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Subretinal implant uses light instead of batteries, shows promise in initial testing
May 15th
There’s been significant progress in bringing sight to the blind in recent years, and this looks set to continue that miraculous trend. Scientists at Stanford University have invented a subretinal photodiode implant for people who have lost their vision due to degenerative retinal diseases. Existing tech involves batteries and wires, but the new implant works without such crude appendages. Instead, it’s activated by near-infrared beams projected by a camera that’s mounted on glasses worn by the patient. Those beams then stimulate the optice nerve to allow light perception, motion detection and even basic shape awareness. The glasses also have an onboard camera that records what the patient sees. It hasn’t actually been tested with humans just yet, but the first few rodents volunteers have yet to lodge a single complaint.
Subretinal implant uses light instead of batteries, shows promise in initial testing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 04:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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More than 70 percent of mobile users pay little for apps, big spenders make up for us cheapskates
May 15th
We know smartphone and tablet owners like to buy games. But if you go by a new ABI exploration of user habits, most of us aren’t buying much of anything. More than 70 percent of the crowd spends little to nothing on mobile apps, dragging down the average of spent per month among paying customers to a median of .50 when you include the skinflints. As you might imagine, that leaves the remaining 30 percent making up for a lot of slack: three percent of downloaders represent a fifth of all the spending in the mobile app world. Researchers suggest that developers focus on a long-term strategy of freemium pricing or utility apps to get more customers buying, but we imagine that writing more games about catapulting frustrated birds might just work out on its own.
Continue reading More than 70 percent of mobile users pay little for apps, big spenders make up for us cheapskates
More than 70 percent of mobile users pay little for apps, big spenders make up for us cheapskates originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 02:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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BlackBerry 10 home screen and launcher officially previewed by RIM
May 14th
By now, the crew in Waterloo have likely piqued your interest in what’s to come for the world of BlackBerry. So far, we’ve gotten to see the company’s developer handset, along with a few screenshots of the BlackBerry 10 software. One element that’s remained elusive up until this point, however, is the home screen itself. All of that changed today, as Research in Motion is now providing a sneak peek of it and the full launcher. While you might mistake the home screen as being populated with widgets, in fact, these are open applications that will dynamically change based on your activities. Much of the interface will be gesture-driven, and as such, a quick swipe to the right will bring the full launcher to the forefront — just hop the break for a glimpse. Similarly, a swipe to the left will reveal the unified inbox. The result is nothing revolutionary, but the BlackBerry 10 designers certainly deserve credit for the clean and functional interface — it’s but one more reason to be excited for what’s next.
Continue reading BlackBerry 10 home screen and launcher officially previewed by RIM
BlackBerry 10 home screen and launcher officially previewed by RIM originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 20:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Windows 8 ‘Family Safety’ feature chaperones underage users through the World Wild Web
May 14th
It’s not the tantalizing bit of Windows 8 bait you’d expect in the lead up to that revolutionary OS’ official launch, but for a certain domestic segment, it’ll do. As part and parcel of its Release Preview — slated for a June bow– Microsoft’s making the busywork of keeping digital tabs on your household ankle biters an integrated and easily managed feature of the two-faced system, accessible via the “Family Safety” option. Once enabled on the account profile for an underage user, parents will have the ability to receive weekly activity reports detailing web usage, as well as set site / application restrictions, search filters and time limits for PC usage. Despite Redmond’s best efforts, there’s still one wall this virtual oversight won’t let you breach — your child’s Facebook account. For that, you’ll just have to make friends. Head on past the break for the company’s helpful how-to video.
Continue reading Windows 8 ‘Family Safety’ feature chaperones underage users through the World Wild Web
Windows 8 ‘Family Safety’ feature chaperones underage users through the World Wild Web originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 18:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Twitter now sending email summaries, will keep weekly tabs on the Biebs
May 14th
Twitter hasn’t wasted any time in making good on its Summify acquisition. Not even half a year after the ink has dried, you can now opt to get a curated summary of the “most relevant Tweets” and linked stories sent to your email inbox. The layout borrows more than a few cues from the new Discover tab and will let you respond from the email message itself, although we can imagine friends being slightly irked at reviving a conversation that was so very three days ago. Even so, once the option has rolled out to everyone within the space of a few weeks, it’ll be an easier way to keep up on one Mr. Bieber’s Twitter adventures without others’ pesky life events and politics getting in the way.
Twitter now sending email summaries, will keep weekly tabs on the Biebs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 16:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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LightSquared officially files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
May 14th
As expected, May 14th is indeed a dark day for LightSquared. The company has just filed court paperwork in order to initiate Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, effectively killing its dream of providing a high-speed mobile wireless network to upwards of 260 million people. Not quite a year after Sprint and LightSquared put together an agreement that would ensure 15 years of blissful LTE enjoyment together, Philip Falcone’s baby looks weaker than ever. With the Sprint tie-up now voided, and over .6 billion in debt, there’s probably not too many places for LS to turn. The primary hurdle — one it never could seem to overcome — was the FCC’s outright refusal to believe any of the company’s mitigation proposals in relation to GPS interference issues. Despite “profoundly disagreeing” and raising all sorts of chaos in an effort to get its way, LightSquared never did manage to convince the powers that mattered. Where it turns from here is anyone’s guess, but it won’t be a quiet fall from grace, we’re surmising.
LightSquared officially files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 14:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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