Airlines are getting better at spotting and dodging bad weather
Turbulence hasn’t gone away, but apparently we experience a lot less of it now than we did a decade ago. The New York Times is reporting that as airlines upgrade their weather systems from telex to tablets, pilots’ ability to avoid choppy sky has vastly improved. As well as this, better satellite imaging and weather forecasting has enabled airlines to cut the amount of weather-based delays from 50 percent in 2003 to 36 percent in 2013. In addition, Delta and American Airlines have now outfitted some of their craft with sensors that automatically transmit data to dispatches, keeping subsequent flights out of trouble. The report goes on to say that we’re also on the cusp of another big weather resolution, since high-power imaging satellites, due to commence operation in 2016, will massively increase an airline’s ability to predict when airports will get shut down – and hopefully, save future generations from trying to catch some sleep on those nasty-ass chairs at Philadelphia airport.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: The New York Times
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New Video Again Shows 5.5-Inch iPhone 6 Battery With 2,915 mAh Capacity
Following a photo of the component last week, a video shared by Nowhereelse.fr (Google Translate) once again shows what is said to be a 2,915 mAh battery from the 5.5-inch iPhone 6. The battery shown is also shown carrying an Apple part number of 616-0675, and running at 4.35 volts, which is also in line with previous leaks.
A capacity of 2,915 mAh would be much greater than that of the 1,560 mAh battery found on the iPhone 5s and the rumored 1,810 mAh battery said to be included on the 4.7-inch iPhone 6. It is also likely that Apple will look to tightly integrate iOS 8 and the hardware of the iPhone 6 to allow for optimal performance and battery life.
Apple is expected to show off of the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 at a media event tomorrow. In addition to a larger display, the 5.5-inch version of the iPhone 6 is said to contain an improved camera module with optical image stabilization, a faster processor, and more. It is unknown whether the larger iPhone 6 will ship with the smaller model of the handset, as production issues may hold the 5.5-inch version back.
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Robocouch takes students to class without all of that exercise nonsense
There’s a different kind of two-seater roaming the sidewalks of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia: a motorized couch. Thanks to the efforts of a few engineering students, what started as a joke amongst friends is now a Xbox gamepad-controlled robotic sofa. Under the cushions, there’s an electric scooter motor and an armrest-mounted Raspberry Pi to wrangle the vehicle’s four independent wheels. All told, it took a group of nine students a year to get the kinks worked out of the mechanical, software and assembly systems. “We were thinking about making a fridge robotic, too, so you could call it over,” said co-creator Will Andrew. One thing’s for sure: they’d certainly improve gameday lounging.
Filed under: Misc, Transportation
Source: UNSW Australia
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Facebook tackles YouTube with video counter, hits a billion plays per day
Though it’s still far from YouTube, Facebook fired a shot across its competitor’s bow by saying it now serves up a billion native video views per day. In addition, its latest update (rolling out soon) has a YouTube-like view counter for public videos, making it easier to find popular selections or see how your own uploads are doing. Facebook said two-thirds of video views were from mobile devices, a stat no doubt helped significantly by the new auto-playing feature that’s on by default. A recent video ranking change also gives frequent video watchers more options. But as the NY Times pointed out, Facebook’s social nature can also send a video viral quickly. Beyoncé, for instance, garnered 2.4 million Facebook pageviews for a VMA video in four hours, while YouTube only chalked up a few thousand in the same time. Facebook also touted improved metrics for publishers, and is clearly interested in generating more video revenue — it recently purchased a video ad firm called LiveRail.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Facebook
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Facebook
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iOS Simulator Shows Possibility of iPad-Like Landscape Apps on 5.5-Inch iPhone 6
Recently, a number of recent reports and rumors have suggested a variety of different resolutions for Apple’s larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6. Prominent Apple blogger John Gruber speculated that the company will ship a 2208 x 1242 display at a “3x” Retina resolution for the device, while the current iOS 8 beta also indicates a preference for displaying 3x images when available.
Now, developer Steven Troughton-Smith (via 9to5Mac) has modified Apple’s iOS Simulator to show what apps may look like on a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 that contains a 2208 x 1242 display, suggesting that they could use a landscape orientation to provide a more productive iPad-like experience.
For example, the Calendar app would be able to display the view of an entire month similar to the iPad, while the Phone app may be able to show separate sections for contacts and single contact info.
Troughton-Smith notes that this view enables more apps like Game Center to run in landscape at the given size. The developer also states that these landscape views are not possible at a resolution of 1472 x 828, which has been a suggested resolution for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6.
Apple’s 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 are expected to be unveiled alongside the iWatch at the company’s media event this Tuesday. The larger iPhone 6 is also said to come with a number of exclusive features aside from a larger display, including optical image stabilization, a faster processor, larger storage capacity options, and more.
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The Big Picture: Infrared satellite images reveal the true extent of a forest fire
DigitalGlobe’s recently launched high-res imaging satellite isn’t just in orbit for the sake of creating pretty pictures; it can also uncover things that you might never see at all. As proof, the company has posted before-and-after imagery of a California forest fire that shows off the advantages of WorldView-3’s shortwave infrared sensor, which can easily see past clouds and smoke. Suffice it to say that the sensor’s effect is dramatic — areas that would have been completely obscured are suddenly in plain sight, revealing both the perimeter of the blaze and its intensity. The hope is that firefighters will use overhead shots like these to pinpoint areas where they’re needed most, saving people and whole regions. It could be a while before emergency teams are pulling up satellite views at a moment’s notice, but it won’t be surprising if aircraft-based fire recon eventually becomes obsolete.
Filed under: Science
Source: DigitalGlobe
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Apple Said to Be Using Tokenization Technology to Secure Mobile Payments Service
Apple may be integrating tokenization technology in its forthcoming mobile payments solution, reports Bank Innovation. Citing sources close to the matter, the report notes that the company will look to utilize token technology to address security and fraud concerns as integrates the service with the iPhone 6 and iWatch.
Financial institutions — card issuers and networks — prefer token technology because it replaces primary account numbers, those 16-digit card numbers on the front of credit and debit cards. Instead, the tokenization technology uses complex codes that are easily transmittable over the air and between devices, but that are used only once, so even if they are intercepted, are of no use to fraudsters.
An Apple patent discussing token technology has also been discovered, as the application was granted last month and filed for in 2009. In its example, Apple discusses a token system as a method for two devices to communicate sensitive data with disposable, one-time use codes.
EasyPay mobile payments concept by Ricardo Del Toro
The report also once again discusses the NFC capabilities in the iPhone 6 and iWatch, stating that chip-maker NXP will be rolling out NFC chips to the iWatch and the iPhone 6. Apple Stores and Apple retail partners are also said to be gearing up to utilize NFC technology, as a number of retail locations will be using the NFC-enabled Verifone MX 915 terminal.
Prior reports have stated that Apple’s payment service will be supported by a number of credit card companies including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. The company is also said to be partnering with a number of retailers for the service, including Walgreens, CVS, Nordstrom, and more.
Apple is expected to announce its mobile payments solution at this Tuesday’s media event, which will likely be shown off alongside the iPhone 6 and iWatch.
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Microsoft MSN homepage reborn as a blend of news portal and online desktop
Visit the MSN portal right now and you’ll get a straightforward news site. It’s informative, but it’s busy, inflexible and doesn’t give you easy access to Microsoft services — a bit odd when it’s frequently your initial homepage on a shiny new Windows PC. Thankfully, Microsoft is aware that it needs to shake things up a bit if it wants to keep you coming back. It just launched a preview of a redesigned MSN that it hopes will not only be easier to browse, but should serve as a kind of web-based desktop that lets you accomplish many of your daily tasks. Read on to see what I mean.
Let’s start with the obvious: the new MSN looks a lot like Windows, and that’s not just because Microsoft is fond of brand synergy. The layout is both less cluttered and lets you personalize what you see; if you’re fond of cars but not entertainment gossip, you can easily add, remove and shuffle the appropriate sections. The company has teamed up with a whole host of content providers for different categories, including the New York Times, Conde Nast and, yes, our parent company AOL.
However, the real centerpiece is the much stronger emphasis on services that turns MSN into more of a hub than a starting point. The top of the site centers on a “Services Stripe” that lets you hover over icons to check your Outlook email, check Bing Maps or even take a quick glimpse at OneNote projects, if you use it. If you thrive in Microsoft’s cloud, you may stick around for quite a while. You’ll also find utilities like shopping lists, a symptom checker and a 3D body explorer. Moreover, a lot of your personalized content will sync across platforms. Microsoft plans to launch Android and iOS versions of previously Windows-only apps like Food & Drink and Sports — if you add a recipe or a favorite football team on the MSN website, you’ll also see it on your phone or tablet no matter what OS you’re using.
You can check out the preview today, although the old site will hang around for an unspecified amount of time. Microsoft hasn’t said when it hopes to roll out the site to the public at large, but the Android and iOS apps should arrive with the next few months.
Dana Wollman contributed to this report.
Filed under: Internet, Microsoft
Source: MSN Preview
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Google Glass can tell if you’re stressed out
It’s not always easy to tell when your stress levels are through the roof, and you may not always want to break out a heart rate sensor just to find out when it’s time to relax. You might not have to, if researchers at Georgia Tech and MIT have their way; they’ve developed BioGlass, an Android app that uses Google Glass to determine how frazzled you are. The software measures your heart and breathing rates by checking for tiny movements picked up by Glass’ accelerometer, gyroscope and front-facing camera. In theory, you’d only have to wear the smart eyepiece to know when it’s time to calm down.
The existing project doesn’t do more than record data, but future software could do a lot more. You could get instructions on stress-relieving breathing exercises, for example, or even queue up soothing songs at the very moment you need them. Glass also isn’t strictly necessary, if you’d rather not wear a $1,500 headset that occasionally causes stress. Any wearable with the right sensors would do the trick. The biggest challenge is getting an accurate reading while you’re moving. BioGlass currently requires that you stand still, but the hope is that it will eventually warn you when you’re literally hopping mad. If all goes well, you may always know when it’s time to chill out — and hopefully avoid a ton of health problems.
[Image credit: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under: Wearables, Science, Google
Source: BioGlass
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False Alarm: Crane notice at Google wasn’t for Android L lawn statue
We Android fans are particularly excited when a new build of Android is about to be released, not only because there is going to be new, fantastical software, but also because there’s going to be a new lawn statue at Google HQ. So when a notice for impending crane work went up at Google HQ (see above), we naturally assumed they might be bringing in the new Android L lawn statue. While the event in itself might not be the most exciting, it’s what the lawn statue is going to be ‘made of’ that is the exciting part – is it going to be Lemon Meringue Pie as many pundits are suggesting?
As it turns out, the Android L lawn statue wasn’t brought in and only some rearrangement of the existing lawn statues was done. Check out the pictures below to see if you can spot the differences:
Before
After
You could definitely make the case that they are making space for the Android L lawn statue, but we’ll have to go back to speculating what the “L” in “Android L” is for a little while longer. Hopefully though, it won’t be much of a wait.
What do you think about Android L and what its real name will be? Let us know your opinion.
Source: Google+, MobileSyrup via Android Police
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