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How Google's internet-balloon idea got off the ground
On paper, the notion of balloon-provided internet sounds more than a little ridiculous, but that's just how Google X rolls. Mountain View's far-off research division has recently spilled (some of) its guts to Fast Company, detailing the process for bringing something like Project Loon from concept to reality. To start, every X project must address a problem that affects possibly billions of people and it has to use a radical solution that resembles sci-fi to do so. Oh, and it needs to utilize tech that's "very nearly" obtainable, if it already isn't available, too.
Twitter is experimenting again, tries replacing 'retweet' with 'share' button
Twitter can't help itself. If it's not new pictures, tweet views and video previews, then it could be an epoch-defining change to what the social network called one of its core features: retweets. So, it's possibly not a big deal, but in Twitter's latest experiment, it's been changed to 'share' -- terminology closer aligned to its rival, Facebook. For the moment, only a handful of users appear to see the substitute share button and it's appearing in both the Android and iOS apps. At the same time, and probably unrelated, a new design to profile pages inside mobile apps has also appeared, with a not-so-faint Facebook vibe. Take a look after the break, and if you're one of the chosen few, let us know your thoughts on either experiment in the comments.
US phone companies to explore replacing all phone numbers with IP addresses
Voice-over-IP (VoIP) is nothing new, of course, but so far it's been regarded merely as an add-on to America's regular, analog-based copper and cellular voice networks -- networks that are currently maintained as a matter of legal requirement. The FCC isn't necessarily such a stickler for tradition, however, as it is now encouraging phone networks to explore what would happen if VoIP replaced everything else. In other words, how would the system cope if the only phone numbers were Internet Protocol addresses; if even emergency calls were transmitted over the web; and if remote rural communities became dependent on VoIP, with no other type of network as a backup? Companies that want to participate in the experiment have until late February to submit their ideas, with approvals expected to be granted as early as March -- but don't fear, the tests will only be permitted in "discrete geographic areas or situations," which is the FCC's way of politely reminding telecom providers not to get ahead of themselves.
Twitter experimenting with pop-up notifications on the web
Twitter isn't shy when it comes to experimentation. The social network tests some new features by rolling them out to regular users, albeit on a very limited basis, while other projects, such as @eventparrot, are made available to the entire community. The latest unreleased tool to make an appearance is a notification window that pops up whenever you receive a reply or mention, a la the screenshot above. Engadget editor Sarah Silbert noticed the pop-up in her own account, but she seems to be the only staffer with access to this particular tool. We reached out to Twitter for more information, but reps weren't able to share anything related to this particular implementation. The company has gone on the record before to shed some light on its otherwise mysterious experiment program -- in the past, engineers have "tested various features with small groups," and that appears to be the case here as well. Have you come across any Twitter features that your friends haven't seen? Let us know in the comments, and feel free to send us a tip with a screenshot, too.
This Chromium experiment takes the URL out of the address bar, because why not?
Chromium, Google's open-source Chrome project, isn't for the average Joe (or Jane); it's for open-source fanatics. So today's two Chromium experiments, announced by Product Evangelist François Beaufort, should give that subset of users something curious and something useful to play with, in that order. First up is a Chrome OS experiment that mixes up the traditional URL-in-omnibox setup by removing the host URL altogether and placing it within the toolbar, just off to the right side (as pictured above). You can still click on that "origin chip" to display the full URL, as well as permissions data, if you'd like, but the the omnibox will remain empty for -- we're not sure -- a cleaner search experience, perhaps? Again, the reasoning behind this odd switch up is unclear, but knowing Google, it likely has to do with reducing clutter in the user interface as much as possible. The other, much more sensible experiment involves a bit of code that allows you to make any site of your choosing (presumably a favorite) into a Chrome App. The option, once enabled, will appear under Tools in Chrome's dropdown menu. All it requires is one click and you're done. And no, you wouldn't be wrong for thinking of this as a new way to bookmark sites... it is and it's simple to do. Just hit up the source below to get cracking on this Chrome customization and that other, weird one if you're so inclined.
Dolby demos new imaging tech that pushes more light to your television (eyes-on)
You may think your current HDTV is bright enough, but Dolby disagrees. The company, which is known more for its audio tech than its imaging capabilities, has been putting a lot of effort into developing a new type of imaging technology that offers up to 4,000 nits of backlight out of an LED panel. Compared to the TV standard of 100 nits, this is certainly a hefty improvement. Why is such a thing helpful? The 100-nit limit makes life difficult for filmmakers in post-production because they're not able to represent their masterpiece with perfectly accurate colors; there's only so much you can do to accurately portray the real world on such a limited budget of light. Bumping the display up to 4,000, however, allows the viewer to enjoy a much better experience. Dolby showed us a prototype of this experimental tech, which we're told will likely be exhibited at CES next month (either in prototype or in a consumer product, though this will be up to individual manufacturers). The 2K panel sat next to a production monitor that many filmmakers use as their current reference -- in other words, what they use for viewing their footage before it goes through the process of compression and other tweaks -- and the difference was night and day. Despite the fact that both monitors have the same resolution, the prototype (on the left in the above image) offered far more realistic colors, higher dynamic range and more contrast sensitivity, all of which were factors that created a fantastic viewing experience. As an example, the skies were bluer on the new monitor, and clouds that were barely noticeable on the production model actually popped out far more accurately on the prototype. We're told that the new imaging technology has already been shown off to key filmmakers in the industry, and that we'll likely see a lot more (including, we hope, an official name) on display at CES. Where it goes from there, Dolby tells us, is all up to manufacturers. And while we may see a lot more of this tech in the near future, there's no guarantee that other companies will build their monitors to the same spec (manufacturers aren't forced to go all the way up to 4,000 nits, for instance). Regardless, we'll happily take one when they start making their way into production.
Researchers fake sense of touch in monkey brains, hope to build a better prosthetic
Medical prosthetics have come a long way in recent years, but with a few exceptions, artificial limbs still lack the tactility of their fleshy counterparts. Scientists at the University of Chicago are looking to plug those sensory gaps by researching how to simulate touch sensations within the brain, via electrical impulses. By implanting electrodes into the area of the brain that governs the five senses, scientists used electrical stimulation to artificially create feelings of touch and pressure in test monkeys. The Phoenixes posit that this could increase the dexterity of upper-limb neuroprosthetics without extensive patient training and that this is an important step toward restoring touch to those who've lost it, like those with spinal cord injuries. While the scientists realize these operations require incredibly invasive surgery, they believe the procedure's potential could eventually justify the risk for those who don't have other options.
Twitter's Event Parrot claims to be an experiment in breaking news alerts (update: confirmed)
Wondering what's next for Twitter? TechCrunch points out a mysterious account called @EventParrot that may hold an answer, with its profile promising "direct messages that help you keep up with what's happening in the world." The setup is similar to Twitter's @MagicRecs account which eventually spawned the feature that automatically suggests tweets users might like. Despite a lack of official verification, @EventParrot has snagged a list of followers -- nearly 3,000 strong at the moment -- that includes a large number of Twitter employees and associates. Just this evening it sent out a direct message alerting followers to the kidnapping of Libya's prime minister, although how it will develop remains to be seen. Twitter's looming IPO is turning up the pressure on it to reach even more people, and offering more passively available, personally customized information may be one way to do that. Update: As noted by The Next Web, Twitter designer Paul Stamatiou has confirmed that the company is indeed behind the account, which he also described as an experiment.
University of Texas students send yacht off-course with GPS exploit (video)
Students from the University of Texas gave us another reason not to mess with the Lone Star state: they'll hack your yacht. In cooperation with a luxury boat's owners, the Longhorns manipulated their $80 million vessel's nav system, covertly guiding it off-course -- all without the crew ever suspecting foul play. By transmitting spoofed global positioning system signals toward the craft, the students tricked its drivers into correcting a non-existent, three-degree course deviation, thus leading them off track. With their work done, the Texans believe this shows exactly how easy it is to exploit civil-band GPS signals. College kids may have conned the helm this time, but it isn't too far-fetched to think pirates could do the same. Our timbers are shivering just thinking about it.
Talkcast tonight, 10pm ET: WWDC wish list/preview, and a whole new way to call
All-new dial-in experience! See below -- do not call into Talkshoe, we won't be there. The cone of silence ahead of WWDC is beginning to crack -- Mac Pro stocks getting lean, laptop rumors percolating, a new low-end iPod touch showing up... and of course everyone is eager to see what Jonny Ive's been working on in his underground, impeccably decorated laboratories. Tonight at 10pm, bring your best guesses and wish lists for a fun time on the Talkcast. There might even be a bulletin from Kelly's House of Crackpot Theories! In honor of the new month, we're trying a new way to connect on the Talkcast. With some help from the fine folks at Fuze, we're going to be leveraging a Fuze meeting room to record the show. This should let everyone listen in live -- and, if you want, raise your hand as you would in the Talkshoe room to get unmuted and chime in. Here's how it's going to work: You can join the call in progress (meeting # is 20099010) at 10 pm ET from any computer via this link; if you download the Mac or Windows Fuze clients ahead of time, you'll get better audio and a slicker experience, but browser-only will work fine. Using an iPhone or iPad? Grab the native clients from the App Store and get busy. (Even Android users can join the party.) Still feel like using the conventional phone dial-in? Just call 775-996-3562 and enter the meeting number 20099010, then press #. While the Fuze web and native clients have a chat channel, we'd like to reserve that for host participants, requests to talk and other real-time alerts... so the full-on chat for the show will appear in this very post at 10 pm tonight. You'll need Twitter, Facebook or Chatroll credentials to participate in the chat. We'll remind everyone to check back in at that time. This is an experiment, of course, so your patience and forbearance is appreciated in advance. For the time being, the podcast feed of the show will continue to originate from Talkshoe and should be there within 24-36 hours. See you tonight!
Genius.box wants to put a different experiment on your doorstep every month
There are a lot of things you can have delivered to your home on a monthly basis: magazines, hot sauces, underwear and beer are just a few. The second place winner at the Husky Startup Challenge, genius.box, takes that basic concept but replaces the Fruit of the Looms with simple to perform science experiments. Aimed at children between the ages of eight and 12, the projects inside each package teach a basic lesson in science, technology, engineering or math through a hands-on experience. All of the materials needed for each experiment are included, along with a lesson plan, instructions and "factoid" cards with tidbits of interesting trivia, such as the number of elements on the periodic scale. The two boxes trotted out for demo day by creators Kate Pipa and Shivangi Shah covered the science and technology portions of the STEM equation. One was a kitchen chemistry set for growing crystals and the other a simple electronics kit, based partially around parts of a Snap Circuits set, that has kids building an electromagnet and lighting up an LED. This isn't exactly a return to hardcore chemistry sets of the past (you'll find no radioactive materials or poisons in here), but it's certainly a step in the right direction for an America whose love affair with science is on the rocks. Every four weeks a child would get a whole new educational playset for the target price of $20 a month. Which is quite a bit cheaper than your standard chemistry set or electronics kit. To be kept in the loop as genius.box works to get off the ground, sign up at the more coverage link. %Gallery-185100%
Huawei tests 2Tbps data transmission over Vodafone's German network, calls it a 'first'
As terabit speeds go, Huawei's latest fiber feat falls on the lower end of recent industry achievements. At 2Tbps, the Chinese company's field test -- one it's hailing as a "world's first" -- comes nowhere close to the 100Tbps-plus experiments conducted by the likes of NEC and NICT. But top speed isn't entirely the point here; real-world performance is. By leveraging existing fiber infrastructure owned by Vodafone across portions of lower Germany, Huawei was able to successfully demonstrate two record-breaking, 200G transmissions: one spanning 1,500km and the other 3,325km over an "ultra-long-haul solution." To give you a bit of perspective on just what sort of data haul theoretical networks of this kind can achieve, Huawei claims this ultra-fast connection is "equivalent to downloading 40 HD videos in one second." Impressive, indeed. But don't go ditching that TWC wideband or FiOS contract just yet. While it's nice to know this tech exists, practical deployment is still a ways off. Until then, gigabit's the buzz word.
Google tests Flight Explorer tool, offers more visual and powerful ticket searches
Google may have updated its flight search tool for tablets just a couple of months back, but it's been a while since its desktop counterpart saw a refresh. Currently being tested under the call sign "Flight Explorer", the outfit has a new offering that provides a more customizable and visual interface to help root out a suitable plane ticket. While the filters are pretty much the same as the existing Google Flights search engine, there's a new slider to choose trip length, an upfront indication of the best available ticket price for the selected timeframe, along with handy graphs that show price over time, and which yield up specifics when you hover over them with your mouse pointer. There's every chance that these new additions will be merged into Google Flights once any crinkles have been ironed out, but in the meantime there's nothing to stop you using it at the link below. And hey, send us a postcard!
Chrome experiment explores new types of navigation, degrees of embarrassment
What you're about to see, should you choose to click the source link below, is far from perfect. On the other hand, it's clearly had a lot of effort and expertise put into it -- not only by HTML5-savvy coders, but also by a troupe of performers from the Cirque du Soleil. It's called Movi.Kanti.Revo, which is a fancy way of saying Move.Sing.Dream, and it involves navigating through an ethereal and slightly laggy landscape using only swaying gestures, your singing voice (mournful sobbing sounds also worked for us) and a bunch of APIs that conveniently fail to work on FireFox, Safari or Internet Explorer. It's well-suited to those with a mic and webcam, preferably sitting in a open-plan and bully-ridden workplace, and if you don't like it there's always Bastion.
Google opens Web Lab at London's Science Museum, because 'the internet is incredible'
Still unable to resist its techno-philanthropic urges, Google has just unveiled the Web Lab at the Science Museum in London. Paid for entirely with Google juice and constructed in a basement area that was previously used for storage, the exhibition consists of five experiments that help us to "discover the power of the internet while we're on the internet." That might sound cheesy, but we've had a good play with each installation and they're actually very well thought out and accessible -- although, if you're already a hyper-connected nutcase then you might find it more appropriate for friends and family. We won't give too much away in case it spoils your fun, but you can get a flavor from the attached promo video we saw back at Google I/O, plus our gallery and the PR after the break. In any case, it's safe to say that each experiment involves creating and sharing media in a way you've never tried before. What's more, everything you do is stored in a little personal account in the cloud that you can access using the unique "lab tag" shown in the photo above. (Incidentally, all those symbols floating around in the background represent other individuals who are also currently participating in the project -- which ought to give you some idea of the overall premise.) The exhibition opens to the public tomorrow, is free to enter and follows the same opening hours as the main museum -- although the lab's online dimension will remain active for a distinctly un-British 24-7-365.%Gallery-160661%
Redesigned YouTube rolling out to some users, reflects the influence of Google+
From the looks of this screenshot posted by one of our readers, it appears YouTube is testing a new homepage styled more like the look that recently rolled out on Google+. The current default look rolled out last winter with more focus on channels and social integration, while this new facade features more white space and list of channels and friends to the side. We asked YouTube about the new look and a spokesperson issued a boilerplate statement about experimenting with ways to help users find the videos that are important to them. The statement in full is after the break, however the key part is that they're listening to user feedback so take a close look at this pic and the rest at the source link below then let us (and Google) know what you think. [Thanks, M.B. Goro]
CERN admits faulty kit to blame for speedy neutrinos, says it's all relative
Those pesky neutrinos, they sure did cause a kerfuffle. The scientific community held its collective breath when research published by CERN suggested that the little guys had been caught traveling at an Einstein-defying 3.7 miles per second faster than light. Naturally there was a mixture of doubt and excited disbelief, but everything needed to be triple checked before any paradigms could meet any windows. And alas, it was all to unravel once flaws were identified. CERN has finally admitted faulty kit was to blame, with it's research director Sergio Bertolucci conceding "A coherent picture has emerged with both previous and new data pointing to a neutrino velocity consistent with the speed of light." The final chapter in this story took place at the International Conference on Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics in Kyoto today, with Bertolucci also commenting that, at the very least, the story captured the public imagination, pointing out that "An unexpected result was put up for scrutiny, thoroughly investigated and resolved in part thanks to collaboration between normally competing experiments. That's how science moves forward." [Image credit: Getty Images]
Peter Molyneux introduces Curiosity, his first 22 Cans experiment, for iOS
Peter Molyneux has introduced a game called Curiosity from his 22 Cans studio, coming to PC and iOS in about six weeks. Appearing on Spike TV this morning, Molyneux showed off screens of the game on an iPad, and said it would be the first of his experimental games out of the brand new studio he started after leaving Lionhead.Six weeks isn't long to wait, so we'll see more about this one soon.
SpaceX Dragon team opens the hatch, to spend Memorial Day with more cargo hauling than barbecues
SpaceX's Dragon docked with the International Space Station on Friday, but if you think the involved crew is spending the US long weekend experimenting with how well grills prepare burgers in low gravity (hint: not very), you're in for a bit of an awakening. The private space capsule's hatch flew open just before 6AM ET on Saturday, and while that's a historic first docking for a private spacecraft, it's just the start of a long process. At the same time as we'll be catching fireworks on Monday, the ISS team will bring onboard the 1,014 pounds of cargo and science experiments that Dragon hauled as proof it could fulfill a 12-mission, $1.6 billion cargo delivery contract. Don't think the spacefarers won't get any time off for Memorial Day weekend -- they'll get Saturday and Sunday for reflection -- but the 25 hours' worth of cargo shuffling on Monday will spill over into Tuesday, just as we're all stumbling back into our offices on Earth. [Image credit: NASA TV]
HP takes print away from town for seven days, laughs at 'print is dead' claim (updated)
With e-books and digital subscription of magazines and newspapers becoming the new hot, many are sending off the message that print is gradually losing or has even already lost to its digital counterpart, while others argue that print is far from dead. Needless to say, being one of the leading manufacturers of printers, HP took the "print is dead" claim quite personally -- and perhaps too literally. How so? Well, the company commissioned a project that got participants in the US, India and Singapore to live without printed materials -- including newspapers, books, labels, packaging, ID cards and even some clothes -- for two days. Understandably, those folks had quite a tough time, but HP certainly proved that "the role of print is vastly underestimated" and that "true print deprivation was impossible." If you think that's an overkill, just you wait: HP and renowned photographer Chase Jarvis even went as far as getting a Wisconsin town called Spring Green to undergo a similar experiment, but for a duration of seven days. The entire project will be presented in a video documentary called 7 Days Without Print, and ahead of its premiere at Guggenheim Museum in New York on June 14, we were shown an exclusive trailer for said movie at HP's Global Influencer Summit in Shanghai. For the sake of those poor participants, do check out the clip right after the break. Update: Sorry folks, but we've been asked to remove the trailer as it's not ready for public viewing yet, but we'll put up the official version once it's out.
