Apple Watch Proves ‘More Waterproof Than Anticipated’ in New Test
Thanks to the time difference, a few Australian Apple Watch customers began receiving their orders as early as yesterday afternoon here in the United States. Because of this, smartphone website FoneFox decided to put the Apple Watch through a variety of waterproof tests to measure just how much moisture the Watch could take before failing to function.
The first test is a basic splash test followed by a five minute simulated shower complete with shampoo and soap, at the end of which the Apple Watch comes out noticeably unscathed and completely responsive to FoneFox‘s inputs on both its touch interface and digital crown. It should be pointed out that all of FoneFox‘s tests were completed with a 38mm Apple Watch Sport. Although it’s hard to tell how different models of the Watch will size up to similar testing, it’s clear after today’s tests that most models in the Sport range should see similar results as FoneFox‘s.
After finding “absolutely no issues whatsoever” with the Watch after the shower test, FoneFox decided to place the Apple Watch Sport completely submerged in a bucket for another five minutes. After the Watch produced similarly impressive results, the website took the device for a swim in a pool. Despite obvious responsive issues when placed underwater, after a 15 minute swim the wearable remained as functional for FoneFox as it was when taken out of the box.
Apple’s estimation of the waterproof rating for Apple Watch has most likely been underplayed, as most technology is, due to certain legal and business reasons. The company gave the wrist-worn device a water resistance rating of IPX7, suggesting it to be splash and water resistant but not completely waterproof. Tim Cook even claimed he wore his own personal Apple Watch in the shower back in February, pointing at a better-than-expected waterproof rating for the device ahead of its launch.
Comcast officially gives up on Time Warner Cable merger
The rather unpopular, $45 billion merger attempt between Comcast and Time Warner Cable has been officially called off. In a very brief statement, Comcast CEO Brian L. Roberts said that he would have liked to pair the two companies together, but governmental pressure has killed the deal. The biggest objection to the deal was that the pair would be so close to a monopoly that it would have no reason to compete, raising the ire of both the FCC and Justice Department. Unlike the failed AT&T – T-Mobile deal a few years back, it doesn’t appear as if either party has to pay a severance fee to the other, which should make walking away a little easier.
[Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images]
Source: Comcast
Berkeley’s artificial photosynthesis turns carbon dioxide into future fuel
Whenever a scientific discovery claims to have solved one of the world’s most critical issues, it’s hard not to get a little bit excited. Today, our hopes are riding high on the news that Berkeley University might have just worked out how to solve the problem of climate change. Working in collaboration with the Department of Energy and the University of California, researchers have developed a system that captures carbon dioxide and turns it into chemicals that can be used to make plastics, drugs and, even better, biofuel.
Put simply, the system is an artificial form of photosynthesis using a series of semiconducting nanowires and genetically engineered E.coli bacteria. Whereas a plant would absorb carbon dioxide and produce sugar and oxygen, this system creates acetate, a building block for various organic compounds.
In terms of its practical applications, the team can already extract promising if not yet useful quantities of each substance. For instance, the process kicks out a 26 percent yield of butanol (biofuel), 25 percent amorphadiene (base component for anti-malaria drugs) and 52 percent amounts of PHB (biodegradeable plastic).
With more time, money, research and some luck, the team hopes to get those figures up to a level where the technology is commercially viable. If the system can be then created on a large enough scale, the carbon in the atmosphere could be captured and converted into a sustainable green gas for your vehicle that wouldn’t require pulling more fossil fuels out of the ground.
Filed under: Science
Source: NanoLetters, Berkeley
Drones will deliver mail in Switzerland this summer
You know which organization doesn’t want to fall behind Amazon, DHL and Alibaba when it comes to drone deliveries? The Swiss Post. Yes, Switzerland’s postal service wants to deliver small packages using small drones. In fact, it will start using quadcopters developed by a company called Matternet to drop off its customers’ parcels during a pilot program this summer. Matternet ONE can carry anything up to 2.2 pounds for over 12 miles on a single charge, and the Post will put it to the test delivering small things like medicine or documents.
The pilot program, according to the company, serves as “a Proof of Concept to clarify the legal framework, consider local conditions and explore the technical and business capabilities of the drones.” Matternet isn’t a new player by any means — it’s already used its drones to deliver meds in Haiti — so the Swiss Post chose a great partner for the project. “Our product is vertically integrated into a complete transportation solution. Swiss Post comes to us, we supply them all the technology (drones, landing pads, batteries, charging stations, cloud software) and they just focus on operations,” one of its founders, Andreas Raptopoulos, told TechCrunch. If this first run is successful, the postal service hopes to go through two more rounds of pilot testing to determine how viable delivery drones truly are.
Filed under: Misc
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Matternet
An Android is urinating on the Apple logo in Google Maps
Google and Apple have always had their differences, but a new Easter egg inside Google Maps has just taken their rivalry to a whole new level. As spotted by Team Android, if you head to these coordinates with the regular Map view enabled, you’ll see Google’s iconic Android mascot taking a leak on the Apple logo. At the moment, it’s unclear who created this little piece of mischief and whether Google is even aware of its existence. It could have been made by a renegade Google employee, or a member of the public using a crowdsourced mapping tool like Map Maker. Regardless, it’s a crazy (and pretty hilarious) addition that’s sure to rile some of the employees in Cupertino. Shots fired!
Filed under: Internet, Apple, Google
Via: Team Android
Source: Google Maps
ZTE at IFA GPC: SPro2, global growth and 2015 targets
ZTE has announced that the SPro2 smart projector will be going on sale in the USA tomorrow. ZTE’s Senior Director of Technology and Partnerships, Waiman Lam, announced at the company’s IFA GPC power briefing that the SPro2 will be launched in the USA tomorrow and, as we revealed earlier this week, it’s landing on AT&T with a price tag of $400.
The SPro2 is the world’s smartest mobile projector as it runs Android 4.4 KitKat and features a 5 inch display, Snapdragon 800 processor and a 6300 mAh battery. The Pico-HD projector can output 720p HD images on a screen up to 120 inches which autofocuses with a brightness of 200 lumens. For more on the SPro 2, check out our ZTE SPro 2 review (or look at the video below).
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Alongside the SPro 2 announcement, ZTE revealed the Star 2 is coming to Europe and gave us an overview of their market performance around the world.
The Star 2 is the first smartphone to have system-wide voice control that doesn’t require an internet connection and is backed by over 1000 patents, of which 158 are related to voice control. ZTE is working with the world’s leading voice control companies and partners to deliver an impressive voice control system that is untethered and doesn’t require an internet connection to operate.
2014 saw the company ship a total of 100 million devices with 48 million of these being smartphones and for 2015, the company has predicted a total of 100 million shipments but an increase in smartphone shipments by 25 percent to 60 million.
In the US, ZTE remains the only Chinese OEM with significant share in the market and at the end of 2014, the company had 7 percent market share and 21 percent of the prepaid market. At the end of 2014, the company was No 4 in the overall device market and expects to grow this significantly in 2015 with more devices shipping with the ZTE logo.
ZTE’s growth is not just limited to the US, with the company revealing performance gains all over the world. In Asia Pacific, the company’s smartphone shipments are up 100% year-on-year (YoY) and LTE smartphone shipments are up 500% YoY. Channel income is up 200% YoY and in Russia alone, there are 10,000 retailers offering ZTE devices to customers.
All across the world, the company is transitioning from being an ODM (Original Device Manufacturer) to OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) with 75% of devices in Europe now having the ZTE logo stamped on the back. In the Middle East & Africa, ZTE smartphone shipments are up 400% YoY while in China, the company has continued growth for the past four years.
More on ZTE:
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Overall, the short 15 minute presentation revealed that ZTE are a Chinese OEM dedicated to delivering growth around the world and the transition to an OEM should help ensure this happens sooner rather than later.
The leather back could make the G4 more expensive than we thought
That “vegetable-tanned” leather back on the G4? It’s costing LG extra, and the company is passing the buck to customers.
Ahead of the official unveiling (if there will be any veils left to lift by then) on April 28, the LG G4 went up for pre-order in its native South Korea. The G4 is sold by SK Telecom, KT, and LG U+, even if the device won’t be available in stores for customers to try out until next week, with actual availability rumored to start on April 29.
Interestingly, the G4 is priced by Korean carriers at a slightly higher price than we expected. Korea Telecom is offering the device for the equivalent of $825, compared to $795 for the Galaxy S6 32GB, but lower than Galaxy S6 Edge 32GB ($910).
This isn’t actually the official unlocked price, but an LG representative confirmed to ETNews that “it will stay in that range.” According to Korea Times, LG’s pricing strategy is actually targeting the Galaxy S6 Edge, as the company sees the vegetable-tanned leather back as a luxury offering worth paying a premium for:
“Among the various tanning methods, vegetable tanning is the most traditional and the most recognizable. It is the only form of tanning that is able to give leather unique characteristics, retaining the natural flaws and markings. That’s why only a few luxurious brands such as Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton applied the tanning technology to very high-level products.”
LG confirmed that, carrier subsidies not considered, the G4 will be pricier than previous models.
The G3 launched last year at a rather high price (900,000 won/$880) in South Korea, but the device was more affordable in the rest of the world. In the US, the 5.5-inch device could be had for as little as $450 unlocked last fall. That, and the fact LG has minimized the hype by releasing details ahead of the launch, made us think the G4 could go a bit down range.
It remains to be seen whether LG will market the leather-backed G4 as an Edge-competitor worldwide or just in in South Korea. It will be interesting to follow how the price changes in time; the Galaxy S6 shapes up to be a sales hit, which may force LG to lower the G4’s price fast and hard. Then there’s the “more premium” device that LG said will come later this year, which could put more pressure on the G4’s price.
Stay tuned for the official details coming April 28.
Oh no, they didn’t! A giant Android pees on Apple in Google Maps
Step 1. Go to this location in Google Maps. Step 2a. Enjoy. Step 2b. Cringe.
We’re not sure what’s going on here, as what you see in the screenshot above should never make it to production software. No matter what happened (intentional Easter Egg, joke of rogue employee, some exploit or hack, passive aggressive revenge over Apple dumping Google Maps), it will probably be gone very soon.
80% of Philips TVs in 2015 will run Android
At today’s IFA 2015 Global Press Conference in Malta, Philips’ TV division, TP Vision, talked about the company’s plans for 2015 and announced that Android TV is a big part of the future. 80 percent of Philips Ambilight TVs in 2015 will run on the Android Lollipop platform.
The new Philips Ambilight TVs come with integrated lighting systems for a much better experience and as part of the move to Android, Philips announced a new partnership with EA and Gameloft offering customers who buy Amiblight TVs access to around 200 popular games stored in the cloud.
TP Vision also announced that the 90 percent of Phillips Smart TVs powered by Android TV have been connected to the internet. Video On Demand services are proving ever-popular, with 50 percent of customers in the UK (end of 2013) and 30 percent in Germany (early 2015) using VoD services.
The other key announcement from the short power briefing was that there will be 38 Android-powered TVs released in the first half of 2015 and some of these will be low-cost entry-level Full HD panels. The key thing here is that Android as a platform is growing in the smart home arena and it’s nice to see a major electronics band such as Philips/TP Vision backing Android on TV at all price points.
Image via: ITB (Twitter)
The Big Picture: Ultraviolet strands form this celestial tapestry
Sometimes you just need to grab 18 miles of fluorescent string, coat it in ultraviolet paint and stretch it along an art installation and hit it with black lights. At least that’s what artist Julien Salaud did recently with his “Stellar Cave” series. As My Modern Met observes, the threads are wrapped around nails to create images of animals, humans and other stuff in a way that’d evoke “mythology and mysticism.” The exhibits were on display at Israel’s Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art and you can check out more images at the links below.
Via: Laughing Squid
Source: My Modern Met
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