If you ever come across a body of water with mysterious black balls, there actually shade balls, or small plastic spheres floated on top of a reservoir for environmental protection and to slow evaporation. Initially, they were developed to prevent birds from landing on toxic tailing ponds produced by mining operations. In 2014 – 2015, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power deployed 96 million shade balls on its largest reservoir in response to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s surface water treatment rule, a nd claims that in addition to reducing evaporation, they also reduce UV radiation by-products and algae growth. Read more for an up-close look video and additional information.
Videographer Guy Jones managed to get original Lumière Company footage of Paris, France during 1896-1900, and wanted to do some restoration work. So, instead of just cleaning up the artifacts, he added color, thanks to DeOldifty software, corrected the speed, and added a few authentic sound effects to really give people today a glimpse into the life of Parisians during those years. Read more for the clip and additional information.
SanDisk’s Ultra 400GB microSDXC Card with adapter can be picked up for just $56.99 shipped, today only, originally $77.90. Boasting transfer speeds of up to 100MB/s to ensure that you can move all your content blazingly fast, like 1200 photos in just one minute. It’s ideal for Android-based smartphones, tablets, action cameras, the Nintendo Switch, and this card’s A1 rating means that you can load apps faster too. Product page. Read more for two hands-on video reviews and additional information.
Ubisoft announced today that their VR Escape Room experience, called “Beyond Medusa’s Gate,” has launched at more than 100 location-based entertainment centrers across the US and Europe. This virtual reality adventure that is designed as a co-operative multiplayer VR experience where players are transported to the world of Ancient Greece where they must team up in order to solve a series of complex puzzles that include various activities, including interaction with ancient objects, climbing, shooting arrows, and more.
Priced from $669, the OnePlus 7 Pro features a 6.67-inch Fluid AMOLED display (3,120 x 1,440), a Snapdragon 855 chipset, up to 12GB of RAM, 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.0 internal storage, a triple camera rear setup (48-megapixel f/1.7 main camera with optical stabilization, an 8-megapixel f/2.4 3x-zoom telephoto camera as well as a 16-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide), a 4,000mAh battery, and “Warp Charge” fast charging. What sets this apart from other smartphones in this price range is its front 16-megapixel pop-up selfie camera that can lift a 49-pound cement block. Read more for a full video review, hands-on pictures and additional information.
New York-based AI SpaceFactory has taken home the top prize in NASA’s “Centennial Challenge,” defeating 60 other teams during the course of the competition. Called “MARSHA,” this 15-foot-tall habitat was 3D-printed using an advanced robotic process that uses biodegradable basalt composite derived from Mars’ naturally-occurring sediment. Its vertical design focuses on letting in natural light, while sticking with renewable, plant-based bioplastics, and an ecosystem that thrives under the Red Planet’s sometimes unhospitable conditions. Read more for another video, additional pictures and information.
Photo credit: Daily Mail
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos not only unveiled Blue Origin’s lunar lander last week, but also his plan for space colonization. His idea is based on the concept by physicist Gerard O’Neill, or ring worlds that large enough for entire cities, agricultural areas, attractions, and national parks in outer space. Each one of these self-sustaining habitats could house ‘a million people or more’ and would have the ‘ideal climate’ at all times, ‘like Maui on its best day, all year long,’ said Bezos.
Photo credit: Photo Rumors
The DJI Osmo Action has been leaked ahead of its official reveal later this week on May 15th. It’s speculated to feature a 1/2.3-inch Sony IMX377 12-megapixel CMOS image sensor and can record video at up to 4K @ 60fps and 120fps @ 1080p. The Ambarella H2 image processing chip include an image stabilization system and also comes equipped with a dual LCD display as well as a 145-degree capturing angle (f2.8) lens. Read more for another picture and additional information.
Photo credit: The Verge
Lenovo unveiled the world’s first foldable PC at the Accelerate conference in Florida. When it’s released in 2020, it will be a part of the company’s ThinkPad X1 lineup and labeled as a laptop replacement. No technical specifications have been released, but we do know that it sports a 13.3-inch OLED display that closes in upon itself. There’s a magnetic latches, and when open, the computer lays flat on the table. Read more for another hands-on video, additional pictures and information.
Set to be revealed at VivaTech in Paris on May 16, the Citroën 19_19 Concept is an all-electric crossover boasting a 497 miles range, suspended cabin technology (Progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension, combined with smart active control), and autonomous driving technology. Using artificial intelligence, the concept car is equipped with a personal assistant integrated in the dashboard that takes over the vehicle during autonomous driving phases and interacts with passengers via a predictive and proactive system that anticipates the needs of each occupant. On the outside, you’ll find a transparent double bonnet, a full LED light signature partition, concave rear window, a visible LiDAR system mounted on the roof and a subframe.