Monthly Archives: January 2022

A Swedish start-up tech company announced earlier this month that it invented a scannable microchip that is implanted in peoples arms and can display your COVID-19 vaccination status. This digital implant is designed to be embedded into people's arms so your vaccine passport pops up when scanned.

While new in humans, this kind of technology is very common for household pets, where most of them are embedded with a microchip that reveals the animals medical history when scanned.

For the many people that would be sceptical of the device, the company assured that the implants are not tracking devices, and are only in use when they are scanned.

However, Paul McClure, the co-founder of a different scannable medical card called MedTag, says other companies will be able to use the technology to track people.

Speaking toExpress.co.uk, Mr McClure explained: Basically, the technology works on Near Field Communication (NFC).

The chip is inert and is activated when an NFC reader is passed over it.

Most smartphones are now NFC readers and can read the chip.

So while the chip in itself does not allow you to be tracked, in reality, any venue which scans it can then use geolocation to record where you have been scanned/checked in.

Mr McClure explained that MedTag users can use this card to "get medical info, with the ability to send the geolocation to their emergency contacts.

"It doesn't enable tracking in any way."

READ MORE:Covid microchip developer says there's no stopping roll-out

But if you're in a country where having political associations and so on is problematic, you could be basically arrested for who you associate with.

When the developer said that this cannot be used to track your location- yes it absolutely can, but not on its own.

With the right technology scanning it, it can 100 percent track your location at that point in time.

But in an environment where you actually have to mandatorily show a covid pass in order to get inside a venue, at that point in time it absolutely can tell where you are.

In a way, both of these technologies track your location and data to a much lesser degree than your GPS enabled smartphone, which can track your real-time location, not just when you scan it somewhere.

Excerpt from:

Covid microchip: UK startup says technology WILL be able to track your every move - Daily Express

By Becky Maxedon

When five Lake Havasu City Midwest entrepreneurial transplants came together, the Field of Dreams axiom If you build it, they will come seemed like a natural mantra for their new endeavor.

The groups vision of a different kind of adult entertainment for Havasu has taken form and will be revealed to the public Tuesday at noon.

Glitch Barcadium is the brainchild of Justin Bechen, his twin brother Jason Bechen, Corey Wilcox, Kevin Wright and Devon Garrett.

Justin Bechen, originally from Dubuque, Iowa, said his parents bought a house in Lake Havasu City seven years ago and he and his brother, Jason, would come out when the Midwest winter freeze made the sunshine and backyard pool look pretty good. Three years ago, the twins relocated to Havasu and eventually hooked up with Wilcox, Wright and Garrett and the plans moved forward.

Wright said, When I moved to Havasu from the Midwest, I already had seen some popular arcade bars. I was kind of there during the big boom of pinballs return in the Midwest. So it dawned on me with a buddy back in the Missouri that an arcade bar should be something we should do but it never happened.

Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Wright said when he moved to Havasu, he met Corey Wilcox and theyve been friends now for seven years.

This was an idea we had been tossing around so about two and a half years ago, we started taking it serious and started looking around at concepts, ideas, locations and then one day, we happened to be at another bar where the twins were working and had overheard that they kind of had the same idea.

One day we just decided were going to meet up and see how this goes. We go to lunch and the next thing you know were filing for an LLC and here we go. No guts no glory throw caution to the wind, he said.

And after only 90 days, the dream is about to become a reality.

The town was just asking for something new that wasnt music and a few hours in the evening. Nothing wrong with live music but the town needs a new type of entertainment, Justin Bechen said.

Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

If they wanted to go out on a date, have a drink and do something other than sit there and drink, they now have an outlet where they can do that. It doesnt matter If they come in when we open at noon or 10 oclock at night, they come in have a drink, play pinball have a little bit of fun and socialize in a different type of way that Havasu hasnt had, he said.

I dont drink, so for me when I go to a bar there isnt anything for me to do. So here we have something for people that dont drink. People have been asking if were going to have NA beer. Of course. Everyone can have fun. The designated driver can have fun too.

We were looking for something that was a little nostalgic. This touches all the bases for me. I grew up in the arcades. Im in my 40s, so this was around when I was growing up. You went to the malls back in the Midwest in the wintertime with your friends and you hung out at the token arcades, he said.

The group agrees the concept brings together people of all ages. Todays 21-year-olds grew up pushing buttons and gaming and older generations can enjoy the nostalgia of the pinball machines and games that span the decades.

Theres an energy from being around this stuff. I had a 70-year-old guy walk in with his buddy before we opened, and he wanted to play pinball. He offered me $20 just to come in to play.

Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

I told him to give us a couple more days. Were getting close! Weve tried to hit every base from the guys my age to the guy that just hit his 21st birthday. Weve got something for everyone, Justin Bechen said.

Glitch will open with six pinball machines vintage and new, 19 arcade cabinets, cocktail games and pedestal games, four-player games like Teenage Mutant Ninjas and The Simpsons. They will have old-school fighter games and sports games like NFL Blitz and NBA Hangtime along with Mortal Combat and more. Other games include offroad racing games, Daytona 2, NASCAR, and Big Buck Hunter. The plan is to continue adding games so they can be rotated in and out to keep the entertainment fresh. All games will be operated with tokens that have been custom made call Glitch Coins.

The group found games by scouring the Internet, contacting collectors and dealers.

The bathrooms are unique and part of the entertainment value of Glitch. They are Super Mario Brothers inspired. The guys bathroom is wrapped with a Super Mario Brothers theme and we have a Mario Brothers theme in the womens bathroom but its a little more princess.

One of the Glitch bathrooms wrapped by Tekwrap in a Super Mario Bros. theme at Glitch. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Everybody has such great, creative ideas. No bad days in Havasu no bad plays in Havasu.

This is literally our passion. I came from a bar family two generations. These guys come from a bar background. Were doing this for the community. If we make money on the way, thats great but we want to see people having a great time. Something new in Havasu. And were definitely feeling that energy from everyone and each other at the same time, Justin Bechen said.

There is no food service, but Glitch patrons will be able to order food from the Mustard Seed and have it delivered to their table.

The group agreed that Glitch will get people away from the online atmosphere and bring people together around a common idea.

Glitch Barcadium will open Tuesday and will host a grand opening at a later date, possibly in March.

Glitch Barcadium is located at 44 Mulberry Ave. Hours of operation are noon to midnight, Monday through Sunday.

Jason and Justin Bechen pose for a photo behind the bar at Glitch during their soft opening Saturday night. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Arcade games are ready to be played at Glitch. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Heather Pace plays the Simpsons arcade game at Glitch during the soft opening. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

The partners of Glitch Barcadium. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

More here:

Nostalgia And Technology Merge In New Havasu Entertainment Venue - River Scene Magazine

In this wrap, We check out the Oppo's attempt at a foldable device, tell you why you should keep your eye on the BenQ Mobiuz EX3210R and much more.

January 08, 2022 / 11:32 AM IST

To take on the South Korean tech giant, Oppo launched its first foldable smartphone called the Oppo Find N. The device has a similar folding mechanism as the Z Fold 3 but is more compact and gets many things right. Oppo sent us an Oppo Find N review unit, which we used for a few days to understand how the company got so many things right in its first attempt and is also better in many aspects than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3.

E3 2022 will move to an online-only format again for this year, following health and safety concerns due to the ongoing Omicron surge. Electronic Software Association (ESA) made the announcement, for what will be the second year of E3 online. In a statement shared with GamesBeat, ESA said, "Due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees, E3 will not be held in person in 2022. We remain incredibly excited about the future of E3 and look forward to announcing more details soon."

With the Mobiuz EX3210R, BenQ tends to strike a nice balance between work and play. There are a ton of features here for gaming, productivity, and content creation. Find out more in our review.

Combine Walmart, Disney, Netflix, Nike, Exxon Mobil, Coca-Cola, Comcast, Morgan Stanley, McDonalds, AT&T, Goldman Sachs, Boeing, IBM and Ford. Apple is still worth more. Apple, the computer company that started in a California garage in 1976, is now worth $3 trillion. It became the first publicly traded company to ever reach the figure on Monday, when its stock briefly eclipsed $182.86 a share before closing at $182.01.

Smartphones these days pack the latest and greatest of hardware in their respective price range. Most smartphones come with a top-of-the-line processor, a high refresh rate display and a big battery. There are very few areas left for companies to make their phones stand out from the crowd. Vivo, which is among the top three smartphone manufacturers in India, is betting big on the design department for the V23 Pro - the companys latest premium smartphone under Rs 40,000 in India. Check out the full review here.

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The Tech Weekender: Top news from the world of technology this week - Moneycontrol

When we talk about DJI, currently the first thing that comes to mind is drones. A few months ago we analyzed the Air 2S, a spectacular drone to freak out making video, but we must not forget that one of the companys strengths are the stabilizers and action cameras.

In this sense, there are several proposals, some that combine gimbal and action camera (like the Osmo Pocket) and others that are more traditional action cameras. Thats where the DJI Action 2 comes into play, which has been the GoPro Hero 10 Blacks great rival in recent months.

And, precisely, if a few days ago we told you our opinion of the latest generation of GoPro, now lets go with the analysis of the DJI Action 2, a camera whose secret is magnets.

DJI Action 2Dimensions and weight39 x 39 x 22.3 mm | 56 gramsAdapterMagnetic baseSensor12 megapixels | 1 / 1.7 CMOS Video capacity Up to 4K 4: 3 at 60 fps | Up to 4K 16: 9 at 120 fps 155 Lens | f / 2.8 1.76 Touch Screen | 500 nits | 350 pixels per inch density Battery580 mAh | 2.23 Wh | USB-C charging in one of the modulesConnectivity 2.4 5.1 5.8 GHz Wi-Fi | Bluetooth 5.0Sound1 microphonePrice399 euros with the power combo at Amazon

DJI Action 2 Review Sections:

I anticipate that I liked the stabilization and image quality a lot, but I already anticipate that the best thing about the DJI Action 2 is, without a doubt, its design.

It is a modular design that nothing new, as the Insta360 One R is already a modular camera which, by the way, has a 1 lens, but here the grace is in the compact size and the magnets.

The camera has dimensions of 39 x 39 mm, a depth of 22.3 mm and a weight of only 56 grams. It is made of aluminum, which favors heat dissipation, but can make it somewhat more delicate (at least as far as brands are concerned) in falls.

In it we only see the lens, the touch screen, the power button and start recording at the top, the antennas for wireless connectivity and, at the bottom, the magic.

There we have some hooks on the sides, some connection pins and some holes to pass a strap that we can tie to the wrist.

That lower area is the one that is magnetized and, as you can see, we have neither a charging port nor a slot for a microSD.

The body is sealed and can hold up to 10 meters in water without the waterproof case, an amount that increases up to 60 meters if we use the case.

All this is quite strange, but the explanation is that these elements occupy internal space that the battery, the processor and the sensor need and that, really, the camera is not complete without at least one of its modules.

The magnet at the bottom will allow us to place the camera on a lamppostFor example, as it is quite strong and, according to our tests, it will not fall even if there is some strong wind.

However, this magnet also works to connect the modules. When buying the DJI Action 2 we have to choose between the front screen module -which costs 500 euros- or the Power Combo -which is 399 euros-.

Basically one module is a screen and the other a battery. You are going to be able to put both at the same time, but honestly, I would buy the extra battery module before the front screen, since it will be much more useful to you.

Yes, the external screen has its own battery, but the total recording capacity will be higher with the battery-only module and, if you want the second screen, you can always buy it in the future to mount all three at the same time.

If we do not take into account the extra battery of one and the screen of the other, the two modules are exactly the same. Both have in the upper part the connection modules with the camera, as well as two hooks that improve the safety of the coupling.

On the right side they have the record button, on the left side the USB-C to load both the module and the camera and on the back the slot for the microSD. The one on the screen also has three microphones.

These modules can be placed as we want, so we can put the battery under the camera and, finally, the screen, or vice versa, but what we cannot do is wet them.

They are not sealed bodies and can only get wet if we have the waterproof case, as well as submerging them to 60 meters.

And the weight is 57 grams for the battery module and 64 grams for the screen. On the other hand, we have another macro photography and video module that is simply a magnetic magnifying glass that sticks to the lens.

But hey, lets get to the heart of a camera, the sensor and the image quality. DJI has done its homework here and we have a noticeably larger sensor than the GoPros thanks to the 1 / 1.17 CMOS sensor.

A nearly one-inch sensor with a field of view of 155 and an aperture f / 2.8 which, while not as bright as the Insta360 One R in very low light conditions, does a very good job.

It has 12 megapixels and we have a digital zoom of up to 4x for video (depending on the recording quality) and 4x for photos.

Although we have a very wide field of vision, we will be able to choose between having that fisheye effect or aspherical correction, something the camera does really well.

In good light conditions, the image and stabilization is excellent. It seems to me that the white balance is correct and the exposure is as good as it can be.

That is, when there is an area with a clear contrast due to a very pronounced Sun and shadow, when the exposure point is in the most exposed area it manages well so that the shadow is not totally black or underexposed and, if we are moving the camera, it compensates the exposure quickly and without doing strange things.

This digital stabilization, called RockSteady 2.0, seems to me of great quality And DJI has done a great job in this regard, also in the horizon control for more action shots on a bike, for example.

I also like photography, with a contrasting and very attractive image to upload to social networks. However, despite the size of the sensor, when the light begins to fall, the grain begins to appear and, when the conditions are very difficult, the stabilization disappears.

Nor is it a camera to use in those situations, but hey, you know.

About the recording, we will be able to capture videos with up to 130 Mb / s, we have desaturated mode to edit later or natural, professional mode to control parameters such as white balance and a series of quite varied resolutions depending on the aspect ratio.

At 4: 3 we will be able to capture 2.7K or 4K images at 24, 25, 30, 48, 50 and 60 fps. At 16: 9 we will be able to capture 4K and 2.7K images from 24 to 100 and 120 fps to make slow motion up to four times slower. At 16: 9 at 1,080p we will be able to capture up to 200 and 240 fps to make slow motion up to 8x.

We have already told you that memory cards up to 256 GB go in one of the modules, but the camera has about 22 GB usable internal that give us for about 23 minutes of recording at 4K60.

And the interface well, it is somewhat confusing. The screen is square and has dimensions of 1.7 . It seems small -it is-, but the truth is that you get used to it quickly.

It is tactile, it looks good outdoors and it has a very good sensitivity, but the interface seemed a bit confusing to me.

Not when adjusting parameters or changing modes, but by applying the zoom, which sometimes responds well to a certain gesture and sometimes not. But hey, its like everything, it has to be done.

However, lets talk about overheating. And it is that, I think that the image quality is fantastic and the stabilization also fulfills more than enough, but we will be able to record a short time followed either by the battery or because it turns off due to excess heat.

Outdoors we have had better or worse figures, depending on the weather, but to do the warm-up test we have resorted to a controlled environment: goofing around (so that stabilization comes into play) indoors.

At a temperature of 22 recording at 4K60 and with electronic stabilization activated, the camera tells you after 7 minutes that it stops recording due to excess heat. We can resume recording, but it soon turns off again.

Recording at 4K120, that message appears after three and a half minutes. We measured the body temperature and it was 43. It gets to bother the hand.

We cannot say what it will be like in summer in a module on a helmet if we go with the bike through the mountains, but it is certainly not data that leaves me alone.

Now, if heating is a problem, the battery is not giving us peace of mind. There are many capture variables both for recording quality and for stabilization, aspect ratio or battery saving settings.

However, outdoors at 100% brightness, with stabilization and recording at 4K60 in 16: 9 mode, after 7 minutes of recording we have 57% of the battery. Yes, at 1,080p it sure lasts longer, but the optimal resolution is 4K60 both for fluidity and possible slow cameras.

If instead of 4K60 we record at 4K120, when the battery shuts down due to overheating at 3 minutes 34 seconds, we have 65% battery left.

Its going to seem like a beast to you, but a minute of recording eats up 11% of the battery in this mode.

Not good data, not at all. DJI claims that at 1,080p30 they can record up to 70 minutes with electronic stabilization off, but I dont think this camera is worth it for that resolution.

The capacity of the camera itself is 530 mAh and the modules (both the screen and the charging module) have 1,300 mAh. If we go out with the cargo, for example, the problem of overheating is still there, but at least we have a buffer of time.

The camera goes from 0% to 64% battery with 15 minutes of charging with the module alone, without connecting a USB-C. It takes 28 minutes to reach 100%. I think its not bad, really, and after a full charge, the battery module has 48% remaining, so it almost lasts for two full charges.

The problem is that, on a long trip as we dont have a removable battery like on GoPro, we will have to have a PowerBank yes or yes to load the modules and the camera itself, making the process of going on an excursion somewhat more cumbersome than with other cameras.

And we come to the end of the analysis of this DJI Action 2 with a somewhat bittersweet taste. As a concept, it looks like a beastly action camera to me.

It is true that it is not the newest because the Insta360 One R was already modular, but the size of the DJI one is much more compact, I like the power of the magnets and the build quality.

Recording is also at a great level thanks to the size of the sensor, to the images that we can achieve and, above all, to a great stabilization.

However, there are two important buts in this model that need to be corrected for a new generation.

On the one hand the autonomy, excessively scarce and yes, I understand that the camera is very small, but we do not have interchangeable batteries and maybe it is necessary to make it larger or heavier for excursion sessions.

The DJI Action 2 is a miniscule action camera that can record with great stabilization up to 4K120. It has a powerful magnet to place different modules such as the battery and front screen

And on the other hand, something almost more important to fix, overheating. In summer this camera will not hold up outdoors, which is where it is mainly going to be used.

But hey, polishing that, I think it will be a great product for the third generation. Right now, even with exceptional image quality, maybe you have to look at other models that allow, at least, to change batteries.

Read the original:

DJI Action 2, analysis and opinion | Technology CVBJ - Central Valley Business Journal

Apple is experimenting with multiple foldable iPhone prototypes, according to leaker Dylandkt, but a foldable iPhone may not be coming in the near future because Apple still has concerns over foldable display technology and the market for foldable smartphones.

In a tweet thread, Dylandkt said that Apple is working on a possible future device, but that foldable display technology is not advanced enough and there are still too many "compromises" to deal with.

Before releasing a foldable iPhone, Apple wants to be sure that a foldable design isn't a "regression from the current form factor of the iPhone," which could indeed happen if there are issues with display longevity and quality because of the folding functionality. Dylandkt's comments suggest that Apple is continuing to take a wait and see approach to foldable smartphone technology, but some other rumors have indicated that Apple could release a foldable iPhone as soon as 2023.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in May 2021 that Apple is developing a foldable iPhone with an 8-inch flexible OLED QHD+ display that's set to be released in 2023. Display analyst Ross Young in December said that Apple would not release a foldable iPhone until 2023 "at the earliest," with 2024 being a more likely target date. Bloomberg in early 2021 said that Apple had started "early work" on an iPhone with a foldable display, indicating that there are a few years of development left.

Foldable iPhone rumors have been circulating since 2016, and we've previously heard reports about various prototypes that Apple is testing. Samsung has allegedly provided foldable display samples to Apple for testing purposes, but development has not yet expanded beyond a display.

At least one of Apple's foldable iPhone prototypes is said to feature two separate display panels connected with a hinge, a departure from single-display designs that Samsung has introduced. Another has been described as a foldable iPhone with a clamshell design similar to the Galaxy Z Flip.

Samsung has been releasing foldable smartphones for years now, and other Android manufacturers have also embraced foldable technology. Smartphones with foldable displays continuing to face issues with durability and build quality, and they also have high price tags that far exceed the cost of standard smartphones.

Read more:

Apple Testing Multiple Foldable iPhone Prototypes, But Has Concerns Over Display Technology and Market - MacRumors