By Cynthia Herbert :: 10:06 PM
3-D motion tracking peripheral device start-up Leap Motion announced today that it has entered into an agreement with PC maker HP to bring its new gadgetry to the HP lineup of personal computers.
The first step in the arrangement will be for HP to bundle the standalone Leap Motion controller into several HP computers. Down the road, the companies plan to physically integrate Leap Motion’s sensors into HP hardware for a more streamlined offering.
“Our focus at Leap Motion is to fundamentally improve how people interact with their devices, and offer as many ways as possible to achieve that vision,” said Leap Motion’s co-founder and CEO Michael Buckwald. “The possibilities for innovation are incredible, when you think about what will come from this collaboration between two respected global leaders in their fields – HP, the world’s largest technology company and Leap Motion, creator of the world’s most powerful 3-D motion-control technology.”
“Customers want to go to the next level when creating and interacting with digital content,” agreed Ron Coughlin, senior vice president and general manager, for HP’s consumer PC division. “Leap Motion’s groundbreaking 3-D motion control combined with HP technology and amazing developer apps will create incredible user experiences.”
Leap Motion will begin shipping its controllers on May 13, and the company is allowing interested buyers to pre-order the devices now through their website.
By Gilbert Falso :: 8:17 PM
Airline carrier American Airlines is slowly getting flights off the ground across the globe this evening after aircraft were grounded most of the day due to an issue with the company’s computer system.
Over 400 flights were canceled, and hundreds of others suffered delays beginning around noon today. The company blamed the problem on its computer reservation system, Sabre.
American’s Sabre system handles almost all facets of a traveler’s flight booking, such as issuing boarding passes, managing online check-ins, printing tickets at the airport, and tracking bags through to their destinations. In addition to the passenger side of the system suffering issues, sources also say that pilots and flight crews were affected by the outage when they could not access documents and schedules relating to flight plans and other aircraft tasks.
A spokesperson for American said that their computers were suffering “intermittent problems,” and those problems led to the need to ground the entire fleet. The airline’s website said that all fees would be waived for passengers who needed to change their reservations on Tuesday, and that stranded passengers would be allowed to book on another airline without incurring any additional charges. Full refunds were promised for travelers who needed to cancel their flights.
By Paul Thomson :: 5:09 PM
Although reports quickly circulated yesterday that government authorities asked cell phone network providers to shut down service in the city, no such action was taken.
In the hours after the Boston Marathon bombing tragedy, rumors and some credible news reports, even the AP, claimed that cell phone service in the immediate blast area had been turned off at the direction of law enforcement officials. Today, however, carriers are disputing this information, and saying that the reason many people in the area could not complete their mobile phone calls was due to network congestion.
The sheer number of cell phone users trying to dial friends and family to let them know they were o.k. was causing a stress on the cell phone system.
“Verizon Wireless has not been asked by any government agency to turn down its wireless service,” said a spokesperson for the cell service provider. While heavy usage did cause connection timeouts and delays, service remained turned on across the city for the entire day.
By Cynthia Herbert :: 9:49 PM
The IRS has announced that it will make arrangements to grant extensions for tax filers who live in the Boston area, or who were affected by the tragedy that occurred at the Boston Marathon location today.
Exact details of the arrangements will be unveiled on Tuesday, and will be dependent on each taxpayer’s individual situation, according to sources with the IRS.
Earlier today, two bomb blasts rocked the finish line area of the Boston Marathon route. Three people have been confirmed killed by the blasts, and over 100 are being treated for injuries across Boston-area hospitals. The blasts and ensuing terror investigations brought much of downtown Boston to a standstill on Wednesday afternoon, and further delays and inconveniences are expected tomorrow as well.
Courtesy of The Boston Globe :: 5:09 PM
Below is a video taken as the two explosions occurred at the finish line of the Boston Marathon today.
Shot by Steve Silva, sports producer for Boston.com.