:Syslog.gr: - a Site about Computers, Open Source, Security, SysAdmins and more ...

0.4 to 10% of corporate wage slaves could be up for the chop

Oracle has laid off about 40 people in its Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) group based in Seattle – and on Friday began notifying about 250 workers at its Redwood City, California, facility, and about 100 at its Santa Clara, facility that they will be let go as of May 21, 2019.…

…read more

Source:: TheRegister

Apple has unveiled a few different subscription services today at its “show time” event, including a new Apple Arcade game subscription service for titles that can be installed from the App Store. The company is aiming to curate some of the 300,000 games currently available from the App Store into this new ad-free subscription service. “There will be 100 new and exclusive games available on Apple Arcade, which will launch on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV,” reports The Verge. From the report: These games won’t be available on any other mobile platform or any subscription service other than Apple Arcade. Games will be downloaded and played straight from the App Store, and subscribers will be able to try games whenever they want and resume them across devices. All of the game features, content, and future updates will be included, and there will be no ads shown within the games.

SimCity creator Will Wright is also making a game for the service. Apple is promising games from Annapurna Interactive, Bossa Studios, Cartoon Network, Finji, Giant Squid, Klei Entertainment, Konami, Lego, Mistwalker Corporation, SEGA, Snowman, ustwo games, and more. Apple isn’t just curating the games for Apple Arcade; it’s actually planning to contribute to the development costs of creating them. Apple might not have announced its own game studio today, but it’s certainly a big step toward that. Apple Arcade is launching this fall in more than 150 countries, but Apple is not yet revealing pricing for this subscription service. Apple does say that “access for up to six family members,” will be available, suggesting you’ll be able to share the subscription. While the full list of games isn’t available yet, some of the titles revealed on Apple Arcade’s website include: LEGO Brawls, HitchHiker, Kings of the Castle, Where Cards Fall, and Frogger in Toy Town. If you’re a game developer, you can sign up for more information about the service here.

of this story at Slashdot.

…read more

Source:: Slashdot

Our favorite video streaming stick is on sale — and this fall it’ll add Apple’s TV app. …read more

Source:: CNet

Oh hai, Cap! Fans spot Avengers superhero actor Chris Evans at Monday’s Apple event. …read more

Source:: CNet

More than one-third of surveyed organizations (36 percent) said they have experienced a security incident because of a remote worker’s actions. …read more

Source:: Threatpost

While robotic arms can handle a wide variety of tasks, the specific job at hand will have a major influence on the type of end effector used. For sorting ferromagnetic parts an electromagnet might be enough, while for more accurate location a mechanical gripper could be employed. If you’re working with particularly delicate objects or in concert with human beings, it may be desired to have a force controlled gripper to avoid damage. [James Bruton] has been whipping up a design of his own for just this purpose.

The basic gripper is 3D printed, with 3 fingers consisting of two joints each. Retraction of each finger is courtesy of bungee cord, while extension is via a servo attached to the finger through a spring. The position of each finger is measured with a resistive flex sensor. An Arduino Uno is employed to run the servos and read the attached sensors.

As force is applied by the servo, the spring begins to stretch. This leads to a greater difference between the servo position and the finger position as the applied force increases. By calculating this difference, it’s possible to determine the force applied by the fingers. This can then be used to limit the applied force of the gripper, to avoid breaking delicate objects or crushing soft, fleshy humans.

[James] notes that there are some drawbacks to the current design. The force required to move the fingers is inconsistent along their travel, and this interferes somewhat with accurate measurement. Overall though it’s a solid proof of concept and a good base for further revisions. Files are on Github for those who wish to tinker at home.

Being aware of the forces applied in mechanical settings can be key to getting good results. We’ve even seen arbor presses modified for just such a purpose. Video after the break.

…read more

Source:: Hackaday

The tech giant teamed up with a bunch of Hollywood luminaries to create the new shows. …read more

Source:: CNet

What’s been announced thus far about Apple’s TV programming and service, credit card, game subscription service and more. …read more

Source:: CNet

Bethesda is celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Elder Scrolls. But this deal is only available Monday. …read more

Source:: CNet

Apple cobbles together several services and channels to devour your money. …read more

Source:: CNet