From Engadget: ARM forms UK group to foster an Internet of Things, put 50 billion devices online by 2020

ARM forms UK group to foster an Internet of Things, put 50 billion devices online by 2020

ARM isn’t content with dominating the mobile space. It’s been by the far the most vocal about an Internet of Things where everything is connected — and to make that happen, it just established an industry forum in the UK that it hopes will establish common ground for all those internet-linked light bulbs, refridgerators and thermostats. Home energy firm Alertme, cloud-aware sensing outfit AquaMW, lighting maker EnLight and white space wireless guru Neul will start meeting with ARM from August 24th onwards to hash out our automated, eco-friendly future. There’s a certain urgency in this for the chip designer: it expects 50 billion devices on the grid by 2020. With IDC estimating a billion new connected devices just in 2011, the clock on that connected device transition is ticking very loudly.

 

from Engadget

From Droid Life: NVIDIA to Add Support to Tegra Chips for Miracast Wireless Display Standards

From the same creators of the WiFi standard, comes the Miracast wireless display standard, which allows for the wireless beaming of the display contents on your mobile phone or tablet, directly to a large HDTV screen in your house without a wireless router. To sum it up, you won’t need anymore HDMI or MHL cables cluttering up your home theater to copy your phone’s display onto your big screen in the living room.

NVIDIA is embracing this technology and has added enhancements for Tegra-powered devices to take full advantage of Miracast. To get a an idea of what they’re doing to enhance the new standard for wireless beaming, check the video down below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via: NVIDIA

from Droid Life

From Autoblog: Report: Researchers developing washless coating for cars

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We could have easily filed this under “Too Good to Be True” or “Snake Oil,” but it sounds legit, and certainly has our attention. Researchers in The Netherlands’ Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) have developed a self-healing vehicle coating, meaning that one day, you may not have to wash your car.

Catarina Esteves of the department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry at TU/e and her team claims to have invented a solution to the problem of minor scrapes. Apparently the nano-capsule technology features special chemical groups that are able to re-orient themselves in the event that a surface with this compound is scratched.

The potential automotive use for this technology is obvious; it allows for the development of coatings that are not only water-resistant, but scratch resistant. A minor rain shower is all it would take to keep the car clean.

The implementation of this technology is not limited to the automotive world – it can also be employed on contact lenses, smartphone screens, and solar panels.

The benefit it could provide to the aviation industry would be two-fold. A plane employing this coating would not only need less frequent cleaning, but the inability for algae and dirt to build up means that the aircraft would allow for less wind resistance, resoling in more fuel efficient flying.

 

from Autoblog

From Droid Life: Google Announces Google Fiber, the Next Chapter of the Internet

Today, Google announced Google Fiber for Kansas City. Google Fiber is the “journey to bring ultra-high speed Internet to Kansas City.” With 1GB up/down data speeds, which is over 100 times faster than America’s average broadband connection, Google is setting out to re-shape what we think of the Internet and TV as a whole. Google also introduced an entire line of hardware that will work specifically with the service, including a network box, storage box, and even a TV box. From now on, buyers will be using Google for all of their Internet and TV needs.

So, how much will it cost? Google announced three separate packages that buyers can choose from. There is a basic installation/construction fee of $300, which includes a Google Fiber team member physically coming to your home and running a fiber cable straight from the line and setting up all of the equipment for you. But, depending on which package you order, the $300 fee is waived. Here is a basic outline of the packages they will offer once roll out is ready to take place:

Packages:

Gigabit + TV:  $120/month – Sign up for a 2 year contract which then waives the $300 construction fee. Package includes 1GB up and down connectivity, full TV channel lineup (HD), no data caps, a Nexus 7 tablet to act as a remote, TV Box, Network Box, Storage Box, and 1TB of Google Driver storage space.

Gigabit + Internet:  $70/month – With 1 year contract agreement, the $300 construction fee is waived. Included in the package is 1GB up and down connectivity, the Network Box, and 1TB of Google Drive storage space.

Google is offering a third package for customers who aren’t quite ready for a 1GB commitment. They released this statement for people who want to enjoy 5MB up/down speeds for free in their neighborhoods once Google Fiber arrives in their area:

We know that not everyone is ready to commit to a gig just yet. But we want to make sure you have the opportunity to upgrade when you’re ready. So if you pre-register and your fiberhood gets installed, you’ll have the option to get a 5 megabit per second (Mbps) connection for zero monthly charge, and your home will be wired and ready for the switch. The Free Internet option will cost $0 per month, although you will have to pay a $300 construction fee (which can either be paid at once, or in $25 monthly installments).

As for everyone else who does not live in KC, Google did not hint at any other cities that will see Google Fiber anytime soon. During the announcment, they kept mentioning how long the process was and how much work it took, so it could be many years before we see any type of country-wide access.

Lucky enough to live in Kansas City and witness the birth of Fiber? Register for Google Fiber here.

Full Event Video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Promo Video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via: Google

from Droid Life

From Engadget: The Humble Bundle tries something different, lets you name your price for albums from They Might Be Giants, Jonathan Coulton, and more

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The Humble Bundle may have gone mobile on Android earlier this year, but that’s proven to be a relatively small jump compared to the organization’s latest expansion. It’s now rolled out its first Humble Music Bundle, a collection of six albums that, as always, you can name your price for. Those include an album of rarities from They Might Be Giants, Jonathan Coulton’s Greatest Hit (Plus 13 Other Songs), an exclusive MC Frontalot collection, Christopher Tin’s Calling All Dawns, and game composer Hitoshi Sakimoto’s Best of the Valkyria Chronicles — plus OK Go’s Twelve Remixes of Four Songs if you pay above the current average price. Naturally, all of the albums are DRM-free and available in both MP3 and FLAC formats, and you’re able to choose what percentage of your payment goes to the artists, charities (Child’s Play and the Electronic Frontier Foundation) and the Humble Bundle organization itself. You can get a taste of what’s in store in the video after the break, or get full previews of each album before you buy at the link below.

 

from Engadget