The four major US carriers have joined forces and agreed to create a nationwide 911 texting service. It will allow their customers to send a text message in the case of emergency rather than making a voice call. More » 
from Gizmodo
From Engadget: GravityLight uses weight to illuminate without batteries or fuel (video)
The lack of reliable electricity in developing countries puts a damper on more than just technology use — having to run kerosene lamps, or even those based on solar power, often involves recurring costs that whittle away at very modest incomes. GravityLight has built an LED lamp that just might lift the burden. As the name implies, a weight (usually the very bag that the lamp ships in) generates electricity through natural force: the few seconds it takes to lift the weight can generate 30 minutes of light without ever replacing a battery or fuel supply. The simple construction also has helpful side benefits, such as powering up other devices and a clip that can replace the bag with most anything that weighs around 20 pounds. The crowdfunded project’s donation tiers ask $25 to donate a light to the developing world or $50 to also get one for yourself, but it’s a small price to pay in the long run — and when mass production should see prices fall below $5, the GravityLight might just change the lighting landscape for those who need it most.
Continue reading GravityLight uses weight to illuminate without batteries or fuel (video)
Filed under: Household
Source: IndieGogo
from Engadget
From Engadget: Archos GamePad now shipping for £130: Android 4.1, 1.6GHz CPU and a bona fide D-pad
You’ve waited long enough, haven’t you? The low-cost PMP leader has kept the mantra alive with its GamePad, which is now shipping to those interested for £129.99. Put simply, it’s a widescreen gaming handheld that runs Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), replete with a 1.6GHz dual-core processor and Mali 400mp quad-core GPU. There’s a 1,024 x 600 resolution touchpanel, physical control buttons and analog sticks, and the whole thing checks in at just 0.3-inches thick. Unfortunately, there’s no word on battery life, but even the optimist in us can’t predict a number that’d be worthy of boasting about. Hit up the source link to make plans for purchase, or click past the break for the full presser.
Update: Anandtech reports the device will come within range of US gaming thumbs early next year, though there’s no dollar price to go with that information.
Filed under: Gaming
Source: Archos
from Engadget
From Droid Life: Tip: Search With Your Camera in New Google Now
With the newest Google Now update, Google built in a new Voice Action that allows you to scan barcodes with your camera. All you have to say is, “Scan barcode†after hitting the voice search button. But if the voice search button isn’t handy or you don’t want to speak out loud to your phone, you can access it another way.
If you open Google Now, scroll to the bottom and hit the 3-dotted menu button in the right corner. As long as you have updated your Google Now, you should see a new option that says “Search with camera.†Tap that, and find something to search for with your camera.
So far, I’ve had good luck snapping photos of text, but logos or objects, not so much. Give it a shot!
Cheers Nishant!
from Droid Life
From Discover Magazine: The catfish that strands itself to kill pigeons
In Southwestern France, a group of fish have learned how to kill birds. As the River Tarn winds through the city of Albi, it contains a small gravel island where pigeons gather to clean and bathe. And patrolling the island are European catfish—1 to 1.5 metres long, and the largest freshwater fish on the continent. These particular catfish have taken to lunging out of the water, grabbing a pigeon, and then wriggling back into the water to swallow their prey. In the process, they temporarily stran
from Discover Magazine