After the Digital Millennium Copyright Act took away the right to legally unlock our mobile phones last year, a new law has now given that right back. It’s called the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, and President Obama signed it just before the weekend. The new law came about thanks to a petition put up on the We The People website, which was eventually signed by more than 114,000 people.
Described as a “win for American consumers, and democracy at its best” it means you’re free to unlock your phone from only being used on one network, so you can use it on a different one. It’s now also legal to find someone to unlock your phone for you, should the process be just a little bit too technical.
The tiny Raspberry Pi programmable computer has once again been used in a gadget we really wish was sitting on a shelf at our local Best Buy. It’s being referred to as the Super Pi Boy 64 Mega Thingy, but to you and me, it’s the Nintendo Gameboy you probably always wanted.
After a Gameboy purchased from Goodwill for $5 went to gaming heaven, its dedicated owner replaced the aging insides with the versatile Raspberry Pi, added a set of rear buttons, and a host of software emulators. Now, not only can you play Gameboy games, but you can also enjoy games made for the NES, the Sega Game Gear, and even the Turbo Grafx 16.
No, it’s not going on sale anytime soon, but that doesn’t stop it being one of the coolest retro gaming machines we’ve seen in ages.
Ever wondered what speed your favorite player was doing when he scored a touchdown? That’s the sort of data NFL fans can expect next season, thanks to tracking chips being installed in their shoulder pads.
Initially, the data will be shown live on the big screens, but should expand to TV broadcasts, and even the app on your smartphone in the future. Designed to give fans a deeper understanding of the game, the next generation of chips are already being worked on, and could potentially tell us even more about the player, including their heart rate and lung capacity. Look out for the new tech in seventeen different stadiums later this year.
