The auto industry’s efforts in creating more ecologically-friendly cars are focused on the development and improvement of either full electric cars or that of the hydrogen-powered fuel cell. Although many companies have fully embraced the development of better electric cars and their batteries, other companies placed their bets on the success of hydrogen fuel cells.

One such company is Hyundai, which released its first hydrogen-powered car back in 2014, equipped with the Hyundai Tucson Fuell Cell.  Although it was a commendable effort by the company, the range of the car was eclipsed by other similar offers from Honda or Toyota. However, it seems instead of calling it quits, Hyundai has been hard at work developing their next generation of hydrogen fuel cell.

According to a new report from Motor Trend, the company is currently in the process of completing a new generation of fuel cells for SUVs, which will be capable of increasing the range of the company’s car by up to 30 percent. This translates into a max range of 348 miles on single charge.

Although this new fuel cell will put Hyundai ahead of its competitors like Honda’s Clarity Fuel Cell which has a range of 366 miles or the Toyota Mirai offering 312 miles. The range of hydrogen-powered cars is more important than on electric cars due to its undeveloped infrastructure, an issue which electric car manufacturers have addressed over the years, at least in the United States, like Tesla’s network of Supercharger stations.

Despite the buzz generated by Hyundai’s new fuel cell, the report reveals that the technology will only be available starting with January 2018, with an official reveal to happen sometime in 2017, as well as details regarding its price and marketing. The report places the SUV equipped with the second-generation hydrogen fuel cell at around $50,000. However, it’s unclear whether or not the company will keep the leasing program it currently has in place for their Tucson SUV in the US.

Furthermore, as promising as Hyundai’s new fuel cell sounds, it could once again be eclipsed by its competitors, if they manage to develop similar improvements in their fuel cell technology. Especially so, if they will release it around the same period.

Image source: Wikimedia

The Eye Tribe was acquired by Oculus, the VR technology from Facebook. This is a great acquisition for Facebook which realized that for better VR they need an eye tracking company like the Eye Tribe.

The first rumors about this acquisition were made public in a Facebook post by Robert Scoble. This acquisition was also confirmed by a spokesperson from Facebook. The terms of this deal were not made public yet.

The Danish startup, The Eye Tribe was launched in 2011 by 4 students from the IT University of Copenhagen. The startup was created in order to make eye tracking accessible to the masses. This is why Facebook acquired them for Oculus.

The eye tracking technology that is provided by The Eye Tribe is a great fit for Oculus because it offers a simplified and enhanced user experience. The eye tracking devices for computers have a small price of $99. This is another advantage for Facebook.

Many people are wondering how Oculus is going to use the technology that the eye tracking company is developing. The company already produced special technology for VR that generates perfect graphics that can save computational power.

The technology for VR is named The Eye Tribe Tracker Pro and it allows every user to connect a device to another computer machine so that it can monitor eye movement when a person is reading a sheet music or scrolling down a page.

This is a great step for Oculus and it is going to make it even better. The eye tracking tech is important for Oculus and is going to be a great partnership for both of the companies. The Danish startup has taken a grant from The Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation of $2.3 million.

This acquisition is great for Oculus and it is certain that the Danish startup is going to benefit from this too. Let’s wait and see what new features is going to have Oculus after it starts using the eye tracking tech too. 2017 is going to be a great year for technology.

What is your opinion about Oculus? Are you interested in the VR technology?

Image source: Flickr

A large part of fiction involving robots portrays humans able to pilot large mechanized suits, or more commonly known as mecha, as the term was popularized by the famous Japanese manga Gundam.  Scientists were able to create a manned robot which has a similar function to a mecha portrayed in various works of fictions, including the movie Avatar.

A team of engineers from the Hankook Mirae Technology company in South Korea has built a 13-feet tall manned robot named Method-2. The robot is controlled by a human pilot located in the cockpit inside the robot and can take several steps just like a human. However, it can be quite a hazard as weighs around 1.5 tons.

The Method-2 manned robot successfully completed its initial tests conducted by a team of 30 engineers from the robotics company during the afternoon of December 27. The Hankook Mirae Technology chairman, Yang Jin-Ho issued a statement claiming that the company’s robot is the first and only bipedal manned robot in the world. Method-2 was built with the purpose of working in conditions such as extreme hazards, where humans cannot go without adequate protection.

The manned robot closely resembles the military robots seen in the movie Avatar, when the pilot was placed inside the machine so that it can pilot it. The current Method-2 manned robot is still far from other giants manned robots, as it does even have the same functionality as the robots in Avatar who are lighter and respond more quickly to commands allowing the pilot for a greater flexibility.

Nonetheless, the Method-2 is able to mimic the pilot’s limb movements, despite its arms weighing around 286 pounds each and it around two times taller than the average height of a man. Due to its excessive weight, every time the robot takes a step the ground shakes and its many motors produce a loud whirring sound.

The manned robot costed around $200 million to develop since 2014, money invested by Yang as he wanted to his childhood dream of building a robot become a reality. The project was not without its challenges, as the size of the robot was at an unprecedented scale and they had no reference point in building it. Further research and development are still required on its power and balance systems.

Image credit: Hankook Mirae Technology

As the largest and most popular search engine in the world, Google can be an amazing tool for people to learn more about the world, but it can even lead to the spread of propaganda and misinformation if it isn’t adequately managed.

For example, when users search for certain keywords like Holocaust denial, you can expect several authoritative sites showing undisputed evidence of that atrocious historical event. However, there are some sites promoted by groups that either don’t believe the Holocaust happened or they just want people to think that. One such site, Stormfront, supported by Neo-Nazi and supremacist groups was at the top of Google’s search results for Holocaust denial alongside the sites of Jewish museums.

This situation was first reported by the marketing director of the Breman Museum located in Atlanta, Georgia. The museum is paying Google in advertisements fees so that it is promoted among the first search results when people search Holocaust-related terms. However, the Holocaust denial site Stormfront did not pay such fees and it was still the top result despite being a hateful website promoting false information.

The Breman Museum filed a complaint with the company and as a result, Google has made various tweaks to its search algorithm so that other sites similar to Stormfront, which are promoting hate and false facts like the denial of the Holocaust will no longer be shown in the first few pages of the search results. Furthermore, Google has emphasized its search algorithm with offer users more credible content with better quality. It will also take direct actions against non-authoritative sites promoting misinformation.

Google’s current standing regarding this matter has changed since it first came to light. The company initially did not want to take any action, expressing their commitment to a free and open internet. This position was similar to that of Facebook in regards to their fake news controversy. However, facing an increasing amount of backlash, they decided to implement the discussed changes.

At this point, Holocaust denial site, Stormfront is still showing on the first page of the search results, but it’s gradually losing its standing as it takes time for Google’s changes to their search algorithm to have a full effect. The company has also stated that such tweaks can be challenging and it does not always get it right on the first try.

China is one of the world’s largest markets for smartphones regarding their production as well as sale. As a result, there a large number of lesser-known companies who are trying to make strides with the Chinese consumers. One of the most recent devices to launch is the Gionee M2017 after it was previously revealed through a number of leaks.

The phone was previously reported to receive certification from TENAA, which is China’s equivalent to the US’s FCC. However, the company did not issue any precise release date for the device, only stating that it will release in 2016. As the year comes to the end, the launch of the device was inevitable and it finally became official today.

The previous leaks showcasing the capabilities, design and features of the Gionee M2017 can be found the official version of the powerful smartphone which has an interesting, sports design.  The phone casing is mostly made out of metal, with a black leather-like material on the back.

In regards to its technical specs, the Gionee M2017 features a curved 5.7-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) AMOLED display protected by sapphire glass. The screen is slightly overkill for a smartphone but it will surely turn some heads, as the whole purpose of the phone seems to be to attract attention.

The Gionee M2017 is powered by mid-range Snapdragon 653 64-bit octa-core processor coupled with an Adreno 510 GPU for high-fidelity graphics. The phone has a whopping 6 GB of RAM, two SIM card slots, which will allow for multiple provider connections. It also comes in two variants of storage capacity, 128 GB/ 256 GB.

The Gionee M2017 features two back camera sensors, a 12-mp and 13-mp cameras coupled with a LED flash. The front of the device is home to an 8-mp camera. The phone will ship with Android 6.0 Marshmallow with the Gionee Amigo OS 3.5 installed on top of it. Finally, the phone will be powered by a huge 7,000 mAh battery which also includes Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0.

The phone will come in two editions, the standard one costing $1,007 depending on your storage capacity, while the special edition which features Italian custom alligator leather on the back will drive you $2, 446 back for just the 128 GB model.

Image credit: Gionee

BlackBerry has been a dwindling force in the smartphone market in the last few years, but that hasn’t stopped them from developing one last phone named BlackBerry Mercury which is set to be officially unveiled at CES 2017. However, a number of leaks already revealed the design and some of the specs of the company’s latest phone.

Whether it will impress or disappoint, the BlackBerry Mercury, as the phone has been codenamed during its development, it will go down in the history of the industry, as another manufacturer decides to retire its hardware business to focus more on the side of software.

BlackBerry is mostly known for their smartphones featuring the classic QWERTY keyboards, and for their last device, they decided to stick with this design, although it proved extremely unpopular in the smartphone age. Nonetheless, in addition to previous leaks, the most recent one shows the BlackBerry Mercury, whose official commercial name is still unknown, running on Android Nougat 7.0.

The phone will also feature a fingerprint scanner integrated into the spacebar coupled with other identity verification methods due to its various mobile payment software, which is expected to be available on the BlackBerry Mercury. According to the new leak, the phone will be available in the US and it will support Verizon’s CDMA network.

In terms of specs, which are uncertain if they are final or not, the BlackBerry Mercury features a 4.5-inch screen with 1920 x 1080 resolution, powered by a 3400mAh battery. It will include 3GB of RAM, only 32 GB of storage capacity as well as an 18-mp rear camera and an 8-mp front-facing sensor. A lot of uncertainty surrounds its CPU, which many expect to be either a Snapdragon 625 or 821.

The BlackBerry Mercury will be the last phone under the company’s brand as they have licensed their hardware to TCL Communication Technology Holdings based in China. As such, the company has become the fourth-largest phone manufacturer in North America.

Although leaks can be unreliable, and those excited for the new handset should take any information with a grain of salt, the official reveal of the phone is right around the corner, on January 5^th.

What do you think about the BlackBerry Mercury?

Image credit: BlackBerry

Facebook plays an important role in people’s lives since many users prefer getting their news from the platform, from a variety of publishers which appear in their news feeds. Despite the social network’s impact and the ability to regulate what content people see, Mark Zuckerberg has been reluctant to admit that Facebook is a media company, until now.

After Facebook and Zuckerberg faced backlash for its lack of action to prevent the spread of fake news, which may have helped elect Donald Trump, Zuckerberg downplayed the role of fake news in changing people mind or the course of the election. However, Facebook recently changed their tune regarding fake news, accepting their role in the problem and taking steps to address it.

Zuckerberg took a further step in accepting the reality of the role and impact of Facebook in today’s society during a live video stream on Wednesday. Together with Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, he discussed 2016 in summary and what it meant for Facebook as well as what we can expect in 2017. More importantly, he stated that Facebook is not a traditional media company, as the social is more than a distributor of news, it plays an important role in the public discourse.

This statement implies that Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Facebook, has finally come to terms about the impact Facebook has in society, which mostly acts as a media company, but until now wasn’t ready to assume the responsibility that comes with it. However, unlike traditional media companies, Facebook does not create the content themselves, and this is what sets it apart from other forms of media.

Facebook’s news feed is mainly responsible for the increasing aspect of a media company that Facebook has unwillingly adopted, since it acts like an editor, determining what content people see, from who and when. Furthermore, even the company’s leaders who determine the community standards, as well as content policies, act as editors, determining whether people should see or not various controversial content like nude historical photographs or reports of police shootings.

As such, Facebook is able to incorporate common elements from both a tech company which only publishes content on their platform, and a media company, by deciding who and what see the respective content.

Image source: Pixabay

Fitbit fitness trackers are very popular among exercise and sports enthusiasts. Although Fitbit is in the process of finalizing the deal regarding the acquisition of Pebble, that doesn’t mean the company doesn’t have time to freshen up their line of Charge 2 fitness trackers with new features. The added functionality comes through a new software update released on Wednesday.

The Fitbit Charge 2 is the company’s flagship fitness tracker. When it was released back in September, it didn’t make much of splash on a market already overcrowded with smartwatches and other wearable devices. However, thanks to a new software update, Fitbit Charge 2 owners will receive a few new features, some of which have long been requested by users.

One of the most notable and long-requested features for Fitbit’s fitness trackers is the ability to pause and resume workouts. You can’t and you shouldn’t continuously exercise without a proper short-break. Until now, users had no way to pause their workouts, which seems like a simple function but one that took Fitbit quite some time to implement. The feature will allow you to track only the time when you are actively exercising.

Another new feature is the heart rate zone visualization which will show your exact heart rate zone during a multisport activity. This allows users to know exactly what they need to do get into the next zone.

Among the most overdue features which only now has been implemented is the battery indicator. Before the software update, users could only see the exact battery life of their Fitbit Charge fitness tracker through their smartphone app. Now, the device itself will include a battery indicator.

If you weren’t always able to synchronize your training with your pattern of breathing, then the new Fitbit Charge 2 feature can help you out. The device will produce a light buzzing sound when you need to inhale and exhale. This will allow users to focus more on the exercise. This feature is also complemented by a new do not disturb mode which will block all notifications.

Finally, the Fitbit Charge 2 will now display the time in hours, minutes, and seconds all the time, so you will have precise data regarding your training regiment.

Image source: Fitbit

After Google has revealed that they’re stopping the development of their own self-driving car, the company’s division was renamed Waymo, and it is currently interested in collaborating with established automakers so that they can implement their self-driving tech in their cars.

Google’s Waymo and a Honda Motor’s subsidiary responsible for research and development, are currently in talks to form a partnership. The collaboration would likely involve integrating Waymo’s self-driving tech with Honda’s vehicles. More specifically, Waymo will have to install a number of sensors, radars, as well as a computing platform and its software on a number of Honda cars for testing.

Although Honda has its ongoing efforts at developing the required technology for a self-driving car, their partnership with Waymo will allow the company to explore a different approach in bringing the self-driving tech to the market.

Patrick Moorhead, the president and main analyst at Moor insights & Strategy said that these types of collaborations between an established automaker and a tech company investing into self-driving tech are to be expected and makes sense for both companies. Developing a fully autonomous car requires a great deal of resources and effort, a task which can be facilitated by joining the expertise of each company. He also expects that Apple will very likely announce a similar collaboration with another company, by developing only the self-driving tech and not the entire car.

Honda is aiming to release fully self-driving cars for public use by 2020. However, until then, they have said that if a partnership is established with Waymo, then the company’s R&D engineers from both Silicon Valley and Tochigi, Japan will work closely with Waymo developers from Novi, Michigan as well as Mountain View, California.

Additionally, the collaboration will consist with Honda delivering a number of vehicles which can be modified with the self-driving tech from Waymo. These vehicles will then join the company’s existing fleet of test autonomous cars tested around the US. Waymo has already established such a partnership with Fiat Chrysler which has already supplied the company with 100 Chrysler Pacifica Minivan ready for testing.

Neither Google nor Waymo specifically, released any statements on the discussions with Honda.

Image source: Flickr

Similar to all other Apple products, a brand-new Apple Watch is more expensive than other similar products from its competitors. However, you can now save some money by purchasing a certified refurbished Apple Watch Series 1 or Series 2 online or from select retailers.

Although the prices for refurbished Apple Watches start at around $229, they can go up quite fast depending on the model, band and other features you might want, up to $509. Nonetheless, it seems that customers interested in refurbished Apple Watches no matter its price can still save at least 15 percent over the brand-new version.

This marks the first time that Apple has started selling refurbished Apple Watches since they first launched back in early 2015. The refurbished section on Apple’s website includes both the Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2 with various configurations and prices. However, no original Apple Watch models are included.

The shop includes both the aluminum and stainless steel versions of the Apple Watch, in either 38 or 42 mm size options, which also include sport bands with a wide variety of colors. The aluminum Apple Watch Models start at $229 for the 38mm model, which is $40 cheaper than a new one. The 38mm stainless steel version starts at $469, with $80 off.

If you’re looking to purchase a refurbished Apple Watch, it’s important to know that the stock varies on daily basis depending on what models Apple has on hand. Nonetheless, supplies of select models are known to not last long but the refurbished stock is replenished on a regular basis.

You should also know that all refurbished Apple Watches sold on the company’s website include magnetic charging cables, as well as a one-year warranty, in a similar fashion to a new product. However, only Series 2 models come with a power adapter, unlike the Series 1.

It’s worth noting that the refurbished Apple Watches are also available at third-party retailers, usually at a better price than on Apple’s website. For example, Target offers the cheapest version of the Apple Watch Series 1 for $199, which is $30 cheaper than Apple’s offering

Are you interested in buying a refurbished watch? Do you think that the price drop is worth the risk?

Image source: Flickr