It' s too early yet to forecast precisely where Irma will hit or how strong it will be when it does, but the National Hurricane Center' s forecast cone, showing potential paths for the storm' s center, envelops all of the Florida panhandle.
The eye of Hurricane Irma can be seen over the island of Barbuda in this image captured by NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite on Sept. 6.
As Hurricane Irma ravages the Caribbean, Florida is bracing for potential landfall. The huge storm, currently a Category 5 with maximum sustained winds of near 180 mph (290 km/h) is expected to rake the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Bahamas and parts of Cuba before turning north toward the United States mainland this weekend.
It’s too early yet to forecast precisely where Irma will hit or how strong it will be when it does, but the National Hurricane Center’s forecast cone, showing potential paths for the storm’s center, envelops all of the Florida panhandle. If the storm does hit as a Category 4 or 5, the impacts on at least some part of the coast may depend on the only thing between water and infrastructure: sand dunes.
« We often refer to the sand dunes along the coast as the first line of defense,  » said Joseph Long, a research oceanographer with the U. S. Geological Survey in St. Petersburg, Florida. Long and his colleagues are using National Hurricane Center data to predict which dunes will hold back the sea — and which won’t — depending on where Irma strikes. [Hurricane Irma: Everything You Need to Know About This Monster Storm]
Sand dunes are serious business for coastal communities. In his request to the federal government for an emergency declaration for all of Florida, the state’s governor Rick Scott wrote that many of the state’s dunes were compromised by 2016’s Hurricane Matthew, which strafed the east side of the state as a Category 3 storm. Dunes can protect roads and buildings from storm surge and waves. The quality of this protection depends on the size and height of the dunes, as well as the length of the storm and how continuous the dune field is, said Ping Wang, a coastal geologist at the University of South Florida.
« There are places where there are high dunes and there are lower dunes,  » Wang told Live Science. « The high dunes survive, [but] the water can still get behind and erode away the lower dunes. »
The water can also travel around dunes, Wang said. A high dune might protect a beachside home from pounding waves, but if that dune isn’t very long, the house could still flood.
There are three ways that dunes fail in storms, according to Long. The first is dune erosion, in which water rises up to the face of the dune and nips at it, pulling the sand offshore and narrowing the dune. The second is overwash, which means that the combination of the storm surge, tides and waves overlap the dune. Overwash pushes sand from the top of the dune landward, Long said.
Finally, there’s inundation, which means that the storm surge and tides alone are enough to put the entire dune underwater. Hurricane Matthew, which Scott cited in his request for emergency help, mostly affected dunes by erosion, Long said. He and his colleagues took aerial photos after that storm and found that Matthew caused overwash of about 11 percent of the dunes on Florida’s eastern shores. (The outcome was more serious in Georgia and South Carolina, where the storm overwashed 30 percent and 58 percent of dunes, respectively.)
In terms of Irma’s expected impact on dunes, the storm looks less like the relatively small and quick-moving Matthew and more like Hurricane Ivan, Wang said. Ivan, a 2004 storm that reached Category 5 strength in the Caribbean, hit Florida as a strong Category 3. [Hurricane Irma Photos: Images of a Monster Storm]
« Ivan took out a lot of dunes and it took a very long time for the dunes to recover,  » Wang said. That meant extra damage in the 2005 hurricane season, he said, when Hurricane Dennis made landfall in the same area.
« If the dune is gone, the next storm could cause trouble,  » Wang said.
In preparation for Irma, Long and his colleagues at the USGS are issuing predictions for overwash, erosion and inundation of dunes at the Coastal Hazards website. The predictions take into account the tides, storm surge and waves predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and add in the USGS’s wave run-up predictions, which estimate how high up any given beach the waves will reach, Long said. Another tool, the Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecast aims to predict when and where the water level will increase.
There’s still a lot of uncertainty in these predictions, Long said, because the storm’s track is still unknown. In general, he said, the dunes on the eastern coast of Florida are a bit higher and thus more resilient than the Gulf Coast dunes, but that doesn’t mean that eastern Florida is a safe place to be. And of course the storm surge and waves are only part of the danger — Irma’s winds and heavy rains are their own destructive force.
Regardless of precisely where the storm hits, Long said, any impact on Florida is likely to include overwashed and altered dunes.
« There’s no doubt that you can expect the coast to look dramatically different after a storm like Irma passes,  » he said.

Similarity rank: 2.1

Sentiment rank: -1.8

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Welcome to TechRadar’s round-up of the best home theatre AV receivers.
If you want to really want to bring home the sound of movies, then you’ ll need an AV receiver. Partnered with a suitable complement of loudspeakers, nothing else comes close to recreating the visceral excitement of a summer blockbuster, or an atmospheric chiller.
Of course, AVRs offer rather more than big audio these days. They’ re a hub for all your home entertainment needs, an intelligent switcher for TV set top boxes and games consoles, Blu-ray players and music streamers.
Prices vary dramatically, reflecting variables such as channels of amplification, number of HDMI inputs and wireless connectivity, so it’s worth doing your research. Not all HDMI inputs necessarily support 4K content sources, either. If you’ re planning to go large with UHD, look for a model with as many HDCP 2.2 supporting HDMI inputs as possible.
And if you want multiroom streaming, there’s compatibility with your preferred wireless speaker ecosystem to consider – do you opt for Yamaha’s MusicCast system, HEOS or Chromecast? Even if you don’ t need such functionality right now, it pays to plan ahead.
For many buyers, Dolby Atmos will be the must-have feature. This 3D audio system has become the standard for immersive audio. It may be available on soundbars, but only an AV receiver offers true overhead Dolby Atmos audio. You only need decide if you want a seven channel system, best thought of as 5.1 with two height/upfiring speakers (aka 5.1.2) , or a nine channel one, offering either 5.1 with four Dolby height speakers (5.1.4) or 7.1 with two height channels (7.1.2) .
Of course, you may not need Dolby Atmos at all, in which case a standard 5.1 amplifier will do the surround trick.
If you’ re building a home theatre system from scratch, make sure you read our guides to the best 4K TVs you can buy, and the best 4K Blu-ray players available. But if you’ re shortlisting a new AV receiver, you’ re in the right place. Time to crank up the volume…
An innovative, affordable Dolby Atmos AV receiver with plenty of cool tricks
It might be late to the party, but Sony’s debut Dolby Atmos AV receiver entertains with some cool functionality. While it’s ostensibly a seven channel design (which means it can run in a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos configuration) there are also two phantom rears which create a pseudo seven channel surround soundstage. The receiver can even virtually relocate the physical position of your speakers, to create a better sonic balance.
Build quality is commensurate with its price tag. This is no heavyweight, and the fascia looks overly fussy, but the hairline finish is a premium touch. Connectivity is good. We get six HDMI inputs, all HDCP 2.2 enabled. There are also two HDMI outputs, for combi TV and projector use. There are also two analogue AV inputs, plus a pair of stereo phonos and two digital audio inputs.
The AVR connects via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth with NFC for quick pairing, plus Airplay. The AVR also boasts Chromecast Built-in. That’s all the main wireless boxes ticked.
Setup is helped along by the latest iteration of Sony’s Auto Calibration software, which now features a 31-band graphic EQ and a stereo calibration microphone that adjusts phase, distance and level.
Usability is average. The receiver relies heavily on its UI, which is pretty but sometimes a little frustrating.
Performance is excellent for the price. Tonally the STR-DN1080 may not be particularly warm, but it is exciting. Movies benefit from seamless panning and pronounced dynamics. Power output is quoted at 7 x 165W into 6 ohms. The biggest surprise is the effectiveness of the phantom rears, which really do help fill out the rear surround stage. This sonic trickery positions the STR-DN1080 somewhere above a standard 5.1.2 design, but below a true nine channel amp.
Overall, this is an innovative, exciting AV Dolby Atmos receiver. Consider it a brilliant value home cinema offering.
This slimline Dolby Atmos receiver can slam loud and hard when it needs too
The latest update to the popular slimline NR line, Marantz’s Dolby Atmos enabled NR1607 packs a load of features into a low profile frame.
Choose from either a 5.1.2 Atmos configuration, or 7.1 flatbed surround. Wireless connectivity comes via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or AirPlay.
All seven rear-side HDMI inputs support 4K with HDCP 2.2. There’s only one HDMI output though. This is joined by two digital audio inputs (one coaxial, one digital) , plus three AV analogue inputs. On the front panel, there’s another HDMI input and USB with iOS Digital Direct.
Auto room correction is provided by Audyssey, viaa supplied microphone. It does a reasonable job EQing the receiver to the listening room.
The 50W p/c power rating may be modest, but this little box can slam loud and hard when it needs too. The subtle, immersive 3D audio of Atmos is also well handled here; audio panning around and overhead is thoroughly engaging.
The receiver is more than confident with two channel sources, although it lacks the sparkle of some of more expensive rivals. While the power output is plenty good enough for smaller rooms, larger theatre spaces could be a challenge. Edge past 80 on the volume gauge and the mid-range dries out.
Overall, the NR1607 can be considered a potent slimline Dolby Atmos receiver. HDMI connectivity is class leading, and our only grumble is the solitary output, which could limit options if you want to run both a screen and a projector.
Smooth and very powerful – and it’s MusicCast compatible too
Yamaha’s RX-A860 is nothing if not versatile. A seven channel design, it supports Dolby Atmos in a 5.1.2 layout and classic 7.1, as well as 5.1 with front presence speakers driven by Yamaha’s own Cinema DSP processing. Virtual speaker creation is available to help fill the rear channel hole if your speaker layout is 5.1.2, although this isn’ t as effective as that offered on the Sony STR-DN1080. There’s also a weird Virtual Cinema Front mode, in which rear speakers are placed at the front of the listening room – but we don’ t recommend this.
The cosmetic design, with its partly mirrored façade, is modernistic, while a fascia flap conceals front-facing HDMI, USB and analogue AV inputs. On the rear are seven HDMI inputs, plus two outputs, but only three support 4K HDCP 2.2 sources, which is a tad mean given the price point.
Connectivity embraces Ethernet and Wi-Fi, plus Bluetooth and Airplay. Like many Yamaha AV components, the receiver is MusicCast enabled. This means it can be used within Yamaha’s own wireless ecosystem, which also includes small wireless speakers to soundbars and music systems.
Yamaha YPAO room calibration is provided for setup, using the supplied mic. It works perfectly well. The user interface is a bit uncoordinated though, with windows popping up hither and thither.
Sonically, this receiver is smooth and powerful. Atmospheric TV shows and blockbuster movies both benefit from its easy fast delivery. Even when driven hard, there’s no sense of distress. The RX-A860 keeps its cool. The receiver is sweet with music too.
Yamaha has always been big on novelty DSP sound fields, and here we get an assortment of post processing flavours. Movies can be watched within Spectacle, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Music Video, or Video Game envelopes. Music has even more. Try them when you’ re bored.
Overall, the RX-A860 warrants a cautious thumbs up. In performance terms, there’s much to like, but the limited provision of 4K capable HDMI inputs could hamper system upgradability.
This multiroom receiver is a bright, lively listen
It’s not often we see something radically different in the world of AV receivers, but this HEOS model definitely qualifies. For starters, it looks fundamentally different to the herd. There’s no front panel display. Rear connectivity has also been stripped back. Standing just 90mm tall, it’s refreshing compact.
Build quality is superb. Only a volume knob on the extruded aluminium fascia gives the AVR game away.
There are four HDMI inputs, and a single output, all with HDCP 2.2 support. There’s just two digital audio inputs (coaxial and optical) , plus analogue stereo, 3.5mm minijack, lone USB and Ethernet LAN. Wireless connectivity covers Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Perhaps surprisingly, this is a 5.1 channel design and doesn’ t support Dolby Atmos. Key to the receiver’s appeal is HEOS wireless speaker integration. While there is provision for wired rear speakers, the system is designed to work with wireless HEOS rears. In most systems, only the front L/C/R will be tethered. It can also partner with a dedicated wireless HEOS subwoofer.
While a remote is supplied, it’s a basic zapper. There’s no onscreen display either. Setup and control is done through a HEOS app.
For our audition, we partnered the AVR with a pair of HEOS 1s at the rear, and the wireless HEOS subwoofer. With speakers grouped, the package becomes a working 5.1 system. There’s no further calibration required.
The HEOS AVR may not be a powerhouse, but it’s a bright, lively listen. The receiver delivers multichannel movie soundtracks with gusto. It’s crisp and exciting, particularly when there’s plenty going on around the soundstage (try it with Edge of Tomorrow Blu-ray, then duck as the DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack unloads chaos in every corner) .
This isn’ t a particularly musical AVR though. Pop and rock are entertaining enough, but throw a throw it something classical or jazzy and its spatial delineation turns a bit mushy.
Using wireless rears can invite some problems. While latency isn’ t an issue, we were aware of occasional low-level pops and fizzes.
As an ambitious reworking of the classic home theatre receiver, we rate this first HEOS AVR as an qualified success. The cosmetics are admirable, and for dedicated HEOS multiroom users the wireless interactivity is a boon. Employing an app for control seems to make perfect sense, the only snag comes if your streaming audio sources are also app controlled and need to be juggled outside of the HEOS app. This may not be the future of AV receivers, but it’s a refreshing rethink nonetheless.
Outstanding performance in every regard
If you want a no-compromise Atmos experience, then stepping up to a nine channel AV receiver is well worth the premium. With this big Denon, you can opt for 5.1.4, or 7.1.2 – and that makes a big difference to the overall performance. There’s actually processing for eleven channels if you want to add additional amplification.
But there’s more than just wraparound audio to this beast. The H suffix denotes that it’s also HEOS multiroom compatible. It can play, or route, content to and from other HEOS connected components. Spin a CD on your Blu-ray deck, and you can Party Zone the music through both your cinema system and any connected HEOS speakers.
Build quality is stellar. The receiver has a copper plated chassis with monoblock construction. There are seven rear HDMI inputs, plus one on the front fascia. All support 4K HDCP 2.2 sources. There are also three HDMI outputs.
There’s also a forest of other inputs, including four digital audio inputs (split between digital optical and coaxial) , six analogue stereo pairs and phono (MM) turntable support. You can also stream over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Power output is prodigious, at 9 x 200w into 6 Ohms. This doesn’ t mean you should go super-loud, more that it can effortlessly bludgeon without strain or distortion.
The user interface is slick, with high-res graphics guiding you through the setup routine. Auto calibration is via Audyssey.
The Denon’s performance is outstanding in every regard. It does a fabulous job with multichannel Dolby Atmos soundtracks, both explosive and atmospheric, and is no slouch when it comes to music either. Beneath the hood are fourth-gen SHARC DSP processors. Spatial imaging and transient attack is excellent.
Overall, we rate this class-leading Denon as a home cinema superstar. It’s feature heavy, and massively powerful. But there’s agility behind the brawn. In short, it’s a fabulous home theatre performer.
Arcam’s best sounding AV receiver to date, but it has a frugal spec
While the Arcam AVR850 is unlikely to win any Best Value accolades – it’s unashamedly expensive for a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos design – its overarching musicality is hard to beat. This is arguably the UK audio specialist’s best sounding AV receiver to date.
The AVR850 uses Class G power amps, conservatively rated at 100W-per-channel.
The design is understated, with a nice matte cabinet finish and big central volume knob. It tips the scales at a reassuringly heavy 16kg.
Connectivity is good. There are seven HDMI inputs, all with HDCP 2.2 support, plus three HDMI outputs. Audio options include six analogue inputs, and six digital audio inputs.
The really significant difference here, compared to previous Arcam home theatre boxes, is the provision of Dirac Live room calibration.
Arguably the most sophisticated auto calibration technology available, it does a extraordinary job fine tuning the receiver to the listening room. Dirac tuning is not carried out by the receiver with a microphone, but via a laptop. Sounds complicated? Don’ t fret. Buyers will have room calibration done by the dealer that supplies the receiver.
While Dirac is the height of sophistication, the user interface is pretty basic, just a plain text box. Arcam isn’ t even trying to impress here.
Still, the receiver sounds sensational, with precise imaging that really makes the most of Dolby Atmos encoding. It’s tight and forceful with action sequences, and delicious melodious with two channel music. That feature count may look frugal for the price, but when it comes to performance, your investment will be repaid in spades.
The Arcam AV850 may be ruinously expensive for a seven channel amplifier, but tuned with Dirac, it’s clearly a premium performer. We’ re prepared to forgive it any foibles.

Similarity rank: 1.1

Sentiment rank: 1.7

© Source: http://www.techradar.com/news/best-av-receiver-2017-which-home-cinema-av-receiver-should-you-buy
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Superb PS4 and Xbox One deals today for Destiny 2
If you’ve had your eye on an Xbox One S or PS4 Slim for a while, today’s deals represent the best value we’ve seen in months, especially if Destiny 2 is in your sights too. Maybe you already have one console and are picking up the other to check out the exclusives, or you might just be upgrading your console to the newer version – especially if you’ve had it since launch and have noticed it’s been a bit noisier lately.
If you’d like to check out some more console deals, maybe ones that don’t include Destiny 2, then be sure to check out our full-sized Xbox One deals and PS4 deals pages.

Similarity rank: 1.1

Sentiment rank: 0.8

© Source: http://www.techradar.com/news/destiny-2-ps4-xbox-one-bundle-deals
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DolphinAttack: Alexa, Siri and more are vulnerable to ‘silent’ hacking
RESEARCHERS FROM A CHINESE UNIVERSITY have worked out a method of sending commands to voice recognition systems without actually saying anything.
The researchers come from Zhejiang University, and the findings come from studies into the way that dolphins communicate without forming words like « alright mate? », or « watch out, there’s a tuna fishing boat. » Dolphins, in case you missed, them make a funny croaky, throaty, crickky noise, but still manage to get their message across.
They have called the attack method « DolphinAttack » and are boasting that it is effective against popular speech recognition systems including Siri, Google Now, Samsung S Voice, Huawei HiVoice, Cortana and Alexa. Pretty much all of them then.
Do not worry though, as the researchers have some recommendations on how to improve the situation at the hardware end.
« This paper aims at examining the feasibility of the attacks that are difficult to detect, and the paper is driven by the following key questions: Can voice commands be inaudible to human while still being audible to devices and intelligible to speech recognition systems? Can injecting a sequence of inaudible voice commands lead to unnoticed security breaches to the voice controllable systems? To answer these questions, we designed DolphinAttack » they write in their paper.
« By injecting a sequence of inaudible voice commands, we show a few proof-of-concept attacks, which include activating Siri to initiate a FaceTime call on iPhone, activating Google Now to switch the phone to the airplane mode, and even manipulating the navigation system in an Audi automobile. We propose hardware and software defense solutions,  » they add.
« We validate that it is feasible to detect DolphinAttack by classifying the audios using supported vector machine (SVM) , and suggest to re-design voice controllable systems to be resilient to inaudible voice command attacks. » µ

Similarity rank: 2.1

Sentiment rank: 0.6

© Source: https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3016855/dolphinattack-alexa-siri-and-more-vulnerable-to-silent-hacking
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Zello serves as a walkie talkie when connected to cellular or Wi-Fi service.
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The go-to app during rescue efforts in Houston following Hurricane Harvey is rising in popularity as Hurricane Irma speeds toward Florida.
Zello, a walkie-talkie app where users can push a button to talk to any one through a cellular or Wi-Fi connection, is the most popular free app on both Android and iOS app stores.
According to mobile app research firm App Annie, Zello moved to the top spot on Apple’s store Tuesday, then reached the top of Google Play on Wednesday.
Zello was among the key tools used by rescuers to help victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston. Last week, Zello CEO Bill Moore said 20 times as many new users in Houston were on the app compared to the previous week.
« It’s centered on live voice,  » said Moore. « Our voice is how we most naturally communicate. A few seconds of voice has so much information on emotion, education, gender, what part of the country are they from. »
Once users create an account, they explore a variety of channels to join and chat. In the case of Harvey rescue efforts, channels such as the Cajun Navy Dispatch and Harvey Animal Rescue appeared where users could quickly push a button to talk and seek help.
There is some potential for confusion as users parse which channels are linked to official rescue groups. Recently, a channel for Texas Search and Rescue was pulled after the official group claimed their logo and name were misused, said Moore.
The technology for Zello dates back to 2007, and saw boosts in use during global uprisings, including ones in Egypt and the Ukraine, as well as protests in Venezuela. Zello was blocked during several of these events, most recently in Russia in April.

Similarity rank: 4.4

Sentiment rank: -0.3

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