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DJI's first educational robot is a $500 drone tank
Less than a month after launching its first-ever action camera, DJI is now introducing its first educational robot, The RoboMaster S1, which the company says has been in development for two years, was inspired by a robotics competition that DJI has sponsored and hosted for the past five years, called RoboMaster. DJI says that RoboMaster has been a passion project from founder and CEO Frank Wang, who figured the company could use its know-how in computer vision, artificial intelligence and camera technologies to create a robotics product that it could get "into the hands of everyone." The result of that, DJI says, is the new RoboMaster S1, or S1 for short.
America’s cash-free future is just around the corner
Shake Shack's next burger joint at Astor Place in NYC doesn't want your money -- at least not the physical variety. In an effort to reduce the "friction time" between paying for your meal and eating it, the company plans to replace human cashiers for automated kiosks which won't accept actual bills and coins, only cards. This move is part of a global trend away from cash-based economies and towards Star Wars-style credits. But could such a monetary revolution actually benefit all Americans? Don't bet on it.
Nintendo prez discusses Switch docks and left Joy-Con issues
Engadget editors have let you know how we feel after extended time with the Nintendo Switch, and in an interview with Time, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime gave us some updates from within the company. Through its first five days on sale, the Switch continued to be Nintendo's fastest-selling console ever in the US, but the biggest questions are about issues some owners are experiencing. When it comes to that occasionally-finicky left Joy-Con, Fils-Aime said "all I can tell you is that we are aware of and have seen some of the reports. We're asking consumers a lot of questions....we'll look and see what the next steps are."
Google is helping MIT update its programming language for kids
MIT is teaming up with Google to create the next generation of its popular visual programming language "Scratch." The partners are working on an open source version of the language called "Scratch Blocks" based on Blockly, Google's own visual programming code. It will teach kids how to code by using blocks that snap together either horizontally or vertically like Lego. Scratch for older kids only used vertical blocks on the past, but MIT found that horizontal orientation suits mobile devices much better. The partners released a developer preview of the horizontal version at Google I/O this year.
Antbo is a robot insect companion anyone can build
Interested in building and programming your own robot? You might want to give Antbo a try. Billed as the "insect robot designed for anyone with an inquisitive mind," it's a programmable entry-level kit for beginners or anyone with a casual interest in robotics.
Watch this iPhone screen protector heal scratches within a second
The folks who came up with the self-healing iPhone case is now back with something a lot more impressive. Innerexile's earlier technology could repair light scratches within about half a minute (given the right temperature, that is), but the latest version can do the same within just a second! Seriously, you'd have to study very hard to witness that brief magical moment, which proved to be tricky in our brass brush test video after the break. So what's the secret sauce behind this new coating? Well, it's dotted with microcapsules that contain an adhesive-like liquid, and when damaged, the liquid will fill the void so quickly that you probably won't even realize you've just scratched your case or screen protector.
Crowdfunding Roundup: Blinks and Tickles
Each week, TUAW provides readers with an update on new or significant crowdfunded Apple-related projects in the news. While our policy is to not go into detail on items that haven't reached at least 80 percent of their funding goal, this update is designed to give readers a heads-up on projects they might find interesting enough to back. Blink is a very affordable and easy to set up wireless HD home monitoring and alert system that shows you HD video, detects motion and also provides temperature readings, all though an app on your iPhone or iPad. Being battery powered means it's truly wire-free, so you can place the Blink boxes anywhere you want -- the battery lasts for more than a full year. Expected to ship in May of 2015, the Blink devices are part of a project that is already 287 percent funded with almost three weeks to go. A lot of wearable tech has a problem -- it's ugly as sin. elemoon is quite a bit different in that it's actually fashionable. The device changes colors to match your outfit, has a gold or silver wristband, and does amazing things! Rub it to find your iPhone, receive notifications silently through displayed icons, and track your activity. The project is close to 39 percent funded with 43 days to go. Check it out: Sous Vide is a method of cooking food by placing it in a vacuum-sealed bag, then immersing it in water at a precise temperature for an exact amount of time. It produces tender and perfectly-cooked meals, and now the Nomiku Sous Vide project wants everyone to join in on the fun. The project is 164 percent funded with just under a month to go, but you still have an opportunity to be one of the first to use the Nomiku Sous Vide device, controlling your cooking from your iPhone. This next project should be right up Dave Caolo's alley -- my fellow TUAW editor is a huge fan of board and card games, and Boss Monster aims to bring its dungeon-building card game to iOS. The project has about a month to go and is currently 35 percent funded. If you love games, this should be a fun project to back. Like the Blink discussed above, GeckoEye is another Wi-Fi security camera that sticks to the wall and is battery-powered. This one also recharges itself via solar cells on the casing, a feature that actually puts it ahead of the Blink in my mind. However, there's one little issue -- GeckoEye is only 10 percent funded with 19 days left in its Indiegogo campaign. Finally, if there's one crowd-funded project that you decide to back this week, make it Tickle. This project is designed to teach kids programming using Scratch on the iPad, a process the Tickle team says is as "fun and easy as playing with LEGOs". Tickle has a good start on fundraising, with 34 percent funding with 25 days to go. That's it for this week. We'll be back next Thursday for another roundup of crowdfunded projects that you can support or ignore. Many thanks again to Hal Sherman for providing some tips about new and exciting projects, and if you're aware of any other crowdfunded Apple-related projects, be sure to let us know about them through the Tip Us button at the upper right of the TUAW home page for future listing on the site.
Scratch Wireless offers 'free' mobile service that uses WiFi for calls and text
If you've ever struggled with a monthly cell phone bill, you've probably looked for cheaper alternatives like prepaid plans from big box stores or startup carriers like Zact and Ting. Well, what's cheaper than free? That's exactly what Scratch Wireless aims to offer with what it claims is the world's first free mobile service, which launches today. It manages to do so with a modified Android OS that pushes the phone to connect to WiFi for pretty much everything -- calls, text and data. However, if you do want to use your phone outside of a WiFi area, that's when the charges come in. Scratch Wireless has a partnership with Sprint to offer $1.99 per day for up to 30 minutes of cell calls and another $1.99 per day for up to 25MB of data. There's also a monthly $14.99 pass for either 250 minutes of voice calls or 200MBs of data. Both daily and monthly passes are entirely optional, and it's up to the consumer to add those services. Payment is not recurring, and there's never a contract. Regardless of which you choose, Scratch promises us that text messaging is always on and free. CEO Alan Berrey tells us that Scratch Wireless wanted to take a different tact from traditional cell phone service. "There's no unnecessary cost with us," he says. "We have no towers, no FCC, no leasing locations to deal with." Because of this so-called "WiFi First" strategy, the phones will work internationally as well, as long as you have access to a WiFi network of course. Right now Scratch only offers one phone with the specially modified OS, and that's the Motorola Photon Q for $269. Berrey did promise us that a long list of Sprint-compatible devices is in the pipeline, but we should note that this modification is unique to Android, so we wouldn't expect anything with iOS or Windows Phone to be in Scratch's portfolio. While the non-WiFi daily and monthly data allotments seem mighty skimpy to us, Scratch is clearly aiming its service primarily for those who are constantly in range of a WiFi network. "We believe consumers ought to be able to buy a compelling Android device and not pay for a plan when they already have a wireless network in their home or office," said Berrey. If that sounds intriguing to you, hit the source for more info or head past the break for the promo video.
The Daily Grind: How important is intellectual property to your MMO?
MMOs began as online versions of your favorite games. Ultima Online brought the familiar world of Britannia to players online, allowing them to play with their friends or meet new ones. But EverQuest showed us that a fresh new world could succeed as an MMO, with future online games exploring both sides of the IP coin. It's nice to have a familiar world in which to play, as games like World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, and Star Wars Galaxies have shown us. But fresh-from-scratch worlds are usually just as enticing. Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 seem to be doing pretty well for themselves. So which do you prefer? Does a familiar world matter to you, or do you reward originality? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Toray unveils new self-repairing film for devices, fixes scratches in under 10 seconds
Toray's advanced film department has finished its new self-cure coating and is set to start using it as a decorative layer on a series of as-yet unannounced notebooks. Fortunately, the company is already chasing down more pervasive uses on smartphones and touch-panels. The science involves a wet coating method that adds a special recovering layer to PET film. Alongside that mutant healing factor, the layer responsible also throws in some elastic and cushioning properties. During Toray's demonstration (what, no video?) scratches made with a metal brush apparently repaired themselves, resulting in the rehabilitated glossy surface you see above. According to the Japanese manufacturer, the ability to heal improves at lower temperatures, but room temperature is apparently enough to make scratches disappear in 10 seconds or less -- more than fast enough to differentiate Toray's offering from existing solutions. The film can repair itself around 20,000 times in succession, although if pierced beyond the layer, it's -- unsurprisingly -- unable to recover any damage done. The screen is also softer than the typical protective surfaces found to devices. Maybe Toray and Gorilla Glass should get together. GorillToray?
PC Fan hack lets you scra... scra... scratch analog audio, ah-yeah (video)
Digital DJ controllers let would-be grandmasters get up to all sorts of fancy new tricks, but if you're one of those old dogs who can't be taught, then this PC-fan-come-DJ-turntable might tickle your fancy. Connected to an old-school personal cassette via an Arduino, with a little voltage level smoothing in the mix, moving the fan "scratches" the audio, by controlling the speed of the tape player. The initial plan was to have the fan spinning with the music, like a real turntable, but as you'll know if you've ever caught your finger in one of these things, it's probably best it didn't work out. Despite its home-made charms, one final flourish is VU style LEDs for some mixer-style visual feedback. Alas, there's no built in cross-fader, so don't start work on that DMC routine just yet.
Gemini's FirstMix USB DJ controller now available for novice mixers
Seasoned DJs have plenty of ways to hone their electronica acumen, but for less experienced audiophiles, Gemini has just unleashed FirstMix -- a USB-based controller designed to help the everyman get in touch with his inner Pete Tong. The device's layout is simple enough, with two scratch wheels, rotaries and a cross fader. All you have to do is connect the panel to your laptop, select the tunes you'd like to mash up from your iTunes library and use FirstMix's touch-sensitive jog control to scratch the night away. To help you get started, Gemini will ship its new controller with MixVibes' Cross LE DJ software, but it's compatible with Virtual DJ and other mixing programs, as well. If you're interested in taking FirstMix for a spin, you can find one at retailers like Musician's Friend, for about $100. Otherwise, you could just head past the break for a demo video, along with a full press release.
iOS 4 adds direct access to iTunes library, iPhone DJ apps about to get crazy
Although there's been no shortage of iPhone DJ apps in the past few years, they've remained fairly niche, since Apple didn't allow devs official access to the iPod music library -- mobile DJs needed to upload a second separate music library per app, and that's no fun at all. Looks like that's about to change, though: one of the 1500 new APIs in iOS 4 provides direct access to the iPod library, meaning music apps of all kinds can play your tracks in any wacky way they want -- including, yes, scratching them. The first app to support the new API in the store is Flare Scratch, which is a relatively simple scratch app -- we just gave it a shot and yes, it does indeed load tracks from the iPod library and let you scratch 'em. There's a bit of a wait when loading up a new track, though, so it's not totally fluid to use in anything but a hey-this-is-fun context, but we're betting we'll see more serious DJ apps hit with smoother transitions soon enough -- and we can't wait to see what devs do once iOS 4 hits the iPad and they've got more room to work with. Video after the break.
HTC EVO 4G subjected to harrowing barrage of scratch tests, holds its own
The thought of marring the EVO 4G's glorious 4.3-inch display sends shivers down our spine, but just remember: this is all in the name of science, and it's for the greater good. An Android Forums member was due to return his defective EVO to Sprint anyhow, so he figured he'd take the opportunity to run the lame duck unit through some torturous scratch tests including keys, a screw, a penny, and -- of course -- a razor blade. After everything was said and done, the EVO emerged victorious, so you shouldn't feel too bad about sticking it in your pocket with spare change knocking around (actually, yes, you still should feel bad about that). Then again, the camera lens didn't do as well, so the lesson is to use common sense and... you know, just handle your multi-hundred-dollar gadgets with care. Follow the break for all the harrowing test footage. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Scratch: The Ultimate DJ remixed for iPhone, iPad, and PC [update]
Click: The Ultimate GalleryScratch: The Ultimate DJ was all set to compete against Activision's DJ Hero, but major legal issues delayed the game significantly. Now, the game has resurfaced -- in a form that doesn't use the high-end turntable controller. Numark (managing partner in Scratch DJ Game LLC) announced versions of the game for iPhone, iPad, and PC, due "later this year" -- which constitutes another delay, from the game's previous "spring" date. The previously announced console versions of the game are not mentioned at all in the announcement, save for an oblique reference in the description of the Scratch Deck controller: "Additionally, Numark has developed a new full-function dual-turntable controller that enables players to manipulate both turntables simultaneously, which will be available for use with the game on a variety of platforms." While the PC may be one of those platforms, it's a safe bet that the controller isn't designed for use with the iPhone or iPad. It's hard to tell from the announcement whether the console game has been scrapped in favor of this "remixed" release. We're contacting Numark to attempt to clear up the question of Scratch's console release plans. Update: Numark told Joystiq that the console versions are still in development. In addition, the PC version will use a special controller.
How do you make teachers angry? Take an app out of the App Store
iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad users are used to hearing about new apps showing up in the App Store. It's when they are taken out of the App Store by Apple that things get interesting. Teachers across the country got a taste of "interesting" last week when Apple removed Scratch Viewer from the App Store. The app is used to display programs that have been written by children in the Scratch programming language, a popular language for teaching kids the basics of computer programming. Scratch was developed by a team at M.I.T Media Lab, and the app was written by John McIntosh of Canadian development firm Smalltalk Consulting, Ltd. The Computing Education Blog broke the news and received a number of comments protesting Apple's decision. While Apple is remaining quiet on the subject, McIntosh notes that he's in negotiations with the company. Many bloggers are thinking that Apple's excuse for killing Scratch Viewer is that it violates Section 3.3.1 of the company's policy against apps that interpret or execute code. That's the reason Apple is quashing Adobe Flash-based apps. Mitchel Resnick, who runs the Scratch team at M.I.T., says that he's "disappointed that Apple decided not to allow a Scratch player on the iPhone or iPad" and hopes that "Apple will reconsider its policies so that more kids can experience the joys of creating and sharing with Scratch." The team is planning on writing Scratch authoring tools for iPad, but whether those plans come to fruition is up to Apple. [via NYT Gadgetwise Blog]
Sorry your iPod nano got so scratched five years ago, here's your $37.50
Hey, remember five years ago when the first-gen iPod nano came out and everyone in the world (literally) was sad because it scratched so easily? And then Walt Mossberg was sad, too? And then, inevitably, there was a class-action lawsuit filed, even though the lead plaintiff was like, "no, really guys, I'm cool?" No? Well shake off those cobwebs and get ready to party in a moderate way, because your check for $37.50 is in the mail. Yep, that's all individual consumers get in the settlement, which first started processing claims in December -- we're guessing the plaintiff's attorneys managed to score themselves a little more than that, because they worked so hard defending our interests. But hey -- one thirteenth of an iPad ain't so bad, right? And you wonder why we rarely cover class-action lawsuits. [Thanks, Phil]
The story behind the iPad's home screen photo
When Steve Jobs revealed the iPad back in January, viewers stared in breathless amazement, none more so than Richard Misrach, the artist whose photo is the default home screen image. He was sitting at home watching a movie when his phone rang. It was his agent, and he couldn't believe what was happening. Soon, Richard's family and friends were all calling. Needless to say, Apple's decision to use his photo for this "magical revolutionary device" was a surprise. Misrach had submitted 10 photos for Apple to consider for "wallpaper" some time ago, but they had all been rejected, he told Art Info. There was no mention of the iPad at the time, but they eventually called back to say yes, they'd like to use his "Pyramid Lake (at Night)" photo. He describes the image as "...a long night exposure where the moon is lighting up the mountains in the distance. I shot it on an 8x10 camera, so the quality is really beautiful and you can see star trails going through the sky." Those trails have startled some users, but I think they look great. The photo itself was taken at a Native American Indian reservation in Nevada. Richard notes that this is the first time in his 40-year career that he's commercially licensed an image. He explains why with tongue-in-cheek style: "What's funny is that for years I actually used the photo as my own screensaver. So I guess they know what they're doing." [Hat tip to Beau Colburn]
Touchtable mixer takes conventional PMP design for a wiki-wiki-twist
Not that we haven't seen turntable capabilities shoved into production and concept devices alike before, but there's something curiously seductive about this one. Dreamed up by Sir Thomas Mascall, the Touchtable is a pocket-sized PMP that boasts a digit-friendly surface meant for scratching, mixing and all manners of interacting. Aside from playing back your favorite MP3s, this bugger can (in theory, anyway) also mix jams on the fly, cue outputs and even connect with a second Touchtable wirelessly in order to establish a more traditional DJ setup (at 1:8 scale). Plug it into a PC, and now you've got a MIDI controller. Pop that source link if you're looking for a few more images and details, and feel free to contact your local VC if interested in seeing this fast-tracked to the commercial realm.
Nissan's Scratch Shield paint coming to cellphones, invisibleSHIELD feels threatened
Remember Nissan's Scratch Shield paint technology? You know, that stuff we first heard about some four years back? According to a release straight out of Yokohama, the automaker has agreed to license that very tech to Japan's own NTT DoCoMo for "mobile phone application." In theory, at least, the flexible clearcoat will enable certain light scratches to actually heal themselves over time, and the paint itself is tougher to scratch to begin with. There's no specific mention of the who's and when's involved, but we're hoping to see this idea spread to other portable devices in the near future. After all -- who isn't sick of shelling out for some clear skin to protect each and every handheld they own?
