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University of Michigan will open fake city to test self-driving cars this fall

Posted on June 6, 2014 by StevenTorresRamos

The University of Michigan will open the doors to its unique Mobility Transformation Facility this fall to test automated and wirelessly connected vehicles. The 32-acre research center will give researchers at the school access to roadways, a four-lane highway, city streets with road signs and street lights, roundabouts and all manner of road surfaces. For a dash of fun, pop-up pedestrians and mechanized bikes add a bit of motion to the mix to simulate any of a million worst-case scenarios. Street lights, for example, could be programmed to turn completely off and bicycles could unexpectedly roll out from between parked cars.

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Apple’s new Lightning spec allows for smarter, better-sounding headphones

Posted on June 4, 2014 by StevenTorresRamos

When Apple first unveiled its Lightning connector, there was a debate about whether or not it was needed at all: what can this proprietary tech do that standard micro-USB can’t? Well, it looks like we’re going to find out soon. Sources for 9to5 Mac understand that Apple has published a new specification that lets headphone makers use an iOS device’s Lightning port for audio instead of the normal 3.5mm jack. On a basic level, this allows headsets to launch apps and carry more than just the usual playback controls. However, there’s reportedly an advanced spec that permits a lot more — headphones could include digital-to-analog converters and other processing that overrides what’s in the device. If you’re not happy with the fidelity of the built-in hardware, a new pair of cans could provide an upgrade.Since Lightning can also supply power in both directions, either new spec could eliminate a number of electricity-related problems. External audio processing wouldn’t always need a separate energy source; you could do active noise cancellation that draws only on the host device for power. You could alternately charge an Apple gadget through batteries that are built into the headphones or attached with a pass-through cable.Whether or not manufacturers take up the spec is another matter. To support Lightning without abandoning listeners on other platforms, companies would have to either bundle extra cabling or else sell multiple versions of the same gear. Those feats are easy for higher-end brands, but may be tougher for newer or more budget-conscious outfits. Even if others are skittish, though, the tech could come in handy now that Apple owns Beats — future official headphones could both sound better and integrate well with your iPhone.

via Apple’s new Lightning spec allows for smarter, better-sounding headphones.

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The Science of Migraines

Posted on June 4, 2014 by StevenTorresRamos

Migraines are one of four types of primary headaches, and they come in two forms, those with an aura and those without. The other three primary headaches are tension headaches, cluster headaches and, the catch-all type known as, other primary headaches. These include things like exercise induced or cough induced headaches.No one knows for sure the exact mechanisms that cause migraines, but we do know it’s a neurobiological disorder, which I’ll get to in a minute..To begin with, let’s look at headaches in general. Headaches come in two forms, primary and secondary. A primary headache is one where the headache is the problem, and as such, is the cause of your symptoms. A secondary headache is one where the headache is the result of something else, like a stroke or a hangover.

via The Science of Migraines.

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Sorry, But Your iPhone 4 Just Became Obsolete

Posted on June 3, 2014 by StevenTorresRamos

At Monday’s WWDC keynote, Apple announced a flurry of fun new features. With OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, your Mac and iPhone are closer than ever, opening the door to the Future of Computing. Too bad iPhone 4 users won’t get to enjoy any of it—and neither will anyone with an even older phone.

The oldest phone that will run iOS 8, when it’s released to the general public this fall, is the iPhone 4S. And based on how poorly iOS 7 performed on older iPhones, you can expect some lag running iOS 8 on a 4S. Regardless, it won’t work on an iPhone 4 at all. Of course, if you’re running iOS 7 on a 4, you were already way behind. And after all, this is how tech works. Welcome to the upgrade StairMaster. So RIP iPhone 4.

via Sorry, But Your iPhone 4 Just Became Obsolete.

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Microsoft demos breakthrough in real-time translated conversations – The Official Microsoft Blog

Posted on June 3, 2014 by StevenTorresRamos

Imagine in the very near future technology allowing humans to bridge geographic and language boundaries to connect mind to mind and heart to heart in ways never before possible.For more than a decade, Skype has brought people together to make progress on what matters to them. Today, we have more than 300 million connected users each month, and more than 2 billion minutes of conversation a day as Skype breaks down communications barriers by delivering voice and video across a number of devices, from PCs and tablets, to smartphones and TVs. But language barriers have been a blocker to productivity and human connection; Skype Translator helps us overcome this barrier.

Click here to see video of demo, really interesting and kind of cool…

via Microsoft demos breakthrough in real-time translated conversations – The Official Microsoft Blog – Site Home – TechNet Blogs.

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This image of a dice rolling in space over the Earth is not a photoshop

Posted on June 3, 2014 by StevenTorresRamos

There’s a new American astronaut in space. His name is Reid Wiseman—a guy who was a naval aviator and a test pilot before joining NASA as an astronaut in 2011. He seems like a pretty cool guy too. He just arrived to the International Space Station and he’s already taking some pretty neat photos, like the dice above.

via This image of a dice rolling in space over the Earth is not a photoshop.

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Teens React To ’90s Internet

Posted on June 2, 2014 by StevenTorresRamos

Teens React To ’90s Internet.

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How Obama’s Power Plant Regulations Will Transform Our Electric Grid

Posted on June 2, 2014 by StevenTorresRamos

President Obama and the EPA have just taken their biggest and boldest step ever to fight climate change. The Clean Power Plan, unveiled by the EPA today, is far more important than the Keystone XL pipeline—if also far less sexy to slap on a poster. But these carbon-cutting regulations have the potential to transform energy in the U.S. and spur clean energy.

The gist of the Clean Power Plan can be summed up in a single sentence: cut carbon emission from U.S. power plants by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. The draft proposal squarely takes aim at the country’s 600 or so coal-fired plants, which are the dirtiest way we generate power. To put it into perspective, coal-fired plants are responsible for 38 percent of all carbon emissions in the U.S., which amounts to 1.45 billion metric tons, or more than the total carbon emissions of Central and South America.

Moving away from coal, which generates over one-third of our energy, means potentially huge changes to our electricity infrastructure. But these changes are not meant to be drastic or draconian though the energy industry will certainly argue otherwise. The EPA’s draft proposal is by design flexible, allowing individual states to choose from a menu of options. The EPA doesn’t want coal-fired plants to shut down right away, as rolling blackouts would only mean backlash.

via How Obama’s Power Plant Regulations Will Transform Our Electric Grid.

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WATCH: Kids React to Old Computers

Posted on May 27, 2014 by StevenTorresRamos

The Fine Brothers’ YouTube series called “Kids React” almost never fails to amuse, but a new installment was published on Sunday that is particularly hilarious. Titled “Kids React to Old Computers,” a group of young children are shown an old Apple II computer, one at a time. Then, they react.

The narrator explains various things about the old Apple II, which first debuted in 1977, and then asks the kids to perform certain tasks. None of them can even turn it on, of course, and things only get worse when they can’t find any apps, games or websites.

“I don’t get it,” one child says after being shown a basic command. “And I also don’t get the 1970s.”

We won’t spoil too much, but one of the best lines in the video comes after the kids play an old shooting game, which every single one of them pans except for one young girl who exclaims, “At least it’s better than Flappy Bird!”

The full video is embedded below. Seriously… watch it right now.

via WATCH: Kids React to Old Computers.