New coloring technique creates perfect spots on 3D-printed cat
Hydrographic printing looks like a magic trick. You print a pattern on a see-through film, place that sheet on a tub of water and spray it with a chemical potion. When you immerse a bland 3D object in the tub, it bonds with the film and comes back out covered in chosen colors. This technique is hugely popular for transferring patterns on simple surfaces. But, the system lacks precision. Complex textures that are now common with 3D printers, stretch the film, and sometimes even tear it. The final pattern is often distorted. According to Wired, a group of researchers from Zheijiang University and Columbia University have devised a quirky dip-kit that adds computational capabilities to conventional hydrographics.
The team created a new apparatus with off-the-shelf hardware: a couple of aluminum rods and tripods. The twist in their technique is a 3D vision system, a Microsoft Kinect, that maps the location of the object before immersion. It gives them the ability to virtually simulate the distortion so they can use that calculation to print a precise image. In their demo video, when one of the rods slowly and consistently dips the object into the tub, the film in the water wraps around it and aligns perfectly. This method accounts for complex textures so you can immerse the object multiples times at different angles for life-like replicas.
Source: Wired
Apple music service will give artists control over what they share
Apple’s oft-rumored, Beats-based streaming music service may have more to offer artists than a big wad of cash. Tipsters for 9to5Mac claim that the service (reportedly called just “Apple Music”) will give artists the freedom to share things beyond their latest songs — they could post music videos, concert details, photos and track samples, even if the content is from other performers. Think of it as an amped-up SoundCloud page, or a take on Apple’s defunct Ping network that people might actually use. Artist activity is reportedly big enough that it’ll be a “core feature,” and you’d see it in the Android, iOS and desktop versions. Apple isn’t confirming any of these details, as you might imagine, but previous rumors of a WWDC debut suggest that you’ll hear more about this musician-friendly platform in early June.
[Image credit: Adam Berry/Getty Images for Apple]
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Apple
Source: 9to5Mac
Virtual reality game asks you to fight blind
Virtual reality gaming isn’t just about immersing yourself in visuals… it can be about sound, too. If you need proof, you only need to look at (or rather, hear) Scoot Leadman’s experimental Gear VR game Blind Swordsman. The title has you fending off a trio of killers using only the directional audio cues in your headphones. You have to listen carefully, face your enemy and swing before it’s too late. The concept is simple on the surface, but it’s reportedly very involving — and it takes advantage of technology that wasn’t viable until recently, such as cordless VR and positional sound software. Blind Swordsman isn’t as superficially impressive as other virtual experiences, but it does serve as a friendly reminder that VR opens up creative possibilities beyond graphics.
Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Gaming, Wearables, Mobile, Samsung
Via: VRFocus
Source: ChallengePost
Apple Watch Digital Crown Works as Remote Shutter for Camera Apps Using Music Glance [iOS Blog]
Several apps that make use of the iPhone’s camera have a feature that lets the volume button be used as a trigger to snap a photo, and in those apps, the Apple Watch’s Music Glance lets the Apple Watch’s Digital Crown serve as a remote camera trigger.
Discovered by a reddit user this morning, the hidden trick works in any app that lets the iPhone’s volume buttons be used to take a photograph. Examples include Snapchat, Camera+, and Manual, all apps where the iPhone’s volume button works in the same way as a press on the on-screen photo capturing button.
To use the Apple Watch as a remote trigger, open a compatible app like Snapchat, open up the Music Glance, and turn the Digital Crown. The action will cause the camera to take a photograph, much like pressing on the iPhone’s volume button would do. It also works within the Music app itself.
This seems to work because in the Music app and the Glance, the Digital Crown serves as a replacement for the iPhone’s volume controls, triggering the camera functionality. Headphones with volume controls work in much the same way. It’s not clear if this was an intentional feature addition or if it’s a bug that was overlooked, but it’s a handy way to use the Apple Watch as a shutter remote for iPhone apps that support the functionality.
Though the Apple Watch can be used as a remote trigger for compatible apps through the Music Glance, the function is not as feature rich as Apple’s remote control option for the built-in camera. With the default camera, the Apple Watch can turn the iPhone on and capture a photograph.
T-Mobile: get a Samsung tablet and phone through a payment plan, save $100
Samsung fans that are interested in picking up a new tablet and phone might want to turn their attention to T-Mobile, as the Uncarrier has unveiled a new promotion that saves would-be buyers $100 on the purchase when they buy both a Samsung tablet, Samsung phone, and sign up for a T-Mobile installment plan to pay them off.
Some of the eligible handsets on offer include the Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, Note 4, and Galaxy Note 4 Edge. As for the Uncarrier’s tablet selection? They offer just two Samsung branded options, the Galaxy Tab S and Galaxy Tab 4 8.0. It is important to note that you don’t need to purchase both the phone and tablet at the same time to be eligible for the savings, but the tablet must be bought within 30 days of the handset.
With the Galaxy Tab S2 rumored to be just around the corner, this promotion is probably just as much about clearing stock as it is about offering a bargain. That said, it could still be a great deal for someone in the market for new Samsung mobile devices.
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Scientists create chickens with dinosaur snouts to study evolution
How do scientists study the evolutionary transformation from snouts to beaks as those winged dinosaurs became birds? By putting dinosaur snouts on chickens, of course. A team of researchers at Yale were able to modify the chickens’ genetic make up in a way that would make then grow a snout like their ancestors (similar to the Anchiornis model above) rather than the beaks we’re all familiar with. The modification allows scientists to study the molecular foundations of the evolution. More specifically, they can examine the difference in bone structure and the genetic pattern birds exhibit that reptiles and mammals don’t — the one that causes a beak to form. Despite how awesome it would be, the research had nothing to do with building a real-life Jurrasic Park.
[Image credit: Lou-Foto/Alamy]
Filed under: Science
Via: Popular Science
Source: Evolution
Meerkat for Android is out of beta on Google Play
Meerkat has not only beaten its Twitter-owned rival Periscope to Android devices, it’s also shed its Beta phase according to a Tweet published Wednesday. The Meerkat for Android live streaming video apps operates just as its iOS counterpart does, allowing users to share real-time feeds with their Twitter followers. Conversely, Periscope’s Android debut is still coming “soon! We’re working on it,” per a post on the app’s blog published April 1st.
Meerkat for @Android is out of Beta! 🎉🎉🎉 Get the latest version @GooglePlay 👉👉 https://t.co/vhSYCaszXn #💚
– Meerkat (@AppMeerkat) May 13, 2015
Source: Meerkat (Twitter)
Apple’s Upcoming Streaming Music Service to Incorporate Social Networking Tools for Artists
Apple’s upcoming streaming music service may be called simply “Apple Music” and it may also include social networking tools for artists, according to a new report from 9to5Mac that cites industry sources with knowledge of Apple’s plans.
Likened to Apple’s now-defunct Ping social networking system that let users follow artists and friends to see posts and music recommendations, Apple’s new music service is said to let artists have landing pages within the music service to share “track samples, photos, videos, and concert updates.”
A profile from iTunes Ping
Hints of the new feature were found within the latest iOS 8.4 beta, released yesterday. In the Settings app, under General –> Restrictions, there’s a new section called “Artist Activity,” said to be correlated to the upcoming social networking features. Presumably, parents will be able to toggle this on or off to enable or disable restrictions on content updates from artists.
Users will reportedly be able to follow artists and comment on artist pages via iTunes accounts, but social networking profiles will not be available to general users. Artists will also have tools for cross-promotion.
Artists will also be able to share the content of other artists in an effort of cross-promotion. For example, all-gold Apple Watch wearer Kanye West could promote a new album from Taylor Swift on his “Apple Music” artist page, if he so chooses…
Using iTunes accounts, all users of the streaming music service will be able to comment on and like these posts from big name artists, but users won’t have their own social network profiles like with Ping.
Rumors of an integrated social network for artists line up with previous rumors highlighting Apple’s efforts to make some streaming music content available for free. A report from Re/code last week suggested that in addition to free trials, Apple would offer a SoundCloud-like sharing experience. It’s possible that clips and videos uploaded by artists on their social networking pages will be available for free to all users, rather than limited to subscribers.
Apple plans to charge $9.99 per month for its streaming music service and it will not offer a freemium tier like other music services. Built on the existing Beats music service, Apple’s rebranded and revamped streaming music service will continue to focus on curated content. To draw in additional customers and to distinguish itself from competing services, Apple is planning to offer a range of exclusive content from artists, which it could do in part through the aforementioned social networking tools.
Apple is still working to complete deals ahead of the launch of the new streaming music service, but it is on track to debut at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
Nova Launcher gets a Material Design refresh and much more in version 4.0 update
Nova Launcher, one of our favorite third party launchers here at Android Authority, is receiving quite the update today. The Nova Launcher beta channel received the big update a few weeks ago, and now it’s finally time for the stable version to receive the huge Material Design refresh.
After you update to version 4.0, you’ll notice a ton of user interface changes in the settings and around the various menus in the app. More animations, new icons and multiple new wallpapers are also included in the update. Additionally, you can now alter individual icon layouts, search for widgets, and you can now pull down in the application drawer to perform a quick search.
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If you’re interested, here’s the full changelog for the version 4.0 update:
- Full Material Design
- All settings screens/dialogs
- More animations
- Edit Shortcut dialog tinted based on colors of the icon
- New icons
- Bundled wallpapers
- Rebased on top of Launcher3
- Individual icon layout settings (size, font, etc) in Desktop, Drawer, etc
- Max icon size boosted to 150%
- Widget Search
- Pull down in the drawer for search
- New grouped Widgets drawer
- Support for Android for Work (Lollipop)
The update is now live in the Google Play Store, so hit up the link below to grab the latest version. If you have yet to try out Nova Launcher, now would be a great time to do so. A free version of the app is available, but you’ll need to pay a one-time fee of $4.00 to unlock all of the features.
Google Fit finally estimates how many calories you’ve burned
No, you’re not wrong: Google’s activity tracking app, Fit, didn’t have a means to estimate burned calories — or kilojoules — before today. As Mountain View tells it, all you need to do to activate it is add in your height and gender (weight monitoring already existed) and Fit’ll project calories shed and distance traveled in addition to time spent active. How it displays activity history’s gotten a bit of a refresh too in addition to a new widget for Android Wear and Android itself that keeps any fitness goal close at hand. The numbers still give a complete picture since heart rate isn’t involved, but at least we know Google hasn’t forgotten about the app, right?
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Source: Android Official Blog
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