification jacking up real estate prices (and stifling culture) in your neighborhood? In the future, you might only need to keep tabs on social networks to know when your part of town is changing -- British researchers have learned that Foursquare check-ins and Twitter posts can help predict gentrification. If many people start visiting unfamiliar locations in materially-deprived neighborhoods (say, trendy new restaurants) with their friends, that's usually a good sign that these areas will be gentrified before long. Accordingly, places that are dominated by locals and regulars tend to resist that shift, no matter the income levels.
Swarm turns your check-in history into a detailed lifelog
By bringing back mayorships, leaderboards and other features that make every day a new level in one big game, Swarm is now more or less what Foursquare once was. But with the release of Swarm 4.0 today, the check-in app is expanding further beyond the immediate gratification of coins and titles. The update places a greater emphasis on the lifelogging aspects of Swarm, using check-in data to build a richer history of what you and your friends have been up to. This starts with a redesigned profile tab highlighting check-ins, streaks and any photos posted while out and about.
Foursquare's new CEO to shift company focus beyond consumers
Foursquare gambled big two years ago when it split its app in two. Unfortunately, that hasn't worked out so well. Despite reinstating universal mayorships and leaderboards into Swarm (it's spin-off check-in app), the company has yet to regain much of the glory of its early days. Now it appears the company might be changing directions to seek profits elsewhere. Today, Foursquare announced that Jeff Glueck (its COO for the past year and a half) would be its new CEO, while founder Dennis Crowley would step into an executive chairman role. And with this news comes another one: it looks like Foursquare is about to shift much of its focus away from consumers and toward the enterprise.
Foursquare dusts off its leaderboards for Swarm
Foursquare has clearly been trying to bring back the sparkle it lost when it split into two. After reviving global mayorships in hopes of enticing old users to start checking in again, it's now reinstating the old app's leaderboards. Swarm version 3.0 incorporates a revamped leaderboard, which pits you against friends and ranks you all based on the number of coins you have. Each check in earns you coins, but the amount varies per location -- some could give you just a coin or two, while other places could add a dozen to your total -- and you get bonuses for mayorships and check-in streaks. The company says those coins might have more uses in the future, but you can think of them as "points" for now. By the way, the leaderboard resets every week, so everyone has a chance to be number one... though we guess that only matters if you have friends who still use Swarm.
Foursquare and Swarm: Breaking up is never easy
More than a year ago, Foursquare decided to split its app in two. The main app was now focused on location discovery, while Swarm was created to handle the social check-in side of things. The reason? To streamline the two seemingly disparate functions so that each feature could flourish without encumbering the other. That sounds like a good idea in theory, but check-ins and mayorships were so integral to Foursquare's identity that removing them seemed like a bad move. Recently, Foursquare decided to re-integrate global mayorships into Swarm due to user demand. But that might not be enough to win back its once-loyal user base.
Swarm revives Foursquare's mayorships, restoring your self-worth
If you miss the early days of Foursquare, when checking into places was still novel and being mayor of your favorite hangout made you feel like royalty, get ready for a blast from the past. Foursquare just announced that it's brought back mayorships to its spinoff check-in app Swarm (the core Foursquare app is now devoted to location discovery), just as the company promised it would last month. Surprisingly, Foursquare admitted that competing for mayor crown stickers on Swarm, which could be added to your check-ins, "wasn't as much fun" as nabbing a lofty title. You can earn a mayorship by checking into a location more times in the past 30 days than anyone else -- pretty much like how it worked before. You won't be getting your old titles back instantly (though Foursquare is turning your old badges into stickers), but the company says it'll count check-ins from the past month.
Foursquare is bringing mayorships back for Swarm
When Foursquare split its app into two separate services, Swarm and Foursquare, some users were unhappy that their favorite gamification elements had been nuked. If you were checking in with Swarm, for instance, it was no longer possible to unlock badges and compete for mayorships with the entire community. Well, it seems Dennis Crowley's startup is finally relenting and giving the people what they want. The company says global mayorships with be added to Swarm "soon" and that henceforth, all check-ins will count towards them. While badges are still noticeably absent, Foursquare is rolling out 100 new stickers which users can add to their check-ins, photos and messages. Will it be enough to win back those that checked out after the Swarm-Foursquare split? Maybe not, but at least the company has recognised what made Foursquare such a hit in the first place.
Foursquare can recommend places even if you don't sign in
A new Foursquare update completely eliminates the need to make an account, letting anyone use it to find a decent place to eat or somewhere to spend time without having to log in or even to create an account. And you know what? It makes perfect sense, since Swarm has taken over its check-in capabilities anyway. According to Foursquare product manager Jonathan Crowley, the only reason it took time to nix that requirement is because it wasn't easy changing the app's framework. If you think back to the time you've registered, you'll recall that signing up for Foursquare is quite tedious: it doesn't only ask you to choose "tastes" (types of food and places) you like, it also wants you to link your other social media accounts. Now, both the iOS and Android app can just recommend establishments based on location, making them more akin to local directory services such as Yelp. The good news is that you can still add your preferences (without having to log in) later on if you want more personalized results.
Disney rendered its new animated film on a 55,000-core supercomputer
Disney's upcoming animated film Big Hero 6, about a boy and his soft robot (and a gang of super-powered friends), is perhaps the largest big-budget mash-up you'll ever see. Every aspect of the film's production represents a virtual collision of worlds. The story, something co-director Don Hall calls "one of the more obscure titles in the Marvel universe," has been completely re-imagined for parent company Disney. Then, there's the city of San Fransokyo it's set in -- an obvious marriage of two of the most tech-centric cities in the world. And, of course, there's the real-world technology that not only takes center stage as the basis for characters in the film, but also powered the onscreen visuals. It's undoubtedly a herculean effort from Walt Disney Animation Studios, and one that's likely to go unnoticed by audiences.
