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Russian President Vladimir Putin checks out military quad-riding robot

Jan20
by on January 20, 2015 at 5:43 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider, Shareables, Videos

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From the headline it would seem that this would be the awesomest thing ever. A robot that rides a quad. The reality is a lot more meh. Sure the robot looks like a stormtrooper from Star Wars. And everyone knows quads always lead to a good time. But after a watching the robot-biker slowly make its way around the track in this video from RT, even the fire in the background can’t make this video as cool as it should be. Even Putin has trouble being excited about his country’s robot technology. You can see the moment he wishes he had stayed at…

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Quickie makes mobile conversations disappear, just like in real life

Jan20
by on January 20, 2015 at 5:00 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider

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A new app called Quickie, from the developers behind email app Hop, aims to make mobile conversations just like real life by sending messages as soon as they’re created and deleting them as soon as they’re read. The app is touted as a “live messaging app for the next generation” and it keeps it dead simple. Add up to eight of your close friends, then you can send quick messages, GIFs from your camera, voice messages, or drawings. Quickie’s sheer simplicity reminds me of how single-purpose apps like Yo quickly gained popularity; the friction to actually sending a message is completely…

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Google wants new FCC wireless spectrum for drones and internet balloons

Jan20
by on January 20, 2015 at 4:34 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

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Elon Musk may be trying to share the internet in remote places using high-altittude devices, but Google has been working on a similar idea since 2013 with Project Loon. Wireless airwaves are already quite cluttered, however, so Google is requesting new spectrum above the 24 GHz range to deliver signals from its internet balloons. Although those bands have typically been considered poor for mobile services, the company sent the FCC a letter suggesting the new bands could “be useful for offering broadband access via airborne platforms such as high-altitude balloons or unmanned aerial vehicles.” This suggests the new airwaves could also be used…

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Starbucks starts wireless charging pilot in the UK

Jan20
by on January 20, 2015 at 4:28 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider, UK

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Following on from the start of its US rollout in June last year, Starbucks is today starting to introduce wireless charging stations inside certain London locations. Unlike Qi-based, NFC charging, Starbucks’ system uses magnetic wireless charging, meaning you’ll need a little adapter to plug into your phone. The dongle’s, pictured below, are available for free use in store, or you can buy your own for £10, a spokesperson told TNW. For now, the trial is contained to just 10 stores in London, and there are no plans to take it further afield right now. However, in the US, the company pursued…

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Who were America’s biggest Web traffic winners and losers in 2014?

Jan20
by on January 20, 2015 at 3:52 pm
Posted In: Analysis and Opinion, Around the Web, Insider

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Who were the biggest winners and losers on the Web in the USA during 2014? At SimilarWeb, we looked closely at the data we collect about Web traffic to find out. We compared the ranks of 100 popular websites in the USA during October 2013 and October 2014. Here’s what we found… Here’s the full list of winners and losers: The losers: Japanese electronics manufacturers are having a hard time when it comes to sales at the moment. That’s reflected in their Web traffic, too, with Toshiba and Sony coming high in the Losers list. Other electronics manufacturers, like Cisco and…

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