telemetry
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HP quietly installs system-slowing spyware on its PCs
Lenovo has only just settled a massive $3.5 million fine for preinstalling adware on laptops without users' consent, and now it seems HP is getting in on the stealth installation action, too. According to numerous reports gathered by Computer World, the brand is deploying a telemetry client on customer computers without asking permission.
Jaguar Land Rover projects driving data directly on the windshield
I've had my on-track exploits overlaid with race telemetry to be viewed after the session, but Jaguar Land Rover is looking to project that info on the windshield while you make laps or cruise the highways. The Virtual Windscreen concept beams hazard, speed and navigation graphics to the driver's view, adding both racing line and braking guidance alongside ghost cars and virtual cones for more performance-oriented activities. What's more, the automaker also has a gesture control system in the works, aiming to limit the amount of physical button pushing.
BMW M Laptimer goes live in iOS App Store, tracks your run to the grocery store
The average BMW driver may not often take their Bimmer out to the track, but those who do can now get some free iOS assisted coaching. The company's BMW M Laptimer app tracks vehicle throttle, steering, braking and engine data and maps it to a pre-defined or user created track, analyzing the driver's performance along the way. Would-be race car drivers can even swap track data with their friends, and play back a virtual head-to-head ghost comparison race to critique each other's laptimes. Although the tool is clearly designed to be used in a controlled track environment, drivers can also generate custom maps -- giving them an edge in the race to get to their local grocer. Not much has changed since BMW teased the app earlier this summer, but drivers with access to any BMW Apps connected vehicle (not just BMW M models) can pick it up for free today. Just don't have too much fun racing the custom track you'll undoubtedly build for your morning commute. [Thanks, Kevin]
BMW M Power for iOS plots our track runs for posterity (video)
While pro race drivers are used to telemetry-based feedback, us civilians don't have such an easy solution for our track days. BMW wants to take the guesswork out of those amateur racing sessions by launching its M Power app for iOS. The tool pairs an iPhone with a BMW Connected car to collect not just lap times, but the moment-by-moment input -- if you're braking too late at turn three, you'll know. Drivers can compare their results, and it's possible to build custom tracks for autocross weekends. M Power won't be available until the summer, but it will be free to use for any Connected vehicle, whether or not it carries an M badge. Catch BimmerPost's full video preview after the break.
NASA's Curiosity rover receives long-distance OTA update, 'brain transplant' on Mars
Think it's nifty when your carrier deigns to provide your smartphone with that long awaited OTA update? That's nothing. Over the weekend, NASA's Curiosity rover will be receiving its first long-distance OTA update -- all the way out there on Mars. The goal is to transition both redundant main computers from software suited for landing the vehicle to software optimized for surface exploration -- such as driving, obstacle avoidance and using the robotic arm. NASA calls it a "brain transplant" and points out that the software was actually uploaded during the flight from Earth. Now can someone please enable OTA downloads for the human brain? We'd really like to know kung fu. PR after the break.
NASA's Curiosity Mars landing successful, first pictures trickling in (video)
After "seven minutes of terror" involving guided entry, parachute and powered descent, and even a sky crane, NASA's Curiosity rover has successfully touched down on the surface of Mars. Better yet, the 2,000lbs (900kg) science lab has established communications with Earth and is sending back telemetry along with the first pictures of Gale crater. These initial grayscale images are only 256 x 256 pixels in size but show Curiosity's shadow on the Martian soil. Peek at our galley below and stay tuned for updates. Update: Hit the break to check out a video of all the "seven minutes of terror" highlights. %Gallery-161818%
EVE Evolved: Time dilation and the war on lag
When EVE Online launched back in 2003, it quickly gained a following of over 40,000 subscribing players. With around 5,000 solar systems for players to explore, those players spread themselves throughout the galaxy rather than gathering in one place. Players would often come together to trade or make war, but the server generally kept up with the action. As the number of subscribers rose, the size of the average PvP fleet increased and CCP upgraded the EVE server to handle the additional load. 2005 saw EVE's subscriber numbers explode from just over 50,000 to around 100,000 players. Server upgrades suddenly didn't cut it any more, and lag began to set in during large fleet battles. Ever since then, CCP has waged a largely unseen war against the impossibility of keeping all of EVE's players in one single-shard universe. Holding on to that core ideal that's made EVE the successful sandbox game it is today, developers have pursued every avenue in the fight against lag. While funding research into Python's Stackless IO and constantly optimising code, CCP built the biggest supercomputer in the games industry to house New Eden's growing population. With over 400,000 players now inhabiting the same world and a typically weekly peak concurrency of over 50,000 characters, CCP has been forced to develop some big guns in the war on lag. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at some of the biggest developments CCP has made in the war on lag, including the new Time Dilation feature that literally slows down time to let the server catch its breath.
Firefox 7 now officially available, promises 'significantly' reduced memory usage
A new version number for a browser release may not be quite as major as it used to be, but Mozilla is promising a few fairly big improvements with the just-released Firefox 7. The biggest of those are all in the performance department, including "significantly" reduced memory usage (up to 50 percent less in some cases), and a new version of the hardware-accelerated Canvas that promises to speed up HTML5 sites. Also making its debut is a new Telemetry feature that lets users anonymously provide browser performance data to Mozilla if they choose to opt-in. Hit the links below for the complete rundown and download link.
Virginia Tech football helmets monitor hits wirelessly
While the Virginia Tech Hokies tend to rely more on dazzling special teams teams play than sheer defensive prowess, the players take a lickin' regardless. In a presumed extension of Beamer Ball, the sparkly helmets donned by the football squad will sport internal accelerometers and wireless transmitters that beam (ahem) information about the seriousness of each blow to a Sybase database in order to tell if and when a certain player has had enough. The primary objective is to prevent any long-term injuries and detect concussions before individuals can even realize they're hurt, and an interesting byproduct of the system has shown what types of thwacks are typically sustained at different positions. The HITS (head impact telemetry system) technology could reportedly be used in places like the battlefield as well, or moreover, rigorous rounds of Wii Boxing -- but we're sure WVU's Punchstat system is already on top of that.[Photo courtesy of VT]
Drager's new Infinity TeleSmart WiFi-based patient monitors
While we confess to spending very little of our free time dwelling on biotelemetry solutions, we're still pretty stoked to see WiFi cropping up in Dräger Medical's new Infinity TeleSmart line of patient monitors. The new full-size monitors, suitable for children and adults, include built-in color displays to show off those vitals loud and proud, rechargeable batteries, and built-in alarms that can be controlled from the unit. Of course, the big news is WiFi. The inclusion of that 802.11 goodness makes it one of the first telemetry monitoring solutions to support an industry-standard wireless protocol, and should ease implementation in most hospitals. And luckily, the device can continue to monitor patient data even when out of WiFi range, so there's no worry there. Hopefully they can dole some of this WiFi love for our robot friends as well, which could come in handy in those inevitable "I've fallen and I can't get up" situations. Currently the system is pending FDA approval, but we should be seeing it in the US soon after.[Via Medgadget]
