Towletech v.131: Star Wars, Google Glass, Terminator, Laser Watches, TGIF Drones, NASA Cats

Towletech v.131: Star Wars, Google Glass, Terminator, Laser Watches, TGIF Drones, NASA Cats

Star-wars

BY KYLER GEOFFROY

A weekly round-up of the best tech, science, and geek-related news from around the web

Road Is this the first footage from Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer rumored to debut next week?

Road In other “star wars” news, Russia is reportedly developing an “inspector satellite” that could chase down or destroy other orbiting spacecraft

Road And if your mind (and ears) are still swarming with all things Interstellar, be sure and check out this behind the scenes video for the sound of the film. 

 

Road On Thursday and Friday, Silicon Valley’s Singularity University was in Amsterdam for Summit Europe. The two day event centered around the concepts and consequences of exponential technologies. Check out SingularityHub’s coverage of the event, including the summit’s discussions on robotsartificial intelligence, and self-driving cars

PosterRoad Was Google Glass just a grand, failed experiment

Road The second phase of Expedition 42 blasted off to the ISS today, carrying commander Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency, flight engineer Terry Virts of NASA, and Italian flight engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency. They will be joining their other three crew members already on the ISS. The crew has also put together a humorous poster mimicking The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  

Road Check out the first image of Arnold Schwarzenegger back in the iconic role of a T-800 robot for next year’s Terminator: Genisys

Road Speaking of Terminator, Space X CEO Elon Musk recently said that he’s legitimately worried dangerous artificial intelligence (a la Skynet) is only five years away

Road A video on the future of sex, courtesy of The Verge

 

Road Check out this one of a kind, James Bond-inspired laser watch that pop balloons, light matches, and burn through CD cases all from a distance. Just don’t point it at your cat. 

Road Why the internet of things is bigger than anyone realizes

Road Two new sub-atomic particles have been discovered by CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. 

Road Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have an ambitious plan to use Oculus Rift to help complete Google’s Lunar Xprize – a $30 million competition to land a privately funded robot on the moon. 

Road Put this one down in the “insane, but heartwarming” category: TGI Friday’s in the United Kingdom are set to roll out mistletoe-armed drones inside restaurants to help encourage holiday kissing.

Ocean spiralRoad A Japanese construction company has unveiled a blueprint for a spiral ocean city that will be home to some 5,000 people and be ready for residents to move in as early as 2030.  

Road Harvard scientists say it’s time to start thinking about engineering the climate.  

Road Midterm surprise: Why the new GOP chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice, and Science could lead to a planned mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa

Road A fascinating look at how falling cats taught NASA astronauts about zero gravity back in 1969.


Kyler Geoffroy

www.towleroad.com/2014/11/towletech.html

Lesbian Couple's North Carolina Home Labeled with Anti-gay Slur on Google Maps: VIDEO

Lesbian Couple's North Carolina Home Labeled with Anti-gay Slur on Google Maps: VIDEO

Mann

North Carolina Teen Google Maps His House and Finds Anti-Gay Slur on Home Address: VIDEO

A 17-year-old teen found a nasty surprised when he Google mapped his Canton, North Carolina home reports The Advocate. Dakota Bonham, son of Jennifer Mann and Jodie Mcdaniel, switched to street view and found their home address renamed to “Fagits live here.” The couple expressed shock and surprise and say that they’ve never encountered any hostilities from neighbors in the four years they’ve lived on Hilltop Farm Road. The couple contacted Google to remove the heinous, albeit misspelled slur from the site.

Said Mann:

“My son was on Google Maps at school when he (searched) ‘street view’ for our address and it said, ‘Fagits live here.'”

“I just thought, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I tried to contact Google, but I was put on hold forever and ever and ever. This day and time, with people and hate, you just can’t live your life.”

Google finally took action when The Asheville-Citizen Times asked Google to remove the slur on behalf of Mann and McDaniel. The description stayed on the site for at least a month before it was finally removed on Wednesday.

McDaniel previously had a window sticker of two pink deer face to face, and that decal was visible from the street when the Google street mapping car came by last summer reports Asheville-Citizen TimesIt’s unclear who authorized the change; it’s possible that the change was created and authorized through Google Map Maker by fellow peers as Google only moderates “high-profile,” features however, Map Maker’s guidelines do state that obscene and profane content is not allowed. 

Bonham, who has two other siblings ages 23 and 15, expressed disgust over the discovery.

Said Bonham:

“I was just like, ‘What the hell?’ It’s just kind of messed up. They should kind of grow up a little bit.”

Watch Mann and McDaniel’s interview with WLOS-TV News, AFTER THE JUMP

  


Anthony Costello

www.towleroad.com/2014/11/googlemaps.html