Arcade fame turns to infamy as Billy Mitchell’s record-setting Donkey Kong score is invalidated

The record-setting score that settled the Donkey Kong arcade rivalry, made famous by the documentary The King of Kong, has been invalidated by Twin Galaxies, the de facto arbiter of arcade world records. What’s more, Billy Mitchell, the occasionally controversial player who set the scores, has been permanently banned from consideration for future records. It’s… Continue reading Arcade fame turns to infamy as Billy Mitchell’s record-setting Donkey Kong score is invalidated

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Covering “Virtual Insanity” in virtual reality

A musician from Raleigh, North Carolina named Chase Holfelder, recorded a cover of Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity,” a stonerific acid jazz anthem that should be familiar to ’90s kids. This version, however, is recorded entirely inside a virtual reality rig with the help of the HTC Vive and VRScout. Holfelder used the SoundScape VR project to… Continue reading Covering “Virtual Insanity” in virtual reality

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Luminar puts its lidar tech into production through acquisitions and smart engineering

When Luminar came out of stealth last year with its built-from-scratch lidar system, it seemed to beat established players like Velodyne at their own game — but at great expense and with no capability to build at scale. After the tech proved itself on the road, however, Luminar got to work making its device better,… Continue reading Luminar puts its lidar tech into production through acquisitions and smart engineering

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DroneShield is keeping hostile UAVs away from NASCAR events

If you were hoping to get some sweet drone footage of a NASCAR race in progress, you may find your quadcopter grounded unceremoniously by a mysterious force: DroneShield is bringing its anti-drone tech to NASCAR events at the Texas Motor Speedway. The company makes a handful of products, all aimed at detecting and safely intercepting… Continue reading DroneShield is keeping hostile UAVs away from NASCAR events

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Who’s a good AI? Dog-based data creates a canine machine learning system

We’ve trained machine learning systems to identify objects, navigate streets, and recognize facial expressions, but as difficult as they may be, they don’t even touch the level of sophistication required to simulate, for example, a dog. Well, this project aims to do just that — in a very limited way, of course. By observing the… Continue reading Who’s a good AI? Dog-based data creates a canine machine learning system

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FTC warns companies that void warranties over using 3rd party services

The days of reading the small print to see whether a repair or new part for your ailing laptop will void its warranty may be coming to an end. The FTC has officially warned several companies that their policies of ceasing support when a user attempts “non-approved” repairs or servicing are likely illegal. It’s the… Continue reading FTC warns companies that void warranties over using 3rd party services

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b8ta unveils Shopify-like solution for retail stores

b8ta, the store founded by Nest alums to sell trendy gadgets, is entering new territory. Today, the startup is launching “Built by b8ta,” which functions as a retail-as-a-service platform for brands that want a physical presence. Building off the success of its own retail stores, b8ta is confident it can provide an easy, cost-effective solution… Continue reading b8ta unveils Shopify-like solution for retail stores

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Google Home and Google Home Mini smart speakers go on sale in India

Google’s two smart speaker products — the Google Home and Google Home Mini — and its Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones are now available in India following a launch event in the country. The devices are priced at Rs 9,999 ($154), and Rs 4,499 ($69), respectively, and Google confirmed that they are available for purchase online via… Continue reading Google Home and Google Home Mini smart speakers go on sale in India

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Conserve the Sound is an archive of noises from old tape players, projectors, and other dying tech

All of us grew up around tech different from what we have today, and many of us look back on those devices with fondness. But can you recall the exact sound your first Casio keyboard made, or the cadence of a rotary phone’s clicks? Conserve the Sound aims to, well, conserve the sound of gadgets… Continue reading Conserve the Sound is an archive of noises from old tape players, projectors, and other dying tech

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Apple releases a red iPhone 8

Apple is doing it again. The company just unveiled a new version of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. It has a bright red enclosure and a black front. A portion of Apple’s proceeds will fund HIV/AIDS grants from the Global Fund. Other than that, it’s an iPhone 8. You’ll get the exact same… Continue reading Apple releases a red iPhone 8

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