Our first-ever Insert Coin: New Challengers competition was unquestionably one of the highlights of March's Expand San Francisco conference. And now we're excited to introduce this year's contenders. We've boiled down the entries and now it's time for you to help us pick the semi-finalists. The top ten choices will win a trip to Expand New York, happening November 9th and 10th at the Javits Center, for a chance to win up to $25,000 in funding for their project. Check out the full list after the break and cast your vote right here. Voting closes October 10th.

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CBS launches fullepisode HD streaming apps for Android and Windows 8

Fans of CBS shows no longer have to use iOS to watch full, HD-quality TV episodes while on the road: the broadcaster has just released Android and Windows 8 versions of its namesake video app. As on Apple's platform, viewers can watch already-aired programming for free. Delays for show access range from 24 hours for off-peak shows to as many as eight days for primetime material. Neither client syncs with the CBS Connect second screen app, although the network promises Android integration in the fall. BlackBerry users also won't be left out -- CBS plans to launch a native BlackBerry 10 client before the end of 2013. If you're ready to watch NCIS on a Nexus 7 or a Surface, you can grab either of the just-released apps at the source links.

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Modification lets Google Now for Android run in any language

As smart as Google Now can be, its language support is limited; it won't always display results in your native tongue, for example. Sletmo at XDA-Developers has partly solved this through a modification of the Google Now app. His tweak makes the search tool provide information in any language supported by Android itself -- if you'd like to get restaurant lists in Swedish, you can. The code is very unofficial and may not work with every device, but those who aren't daunted by the risks can check out the Google Now mod at the source links.

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MIT builds cube robots that selfassemble, dooms humanity video

Modular robots have long been a reality, but they often require human intervention to assemble. MIT's new M-Block robots don't need such help. Each cube-shaped machine includes a flywheel and edge magnets, the combination of which lets it attach to its fellow robots simply by spinning into place; the devices can climb over each other and even jump into position. It's a wonderfully simple solution, although we're a bit frightened by MIT's long-term plans. Researchers are writing algorithms that would let M-Blocks act in concert, and swarms of robots could eventually have a Terminator 2-like ability to assume any shape needed to solve a given problem. If the Robopocalypse starts with a flood of colorful cubes, we'll know who to blame.

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DNP AliveCor ECG app now on Android

If you've been gazing longingly at the AliveCor Heart Monitor but an Android affinity has kept you out in the cold, its developer has good news. Starting today, AliveCor's clinical-quality (and now FDA-approved) ECG is compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S III, S4 and the HTC One. The device itself is available as a standalone accessory, but users of select handsets can pick up a case with it built in. What's more, the unit is on sale today for $199 through the developer's website, in case you need to keep an eye on your ticker at all times.

If your heart really does beat faster when you hold your loved ones, you can now share that on Instagram too; the University of Southern California has created BioGram, an app that pairs with AliveCor's tech to do slap your heart's BPM over the top of your sepia-tinged photos. Awww.

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Toyota Winglet vs Honda UNICUB the battle of human transporters at CEATEC video

For the first time, this year's CEATEC in Tokyo dedicated one big hall to demo some electric vehicles, which include Nissan's autonomous Leaf and a couple of human transporters: Honda's UNI-CUB and Toyota's Winglet. While neither mobilizer is totally new, we just couldn't pass up this opportunity to give them a test drive, especially when they are still not yet street legal -- not even in Japan. The good news is we survived to tell the tale, so do read on to find out what it feels like to burn these tiny wheels at 6km/h.

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Susan Bennett confirms that she is the voice of Apple's Siri video

If you're ever thrust into the mire of a trivia quiz at short notice, there are just some facts that everyone needs to know. Robert April was the first Enterprise captain, the largest organ in the body is the skin and the original voice of Siri in the US? Susan Bennett. The Atlanta-based voice actor, who has previously provided a human side to Tillie the All-Time Teller and Delta Airlines' announcements, outed herself to CNN after a hunt to identify the voice. Bennett reveals that the Siri recording sessions lasted four hours a day, every day across the month of July 2005. Now that we know the identity of Bennett and Jon Biggs, her UK counterpart, we're seriously considering getting the two in the same room for a Siri-off.

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DNP Watch ABC app for Android

Hey, Android phone users, you can watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on your device now that the Watch ABC app has finally arrived on smaller screens running the platform. Like its counterpart apps for iOS, Kindle Fire and Android tablets, it comes with live streaming and on demand viewing. Location restrictions still apply, of course, and you have to be a subscriber in NYC, Philadelphia, LA, Chicago, Raleigh-Durham, San Francisco, Houston and Fresno. Unfortunately, its list of officially supported devices (below) is disappointingly short, but the network says it should work on more phones running Android 4.0.3 or higher. Perfect, if you're looking to drown your work week sorrows this weekend while watching Rebel Wilson.

Officially supported devices:

  • Samsung Galaxy S 2
  • Samsung Galaxy S 3
  • Samsung Galaxy S 4
  • Samsung Galaxy Note
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 2
  • HTC One
  • Google Nexus 4

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Rogers passes on the BlackBerry Z30, leaves Canadian sales to Bell and Telus

If current sales of the BlackBerry Z10 are any indication, it'd take a leap of faith to believe that the BlackBerry Z30 will fare much better. Now, Rogers is telling The Globe and Mail that it won't carry the 5-inch Z30 at all, which the Canadian carrier says is due to its limited shelf space and the need to "pick what we think are the biggest winners." The news is certainly a blow to BlackBerry, but it also forces consumers to choose between switching to Bell or Telus -- which will carry the Z30 -- or to compromise at Rogers with a BlackBerry Z10 or Q10. It's also quite a reversal from earlier this year, when Rogers celebrated the Z10's arrival as the most successful BlackBerry launch in the carrier's history.

Now, it seems that Rogers' decision could be part of an unsettling trend, as T-Mobile USA recently chose to remove all BlackBerry smartphones from store shelves and instead sell them only through its online outlet. Naturally, determined Rogers subscribers may opt to purchase an unlocked Z30, which FCC reports suggest will offer LTE support over both the AWS and 2,600MHz bands. Consider it a very expensive 'Plan B.'

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DNP Zepp Labs sensorbased sports platform

Activity trackers like FuelBand are great if you just want to exercise, but Zepp Labs' new 3D motion sensor might be more useful if you're seriously training in a sport -- especially if it's tennis, baseball or golf. A 1-inch square of negligible weight, the sensor captures data from each swing you make -- so long as you attach it to a glove, racket or bat -- then transmits info to its accompanying iOS or Android app via Bluetooth. The kind of data saved depends on the sport, such as bat speed and angle at impact for baseball, or shot type, power and spin for tennis, which you can then examine in 3D with a 360-degree view within the app. According to the company, the sensor lasts up to eight hours per use. So, if you're into real sports instead of their virtual counterparts, you can snag Zepp Tennis, Baseball or Golf in November for $150 per set, which includes the sensor, mount and app.

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