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BBC Studios really wants to know who leaked 'Doctor Who' footage
Someone recently leaked a clip from Doctor Who's latest season online, and now the BBC is asking California courts to help find the perpetrator. Why California? Because that's where Tapatalk, the message board app where the leaked footage was shared, is headquartered. BBC Studios said that it "will strive to protect our program-makers, audiences and license fee payers from any breaches of security -- ensure Doctor Who fans enjoy the final and fully completed version of the episode when it premieres."
ICYMI: Computer chips cooled by 'blood,' tiny tank and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-392885{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-392885, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-392885{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-392885").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: IBM Research in Zurich is using fluid to both power and cool computer chips, modeled off of the way the human brain works. University of Southampton scientists created small glass discs for mega data storage that they say can survive for billions of years. A new unmanned ground vehicle that's basically a DIY tank is available for all those die-hard infantry fans. If you need your dose of nature, check out the video from a Minnesota-based YouTuber of the ice on Lake Superior breaking. As always, please share any interesting science or tech videos, anytime! Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag to @mskerryd.
ICYMI: VR yourself into a robot, plasma physics and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-399402{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-399402, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-399402{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-399402").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: UC Berkeley is using VR, motion capture and spatial mapping to put a human 'into' the body of a robot with a technique called robotic teleoperation. The video looks like a complicated form of the claw game, but also gives a really interesting perspective.
BBC News app hits version 2.0
The BBC has updated their BBC News iOS app to version 2.0. The much needed update fixes a number of annoying bug issues, including an issue where readers would sometimes see duplicate stories next to each other. As for the new features of BBC News 2.0, the app now has a number of UI tweaks to make discovering and viewing news easier. Users will see larger images with stories and now have the ability to pull the news feed down to refresh it – a welcome change since users are used to refreshing feeds in other apps in a similar manner. The 2.0 update also sees a new portrait mode for the iPad app in the ability to edit, organize, or remove news categories. The full release notes are below: A new portrait view for iPad to allow you to view more stories. We've also added an edit button so you can add, remove or re-order categories of stories to suit your interests Changes to the iPhone home screen to include larger images with stories Pull down to refresh the home screen or stories so you're always up to date with the latest news Better integration for sharing with Facebook and Twitter Much improved integration with VoiceOver BBC News for iOS is a free download.
BBC News Channel conducts live video interview over smartphone, goes where satellites can't (update with video)
We usually associate smartphones in news reporting with citizen journalism, not full-time journalists. However, a confluence of events has just led to the BBC's Nick Garnett becoming a pioneer for mobile broadcasting on the professional level. When a shortage of satellite trucks prevented Garnett from getting the usual video feed for the BBC News Channel, he successfully arranged the British network's first live video interview piped through a smartphone. The key, Garnett says, was Dejero's Live+ iPhone app: while live streaming apps are already commonplace, Dejero's let him merge the 3G and WiFi connections together, getting enough bandwidth to make a TV-worthy broadcast in a country where LTE is still very new. Combined with some very ad hoc staging and help from the BBC's technical teams, the coordination resulted in a surprisingly smooth interview about flooding in northeastern England with relatively few hints of the extra-tiny recording equipment involved. It's unlikely that broadcast crews will reach to their pockets for live coverage solutions before anything else, but the BBC is actively testing Dejero and other apps that could make smartphones as much a part of the field reporting arsenal as a camcorder and an eye for a good story. As we can't embed the clip, check the source link to see it for yourself. Update: We've now managed to embed the clip after the break.
BBC Sport connected TV app launches on UK TiVos, brings BBC News along
As a part of the BBC's run up to this year's Olympics, it is bringing new approaches to broadcast technology in a number of ways including 3D, online streaming, multiple HD channels and now, connected TV apps. Today it's launching a BBC Sports app for connected TVs that bring in new interactive features via the BBC Red Button which will first appear on Virgin Media's TiVo platform, along with a port of its BBC News app. First up for the interactive treatment? F1 racing, starting with the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend. In the app viewers can access live coverage of the race, highlights from previous races, and multifeed coverage of the race including in-car cameras and driver trackers. There's a video demo and press release embedded after the break (viewable in the UK only), and the Sports app is expected to hit more devices before the Olympics starts, although it's unclear which ones.
BBC News Online adapts mobile site to smartphone demands, doesn't discriminate against specs
Worried what your smartphone says about you? The Beeb isn't. That venerable British broadcasting institution is adopting a "four screens" strategy, with the overarching goal of creating a mobile news site that embraces devices of all specs, sizes and prices. Known as 'responsive design,' the company's back end will reportedly tackle the task of figuring out the specific demands of your phone or tablet and then deliver a touch-screen optimized site suited to your unit's particular profile. The changes, set to affect about 26 percent of BBC News Online's traffic, haven't been given a firm scheduling as of yet, with a tentative rollout on track to hit simpler phones first, while the more robust features, reserved for more capable tech, set to come later. According to Head of Product, Chris Russell, it's all part of a "wider 'under the bonnet' project" aimed at spreading the News division's reach to all corners, especially those less fortunate areas where internet access can "be crucially important to their lives." Hit up the source below to read Russell's full take on this move towards digital universality.
Sinde Law brings SOPA-like restrictions to Spain
The Spanish government has passed legislation aimed at cracking down on websites illegally sharing digital content. Called the Sinde Law, it will create a new government commission that Spanish right holders can engage when they feel that a site is illegally distributing their content. After an alleged infraction, the commission examines the complaint and determines if, under the new statute, legal action is necessary. Should a site be found in violation, the case is passed to a judge and the decision is made either to shutter the offending website, take action against the site's service provider or dismiss the complaint altogether. The BBC reports that the entire process, from first report to final decision, should take no more than ten days. Open internet activists have voiced concerns about the breadth and implications of the law. United States residents will recognize many of the arguments for and against the Sinde Law in light of the SOPA Act (Stop Online Piracy Act) debate that's been raging here in the United States for several months.
3G coverage survey gives British smartphone users little to smile about
The UK has plenty of endearing olde worlde attributes, but its lack of fast mobile data access isn't one of them. The country has yet to enter the LTE era and, according to a crowdsourced survey by the BBC, it's still plagued by "not spots" where you can't get 3G reception either. More than 40,000 Brits downloaded a tailor-made Android app that recorded their local street level access and their results proved that many city centers and rural areas are effectively no-go swamplands for smartphone users -- although coverage was good over 70- to 80-percent of Her Majesty's territory. It's about time we did a similar survey in the US. Oh, and check out the source link to watch a Galaxy II-owning village vicar vent his frustrations in the politest possible way.
Samsung Smart TV platform installed base passes two million, adds BBC News app
While finding out precisely how many people are actually using its apps (over 100 million downloaded) is still tricky, Samsung has proudly announced there are over two million units out there packing its Smart TV platform. That count includes over 730,000 units in North America alone, and according to the company, outpaces the initial uptake of LED lit TVs. Of course, having a Samsung Apps store is nothing without apps to put in it, and over the UK there's a new BBC News app that is currently available exclusively on the Samsung platform. If you've picked up one of the TVs with the dual sided remote, let us know how it's going so far in the comments below.
D-Link gives DSM-520 access to hundreds of online TV channels
Evidently, loosing the DSM-750 Extender for Windows Media Center just wasn't enough for D-Link, as the firm seemingly felt the need to give loyal (and to-be) owners of the DSM-520 Wireless HD Media Player a nice bonus. Starting today, buyers of the aforementioned digital media adapter will have access to "more than 200 online channels," as the unit can now take advantage of active-TV technology. The service reportedly "allows easy access to internet video and entertainment sites with a remote control," and it also uses a "content aggregator developed by MediaMall Technologies." Some notable channels include Comedy Central, CinemaNow, Google Video, Movielink, ROOtv Music Videos, Akimbo, MTV, Musicmatch, Napster, VH1, ESPN and FOX Sports, and there's also international content out there for those willing to branch out. The expanded DSM-520 should be shipping momentarily for $249.99, and existing owners can snag the update gratis on October 4th.
