Everything you need to know from WinHEC 2015
The return of the WinHEC conference has been an eventful one with a huge amount of news coming out of the Shenzhen, China venue relating to Windows 10. From details on when the next version of Windows will launch, to a new hardware testing partner in Xiaomi and a bunch of details on what’s going to be inside Windows 10, there’s a lot to take in from the first day of the conference.
But fear not, we’ve got you covered. Hit the link below to catch up on all of the news from WinHEC 2015!
Researchers can now 3D-print nose cartilage in 16 minutes
Doctors have been employing 3D-printed tissue for years now. But even though the hype around 3D bioprinting has raised expectations that it will save lives and shorten donor wait lists, fully functional printed organs are not feasible yet. While we won’t be seeing blood pumping printed hearts any time soon, getting a new nose could become easier.
Professor Marcy Zenobi-Wong’s team of researchers, led by Matti Kesti, at ETH Zurich’s Cartilage Engineering and Regeneration laboratory, has found a way to bioprint a joint or nose cartilage that is designed to grow with the body over time. Current cartilage transplant procedures rely on two-dimensional cell generation that doesn’t evolve as the patient’s joint regains function in the future. 3D bioprinted cartilages, on the other hand, are expected to reproduce and become a part of the body’s mechanism.
In the case of reconstructive surgery on a smashed nose, a digital 3D model is created while a biopsy removes cartilage cells from the patient’s body — knee, ear or even pieces of the busted nose. The cells are then spawned with suitable biopolymers, either extracted from seaweed or generated by the human body, to create a hydrogel consistent with the suspension of the printer. The biopolymers act as a shaping mold for the cells until the cartilage cells in the body break them down. Over time, according to the research team, it would become virtually impossible to differentiate between the transplant and the original cartilage in the body.
“We hope that in the future our technology could be used to overcome the need for cartilage donor tissue,” Kesti told us. “The bioprinted cartilage piece could be printed based on the patient defect and need so that the personalized shape and size is regained.”
Even though this technology has the potential to personalize medicine and create body-replicating magic, bioprinting and research is an expensive and exhaustive process that prevents cellular 3D printer cartridges from being widely available in hospitals just yet. “The potential of 3D bioprinting in future is that it is the ultimate technology to regenerate patient specific shape of tissue or even organs,” says Kesti. “There is no better way to make the shape than 3D printing so it is worth investigating the technology.” His lab, equipped with a majestic bioprinter that can create a cartilage in roughly 16 minutes, is now ready for pre-clinical trials. If the cellular concoction becomes a viable option for human trials, it could make bioprinted cartilage implants far more successful than their silicone counterparts.
[Image credit: Cartilage Engineering & Regeneration Group, ETH Zurich]
Source: ETH Zurich
OnePlus One will get a price increase in Europe on March 25th due to exchange rates
Due to the declining value of the euro, the OnePlus One‘s price will increase in Europe beginning Wednesday, March 25th. OnePlus explains that due to the euro’s instability, many manufacturers tend to launch devices in the region for higher prices. OnePlus ultimately opted not to raise the price of its “flagship killer” when it launched, resulting in the company actually selling devices at a loss in the EU.
Beginning March 25th, the 16GB Silk White variant will be available for €299 (up from €269), and the 64GB Sandstone Black variant will be sold for €349 (up from €299). The company explains:
We sincerely wish that we had an alternative option here. We explored all possible avenues in an attempt to avoid any changes, but as a startup with exceedingly-slim margins, our current euro prices simply aren’t sustainable.
Now, these changes don’t go into effect until next Wednesday, so you can still buy the smartphone at the cheaper price until then. Even though you’ll need an invitation to purchase the phone, OnePlus is holding an open sale promotion on Tuesday, March 24th if you can’t get your hands on an invite. Moreover, OnePlus confirms that official accessories won’t be affected by the price increase.
European readers, does this affect you in any way? If you were thinking about buying the device, what are your thoughts now?
T-Mobile announces new Un-contract and Carrier Freedom plans
In addition to announcing Un-carrier for businesses, T-Mobile also had something for regular customers of its network. Starting March 22, the carrier will kick start the Un-contract, which is its own version of the contract system.
The carrier however reassures customers that it won’t be the same as a conventional contract, thus explaining the name. With Un-contract, T-Mobile mentions that users can keep their existing Simple Choice plans untouched for the duration of their stay with the carrier. The carrier also promised that those on its unlimited data plans can be assured that the prices will not go up for at least two years. The offer is available to all existing T-Mobile Simple Choice customers.
T-Mobile also announced something known as Carrier Freedom, where it offers up to $650 per line (on up to a 10 total lines) for those switching from another carrier like AT&T or Verizon. All you have to do is take the smartphone to T-Mobile where you will receive the trade-in value immediately. The remaining balance such as ETF and payments will be paid off by T-Mobile upon submission of the bill from your original carrier. The outstanding amount will be given to you in the form of a T-Mobile prepaid card.
The CEO of T-Mobile, John Legere said – “We’re the Un-carrier. Everything the carriers do, we un-do,” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile. “The other guys have been throwing out all kinds of desperate, short-term promotions to suck you in and lock you down − only to jack up rates later. We’re not playing that game. The Un-contract is our promise to individuals, families and businesses of all sizes, that − while your price may go down − it won’t go up.”
Source: T-Mobile
Come comment on this article: T-Mobile announces new Un-contract and Carrier Freedom plans
‘Project Spartan’ will be in the next Windows 10 preview build
Microsoft has confirmed that “Project Spartan”, the code name for their next-generation web browser, will be included in the next preview build of Windows 10. That build should be released to members of the Fast update ring sometime in April.
Mars probe finds super-active auroras and mystery dust clouds
As much as humanity knows about Mars, the planet is still chock-full of surprises. Just ask NASA: University of Colorado researchers using its MAVEN probe have discovered phenomena in the Martian skies that you would never see on Earth. For one, there are auroras that are so energetic (their electrons are 100 times more powerful than a spark of house current) that they plunge far deeper into the atmosphere than back home, or even other places on Mars. Scientists suspect that the Sun is to blame — Mars doesn’t have a protective magnetic field like Earth does, so the solar wind sometimes hits with full force.
Another discovery may be tougher to crack. MAVEN has spotted very thin dust clouds flying at very high altitudes of 93 to 190 miles, where they shouldn’t exist based on the current understanding of how Mars works. The clouds could simply have been kicked up from the ground, but they could also come from Mars’ moons or even comet debris. Whatever the causes, both the dust and the auroras suggest that there’s still a lot to learn about one of Earth’s closest cosmic neighbors.
[Image credit: University of Colorado]
Filed under: Science
Source: NASA
Nintendo assures its new mobile games will mostly be developed internally
For years, Nintendo has had a strong stance as to why it wouldn’t bring its games and characters to the mobile platform, but that all began to change yesterday. When Nintendo announced its partnership with mobile game developer DeNA, it shocked a lot of people. Not only because Nintendo finally changed its mind, but because many folks thought the gaming giant would simply license its content to DeNA and let them deal with it. In a recent interview with Time, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata gave us some reassurance on the subject.
When asked flat-out whether Nintendo or DeNA would take care of the bulk of the game making, Iwata explained:
Development of smart device games will be mainly done by Nintendo, but it is significant that we are forming a joint development structure with DeNA.
He goes on to say that Nintendo knows what it’s doing when making traditional gaming products. But when it comes to mobile video games, DeNA knows how to handle the “service” side of things. So while Nintendo is working on developing the game, DeNA will lend a helping hand that will make each game more mobile-friendly.
Iwata was also asked about the company’s standpoint on free-to-play games vs paid games. In response, he explains:
Nintendo does not intend to choose payment methods that may hurt Nintendo’s brand image or our IP, which parents feel comfortable letting their children play with. Also, it’s even more important for us to consider how we can get as many people around the world as possible to play Nintendo smart device apps, rather than to consider which payment system will earn the most money.
This interview helps answer some questions that we had in our original post about the Nintendo/DeNA partnership. Nintendo doesn’t want to build its own games for mobile because the company wants to do it right the first time. As far as gaming is concerned, this is the company’s first foray into the smartphone/tablet world, so why not partner with another company that clearly knows what they’re doing?
If you have time, I’d suggest reading the entire interview. It covers many more details that were left out of the initial announcement the other day. If you’d like to read on, head to the source link below. For you folks who admittedly had some concerns about this partnership: does this interview ease your minds a little bit?
Germany bans Uber once again over permit issues
Why can’t Germany and Uber just get along? For the second time in seven months, a court has nixed Uber’s operations nationwide. Frankfurt District Court Judge Joachim Nickel ruled Wednesday that Uber had violated Germany’s public transportation act because the company’s drivers do not possess the same permits that conventional taxis services must carry. In response, Judge Nickel reinstated an injunction against Uber set during the initial lawsuit last September, which was brought by Taxi Deutschland, Germany’s taxi driver lobby group.
“The basis of Uber’s business model is in violation of the law,” Taxi Deutschland’s head Dieter Schlenker told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper. Uber, unsurprisingly, disagrees with the ruling and is already winding up for its legal counter-punch.
“The ban pronounced by the Court represents a fundamental infringement, in particular of our right under European law to establish and provide a service,” the company replied in a statement. “This is why we have lodged a complaint against Germany with the European Commission. In this regard, we also expect to file an appeal against today’s decision.”
What’s more, Uber appears to have already finagled a workaround regarding the ban that follows the letter, if not the spirit, of the ruling. Since the ban only applies to drivers without the national operator’s permit, both the UberBlack and UberTaxi services — which only hail permitted taxi and livery drivers — can still be used.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: New York Times
Source: Uber
Mars probe finds super-active auroras and mystery dust clouds
As much as humanity knows about Mars, the planet is still chock-full of surprises. Just ask NASA: University of Colorado researchers using its MAVEN probe have discovered phenomena in the Martian skies that you would never see on Earth. For one, there are auroras that are so energetic (their electrons are 100 times more powerful than a spark of house current) that they plunge far deeper into the atmosphere than back home, or even other places on Mars. Scientists suspect that the Sun is to blame — Mars doesn’t have a protective magnetic field like Earth does, so the solar wind sometimes hits with full force.
Another discovery may be tougher to crack. MAVEN has spotted very thin dust clouds flying at very high altitudes of 93 to 190 miles, where they shouldn’t exist based on the current understanding of how Mars works. The clouds could simply have been kicked up from the ground, but they could also come from Mars’ moons or even comet debris. Whatever the causes, both the dust and the auroras suggest that there’s still a lot to learn about one of Earth’s closest cosmic neighbors.
[Image credit: University of Colorado]
Filed under: Science
Source: NASA
AIVAnet 