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Facebook teaming up with Ray-Ban on smart glasses that can replace smartphones

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WHAT’S BEING CLAIMED:

  • Facebook has teamed up with Luxottica to create augmented-reality Ray-Ban glasses, codenamed Orion, according to sources familiar with the facts.
  • The social media giant is hopeful that a partnership with Luxottica will speed up the glasses production so they can reach consumers by 2023, 2024 or 2025 at the latest.
  • The glasses are designed to replace smartphones, allowing users to take calls, show information in a small display and live-stream their vantage point to social media.

For the past couple of years, Facebook has been attempting to develop augmented reality glasses out of its Facebook Reality Labs in Redmond, Washington. Not being successful with the development of the project, the tech giant is now hoping to team up with Ray-Ban parent company Luxottica to help them complete the glasses and make them ready for consumers between 2023 and 2025, according to sources.

Codenamed Orion, sources said, the glasses are developed to replace smartphones. The glasses would let users to take calls, show information to users in a small display and live-stream their vantage point to their social media friends and followers.

An artificial intelligence voice assistant is also being developed by Facebook. It would serve as a user input for the glasses, according to CNBC. Moreover, Facebook has experimented with a ring device that would let users input information via motion sensor — a device code-named Agios.

Despite having hundreds of employees at its Redmond offices working on technology for the AR glasses, but thus far, Facebook has struggled to reduce the size of the device into a form factor that consumers will find appealing, a person who worked on the device told CNBC.

There is no guarantee that the glasses will be completed on time or ever ship. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has a strong interest in the glasses, andeven asked hardware chief Andrew Bosworth to prioritize them.

Facebook is not alone in believing that smart glasses that superimpose computer-generated images over the real world will be the next big thing in computing, according to CNBC.

Microsoft makes the HoloLens 2 headset, Snapchat parent company Snap sells its Spectacles glasses and Florida startup Magic Leap sells its Magic Leap One AR glasses, although none of these technologies has become popular. Apple is also working on a similar product that could be ready in the market as early as 2020.

Luxottica is the parent company of Ray-Ban, Oakley and other sunglasses brands. Previously, it has teamed up with Google in 2014 to experiment with this technology, to design, develop and distribute the Google Glass device.
Source: CNBC

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Minnesota Man Builds World’s First Beer-Powered Motorcycle [Video]

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In a Nutshell:

  • Ky Michaelson, also known as the “Rocketman,” has created what he believes is the world’s first beer-powered motorcycle, replacing a traditional gas engine with a 14-gallon keg that uses superheated beer to create thrust.
  • The unique motorcycle, which hasn’t yet been taken out on the road, has already won first place in a few local car shows. Michaelson believes the vehicle could reach speeds of up to 150 miles per hour.
  • Michaelson plans to test his beer-powered motorcycle on a drag strip soon, but after a few demonstrations, the invention is likely to end up as a showpiece in his home museum.

As gas prices continue to soar and debates about electric vehicle efficiency heat up, a Minnesota man named Ky Michaelson is barreling down a different road entirely.

Known as the “Rocketman” for his quirky creations, such as a rocket-powered toilet and a jet-powered coffee pot, Michaelson has now whipped up something that’s creating a whole new kind of buzz: the world’s first beer-powered motorcycle.

The idea of substituting petrol with pilsner might seem as crazy as a three-wheeled unicycle, but for Michaelson, it’s just another day in his Bloomington garage. His unconventional motorcycle swaps out the conventional gas engine for a 14-gallon keg equipped with a heating coil.

“It could be any kind of liquid. It could be Red Bull. It could be Caribou Coffee. It could be anything. But beer. Why not,” Ky’s son Buddy chimed in, highlighting the versatility of the invention.

The mechanics behind this high-octane hops machine are as heady as a stout. The beer in the keg is heated to a whopping 300 degrees, turning into superheated steam as it shoots out of the back nozzles. This steam provides enough thrust to propel the bike forward, making this two-wheeler a literal steamer.

And what about the environmental impact, you ask? Well, Michaelson’s not a beer drinker himself, so he sees his sudsy solution as a clever way to use up the brew.

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“The price of gas is getting up there. I don’t drink, so I can’t think of anything better than to use it for fuel.”

While the beer bike hasn’t hit the open road yet, it has already clinched first place at a few local car shows. Michaelson believes his frothy ride could reach speeds up to 150 miles per hour, proving that it’s not just a novelty but a force to be reckoned with.

Michaelson plans to test his beer-powered motorcycle on a drag strip sometime soon. However, after a few demonstrations, it’s likely to end up in the museum in his house. Because what better centerpiece for a living room than a motorcycle that runs on beer?

“We’re right in the early stages, but we got it. We got it built, and I think it looks pretty cool,” Michaelson stated, brimming with pride.

His bike may be more of a boozer than a cruiser, but there’s no denying he’s tapped into something extraordinary. In the world of the Rocketman, horsepower has met hops power, and the result is absolutely intoxicating.


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Goat’s Home Invasion Captured on Doorbell Camera in South Carolina [Video]

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In a Nutshell:

  • Residents of Pendleton, South Carolina, were surprised when a goat roamed the neighborhood and entered a local home. The event was captured by the homeowner’s Ring doorbell camera.
  • The goat, believed to live down the road, was playful and attracted the attention of many neighbors as animal control was called to capture it. Goats are known for their curiosity and intelligence, traits that often lead them to explore their surroundings.
  • A 2014 study confirmed goats’ intelligence and long-term memory skills, where most of the test subjects were able to solve a puzzle for a food reward, and remembered how to do it ten months later. Other instances of goats breaking into homes and hotel rooms have been reported previously.

In a turn of events that gives a whole new meaning to “home invasion,” the town of Pendleton, South Carolina, has had its peace disrupted by a rebellious ruminant.

Yes, folks, we’re talking about a goat that decided to play Goldilocks in a resident’s home. No porridge was harmed, however.

Our bold Billy, who apparently lives down the road, decided to take a little neighborhood stroll. And not just any stroll, oh no, this critter had the audacity to saunter right into a woman named Taylor’s home. Because, you know, why not?

“The goat made a fun memory for us and the neighbors,” Taylor said to Newsweek, possibly while still in mild shock and checking her locks.

“My boyfriend even played with it in the backyard.”

Talk about turning lemons into lemonade, or in this case, turning goat invasions into a neighborhood spectacle.

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As Taylor’s Ring doorbell camera shows, the goat nonchalantly ambled up to her front door, gave a few bleats (probably goat for “Open Sesame”) and wandered right in. Can you blame the guy? Who doesn’t love a spontaneous house tour?

But here’s where it gets interesting, folks. It turns out, our goat friend isn’t just a master of breaking and entering.

A study by Queen Mary University, London, and the Institute of Agricultural Science in Switzerland proves that goats are more than their vacant stares and ravenous appetites. They’re also puzzle-solving aficionados.

In what’s been dubbed the “artificial fruit challenge,” goats were presented with a tricky puzzle box containing a fruity reward. The goats had to pull a rope and activate a lever with their teeth and muzzle to access the food.

Guess what? Nine out of twelve goats were up to the challenge. Three tried to headbutt their way to victory (the goat equivalent of kicking the vending machine when your snack gets stuck, perhaps?).

And when the successful nine were retested ten months later, they all solved the puzzle in less than a minute.

“Take that, primates!” we can imagine them saying.

This isn’t the first time a goat has been caught in the act of a B&E.

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Earlier this year, another goat felt the need to snuggle with its owners in the middle of the night.

And in October 2022, a wild goat with horns that would make a Viking helmet jealous let itself into a couple’s hotel room.

So, what’s the takeaway? Should we start goat-proofing our homes?

Or maybe, just maybe, we should all take a moment to appreciate the underestimated intelligence and audacity of these four-legged trespassers.

And for the residents of Pendleton, don’t be surprised if one day you find a goat at your door selling encyclopedias.

After all, they’re just trying to get our goat.


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Google Maps Unearths Bony Surprise at Texas Cemetery

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In a Nutshell:

  • A woman looking up her parents’ gravesite on Google Maps discovered an unusual sight: a fake skeleton lounging in a gutted-out Jeep at the Katy Magnolia Cemetery in Texas. The bizarre scene was uploaded by a user named Cromarte.
  • The Reddit post about the discovery gained popularity quickly, amassing over 33,000 upvotes and sparking hundreds of comments, with users finding humor in the odd image.
  • Despite the general amusement, one commenter called the image “not funny” and suggested that Google should remove it. Google Maps allows users to upload photos or videos from a location to enhance the platform’s offerings.

the google street view of the cemetery my parents are buried at
by u/_katykakes in Unexpected

Looking up your parents’ gravesite on Google Maps isn’t usually considered a laugh riot.

But when Reddit user u/_katykakes decided to navigate to her parents’ cemetery in Katy, Texas, she unearthed a sight that was equal parts bizarre, hilarious, and…bony?

In her attempt to guide a relative to the cemetery for the one-year anniversary of her mother’s passing, she happened upon a street view image that could have been ripped straight from a Tim Burton movie.

There, lounging in a gutted-out Jeep like a road-weary traveler taking a breather, was a fake skeleton.

Before you start questioning the Google Street View team’s sense of humor (or their current mental state), let’s clear up a few things.

This bone-chilling image wasn’t the handiwork of a Google camera car.

Instead, a user named Cromarte had crafted this spooky 360-degree picture and uploaded it to Google Maps. Talk about a grave sense of humor!

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Despite the initial shock, u/_katykakes took this humorous discovery in stride.

She wrote on Reddit, “Turns out the street view is actually close to their plot, lol [laugh out loud], along with this gem.”

The post quickly gained traction, amassing over 33,000 upvotes and sparking hundreds of comments.

Commenters found the image absolutely humerus.

“I’d do anything to see what your initial reaction was when you came across this,” posted one Reddit user.

Another chimed in, calling the image “bad to the bone.”

One Jeep enthusiast even got in on the action, quipping, “It’s a Jeepers thing.”

This instance is not the first time Google Maps users have stumbled upon something unexpected. The platform invites user-generated content, with users able to add photos or videos up to 30 seconds long from a location.

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From hangover-induced takeaway runs to a man hailed as a “legend” for photobombing the Google Street View car, the internet is full of surprises.

However, not all Redditors found the skeletal surprise funny. One disgruntled commenter wrote, “Not even funny… Google should delete it.”

Well, they say humor is subjective, but one thing’s for sure – Google Maps is more than just directions.

Sometimes, it’s a one-way ticket to the Twilight Zone.


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