Can an artificial intelligence system get a standing ovation at the TED conference?
That's the challenge for the brand-new A.I. XPrize, announced Thursday at TED in Vancouver by XPrize Foundation head Peter Diamandis.
Unlike most XPrizes, which have clear rules and goals, this one is a bit more free-form. Described as "a modern-day Turing test,
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You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
When Google decided to ship most of Motorola over to China and its new home with Lenovo, it held on to Moto's Advanced Technologies and Projects division, which has been working on some of the more crazy, and Google X-like, initiatives -- like a modular smartphone (Project Ara) and a 3D-mapping phone (Project Tango).
It seems as though the only phones Google is truly interested in making in-house are those that push the boundaries of what a smartphone is and is meant to do. Now we have some idea of what the Project Tango phone, which is kind of like taking Google's mapping and Street View initiatives down to an even more detailed level, will shape up to be.
On Friday, Myce.com spotted some of the details of the Project Tango phone in the Chrome issue tracker, where developers are looking to add support for the specialized phone to Google's browser. The post reveals that the Tango phone utilizes a rather basic 4-megapixel rear shooter. But the real sausage gets made with the extra lenses you're not likely to find on any other Android smartphones, namely a 180-degree fisheye camera, a depth-of-field camera, and a front camera with a 120-degree field-of-view. The latter is described as mimicking the field of view of the human eye.
Related storiesProject Tango in picturesMan with a vision: Movidius' CEO talks Project Tango (Q&A)Google's Project Tango whips up new mapping techAll this gets jammed into a 5-inch prototype smartphone that Google hopes to send out to a few hundred developers to play around with. The Project Tango phone allows for 3D-mapping of the environment around it, theoretically making it possible for Google to go beyond just providing a view from the streets of the world to rendering all surfaces in the world.
I'm not sure if the potential for such a project is more exciting or terrifying, given that the NSA has reportedly disguised itself as Google in the past for spying purposes. Yikes!
In case you missed it last month, here's a look at Project Tango.
Topics: Smartphones, Future tech, Android Tags: Project Tango, Android, Motorola, ATAP, Google, ChromeWhile this is no Monsieur, this DIY Arduino project may be the next best thing. The system uses a kitchen scale, a little amplifier, and an Arduino Uno (you can add in a Bluetooth chip if you want this to be wireless.) You place the shaker on the scale and a connected Android device prompts you to put in various boozes, measuring each pour in real time. When you’ve poured in enough liquid, it goes to the next tipple and so on until you’re ready to shake and drink.
The full instructions are on Adafruit’s website and all-told you need about $60 in parts to make this. Obviously you’re missing a case and maybe a nicer app, but at the very least you can ensure your gimlet is perfect every single time thanks to the power of robots. Writes the creator, Tony DiCola:
This project is a great example of how to hack a kitchen scale into a tool for making drinks with an Android application. You can use the code from this project as an example of how to communicate between an Android device and an Arduino through a USB or bluetooth connection.Skol!
Project Spark is pretty, encourages creativity and incorporates Kinect directly. The sandbox/game-creation tool became available for Windows 8.1 users back in December, and today it's entering beta on the Xbox One as well. "Does that mean there's a new, free thing on my Xbox One?" you might be asking. Yes, yes it does. Hot dog!
Project Spark isn't in the XB1 store, so how do you get it? The announcement points to a still-active beta sign-up page, so it seems that interested parties still have a few hoops to jump through before getting in. (If you're already in the Windows 8.1 beta, you're in the XB1 version.) Interestingly, there are already several entries on the store for "Spark Tokens" in 500 token increments ($4.99 equals 500); beta or not, it looks like Microsoft's interested in monetizing Spark from the jump. For the full FAQ on the beta, head right here.
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More Coverage: Project Spark beta, Project Spark beta FAQ
Tags: beta, hdpostcross, kinect, microsoft, openbeta, projectspark, teamdakota, xboxone Next: LG G Pro 2 review: new year, new Note contenderMicrosoft’s ambitious Project Spark open world game creator launched in beta on Windows 8.1 back in December, with the promise that it would make its way to the Xbox One eventually, too. Today is the day that it ships on the next-generation gaming console, making it possible for Spark creators to build games on Windows 8.1 and play on their Xbox One, or vice versa.
The beta so far has amassed 250,000 sign-ups, according to Microsoft, with “hundreds” more adding their names to the list daily. Microsoft is gating access to the open game building tool, which is likely a wise idea given that it’s a collaborative game creation engine that must carry a heavy server load, and also likely brings a number of challenges in terms of making sure user-created content is appropriate, fun and engaging.
Expansion to Xbox One could open up the gates to a new audience of potential creators, but it’s probably more interesting as a way to get gamers thinking about designing for different platforms, and evaluating their creations in light of the specific demands of console tech. This is also a prime example of how Microsoft’s decision to go with x86-based processor architecture makes it easier to build cross-platform experiences that extend to both Windows and Xbox – seamless cross-platform play like this likely would’ve been far more technically challenging, if not impossible, with the Xbox 360.
To get started with the Spark beta, you still have to go sign up at Microsoft’s teaser page.
Source: GigaPixel ArtZoom
Seattle Times, Fast Company Design Tags: 360, art, gigapixelartzoom, microsoft, panorama, photosynth, seattle Next: Netflix 'post-play' feature that automatically jumps to the next episode is now optional .fyre .fyre-comment-divider
on Jan 6th 2014 5:30PM0
Time hasn't been kind to our old pal Duke Nukem, but fans will soon be able to relive Duke's glory days with an iOS port of the 2002 PC side-scroller Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project, due out later this week from publisher Spawn Studios.Duke Nukem is back in Duke Nukem Manhattan Project! New York City is being overrun by a mutant menace and it's time to de-worm the Big Apple. This explosive 3-D action game features the politically incorrect action hero defending the city that never sleeps, and its babes, from the evil Mech Morphix across 24 levels from Chinatown to Space. A super-sized collection of weapons, enemies and bosses await.
Show moreMSRP10.00 USD
Release DateAvailable Now
GenreShooter
Developer3D Realms
PublisherXbox LIVE Arcade
RatingM (Mature)
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EngadgetKindle for iOS updated with flashcards, notebook ...Equil JOT nabs Evernote integration for easy ...meMini's wearable camera gives you the gift of ...TUAWEvening news roundup for January 6, 2013 ...Cut the Rope 2 perfects the art of having in-app ...8 Time Machine excuses that don't make sense ...MassivelyNot So Massively: LoL downed by DDoS attack, Star ...The Stream Team: Heroics continue in World of ...DayZ destroys Hall's early sales expectations ...WoWThe WoW Insider Show LIVE! ...How to PvP ...WoW Moviewatch: Brief History of WoW ...AOL TechJoystiq© 2014 AOL Inc. All rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Trademarks | AOL A-Z HELP | About Our Ads | Advertise With Us
TrendingCES 2014Xbox OnePlayStation 4iPad AiriPad mini 2Nokia Lumia 1520Nexus 5Windows 8.1HomeReviewsPC & MacTabletsHands on: AMD Project Discovery Tablet review Tweet Hands on: AMD Project Discovery Tablet reviewHands OnSpecificationsBest PricesComments 
Hands on: AMD Project Discovery Tablet reviewForExcellent build qualityPC-esque graphics performanceSets an exciting standardAgainstNo commercial release in sight TechRadar Recommended deal Hands on: AMD Project Discovery Tablet review This concept gaming tablet could've fooled us By Joe Osborne 7th Jan 2014 | 07:470 CommentsIn addition to its shiny new Kaveri APUs, AMD had plenty in store on the mobile gaming front. During a CES 2014 press conference, AMD revealed more information on its new mobile APU in the works, codenamed Mullins, designed for tablets and fan-less form factor designs.
The chip maker claims that Mullins offers "more than two times the performance per watt of the previous generation mobile chip." (That's Temash, for those keeping score.) To show off just that AMD brought its internally-developed, 11-inch gaming tablet along with a controller cradle with a Mullins APU inside.
Upon showing the device, known simply as the Project Discovery Tablet, company SVP Lisa Su immediately warned that this device will not see a commercial release. This Mullins-equipped slate is merely to show manufacturing partners what will be possible with AMD's latest mobile chip when it lands in the second half of this year.
But commercial is so closeAs soon as I got my hands on one of these Mullins tablets, I couldn't help but ask an AMD representative whether the company was considering creating hardware in the future despite Lisa's disclaimer. I asked out of hope, because for a purely concept device, the Project Discovery Tablet has the look and feel of a retail-ready product.
Running full 64-bit Windows 8 and housed in a brushed magnesium shell, the Mullins tablet is a sight to behold, but not so much to hold. Despite being extremely thin and light for its size, this tablet didn't lend itself for one-handed use. The idea here is for the slate to remain in the controller cradle for as long as possible.
Using the cradle controller revealed the Project Discovery Tablet's concept roots, with its joysticks proving to be a little too far from the face buttons on either side. Plus, the shoulder triggers were too far below and behind the large, soft bumper buttons. Regardless, playing Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 displayed snappy, responsive controls. Part of this is thanks to AMD's DockPort technology, which allows its APUs to use DisplayPort inputs for all sorts of data transfer, including physical input, audio and even power.
Admittedly, this is a design that has been done before by the likes of Razer and others. At any rate, it's clear that AMD spent a considerable amount of research and development funds to craft a concept machine to inspire OEMs. As a result, AMD showed off some serious hardware chops.
Mullins makes games look goodMore importantly, the Mullins APU – which an AMD representative declined to reveal any specs on – showed some impressive game performance. While I can't speak to clock speed or cores inside the Mullins SoC that I tested, we do know that Mullins is built on a 28-nanometer architecture using Radeon graphics.
During my time with Pro Evolution Soccer 2013, I witnessed zero frame rate dips or stuttering. I imagine, given that PES 2013 isn't a terribly demanding game, that it was running on either medium or high settings, which speaks to Mullins' power. Frankly, it was exciting to see a PC-grade game running on a mobile SoC with no issue.
Early verdictUltimately, I'm just bummed that the Project Discovery Tablet will probably never get into consumers' hands again after CES 2014. If AMD put its mind to it with the goal of making lots of dough, the company could easily craft a truly beastly, holistic mobile gaming solution designed around its upcoming Mullins chip.
As consolation, I'll take proof of AMD's dedication to both mobile and traditional gaming. We're getting closer to matching PC-level gaming experiences on mobile devices every year, and Mullins looks like it could be a leap in that direction.
See more tabletsRead more on this subject... Related news AMD entering the tablet business? New images reveal all-new device The year of the APU: AMD says 2014 is shaping up to be a big one In the pursuit of FPS: how AMD and Nvidia are tackling PC gaming optimizationRelated reviews AMD Project Discovery Tablet review Valve Steam Controller review Nvidia Tegra K1 review In Depth In the pursuit of FPS: how AMD and Nvidia are tackling PC gaming optimization Intel: we want to make all your devices smart First look: Valve SteamOS Add your commentType your comment here.You need to log in or join to add comments.Hello, you are logged in as Not you, eh? Log out, log in as another user or joinBy submitting this form you agree to our Terms of Use and so are legally responsible for anything you submit. DO NOT submit anything which may violate the Terms of Use or another person\'s rights including copyrighted or offensive materials. 0 commentsAdd comment'Hands on reviews' are a journalist's first impressions of a piece of kit based on spending some time with it. It may be just a few moments, or a few hours. The important thing is we have been able to play with it ourselves and can give you some sense of what it's like to use, even if it's only an embryonic view. For more information, see TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee.
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Speaking as someone who’s considered spending nearly $1,000 on a full Stormtrooper costume multiple times, I’m very interested in a new crowdfunding project designed to build and mass produce a complete Iron Man suit with electronic features like an automatic sliding faceplate. The Iron Man Mark III project from Iron Man Factory, which must violate at least 80 licensing agreements, also just looks so damn cool that I’m going to hope beyond hope it somehow gets made.
The prototype in the video is fully 3D-printed, and also features a number of light-up aesthetic features, powered by AAA batteries. It’s lightweight, weighing in at only 3kg (6.6 lbs) and features metal joints with a carbon fiber/polymer body. Anyone under 5’6″ or much over 6’1″ need not apply, according to the specifications, which means even if I want it so badly my entire body burns I’d be taking a risk on not quite fitting within.
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