Barista's edition for Fri 01 November 2013
Microsoft builds big giant Xbox One
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A colossal Xbox One console appears on the streets of Canada to celebrate the upcoming console's launch. How big? Well, taller than the average person. (Credit: Microsoft) A larger-than-life Xbox One appeared in downtown Vancouver on Wednesday. Just how big?
Flipboard lands a whale as it signs a deal to add Time Inc. magazines to its platform
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A A Flipboard has been under some pressure recently, based on complaints from publishers like Talking Points Memo that the company's magazine-style aggregation app uses their content but doesn't provide them with enough of a return. But those concerns don't seem to have stopped others from adopting the platform: according to AdWeek magazine, Time Inc.
Giant mirrors shine winter sun on dark Norwegian town
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Three remote-controlled mountaintop mirrors now reflect light on the shady valley town of Rjukan, which has never seen sunlight during winter. (Credit: Krister Soerboe/AFP/Getty Images) Residents of a remote Norwegian village are getting their first glimpse of winter sunlight, thanks to giant remote-controlled mirrors that reflect the sun's rays.
Innovative 'One Dollar Glasses' wins prize for empowering people in developing countries
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The Siemens Foundation announced the winners of an award for simple technology that empowers individuals. A project to supply cheap glasses in Africa won the top prize, with other entries including fish farms built in old shipping containers, mobile solar-powered kiosks and a special wheelchair adapted for off-duty use.
Victory! You Don't Have to Shut Off Your Electronics On Flights Anymore
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After years of will they or won't they, the US Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has finally given permission for airlines to allow passenger to use personal electronics for the entirety of their flights. Translation: You don't have to shut down your phone anymore. Finally.
Meet "badBIOS," the mysterious Mac and PC malware that jumps airgaps
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Three years ago, security consultant Dragos Ruiu was in his lab when he noticed something highly unusual: his MacBook Air, on which he had just installed a fresh copy of OS X, spontaneously updated the firmware that helps it boot. Stranger still, when Ruiu then tried to boot the machine off a CD ROM, it refused.
Scientist who invented glasses that help blind to 'see' wins £50,000 award
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A scientist who has invented a pair of intelligent spectacles that can help the blind to "see" with simple visual images and descriptions of nearby signs and objects has won a major scientific prize.
Hyperloop company forms, plans to demo prototype in 2015
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JumpStartFund, a crowdfunding site that has taken it upon itself to make Elon Musk's ultrafast hyperloop transit system a reality, has formed a now-operating company around the project called Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Inc. JumpStartFund released a timeline of planned milestones the company has set, including demoing hyperloop technology in early 2015.
Google announces the Nexus 5 with Android 4.4, on sale today for $349 (hands-on)
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It's about time. The Google-backed and LG-manufactured Nexus 5 is now really a reality, after countless rumors and leaks (a few of them coming from Google itself). The new device, which predictably boasts the latest and greatest version of Android known as KitKat (or 4.4, if you're so inclined), takes its place in the spotlight in place of the Nexus 4.