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Captain's Log: It's speculation time in Star Trek Online
It's that time again, folks: that time when the Star Trek Online playerbase begins to get edgy as we wait for new stuff. It's that "quiet time," although it's never truly quiet at Star Trek Online -- not in the forums, not in the game, and most definitely not at Cryptic Studios. However, we're also at that crucial point in the cycle of content releases when the dearth of real information is all too obvious. So what's a player to do until the next Featured Episode is released? Well, dwell on the teasers, of course! So join me past the jump and we can speculate together on what we will and won't be seeing in the upcoming FE and Season Eight.
Butlers, lunar rovers, snakes and airboats: the best of Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute
How was your week? We got to spend a couple of days trekking around the Carnegie Mellon campus in Pittsburgh, PA to check out some of the latest projects from the school's world renowned Robotics Institute -- a trip that culminated with the bi-annual induction ceremony from the CMU-sponsored Robot Hall of Fame. Given all the craziness of the past seven days, you might have missed some of the awesomeness, but fear not, we've got it all for you here in one handy place -- plus a couple of videos from the trip that we haven't shown you yet. Join us after the break to catch up.
AirBot and WaterBot help localize pollution data collection (video)
Want to do something about pollution in our water and air? Carnegie Mellon's CREATE Lab is working on a few interesting solutions to the problem of localizing pollution data with a trio of devices aimed at making the process accessible and affordable for regular people. First up is AirBot, a "particle counting robot" that monitors pollutants that can contribute to breathing problems like asthma. Aimed at a $99 price point, the little black boxes are portable enough to bring around with you, so you can, say, compare the air quality in areas when apartment hunting. The lab has made six prototype devices (one of which was on-hand during our visit), and is aiming to bring them to market next year. WaterBot, meanwhile, is set to bring the solution to streams near you. Stick one end in a body of water near your home and it will upload water purity information to the web via a built-in ZigBee module. CREATE's also cooked up the CATTFish, a method for recording such information in your home via, yes, your toilet. Dip one end in the reservoir and the box on top of the tank, and it will give you a reading of the cleanliness of the water being used to refill. That information can then be uploaded to the web via a USB port. The lab is shooting for a $50 price tag on the device. The big thing here is the ability to let the community take its own readings to build a bigger picture of water and are purity levels through online applications. More information on all of the above devices can be found in the video below.
Nokia's Purity HD stereo headset by Monster goes Pro, gains Bluetooth, NFC and noise cancellation (update)
If Nokia doesn't show off at least one banana-hued Lumia smartphone come September 5th, we're going to be extremely confused. Say howdy to the Pro-monikered followup to its corded Purity HD stereo headset by Monster, which gains Bluetooth (no word on what version), NFC for pairing and active noise cancellation. Similar to its recently revealed PlayUp speaker, the company's teasing the Purity HD Pro as an audio accessory that'll "perfectly match your Lumia" in a choice of black, white, red and yellow. The Pro is essentially identical to its predecessor, but now the folding earcups also serve as a pseudo-on/off switch for its anc functionality for the unit itself. As you might expect, all that tech and Monster branding will cost ya a spendy €299 (about $376) -- nearly as much as Parrot's Zik by Starck. Further details are currently unavailable, except that the cans will reach store shelves near this year's close. Update: You'll find a video hands-on by way of The Nokia Blog here. According a Nokia rep in that video, the earpads have a head detection sensor for automatically enabling ANC (similar to the Zik), while plugging in an included cable will let the headphones function sans Bluetooth. Furthermore, the company also noted to TNB that the battery should last about 24 hours for music or calls, with a week's worth of life on standby.
Nokia unveils Purity HD Stereo Headset with a little help from Monster
Nokia doesn't just have phones on display, check out their new audio product, the Purity HD Stereo Headset by Monster. The line includes headphones and earbuds (Purity In-Ear Stereo Headset), whichever tickles your fancy, and with that trademark M on the side, you can bet they'll bear a healthy price tag when they hit shelves. Naturally, there's also a couple of YouTube videos showing it off in the traditional Nokia strongholds of rock music and dancing, check those out after the break. %Gallery-137549%
Amaryllo launches Purity Bluetooth GPS receiver in Europe
Joining the fairly saturated Bluetooth GPS market -- but not exactly competing for that "world's smallest" crown -- is Amaryllo's Purity. Sporting a 3.39- x 1.73- x 0.52-inch enclosure and weighing 2.08 ounces, the sleek, matte-finished device sports internal Bluetooth for connecting with PDAs, smartphones, and other GPS-lovin' gizmos, and receives its intel via the SiRF Star III LP (low-power) chipset. Reportedly, the unit can muster 15 hours on a single charge, and should also ship with a car charger, AC adapter, rubber anti-slip stickers, and a silicon protections sleeve. While we doubt this €90 ($118) receiver will see US shores anytime soon, it's slated to land in Europe next month, but we American (and Taiwanese) lads have plenty of alternatives to choose from, anyway.[Via NaviGadget]
