Dropbox for Teams becomes Dropbox for Business, adds single sign-on for good measure

As often as Dropbox has been courting serious cloud storage users with Dropbox for Teams, it doesn't feel that the name reflects the company's loftier ambitions -- so it's giving the service a rebranding. Now called Dropbox for Business, it's pitched more directly at the suit-and-tie set. There's more than just talk involved in the new strategy, though. The shift also sees Dropbox build in identity management from five providers so that Dropbox users don't have to sign into the service if they're already logged in elsewhere: they can hop on to the corporate Active Directory service, for example and have Dropbox ready for action soon after. We doubt that the new moves by themselves will sway IT managers, but they may help would-be users who've been on the fence.
Filed under: Storage, Internet
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Via: TechCrunch
Source: Dropbox (1), (2)

Samsung Galaxy S4 undressed on camera, found to be easily repairable

If you damage the microUSB connector, SIM slot or camera module on Samsung's new Galaxy S4, you may not need to spend a lot of time or cash swapping in replacements. Of course, you'll need to get the flagship smartphone in hand before you're able to damage it, but if you do, repairs shouldn't be a tremendous undertaking, if today's teardown video is any indication. According to TechnoBuffalo, which published the clip (available at the source link), the Gorilla Glass screen could be a bit more costly to replace, but overall, the device appears to be quite repairable. US carriers are expected to begin selling the Jelly Bean smartphone later this month, so even though this first undressing isn't terribly detailed, we should have but days to wait before taking a much closer look.
Filed under: Cellphones, Samsung
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Source: TechnoBuffalo

vi-RABT improves ankle rehabilitation with virtual reality and robotics

We obviously love our gadgets around here. But, as worked up as we get for things with octa-core processors and 4K displays, what really excites us about technology is its ability to improve people's lives. And while having an endless repository of information at your fingertips 24/7 certainly qualifies, we're more interested in the people working to solve real problems. In the basement of the Egan Research Center at Northeastern University, a group of students are toiling away under the watchful eye and guidance of professor Constantinos Mavroidis to build a rather unique device called the Virtually-Interfaced Robotic Ankle and Balance Trainer -- or vi-RABT. For the better part of a year the team has been working on what started life as a Capstone project. The concept began when Dr. Maureen Holden, from the school's physical therapy department, came to the laboratory with a problem: how can we improve the speed and quality of recovery for stroke patients who have lost strength in their ankles and struggle to stay balanced?

Gallery: vi-RABT hands-on

Filed under: Misc, Robots
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Beamz teams up with Virtual DJ on interactive music system, we go lasers-on (video)

Beamz has been firing lasers in the name of limb-flailing performance for a few years. Today, it's announced it's working with popular music-mixing software Virtual DJ to provide the aural filling in its laser sandwich. The controller is the same four-beamed multi-button affair we've seen before, but now with a custom version of the aforementioned DJ application to call its own, and make the set-up a cinch. On screen you'll see two representations of the Beamz controller (instead of decks) with instant visual feedback to let you know which beam is mapped to what. You can configure four different triggers at one time, controlling cue points, looping and so on. To add functionality, you can then use the large buttons at the base of the device to rotate through different mappings. The emphasis, of course, is on performance here with nary a rotary nor fader in sight (we imagine you'd be using your other controller for that, right?). The software and hardware combo are being bundled together as a deal, and if you want in, you can do so right away for $200. Not sure if it'll fit in your workflow? Perhaps head past the break, and see if that video doesn't change your mind.
Filed under: Misc, Peripherals
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US budget has NASA planning to capture an asteroid, USAF reviving DSCOVR (video)

Many have lamented the seeming decline of the US space program. While we're not expecting an immediate return to the halcyon days, the President's proposed federal budget for fiscal 2014 could see some renewed ambition. NASA's slice of the pie includes a plan that would improve detection of near-Earth asteroids, send a solar-powered robot ship (like the NASA concept above) to capture one of the space rocks and tow it back to a stable orbit near Earth, where researchers could study it up close. The agency would have humans setting foot on the asteroid by 2025, or even as soon as 2021. It's a grand goal to say the least, but we'd potentially learn more about solar propulsion and defenses against asteroid collisions.
If NASA's plans mostly involve the future, the US Air Force budget is looking into the past. It's setting aside $35 million for a long-discussed resurrection of the Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite, also known as DSCOVR -- a vehicle that was scuppered in 2001 due to cost overruns, among other factors. Run by NOAA once aloft, the modernized satellite would focus on warning the Earth about incoming solar winds. That's just one of the satellite's original missions, but the November 2014 launch target is relatively realistic -- and we'll need it when the satellite currently fulfilling the role is overdue for a replacement.
Filed under: Robots, Science
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Via: Space.com
Source: NASA, AP (Yahoo)

Google forms the Glass Collective to invest in eye technology entrepreneurs

Google believes that it's naive to build a wearable technology like Google Glass and expect successful businesses to simply materialize from thin air; those firms will need a financial nudge, too. Accordingly, Google is forming the Glass Collective to invest in projects centering on its eyewear. The partnership will see Google Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers unite on seed funding for those US-based startups which show promise in areas like communication and navigation. The group hasn't named any targets for its cash, but it's obviously very early days for both Glass and the Collective -- Google needs more developers in the field before it can shower companies with support.
Update: According to TechCrunch, Google mentioned during the event that it hopes to get Glass hardware into developers hands "in the next month." Since it started preregistering folks at last year's I/O event, we'd also hope they will arrive in time for this year's Google I/O and inevitable skydive-to-stage live stream.
Filed under: Wearables, Google
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Via: Google Official Blog
Source: Glass Collective, TechCrunch

Facebook now lets you share your consumerism with linked pages

If emoticons weren't enough to spice up your status updates on Facebook, the social network has added the ability to convey what users are watching, reading, listening to or just merely consuming via a link to the artist, show or product page. Simply type in "watching Jurassic Park" for example, and the movie's icon and page link will automatically show up in the post, and will be added to your timeline's Movie section as well. We're sure it's all just one small piece in Zuckerberg's plan to rule the media landscape -- right after he takes over the mobile one, of course.
Filed under: Internet, Facebook
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Source: Facebook