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Microsoft’s Game Pass Friend & Family tier goes live in two countries
Following a leak last week, Microsoft has unveiled the Game Pass Friends & Family in Ireland.
Columbia engineers built basic empathy into a robot
This is how we teach robots to cooperate with each other. And lie.
Report says NASA lost historical artifacts due to lax procedures
NASA's Office of Inspector General has released a new report detailing shortcomings in how the agency manages its historical items, The Verge reports. Over the years, NASA has apparently lost a number of assets, including a lunar soil collection bag, Apollo 11 command module hand controllers and even a lunar rover vehicle prototype.
Missouri wants to bring Hyperloop to the midwest
The state of Missouri has signed a deal with Virgin Hyperloop One to investigate if it's worth building a high-speed link between three of its biggest cities. A team of interested parties will examine the feasibility of constructing a route between Kansas City, Columbia and St Louis, parallel to I-70. That will include looking at the engineering challenges, as well as the potential economic benefits of such a route.
DARPA is helping six groups create neural interfaces for our brains
Elon Musk isn't the only one looking to rummage around inside your skull. DARPA announced on Monday that it has selected its five grant recipients for the Neural Engineering System Design (NESD) program, which it began at the start of this year. Brown University, Columbia University, The Seeing and Hearing Foundation, the John B. Pierce Laboratory, Paradromics Inc and the University of California, Berkeley will all receive multi-million dollar grants to help develop various aspects of the emerging technology.
NASA will use Apollo 1 hatch to honor fallen crew
Apollo 13 might be the space mission that everyone knows offhand thanks to director Ron Howard's movie, but it wasn't the first to experience critical failures. On January 27th, 1967 the three-man Apollo 1 crew was trapped inside its spacecraft, still on the launchpad, as smoke roiled inside the capsule and suffocated them. Now on the fatal mission's 50th anniversary, NASA is taking the three-part hatch that trapped Roger B. Chaffee, Virgil "Gus" Grissom and Edward White out of storage and putting it on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Reuters reports.
ICYMI: Targeting Zika with tech, flexi-cam and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-547051{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-547051, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-547051{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-547051").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Brazil is taking on the Zika virus by creating a smart billboard that attracts, then kills mosquitoes. Columbia University researchers built a camera prototype that takes pictures at a curve. And a Chinese company has stepped to Tesla with a self-driving, electric-only vehicle, though it isn't in production yet. Definitely share the latest in the Volkswagen emissions scandal with your friends who could use $5,000 (but might not get it); or just take in this performance from Prince as he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Music Hall of Fame. He was just so talented. As always, please share any great tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
ICYMI: Steps for electricity, scoliosis exosuit and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-340917{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-340917, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-340917{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-340917").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison made shoes that store energy from steps inside internal batteries, making them the coolest transport hybrid yet. Columbia scientists built a prototype for a robotic exoskeleton torso suit that would allow wearers who suffer from curvature of the spine to move, all while the machine kept their spine in proper alignment. And an upcoming art installation turns a door into a psychedelic experience that must be seen. We also hoped you'd enjoy this DIY build of a Russian tank. As always, please share any interesting science or tech videos, anytime! Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag to @mskerryd.
ICYMI: Genetically-based cancer meds, taste's base and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-37143{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-37143, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-37143{width:570px;display:block;}try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-37143").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Scientists managed to turn taste on and off in mice by activating and silencing brain cells, putting to bed the notion that taste is determined by the tongue. University of Toronto cancer researchers used a patient's genetic material to craft a cancerous mass on a long strip of collagen, then wound it up and gave it the same radiation and chemo drugs a patient would get for that type of illness. They can then stretch the roll out to see whether the treatment killed the cancer cells. The team hopes to eventually tailor people's cancer treatments to their own genetics. And the first battle in the private company space race may have gone to Blue Origin over Space X, for landing its reusable rocket first.
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Listen to full songs from BioShock: Infinite's Burial at Sea DLC
Bioshock Infinite regularly played with the idea of splicing together different decades, resulting in cool hybrids like a floating city of classic American architecture, and alternate-dimension takes of classic songs. The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" served as a dose of waveform-delivered culture shock in our initial moments with Columbia, translating the melody into a quartet group performance. Infinite's Burial At Sea DLC plays with music creation as well, but the efforts highlighted in this post from Irrational are less about covers and more about original takes. Community Manager "IG.J" posted three full songs from Burial At Sea Episodes One and Two, providing the story of how each song came to be and which musical styles the songs drew influence from. Among the selections is a promotional jingle for the Old Man Winter plasmid, pitching the substance's necessity like an old-time radio ad would. You can listen to the full takes of each song in Irrational's post, or you can allow Infinite's cover of Fortunate Son to transport you back to the war-torn streets of Columbia. [Image: Irrational Games]
Disney Infinity gets five free toy boxes, including familiar-looking 'Toy Columbia'
Disney Infinity players on Xbox 360, Wii U and PS3 now have five free custom-built toy boxes to check out, courtesy of Disney Interactive. Among the five levels offered is "Toy Columbia," described as a "sprawling city in the sky with infinite possibilities." The level looks strikingly similar to the same Columbia in BioShock Infinite, though Disney doesn't (or rather, can't) say it outright. The other four toy boxes now available are Sky Gauntlet, Jungle Cruise, Trench Run and Blue Breakout. Disney Infinity is also available on PC and 3DS, though the DLC wasn't mentioned for those platforms in Disney's announcement.
BioShock Infinite Songbird plushies now up for pre-order
Is your tower loft/prison missing that certain something? Irrational Games hopes a Songbird plushie, now available for pre-order through the BioShock Infinite developer's web store, will fill that need. The plush Songbird is sits seven inches tall, has a wingspan of 14 inches and is made of metal, wire and polyester. Each Songbird costs $55 and will take flight from Irrational's warehouse and ship out to customers in September. The Songbird is the bodyguard of Elizabeth, the coin-flinging counterpart to game protagonist Booker DeWitt. If you're looking for other ways to express your love of BioShock Infinite, you could also print out some different cover art, get a new ringtone or head down to your local buffet.
Columbia recalls Omni-Heat electric jackets due to burn hazard (or, for working too well)
Sure, we may have internet in the skies and refrigerators with Evernote integration, but here's one thing that science can't do: deliver a trouble-free heated jacket. A few years after Ardica hung up the dream due to a battery recall, Columbia is doing likewise. The sportswear company has issued a recall for seven Omni-Heat electric jacket models, citing a manufacturing defect in the heated inner wrist cuff. There have been two non-injury incidents reported (Canada, UK), but no injuries. According to the company's own statement on the matter, a "small number of the 2012 Columbia heated jackets may contain a heated inner wrist cuff component with a manufacturing flaw that may cause an electrical short to occur, giving rise to a potential burn risk." This is all in addition to a separate recall in early January specific to a small number of batteries, (part number 054978-001) that -- according to Columbia -- "may have been included with a small number of electric jackets may overheat and result in a fire hazard." If you'll recall, the Circuit Breaker was actually one of our favorite gadgets of 2011, but curiously, we never could pinpoint when and where these were set to go on sale. We were independently contacted by a company that claimed Columbia was using its technology in breach of contract, but never could verify if that was the reason sales seemed to be on hiatus. [Update: Columbia affirmed to us that said claims are "unfounded" and "had no impact the delivery of its Fall 2011 Omni-Heat Electric products."] Evidently, a few hundred of these finally made their way into the warm embrace of consumers, but considering that "Refund" looks to be the only remedy here, we sort of doubt a second generation will emerge. It's important to note, however, that Columbia's non-electric Omni-Heat offerings aren't included in the recall -- and, for the record, that stuff does a stellar job of keeping one warm without any whiz-bang circuitry. Hit up the links below if you're thinking of sending yours back.
Riot games reclaims LeagueOfLegends.co domain from adult site
Riot Games has secured the LeagueOfLegends.co (no "m") website after filing a complaint earlier this year, saying that a domain squatter had grabbed the name and redirected it to a porn site. The case on the World Intellectual Property Organization website has been terminated, and the domain is currently listed as owned by Riot Games, the company behind the popular MOBA game of the same name.Those looking for illicit material on a League of Legends-related website will presumably have to go elsewhere. Like, for example, LeagueOfLegendsPorn.com, which is another (currently empty) domain that Riot has another standing complaint against. Because Riot does own the "League of Legends" trademark, that case will probably see a similar result soon. And now that Riot has secured the URLs we know about, are they going to tell us what Supremacy is anytime soon?
Columbia announces Omni-Freeze ZERO, sports gear that cools you down the hotter you get (video)
Columbia is announcing the Omni-Freeze ZERO, a range of sports gear that cools you the more you sweat. Blue rings of cooling polymer cover the garments, which swell when exposed to moisture -- letting air pass around you as if you had goosebumps. Unlike typical compression garments, which wick the sweat away from you, this puts your natural resources to good use, so much so that the company believes it's cooler than taking your top off entirely. The futuristic gear will also turn up in a new range of footwear, but before you can get too excited, there's a catch; it isn't due to hit stores until next year, so you've still got a few months of getting sweaty.
Columbia's GPS Pal app for Android and iOS logs your hikes, geotags memories (video)
Move over, My Tracks -- you've got serious company. Google's own adventure tracking app just got majorly one-upped by a company that also happens to make heated jackets. Columbia's just-launched GPS Pal app is not only available on both Android and iOS, but it's actually designed to be used with a user account so that activity logs are neatly housed in a searchable, organized portal. It's free to download, and aside from monitoring your hikes and treks via GPS, it also syncs photos, videos, and trail information to a web journal automatically, complete with pinpoint geotagging information on each piece of media. As for data points? It'll keep track of elevation changes, current speed and distance traveled, and it makes sharing said trips to social networks quite the lesson in simplicity. Naturally, you'll need a data connection in order to upload media while on the trail -- something that's often hard to find -- but at least the app tells you how poor (or great) your GPS signal is at all times, which is all that's required to keep track of your actual steps. Head on past the break for a promo video, or hit the links below to grab it for your platform of choice.
Columbia's line of electric Omni-Heat jackets, gloves and boots on sale, just in time for Old Man Winter
It took 'em a bit longer than expected, but Columbia's still pushing out its complete line of Omni-Heat electric (and in turn, heated) jackets before the holidays. In fact, a few more of these guys have cropped up since we reviewed the (admittedly excellent) Circuit Breaker back in March, including the Electro Amp, Wader Widgeon and Big Game Interchange. As you could probably glean from the titles, the latter two are camouflaged, making them both a) invisible to the human eye and b) totally fit for hunters. Those four are available for gentlemen with between $750 and $1,200 to spare, while the ladies can opt for the electric Hottie ($750) or Circuit Breaker softshell ($850). A full line of Omni-Heat gloves and boots are also shipping now, with the source links below pointing you directly to the shopping houses you're after. Have a look at what you're missing just after the break.
$1 chip tests for HIV in 15 minutes flat, fits in your wallet
Getting tested for STDs used to mean a doctor's visit, vials of blood, and days, weeks, or even months of anxiously waiting for results. mChip aims to change all that, while simultaneously ridding your brain of viable excuses not to get tested. It works as such: one drop of blood goes on the microfluidics-based optical chip, 15 minutes pass, and boom, the AmEx-sized device will confirm whether or not you have syphilis and / or HIV. The bantam gizmo is practically foolproof, as reading the results doesn't require any human interpretation whatsoever. Plus, it's cheap -- cheaper than a coffee at Starbucks. One dollar cheap. Researchers at Columbia University claim the mChip has a 100 percent detection rate, although there's a four to six percent chance of getting a false positive -- a stat similar to traditional lab tests. As you'd likely expect, there's hope that the inexpensive mChip will help testing efforts in places like Africa to detect HIV before it turns into AIDS. Next stop: the self-service pharmacy at CVS?
OnLive CEO reveals 'entirely new approach' to wireless, credits Rearden for toppling Shannon's Law
"In advance, yes -- you're right, it's impossible. But nonetheless, we have ten radios all working at the same frequency, all at the Shannon limit... and there's no interference." You may not fully grok the significance of that statement, but anyone heavily involved in solving the wireless bandwidth crisis is probably dropjawed. For a little background, there's a perceived limit in wireless known as Shannon's Law, which largely explains why no one can watch a YouTube clip on their EVO at Michigan Stadium. For whatever reason, it's been assumed that this law was fundamentally unbreakable, but it looks as if an unlikely member of society may have just overrode expectations. OnLive's CEO Steve Perlman recently revealed a breakthrough from Rearden Companies -- in short, they've figured out a workaround, and in testing, it's doing things like "removing dead zones" altogether. His slide, shown during a presentation at Columbia, notes that the implications here are "profound," and we couldn't agree more. Do yourself a solid and hit play in the video below the break -- we've fast-forwarded to where this section begins.
Columbia's Omni Freeze Ice tech cools you down when the weather heats up
Air-conditioning in cars and houses keeps us comfy in the summertime, but once we step into the great outdoors, it's much harder to beat the heat. Columbia, which gave us electric jackets and boots to keep us toasty warm in winter, aims to keep us cool during the dog days of summer with its new line of Omni-Freeze Ice clothing. The material that makes the magic happen is made of flat fibers that bring 35 percent more surface area in contact with your skin than traditional round yarns -- and the more cloth touching your dermis, the better it can absorb and dissipate body heat. These flat fibers are bonded with a special compound that activates when wet (by water or sweat) and lowers the temperature of both the garment and the person wearing it. In fact, if you stir in enough of the stuff, you can actually freeze a glass of water. Because the effect comes courtesy of chemical added to the clothing, it won't last forever -- but the company told us it'll keep its cooling properties for 50 - 70 trips through the washing machine. Want it now? Too bad, because the Omni-Freeze Ice line of gear won't be released worldwide until 2012. We got to try on a sleeve of the stuff ourselves, and can say that Columbia's cool new threads really work. Once the material was sprayed with some water and we started walking around, our arm was chilled quite pleasantly, almost like an Altoid for your skin. Of course, the cooling effect only lasts as long as it's wet, and the temperature drop varies depending upon humidity levels and airflow over the moistened area -- when waving our arm with the sleeve on, it got quite a bit colder than when we were standing still. Don't believe us? See Columbia's secret sauce in action after the break.
