Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Niantic is going to crowdsource AR maps

It seems clear that Niantic always had broader plans than simple casual gaming. The Google-supported startup’s 2016 title Pokémon GO is largely considered a major factor in helping to mainstream augmented reality technology. Now the company is looking to take things a step further, tapping its massive user base to help build some large-scale AR […]

Allen Integrated Cell is a powerful tool for visualizing biology in 3D

What does a cell look like? If you had to draw one, you'd probably do the usual thing: a sort of fried egg with a nucleus yolk and a couple ribosomes peppered around, maybe a rough endoplasmic reticulum if you're fancy. But cells are vastly more complicated than that, not to mention 3-dimensional. Allen Integrated Cell is a new tool that lets anyone visualize cells the way they actually exist in the body.

Hulu launches its new live TV destination and guide

At this year’s CES, Hulu teased an upcoming addition for its Live TV streaming service: a new Live TV guide aimed at helping viewers browse currently airing programs, similar to a cable TV guide. Today, Hulu says it’s launching this new guide as well as a new Live TV destination in its app across its […]

Google is banning Irish abortion referendum ads ahead of vote

Google is suspending adverts related to a referendum in Ireland on whether or not to overturn a constitutional clause banning abortion. The vote is due to take place in a little over two weeks time. “Following our update around election integrity efforts globally, we have decided to pause all ads related to the Irish referendum […]

Lyft’s monthly subscription plan gets a waitlist

Lyft is moving ahead with tests of the All-Access plan, a monthly subscription service for rides through the Lyft platform. In the next couple of hours, a select group of riders will see an option to sign up for a waitlist to be part of Lyft’s next round of All-Access invitations. “Testing our newest All-Access […]

Google’s new Tour Creator lets students make their own VR tours

Google today launched a new tool for teachers and their students called Tour Creator, which allows anyone to create their own VR tour using imagery from Google’s Street View or their own 360-degree photos. The new app is designed to work with Google Cardboard and Google’s existing VR “field trips” app Expeditions. The goal with […]

Fantasmo is a decentralized map for robots and augmented reality

“Whether for AR or robots, anytime you have software interacting with the world, it needs a 3D model of the globe. We think that map will look a lot more like the decentralized internet than a version of Apple Maps or Google Maps.” That’s the idea behind new startup Fantasmo, according to co-founder Jameson Detweiler. Coming out of stealth […]

Hulu's new guide provides fast access to live TV

Hulu has gradually improved access to its live TV service over the past year. Now, however, it's ready for a proper overhaul. The streaming provider has launched a new live TV guide that promises speedier access to channels. If you have an Amazon...

Firefox takes a big step towards eliminating passwords

Today, Mozilla released Firefox 60 for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, and with it arrives Web Authentication API for desktop browsers. This is a new security standard that allows Firefox users to log into all their online accounts with a single dev...

Niantic is building AR maps with help from 'Pokémon Go' players

Niantic may have split from Google years ago, but there's a little bit of Google culture left -- namely, the Maps part. The developer told Reuters that it's planning to create 3D augmented reality maps with the help of Pokémon Go players' came...

There’s no limit to the connected sex toys you can build at home

NSFW: This article contains links to and descriptions of explicit sexual acts including BDSM play that some may find uncomfortable. The individuals included in this report are consenting adults who observe proper safety procedures in their play. Th...

Overwatch League finals set for Brooklyn's Barclays Center

The Overwatch League is in the final stage of its first season and playoffs are right around the corner. Like the regular season games, the playoffs will take place at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles, but the Grand Finals, the league just announced, will...

Senators force vote in an effort to restore net neutrality

Today, Senate Democrats filed a petition that will force a vote on the FCC's removal of net neutrality protections. The FCC's decision was published in the Federal Register on February 22nd and as per the Congressional Review Act, the Senate has 60 d...

'Dota 2' is introducing its own underground battle royale

Following in the footsteps of Fortnite and PUBG, Dota 2 is introducing The Underhollow, which is another version of an underground battle royale. Billed as "a multi-team dungeon clash," that involves going on a quest for cheese, it's only available t...

Google bans all ads linked to Ireland's abortion referendum

Facebook has banned all foreign ads surrounding Ireland's referendum on abortion rights, but Google is taking things a step beyond. The company has announced that it's banning all ads related to the Eighth Amendment vote in the wake of its recent pus...

UPS has new electric trucks that look straight out of a Pixar movie

UPS has revealed sleek new electric trucks that look like they've rolled straight out of Pixar's Cars series. The company revealed it's working with vehicle manufacturer Arrival on a pilot fleet of 35 lightweight electric trucks that look far more fu...

EA is going to keep putting loot boxes in its games

Electronic Arts will "push forward" with loot boxes in its future video games, despite admitting that "all loot boxes are gambling." Yeesh. In an investor's call, CEO Andrew Wilson said that EA has worked with "all the industry associations" and with...

Google makes it easy to create your own VR tours

With Google Expeditions, you can take tours of ancient sites like Machu Picchu, visit attractions like the Burj Khalifa or even take a trip to the International Space Station and now Google is making it easier to create tours yourself. With a new pla...

Tidal accused of manipulating streaming numbers for Beyoncé and Kanye West


In February 2016, Kanye West released his album Life of Pablo exclusively for six weeks on the music streaming service, Tidal. 10 days after the album was released, Tidal announced it had been streamed more than 250 million times. Some months later, Beyoncé also exclusively released her album, Lemonade, on Tidal. 15 days after the release, Tidal announced the album had been streamed over 300 million times. However, at the time, Tidal had just approximately three million users, meaning if the numbers mentioned above were to add up, those three million users would have each had to listen to the…

This story continues at The Next Web

Netflix is adapting Stephen King and Joe Hill's 'In the Tall Grass'

Netflix is expanding its lineup based on Stephen King's works. According to Deadline and Variety, the streaming service has picked up the rights to In The Tall Grass, a novella written by the horror maestro and his son, Joe Hill, who's also an acclai...

Outdated website software lets hackers mine cryptocurrencies at your expense

An outdated version of Drupal, a popular content management system, let hackers mine the cryptocurrency Monero on over 300 websites including the websites for the “San Diego Zoo and the government of Chihuahua, Mexico.” A report by Troy Mursch outlined how the hack worked and even showed how much processing power browsers began taking up […]

Esports Overwatch League heads to hipster Brooklyn for its finals

What could be more perfect than moving the inaugural championship finals for an eSports league from its Los Angeles home to Brooklyn? For Overwatch League, the esports conference created by fiat from Activision Blizzard, the move is the first step in its plans for housing esports teams in cities around the country. Heading from sunny […]

Walmart says Flipkart is ‘a key center of learning’ for its entire global business

Walmart has opened up on the thinking behind its $15 billion majority investment in Flipkart, and perhaps the most interesting facet is that the retailer plans to export ideas from the Indian e-commerce firm to the rest of its global business, including the U.S.. Walmart’s decision to follow Amazon into India is a testament to huge potential growth […]

Reddit co-founder says cryptocurrencies are a powerful tool against hyperinflation


Everyone seems to have a hot take on cryptocurrencies and their usefulness these days – and the latest one to join the discussion is none other than Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. In an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night, Ohanian said he believes cryptocurrencies can be an effective tool in protecting your funds against hyperinflation. Colbert asked Ohanian about why he would prefer cryptocurrency over regular fiat currency. “Cryptocurrencies are a fuel for a potentially new internet,” Ohanian told Colbert. “Things like Bitcoin and cryptocurrency are opportunity for us to have a store of value that is not…

This story continues at The Next Web

Or just read more coverage about: Reddit

Targetprocess lands Series A 14 years after launching

Targetprocess launched in 2004 in Minsk, Belarus with a mission of making it simpler to manage agile-driven programming projects. It announced it has taken its first funding in its 14-year history, a $5 million Series A led by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Zubr Capital, a private equity firm in Minsk. Why […]

Brexit data transfer gaps a risk for UK startups, MPs told

The uncertainty facing digital businesses as a result of Brexit was front and center during a committee session in the UK parliament today, with experts including the UK’s information commissioner responding to MPs’ questions about how and even whether data will continue to flow between the UK and the European Union once the country has […]

Here’s how charities can use VR and gaming to boost donations


Charities often find it hard to stand out from the crowd — using the same ol’ tactics can make us unreceptive to the problems in our world. Whether it be intensely emotional TV ads that make you switch the channel or print flyers that get tossed out, we’re finding ways to avoid harsh realities. To tackle the issue, charities are using new technology — and it seems to be working. VR is a new field that we’re still learning to navigate — so how are charities doing it, and how can they use the right medium for their needs? At…

This story continues at The Next Web