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Philippe Starck wants you to make 3D-printed custom furniture
Philippe Starck is no longer satisfied with crafting exotic-looking products that don't change -- he wants to give you control over the design process. He tells the Wall Street Journal that his newly opened custom furniture venture, TOG, will eventually become an open source community that lets you create your own 3D-printed furniture and share designs with others. He'd also like to see kiosks that make it easy for anyone to produce their own furniture, even if they can't justify a 3D printer of their own.
NASA is offering code from more than 1,000 programs for public use
Everyone has probably day-dreamed of launching a space-ship from their backyard at some point. Well, now that NASA plans to release over a thousand of its software systems into the public domain, your idle musings could become a reality. On April 10th, the outfit is dropping a ton of free code for things like life support systems, aeronautics and, as Wired reports, even cryogenics, online for your perusal. This is an extension of what it's been doing with its technology transfer program for the last 50 years, and like Data.gov and DARPA's Open Catalog before it, the result of President Obama's push to open government data to the public and digitize it for easy access. The source code will be spread across SourceForge, GitHub and NASA's website for now, but by next year it should be consolidated in one easy-access database. What's more, NASA said that post release it'll keep adding new code to the database. Now is the time to vote for a favorite space suit if you already haven't -- you just might need one after all. [Image credit: Kenneth Lu/Flickr]
Robot research firm Willow Garage closes its doors (update: thankfully untrue)
Rumors of Willow Garage's death may have been very premature, but they've come true all the same. Businessweek reports that company founder Scott Hassan shut down the robotics research pioneer in January to become the dedicated CEO of Suitable Technologies, Willow Garage's telepresence-focused spinoff. The closure means that you won't be seeing follow-ups to machines like the PR2 or TurtleBot 2. However, the firm may have created an enduring legacy through its open source robotics platform -- when Baxter and numerous other automatons are using the code, you could be hearing about Willow Garage's work for some time to come. Update: We've gotten in touch with Willow Garage, and it turns out that rumors of the company's death have been greatly exaggerated... again. While it did move some staff to Suitable Technologies back in August and offloaded support services to Clearpath Robotics, it's still very much in the robot business. Also, the company notes that Hassan has been the CEO of Suitable for roughly three years. It's not clear where Businessweek obtained its info, but it's good to know that Willow Garage is alive and kicking.
Make your own clothes with this open source printer
Store-bought clothing can be expensive, but not everyone has the talent or patience to make their own attire. That may not be an issue if OpenKnit takes off, though. The open source platform combines an affordable (under $757), build-it-yourself clothing printer with Knitic design software to let you make your own apparel quickly and easily; once you're set up, you just need a template file and some yarn. Aspiring designers can share their creations with the world through Do Knit Yourself. OpenKnit's output is more appropriate for the street than the fashion show catwalk, but it could be ideal for anyone who wants to shake up their style at a moment's notice.
Spark shows how to build a Nest-like, open source thermostat
Wish you'd had the foresight to build the Nest thermostat and get Google's attention? You can't travel back in time, but Spark may give you the next best thing. It just posted a walkthrough showing how to build a smart thermostat of your own. The device centers around both the company's WiFi-equipped Spark Core as well as off-the-shelf displays and sensors from Adafruit, Honeywell and Panasonic. Its software won't compete with anything from Nest, but you can both change the temperature and view historical data from most any modern web browser. More importantly, it's open source -- you can program your own features or simply learn how things tick. While Spark's thermostat won't be an easy DIY project unless you're good with a CNC mill, it's proof that you don't need a vast array of resources to build your own climate controller. [Thanks, Binoy]
Fedora 20 targets enterprise and mobile with improved ARM and virtual machine support
On both desktops and servers, Fedora has seen popularity slip behind relative Linux new comers like Ubuntu and Mint. But Red Hat knows its strength lies in the enterprise, where its impressive security features have found love in the arms of sysadmins all over the globe. While we wouldn't say the release of version 20 (Heisenbug) is putting it ahead of the curve, it's certainly a valiant effort to future-proof the distribution. As the world preps for an explosion of ARM-powered servers, Fedora is finally adding support for the RISC-based processors to it's official channels. Until now support for ARM chips has been provided by unofficial community developers. Going forward, ARM will receive the same level of support that x86 chips from the likes of Intel and AMD have enjoyed for years. It also preps the distro for a market flooded mobile devices that emphasize form factor and battery life over raw processing power. In another nod to its business customers, the OS has greatly improved virtualization support through both a new visual interface and the addition of virtual images crafted specifically for cloud computing services like Amazon Web Services and OpenStack. There, of course, are updates to desktop environments like GNOME and KDE, too for those more likely to install it on a home PC. Whether you're setting up an ARM server or just appreciate Red Hat's nod to Breaking Bad, you'll find full details of the Heisenbug upgrade at the source links.
Open source can help the developing world, but it's not without challenges
Many see open source technology as an ideological tool -- a way to promote freedom in a world of closed, proprietary systems. For Canonical's Jono Bacon, Mozilla's Stormy Peters and Wikimedia's Tomasz Finc, it's more about improving humanity. Speaking at Expand, they argued that open code connects the developing world and delivers meaningful local content. However, the trio is also aware of the potential pitfalls, such as fragmentation. They know that a successful open platform isn't born overnight.
Live from Expand: The Power of Free: Exploring the Open-Source Revolution
From Wikipedia to Firefox to Ubuntu and Android, open-source software has had a major impact in all of our lives over the past several years. We've brought representatives from Mozilla, Wikimedia and Canonical together to discuss how open-source software is driving the software industry. November 10, 2013 2:25:00 PM EST Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from New York City right here!
Cisco plans to open-source H.264 code, widen support for web-based video chat
WebRTC promises plugin-free video chat in our browsers, but it has been stuck in limbo due to format squabbles -- some companies want royalty-free standards like VP8, while others insist on the wider support of H.264. Today, Cisco is proposing a truce between the two camps. It's planning to open-source its H.264 codec without passing on the royalties it pays to MPEG-LA, effectively making the standard free when used in web conversations. Mozilla is endorsing the strategy; although it still prefers open video technologies like VP8 and Daala, it believes that Cisco's move would let both Firefox clients and Firefox OS use H.264 for more tasks. Nothing is set in stone at this point, however. Industry members will pick WebRTC's video standard on November 7th, and there's no guarantee that their choice will dovetail with Cisco's plans. If all goes well, though, we won't have to fret much over the apps and devices we use for our video discussions.
Lego calendar uses bricks to organize your office, makes productivity adorable
Vitamins Design wanted an organizational calendar that was "big and visible," so it did what any company would do: it turned to Lego. Using the plastic bricks, Vitamins was able to create a three-month calendar that provides near-instant visual feedback about which employee is scheduled to work on what project and when. Sounds simple enough, right? Here's where it gets interesting: Take a picture of the quarterly chronicle with any smartphone, send the image to a special email address and the block placement will be translated to its Google Calendar equivalent. Even better, the sync software was written using open-source code, and Vitamins plans to make it available online. The company says it'll work with any cloud-based calendar too -- not just Mountain View's. Sounds great, as long as no one's making late-night barefoot runs to the office kitchen.
Google Coder lets you build Raspberry Pi web apps in your browser (video)
It's undoubtedly possible to turn a Raspberry Pi into a web server, but it's not always easy. Thankfully, Google just streamlined the process with its new Coder project. The open source tool lets developers build web apps for a ready-made Raspberry Pi web server using only a desktop browser. Coder manages all the files, including any media. The mini PC, meanwhile, only requires a network connection and an SD card reader to store the server. Beyond the hardware, Coder is free to use; if you've wanted a cheap testbed for web programming, you'll find one at the source link.
Google teams up with edX to create the YouTube for online education
Google's big list of open source projects just grew by one -- the company has introduced a new online learning platform called MOOC.org. Despite the name, it's not a website about cows -- MOOC stands for "massive open online courses," and it's a product of the marriage between Mountain View and edX, an educational website by MIT and Harvard. However, while edX only features free courses from affiliated universities, MOOC.org will accept material submitted by other institutions, governments, businesses and even individuals. In short, just about anyone can pitch in -- edX's president even revealed that they want the site to eventually become the "YouTube for MOOCs." The companies have yet to reveal how they'll screen submitted courses for quality and how contributors can earn money, but we'll likely find out when the site launches in mid-2014. Self-motivated folks eager to learn will have to hang out around libraries, campuses and TED talks until then. [Image credit: University of Salford, Flickr]
Arcade Fire's 'Just a Reflektor' music video takes cues from your smartphone
Arcade Fire already knows how to immerse its fans in a web music video. For its new "Just a Reflektor" video, though, it's also bringing smartphones into the action. The band's Chrome-based project links a PC to a mobile device through a webcam, turning the handheld into a visual effects controller -- halos, reflections and wireframes in the video adapt to every movement. As the experiment is open source, viewers can even tinker with the web code (primarily JavaScript and WebGL) to build their own masterworks. Whether or not you're a fan of Arcade Fire's indie rock, you'll likely want to give "Reflektor" a look for curiosity's sake; just don't be surprised when the video looks back.
CyanogenMod details Device Finder, promises a secure way to track lost phones
While there's no shortage of tools to find lost Android smartphones, they're not especially secure; it's theoretically easy to spy on a handset without consent. The CyanogenMod team may foil those would-be snoopers with its newly detailed Device Finder service. Unlike many locators, Device Finder avoids storing passwords and encryption keys on its servers. Only the user's browser and the missing gadget know how to talk to each other, reducing the chances that ne'er-do-wells will steal logins or conduct man-in-the-middle attacks. The optional tool will eventually find its way into future CyanogenMod ROMs, although the developers have already posted source code for those who want to verify Device Finder's security first-hand.
Google open sources two Web Lab experiments ahead of shutdown this Sunday (video)
Google's Web Lab exhibition has had a decent run at London's Science Museum, but all of that web-linked hardware is being packed up for good after the doors are closed this Sunday. Google's hoping that at least some of it will live on, though, and has teamed up with research and design firm Tellart to open source two of its most popular experiments. Those include the Universal Orchestra, which lets you control a robotic band from the convenience of your web browser, and the Sketchbot, which is a robotic arm that can sketch your face in sand. Of course, since they're open source, you can put your own twist on the projects if you have some other ideas, and Google notes that it's providing software-only versions as well for those lacking the necessary hardware skills. You can see both in action in the videos after the break, and find all the code you need to get started at the source links below.
Android Open Source Project maintainer leaves role in wake of Nexus 7 open source issues
If you're upset that Google hasn't posted factory images for the new Nexus 7, you're not alone. Android Open Source Project maintainer Jean-Baptiste Quéru has just confirmed that he's leaving his role in the wake of legal issues that prevent him from publishing a Nexus 7 image with working graphics. While he isn't specific about the nature of the conflict, Android Police and others believe that Qualcomm isn't ready to offer its video drivers for use in AOSP builds. We've reached out to both Google and Qualcomm, and we'll let you know if they have any further insight. In the meantime, don't expect a Nexus 7 image anytime soon -- Google will likely need a new AOSP overseer, and Quéru doesn't see any progress on the horizon.
NVIDIA Shield now has open source software support
We loved NVIDIA Shield's bone stock Jelly Bean OS in our review, but if you're not a huge fan, NVIDIA's now offering a way to dig in and customize your Shield's OS even more. NVIDIA's made the Shield's software open source as of today, making the OS all the easier to customize. You'll of course have to root your device and, ya know, have an idea of what you're doing in the guts of a computer. NVIDIA warns new owners as much, saying, "To be sure, this is double-diamond stuff. If you're not a coder or already set up with an Android development environment you should skip downloading these tools." The company's blog post also notes that rooting your Shield or adding a bootloader will potentially void your device's warranty, so hacker beware! Should the associated tasks and NVIDIA's warnings not scare you off, the software is available right here. Our review video of the Shield is just below, in case you missed it last week.
Ofcom shows DAB done on the cheap, lays groundwork for digital community radio
While DAB radio is common in the UK, its broadcasting equipment is usually too expensive for community broadcasters. However, Ofcom's Rashid Mustapha has shown that the technology is now within reach of amateurs. Taking advantage of DAB's newly patent-free status, Mustapha tested a low-power digital transmitter based on an open source software radio and a Linux PC; he only had to stream that radio to an aerial through long-range WiFi. His solution would cost just £1,400 ($2,153) per year to run, letting many community radio operators make the leap to digital. The study doesn't represent an automatic green light for low-power DAB -- more work is needed, Mustapha says -- but it's clear that small-scale stations won't be stuck in the analog world forever.
BrewBit: the remote temperature monitor for homemade barley pop
Temperature is everything when it comes to fermenting beer. Thanks to a surprise heatwave, our last batch of homebrew went from lager to ale to horrible once we could finally taste it. If the BrewBit Model-T reaches its $80,000 Kickstarter goal, Inebriated Innovations could have the solution to hobby brewers' wort woes come next March. Each black box has dual power outlets as well as two temperature probes, allowing for independent control of heating and cooling. If you're so inclined, the open-source software and hardware means that you'll have an easier time hacking it to suit your needs. As of now, the company is just over halfway to its funding target, with 15 days to go. The early backer donations have already been claimed, but you still have a couple of weeks to snag either the single probe ($160) or dual probe ($175) model. We recommend you save the waiting for your suds' aging period.
MakerPlane's open source aircraft funding campaign gets off to a slow start (video)
There are some things in this world we're not sure are improved by the 3D printing process, like firearms and food. Aircraft might also be on that list, but no amount of dubiousness will stand in the way of MakerPlane's open source plane. The aviation company's ambitious Indiegogo campaign went live last week (check out the video below), but its quest for funding looks like it's going to be a major uphill climb. At the time of this writing, the campaign had yet to breach the $800 mark, a far cry from its $75,000 goal. While part of the reason for the slow funding can be chalked up to a certain level of skepticism when it comes to a plane made with 3D printed parts and open sourced avionics software, the lack of plane-related rewards might also be holding the company back from reaching its endgame. For example, a $10,000 pledge will only get your corporate logo on the display craft's fuselage. That being said, somebody's got to dream big. Just don't ask us to get in your homemade plane.
