Google shows more love for robots with Savioke investment

Saturday, April 12, 2014 in

Google has invested in robotics company Savioke, which plans to produce a robot that could work in places such as nursing homes and hospitals.

The search engine’s funding arm, Google Ventures, invested an undisclosed sum that’s part of a $2 million seed financing package led by Morado Venture Partners, with AME Cloud Ventures and individuals also pitching in.

Established in 2013, California-based Savioke is led by CEO Steve Cousins, who was in charge of the creation of the PR2 robot and the popular Robot Operating System (ROS) while president and CEO of Willow Garage, an influential robotics firm that spun off eight robotics companies.

Savioke did not give details about its plans to develop a service robot, but said the machine would use the open-source ROS and customer trials would begin later this year.

Its website describes its aspiration to bring robotics to “hotels, elder care facilities, hospitals, restaurants...anywhere people sleep or eat.”

“We see tremendous opportunity by delivering a robot for the services industry,” Cousins wrote in an email. “In the coming months, the information and feedback we receive from our trials will help us determine our first point of entry.”

Google did not immediately respond to a request for information about the investment.

With former Android chief Andy Rubin leading its interest in robotics, the search engine has been on a shopping spree for robot companies lately.

It has acquired such firms as Japan-based Schaft, which developed a full-size bipedal humanoid robot that won the prestigious DARPA Robotics Challenge trials in December 2013. The challenge is sponsored by the U.S. military’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, an arm of the Department of Defense.

The jewel in Google’s robot crown, however, is Boston Dynamics, a military contractor known for creating both humanoid machines such as the Terminator-like Atlas, and robots inspired by animals, such as BigDog, a cargo-carrying machine funded by DARPA.

Google CEO Larry Page has speculated that Rubin’s robot project could succeed like Android.

“His last big bet, Android, started off as a crazy idea that ended up putting a supercomputer in hundreds of millions of pockets,” Page wrote in a post in December. ”It is still very early days for this, but I can’t wait to see the progress." 

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Finally MOTO G in Saudi Arabia

Saturday, April 12, 2014 in

Motorola, a Google company, launched its 2014 product portfolio in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on a strong note today by introducing Moto G, an exceptional smartphone for people who want an affordable, no-compromise smartphone.

Moto G delivers a premium smartphone experience for a third of the price of current high-end phones, including:

- A brilliant 4.5-inch HD display – the sharpest in its class – that goes edge-to-edge so you can enjoy movies, photos, video chats and more.

- The newest Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor featuring a quad-core CPU for seamless multitasking and enjoying the web, videos and games, with all-day battery life.

- Android 4.3 Jellybean, the most up to date Android of any phone in its class, with a guaranteed upgrade to Android 4.4 KitKat. No skins to clutter or slow the experience, and great performance with Google’s unbeatable mobile services such as Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, Chrome and Hangouts.

- Stylish design with a comfortable curved back.

- Dual SIM support gives you the option to use the network that makes sense for who and where you’re calling and texting.

- Unique Motorola apps, including Motorola Migrate, which allows you to transfer photos, videos, SIM contacts, call history, texts and more in just three easy steps.

- 50 GB Free storage on Google Drive for two years.

Speaking at the press conference, Marcus Frost, Senior Marketing Director – EMEA, Motorola Mobility, said that the incredibly low price of Moto G will allow an increasing number of consumers to experience the full advantages of mobile Internet, with the power to multi-task and run the latest games and apps smoothly.

“People all around the world want to be a part of the mobile Internet so they can access the world’s information, share, and connect with the things that matter to them. But the smartphone industry has relegated hundreds of millions of smartphone buyers to second-class status, preventing them from experiencing the mobile Internet at its best,” he said.

“We talked to 15,000 consumers all around the world to find out what was most important to them, and used what we learned to create Moto G, an affordable smartphone that doesn’t compromise on quality, style or experiences,” Frost added.

“The response to Moto G in North American and European markets has been phenomenal and we are pleased to bring this advanced smartphone to consumers in Saudi Arabia,” said Jose Froes Jr., Regional Managing Director – MEA, Brightstar. “We are confident that Moto G will appeal to the region’s consumers who demand high-performance, quality and value-for-money handsets.”

“Consumers can also customize their Moto G phones to reflect their own unique style by changing the back of the phone to match their taste. The attractive back covers – called Motorola Shells – are available in a wide variety of colours and styles,” said Ali ElDroubi, GeneralManager – MENA, Brightstar.

In addition, the phone is equipped with Grip Shells to give Moto G added protection all around the edges and the front of the display. Plus, Flip Shells on the Moto G can both protect the display and automatically turn it on when you openthe cover and off when you close it.

In addition to Motorola Shells, you can customize your Moto G with a family of colour-matched accessories to go with your favourite shells, including SOL Republic JAX wired headsets and Tracks Airwireless headphones, wireless speakers from JBL, and a range of Motorola Power Packs for charging on the go.

The Moto G will be distributed by Brightstar Corp., Motorola’s exclusive mobile products distributor in the Middle East. Leveraging Brightstar’s extensive distribution network, the new smartphone is available at all major electronics outlets across Saudi Arabia.

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EP hosts 6th world scientific meet today

Saturday, April 12, 2014 in

Prince Saud bin Naif, governor of the Eastern Province, inaugurates the 6th International Scientific Conference on Wednesday with the participation of 42 international consultants from different countries and 65 Saudi consultants and specialist doctors.
The conference is being organized by the Saudi Cancer Society in collaboration with the Eastern Province General Directorate of Health Affairs.
The two-day conference will be held in the Sheraton Hotel, Dammam on April 9-10, 2014 that aims at raising awareness, exchanging information and best practices. It will discuss cancer, ways to deal with it and treatment developments in this area, highlighting the most prominent medical statistics recorded locally and internationally.
The conference will focus on the major types of cancer in the Gulf region and will include a healthcare management course, scientific program and various important topics such as nurses’ roles in quality cancer care in addition to other scientific sessions.
Different international organizations are participating in the conference including the Cancer Advocacy Leaders’ Alliance for Middle East and Africa Alliance (CALAMEA).

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Google Glass to go on sale for one day

Saturday, April 12, 2014 in

Google Glass will go on sale to the US public on 15 April for a single day, the company has announced.

Users must be 18 years old and are required to fill in an online form in order to be eligible to buy the device.

The eyewear will cost $1,500 (£894) and the BBC understands UK developers may have access as early as May.

The high price will be likely to deter many enthusiasts, who may be forced to wait for price reductions.

The tech giant sold the device to 8,000 individuals in 2013 as part of their Explorer programme. Google will now give more people the opportunity to test the computer, a sign that the company is getting closer to an official release.

The BBC understands that UK developers may have access to the device as early as May or June, making Britain the first country outside the US to gain additional prototypes.


'Limited functionality'
While the £894 asking price seems high, Steven Graves, deputy editor of Stuff.tv, told the BBC this was likely to change: "The thing you have to bear in mind is it is still in development and that people are buying into that development.

"I think it's quite a high price but that doesn't necessarily reflect what the price will be when it is eventually released to consumers. At this stage they just want to get it in a few more hands."

Google Glass will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis after an initial online sign-up process.

Evan Kypreos, editor of TrustedReviews, said: "$1,500 is far too expensive for something that has very limited functionality at the moment.

"Google is targeting just a few early adopters to understand how to further develop Glass and doesn't actually want average Joes using it until it's a much more mature product.

"It's similar to how mobile phones came about," explains Mr Kypreos. "In the 80s, only a handful of people used them. They were bulky, expensive and could only be used to make calls. Thirty years later and most of the population has a smartphone that can do pretty much anything a PC can."

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Heartbleed bug: What you need to know

Saturday, April 12, 2014 in

This week it has emerged that a major security flaw at the heart of the internet may have been exposing users' personal information and passwords to hackers for the past two years.

It is not known how widely the bug has been exploited, if at all, but what is clear is that it is one of the biggest security issues to have faced the internet to date.

Security expert Bruce Schneier described it as "catastrophic". He said: "On the scale of one to 10, this is an 11."

The BBC has attempted to round up everything you need to know about Heartbleed.
The bug exists in a piece of open source software called OpenSSL which is designed to encrypt communications between a user's computer and a web server, a sort of secret handshake at the beginning of a secure conversation.

It was dubbed Heartbleed because it affects an extension to SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) which engineers dubbed Heartbeat.

It is one of the most widely used encryption tools on the internet, believed to be deployed by roughly two-thirds of all websites. If you see a little padlock symbol in your browser then it is likely that you are using SSL.

Half a million sites are thought to have been affected.

In his blog chief technology officer of Co3 Systems Bruce Schneier said: "The Heartbleed bug allows anyone to read the memory of the systems protected by the vulnerable versions of the OpenSSL software. This compromises the secret keys used to identify the service providers and to encrypt the traffic, the name and passwords of the users and the actual content," he said.

"This allows attackers to eavesdrop communications, steal data directly from the services and users and to impersonate services and users," he added.
The bug is so serious it has its own website Heartbleed.com which outlines all aspects of the problem.
Some security experts are saying that it would be prudent to do so although there is a degree of confusion as to when and if this needs to be done.

Many of the large technology firms including Facebook and Google have patched the vulnerability.

Confusingly though Google spokeswoman Dorothy Chou specifically said: "Google users do not need to change their passwords." A source at the firm told the BBC that it patched the vulnerability ahead of the exploit being made public and did not believe that it had been widely used by hackers.

Some point out that there will be plenty of smaller sites that haven't yet dealt with the issue and with these a password reset could do more harm than good, revealing both old and new passwords to any would-be attacker.

But now the bug is widely known even smaller sites will issue patches soon so most people should probably start thinking about resetting their passwords.

"Some time over the next 48 hours would seem like sensible timing," the University of Surrey's computer scientist Prof Alan Woodward told the BBC.

Mikko Hypponen of security firm F-Secure issued similar advice: "Take care of the passwords that are very important to you. Maybe change them now, maybe change them in a week. And if you are worried about your credit cards, check your credit card bills very closely."

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How do I make sure my password is robust?
Rory Cellan-Jones looks at ways to manage strong online passwords
The exploit was not related to weak passwords but now there are calls for a mass reset of existing ones, many are reiterating the need to make sure they are as secure as possible.

People should regularly change their passwords, said Prof Woodward, and they need to make sure that they choose something that does not relate to themselves, such as a pet's name. Words that don't appear in a dictionary are preferable as is a mixture of words and numbers.

For people whose attitude to passwords is to reset them each time they visit a site because they have forgotten them, there is help on hand.

Tools are now widely available that will store and organise all your passwords and PIN codes for computers, apps and networks. They can also generate passwords and can automatically enter your username and password into forms on websites.

Such tools store your passwords in an encrypted file that is accessible only through the use of a master password. Examples of such services include KeePass, LastPass and 1Password.

Some firms are starting to offer alternatives to passwords.

Mobile firms including Apple and Samsung are integrating fingerprint-readers which allow users to access their phone and certain functions on it just by swiping their finger on the screen.

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Which sites are affected?
Padlock and computer
There are half a million believed to be vulnerable so too many to list but there is a glut of new sites offering users the chance to check whether the online haunts they use regularly are affected.

The LastPass website has compiled a list as has new website Mashable. Meanwhile security firm Kaspersky directs people to the Heartbleed test.

While Facebook and Google say that they have patched their services, according to the Kaspersky blog, there is a long list of sites that are still vulnerable, including Flickr, OkCupid and Github.

One of the biggest tech firms remaining on the vulnerable list was Yahoo but, as of last night, it too seemed to have remedied the problem saying it "had made the appropriate corrections across our entire platform".

Many more sites will spend the coming days scrambling to do the same.

Bruce Schneier called on internet companies to issue new certificates and keys for encrypting internet traffic. Doing so would render stolen keys useless, he said.

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What is the worst-case scenario?
Hands on keyboard
Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote

More of a cock-up than a conspiracy”

Prof Alan Woodward
Security expert
The bad news, according to a blog from security firm Kaspersky is that "exploiting Heartbleed leaves no traces so there is no definitive way to tell if the server was hacked and what kind of data was stolen".

Security experts say that they are starting to see evidence that hacker groups are conducting automated scans of the internet in search of web servers using OpenSSL.

And Kaspersky said that it had uncovered evidence that groups believed to be involved in state-sponsored cyber-espionage were running such scans shortly after news of the bug broke.

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Why has the problem only just come to light?
Eye on computer screen
The bug was first spotted by Google Security and a Finnish security firm Codenomicon which said that it was introduced by a programming error.

Because OpenSSL is open source, researchers were able to study the code in detail which is why it was found in the first place.

But such code libraries are immensely complex so it can take some time for those who routinely examine the code to come across such problems.

"It was such an unexpected problem that it wasn't something that researchers would necessarily have been looking for," Prof Woodward told the BBC.

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Is the bug connected to revelations about US and UK government snooping?
Edward Snowden
Edward Snowden leaked details about the US attempting to undermine encryption
There is no direct evidence although lots of speculation that there is a link after details emerged that the National Security Agency (NSA) explored ways to break encryption.

GCHQ simply said it had a "longstanding policy that we do not comment on intelligence matters".

And many seemed to think that the problem was down to bad code rather than anything more sinister.

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Alienware M18x gaming laptop

Friday, March 01, 2013 in Gaming

The Alienware™ M18x is an extreme gaming laptop designed for those who want desktop quality performance but with the flexibility of a laptop — the best of both worlds.
Alienware m18x r2 Laptop
Dual graphics to bring your games to life.
Max out your game settings with dual-GPU graphics card options for a superior mobile gaming experience.
Factory-overclocked processors to power your applications.
Experience the pure processing might of the Alienware™ M18x, and breeze through any game or application with optional 3rd generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor Extreme Edition.
An incredible LCD display is your window into another world.
Other universes await you on the Alienware M18x, which features a stunning 18.4" 1080p Full HD WLED LCD display3.
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alienware m18x r2
Incredible technology enables exceptional experiences.
Alienware M18x is equipped with an outstanding array of enthusiast-class components and the latest in entertainment technology.

The technology you want.
Enjoy the flexibility of up to three hard drives, SSD configurations, caching and RAID options for incredible speed.
The entertainment you crave.
Savor a premium entertainment experience any way you like. Alienware M18x offers HDMI-IN, enabling you to use your laptop to display media from peripherals.
alienware m18x r2
Designed for victory.
The Alienware™ M18x is a carefully engineered gaming machine with the design, customization and connectivity you crave.
Make your game system your own.
The anodized aluminum Alienware M18x offers the color choices and customization options you need to leave your mark. And with a customized laser-etched metal nameplate secured to the bottom of your system, your system is yours and yours alone.
Connect with your gaming world.
Plug in and prepare for battle. With HDMI 1.4 output, HDMI 1.3 input and USB 3.0 ports, you can connect peripherals with ease and have the versatility to accommodate any gaming setup.
Savor streamlined gaming design.
Witness the ultimate in gaming comfort and style. The Alienware M18x is designed with extreme attention to detail, incorporating game-winning features such as TactX Macro keys and rubberized edging to help protect your screen.
Alienware m18x r2 Laptop
Take command of your game domain.
Alienware Command Center software features a powerful suite of customization options to make your Alienware M18x your own. Don’t just play a game. Play YOUR game.

AlienAdrenaline
The new AlienAdrenaline feature enables Game Mode, which lets you assign a unique profile to each game on your system. Disable unnecessary programs and activate your music player when you launch one game, or bring up key web links when you launch another.

AlienFX™
AlienFX System Lighting Technology gives you access to a variety of themes and up to 512 billion distinct lighting combinations4, so you can personalize as much as you like. Complete your immersion by customizing your system with themes that respond to in-game events with unique lighting effects.

AlienFusion
AlienFusion power management controls enable you to configure your settings to maximize performance and efficiency while managing power usage. Crank up the settings for hardcore gaming and resource-intensive tasks, or scale back when you just need to run everyday programs.

AlienTouch™
Customize your touchpad’s sensitivity to prevent accidental contact, and activate virtual scrolling to enable vertical and horizontal scrolling with just a touch.
Complete your Alienware M18x experience

Your Alienware M18x is just the start. When you buy from Dell™, you can get much more than just a gaming laptop. You can customize an experience that’s just right for you.
Alienware M18x R2
Round out your system purchase: At Alienware.com, you’ll find a vast arsenal of Alienware™ TactX accessories designed to enhance your gaming experience. Pack it all up in a specially designed Orion bag and be ready to face all challenges.
alienware m18x r2
Alienware Gaming Services: Get help configuring your system for maximum game performance and resolving compatibility issues. Choose from our menu of no-hassle services so you can get started fast and keep on playing.

alienware m18x r2

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Beatbox Portable

Thursday, February 28, 2013 in Gadgets

The wireless speaker you can take anywhere.
The Beatbox Portable speaker system was designed to unleash the high-powered Beats by Dr. Dre sound no matter where the party goes. There’s pretty much no device, mix or sound it can’t handle.
Features
Incredibly powerful sound.

Despite its compact size, the Beatbox Portable speaker brings soaring highs and deep, booming bass to every room in the house. It’s wireless too, so no cords to worry about.
Change tracks from your phone.

Or your laptop, or any other Bluetooth-enabled device from up to 30 feet away. Beatbox Portable supports SBC, APT-X and AAC Bluetooth, which means you’ll always get much high-quality sound than most other Bluetooth devices.
Totally portable.

If you’ve got an outlet or 6 “D” cell batteries, you’re good to set up anywhere. Just grab it by the handles and go. You can dock and charge an iPod or iPhone on the top, or plug into the back with a 3.5mm jack.
Remote control your beats.

In addition to Bluetooth connectivity, Beatbox Portable also comes with a pocket-sized remote that lets you pause, play or change tracks from across the room.

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