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Google ‘Nova’ Rumors Suggest the Tech Giant Could Become New Wireless Carrier This Year

Google mobile carrier

Recent reports have surfaced that suggest Google is well on its way to becoming a major mobile carrier and even further expanding its reach into the telecommunications market.

Google is one tech giant that has done it all over the years, including helping consumers find answers to the embarrassing questions they didn’t want to ask their friends, taking over the largest video-sharing platform to help spread the joy of cat videos through YouTube, making geology class a little more bearable with Google Earth and challenging discussions of privacy in America with the development of Google Glass.

With self-driving cars and futuristic glucose-level tracking contact lenses also in development, Google has always been the tech giant with amazing tricks up its sleeve.

Now, Google is allegedly preparing for a mobile carrier takeover.

According to a report by The Information, Google could soon be selling mobile phone plans directly to consumers thanks to project “Nova,” which is supposed to be headed by Nick Fox, the vice president of product development at Google.

The report claims that Google will essentially be teaming up with Sprint and T-Mobile in order to bring “Nova” to life and become a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO).

The plan, allegedly, is for Google to buy space on Sprint and T-Mobile airwaves and then sell its own packages directly to consumers.

It’s essentially the same business model behind other MVNOs like Virgin Mobile and Straight Talk. The difference here, however, is that “Nova” would be taking advantage of two mobile carriers’ airwaves as opposed to the one that most MVNOs have access to.

In other words, the idea itself is not revolutionary by any stretch of the imagination, but it is certainly a big move on Google’s behalf.

Other reports also hinted that Google, in its true innovative fashion, is developing new communication apps to work on the Nova network.

If the rumors are true, Google is on schedule to launch the new services later this year.

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Nerd — The Other ‘N’ Word That Has Scarred Too Many Young Black Kids

I don’t utilize Facebook too often. Between the cumbersome privacy settings, multiple birth and/or divorce announcements and interrogations from family and everyone else I fit into either of those categories, I choose to avoid rather than engage. However, on one of my rare visits during the holidays, there was a post recently that caught my eye – a cousin recounting her 16-year-old son’s reaction to being on the receiving end of that n-word – Nerd.

According to her, the label comes not from his close friends, but rather a large group of acquaintances who made the assessment based on the following:

He follows the rules.
He enjoys and is very successful in school.
He never talks back to adults.
He never uses profanity.
His use of proper English.
His musical preferences compared to those of his peers.

Sigh. This sounds all too familiar. High school, how I don’t miss it so.

I’ve always observed the wonderful job she did at raising this well-rounded young man. He’s an attractive kid, excels academically, plays sports and has his own finely crafted sartorial sense. She says she’s “teaching him that all the degrees and education in the world don’t equal intelligence, and intelligence doesn’t equal wisdom.” Given her career as a mental health professional, she notes that she doesn’t “think he internalizes any of it because of how he’s been raised and his closest friends have his back. He’s more insulated from serious teasing.”

When her observations take on more of a Mom tone, she says, “At times, I can see some of the comments getting to him.”

She got words of wisdom and support from friends and other family to pass down to him, and, ultimately, the discussion ended with the following question: Surely, that labeling and teasing stops – or at least tapers off – after high school, right?

Answer: Hold that thought.

Same holiday break, I posted a photo of the Christmas gifts my husband and I exchanged on Twitter and Facebook. For him: T-shirts from the video games Skyrim and Red Dead Redemption. For me: a Doctor Who calendar, a Grand Theft Auto V-themed T-shirt. For us: an Xbox One and a few games. Great haul, no? We surely thought so.

Minutes later on the non-Twitter site, there was one lone comment under the photo – Nerds.

Read More at Black Girl Nerds

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‘Fight Like a Girl’ First Issue Review

In the first issue of “Fight Like a Girl,” we are introduced to Amarosa. She’s a witty, spunky, won’t-take-no-for-an-answer Black girl heroine. Her brother is sick, and she is about to undergo a series of nine (potentially fatal) trials set forth by a rather mysterious council of gods (Greek, Roman and Norse) in order to save him. The gods are divided about letting Amarosa attempt the trials but ultimately send her on her merry way, secretly hoping she’ll become the next Artisan. The gods don’t say what an Artisan is, so that is left up to your imagination for now.

Amarosa gratefully accepts their permission and starts the trials. They are a series of doors, and behind each one is the next trial if she successfully completes the previous one. Along the way, she has a “friend” of sorts in a flying sprite who offers tips, tricks and hints. But will they be enough to help her survive? After seeing the first trial, I can’t wait to see what lies ahead for Amarosa behind the rest of the closed doors.

I really enjoyed Soo Lee’s use of color in this comic, which help to drop little hints about each person’s personalities. From the vibrant colors of Amarosa’s clothing against the drab background of the Pantheon that speaks to her spunky spirit, to the richness of the tropical location she lands in for her first trial, the spectacular colors combined with Lee’s richly-detailed environments makes for art that compels the reader to continue flipping the page. Lee also gives each of the gods colorful clothing that relays little hints about their personalities such as royal purple for Loki’s cape and helmet, Tartarus’ red pupils, and white-gray hair and a maroon cape for the grizzled Chronos.

David Pinckney’s writing is a force to be reckoned with in this comic. His use of witty dialogue between Amarosa and the sprite will have you chuckling to yourself with joy that in the concept that Amarosa can manage to find a silver lining in this predicament. Equally as amusing is the tongue-and-cheek way that she approaches her first subject. This flippant banter hides the true nature of her feelings, which progress from unsure to terrified to more resolved as the battle continues. Despite it all, Amarosa retains her compassion, and I get the feeling that this will be more and more important as the trials wear on.

Read more at Black Girl Nerds

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Microsoft’s HoloLens to Make It Possible for Scientists to Walk Around on Mars From the Comfort of Their Offices

Scientists explore Mars through headset

Microsoft’s latest collaboration with NASA will give scientists the ability to explore Mars without actually stepping foot on the Red Planet.

While many people assumed the future of space exploration involved getting more astronauts to land on other planets, Microsoft’s HoloLens has opened the door for virtual space exploration.

The HoloLens headset makes the most out of 3-D simulations and virtual environment projections to create a detailed holographic image of Mars.

NASA’s Pasadena, California-based Jet Propulsion Laboratory is developing the new platform called OnSight, and the developers are hopeful that the new device could significantly accelerate space exploration.

“OnSight gives our rover scientists the ability to walk around and explore Mars right from their offices,” Dave Lavery, program executive of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory, explained in a press release.

With NASA’s help, the HoloLens will go beyond creating your average Mars look-a-like.

Instead, the device will use actual images and data from NASA’s Curiosity rover.

This means the researchers will also be able to see live readings and data come in over the headset as well as getting a live, virtual look at the planet.

As they explore the planet, the scientists will also be able to assign activities for the rover to complete and see simulations of what the results will likely be.

The project is truly extending the possibilities of the HoloLens, which many tech-lovers anxiously awaited for gaming purposes or for better ways to interact with loved ones from miles away.

If OnSight proves to be successful, the headset will be much more than a breakthrough in communication and entertainment; it would pioneer the future of remote space exploration.

“Previously, our Mars explorers have been stuck on one side of a computer screen,” said Jeff Norris, the OnSight project manager. “This tool gives them the ability to explore the rover’s surroundings much as an Earth geologist would do field work here on our planet.”

Later this year, NASA plans to use the OnSight technology for multiple rover operations and embark on a remote Curiosity mission.

 

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Lack of Black Representation in the Green Community

A wise frog once said, “It’s not easy being green.” That rings true for a lot of us. Especially for the Black community. My counter to that has always been “Why?”

Over the last few years, to no surprise of my mother (she’s always thought I was a little different), I decided to start implementing green changes in my life to be more eco-friendly. At first it was simple things like recycling more, being mindful of my water waste and volunteering with environmental projects. Then it escalated to calculating my carbon footprint, shopping at farmers markets, repurposing discarded items I found and then eventually reaching a level where I was using reusable feminine hygiene products, sewing my own curtains and dumpster diving.

During this green journey, some people in the Black community have side-eyed and even poked fun at me for one reason or another. While non-POC (People of Color) seem to take it more in stride. I carefully thought back to all the times I was at Whole Foods or doing a downward dog in my yoga class or just reading a magazine on green living. There was little to no representation of Black people let alone Black girls.

Had they been living under a rock during our natural hair movement? Didn’t they realize that snake-oiling us with toxic chemicals for our hair wasn’t going to work anymore? Were they expecting us to stop there— to give our hair the naturally needed attention it deserved but let our bodies and inner well- being hang by the hydrogenated trans fat wayside? I know there are other Black girls out there trying to live more green, but they feel isolated in their attempt to do so for one reason or another.

There are some who will read this and say, “Who cares what the media thinks! I’m doing my own thing,” and while that’s great, there are others who rely heavily on the media to tell them what’s “in” or those who are at an age where it is an extension of how they are learning about the world and the people in it. Going green is an act some might not be aware is an option.

Read More at Black Girl Nerds

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Beyond the Flying Car: 10 Futuristic Modes of Transportation Everyone Should Know About

Futuristic transportation

 

the Space elevator

The Space Elevator

There was once a time when having the first man step foot on the moon was a daunting task and one that many people thought was certainly impossible. Now that several men and women have boldly gone where so few have ever gone before, engineers have their sights set on the future — an elevator to space. LiftPort Group, headed by former NASA researcher Michael Laine, said it could build an elevator to the moon using technology that is already available. With another Japan-based company making the same claim, one can only wonder if the next great space race will be a race to build the first elevator into outer space.

orbital maglev

Orbital Maglev

This transit system literally takes other public transportation out of this world. It would essentially be a rail system in space and allow riders to travel freely from outer space back to Earth. With the idea of “space tourism” becoming a hot trend for researchers, the idea is an interesting one. Based on today’s technology, however, it will be quite some time before the expensive project is ever brought to life.

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New Generation of 13-Inch Laptops Are Pushing Battery Life to New Limits

two day battery life in laptops

In today’s fast-paced society, it’s hard to find a professional of any kind who doesn’t have a laptop he or she totes around on a daily basis.

Even on their off days, many professionals are always expected to be plugged in and somehow connected to their work, hence the importance of a laptop with battery life that can hang in for the long haul.

It’s also why the tech-savvy, the white-collar workers, the emerging entrepreneurs and the dedicated students are praising the arrival of the “two-day laptop battery.”

Battery life has always been a major selling point for today’s electronics, and, according to the Wall Street Journal’s Geoffrey A. Fowler, consumers can finally get their hands on laptops that will allow them to complete two full days of work without ever reaching for a charger.

Fowler tested four of the latest 13-inch laptops that boast impressive battery life when compared to their competition.

He put the Acer Aspire S7-393, the Apple MacBook Air 13, the Dell XPS 13 with a power companion and the Lenovo Thinkpad X250 with the additional 68+ battery through three separate tests.

One test focused on running video throughout the day. Another focused on more simple digital content and the daily web surfing of the average consumer. The last test was a more rounded approach where he took each of the laptops with him and used them throughout his daily life.

Test results from battery life test

Two quickly emerged as leaders in the tech world when it comes to digital stamina.

After putting the laptops through a variety of different tests, Fowler found that the Dell XPS 13 with its additional power companion and the Lenovo Thinkpad X250 with an extra-large removable battery outperformed the competition by a long shot.

Both laptops soared past the 15-hour battery mark and the Lenovo Thinkpad X250 even found its way into the 20-plus hour territory.

If you take away the external battery help that both laptops offer in exchange for some extra cash, Fowler says the Dell XPS 13 is actually the laptop to look out for this year.

Without the external battery, the Dell laptop’s battery life reached an impressive 12 hours, and it accomplished this with a cheaper price tag and less weight than its competitors.

In other words, the small, lightweight laptop hosts an incredibly impressive battery for its size. Since laptops are meant for those who are constantly on the go, exchanging a few hours of battery life for overall convenience could be in a consumers’ best interest.

Some consumers may be asking just how are laptop batteries packing more juice without making laptops any heavier or larger.

Fowler explains that it’s all made possible thanks to better processors.

“The latest models from Acer, Dell and Lenovo contain a new kind of processor from Intel, 5th Generation Core, that adds about 90 minutes of battery life, compared with last year’s laptops,” he reported. “And older models, like the current MacBook Air, contain last-generation Intel chips that still provided a massive 50 percent battery boost over anything from early 2013 or before.”

These processors have become more efficient at shutting down nonessential functions when users don’t need them.

“Why be ready to crunch the numbers to render 3-D imagery when all you’re doing is scanning top-10 lists of cats,” Fowler asks in his review of the laptops.

Processors aren’t the only difference that’s boosting battery life either.

It also comes down to the size and brightness of the screens, whether or not the display is high-resolution and, of course, watt hours — the basic units used for measuring battery capacity.

So without the external batteries, which will cost tech shoppers roughly another $100, the laptops didn’t quite last an entire two days of work.

With these new lightweight external battery plug-ins, however, it can be possible for traveling laptop users to get the most out of their devices for roughly two days, even if they left their chargers at home.