Uber is to invest in its own set of maps rather than relying on Google. It’s not just a cost issue: the company says a new approach will be needed for autonomous vehicles. While Google does charge for commercial use of its maps, Uber’s move isn’t necessarily a case of cost-cutting. It’s said to be […]
Microsoft has announced Oculus Rift support for Minecraft. It’s for the Windows 10 version of the game, though whether suspension of disbelief will be possible remains to be seen. The announcement appears to be timed as a last-minute push for the free upgrade offer for Windows 10 that Microsoft says will end today (July 29.) […]
The operators of the Fukushima power plant have warned Pokemon Go players to stay clear of nuclear stations despite game characters being (virtually) located there. The call comes from the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which says it tested the game at three of its power stations and found characters. The stations include Fukushima Daiichi, […]
The ALS Association says the money raised by the ‘ice bucket challenge’ craze has helped researchers identify a gene that contributes to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. That could provide a new route for providing therapy for the incurable disease. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. […]
MIT researchers have designed a movie theater screen that would allow every viewer to watch in 3D without needing glasses. However, they stress their prototype is not market ready right now. While glasses-free 3D already exists, it isn’t practical for movie theaters. The main version used on TVs involves tiny “parallax barriers” across the screen […]
One of the key elements of US copyright law in the digital age may be challenged in the Supreme Court. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) claims the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) breaches the first amendment. The DMCA, introduced in 1998, includes a controversial measure that reads “No person shall circumvent a technological measure that […]
Mozilla has become the latest browser maker to start phasing out support for Flash. It will start blocking some elements next month before a total block next year. The developer says it has already tweaked Firefox to reduce the reliance on plugins for features such as video streaming and microphone access. But it says its […]
Researchers have unintentionally created an alloy that’s four times harder than pure titanium. It could be an unexpected solution to knee and hip implants wearing out. The alloy is beta-Ti3Au, a combination of titanium and gold. A team lead by Professor Emilia Morosan of the Rice University in Houston originally created it as an experiment […]
The last VHS recorder may be produced in the next few days. It comes only a few months after Betamax finally bit the dust. The Nikkei newspaper reports that Funai Electric Company will cease production this month. While the report states that Funai was the only Japanese company making VCRs, it appears it may also […]
Netflix appears to have driven away customers with its latest price hike. However, it’s still growing overall. The company’s figures for the second quarter show it increased its US subscriber base by 160,000 and its worldwide number by 1.5 million. The problem is that it had forecast figures of 500,000 and 2 million respectively. It’s […]