Google makes 'next gen personal communications device,' is testing it in employee abodes

We first heard about Google's foray into home-based hardware late last week, when it asked the FCC for Special Temporary Authority (STA) to have employees test an "entertainment device" in their homes (as opposed to a lab). According to the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, it's rumored to be a Sonos-like device related to the Android@Home Tungsten hub we saw at Google I/O last year. It appears, however, that's not all Google's got in store, as some information has trickled out about another Google-branded gadget. Apparently, it's a "next generation personal communication device," and Mountain View has asked the FCC for another STA to test 102 of them in the same cities as the aforementioned entertainment box: Mountain View, LA, New York and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Why? Well, Google wants to track its Bluetooth performance and evaluate "the throughput and stability of the home WiFi networks that will support the device" in a real-world setting. Other details about the device are scant, but we do know that testing on this second Google-made gadget is ongoing through July 15th, so here's hoping we can get a glimpse of one between now and then. Check out the FCC docs for both devices at the source below, and feel free to sound off on what you think Google's got in store in the comments after.

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Solar car hits U.S. in round-the-world jaunt

Last October, the SolarWorld GT solar-powered car set out from Darwin, Australia on a drive around the world. It has since driven 3,001 kilometers (1,865 miles) across Australia, logged 1,947 km (1,210 miles) crossing New Zealand and been shipped across the Pacific Ocean. This Friday, it will embark on the U.S. leg of its journey, as it sets out across America from the University of California, Santa Barbara. The SolarWorld GT is the result of a collaboration between solar panel manufacturer SolarWorld, and Bochum University of Applied Sciences in Germany. The four-wheeled, two-door, two-seat car gathers solar energy through photovoltaic panels built into its roof, with its solar generator offering a peak performance of 823 watts. Custom hub motors are located in both of the front wheels. The vehicle manages an average speed of 50 km/h (31 mph), with a claimed top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). In order to demonstrate that solar powered cars needn't be a radical...

Biocomputer, Alternative To Quantum Computers

A team of international scientists from Canada, the U.K., Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden announced Friday that they had developed a model biological supercomputer capable of solving complex mathematical problems using far less energy than standard electronic supercomputers. The model “biocomputer,” which is roughly the size of a book, is powered by Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) — dubbed the “molecular unit of currency.” According to description of the device, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , the biocomputer uses proteins present in all living cells to function. It uses a strategy similar to that of quantum computers, which use qubits — the quantum computing equivalents of bits — to perform “parallel computation,” wherein computers are able to process information quickly and accurately by performing several calculations simultaneously, rather than sequentially. In the case of the biocomputer, the qubits are replaced with ...

Qualcomm showcases the Snapdragon S4 ahead of Mobile World Congress

We’ve already heard about Qualcomm’s latest processor, the Snapdragon S4 , which will be quad-core and utilize LTE. Qualcomm took the time to give us some details ahead of Mobile World Congress. The new SoC now supports up to three cameras (two in the back for 3D and one front-facing), 20-megapixels, and recording video at 1080p (30fps). We can also expect zero shutter lag, 3A processing (autofocus, auto exposure and auto white balance), and improved blink/smile detection, gaze estimation, range finding and image stabilization. Last but not least, it supports gesture detection/control, augmented reality , and computer vision (via Qualcomm’s FastCV). Hit the break for a couple of videos featuring image stabilization and gestures.

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