balloons
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MIT gives soft robots a better sense of touch and spatial awareness
Researchers from MIT give robotic grippers a better sense what they’re gripping and how much force to use.
Alphabet's balloon-powered Loon internet comes to Mozambique
Alphabet has announced that Loon will soon provide its balloon-powered 4G internet service to several regions in Mozambique. The company has teamed with local carrier Vodacom to serve the Cabo Delgado and Niassa provinces, two vast regions that currently have spotty or no internet coverage.
Kenyan government finally approves Loon’s internet-delivery balloons
Alphabet's internet-delivery balloon service, Loon, has finally received approval from the Kenyan government. To help improve communication during the coronavirus pandemic, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta fast-tracked the regulatory approval Loon and its partner, Telkom Kenya, were waiting on. Loon expects to begin providing service to remote areas of Kenya in the "near future."
Loon will bring balloon-powered internet to the Amazon rainforest
Google's parent company Alphabet is continuing its mission is to bring internet to underserved areas through its Loon balloon-based internet service. Earlier this year, the company reached a milestone of over 1 million total hours of balloon stratospheric flight, and signed a contract to offer commercial service in Kenya. Today, Loon announced it would also be bringing internet to areas of Peru.
Alphabet's balloons broadcast LTE two days after Peruvian quake
When a magnitude 8.0 earthquake hit Peru Sunday, the Alphabet spinoff Loon was quick to respond. Within 48 hours, Loon delivered its internet-relaying balloons and began providing LTE coverage to users below. While more balloons are on the way, Loon says the speed at which it responded is a testament to the company's potential.
Snapchat's AR art installations are live in select cities
It's finally time for Snapchat's new augmented reality art project to be revealed. The feature, leaked yesterday via the hack of a web countdown clock on art.snapchat.com, puts artist Jeff Koos' signature giant balloon animal installations in several locations, including Champ de Mars, Paris, Central Park, New York, Hyde Park in London, Roundhouse Park in Toronto, Sydney Opera House, Millenium Park in Chicago, Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, National Mall in Washington DC and Venice Boardwalk in California. So far, it's just Koons' art that's available; there's a web form for other artists to submit their own work for consideration. The countdown ran down at 3PM ET today.
Google's Project Loon improves launch and range to expand its reach
Google's Project Loon internet balloons have been airborne for quite some time, and now the company is planning to take the next step with the initiative. The next phase has two parts: a 50-foot-tall launcher and sharing internet signals amongst balloons. The first piece is a so-called Autolauncher, a massive rolling apparatus referred internally as the Bird House, and its canvas sides allow a crew of four to block up to 15 MPH winds in order to launch successfully. Take-offs are now partially automated too, and the time needed to do so was cut from 45 minutes down to just 15.
Google's 'balloon-powered internet for all' is almost ready
In case you wanted another behind-the-scenes look at how Google's internet-by-balloon service is doing, now is your chance. The Project Loon team posted a new video showing everything from how it manages its balloon fleet, the balloon creation process, their partnership with local LTE network providers abroad and a few other aspects of the initiative as well. For example, the team is keeping the airborne-internet vessels afloat for up to 100 days at a time now, can build balloons in hours instead of days, and can launch many dozens of balloon every day instead of just a single one. Nearly two years after the project's launch, it's gone from "will it work?" to being presented as something that will work. With thousands of balloons aloft, it can push signal into areas that can't easily get internet service in other ways. As is typical with these status updates, it's slickly produced and has a handful of whimsical animations and music to boot -- check it out after the break.
Google's internet balloons can stay aloft for 100 days
While some high profile Google projects (*cough Glass*) have been withering on the vine, Project Loon is a bright spot and even has a carrier partner. Mountain View says it can now autofill the internet-enabling, weather-tracking balloons in five minutes and launch up to 20 a day. They also last up to ten times longer than early versions, letting them stay in the stratosphere for over 100 days. Google chalked up the improvements to better quality control, like having workers wear fluffy socks (!) when walking on the skin to reduce wear. The search giant added that it can hit a target spot within a mile over a 6,000 mile journey to give better WiFi coverage to users. To see how much things have changed, check the recent balloon launch (above) against a 2013 launch (below).
Old Navy's machine turns your selfies into giant balloon art
Want to do more with your selfies than post them on Instagram for the umpteenth time? Old Navy might have a way to make them stand out... if just for a brief, glorious moment. The clothing shop is kicking off its 20th birthday by creating the Selfiebration machine, a 15 foot tall behemoth that converts Twitter photos into balloon art. All you do is tweet a photo to Old Navy with the #selfiebration hashtag -- after that, the device (co-designed by Deeplocal) rasterizes your self-portrait and displays it on a grid of nearly 1,000 balloons that inflate to different sizes.
Korean protester spreads democracy's message by balloon and flashdrive
As funny as the idea of a video game starring Kim Jong Un might be, how North Korea treats its people isn't exactly a laughing matter. As a child of officials who were part of the North Korea's Workers Party, Park Sang Hak didn't have much to worry about. His family was part of the country's elite and wondering where their next meal would come from wasn't part of daily routine. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, however, when Hak saw the government starving its people he was overcome with guilt, and he defected to South Korea. As a direct result, two of Hak's uncles were arrested as political criminals by North Korea's State Security Department and executed as political enemies. He responded by putting a technological spin on South's previous form of protest: sending propaganda pamphlets north by balloon. His version entailed floating DVDs and USB flash drives containing, among other things, videos about Samsung and Hyundai -- evidence of the south's economic prosperity under democracy.
Google Earth adds balloon and kite aerial imagery, invites you to contribute
Google Earth already offers quite a variety of ways to explore the planet, but the folks in Mountain View never seem content to leave things alone for long. Their latest addition is some aerial imagery of a slightly different sort -- images shot from ordinary balloons and kites. That initial batch of photos comes courtesy of The Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science, which is itself a grassroots effort that anyone can contribute to. And that's apparently what Google hopes folks will do in order to expand the aerial views available -- as Google notes on its Lat Long blog, all that you need to get started is a digital camera and about $100 in parts, plus a little initiative. Complete details on how to start your own DIY mapping effort, or simply explore the options now available, can be found at the links below.
Patch 4.2: New vanity items include balloons, Leyara's Locket
A few new items hit the PTR recently in a small patch. Wowhead News has found Alliance and Horde balloons in the game files. There is no indication yet where these balloons will appear, but they are listed as companion pets. Also added in the new patch is Leyara's Locket, which will be a reward from the quest The Rest is History. Blizzard had made mention during the Firelands Ask the Devs chat that players would be able to see some of the history of Archdruid Fandral and his transformation into Majordomo Staghelm, and Leyara's Locket will be a part of that. Using the locket "releases the memories contained within." Leyara is one of Staghelm's druids of the flame who is at the forefront of the assault of the Regrowth in Hyjal. Players run into Leyara many times during the Regrowth and Molten Front daily questing experiences. Hopefully, the memories that the locket releases will clue players in to more backstory involving Fandral and the druids of the flame. The news is already rolling out for the upcoming WoW Patch 4.2! Preview the new Firelands raid, marvel at the new legendary staff, and get the inside scoop on new quest hubs -- plus new Tier 12 armor!
TUAW's Daily App: Float
The iPhone is known for casual games, but Float might be a little too simple even for most casual gamers. That said, children and those just looking for a super simple experience may find it interesting. It's a game we've all played before -- you get a balloon and try to keep it in the air for as long as possible. In Float, you get a few balloons that fall down the screen towards a row of spikes at the bottom, and it's your job to tap them up and away from the danger below. It does get a little more frenzied, and there's a bonus area to play with on the lower half, so there is a little strategy in how far you let them drop before batting them back up. But what's really intriguing about this one isn't in the gameplay, it's more in the presentation. The balloons are colorfully rendered, and the UI is very clean and well-designed. There are quite a few game modes, which originally needed to be unlocked via in-app purchase, but are now available for free. There's no Game Center, unfortunately, but OpenFeint is included, as well as a connection to Facebook if you want to share some scores. Float is available as a universal app for US$0.99, and there's a free version of the app to check out as well. Again, if you're looking for more complicated fare look elsewhere, but who doesn't love batting around balloons anyway?
Homefront balloon 'stunt' draws ire from San Francisco community
We figured that the fake North Korean protest staged during GDC as part of the Homefront marketing campaign was going to draw controversy -- but we couldn't have predicted this debacle. THQ's staged rally, meant to "decry the North Korean regime and the treatment of its citizens," ended in a symbolic release of ten thousand red GameStop-branded balloons. While majestic at first, bad weather quickly deflated the balloons, causing a downpour of promotional garbage directly into the San Francisco bay. Environmentalists were not pleased, especially when they discovered that the balloons had advertisements attached to them, highlighting the "resistance multiplayer pack," a pre-order bonus. "Obviously, we have a problem with polluting of the bay and this is just polluting and littering," Amy Ricard, a spokeswoman for the environmental group Save the Bay, told SFGate. GameStop was quick to issue a statement, distancing itself from the poorly-received event. "The balloon drop stunt in San Francisco was created by THQ ... and GameStop had no prior knowledge of it." THQ later issued a statement, confirming GameStop's non-involvement, adding that the balloons were "100 percent organic product and are 100 percent biodegradable." Although the company promises to clean up its mess, many are still furious at THQ's tasteless promotion. Perhaps THQ should stick to ... taste-ful stunts. [Photo credit: Mathew Grimm / Special to The Chronicle; source]
Google fires Nexus S into space, invites tenuous Galaxy S analogies (video)
How are you killing the time until the Nexus S finally goes on sale? Google's answer to that question has been a typically outlandish affair, involving seven Nexi, a collection of weather balloons, and another quest to see how much can be learned from a humble smartphone's sensors when they're shot to the edge of space. Yes, the Mountain View madmen fired a week's worth of their latest and greatest smartphones through the Earth's atmosphere, hoping to test both the durability and the information-gathering skills of the onboard compass, gyro, and accelerometer, while dedicated GPS modules were installed in each "shuttle" (made out of styrofoam beer coolers, if you can believe it) to help recover the cargo on its return to terra firma. So far, only six of the phones have been recovered -- might this be another of Google's crazy puzzles? A treasure hunt for an Android fallen from heaven? Video after the break. Update: Want to see an Android in space? It turns out that Google was documenting the entire event, and has high-res images and footage of its mascot exiting Earth's atmosphere in a brand-new blog post. Find it at our more coverage links, or hit the break for some video!
Yves Rossy's jetpack loops a hot air balloon, looks great doing it (video)
Looks like Swiss daredevil Yves Rossy is back to the, well, daredeviltry. On November 5, 2010, the self-described Jetman lept off a platform attached to the side of the Esprit Breitling Orbiter hot air balloon and, after reaching an altitude of 2,400 meters (7,874 feet), came back to loop around the thing twice. He was aided in his endeavor by a new, smaller wing (two meters across) with four jets, and executed the maneuvers using only his body movements to steer. Afterward, he deployed his parachute and landed in Denezy, in the Swiss canton of Vaud. We might also add that we tried to get one of these devices for an Engadget Show giveaway, but our lawyers seem to think it's a terrible idea. Video after the break.
Found Footage: iPhone 4 takes to the skies
Aside from the relative wisdom of rigging the phone and flying it near a working radio tower, the video is actually quite compelling -- there's also a behind-the-scenes clip showing the extended process of building and flying the rig. Thanks Jimmy!
Balloons! Sending out a mystery message on your iPhone
With over 100,000 apps in the app store, it's getting harder and harder to find something new; most apps seem to be 'me too' versions of something else. Balloons! US $2.99 [iTunes Link] for iPhones running OS 3.0 or better, is something I haven't seen before, and it's really very clever. TUAW first got a look at an early development version of Balloons! back at WWDC, including a video interview with the developer. Balloon mail has been used, along with the more common phrase message in a bottle, to describe sending a message into the wind or sea and hoping that someone finds it and contacts you. It's sort of non-directional social networking with a hint of mystery built in. In this app, you start making a balloon by choosing from a variety of balloon styles. Next you create a message that the balloon will convey. Tap in the middle of the screen and the camera activates to take a picture of what's going on in your life at the moment. Then add a bit of text and send the balloon out into the world. Other users, over 900 in the first 3 days of sales, are doing the same thing. Over 3500 balloons have been sent up from the US, Europe, and Japan already. Next, you'll want to catch a balloon. When you do, you'll see the message from the person who made the balloon along with a separate flippable page from everyone who caught the balloon, added something to it, and let it fly again. As more people catch, add to, and release balloons, each balloon takes on a history and often has a story to tell. The balloons don't travel randomly. If launched in New York City, you can't immediately grab the balloon in London; it needs time to travel. If you want to see what has happened to your balloon, there is a balloon tracking option that tells you how long your balloon has been flying and if has been caught or not. Tap on one of your caught balloons and you'll see all the notes added by those that have seen your balloon. I found this to be a lot of fun. There is a free, advertising-supported version of the app [iTunes Link] that doesn't include the tracking option. I liked the idea of giving out a free appetizer, since you can get a great idea of how Balloons! works and quickly realize that the best part of the app is the tracking option. The graphics suit the app nicely. Screens are very cartoonish using bright colors and animated clouds. I was taken by the whimsy of this app, and can see it being great for kids as a nudge toward becoming interested in geography. It's also fun, tinged with a bit of longing for faraway places, for everyone. Take a look at the video in the 2nd half of this post to see it in action.
WWDC Demo: Balloons!
Balloons! for the iPhone (and iPod touch) made me smile. It's like Distant Shore, but more personal and fun. Don't get me wrong, I love Distant Shore, but Balloons! reminds me of being a kid and tying a message and photo to a balloon to send up into the stratosphere. Plus, you get a real sense of community. It's just plain fun to pick up a virtual balloon supposedly drifting past you. To see what I mean, check out the video. But if you ever tied a note to a balloon and let it go, that's what this does. Except now you get to catch other balloons, have conversations and attach photos all from your iPhone.Unfortunately Balloons! isn't in the store yet, but from the build I saw looks pretty close to being ready. The Balloons devs are looking for beta testers, which you can apply for here.
