Tesla unveils battery to 'transform energy infrastructure' LOS ANGELES – Electric car pioneer Telsa Motors on Thursday unveiled a “home battery,” which company founder Elon Musk said would help change the “entire energy infrastructure of the world.”
The Tesla Powerwall can store power from solar panels or from the electricity grid at night, when power is typically cheaper, and can provide a secure backup in the case of a power outage. In theory, the device could make solar-powered homes independent of the energy grid. “The goal is complete transformation of the entire energy infrastructure of the world, to completely sustainable zero carbon,” Musk told reporters shortly before unveiling the Powerwall in a warehouse outside Los Angeles. YouTube Will Soon Support 360-Degree Video. YouTube’s video player will soon support a futuristic innovation.
Microsoft Unveils Fitness Band, App in Wearables Market. Microsoft Corp.
(MSFT) unveiled an activity-tracking wristband and related Internet-based service that can track and analyze health, fitness and sleep data, jumping into the crowded wearable-computer market. The $199 Microsoft Band, on sale today, works with the company’s free Health application, which uses machine learning to interpret data and can run on its Windows system, Apple Inc.’s iOS mobile software and Google Inc.’s Android, said Yusuf Mehdi, vice president of devices and studios. Starting in January, the app will work with other devices, including Apple and Android phones and smartwatches.
Microsoft is entering the burgeoning market for connected wearable devices -- now dominated by smaller companies like Fitbit Inc. -- at the same time as Apple prepares to debut its own smartwatch. An App Up Your Sleeve. Google/Magic Leap’s 3D “Cinematic Reality” to replace VR, AR? [From Re/code, where the story includes two videos] Google Set to Lead Huge Investment in Magic Leap and Its “Cinematic Reality” October 13, 2014 By Liz Gannes and Peter Kafka Google and other investors are planning a huge investment in Magic Leap, a secretive but boastful company building hardware and software it says will deliver “cinematic reality.”
Sources say Google is leading what could be a $500 million funding round for the Florida-based company; Andreessen Horowitz may be one of the other investors in the consortium. Magic Leap already announced $50 million in funding earlier this year. Google, Andreessen Horowitz and Magic Leap reps declined to comment. Augmented Reality. Touchable 3D tech unveiled to enhance video games, driving. Women Spend More Time, Money On Mobile Games. Why does Apple want Beats? No one seems to really know. For once, the intrigue surrounding Apple doesn't involve the next iPhone or iPad.
Logitech's iPad FabricSkin Folios feature slim, Surface-like cloth keyboards. By AppleInsider Staff.
Samsung makes Galaxy Mega 5.8, 6.3 official. Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8, 6.3 extends 'phablet' range Samsung has made the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and 6.3 official.
The new 'phablets' sit above the Galaxy Note 2 in screen size, although neither offers a stylus input. Leap Motion hacks show what 3D gesture sensing can do - tech - 04 April 2013. Gamers, designers and photographers have innovative treats in store when the Leap Motion 3D gesture-sensing computer interface is launched next month.
Boxee rebrands new device as Cloud DVR, tones down cord cutting rhetoric. Okay, I didn’t see this coming: Boxee has rebranded its new consumer electronics device just five months after it first became available.
The $100 device, which combines live TV and cloud DVR functionality with apps like Netflix, is now being called Boxee Cloud DVR, after previously being marketed as Boxee TV. The company also used the rebrand to unveil a free service tier for its DVR. Boxee’s Cloud DVR now comes with a limited free service tier. The new Boxee Cloud DVR box offers users unlimited storage for their TV recordings in the cloud. Unlimited playback, as well as the capability to view recordings on computers and mobile devices, costs users $10 a month. Home: Facebook Calls First Dibs On Your Mobile Life. Facebook announced a new Android software called Home on Thursday that swells the social network's presence on smartphones, literally taking over the entire screen from the moment a device wakes up.
The app's "Cover Feed," which serves as both the phone's lock screen and home screen, replaces background images with full-screen photo updates from friends. Why Aren't We All Talking With Our Devices Yet? Experts were saying over four decades ago that speech recognition would become a mature technology in five to ten years.
Five years later, they were still saying the same thing. It took a long time, but now, it does seem that reasonably high quality recognition has become real. And on a mobile device yet! Sony aims to take 4K mainstream with $4999 TV, media player, download service. Sony will soon launch 4K TVs far smaller and cheaper than existing models, along with a 4K media player and download service, all aimed at bringing the next-generation TV format into the mainstream. Publications Alternate Screens Expand TV, Video Audience 04/08/2013.