Drones will soon detect unexploded bombs in Laos

Drones will soon detect unexploded bombs in Laos

Drones are more than just flying robots designed for commercial deliveries and buying Crocs. Despite some lingering suspicion from consumers, unmanned aircrafts have been deployed for social good too. They can aid rescue missions, navigate tough regions and even put out fires. Now, Austin-based ArchAerial's new drone mission could potentially save lives in war-torn regions that are prone to accidents and fatalities from unexploded bombs.
An aerial imaging firm, ArchAerial, already employs multi-rotor aircrafts for agricultural mapping, academic research and archeological surveys. Over the weekend at SXSW, Ryan Baker, the company's CEO, announced that his firm plans to deploy a prototype that will map minefields and locate unexploded bombs in areas historically ravaged by war. The humanitarian drone, essentially an Octocopter, will be loaded with LIDAR, a remote sensing technology that 3D maps the surface of the Earth with immaculate precision. If the mission goes as planned, it will keep surveyors from ever having to set foot on the ground in search of minefields.

ArchAerial's first minefield-locating mission will be in Laos, a country quite literally scarred from the Vietnam War. The US dropped about two million tons of explosives within a span of nine years, making Laos, a small Southeast Asian country the most bombed area in the world. Half a century later, an estimated 80 million baseball-sized bombs scattered across the country continue to threaten civilian lives.

[Image credit: ArchAerial]The Stack

Mona Lalwani
Engadget 

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Folding electric bike talks to all your other smart devices

Folding electric bike talks to all your other smart devices

While there's no shortage of smart bikes, they still have limits: many rely chiefly on pedal power, and their tech-savviness is often limited to talking to a special smartphone app. The JIVR Bike might just solve several of those problems at once, though. The two-wheeler not only uses a chainless electric drive (good for 20 miles of pedal-free travel per charge), but serves as an iBeacon that talks to any nearby device which supports the format -- you could have it send info to your laptop, if you like. It folds to fit into small apartments, too, and you can plug in your phone to use it as a dashboard.
As you'd imagine, a connected e-bike isn't going to be cheap. JIVR is crowdfunding its machine, and you'll have to shell out between £699 to £1,749 ($1,036 to $2,593) to get the Bike early depending both on how quickly you act and whether or not you're willing to be an ambassador for the brand. Provided the hardware makes its planned September release, however, you may well get a lot for your money.
Kickstarter

Jon Fingas

Engadget 

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Nintendo is finally developing smartphone games

Nintendo is finally developing smartphone games

Despite denying it would ever do such a thing, Nintendo has entered into a partnership with developer DeNA to create new games for mobile devices. The emphasis is on the word "new" -- you won't be getting Super Mario Bros. on your Android smartphone, for instance. Instead, the companies said "only new original games optimized for smart device functionality will be created, rather than porting games created specifically for the Wii U home console or the Nintendo 3DS portable system." In other words, it looks like Nintendo has relented to investors who've said it's not profiting enough from its valuable intellectual property, and you may soon see its universe of characters pop up in Candy Crush-style games.
Nintendo started experimenting with free-to-play games featuring paid downloadable content (DLC) last year. If you've never heard of DeNA, it runs the popular Mobage Japanese mobile gaming portal, and has created notable mobile spinoffs for games like Final Fantasy.
Developing...
Nasdaq

Steve Dent

Engadget 

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Nintendo's next-generation console is codenamed 'NX'

Nintendo's next-generation console is codenamed 'NX'

It should come as no surprise to hear that Nintendo is working on a new console. Fresh hardware takes years to develop, so engineers are always working on future systems while the rest of us play on the current generation of consoles. What we didn't expect, however, is for Nintendo to talk about its next system so soon. In today's press conference, where the company detailed its plans to make mobile games with DeNA, it also teased a new system codenamed "NX." Few details were disclosed, other than it'll involve fresh hardware and a new gameplay concept. The NX symbol appeared on a slide alongside the Nintendo Wii U, 3DS and other mobile platforms, which suggests it could be a complimentary device, rather than a straight successor to either its current home console or handhelds.

It's no secret that Nintendo's Wii U has been struggling. Despite some standout titles, including Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the platform hasn't resonated with consumers like the original Wii or the latest hardware from both Sony and Microsoft. Many have wondered how long it will take before Nintendo decides to cut its losses and shift focus to a new console entirely. That would, of course, disgruntle existing Wii U owners, so a new system that sits alongside Nintendo's existing hardware, at least for a short time, makes sense. Chief executive Satoru Iwata said more details about NX will be shared "next year," so don't expect any grand announcements at E3 or the next Nintendo Direct.

"As proof that Nintendo maintains strong enthusiasm for the dedicated game system business, let me confirm that Nintendo is currently developing a dedicated game platform with a brand-new concept under the development codename 'NX,'" he says.

Why is Nintendo making this announcement now? Its decision to develop new smartphone games with DeNA is sure to rile some of its most dedicated fans, which feel the company's characters should be protected from outside developers, especially those in the mobile space. Teasing the "NX" now should reassure gamers that Nintendo is still committed to "hardcore" titles and isn't abandoning its hardware business anytime soon

Nick Summers
Engadget

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Are Taylor Swift's Besties Fighting Over Her?

Are Taylor Swift's Besties Fighting Over Her?

Taylor Swift is known for her close relationships with her friends, but now rumors are swirling that Cara Delevingne and Karlie Kloss are fighting over her. However, they're apparently totally false!

The reports claim that Cara makes fun of the "Shake It Off" singer behind her back, and Karlie called her out about it.

“Cara can be extremely two faced, like whenever she sees Taylor she acts like they’re best friends but then behind her back she makes fun of her,” their source said.

“She was all over Taylor at the BRIT Awards even though she always says how boring Taylor is, so Karlie called her out for being a fake and Cara went crazy on her, it got really ugly.”

The model's rep says that they've never gotten into a feud over their mutual friend, which makes us so happy! Of course, we totally didn't believe this would happen. While we would understand Karlie defending her BFF, we've only known Cara to be totally chill and a big fan of the singer. They're all friends!

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Google Code is shutting down because everyone loves GitHub

Google Code is shutting down because everyone loves GitHub

Goodbye, Google Code. The technology giant has decided to close its project hosting and code collaboration site because, well, there are simply better alternatives on the web. Google says it launched the platform back in 2006 because it was unhappy with the "limited" options available to the open source community. Since then, the likes of GitHub and Bitbucket have risen to prominence, superseding Google Code's feature set and encouraging developers to transfer their projects. As such, Google's offering has become increasingly filled with spam and abuse, leading to the company's decision to pull the plug. Yesterday it stopped accepting new projects, and on August 24th the site will become read-only. Google Code will eventually be shuttered next January, although tarballs of project source, issues and wikis will continue to be available throughout 2016. If you need to transfer a project, head here for the relevant GitHub and Bitbucket migration tools.
[Image credit: AP Photo/John Cogill]
Google

Nick Summers
Engadget

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5 Seconds of Summer Dream Up Arena Tours For The Future

5 Seconds of Summer Dream Up Arena Tours For The Future

The guys – Luke Hemmings,Michael Clifford, Calum Hood, andAshton Irwin – just wrapped up a handful of concerts in Tokyo.

“It’s going to be incredible to do an arena tour,” Luke shared with Brazil’sCapricho Magazine about future tours with the band.

He added, “The second support tour we did was in arenas… I remember going on stage and us saying to each other, ‘we’re going to be back here next year’, and not knowing that we would be, so it’s awesome.”

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Zedd Thinks Selena Gomez Is "Inspiring"

Zedd Thinks Selena Gomez Is "Inspiring"

Zedd and Selena Gomez have proven their creative relationship is on fire with "I Want You to Know," and now he says that he's inspired by her! In a behind-the-scenes video with MTV, he couldn't help but gush over her ability to cope with the struggles of fame.

"I learned that she's extremely talented with dealing with being in the press all the time and being everywhere and not being bothered by that. I find it extremely inspiring that you can kind of shut off and do your thing and not be bothered by other people," he said.

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'Frozen 2' Sequel Movie Officially Announced

'Frozen 2' Sequel Movie Officially Announced

It's official! Disney has announced a Frozen 2 sequel film!

John Lasster, the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, revealed about the movie:

“We enjoyed making Frozen Fever so much and being back in that world with those characters. Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck have come up with a great idea for a sequel and you will be hearing a lot more about it and we’re taking you back to Arendelle. We are so excited about that.”

 The Frozen sequel movie will be directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, and will be produced by Peter De Vecho. Actor Josh Gad, who voices Olaf, was on hand for the big announcement, leading many Frozen fans to believe he will be a big part of the sequel film!

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What color is this dress? Really, what colors do you see?

What color is this dress? Really, what colors do you see?

See what the celebs had to say:

Sarah Hyland: “Guys. I’ve stared at this dress for 5 minutes. Like an idiot. All I see is white and gold. And a satin bolero that shouldn’t be paired w/ it”

Lucy Hale: “i saw white and gold, then i saw blue and black. now I’m confused.”

Scotty McCreery: “I see White and Gold. Who’s with me? Band is pretty much White and Gold with a couple weird ones that say Black and Blue… Looking at you joey and jayme! Loll.”

Ryan McCartan: “I mean, okay, it’s obvious what’s happening here. More EVOLVED people see it as white and gold. #DarwinsDress. How hard do you think we would have to work to convince people it’s orange and green?”

Peyton Clark: “It’s blue and black. Now please, shut up.”

Kerris Dorsey: “Ok I’m sorry to be like 90 percent of people on Twitter right now but THE DRESS THING OMGGGGG ?¿ What colors do you guys see? Help me plz”

Jack Johnson: “Guys ‘optical illusions’ was always one of my strongest traits growing up so don’t be upset with yourself if you can’t see it.”

Zachary Gordon: “It’s blue and gold .”

Ally Brooke: “ITS BLUE AND BLACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

McKaley Miller: “100% blue and black”

Jake Miller: “Honestly though if you don’t see white and gold you’re color blind straight up”

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Demi Lovato Was Rushed to the Hospital!

Demi Lovato Was Rushed to the Hospital!

Demi Lovato got rushed to the hospital because of a horrible lung infection! According to TMZ, a friend took her to the emergency room because she was having trouble breathing.

It doesn't sound like she's in serious danger, but her symptoms are flu-related and she had to be put on antibiotics.

Apparently, she even had to cancel a meeting with a major producer yesterday because of her illness. She's temporarily putting her album on hold to focus on her health, which we totally understand.

We hope she gets better soon! That's so scary, but at least she has friends there to take care of her. Lovatics have been tweeting her love with the hashtag #GetWellSoonDemi, and we hope she does!

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2015 Kids Choice Awards Nominations See The Full List Here!

2015 Kids Choice Awards  Nominations See The Full List Here!

Hosted by Nick Jonas, the 2015 Kids’ Choice Awards will premiere on March 28th @ 8PM ET/PT on Nickelodeon.

Favorite TV Show
Austin & Ally
Dog With A Blog
Every Witch Way
Henry Danger
Jessie
Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn

Favorite Family TV Show
Gotham
Shield
Modern Family
Once Upon A Time
Big Bang Theory
Flash

Favorite TV Actor
Benjamin Flores, Jr
Charlie McDermott
Grant Gustin
Jack Griffo
Ross Lynch
Jim Parsons

Favorite TV Actress
Chloe Bennett
Debby Ryan
Jennifer Morrison
Laura Marano
Kira Kosarin
Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting

Favorite Cartoon
Adventure Time
Phineas & Ferb
Spongebob Squarepants
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teen Titans Go!
The Fairly Odd Parents

Favorite Book
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
Divergent series
Heroes of Olympus series
Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods
The Fault In Our Stars
The Maze Runner

Most Addicting Game
Angry Birds Transformers
Candy Crush
Disney Infinity 2.0
Mario Kart 8
Minecraft
Skylanders Trap Team

Favorite Villain
Angelina Jolie – Maleficent
Cameron Diaz – Annie
Donald Sutherland – The Hunger Games
Jamie Foxx – The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Lee Pace – Guardians of the Galaxy
Meryl Streep – Into The Woods

Favorite Reality Show
American Ninja Warrior
Cupcake Wars
Dance Moms
Masterchef Junior
Shark Tank
Wipeout

Favorite Talent Competition Show
America’s Got Talent
America’s Next Top Model
American Idol
Dancing With The Stars
So You Think You Can Dance
The Voice

Favorite Movie
Guardians of the Galaxy
Maleficent
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
Transformers: Age of Extinction

Favorite Movie Actor
Ben Stiller
Hugh Jackman
Jamie Foxx
Mark Wahlberg
Steve Carell
Will Arnett

Favorite Movie Actress
Angelina Jolie
Cameron Diaz
Elle Fanning
Emma Stone
Jennifer Garner
Megan Fox

Favorite Animated Movie
Big Hero 6
How To Train Your Dragon 2
Penguins of Madagascar
Rio 2
The Lego Movie
The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water

Favorite Male Action Star
Andrew Garfield
Channing Tatum
Chris Evans
Chris Pratt
Hugh Jackman
Liam Hemsworth

Favorite Female Action Star
Ellen Page
Evangeline Lilly
Halle Berry
Jennifer Lawrence
Scarlett Johansson
Zoe Saldana

Favorite Song of the Year
“All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor
“Bang Bang” by Jessie J, Ariana Grande, & Nicki Minaj
“Dark Horse” by Katy Perry
“Fancy” by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX
“Problem” by Ariana Grande featuring Iggy Azalea
“Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift

Favorite New Artist
Five Seconds of Summer
Echosmith
Fifth Harmony
Iggy Azalea
Jessie J
Meghan Trainor

Favorite Music Group
Coldplay
Fall Out Boy
Imagine Dragons
Maroon 5
One Direction
OneRepublic

Favorite Male Singer
Blake Shelton
Bruno Mars
Justin Timberlake
Nick Jonas
Pharrell Williams
Sam Smith

Favorite Female Singer
Ariana Grande
Beyonce
Katy Perry
Nicki Minaj
Selena Gomez
Taylor Swift

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