Larry Page just picked up another bird for his flying craft collection , and this plane doesn’t even carry passengers. In fact, it’s not used for transportation at all — the aircraft is tethered to the ground. Google X , the tech giant’s experimental arm, recently acquired the device’s designer, Makani Power. That company is currently in the process of creating a flying wind turbine system. In essence, the Airborne Wind Turbine (AWT) flies at an altitude of 800 to 1,950 feet in order to take advantage of stronger winds. On-board generators create up to 600 kilowatts of electricity collected through dedicated turbines, which is then sent on to a tethered ground station. It’s an interesting idea indeed, and judging by Google’s non-disclosed financial interest, Mountain View sees some serious potential as well. The acquisition, first reported by Bloomberg Businessweek , was but one component of the publication’s in-depth look into Google X. You can read that article in full at the source link below. Filed under: Science , Google Comments Via: The Verge Source: Makani Power , Bloomberg Businessweek
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Google X acquires Makani Power, an airborne wind turbine manufacturer
We’re still a few years away from the self-opening home front door of the Jetsons. But that’s okay — we’re making progress. A few weeks ago we told you about Unikey and Kwikset’s Kevo , a keyless entry system for your own front door. Now the fine folks at Engadget have had a chance to work with the system hands on , and they seem to be impressed. The system uses the iPhone’s Bluetooth LE to connect with the smartlock. Simply walk up to your front door with your phone in your pocket, tap the lock, and turn the knob. Users and security are handled via iPhone and desktop apps that allow you to share keys with family and friends as administrative, normal or scheduled users. Having someone house sit for you? Register their iPhone with the house for the week and never worry about them forgetting to return your key. Having family come into town to visit? No need to worry about having enough house keys to go around. You can even set on-off access in case someone needs to come by, but only once. At the moment the system will only support the iPhone; Android and BlackBerry 10 support is on the way. Kevo is expected to go on sale soon. Head over to Engadget for their complete run down of the system, or check out the video below. Unikey is currently taking emails at their website for people interested in pre-ordering when the lock becomes available. Engadget takes Unikey’s iPhone assisted keyless entry for a spin originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 22 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments 
We’ve come across a number of GPS-based tracking devices over the years but most are rather bulky and difficult to setup. eTrak’s attempting to remedy this here at CTIA 2013 with GPS+, a fob-like product that combines WiFi, cellular and GPS tracking in a small, light and easy-to-use package. The device, which is about the size and weight of a box of licorice-flavored Tic Tacs, features a panic button, multicolor status LED and charging contacts,. It’s meant to be attached to a keyring, and comes with a matching charging base which includes a standard micro-USB connector. Battery life is about 5 days per charge — not too shabby for a product that packs WiFi, cellular and GPS radios. Speaking of which, eTrak’s partnering with Verizon Wireless for CDMA-based network positioning. The company provides a web-based interface which supports geo-fencing with SMS and email notifications, along with iOS and Android-compatible apps. GPS+ will retail for $129 and be available soon (production’s been under way since May 1st). Two plans will be available: $10 per month with a one-year subscription and $15 per month commitment-free. Don’t miss our gallery below and follow the source link for more info. Gallery: eTrak GPS+ tracking device hands-on Filed under: Misc , Wireless , Mobile Comments Source: eTrak 
GM and OnStar were on hand at CTIA to demonstrate a few ideas of what its new service could look like once bolstered with AT&T’s LTE network. The system, which we originally heard about in February at Mobile World Congress, is still in its infancy, but with all the ideas being bounced around during our whirlwind tour it’s apparent that’s changing fast. Without question, big change is what is driving this whole endeavor, specifically adding infotainment to its stalwart safety, security and diagnostics offerings. GM and OnStar envision a curated app ecosystem with downloadable apps, remote car management — including streaming video to remote devices from your car’s onboard cameras — access to U-Verse and even a built in hotspot to share with your passengers. Developers will have access to APIs that can interact with the car to grab info about speed, performance, fuel economy and other interesting metrics but are locked out of anything potentially dangerous. After our brief demo we came away mostly impressed with what we saw, though, we’re still unsure if an in-car app ecosystem is a viable thing. Driver distraction issues aside, there are wealth of devices able to provide all the same services and more often than not they’ll already be in your pockets and in your car. Launch of the 2015 model year cars is still quite a way off but we’ll definitely be tracking the system’s progress as it prepares to hit showrooms later this year. Follow on for a video of the system in action. Gallery: GM and AT&T demo LTE-enabled OnStar connected vehicle (hands-on) Filed under: Cellphones , Transportation , Wireless , AT&T Comments 
One of the more controversial bits of news to come out of yesterday’s Xbox One reveal was the discovery that the newly christened console would not be able to play Xbox 360 games . Backwards compatibility has been a sore subject for some gamers but Microsoft’s Don Mattrick says the company is looking forward, not back. “If you’re backwards compatible,” he told The Wall Street Journal , “you’re really backwards.” While the news was met with some chagrin, it’s not terribly surprising. The Xbox One’s architecture — equipped with a new x86 CPU — prevents it from being able to run games designed for the 360′s eight year old Xenon processor. Additionally, Mattrick claims that players making use of backwards compatibility were a negligible percentage of their consumer base. While Mattrick’s words are sure to stick in more than one craw, they reflect the reality of the market. With Nintendo struggling to juggle Wii games on the Wii U and Sony’s Playstation 4 abandoning current gen PSN games , it looks like backwards compatibility is a thing of the past. Filed under: Gaming , Microsoft Comments Via: The Verge Source: The Wall Street Journal 
With Google Reader fading into the sunset in July more and more users are looking to replace its functionality. Zite for iOS (free) has some solutions that should please many news hounds. The app was originally born out of a desire to replace Google Reader with something that learned your interests and had a more compelling display. In a new release, released today, Zite is trying to go further to embrace what’s good in Google Reader and add some bells and whistles. First, Zite has increased the prominence of sources. Those sources now appear in a topic drawer after you mark an article that you like. Another welcome feature is that articles grey out ofter you read them. One of the best additions is the ability to highlight sources that are obscure. Google Reader always had a bit of a signal to noise problem because the volume of feeds could overwhelm some of the smaller sources. Zite fixes that and will aggressively display more obscure content that you like. Zite has also made setting up the app easier for new users. There are on-screen guides and built-in tips that explains how Zite works and what you can expect. Gallery: Zite update There are some subtle interface changes as well this time around, and some new sponsored sources have been added. I’ve found Zite a frequent and preferred stop for my news browsing on iOS. What I’d really like to see is a Mac app that gets me the same content so I’m covered on my desktop and laptop. I’m told this is under consideration and I hope to see it sooner rather than later. Zite is a universal app and requires iOS 6 or later. Zite update is aimed at Google Reader orphans originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 22 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments 
Instead of waiting until the end of the year for Google’s annual Zeitgeist , you can now find out what’s trending in any given month with a new Top Charts feature from Google Trends. Updated monthly and going back to 2004, Top Charts is built on the Knowledge Graph , so it’s smart enough to house related keywords under one term for more accurate rankings. For example, searches for “giants baseball” and “sf giants” would go toward pushing “San Francisco Giants” up the ranks in a sports-related chart. Right now there are more than 40 top ten lists with more than 140 time periods available for your perusal. In addition to the charts, the Trends team has also rolled out a new visualization tool for “hot searches” that displays trending topics in a large colorful layout — as seen below, you can customize it to display up to 25 searches at a time that endlessly shift and refresh, thus consuming our attention for the entire day. Filed under: Internet , Google Comments Source: Official Google Blog 
OtterBox , a pioneer in smartphone case technology based in Ft. Collins, Colo., today got a little bit larger. The company acquired LifeProof , a company that builds a line of waterproof cases that provide superior protection without adding a lot of bulk or weight to devices. OtterBox will begin incorporating the LifeProof line into its own line of cases over the next month, and it appears that both companies will retain existing employees for the time being. OtterBox has about 650 employees worldwide, while LifeProof has about 250 in its San Diego office. It will be interesting to watch this acquisition unfold. Could this be the start of consolidation of accessory manufacturers in the booming Apple market? We’ll keep an eye out for other rumor or takeover talk. Show full PR text FORT COLLINS, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–OtterBox(R), the global leader in protection for handheld technology, today announced the acquisition of TreeFrog Developments Inc., DBA LifeProof(R). Founded in 2009 and headquartered in San Diego, LifeProof is an award-winning maker of protective cases and complementary accessories for smartphones and tablets. Much like OtterBox, LifeProof is a rapidly growing, multi-million dollar business with a strong global brand, comprehensive product offering, impressive intellectual property and thriving company culture. Over the next 30 days, OtterBox will begin incorporating the LifeProof brand into the OtterBox family. More information about product availability and alignment will be determined at the completion of the integration. “The joining of OtterBox and LifeProof is a way to combine two great brands and provide customers with even more great products, services and choices for smartphone accessories,” OtterBox CEO Brian Thomas said. “Both companies are successful because we foster an environment where everyone takes pride in being part of a culture that knows how to identify opportunities and grow them quickly. Our goal in this acquisition is to create more value for our customers than we ever could have generated while operating individually.” A key driver for the acquisition is about creating customers who are passionate about the OtterBox brand. “Our strategy is to utilize our combined brand momentum, and world-class talent to create a great customer experience that generates OtterBox brand ambassadors for life,” Thomas said. “Our customers and our employees are the ones who have the passion for the brand that allows us to succeed. This passionate spirit motivates us to build better teams, better companies and ultimately, better communities. At the end of the day, that is our goal.” OtterBox employs approximately 650 people worldwide. LifeProof employed approximately 250 people, who are now members of the OtterBox family and will remain in their San Diego location for the foreseeable future. OtterBox has been a family-owned business since 1998. The financial details and terms of the agreement are confidential. About LifeProof: Based in San Diego, LifeProof designs, manufactures and markets cases for smartphones and tablets that deliver protection, style and functionality. LifeProof is built on the idea of giving everyone the complete freedom and confidence to use their mobile devices in any environment. Designed to defend against water, dirt, snow, shock and the hazards of daily life, LifeProof lets consumers use their mobile device every day, everywhere, and for everything, without worry. For more information, visit lifeproof.com. About OtterBox: Founded in 1998, OtterBox creates premium technology accessories for smartphones, tablets and mobile devices. The top mobile device manufacturers, big box retailers and wireless services providers in the world value their partnership with OtterBox to increase device sales and to strengthen their own brand equity. OtterBox works endlessly to create a strong connection with consumers through first-class customer service, commitment to premium product quality and constant voice-of-the-consumer efforts. OtterBox has been a five-time honoree on the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies in the US, recognized in the Top 10 by the Forbes Magazine America’s Most Promising Companies list and is a repeat honoree in the Great Place to Work annual survey published by FORTUNE Magazine. The multi-million dollar company has global headquarters in Fort Collins, Colo. and offices in Boston, San Diego, Cork, Ireland and Hong Kong. OtterBox is the No. 1-selling case for smartphones* and offers an extensive lineup of screen protectors, cases and other accessories that enhance various consumer lifestyles. For more information, visit otterbox.com. We’ve Got Technology Covered. OtterBox acquires LifeProof originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 22 May 2013 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments 
At today’s Thinking Digital conference, the BBC exhibited the first gadget designed through its Perceptive Media Project: the Perceptive Radio, created by Ian Forrester of the corporation’s Future Media division. When the BBC announced the project last summer, the response included some head scratching, mostly due to a lack of clarity about what perceptive media entails. The BBC’s R&D department defines perceptive media as distinct from personalized or pervasive media in that it intelligently adapts to specific audiences and surroundings. The Perceptive Radio accomplishes this through the use of light, sound and proximity sensors that adjust what the radio plays according to environmental factors like time, location and the listener’s distance from the device. At the moment, the list of tricks ready to demo on the Perceptive Radio is short, but the BBC plans to open-source the design soon, allowing tinkerers to fiddle with it to their hearts’ content. Filed under: Portable Audio/Video , Science Comments Via: The Next Web 
