Life

AwesomeCon Takes Over Washington D.C.

By Ace Ramirez Washington D.C. Bureau WASHINGTON D.C., USA (Eagle News) – Cosplayers, geeks, dorks, superheroes, villains, and the like will take over the nation’s capital in a show of force and fun! Three days of awesomeness will flood the labyrinth that is D.C.. From the likes of Batmans, to Supermans, to Captain Americas, to Japanese Animes, Pokemons, and many other comic book characters, D.C. will be the hub of the celebration of geekery. AwesomeCon […]

China arrests 22 over sale of Apple private data

BEIJING, China (AFP) — Chinese authorities say they have uncovered a massive underground operation involving the sale of Apple users’ personal data. Twenty-two people have been detained on suspicion of infringing individuals’ privacy and illegally obtaining their digital personal information, according to a statement Wednesday from police in southern Zhejiang province. Of the 22 suspects, 20 were employees of an Apple “domestic direct sales company and outsourcing company.” The suspects allegedly used an internal company […]

A bit of Brazil in the middle of Miami

  MIAMI, Florida (Eagle News) — Walking into this small market in the Doral area of Miami at first might seem no different than walking into other shops that are open for business. The clerk behind the counter greets you, an assortment of snacks, spices, and sauces line the shelves, and little knickknacks such as clothes, flags, and CDs decorate the walls of the establishment. But what makes this store standout is that all the […]

Colouring book comes to life as AR gets creative

  ZURICH, Switzerland (Reuters) – The colouring book has been a childhood favourite for many years and is often a first opportunity for creative expression. But Swiss-based researchers are using augmented reality (AR) to put a magical new spin to the traditional pastime. Children use pens or crayons to colour in a cartoon-like character, such as a princess or an octopus. When a tablet running their app is held over the finished picture the character bursts into […]

Interactive instrument uses music for child therapy and learning

WARSAW, Poland (Reuters) — The Musicon’s inventor says its rotating drum resembles a giant music box and can be programmed by children to play any melody, while at the same time inspiring them to develop a number of skills other than their musical sense. “Children seek to compose their melody and are not aware that they are learning mathematics, counting, that they have to cooperate with the partner they are playing with,” said its inventor […]

Japan’s aquarium boasts largest collection of jellyfish in the world

TSURUOKA, Japan (Reuters) — With 60 different varieties of jellyfish, Kamo aquarium in Japan’s Yamagata Prefecture houses one of the largest collection of jellyfish species in the world. Holding two percent of the global 3000 jellyfish varieties, the aquarium receives more than two million visitors every year. A prominent feature of the exhibit is the Jellyfish Dream Theater, or the Kurage Dream Theater, measuring five meters in diameter, where about 2000 Moon Jellies float. Many […]

Sing for Hope Piano project returns to New York City’s public parks

By: Abigail Vital, EBC New York Bureau Music has been an important part of history, as a way to pass on part of a tradition or simply just for pleasure.  Creating music, then, has been an integral part of carrying out this tradition.  With the use of instruments, music is made, and thus enjoyed by many.  The piano in itself has its own history. Whether playing one of Beethoven’s classics or serenading to Billy Joel’s, […]

US researchers fuse technology with living dragonflies

VIRGINIA, United States (Reuters) — Technology company Draper has revealed the latest steps toward fusing technology with animals, releasing a behind-the-scenes look at its DragonflEye project which aims to influence the behavior of dragonflies. Researchers from Draper and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the Janelia Research Campus have been developing a technology based on optrodes which would enable them to control the flight path of dragonflies. The optrodes, sometimes known as optical fibers, can […]

Colombian garbage man builds library from discarded books

by Rodrigo Almonacid Agence France Presse BOGOTA, Colombia (AFP) — Emptying the bins of Colombia’s capital, Jose Alberto Gutierrez one day found a copy of the classic novel “Anna Karenina,” and kept it. That was 20 years ago — and the garbage man continued to collect Bogota’s discarded books, amassing 25,000 in a free library, swelled by donations. “I realized that people were throwing books away in the rubbish. I started to rescue them,” Gutierrez, […]

DIGITAL NEST Feature: Travel on a Budget: Best of Washington D.C. in 36 Hours

DIGITAL NEST | Best of Washington DC in 36 Hours By: Tennie Sumague, EBC New York Bureau I have traveled to Washington D.C. numerous times since childhood but never appreciated what the nation’s capital had to offer a budget traveler until now. A round-trip bus ticket from New York costs roughly around $40 or less, and one can spend less than $100 in 36 hours. How so? Most of D.C’s popular attractions are FREE. Here […]

SpaceX’s first recycled Dragon arrives at space station

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — SpaceX’s first-ever recycled spaceship arrived Monday at the International Space Station, two days after the unmanned Dragon cargo capsule launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Live images on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s television showed the spaceship approaching the orbiting outpost, then being grabbed with the station’s robotic arm at 9:52 am (1352 GMT). “Capture complete,” said NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who operated the robotic arm […]

Piano players play Bach prelude on 60 pianos

NEW YORK, United States (Reuters) — The sound from 60 colorfully painted pianos playing a Johann Sebastian Bach prelude filled a New York City plaza on Monday (June 5). To kick off the “Sing for Hope Pianos” event, Jon Batiste, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” bandleader and Sing for Hope board member, conducted a performance of “Prelude in C” by Bach, with amateur and professional piano players playing the prelude simultaneously inside 28 Liberty […]