5.5-inch iPhone 6 Mockup Compared to iPhone 5s in New Photos
Following the leak of a simple case for the rumored 5.5-inch iPhone 6, Nowhereelse.fr today pointed to [Google Translate] a pair of posts on Rocket News 24 sharing photos of a physical mockup of the larger iPhone 6 model alongside an iPhone 5s. While there have been numerous renderings, cases, and physical mockups of the rumored 4.7-inch iPhone 6 in recent weeks, this is one of the first comparison shots of the 5.5-inch version.
The resin-based mockup was printed on a MakerBot Replicator 2 3D Printer using design drawings published earlier this year by MacFan. The comparisons show just how much larger the 5.5-inch device is than the iPhone 5s, with the mockup measuring 157 mm in length, 77 mm in width and just 6.7 mm in thickness. It is longer and wider than the iPhone 5s (123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm), but has a thinner profile that matches more closely to the iPod touch fifth generation (123.4 x 58.6 x 6.1 mm).
The mockup adopts the iPod touch-style curved edges, which are markedly different from the hard corners of the iPhone 5s, and elongated volume buttons. Unlike previous high-quality mockups of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 model, this mockup is relatively crude, providing few details beyond the basic form factor.
Apple is rumored to be preparing a 4.7-inch version of the iPhone 6 for release in the fall, while the 5.5-inch version may debut several months later due to production issues that may have delayed its release.
Get a different Humble Bundle every day for the next two weeks
Your average Humble Bundle is a fortnightly affair. Starting today, however, there’s going to be a fresh bundle every 24 hours for a period of two weeks, which ought to add up to some decent savings for gamers. If you’ve never partaken in one of these bundles before, then it’s pretty simple: You visit the site to see what’s on offer, choose how much (or how little) you want to pay, decide how much of that money you want to allocate to a charity, and then it’s time download, install and play (or add to your Steam library, if you choose). If you head over there today you can get Saints Row: The Third, Dead Island, and Metro 2033 along with six other titles if your willing to pay more than the average (which was $6.23 as of this writing). And remember to check the Humble Bundle site daily, or subscribe to their newsletter, to find out what’s on offer over the coming days — we have no idea what tomorrow shall bring.
Filed under: Gaming
Source: Humble Bundle
The Library of Congress is wrecking CDs to learn how to save them
Like it or not, CDs rot over time — your well-worn copy of Soundgarden’s Superunknown might not play anymore. Just how they rot is frequently a mystery, though, which is why the Library of Congress is currently destroying CDs (including those you donate) in hopes of improving its archival techniques. Researchers are using a combination of artificial aging tests and simple observations to see what factors trigger decay, sometimes with surprising results. As the Library tells The Atlantic, data loss varies widely between manufacturing processes, the lasers in CD players and even individual discs; experimenters can subject two identical copies of an album to extreme heat and lose only one of them.
There are some consistent findings that are useful for both archivists and everyday listeners. You’ll want to avoid obvious concerns like high temperatures and scratches, but it’s also important to avoid labels and markers — sorry, that mix CD you burned in 2004 is probably a coaster by now. Recordable discs tend to be more fragile as a rule. The discoveries won’t save the CD from becoming yet another obsolete format, but they should make sure that future generations can access digital media from our recent past.
[Image credit: Chris Murphy, Flickr]
(By the way, those interested in donating old CDs to @librarycongress for destructive testing can email PRTD_Events@loc.gov)
– Adrienne LaFrance (@AdrienneLaF) May 14, 2014
Filed under: Storage
Source: The Atlantic
Tesco fixing Hudl screen responsiveness issues with new update
It’s safe to say Tesco’s Hudl has been a success: the company has sold more than half a million units and is prepping a new model for release later this year. It hasn’t been all plain sailing for the supermarket giant though, as some of its Android slates shipped with a display issue that would often cripple the tablet by rendering the screen unresponsive. Tesco, to its credit, has been quick to replace customers’ Hudls no questions asked, but it may not need to anymore after it’s begun rolling out an Android update that eliminates those exact issues. The company tells us that some updates have passed Google certification and are already hitting affected Hudls, but it could take up to three weeks for the fix to reach everyone.
3D printed ‘nano-liver’ could help poisoning and infection victims
When 3D printing and nanotechnology get together for a party the results are actually good for your liver, according to researchers at the UC San Diego. They’ve managed to create a device that uses nanoparticles to trap toxins that can damage cells in the body, helping victims of animal stings, bacterial infections and other toxic horrors. Though nanoparticles are already used to help people with liver damage, they need to be ingested like food and can ironically cause secondary liver poisoning. By 3D printing a “hydrogel matrix” to enclose them, a faux-liver can be created and installed outside the body like a classic dialysis machine. A test device managed to destroy all the pore-forming toxins during in-vitro studies, so let’s hope the research continues — for the sake of some of our future livers.
Filed under: Science
Via: Gizmag
Source: UC San Diego
Samsung to unveil “Gear Glass” at IFA
Samsung has dominated the Android smartphone market, dipped into the smartwatch market, and they aren’t stopping there. Samsung plans to launch a direct competitor to Google Glass called Gear Glass at the IFA in September.
The drawing above shows the Gear Glass as more of a earpiece where Google Glass is a full set of eyeglasses. Gear Glass will reportedly run on the Tizen operating system, which has also been seen in the Gear Fit, Gear 2, and Gear 2 Neo.
Other manufacturers such as Sony and Apple, are planning on entering the smart glass market as well, but nothing is for sure. What do you think? Would you even wear smart-glasses? I would sure like to try them out first, especially with Google Glass costing $1500 bucks, which is available now to the public here.
Source: Business Korea
The post Samsung to unveil “Gear Glass” at IFA appeared first on AndroidGuys.
T-Mobile and MetroPCS add entry-level ZTE Concord II
T-Mobile and MetroPCS on Wednesday announced the availability of their next budget smartphone, the ZTE Concord II. Powered by Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, the phone features a 4-inch (800×480 pixels) display, 5-megapixel rear camera (720p video recording), and 4GB internal storage. Under the hood you’ll find a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM, microSD expansion, and a battery good for up to 6 hours talk time.
The Concord II will be available on May 19 through MetroPCS however pricing was not immediately clear. T-Mobile plans to offered the handset effective immediately with $0 down and payment spread across 24 months. Again, pricing is unclear.
New Concord II™ Arrives at T-Mobile and MetroPCS
Packing the Right Balance between Must-Have Smartphone Features, Design and Affordability
Available online now at T-Mobile.com and in MetroPCS stores next week, the Concord II delivers even more value with a customizable Android experience
RICHARDSON, Texas, May 14, 2014 – ZTE USA, one of the fastest-growing smartphone manufacturers in North America, today announced the all-new T-Mobile® Concord II and ZTE Concord II for MetroPCS®, with an updated design and features. This user-friendly, sleek phone is available today with America’s Un-carrier at www.t-mobile.com for nothing down (with 24 monthly payments), no annual service contract, overages or hidden costs. Beginning May 19 at MetroPCS stores and online at www.metropcs.com, customers can experience the must-have smartphone features in the phone’s simple-to-use interface along with unlimited, no hidden fees, no annual contract rate plans starting at just $40.
With an elegant, sophisticated construction, which includes beveled edges and aluminum wrapping, the Concord II is an ideal for someone new to the smartphone experience or those just looking to have a well-constructed, super-responsive device without emptying their wallet. The new and improved version of the already popular ZTE Concord comes with nearly stock Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and offers a seamless experience for staying connected via text, email and your favorite websites.
Featuring a crisp 4” WVGA screen with Gorilla Glass 2.0, the Concord II includes a 1.2 GHz Dual-core Qualcomm processor, 5 MP rear camera with built in LED flash and 1GB of RAM (expandable to 32GB via MicroSD). The phone’s removable 1820mAh battery is capable of powering 6 hours of talk time, over 250 hours of standby time and charges quickly. The Concord II also offers excellent call quality thanks to a dual-microphone with noise suppression.
“The Concord II from ZTE offers that ideal combination of functionality and affordable pricing so consumers can stay connected with family and friends on a sleek device within their budget,” said Lixin Cheng, Chairman and CEO of ZTE USA. “With the arrival of the all-new Concord II at T-Mobile and MetroPCS, ZTE is able to continue our mission of giving consumers a range of choices through a wide variety of smartphone devices.”
Concord II technical specifications include:
- OS: Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
- Display: 4.0” TFT LCD, 16M colors / 480 x 800 WVGA
- Processor: 1.2 GHz Dual Core Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM 8210
- Camera: Rear-Facing 5 megapixel with auto focus and built in LED flash
- Video: 720p video decode/encode at 15 fps
- Battery: Lithium Ion 1820mAh battery with up to 6 hours of talk time (approx)
- Dimensions: 4.96” x 2.56” x 0.43” Weight: 4.4oz
- Memory: 1GB RAM / 4GB ROM; Supports microSD cards up to 32GB
The post T-Mobile and MetroPCS add entry-level ZTE Concord II appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Next stop, Korea: Chromecast is now in Korea thanks to high YouTube traffic on mobile Devices
Since its U.S. release, the Google Chromecast has been launched in multiple other locations in the world including Canada and many countries in Europe. Asia has yet to have its first taste of the media streaming device, and for those in Korea, today is their lucky day. Yes, Google is launching the Chromecast in Korea today, and while it might not seem like an intuitive choice, Google mentions in their post on the Asia Pacific Blog that Korea’s YouTube consumption is 80% through mobile devices, compared to 40% for the rest of the world. With YouTube consumption that high, it makes sense to launch the Chromecast there who’s best use is arguably as a YouTube streamer.
Google’s rollout of the Chromecast has stagnated somewhat after it promised that the device would be coming to many more countries in the near future. Now that it has finally entered the Asian market though, hopefully this is opens the door for a much quicker rollout in the region. In Korea, the Chromecast will cost 49,900 won which equates to about $48.50 USD; unusually, this is quite a significant premium over the $35 USD retail price in the U.S. but this was also the case in all the other launches outside of America.
Have you got your hands on a Chromecast yet? If not, where are you hoping it is launched next?
Source: Google via TechCrunch
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('’);
//]]>
Twitter pledges $1 million to help poor SF families learn tech skills
Twitter has just announced that it will set up a technology learning center for homeless San Francisco families called the “Twitter Neighborhood Nest.” The company told the SF Chronicle that it will partner with the Compass Family Services non-profit organization, and donate north of $1 million over several years. It’s currently looking for space near its home base on Market Street for the project and has already donated 81 computers along with tech support to Compass. Aided by Twitter employees who will donate their time, the center will teach students how to seek jobs online and other basic computer skills. However, as the Chronicle noted, Twitter’s motivations aren’t strictly altruistic.
In order to convince Twitter not to leave the notoriously expensive city, San Francisco waived payroll taxes that could amount to $50 million or more. In exchange, the social network agreed to contribute to the city’s poorest neighborhoods in various ways. However, some claim that its efforts so far have been disingenuous, with questionable donations (like promoted tweets) amounting to far less than the tax breaks. However, even critics widely lauded the new training partnership and are encouraging Twitter and other tech companies in the region to do more of the same. Meanwhile, Compass called it a “major breakthrough” for its users, adding that “to make it in the world today, just to make it through school, you need these skills.”
Filed under: Desktops, Misc, Internet
Via: Sfist
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Play: Steam games on the cheap thanks to daily Humble Bundles
Your average Humble Bundle is a fortnightly affair. Starting today, however, there’s going to be a fresh bundle every 24 hours for a period of two weeks, which ought to add up to some decent savings for Steam gamers. If you’ve never partaken in one of these bundles before, then it’s pretty simple: You visit the site to see what’s on offer, choose how much (or how little) you want to pay for a bundle, decide how much of that money you want to allocate to a charity, and then look on in a contented stupor while the new titles magically weave their way into your Steam library. If you head over there today, you can get all the titles listed after the break for $9 (or around £6 in UK money), or even less if you leave out one of the more mediocre titles, Dead Island: Riptide.
- Metro 2033 — The atmospheric, post-apocalyptic, Russian-accented FPS whose graphics have been used to benchmark umpteen graphics cards. (Interestingly, Metro’s developer has had to move its HQ to Malta to avoid the Ukraine unrest.)
- Saints Row: The Third with full DLC — It’s a bit like GTA, but with all of the boring bits taken out and a load of explicit, juvenile (and, in some countries, banned) humor swapped in.
- Sacred 2 Gold – Monster-hackin’, werewolf-slashin’, didn’t-copy-everything-out-of-LOTR-pretendin’
- Risen 2 — A dark, piratical RPG from 2012, slightly let down by over-simplistic combat.
- Also in the complete bundle: Dead Island, Dead Island: Riptide, Saints Row 2, Risen and Sacred Citadel.
And remember to check the Humble Bundle site daily, or subscribe to their newsletter, to find out what’s on offer over the coming days — we have no idea what tomorrow shall bring.
Filed under: Gaming
Source: Humble Bundle
AIVAnet 