Japan to Offer Subsidy on Fuel Cell Cars to Promote the Technology

Japan to Offer Subsidy on Fuel Cell Cars to Promote the Technology:

Reuters

Japan will offer at least 2 million yen ($19,700) in subsidies for fuel-cell vehicles, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said according to media, as the government and Japanese carmakers including Toyota Motor Corp join forces to speed up the introduction the vehicles.

The subsidy would mean that consumers would pay about 5 million yen for Toyota's fuel-cell sedan, which is set to go on sale by the end of March 2015 and priced at about 7 million yen.

Abe, who visited a hydrogen station and test-drove fuel-cell cars on Friday, vowed to back the technology through subsidies and the purchase of the cars by government agencies.

"This is the car of a new era because it doesn't emit any carbon dioxide and it's environmentally friendly," Abe told reporters. "The government needs to support this."

Abe's growth strategy promotes the use of hydrogen energy and fuel-cell cars, which use hydrogen as fuel and run on electricity from cells that combine hydrogen with oxygen and emit only water vapour and heat, though some carbon dioxide is emitted when hydrogen is produced from hydrocarbons.

Honda Motor Co is also set to start selling its fuel-cell vehicle in 2015.

Both the government and many industry experts reckon the technology could take decades to become widely used partly because of the costs of building up infrastructure of hydrogen fuel stations.

Read More

NASA says lunar caves could provide living spaces for future astronauts

NASA says lunar caves could provide living spaces for future astronauts

Timothy J. Seppala

Engadget 

It turns out that the Moon could be habitable. Sort of. NASA writes that some of the holes in our moon's surface might actually be caves where future astronauts could hole up and guard themselves from radiation, micrometeorites and massive temperature changes when day turns to night, aiding future exploration. The aeronautics outfit says that these caves could be the result of a few different actions, including sub-surface lava draining away from an area and vibrations causing the roofs of resultant voids to collapse. The only way to know for sure, though, is to physically check them out -- there's only so much that photos from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter can tell us. Who knows, maybe once astronauts start delving below the lunar surface they'll find a wizard or two.

Read More

New Wearable Robot Could Help Perform Household Tasks

NDTV

Researchers at MIT have developed a wrist-mounted robot that enhances the grasping motion of the human hand.

The robot works essentially like two extra fingers adjacent to the pinky and thumb. A novel control algorithm enables it to move in sync with the wearer's fingers to grasp objects of various shapes and sizes.

Wearing the robot, a user could use one hand to, for instance, hold the base of a bottle while twisting off its cap.

"This is a completely intuitive and natural way to move your robotic fingers. You do not need to command the robot, but simply move your fingers naturally. Then the robotic fingers react and assist your fingers," said Harry Asada, the Ford Professor of Engineering in Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Asada hopes that the two-fingered robot may assist people with limited dexterity in performing routine household tasks, such as opening jars and lifting heavy objects.

The robot, which the researchers have dubbed "supernumerary robotic fingers," consists of actuators linked together to exert forces as strong as those of human fingers during a grasping motion.

To develop an algorithm to coordinate the robotic fingers with a human hand, the researchers first looked to the physiology of hand gestures, learning that a hand's five fingers are highly coordinated.

While a hand may reach out and grab an orange in a different way than, say, a mug, just two general patterns of motion are used to grasp objects: bringing the fingers together, and twisting them inwards. A grasp of any object can be explained through a combination of these two patterns.

The researchers hypothesised that a similar "biomechanical synergy" may exist not only among the five human fingers, but also among seven.

To test the hypothesis, graduate student Faye Wu wore a glove outfitted with multiple position-recording sensors, and attached to her wrist via a light brace. She then scavenged the lab for common objects, such as a box of cookies, a soda bottle, and a football.

Wu grasped each object with her hand, then manually positioned the robotic fingers to support the object.

She recorded both hand and robotic joint angles multiple times with various objects, then analysed the data, and found that every grasp could be explained by a combination of two or three general patterns among all seven fingers.

The researchers used this information to develop a control algorithm to correlate the postures of the two robotic fingers with those of the five human fingers.

"This is a prototype, but we can shrink it down to one-third its size, and make it foldable," Asada said.

"We could make this into a watch or a bracelet where the fingers pop up, and when the job is done, they come back into the watch. Wearable robots are a way to bring the robot closer to our daily life," Asada said.

Read More

Apple should do more to tackle in-app purchases problem: EU

Apple should do more to tackle in-app purchases problem: EU

By Julia Fioretti

Reuters

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Apple has provided no concrete and immediate solutions to tackle the problem of adults and children racking up credit card bills by making "in-app" purchases on tablets and mobile phones, the European Commission said on Friday.

Following concerns raised by consumer groups in a number of European countries, the EU executive called in industry members, policymakers and consumer protection authorities to discuss clearer guidelines in February.

Since then, Google, which owns the Android operating system for smartphones, has proposed a number of measures that are being implemented. These include banning the word "free" when games contain in-app purchases and changing the default settings so that payments have to be actively authorized before every purchase.

But the Commission regretted that Apple, maker of iPhone, had not made any firm commitments on tackling the issue of payment approvals.

"No concrete and immediate solutions have been made by Apple to date to address the concerns linked in particular to payment authorization," the Commission, the EU executive, said in a statement.
Many of those playing the games are children or teenagers, who can often make the in-app purchases without parental approval. It is then up to the parents to foot the bill.

Industry members, including Apple, could face legal action from national authorities if they are deemed to be breaking EU consumer protection law.

Apple said it would address the concerns brought up by the Commission, although it gave no time frame for when it might make the changes, the EU executive said.
"Over the last year we made sure any app which enables customers to make in-app purchases is clearly marked," said an Apple spokesman. "We will continue to work with the EC member states to respond to their concerns."

BOOMING APP INDUSTRY

The app industry in Europe is huge and growing. It employs more than 1 million people and has annual revenue of around 10 billion euros ($13.53 billion), of which about 80 percent comes from in-app purchases, according to the Commission.

National authorities will continue to engage with Apple to ensure that it addresses the concerns they brought up in December last year.

While the company has not met their demands on payment consent, it has introduced clearer labeling on its iTunes store when apps marketed as free also offer in-app purchases. It has also proposed creating a specific email address through which enforcement authorities can contact it about possible breaches of EU law and discuss the problem with the app developers.

The Commission estimates that over half of the EU online games market is advertised as "free" despite carrying hidden costs.

"In-app purchases are a legitimate business model, but it's essential for app-makers to understand and respect EU law while they develop these new business models," said Neelie Kroes, the EU's telecoms commissioner.

In one case in Britain, an 8-year-old girl managed to run up a bill of 4,000 pounds ($6,700) making "in-app" purchases from games such as My Horse and Smurfs' Village. In that instance, Apple reimbursed the girl's father.

In-app purchases can be disabled on most mobile devices.
($1 = 0.7391 Euros)

Read More

Kindle Unlimited Is Here: Read As Much As You Like For $10 a Month

Kindle Unlimited Is Here: Read As Much As You Like For $10 a Month

Jamie Condliffe

Gizmodo 

Following rumors earlier this week, Amazon has just announced its new Kindle Unlimited subscription service. Pay $10 a month, and you can read as much as you want (from a pool of 600,000 books, at least).

The service isn't just limited to e-books, either: you can also take your pick from over 8,000 of audio books, too. But while it all sounds too good to be true that's because... well, may be. Many of the major publishers—Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Macmillan, and Hachette included—aren't fully represented, so your choices aren't perhaps as wide as you'd hope.

You will find popular titles like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and the Hunger Games—as you will if you're a Prime member using the Lending Library. A first inspection suggests that the catalog of books is larger than the Lending Library, though.
Like Prime, Amazon is offering a free 30-day trial to tempt you, and also throwing in a three-month subscription to Audible, too. Worth trying, then, even if you don't continue to use it. Go check it out.

Read More

Japan's Line Messaging App Firm Files for US IPO:

Japan's Line Messaging App Firm Files for US IPO:

Reuters

Line Corp, a Japan-based social messaging service firm, has filed for an initial public offering in the United States, Bloomberg news report on Friday, citing unidentified sources.

Line's parent company, South Korea's Naver Corp, said on Wednesday that Line had filed for an initial public offering in Tokyo.

Banking sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Wednesday that the listing will ultimately be either a dual U.S.-Japan listing or a listing only in the United States.

One of the banking sources told Reuters on Tuesday that Line the IPO would value the company between JPY 1 trillion and JPY 2 trillion ($10 billion-$20 billion).

Morgan Stanley is managing the U.S. share sale, Bloomberg said, noting that companies with less than $1 billion in revenue can submit their filings privately under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act. It was not clear which U.S. exchange it would list on.

Both Line and Naver declined to comment on the report.

The Line messaging app has been downloaded 480 million times, with growth of 140 percent over the last year, making it one of the world's most popular messaging services, albeit with comparatively low exposure in the United States

Line's app posted JPY 14.6 billion ($145 million) in revenue in January-March - a more than threefold increase on the year. The app's full-year sales hit 34.3 billion yen last year, becoming the highest-grossing non-game app of 2013, according to analytics firm App Annie. 

© Thomson Reuters 2014

Read More

Google Previews A ‘Material Design’ Inspired Look For Chrome OS

Google Previews A ‘Material Design’ Inspired Look For Chrome OS

Darrell Etherington

TechCrunch 

All of Google’s properties will eventually bear a look inspired by ‘Material Design‘ and Android L, and Chrome OS is part of that sweeping visual overhaul, too. A new preview posted by Google “Happiness Evangelist” François Beaufort today (via 9to5Google) shows a very early design inspired by the card-style multitasking view that made an appearance in Android L, the new Material Design-based update for Google’s mobile OS.

The new look, which clearly lacks polish and yet bears some hallmark resemblance to Google’s other Material Design reimaginings, is actually available already on the prerelease Chromium OS builds, and those keen on getting an early look and not afraid to get their hands a little dirty can follow along with fresh updates to the new look as they happen.

What’s interesting about this new look is that it resembles not only Google’s other efforts around Material Design, but also Apple’s use of Time Machine and Microsoft’s stacked multitasking view introduced in Windows 7. The Cards metaphor is not new by any means, of course, but its use across Google properties looks to be a certainty, although this is a test only and things can definitely change before we see any major alterations committed to the final release of Chrome OS.

Read More

This Tiny, Inexpensive Microchip Can Diagnose Diabetes Instantaneously

This Tiny, Inexpensive Microchip Can Diagnose Diabetes Instantaneously
Eric Rydin
Gizmodo 

 

Stanford researchers recently published work on a small microchip they've developed that scans for diabetes in a fraction of the time of current tests. Additionally, their test is reusable for upwards of 15 patients, can be performed on site, and is more accurate in differentiating the biomarkers that distinguish type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In other words, it's a major milestone in diabetes research.

The chip itself only costs about $20 and is roughly the size of a glass slide. Its foundation lies on "an array of nanoparticle-sized islands of gold, which intensify the fluorescent signal, enabling reliable antibody detection." Auto-antibodies, which are responsible for attacking the healthy tissues that produce insulin, are found in type 1 diabetes but not in type 2. With a highly sensitive fluorescent detector, these antibodies are much more apparent and easier to recognize.

Patients are often misdiagnosed when it comes to diabetes, especially when currently there is no standardized testing method but rather a flurry of tests that can produce varying and sometimes contradictory results. Patients can also use the new microchip to track their auto-antibody levels before symptoms even begin, thus eradicating late-onset diabetes.

A test with immediate results is not only desirable to those at risk of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but also for developing nations whose labs and screening centers are underfunded and ill-equipped for diagnosis. Stanford's development team has applied for a patent and is currently seeking approval from the FDA. They hope to debut the technology soon.

Read More

Google Mulls Transforming NYC Pay Phones Into Wi-Fi Hot Spots

Google Mulls Transforming NYC Pay Phones Into Wi-Fi Hot Spots

Henry Goldman and Brian Womack 
Bloomberg

July 18 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc. is among several technology companies considering a plan that uses pay-phone locations to give New Yorkers free wireless Internet access.

The Mountain View, California-based company was among more than 50 attendees at an informational meeting in May for the project, according to a city document. Bids for the proposal are due July 21.

The No. 1 search provider is stepping up efforts to provide digital access in the U.S. and around the world as it seeks to get more consumers on the Internet, benefiting its own user and ad services. The company, which is working toward rolling out broadband services in several U.S. cities, already provides wireless access in Mountain View and New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, where it has an office.

Kelly Mason, a spokeswoman for Google, declined to comment. Other companies that attended the presentation were Cisco Systems Inc., International Business Machines Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co.

The project calls for new designs to replace pay phones, providing “advertising, Wi-Fi and phone services” in all five boroughs. While the companies can charge for phone service, except for 911 and 311 calls, they can’t charge a fee for Internet access, a document said.

There are more than 7,300 pay phones in the city.

“The widespread adoption of mobile devices reduces the overall need for public telephones, yet not everyone owns a mobile phone, and not everyone who owns one has connectivity at all times,” a document on the city’s website said regarding the project. The Wi-Fi hot spots will need to work together, enabling users to log in once and stay connected.

The project began in 2012 under then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg and is set to be expanded by Mayor Bill de Blasio. The former mayor is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP.

Read More

UK firm touts one-man flying machine for police and military

UK firm touts one-man flying machine for police and military

By Jack Stubbs

Reuters 

FARNBOROUGH, England (Reuters) — Once the preserve of science fiction, a one-man flying machine is now a viable, cost-effective option for the police and military, according to UK manufacturer Parajet International.

Paramotors — which require pilots to use a parachute-shaped glider and a motor-driven propeller strapped to their back — have been popular among amateur flying enthusiasts and extreme-sport fanatics for several years.

But Parajet, which began making paramotors over 10 years ago, says they are becoming increasingly popular as a cheaper alternative to light aircraft for police and military, particularly in developing countries.
"In the Middle East and South America they're using them for a multitude of different things," managing director Tom Prideaux-Brune told Reuters at the Farnborough Airshow.
"Border patrol, search and rescue, aerial reconnaissance, medical supply, anti-poaching operations — all sorts of different things."

Prideaux-Brune said there was also interest from forces in India and Pakistan, and that paramotors had been successfully used by police in the United States to track down cannabis farms, stolen vehicles and illegal dog-fighting rings.

"The reason that was really successful was because they had a very minimal budget ... things like helicopters, they cost a lot of money to run," he said.

"One person was able to take off and fly over a vast area of woodland for two hours. They located the cannabis farms and then simply called in the troops. Instead of 30-40 guys on the ground sweeping an entire forest, it required just three. It's really very efficient."

Parajet currently makes and sells around 300 paramotors a year. Each "system" — which includes a glider, motor-driven propeller harness, helmet and safety equipment — is built using aircraft-grade aluminium and costs about 9,000 pounds ($15,400).

Although the technology is not new, Parajet says it is the first company to produce paramotors to a military specification and is targeting developing countries trying to make the most of more modest defense and law-enforcement budgets.

"We're not saying, ‘Hey listen, a paramotor can do the job of a helicopter.’ What we’re saying is that at certain times a paramotor can be used as an appropriate, cheaper alternative," said Prideaux-Brune. "Don't send a dumper truck to do a wheelbarrow's job."

Paramotors, which can be packed down into a compact kit for storage in the back of a vehicle, can launch very quickly with minimal space. They are capable of flying slowly at low altitudes and are currently used by mountain search and rescue teams to access remote locations.

Police are also looking to use them in built-up, urban areas as a cheaper alternative to drones, said Prideaux-Brune.

"Something like the London Olympics, it would have been very easy to have guys flying very high up, observing for danger," he said.

But the British public are unlikely to see airborne policemen flying overhead any time soon, as paramotors are best suited to countries with settled, mainly dry weather.

"Sadly, flying in heavy rain is not advisable," said Prideaux-Brune. "Eventually the canvas will become very heavy and wet, and that’s not so good."

Read More

Apple Should Do More to Tackle In-App Purchases Problem: EU

Reuter

Apple has provided no concrete and immediate solutions to tackle the problem of adults and children racking up credit card bills by making "in-app" purchases on tablets and mobile phones, the European Commission said on Friday.

Following concerns raised by consumer groups in a number of European countries, the EU executive called in industry members, policymakers and consumer protection authorities to discuss clearer guidelines in February.

Since then, Google, which owns the Android operating system for smartphones, has proposed a number of measures that are being implemented. These include banning the word "free" when games contain in-app purchases and changing the default settings so that payments have to be actively authorised before every purchase.

But the Commission regretted that Apple, maker of iPhone, had not made any firm commitments on tackling the issue of payment approvals.

"No concrete and immediate solutions have been made by Apple to date to address the concerns linked in particular to payment authorisation," the Commission, the EU executive, said in a statement.

Many of those playing the games are children or teenagers, who can often make the in-app purchases without parental approval. It is then up to the parents to foot the bill.

Industry members, including Apple, could face legal action from national authorities if they are deemed to be breaking EU consumer protection law.

Apple said it would address the concerns brought up by the Commission, although it gave no time frame for when it might make the changes, the EU executive said.

"Over the last year we made sure any app which enables customers to make in-app purchases is clearly marked," said an Apple spokesman. "We will continue to work with the EC member states to respond to their concerns."

Booming app industry

The app industry in Europe is huge and growing. It employs more than 1 million people and has annual revenue of around 10 billion euros ($13.53 billion), of which about 80 percent comes from in-app purchases, according to the Commission.

National authorities will continue to engage with Apple to ensure that it addresses the concerns they brought up in December last year.

While the company has not met their demands on payment consent, it has introduced clearer labelling on its iTunes store when apps marketed as free also offer in-app purchases. It has also proposed creating a specific email address through which enforcement authorities can contact it about possible breaches of EU law and discuss the problem with the app developers.

The Commission estimates that over half of the EU online games market is advertised as "free" despite carrying hidden costs.

"In-app purchases are a legitimate business model, but it's essential for app-makers to understand and respect EU law while they develop these new business models," said Neelie Kroes, the EU's telecoms commissioner.

In one case in Britain, an 8-year-old girl managed to run up a bill of 4,000 pounds ($6,700) making "in-app" purchases from games such as My Horse and Smurfs' Village. In that instance, Apple reimbursed the girl's father.

In-app purchases can be disabled on most mobile devices.

© Thomson Reuters 2014

Read More

Marvel unveils black Captain America

Marvel unveils black Captain America

Associated Press 

LOS ANGELES — The new Captain America will be an African American.
Marvel Comics' chief creative officer Joe Quesada says superhero Sam "The Falcon" Wilson will take over as the patriotic Avenger in an upcoming installment of the long-running comic book series.

He made the announcement Wednesday during an appearance on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report."
Wilson first appeared as winged superhero Falcon in 1969 and was one of comics' first African-American superheroes.

The change will come this November in "All-New Captain America" No. 1.

The character was recently portrayed by actor Anthony Mackie in the film "Captain America: The Winter Soldier."

Marvel executive editor Tom Brevoort says former Captain America Steve Rogers will be a mentor and strategic adviser to Wilson as he takes on the new role.

Read More