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NASA names 16-person panel tasked with investigating UFOs
NASA has unveiled the 16-member panel that will focus on "unclassified sightings and other data collected from civilian government and commercial sectors."
Samsung begins manufacturing 14-inch 90Hz OLED displays
Samsung has started manufacturing 90Hz OLED displays that will be used in the latest ASUS laptops.
Samsung's display business will stop producing LCD screens this year
Samsung Display will stop producing liquid crystal display (LCD) panels in China and South Korea at the end of the year in order to concentrate on the new generation of "quantum dot" (QD) screens, Reuters reports. Any LCD orders made before the end of the year will still be fulfilled. Samsung made its plans for QD tech known last year, when it announced its $11 billion investment into a plant capable of manufacturing true QLED TV screens that self-illuminate. Traditionally, Samsung's quantum dot LCD tech puts LED backlights behind a filter (so the display doesn't match up to the likes of say, LG's OLED TVs), but research at the end of 2019 helped mitigate some development problems, such as burn-in. Samsung's forthcoming QD tech instead relies on indium phosphide instead of toxic cadmium, and has a lifetime of up to a million hours. The multi-billion dollar investment will take place over five years and will see Samsung convert one of its existing South Korean LCD lines into a facility to mass produce these screens. Falling demand for LCD products and a manufacturing supply glut means Samsung is obviously looking for new avenues, so for the company to essentially do away with a tried-and-tested technology and go all-in on another suggests that QD screens are very likely to feature in our viewing futures.
Google reportedly disbands review panel monitoring DeepMind Health AI
Google is reportedly dissolving yet another AI review board. Earlier this month, the company canceled plans for its Advanced Technology External Advisory Council when it came under fire for selecting a few particularly controversial board members. Now, Google is disbanding a UK-based panel that's been reviewing some of its AI work in healthcare, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Retro tech, accessibility and the latest in the TV wars
There's so much news at CES, it can be hard to filter out the noise and find what matters. Thankfully, Engadget is here to help. A collection of your favorite editors got together toward the end of the show to have a conversation about the big trends and the announcements that excited them most. And, of course, Richard Lawler talked about TVs. Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.
Trump's cybersecurity advisors resign en masse
Another Trump panel has taken a hit after eight out of 28 of its members resigned en masse. Members of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC), which advises Homeland Security on matters of cybersecurity, have dropped out of the panel due to several reasons. In the resignation letter obtained by NextGov, they said the president doesn't give enough attention to the country's cyber vulnerabilities. "You have given insufficient attention to the growing threats to the cybersecurity of the critical systems upon which all Americans depend, including those impacting the systems supporting our democratic election process," the letter reads.
Mercedes-Benz and Vivint want to power your solar home
Tesla has been dominating home energy headlines in recent months, what with the release of its solar roof panels and residential batteries, but Elon Musk's company isn't the only one getting into the home energy game. Mercedez-Benz announced on Thursday that it is teaming with solar-energy company Vivint to develop an all-in-one solar/battery setup of its own.
The Engadget Podcast, Ep 4: All Eyez On Me
Editors Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar join host Terrence O'Brien to talk about Intel's latest CPUs, Dead or Alive's controversial VR feature and Lenovo's "innovative" take on the keyboard. Then the panel takes a look at Chris Brown's standoff and how Instagram videos and Facebook Live fit into our modern media landscape.
The Engadget Podcast, Ep 3: Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
Editors Nathan Ingraham and Devindra Hardawar join host Terrence O'Brien to talk about Android Nougat, PlayStation 4 rumors and why Amazon would create an Echo-exclusive music service. Then the panel addresses the endless harassment faced by Leslie Jones, and use the word "garbage"... a lot.
NC town fears solar farm will 'suck up all the energy from the sun'
The town council of Woodland, North Carolina rejected a rezoning proposal that would have allowed the installation of a new solar farm within its borders. The council had previously approved three other solar farms, which are currently under construction, however wound up voting to reject this proposal after town residents "expressed distrust and fear of the solar panels," according to The Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald.
Kirigami-inspired solar cells can track the sun without motors
Researchers at the University of Michigan announced on Wednesday that they have developed a method of keeping solar cells turned toward the sun without the need for heavy and energy-hungry motors. Their method is based on the Japanese art of Kirigami -- like origami but with cuts in addition to folds. The team's panel is printed on a flexible kapton substrate which has dash-like cuts running across its surface. When stretched, the panel forms a mesh with each section twisting slightly. The degree of twist, which will allow the panel to follow the path of the sun, depends on how much the panel is stretched. "The design takes what a large tracking solar panel does and condenses it into something that is essentially flat," Aaron Lamoureux, lead author on the paper published in Nature Communications, said in a release.
Smart body panels will let you know when someone dents your car
Ever come back to your car to find that someone dinged it while you were away? You might have a better chance at catching the culprit in the future. Germany's Hella is developing a smart body panel that uses a grid of foil-like pressure-sensitive electronic sensors (plus special algorithms) to detect when someone dents or scratches your vehicle. It can even tie into onboard cameras and GPS to both record where the car was and get some video evidence, so you can show that someone else's botched parking job wrecked your ride. Of course, this might also work against you. Insurers could use dent alerts to hike your rates on the fly, and rental agencies could penalize you for damage before you've even returned to the lot.
PAX South 2015: Jennifer Hale will host Guild Wars 2 panel, herald 75% off sale
So you already knew about Guild Wars 2's big event at PAX South this Saturday, the Point of No Return panel, which has players crossing their fingers for an expansion announcement. If you can't go in person, you can watch the whole shebang on Twitch for the low, low price of nothing. And that deal just got even sweeter, as ArenaNet has just declared this morning that gaming icon and voice actress Jennifer Hale, known to GW2 fans as the voice of Queen Jennah and to everyone else as the voice of approximately eight million other characters, will be hosting the livestream. Meanwhile, the studio has vowed to slash the price of the buy-to-play MMO to $9.99 on Saturday and Sunday in honor of the hoopla, marking the biggest sale for the game it's held to date. Characters in-game will be showered with sales on boosters and a free double-experience bonus that lasts all weekend. Massively GW2 expert Anatoli Ingram speculated about the possible expansion and analyzed the final season 2 episode in his most recent columns.
PAX South 2015: Massively's Larry Everett to guest on MMO community panel
For MMO fans headed to Penny Arcade's inaugural PAX South in San Antonio, Texas, this weekend, there's one panel not to miss: Where Did Multiplayer in MMOs Go?. Massively's Larry Everett will guest on the community-oriented panel, which runs from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. local time on Friday in the Bobcat Theater. You can probably figure out the topic from the title, but here's the official blurb: In early MMORPGs, interacting with other community members in places like taverns and main cities were a necessity for advancement and survival. Today, interacting with random players has become a rare event instead of the tools for survival. Is this what we all wanted to happen? Join Alex Albrecht alongside Larry Everett and Patrick Mulhern to discuss the future of communities in MMORPGs. Larry will join Zerg ID Co-Founder Alex Albrecht, Lorehound Editor-in-Chief Patrick Mulhern, YouTube Gaming Strategic Partner Manager Meg Campbell, and Camelot Unchained Community Manager Jenesee Grey for the panel. Massively's big sister Joystiq will also be represented at the show; Joystiq Editor in Chief Ludwig Kietzmann and Community Manager Anthony John Agnello will host the In(s)ane Joystiq Quiz on Saturday evening at 8 p.m. local time in the Falcon Theater.
Guild Wars 2 looks to the future at PAX South
If you're a Guild Wars 2 fan and live in the right region to head to PAX South, you're in for a treat. Director Colin Johanson and ArenaNet president Mike O'Brien will be taking on a panel for the game on January 24th, one ominously titled Beyond the Point of No Return. And what will they be discussing? Waypoints, possibly! Sure, the actual panel description doesn't include any mention of waypoints, but it also doesn't specifically rule out talking about waypoints. Actually, the panel will discuss the framework for the next phase of updates for the game, teasing that "the Living World was just the beginning." There's also the promise of a sneak peek at what comes next, which could mean expansions, new areas, new standalone titles... almost anything. Short version: If you're a fan, you will want to be at that panel next month. [Thanks to Dystopiq for the tip!]
NASA's new telescopes could spot alien life within 20 years
Convinced that there's got to be life on other planets? You're not alone in the universe -- in fact, many NASA scientists agree with you. And a panel convened recently by the space agency (see the video below) believes that finding it could happen soon, too -- perhaps "in twenty years" -- thanks to incoming telescope technology. Recent projects, like the Kepler Telescope, Dark Energy Survey and the Very Large Telescope have detected the presence of planets and even their atmospheres. But astronomers are even more excited about future projects like the Transiting Exoplanet Surveying Satellite (TESS) and James Webb Space Telescope, set to launch in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
Yoshida: Let's analyze why Final Fantasy XIV's 2010 version failed
Final Fantasy XIV's game director, Naoki Yoshida, spoke candidly at his presentation during this year's Game Developer's Conference in March about what went wrong with the popular franchise's newest MMO during its first launch. As FFXIV fans might remember, the initial launch of the game in 2010 was plagued with problems, but a relaunch in 2013 proved successful. How did the team at Square Enix win back fans? How had the MMO landscape changed in those three years? The complete one-hour presentation video is available in both English and Japanese versions through the GDC Vault, or you can watch a translated version at Gamasutra.
Join Joystiq at GaymerX2 this weekend
What are you doing this weekend? If you have some spare time and live around San Francisco, you're invited to hang out with Joystiq Editor-in-chief Ludwig Kietzmann and Managing Editor Susan Arendt at GaymerX2! Our dashing managerial duo is hosting and speaking on a panel called "Yes, and? An improvised approach to inclusion," which introduces a classic improv technique as a way to better communicate about difficult subjects within our existing social structures. As comedy writer and actress Tina Fey breaks down in Bossypants, saying "yes, and" is a trick to make sure an improv scene doesn't fall flat. First, you have to accept the given situation – say "yes" – and second, you have to add to it, or the conversation stalls out. For our purposes, if someone says an aspect of a game or story makes them uncomfortable, we don't need to debate that feeling – we can say yes, and then add our own perspectives to the conversation. GaymerX2 takes over the InterContinental Hotel in San Francisco from July 11 - 13 – this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. GaymerX2 has a host of guests and panels lined up, including appearances by WWE star Darren Young, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and BioWare writer David Gaider (who'll be joining Ludwig and Susan). This is the final installment of the GaymerX conference series, but as President Toni Rocca told us earlier this year, GaymerX isn't dead. [Image: GaymerX]
PAX East 2014: The future looks bright for the next generation of MMOs
While last weekend saw a surprising lack of noteworthy announcements at PAX East 2014, one panel gathered several industry veterans to answer a not-so-simple question: How does the future look for the MMO industry as a whole? The panel, titled Next Generation MMO Games: What's Next for Multiplayer Trends?, featured Ian Fisher (Director of Design, Robot Entertainment), Stephen Frost (Game Design Producer, Carbine), Dave Georgeson (Director of Development, SOE), Kjartan Pierre Emilsson (Principal Game Designer, CCP), and Stephen Johnston (President, Guild Launch) in a roundtable discussion about where MMOs have been and where they're headed. While panelists agreed that there is a huge barrier to entry when funding, developing, and launching a new MMO, their outlook was positive overall, and in general they believe there is still plenty of room for growth in the industry.
PAX East 2014: WildStar's panel is all about the endgame
So what happens when when you reach the end of WildStar? You've got a while to think about it, obviously, the game isn't even out just yet. But it's an obvious concern. People are going to hit the level cap, and what are they going to be doing then? Staring at the walls, singing songs, perhaps clawing desperately at the metaphorical walls in the hopes of getting the next major patch somewhat sooner? According to the WildStar panel at PAX East, the development team is hoping to launch with a fairly robust endgame no matter what you're hoping to do. The panel went through pretty much every part of the game, from items to PvP to solo story questing, all of which is intended to work together to create an environment wherein you don't run out of things to do and don't find yourself forced out of what you find fun. How well it will work remains to be seen, but there's certainly a lot on the table to start with.
