Ultrathin membrane makes plane cabins 100x quieter
While air travel is quicker and safer than driving, it’s also louder. The continuous low-frequency drone of the engines is why some people invest in noise-canceling headphones. To help reduce that non-stop hum, researchers at North Carolina State University and MIT have developed a thin membrane to be inserted into the lightweight honeycomb structure of planes and helicopters. “At low frequencies – sounds below 500 Hertz – the honeycomb panel with the membrane blocks 100 to 1,000 times more sound energy than the panel without a membrane.” said Yun Jing, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State University. The 0.25mm-thick membrane would only add an additional six percent to the overall weight of the honeycomb structure of aircraft. While that doesn’t seem like much, every ounce counts to airlines trying to maximize flight costs. It’ll be on them to decide whether they’d rather save money on fuel or makes cabins a better place for passengers.
Filed under: Misc, Transportation, Science
Source: NC State University
Supersonic air keeps train tracks clear when weather sucks
Unlike forest fires, you personally can’t do much to stop trainwrecks. With that in mind, the folks over at General Electric took a break from tracking your brain on BBQ and devised a way to keep one of the oldest forms of powered-transport on track in adverse weather conditions. You see, the Ardennes Forest in Belgium is legendary for its inhospitable conditions and to sidestep them and the mountains, trains were taking a longer, flatter and more expensive route. That wasn’t too economical. So, GE implemented what it calls the Advanced Rail Cleaner for trains on the route. Essentially, the ARC is a module that sits at a precise spot ahead of the front axle and uses high-pressure air (rather than lasers) moving at supersonic speeds to clear away any moisture and debris.
What’s more, special software detects when slippage starts and automatically engages the tool to blast away any contaminants. The result? European transport firm Heavy Haul Power International says it did something wasn’t possible before: pulling a 2,700 metric ton (just under 2,700 imperial tons) train through the “worst rail conditions imaginable.” All that to say, supplies should move a lot faster through the treacherous region from here on out. Too bad this sort of tech probably wouldn’t work on airplanes to keep runways clear for take-off and landing — we can always dream, though.
[Image credit: Stephan Rebernik/Flickr]
Filed under: Transportation
Source: GE Reports
Rubix’s wireless battery sticks to your phone with magnets
When you’re spending most part of the day out and about, chances are at some point you’ll have to whip out your portable battery to juice up your smartphone. This usually means stacking your phone on top of a cable-wrapped power bank, and then clumsily holding everything together with one hand. Doesn’t sound very 2015, does it? It’s annoying enough for a startup called Rubix to come up with a solution: slap a magnetized Qi wireless charging case (aka On Case) on your phone, and then let it snap onto a magnetized wireless charging battery (aka On Charger). Look ma, no cable!
The 13.9mm-thick On Charger consists of a 5,000 mAh battery with two output options: a fast 2A current over a USB cable or a standard 1A over close-proximity wireless transmission. Better yet, the charger also has a wireless power receiver at the bottom (as indicated by the circular groove to fit the ring on the top side), which means not only can you plonk it onto any Qi wireless charging station, you can also stack one On Charger on top of another that’s plugged in to charge them up simultaneously, albeit taking twice as long — theoretically five hours — if you give the bottom charger a 2A current over USB.
As for the On Case, Rubix’s Kickstarter launch will do the iPhone 6 first, followed by stretch goals to bring the magnet-only On Cases for the already Qi-enabled Galaxy S6 plus Galaxy S6 Edge, as well as the bigger On Case for the iPhone 6 Plus. The charger is designed to be flush with the iPhone 6’s case, and it isn’t far off from the Galaxy S6 cases’ shapes, so you should have no problem holding them together. And even if you hold just the phone part, the magnets are plenty strong to hold the battery, as we found out on a couple of prototypes. But is this battery-and-case bundle worthy of $89 and up? We’ll let you be the judge.
Filed under: Peripherals, Mobile, Apple
Source: Kickstarter
Apple sold 61 million iPhones last quarter, China now second-biggest market
Back in January this year, Apple recorded a blockbuster of a quarter thanks to holiday sales of its new, larger-screened handsets. It sold a whopping 74.5 million iPhones in the last three months of 2014, chalking up $74.6 billion in revenue in the process. While today’s second quarter results don’t quite match that number, Cook & co. still managed to rake in a respectable amount of cash: According to the report, Apple made around $58 billion and sold close to 61 million iPhones in the first three months of 2015 alone. That makes this one of the most successful March quarters ever in the company’s history. This is in large part due to Apple’s rising popularity in China. Indeed, the country is now Apple’s second biggest market, with Europe falling to third place.
Apple also continues to defy the global decline in PC shipments with 4.56 million in Mac sales, which is about 10 percent increase from this time last year. iPad sales, however, are on the decline; Apple sold 12.6 million of the tablets, a drop of about 23 percent from this time last year. Of course, as the Apple Watch only just went on sale in the past month, there aren’t any numbers for those just yet.
Developing…
[Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under: Apple
Source: Apple
Okidokeys Review
We are in a time period where technology is rapidly evolving, but also stagnating. The most popular technology, the smartphone, hasn’t seen any real advance in technology in awhile. Outside of that world though, there are advances happening that are very real, and coming very soon. One of those areas is the smart home, and Okidokeys is one of the first companies that’s primary focus is to make your home smarter. I have had the opportunity to live with an Okidokeys unit for the past few months, so let’s take a look at whether or not your home needs an Okidokeys.
Set up
When I first got the Okidokeys, I was stoked to try it out. My apartment complex was kind enough to let me change the the lock on my door, as Okidokeys makes it clear that changing your lock is easy, and can be changed back if need be. The installation process was a little difficult, but I think it had more to do with the position of my door than anything. Okidokeys provides video how-tos to walk you step-by-step on the installation process, which helped me a lot (I tend to be better with technology than tools).
Once the actual lock was installed, all that’s needed is to register the lock so that you can download the app on your smartphone. The portal on Okidokeys website is simple enough, although navigating it took some learning. After some tinkering though, I got me and my wife’s phones all set up, and everything worked pretty well.
General usage
Using the Okidokeys at first was really exciting. The ability to walk up to your door and use your smartphone to unlock your door is an uncanny feeling, and when I use it I still think its surreal. However, using the app seems to be inconsistent on my phone, but always works on my wife’s phone (I have a Moto X (2013) and she has a LG G2). You have to turn on Bluetooth for it to work, but you don’t pair your phone with the lock like a traditional Bluetooth device. Instead, you have to rely on the app to recognize the lock is within distance before locking/unlocking the door. For me, I could never find a system that would consistently recognize the door was within distance. So, unlocking my door ended up taking 3 times as long than just using my regular keys. That may not seem all that long, but after a long day, getting home is the first thing on your mind, and dealing with an app that won’t work right away isn’t exactly fun.
Like I said, though, my wife tells me she has never had an issue and it always works, and the few other people who have tried it have had no issues. So I can’t really say “it doesn’t work” when it seems to just be the case for me. Speaking of other people using it…
Special Features
The special features are what make the Okidokeys a great buy. I’ll give you an example: my parents came and visited for a few days over a weekend, and then for Monday and Tuesday. While they were here, my wife and I had to work on the Monday and Tuesday. On Monday, my wife and I woke up early and went to work. When my parents got up, we realized we had forgotten to leave a key with them so they could leave the apartment. Never fear, Okidokeys is here! I pulled up my Okidokeys portal, and sent my dad a “key” to use on his smartphone. The email walked him through setup, and in just a few minutes they had the door locked and were on their way.
This is easily the most convenient feature of the Okidokeys. My in-laws also visited before my parents, and we set them up with a key as well (we had remembered ahead of time). The amount of “keys” available for the Okidokeys is only controlled by you. Furthermore, if you want to give someone a key for only a short time, say when someone is house sitting, you can set an expiration on the “key”. The uses of this are endless, and require no hassle of making an extra physical key to keep track of.
What is neat, though, is you can get physical keys, but I don’t mean a metal one. You can purchase a credit card sized key, a bracelet key, or even just a sticker to give to people to use with the lock (you need to buy an extension for this to work). If someone in your household would rather have an old-fashioned key, the ones you had before still work with the Okidokeys (there is no change to the outside of the door, just the inside).
Conclusion
All-in-all, the Okidokeys is an improvement to your lock. Even if the app is a little finicky, you can still open the door with a range of things, from an old-fashioned key to another you can get from Okidokeys. The ability to give keys to people without anything more than accessing your portal is priceless. While this isn’t a palm-reading lock, Okidokeys has opened the door (pun intended) for the future of homes.
The post Okidokeys Review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
App of the Day: TapDeck
Do you like HD wallpapers? Enjoy making your homescreen a visual representation of your inner soul? Maybe you just like switching out your wallpaper more often that other like to switch clothing. Whatever the case may be, finding a good wallpapers can be as simple as going on the internet and clicking on the first kitten wallpaper you see or as hard as researching for hours to find one that really speaks to you. For those of you that fall into the latter category though, we may be able to offer you something that will make that search a bit simpler, our App of the Day, TapDeck.
TapDeck is a wallpaper app that takes a different approach than that of similar apps in that it allows you to change the wallpaper with a simple click. So instead of having to launch the app itself to have to search and select a wallpaper, all you have to do is double tap and the wallpaper will change automatically. This is a fantastic feature for those that like to keep their homescreens fresh but do not like having to go and search for them. TapDeck has a great assortment of wallpapers so you don’t have to worry about getting one you don’t like, and if for some reason you do, all you have to do is double tap! If TapDeck sounds like something you have been missing from your life, then make sure to use the widget below to download the app or get some more
The post App of the Day: TapDeck appeared first on AndroidGuys.
LG Watch Urbane now in stock in the UK
The LG Watch Urbane has now begun shipping in the UK with retailer Clove, who announced the news on their Twitter page. Featuring the same specs as the LG G Watch R, the LG Watch Urbane was announced back at MWC 2015 and brings a different style as LG aims to target the premium wearables segment.
More from LG:
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The LG Watch Urbane features a 1.3-inch P-OLED display with 320×320 pixel resolution – which offers 245 pixels per inch density – and is powered by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 CPU with 512MB RAM and 4GB internal storage. The LG Watch Urbane runs on Android Wear and is IP67 rated, offering dust and water resistance up to 30 minutes and 1-metre underwater. Other notable specs include a barometer, gyro, heart rate monitor, Bluetooth v4.0 (LE) and a 410 mAh battery which is rated as offering all-day battery life.
Clove are offering the LG Watch Urbane for £259.99 (£216.66 excluding VAT) with the wearable now in-stock for next-day delivery. For more on the LG Watch Urbane, head over to our hands on back at MWC and check out the video below.
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Alcatel Onetouch Idol 3 unboxing and first impressions
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Back at MWC 2015, we took a look at the 5.5-inch Alcatel Onetouch Idol 3 – the budget-friendly, reversible smartphone that packs a punch in both hardware and software. While our full review is on it’s way, we thought we’d give you a look at the unboxing experience you’ll get if you order one of these devices. Without any further ado, let’s jump right in!
Read more: Alcatel Onetouch Idol 3 hands-on and first look
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Unboxing
The main reason we wanted to do this unboxing is because of the beautiful retail packaging Alcatel Onetouch included with this smartphone. The box is big, and gives us a very good feeling that what’s inside is nothing short of a premium device. After we ‘unlock’ the box, a number of flaps open up, revealing a few of the device’s specifications.
Included in the box are all of the normal add-ons we see with just about every smartphone – a Micro USB cable, wall adaptor and SIM card removal tool. Alcatel has even included a nice pair of JBL earbuds and a USB thumb drive as an added bonus.
First impressions
At first glance, the 5.5-inch device reminds us of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus or the LG Nexus 4. Overall, the design is very minimalistic and feels great in the hand. The entire chassis is made of plastic and features a nice metallic trim that surrounds the outer edges. You’ll find two front-facing speakers flanking the 5.5-inch Full HD LCD display, and you’ll soon see that the device has minimal bezel surrounding the screen.
The button layout on the Idol 3 is mirrored from what we’re used to on most other smartphones, so the power button can be found on the left side, while the volume rocker sits on the right edge. Moving down to the bottom, the Micro USB port can be found on the right-most side of the bottom edge.
The back of the device has a nice brushed aluminum look and feel, similar to what the LG G3 brought to the table. The Idol and Alcatel Onetouch logos are also found on the back side, with the 13MP camera module up on the top left corner.
Though it’s easy to see that while the Idol 3 is running a customized version of Android, the user interface still takes a ton of cues from Lollipop. The application drawer, notification shade and settings menus all closely resemble a device running vanilla Android, while the rest of the software experience is bestrewn with Alcatel’s flat and bright design enhancements.
One other little feature unique to this device is the ability to flip it upside down and still be able to use it. It’s possible to turn this feature off in the notification panel, but we’d wager that most users will find it extremely convenient.
Overall, this phone is making a great first impression on us. And when we take into account that the device is launching for only $250 unlocked, that makes it an even greater value.
Pre-order now for just $249.99!
Our full review of the Alcatel Onetouch Idol 3 is coming soon, so be sure to stay tuned with Android Authority for more coverage in the coming weeks!
Facebook introduces free video calling to Messenger
Facebook has just announced that it’s bringing free video calling to its Messenger application on both Android and iOS. The update, which is rolling out now in the Play Store, will allow you to simply tap the video camera icon on any existing Messenger conversation to instantly connect with your friends and family.
The update is now available in the U.S., the U.K., Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Laos, Lithuania, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal and Uruguay. Facebook says that more countries will be added in the coming months.
Facebook adding free video calling to Messenger is big news, especially because it now pits them up against other popular video chatting applications like Skype, ooVoo, Tango and many others. Facebook has been introducing many other features to Messenger lately, such as third party app integration, launching Messenger as a standalone website and more.
Be sure to head to the Google Play Store to grab the newest version of Messenger!
Apple Watch Display Quality Judged ‘Excellent’, Calibrated to Match iPhone 6
DisplayMate Technologies has extensively tested the Apple Watch’s flexible OLED display and shared the results today based on several categories, including screen reflection, brightness and contrast with ambient light, color gamut with ambient light, and viewing angle variations. Overall, the company found the Apple Watch to have an “excellent smart watch display” with accurate colors and picture quality.
In a side-by-side comparison with the iPhone 6 display, the display calibration company found that Apple has taken measures to ensure that the Apple Watch display has the same colors, color calibration and color accuracy as the larger smartphone screen. The stainless steel and gold Apple Watches with sapphire crystal displays, however, have much higher reflectance in ambient light and mandatory automatic brightness control to preserve battery life.
“Since the Apple Watch is often used right next to the iPhone 6, Apple has gone to considerable lengths to give them the same colors, color calibration, and color accuracy. The two most significant differences (other than size) are the much higher Reflectance of the Apple Watch with a sapphire crystal (8.2 percent compared to 4.6 percent), and the aggressive Brightness control using a mandatory Automatic Brightness Ambient Light Sensor in order to increase the running time on battery for the tiny watch.”
The full-length report offers a comprehensive look at the Apple Watch’s ion-strengthened and sapphire crystal displays, and reiterates that enhanced sapphire, which lowers the screen reflectance of sapphire to be much lower than glass, will soon be available for use in smartphones, smartwatches and other mobile devices. Additionally, DisplayMate’s previous tests of the Samsung Gear 2 and Sony SmartWatch 2 displays provide good comparisons to the Apple Watch.
AIVAnet 