Peter Thiel, the 49-year-old billionaire co-founder of PayPal, told journalists he no longer has any faith in creating a floating island for libertarians. Although Thiel invested millions of his own money into this floating island project, better known as seastead, he recently said that he now believes this island isn’t physically possible.

Although Thiel has given up on the dream of living on a floating island in the near future, a group of dedicated workers on the seastead are still actively pursuing Thiel’s dream.

Why Peter Thiel Believes The Dream Island Is Over

News of Thiel’s lack of faith in the seastead broke in an interview with Maureen Dowd, a reporter who works for The New York Times. Not only did Thiel express a lack of faith in his own floating island, but also with the entire concept of the “floating city.” Thiel told Dowd that floating cities are “not quite feasible from an engineering perspective.” Thiel heavily supported the idea of the seastead from 2008 until 2011.

During that time, Thiel donated about $1.7 million of his own money to The Seasteading Institute. While The Seasteading Institute is still active today, Thiel has resigned from the board of directors in 2011. One of the major reasons investors suspect Thiel left The Seasteading Institute has to do with his involvement in the 2016 race for the presidency. Thiel threw all of his support behind Donald Trump right from the start, a move that shocked many techies in left-leaning Silicon Valley.

It’s been estimated that Thiel gave $1.25 million to the Trump campaign. Peter Thiel is now an unofficial tech advisor to the president-elect. In addition to serving the president-elect, this billionaire tech titan has suggested he will run for the governorship of California. While nothing has been definitively stated about Thiel’s political future in the Golden State, he’s certainly more focused on national politics now than he is on retreating to a floating island paradise.

The Seasteading Institute Pushes Forward Without Thiel

People involved in The Seasteading Institute are sad to see Peter Thiel leave, but they are determined to prove to the world that floating island technology is the way of the future. Just last autumn a bunch of executives from The Seasteading Institute met with leaders of French Polynesia. This meeting was held to clarify plans on developing a seastead just off the coast of the French Polynesian islands.

The Seasteading Institute said French Polynesia will most likely allow the seastead to determine many of its own rules, but major French Polynesian laws on crime and the environment would have to be enforced on the seastead. Reporters say the meeting went very well between the two parties. Some insiders believe we might see The Seasteading Institute begin work on their seastead this year.

Members of The Seasteading Institute claim that this city will be about the size of half a football field and have two or three platforms once completed. The facility’s executives also told reporters that the city would be able to comfortably house 30 people. After they can confirm this initial city is both safe and effective, The Seasteading Institute will get to work on adding more platforms.

It’s Still Going To Be Awhile Before The First Seastead Appears

There are still numerous challenges The Seasteading Institute will have to overcome in the upcoming years if they want to make their dream a reality. First, they’ll have to develop some kind of foundation that’ll be able to withstand the impact of seawater for at least 100 years. The institute will then have to work on establishing a viable autonomous economic policy.

They will also have to raise about $30 million to begin constructing the first iteration of the seastead. Despite all of these challenges, The Seasteading Institute said it will move forward and try its best to manifest Thiel’s dream of a libertarian floating island near French Polynesia.

 

Image by ejacobhansen, available under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Kyocera is the first company to create a washable phone. Their first hand soap washable phone DIGNO Rafre was released in 2015. However, it could only be washed with foaming hand soap.

The Rafre is Kyocera’s second washable phone and first phone that can be washed with both foaming hand soap and foaming body soap. This smartphone operates on an Android OS. Upon launch, it will only be available in Japan and the KDDI network.

Kyocera Has Designed a Smartphone That Can Be Used in the Shower and Tub

Kyocera’s Rafre phone will be released in March 2017 in three different colors: clear white, light blue, and pale pink. It is safe to use in the shower or tub, and the touchscreen works even when wet. And it has a 13 MP rear-facing camera that takes good, clear pictures.

The Rafre is equipped with image-processing AINOS Engine, which helps the pictures turn out clearer in low-light conditions. It also features Phase Detection AF that enables quick focusing. This smartphone comes with Auto HDR for automated clear shooting,  recreating light and shade in detail.

The Rafre operates on Android 7.0 Nougat, the latest version of Android at the time of writing. Nougat offers the new ability to run two apps side by side on your smartphone. This can be handy if you want to see the timer and a recipe you’re following on the same screen. It prevents the need from switching between the two apps. Nougat also has a virtual reality mode and many other great features.

The World’s First Washable Phone Comes with Other Cool Features

The Rafre is an entry-level phone that comes with 2 GB of ram, a 3,000 mAh battery, and a five-inch screen. There is no earpiece speaker hole on the phone, enabling it to be resistant to liquids, dust, and dirt. The phone transmits sound via “smart sonic receiver” technology. This technology works by vibrating the display to transmit sound. According to Kyocera, the vibrations are so subtle that humans don’t notice them.

One of the benefits of smart sonic receiver technology is you’ll have an easier time hearing the other person when communicating in noisy environments as long as you have the phone up to your ear.

“There is no receiver speaker, so communication is possible regardless of the phone’s position relative to the ear.”

The Rafre also comes with a cooking app that allows you to navigate it through gestures. You can keep your phone clean longer and save time while cooking by using this app. Although the phone is washable, why purposely get it dirty? You’ll save time by not having to wash it. Other ways you can operate the phone through hand gestures are answering calls and setting timers. This is convenient when you are cooking.

Another unique quality of the phone is it features a weather forecast alarm clock. When the alarm goes off, the phone will read off the day’s weather forecast. With a settings adjustment, you can set your alarm to automatically sound earlier on rainy days, giving you time to account for delays due to wet roads, thus preventing you from being late.

The mobile phone also includes a blue light cut app for decreasing eye fatigue and making the screen easier on the eyes. This app is great to activate when you plan on using your phone for a long period.

Conclusion

Germaphobes and people who get their hands dirty often will love Kyocera’s washable phone. They have two washable phones to choose from, but the newest version comes with better features and can withstand foaming body soap in addition to foaming hand soap.

Kyocera’s Rafre can withstand hot water and the touchscreen works while wet. Thus, it can be used in the shower and bathtub without any problems. Style wasn’t sacrificed for this practical phone either.

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ZeniMax Media is suing Facebook and its subsidiary Oculus for $2 billion over allegedly stolen virtual reality technology. They are accusing Oculus of using stolen technology in the creation of the Oculus VR headset. The first day of the trial was on January 17, 2017, and the court battle is expected to last around three weeks.

ZeniMax Wants to Be Compensated $2 Billion for Its Alleged Stolen VR Intellectual Property

ZeniMax, a media company that develops and publishes video games, claims that their former employee, John Carmack, used their technology without permission when designing the Oculus. He worked for them from 2009 to 2013. The company also acquired Carmack’s business iD Software in 2009 for $405 million. The man resigned from ZeniMax in November 2013 to work exclusively for Oculus.

What makes this situation messier is he was working for both companies before the official resignation. He even worked on the virtual reality version of Doom 3 for Oculus VR a year before leaving ZeniMax. The latter suspects that Carmack copied thousands of documents from a computer at the company onto a USB storage device. He then shared that information with Palmer Luckey, one of the founders of Oculus.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and founder of Facebook, declared he’s confident that Oculus products are based on its own technology. He doesn’t think the company stole the technology. In fact, he doesn’t even consider it a possibility:

“The idea that Oculus products are based on someone else’s technology is just wrong.”

Zuckerberg announced he had never even heard of ZeniMax before. The social media mogul also disregards the possibility of the technology being stolen because:

“It is pretty common when you announce a big deal or do something that all kinds of people just kind of come out of the woodwork and claim that they just own some portion of the deal.”

ZeniMax is the parent company of the well-known video game publisher Bethesda and the video game developer iD Software. They have some big hits in the video game industry, such as Fallout and The Elder Scrolls.

The evidence that ZeniMax presented to prove Oculus misappropriated their VR intellectual property includes intentional destruction of evidence by the defendant. Additional proof consists of stolen confidential information, trade secrets, and computer code.

More Background on ZeniMax’s Dispute with Facebook and Oculus

According to Gamespot, Facebook bought Oculus for $4 billion in 2014. And the dispute isn’t new. ZeniMax sued Oculus months after the announcement that Facebook would acquire the business.

They accused Oculus of using important parts of their technology in creating a virtual reality headset. The company later included Facebook in the legal battle because they bought Oculus.

Although it’s common for tech companies or developers to fight over ownership rights, it’s rare that this type of dispute makes it to a jury trial like this one did. The dispute between ZeniMax, Oculus, and Facebook has reached the federal court.

ZeniMax’s lawyer questioned Zuckerberg about how quickly he closed the deal with Oculus to acquire the company. If he can prove Facebook’s CEO was negligent in his purchase of a company that has stolen technology, then his client has a better chance of winning the case.

Zuckerberg believes that making fast deals in the technology industry is essential, otherwise, another company will snap up your opportunity.

Is Oculus Innocent?

Zuckerberg probably shouldn’t have as much confidence as he does that Oculus technology wasn’t stolen because he didn’t personally develop it. He has no way of knowing 100% whether or not Carmack wrongfully used ZeniMax’s technology. It will have to be a battle sorted out by the judicial system.

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In January 2017, Dong Nguyen, the creator of the immensely popular mobile game Flappy Bird, released a new mobile game in partnership with Obokaidem called Ninja Spinki. This game is available on both Android and iOS devices. The theme of Ninja Spinki is ninjas versus cats, lending it a silly feel.

People who have tried it already said in reviews that it can be just as frustrating or challenging as Flappy Bird.

Brief Explanation of How to Play the New Mobile Game Ninja Spinki

Ninja Spinki retained some of Flappy Bird’s most effective features while also offering something fresh. This mobile game is more difficult and complex but still features a simplistic gameplay. The main character is a cute bug-eyed ninja with ears similar to Mickey Mouse.

The goal is to avoid certain objects, such as giant cat heads and bounding fruit. If the player accidentally runs into bounding fruit, the fruit evokes Fruit Ninja. Similarly, if you’re hit with a giant cat head, Neko Atsume is triggered. Fruit Ninja and Neko Atsume are mortal enemies of your ninja.

Ninja Spinki features six different mini-games, each with its own mechanics and opponents. This will help keep you engaged in the game as you work to figure out which strategies will work best based on the new gameplay and enemies. The mechanics often involve a lot of tapping and swiping, one of its elements from Flappy Bird.

Another feature of Ninja Spinki that’s consistent with Flappy Bird is it starts off easy but gradually increases in difficulty until it feels impossible. The game has two modes to choose from: levels and endless. Endless gameplay is great for challenging yourself, whereas the first gives you a satisfied feeling each time you level up.

More Background on Ninja Spinki

Flappy Bird had simplistic gameplay and 8-bit graphics, but its charms still won over many mobile gamers. If you saw someone tapping their phone frantically, they were likely trying to avoid crashing into pipes in Flappy Bird. Its aesthetics were similar to the graphic style of Mario, a classic Nintendo game that people still enjoy playing today.

Ninja Spinki follows in its footsteps with similar aesthetics and simple gameplay. Each mini-game in Ninja Spinki has five unlockable levels. You unlock a level by evading all obstacles before the time is up. It is free to play like Flappy Bird but you’ll have to watch ads every so often.

Nguyen teamed up with Obokaidem from Japan to develop this side-scrolling mobile game. Ninja Spinki is geared at mobile gamers who like playing frustrating games. The ninja character used for the app was actually introduced in Swing Copters, another mobile game created by Nguyen.

According to VentureBeat, Obokaidem encouraged him to create this new game, which is Nguyen’s eighth title. He had to redesign Ninja Spinki seven times before they were satisfied with the finished project. It took a year and a half for them to finish creating the mobile game.

Ninja Spinki was supposed to debut in December 2016, but Obokaidem and Nguyen delayed it because of pirate versions flooding the market. After dealing with the problem, they officially launched it in January 2017.

The game has received mostly positive reviews so far with an average star rating of 4.6/5 on Google Play and 4.4/5 on the iTunes app store. Brett Labach wrote in a review on Google Play:

“Thought it was a cakewalk until the third set of challenges. Ninja can’t be naive…”

Conclusion

Ninja Spinki was a successful mobile game collaboration between Nguyen and Obokaidem, two well-known names in the industry. This game has several similarities to Flappy Bird, such as the increasing difficulty to almost impossible, frantic tapping of the phone screen, and a frustrating nature. The two games are different enough to keep a Flappy Bird fan engaged and challenged.

The live streaming subscription Hulu was once dubbed the Netflix Killer. While the platform didn’t manage to overcome Netflix, it has held its own against its primary live streaming rival. It continues to offer programming that is on par or even better than the programs found on Netflix. Its most recent acquisition, however, could put Hulu ahead of Netflix and other startup services like Sling. While it will enjoy reaping the dividends of its partnerships with networks like CBS, Hulu will have to extend some of the profits to these entities.

The Hulu Partnership with CBS

CBS is one of the few networks that proverbially dragged its feet in making its programming available to live streaming services. In fact, it created its own live streaming service, CBS All Access, on which it makes available its foremost programs like NCIS. Still, CBS recognizes the lucrativeness that it can enjoy by making other network programs available on services like Hulu. It recently agreed to a partnership with Hulu that would allow CBS to reap $3 a month per subscriber, to begin with, and then later $4 a month for each person that subscribes to Hulu’s service.

This partnership would allow Hulu to broadcast some of CBS’s most popular lineups as well as other CBS-owned channels like the CBS Sports Network and Pop. This deal could also give Hulu access to programming on the Smithsonian Channel and the CW Network, both of which are also owned by CBS.

This package deal could give CBS a leg-up on its competition like NBC, the Disney Channel, and other networks that continue to carve out more than their fair share of the TV market.

By making its programming available through the likes of Hulu, the network could reach a broader audience and in return recruit more people to watch its daily programming lineup, which is available without a live streaming or cable TV subscription.

Hulu also stands to make money from the deal, although it could cost it in the beginning. It also could propel Hulu past rivals like Netflix, DirectTV, and other live streaming services.

The Promise of Hulu’s Acquisition of The Golden Girls

Hulu recently announced that it had acquired the live streaming rights to NBC’s much beloved 1980s series The Golden Girls. Starring iconic actresses Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, and Betty White, The Golden Girls follows the lives of four Miami retirees as they rebuild their lives after widowhood and divorce.

The Golden Girls enjoyed high ratings with audiences when it was broadcast on NBC more than 30 years ago. Surprisingly, it still remains an audience favorite with many people watching it on cable TV channels like WE, Lifetime, and TVLand.

However, people who do not have cable have been frustrated that they could not watch episodes of this beloved series on live streaming services like Hulu. Fortunately for those individuals, Hulu acquired the rights to all 180 episodes of the series and will start broadcasting them on February 13.

Access to the show will not mean that Hulu users will have to pay a higher rate. They can get access to the episodes for the same price of $8.99 per month for a basic subscription.

Live streaming services like Hulu have helped people cut the proverbial cord and cancel their cable TV subscriptions. Nevertheless, a lack of cable TV service means that people may not have access to On Demand programming like CBS shows as well as old favorites like The Golden Girls.

Hulu continues to acquire shows that people without cable TV want to watch. Its smart business moves could help it unseat Netflix as the favorite U.S. live streaming service today.

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India has become a formidable player in the global marketplace. With a growing economy and a middle class with money to spend on goods and services, it continues to outpace the economies of other countries like the U.S. and China. Google aims to boost the economic growth in India even further by making its mobile technology available in the country. This assistance could bring more consumers into the marketplace and expand India’s economy even further.

An Overview of Google’s Interest in India’s Small Businesses

Google is more than just an American brand. It enjoys recognition and popularity throughout the world including countries like India. However, few countries can make use of Google’s technology like the U.S. and the U.K. With its rapid economic growth, India is now in the early stages of helping its businesses build websites that they can use to reach new customers in the country and across the world.

However, many businesses in India still lack traditional websites as well as mobile websites that they must acquire if they want to survive in the changing global economy. Google is on its way to India to help businesses of all sizes in the country create the mobile websites they need to grow at no charge to them.

The creation of mobile websites for India’s many businesses comes on the heels at more people in the country get access to the Internet and smartphones. Estimates say right now that close to 51 million businesses in the country still need websites and mobile sites set up; by partnering with Google, they can get this technology for free and reach the growing number of people who are new Internet users.

While Google garners criticism of its apparent favor of India’s economy and small businesses, it should be noted that its investment could benefit people around the globe who are looking for new investment opportunities. Google could help set the stage not only for greater Indian economic growth but also solid investments for people who want to put their money into a stable and expanding market.

The Lure of the Indian Economy

Google is not the only company that is interested in India’s small businesses as a growing market. Other companies like Apple and Microsoft are following suit and setting up shop in India in the hopes of taking advantage of more money coming into the economy from both domestic and international consumers.

But why should the everyday American pay attention to what U.S. companies are making their way to India to invest in that country and set up businesses over there? What does that mean to everyday Americans and their own financial wellness?

In fact, they should pay attention if they are interested in relocating internationally to enjoy better employment opportunities or to start their own small business in India. India has all the makings for an economy that mirrors the one experienced in the 1950s America when small businesses thrived, and people could carve out a unique niche in the market.

The Future of India’s Small Businesses

With its expanding middle class and thriving young population, small business owners may have everything they need to open shops that reflect their own specialties and passion. You could grow a business perhaps even better in India than what you could in the U.S. right now.

India has the fastest growing economy in the world, beating out superpowers like the U.S., the U.K., and China. As long as it can maintain its momentum after the upcoming elections in 2017, it has the promise of growing well into the future, making it a jewel in the global marketplace and a lure for companies like Google, Microsoft, Apple, and more.

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The new year is expected to be the Year of the Car with new automotive technology being unveiled at a record pace in 2017. The year will start with one of the most historic American car makers partnering with online retail giant Amazon to bring Alexa technology to Ford’s newest line of smart cars. This innovation promises to be one of most exciting reveals in the auto industry to date. It is expected to be available to consumers as early as Summer 2017.

The Promise of Alexa Technology in Ford’s New Line of Cars

Amazon’s Alexa technology has already proved its mettle in the home connectivity market. It outperforms in making people’s everyday lives easier by handling tasks like adjusting a home’s thermostat, turning on and off the lights, and giving weather updates on command, among many other capabilities. Because people who subscribe to Alexa have given it such high reviews, they understandably want to transfer this technology beyond their homes and into their vehicles.

Ford is one of the first automakers to answer that call by putting Alexa technology into its newest line of cars expected to hit the market in Summer 2017. With Alexa in Ford’s cars, owners can tell Alexa to start and unlock their cars or communicate with their cars’ FordMobile manager software to carry out other tasks as well.

Even more, with the Alexa system in their Ford cars, owners can look forward to this technology carrying out tasks like playing audiobooks, adding items to a shopping list, check the weather, and control Alexa enabled smart devices. This technology helps drivers keep their eyes on the roads and hands on the steering wheel while it changes the radio channel, sends messages, and performs dozens of other tasks that once challenged drivers’ ability to drive safely and with proper attention.

As noted, however, this technology will not be available until mid-2017. People who want this technology in their Ford cars will be required to subscribe to it through Amazon.

Other Car Trends Predicted for 2017

Amazon’s Alexa system is not the only technology joining the American auto scene this year. Car makers from Chevy to Cadillac are working on inventions that will take the fun and safety of driving to the next level. One of the most remarkable inventions in store for American drivers involves cars that can talk to each other. This technology would allow cars to communicate by sending signals to each other if they get too close to one another or one car starts to merge into another car’s lane. This invention should cut down on the number and frequency of accidents and also help drivers stay more alert on the road.

Another invention to look forward to this year from car makers is autonomy technology that would allow cars to operate more independently without driver interaction. Driverless cars could even be out on the market before the end of 2017. Some of the software that will be included in these vehicles include programs that would allow cars to learn routes and road conditions with repeated driving as well as cars that would need little if any driver assistance in common highway conditions.

Conclusion

American car makers want to make it easier and more enjoyable for drivers to own and operate their domestic-made cars. To enhance driver experience and to increase sales, automakers like Ford are introducing technology that includes Amazon’s Alexa system. This connectivity would allow drivers to start, unlock, and lock their cars remotely as well as check the weather, add items to shopping lists, and listen to audio books without taking their hands off the steering wheel.

Image Source: Flickr

The world’s largest online retailer has filed for a patent for an airborne flying warehouse. The patent was filed in 2014, but it has just now come to the attention of the public because of the work of Zoe Leavitt, a financial analyst with venture capital company CB Insights. Amazon envisions using the flying warehouse near large sporting events and festivals first before eventually using it for home deliveries.

How Would Amazon’s Flying Warehouses Change the World?

When Zoe Leavitt found the documents he tweeted:

“I just unearthed the Death Star of #ecommerce via @cbinsights… AMZN patent for airborne warehouses at 45K ft spitting out delivery drones.”

Despite being asked for comments, Amazon has remained quiet on the subject.

The patent papers envision a flying warehouse that would hover about 45,000 feet in the air. In the beginning, the warehouse would be stocked with things that a person attending a sports event or a festival would need. This could include t-shirts, sodas, and souvenirs. The warehouse would be stocked by drones who would also carry workers to the flying store. The drones would also carry workers to the depot that would remain about 45,000 feet above the ground.

Once a person decided that they wanted to place an order, they would simply use their smartphone or other devices to place the order. Then, a drone would deliver the item to the person before returning to the warehouse and repeating the process many times. The company plans on constructing poles where the drones could be docked when not in use.

Paperwork with the patent does not see the usefulness of the flying warehouse ending there. They say that the outside of the warehouse could be used to show advertising at events. They also envision the warehouse acting as a mobile hotspot allowing attendees to download special materials without using their data.

Eventually, the patent paperwork indicates that Amazon would like to see several warehouses in the sky. Then, a person could order almost anything from the warehouse and have it delivered by a drone. A chef could even order food from the warehouse because Amazon envisions part of the warehouse remaining cold. Drones could deliver food in under 30 minutes, so no more last minute trips to the store after the one item that they forgot to buy.

When Will the Amazon Flying Warehouses be Built?

Many companies file patent requests for projects that never become a reality. This project that Amazon is calling Prime Air must overcome several obstacles before it can become a reality. Logan Campbell, a consultant with drone consulting firm Aerotas, says that the project must overcome both technology problems and governmental regulation problems before it can become a reality.

In early December, Amazon made its first successful drone delivery. A customer ordered an item using Amazon Prime. Within minutes, the company was able to deliver the item to the individual located about two miles away.

The United States Federal Aviation Administration which is responsible for civil aviation is working with National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the United States’ space program, to begin mapping the sky to set up areas for drones. Drones in the United States must currently fly within the field of vision of the operator except in extremely limited agricultural uses in the United States.

The other problem that flying warehouses face is that they are currently very limited in the amount of weight that they can carry. Most can only carry items under five pounds.

Conclusion

Amazon’s CEO first mentioned the idea of delivering items by drone in 2013. Most people laughed at the company at that time. Now, the process seems to be all but a reality. While it may be a few years off, there is almost a certainty that it can become a reality. Problems in hauling items on drones must be overcome. Government regulations will need to change to accommodate drones in crowded airspace.

Image Source: Wikipedia