This protective Lumia Icon skin case is on sale for $4.95 today!
Made from multiple thermoacrylics, this Lumia Icon skin case is highly elastic and resistant to oils. Say goodbye to annoying fingerprints! The back features a matte finish with a glossy edging that enhances the grip around your device.
NASA needs lightweight spacecraft materials to explore the universe
While NASA has been able to go where it wants using existing materials for spacecraft, lightweight ones will enable the agency to explore more places in our solar system and beyond. That’s why NASA is now investing in the development of ultra-lightweight (ULW) materials that could reduce a spacecraft’s mass by up to 40 percent. That will allow the agency to save on fuel and carry more payload — or people, in the case of manned missions — if necessary. In its quest to find light but strong materials, NASA has chosen three proposals from American companies listed below the fold.
- HRL Laboratories LLC of Malibu, California: Ultralight Micro-truss Cores for Space Launch Systems
- ATK Space Systems LLC of Magna, Utah: Game Changing Technology Development Program Ultra-Light Weight Core Materials for Efficient Load Bearing Composite Sandwich Structures
- Dynetics Inc. of Huntsville, Alabama: Ultra-Lightweight Core Materials for Efficient Load-Bearing Composite Sandwich Structures
As you can see, these companies will be working on composite sandwich structures, which are materials made of honeycomb or foam cores sandwiched between two thin skins. While composites are common in the aerospace industry, the ones being developed for NASA will presumably be stronger and more resilient, since they have to endure trips to Mars and farther locations. The three companies will get funding for 13 months worth around $550,000, while those selected to advance to the next stage will get $2 million each.
Filed under: Science
Via: io9
Source: NASA
OS X 10.10.3 With All-New Photos App Launching Later Today
OS X 10.10.3 with the all-new Photos app will be available Wednesday as a free software update for Mac users, according to The Associated Press. The news organization mentioned the release date as part of its in-depth review about the all-new Photos for OS X app, which it praised for making basic photo editing easy.
“Procrastinate no more. Apple’s new Photos app for Mac computers, available Wednesday as a free software update, makes it easy to organize and edit your pictures. The app, which replaces iPhoto, bundles professional-level tools such as granular color correction into one free consumer package.”
OS X 10.10.3 will be available through Software Update in the Mac App Store.
First Apple Watch Unboxing Video Surfaces [iOS Blog]
As the initial wave of reviews for the much-anticipated Apple Watch began flooding in this morning, French website Metronews posted one of the first unboxing videos for Apple’s wrist-worn device, showing off specifically what appears to be the 42mm Stainless Steel Case with Milanese Loop Apple Watch.
The video is short, but confirms that photos of the packaging shared yesterday were legitimate, with a squat, square box housing the MagSafe charging cable in its bottommost compartment and the actual Watch in its own plastic-looking box separate from the rest of the packaging.
Metronews runs through a few of the Watch’s features after the unboxing, showcasing some quick swipes through Glances and even longer looks at sending taps, drawings, and a heartbeat to another Watch user.
Along with its featured review of the Apple Watch posted this morning, Mashable debuted a Vine unboxing of the device, showcasing a stop-motion reveal of the link bracelet option slowly emerging from its packaging.
https://vine.co/v/eBnOEPIe5eT/embed/simple
The Apple Watch launch date of April 24 is getting closer and closer, with pre-orders going up as soon as this Friday, April 10 at 12:01 AM Pacific Time. Stay up to date on what all the major outlets are thinking of Apple’s newest wearable in MacRumors‘ Apple Watch review round-up hub, which we’ll update as more sites post their thoughts on the device.
Galaxy S6 goes through scratching, bending, and flame torture tests, because why not?
With every major phone release, we find many torture tests to see how the device holds up. The Galaxy S6 is no exception in this latest video as attempts are made to scratch and bend it, as well as set it on fire. It’s a BDSM-lover’s dream.
The Galaxy S6 should be a little more delicate than previous S devices since it has glass and aluminum. However, the aluminum is 6013 grade, which is even better than what the iPhone sports (6063). Plus, the glass is Gorilla Glass 4.
The testing shows that the Galaxy S6 didn’t flinch at keys, a screwdriver, or even a razor blade with a pretty good force. Now fire might not be a good “real life” case, but they applied a lighter to both the aluminum frame as well as the display, and again the S6 didn’t budge.
This brings up to the bend test, which has been a controversy for the iPhone 6 Plus, as well as the Galaxy S6 Edge. By applying “human” pressure at full force, the S6 curved slightly during the bending process, but it didn’t actually bend. The tester was able to get a kink out of it by bending hard and twisting at the same time, but I wouldn’t say this would be a normal occurrence for consumers.
Check out the video for yourself below, but I think the Galaxy S6 has proven to be pretty durable.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Thanks Trevor
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KitKat beats out Jelly Bean for the first time, as Lollipop gathers steam – April data
Google released the Android distribution numbers for April 2015, and, for the first time, KitKat surpassed Jelly Bean versions as the most popular version of Android.
To give developers a better understanding of the Android ecosystem, Google releases monthly estimates of the relative number of devices running each version of Android. This includes devices running Android 2.2 or higher that have checked in Google’s Play Store servers over the previous week.
Data for April shows two interesting developments. The first is KitKat’s rise to absolute dominance, with Android 4.4 now running on 41.4%, more than the combined share of Android 4.1, 4.2, and 4.2, which is 40.7%. KitKat (API level 19) has had the largest share of any single API level for a while now, but until April, Jelly Bean (API level 16-18) held the lead when counted together.
The second noteworthy development is the new entry of Android 5.1 Lollipop (API level 22). The new version was officially introduced on March 9, and it managed to get on the radar with a 0.4% share in less than a month. That’s compared to Android 5.0, which needed a couple of months to register (versions with less than 0.1% share are not included in this stat).
Lollipop is now at a combined 5.4% (compared to 3.3% last month), and with updates reaching more devices, as well as a couple of real heavy hitters in the pipeline, its share will jump even more next month.
The science behind Taptics and Force Touch
The Taptic Engine is Apple’s new brand name for their haptic feedback mechanism in their new devices, including the Apple Watch and the new MacBook.
The whole assembly is made up of two things, a force sensor and a lateral vibrator. It is able to provide haptic feedback which is able to trick your fingers into feeling different textures through different oscillation settings. To understand how it works, we need to understand the basics of the individual components.
Shen Ye is a developer and MSci graduate in Chemistry from the University of Bristol. Author of the popular Smartphone Futurology series on Mobile Nations, as part of our Experts series, he takes a look at the Taptic engine and Force Touch technology contained in Apple’s new MacBook and the Apple Watch.
The most common vibration motor found in the modern day smartphone is what is known as an Eccentric Rotating Mass vibration motor, an unbalanced mass on the driveshaft of an electric motor.
Image credit: GoDo electronics
See the ERM motor on the top left corner of the iPhone 5, credit: iFixit
The motor is screwed into the frame of the device and, when turned on, it spins rapidly. The uneven centripetal force causes the motor to generate a vibration perpendicular to the axis of the driveshaft. You will find this in almost every Android device and every iPhone before the iPhone 6 (with the exception of the iPhone 4S, which used an LRA vibrator.)
LRA is a new type of vibrator unit which has recently been adopted into smartphones, it stands for Linear Resonant Actuator. It uses a completely different mechanism compared to ERM. The general shape is similar to that of a small button cell (found in the iPhone 4S), but can come in all shapes and sizes (rectangles in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus).
A Linear Resonant Actuator, credit: Precision Microdrives
The spring keeps the central mass under slight tension. There is a neodymium magnet attached to the mass that sits in a voice coil, which controls the oscillation of the magnet through electromagnetic signals. If you’re familiar with how a speaker works, this essentially uses the same mechanism. Both ERM and LRA vibrators convert electricity into kinetic energy via electromagnetism. LRA has a few advantages over ERM: it uses less energy when vibrating and has a lower latency between turning on and actually producing a vibration. Texas Instruments claims LRA has up to 2x more force and uses 50% less power. The ERM motor has a spin up time where it needs to build up inertia on the unbalanced weight, and it’s high overdrive and braking makes it hard to control precise oscillations (see graph).
Vibration comparison between ERM and LRA, credit: TI
The Taptic Engine in the new MacBook uses something very similar, except it is spread out across the touchpad with force sensors integrated at the corners. The spring isn’t pressed against the weight but is at the sides where the assembly is connected. With the incredible speed that it takes to power on the Taptics Engine, it allows what feels like instantaneous feedback which can be calibrated to mimic responses such as clicking.
All of the implementation of lateral vibration haptic feedback came from a researcher’s thesis published at MIT 20 years ago. It was originally tested on a joystick where the surface of the head needed to be a “haptic neutral” surface — a reinforced ping pong ball though they did consider using an egg shell as well. The vibrations were programmed through wavefunctions which describe amplitude (how strong the vibration is) and frequency. They were able to simulate numerous different textures on that single surface, including various grits of sandpaper and ridged surfaces.
The integrated Force Touch system involves a capacitive pane of glass over force sensors. The capacitive glass works exactly like the touchscreen on modern Multi-Touch devices. The glass contains an embedded fine grid of thin wires connected to electrodes at the four corners. These electrodes generate a constant voltage across this grid of wires thinner than a human hair. When a material that can hold an electric charge (e.g. human skin) touches the screen, the tiny voltage on the screen transfers to the material and the controller chip records the coordinates of the position of voltage drop on the grid.
MacBook Force Touch Trackpad, credit: Apple
The four Force Touch sensors at each of the corners of the trackpad are able to detect the force applied to the trackpad. Without knowing how it works, there are two likely components which can be used to achieve this. The most likely is a strain guage, which is a thin layer of strain sensitive circuity. When the circuitry is pressed on, it becomes thinner which increases its resistance and this is recorded by the microcontroller which translates it into a force value using a calibration curve.
Strain gauge, source: WikiCommons
Another likely candidate is a thin piezoelectric force sensor. A material with piezoelectric properties has the ability to generate a voltage when its shape is deformed. You can find them widely used in flint-less spark lighters which generates the spark to ignite the fuel through by pressing down the clicker. For force sensing there’s no need for such a high voltage that a spark is generated, just needs enough for the microcontroller to record the change in voltage. Similar to strain gauges, the microcontroller would need to have a programmed calibration curve to convert the observed voltage from the piezo force sensor into a force value.
Apple may never release information on how their Force Touch works, but this article summarised the mechanisms behind how the Taptic Engine and the science behind the individual components.
Tesla’s entry-level Model S delivers a lot more bang for a little extra buck
Electric cars are an important step on the road to saving the planet, but they’re sufficiently expensive that they’re still the province of “yuppies.” The problem with Tesla’s entry-level Model S 60 is that its shorter range was sure to deter some who could just about make the switch, but couldn’t afford an 85D. The company clearly realized that it wasn’t doing enough to coax prospective customers, which is why it’s now revealed a new entry level Model S in the form of the 70D. If there’s a catch, it’s that the 70D is $5,000 more expensive than the S 60 it was designed to replace, but that extra cash buys you a lot more car than it could a few days ago.
The headline feature here, of course, is that the 70D comes with a range of around 240 miles, thanks to that 70kWh battery that’s replaced the 60kWh unit on its predecessor. Speed-wise, the dual motor all-wheel drive whip will go from 0-60 in just over five seconds and the car has a top speed of 140mph. If you’re considering colors other than black or hot-rod red, you can also pick up the 70D in Warm Silver or Ocean Blue.
Previously, Model S customers would have been tempted to peruse the options menu looking at cheap-ish upgrades for their new ride. With the 70D, a lot of that technology has been absorbed into the price, specifically to banish customer worries about performance and range.
Those looking to boast that their ride can drive itself can also let slip that the 70D comes with Autopilot, Tesla’s assisted steering hardware, pre-installed. A series of cameras and sensors around the car will keep you in a lane on the highway, maintaining a safe speed and distance from other cars. It may not be the tech that Google is promising, but it’s as close to a self-driving car you’re likely to find in 2015. Of course, someone should have really named it “Cruise Control,” but that name had already been taken.
As previously mentioned, US customers will be asked to pay $75,000 for the new Model S, although that’s before various state and federal EV incentives kick in. Meanwhile, drivers in the UK who are eligible for the £5,000 plug-in grant will be asked to kick in £54,500 of their own money when it launches there in the near future.
Filed under: Transportation
Apple Watch Review Roundup: Future of the Wrist, But ‘Not For Everyone’
Apple has given members of the media several hands-on experiences with the Apple Watch following its special events, but ahead of Apple Watch pre-orders, select sites have been able to get a much closer look at the device. Apple has provided multiple publications with Apple Watch review units, giving them a chance to spend multiple days with the watch, and they’ve now shared their opinions in reviews published today.
Apple Watch has received favorable reviews, but isn’t for everyone (Image: CNET)
We’ve rounded up tidbits from several of the best reviews in order to give MacRumors readers a look at the Apple Watch from the perspective of those who have finally had a chance to use it extensively. The roundup includes reviews and opinions from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Verge, Re/code, Yahoo Tech and other large publications that tested the Apple Watch.
Farhad Manjoo, The New York Times:
“It was only on Day 4 that I began appreciating the ways in which the elegant $650 computer on my wrist was more than just another screen. By notifying me of digital events as soon as they happened, and letting me act on them instantly, without having to fumble for my phone, the Watch become something like a natural extension of my body—a direct link, in a way that I’ve never felt before, from the digital world to my brain. […]
What’s more, unlike previous breakthrough Apple products, the Watch’s software requires a learning curve that may deter some people. There’s a good chance it will not work perfectly for most consumers right out of the box, because it is best after you fiddle with various software settings to personalize use. Indeed, to a degree unusual for a new Apple device, the Watch is not suited for tech novices. It is designed for people who are inundated with notifications coming in through their phones, and for those who care to think about, and want to try to manage, the way the digital world intrudes on their lives.”
Geoffrey Fowler, The Wall Street Journal:
“With the Apple Watch, smartwatches finally make sense. The measure of their success shouldn’t be how well they suck you in, but how efficiently they help you get things done. Living on your arm is part of that efficiency—as a convenient display, but also a way to measure your heart rate or pay at a cash register. This is a big idea about how we use technology, the kind of idea we expect from Apple. […]
Yet the Apple Watch isn’t quite the gatekeeper to my digital life that I wanted. Take app alerts—there’s a fine line between being in the know and having your wrist jiggle all day. It never got horrible for me, because Apple lets you assign VIP status to individual contacts and specify which apps can trigger alerts. But setting up all of this is a tedious—and unfortunately ongoing—chore.”
Nilay Patel, The Verge:
“There’s no question that the Apple Watch is the most capable smartwatch available today. It is one of the most ambitious products I’ve ever seen; it wants to do and change so much about how we interact with technology. But that ambition robs it of focus: it can do tiny bits of everything, instead of a few things extraordinarily well. For all of its technological marvel, the Apple Watch is still a smartwatch, and it’s not clear that anyone’s yet figured out what smartwatches are actually for.”
Lauren Goode, Re/code:
“Not everyone has an iPhone 5 or later, which is required for the watch to work. Not everyone wants her wrist pulsing with notifications, finds animated emojis thrilling or needs to control an Apple TV with her wrist. Smartwatches can sometimes feel like a solution in search of a problem. […]
One day this past week, I woke up at 5:15 am, exercised for an hour using the Watch, ran Maps during my commute, made phones calls and received notifications throughout the whole day, and by 11:00 pm the Watch was just hitting its Power Reserve point.”
David Pogue, Yahoo Tech:
“The Apple Watch is light-years better than any of the feeble, clunky efforts that have come before it. The screen is nicer, the software is refined and bug-free, the body is real jewelry. First-time technologies await at every turn: Magnetic bands, push-to-release straps, wrist-to-wrist drawings or Morse codes, force pressing, credit-card payments from the wrist. And the symbiosis with the iPhone is graceful, out of your way, and intelligent.
But the true answer to that question is this: You don’t need one. Nobody needs a smartwatch. After all, it’s something else to buy, care for, charge every night. It’s another cable to pack and track. Your phone already serves most of its purposes. With the battery-life situation as it is, technology is just barely in place to make such a device usable at all.”
The Apple Watch will be available to pre-order beginning on Friday, April 10 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time. Orders will go live in all first wave launch countries simultaneously. Try-on appointments for the Apple Watch will also be available on April 10, giving customers a chance to experience the Apple Watch in person ahead of its April 24 launch.
The HTC One M9+ is official, comes with MediaTek processor and Quad HD display
After a veritable drip-feed of almost daily leaks, HTC finally made the One M9+ official at its More Than One event held in Beijing. The M9+ has received an upgrade in specifications in some areas over the standard M9 (reviewed here), and we have more pictures and details after the break.
The HTC One M9+ has some of the qualities we have come to expect of an HTC flagship smartphone; namely the all-metal construction, the front-facing BoomSound speakers and the now-familiar design that has evolved from when it first appeared on the M7. The main changes involve moving from the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor to one developed by MediaTek and upgrading to a Quad HD display. This marks the first time that MediaTek has provided the grunt for HTC, albeit one that will likely remain a China exclusive. It’s also HTC’s first handset to feature a Quad HD display.
Specifications
- 5.2-Inch LCD with 2K resolution (2560 x 1440) 565ppi
- MediaTek MT6795T (Helio) Octa-core processor @ 2.2GHz
- 3GB RAM
- Front-facing camera: 4MP UltraPixel
- Rear-facing camera: 20MP Duo Camera
- 32GB Internal Storage
- Fingerprint sensor
- LTE
- 2,840mAh battery
- Dimensions: 150.9 x 71.9 x 9.6mm
Despite the big unveiling, pricing and availability details remain unknown, although it is likely that the M9+ will only be offered in China. I’m sure I’m not the only one waiting to see how the MediaTek processor fares in the M9+.
Source: HTC
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