Wave generator supplies US electrical grid for the first time
A prototype wave generator called Azura is supplying grid power to Hawaii, the first time such a feat has been officially verified, according to the US Department of Energy (DoE). Though it can only produce 20 kilowatts, the DoE said that similar devices could eventually provide large amounts of clean power to coastal cities. The project is co-sponsored by the US Navy and was developed by an Oregon-based company called Northwest Energy Innovations (NWEI). It’s located at the Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site in Kaneohe Bay in Oahu, at a depth of about 30 meters (100 feet).
The prototype consists of a 45-ton wave energy converter that can capture energy from both the heave (up/down) and surge (front/back) motions of waves. It has an onboard generator to convert kinetic motion to electricity, which is transferred to the grid via an undersea cable. The device first went online last month, bringing an unknown quantity of power to Hawaii’s electrical grid. Researchers from the University of Hawaii recently confirmed its performance, marking the first time that US cities and homes have officially been powered, in part, by waves.
Following further tests on the current system, the NWEI and DoE plan to ramp things up considerably. They’ll use the result from the current trial to design a new generator that will operate in bigger waves at 60-80 meter depths (100-150 feet) and generate up to 1 megawatt, enough energy to power several hundred homes. That system could come online as early as 2017, but meanwhile, researchers will continue testing Azura over the next year.
Filed under: Science
Via: Network World
Source: US Department of Energy
Jolla hopes to ‘focus’ its mobile plans by splitting in two
Jolla’s mobile efforts have barely begun, but it’s already shaking things up by splitting into two companies. From now on, Jolla Ltd. is focused solely on developing and licensing Sailfish OS, its custom mobile platform. It’s forming a new, as yet unnamed firm this summer for its hardware business, which sees demand from the pro-privacy crowd. As newly appointed CEO Antti Saarnio puts it, the division is all about establishing a “clear focus” — Jolla believes that it’ll require total concentration on software to take advantage of “large opportunities” for licensing its mobile platform.
This doesn’t mean that Jolla is leaving hardware fans completely in the lurch. It still plans to deliver the Jolla Tablet to crowdfunding backers, but Saarnio says that there are “supply issues” for some parts that are holding things back. While that won’t do much to assuage supporters (you were supposed to have it in your hands back in May), this at least addresses some of the uncomfortable silence in recent weeks.
So who’s licensing the software? Jolla isn’t offering a list, but it says its biggest successes so far have been in India and Russia. We know that some rumors of big deals aren’t true, though. Saarnio recently denied claims that Russia is developing its own mobile OS based on Sailfish, and Yota has shot down talk of Sailfish-powered YotaPhones. As such, this is more likely about the overall business than one or two major customers.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile
Source: Jolla (PDF)
Sony’s 1TB PS4 priced at £350 in the UK
Sony will soon launch its 1TB PS4 in Europe and now, we’ve got a price-tag for the UK: £349.99. That’s the same price as Microsoft’s 1TB Xbox One, which should make an interesting head-to-head this autumn. To sweeten the deal, Sony will be bundling its PlayStation TV microconsole with the new, larger capacity PS4 for a limited time, meaning you can easily stream your games to another room. It’s unclear, however, if this “Ultimate Player” will also include the revisions made to the 500GB PS4 in Japan. An internal redesign made that console 10 lighter and 8 percent more power efficient, which I’m sure PlayStation fans in Europe would appreciate too. Regardless, this is a hefty storage upgrade that should give you space for those free PS Plus games every month.
MailDroid provides a feature-rich email experience – App Review
The most used app on our Android devices has to be the email app. Even though these are the times of instant messaging and social exploration, email will always remain as important as it was, be it for official or personal communication. I came across this app called MailDroid, as I was looking for a change from the regular ‘Gmail‘ app.
Flipdog Solutions, LLC has developed a very feature-rich email application which can give a tough competition to any email app. MailDroid contains some special features which makes it one of the more desirable apps to switch to for all your email needs on your Android device.
Starting with the look and feel of the app, it’s very simple. No snazzy animations or material inspired transitions but a plain design. There are also some theme combinations that you can try from within the app. The developer also has an app for theming of MailDroid, but as of now it’s incompatible with devices running Android version 5.0 and above.
Now, coming to the main features. Like any other email app, MailDroid has all the standard features like compose, delete, archive, unified email account view, etc. MailDroid also supports all types of email accounts as well, even Exchange. That’s all for the basic things. What I saw different in this app was certain features like the option to save the mail for viewing later, even when you’re offline.
The other thing I really liked about MailDroid, is the ability to choose whether to delete the mail from the device or from the device and server. This really saves up a lot of time and confusion. Emails can also be encrypted thanks to MailDroid’s built-in encryption capability. It also claims to have full WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) editor when composing an email and MailDroid surely lives up to it. This is one great feature to have for those who like to compose designer emails from their mobile devices.
The app interface is fairly simple to use and navigate around. I enjoyed using this email app and it gave me a different taste over other email apps available in the market. One more thing I would like to see in future updates, is the integration of GCM (Google Cloud Messaging) notifications in MailDroid.
It’s one of the most important requirement for me for any productivity app I use, since it keeps my notifications coming on time. Also, Greenify users will find it very useful. Saves up a ton of battery.MailDroid really urges you to ditch your current email client for good, but it’s still not perfect.
I found some things that the developer can still work with. The email notifications do not feature any options like delete, reply, mark as read etc, and the notifications are also not expandable. It means you have to open each and every e-mail to read and perform your desired action on it. I use TypeMail as my daily email grabber, and the lack of this important feature in MailDroid draws me away from it.
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MailDroid is free in the Google Play Store and is ad-supported. They can be removed by the purchase of the pro version, which comes with a few added features. MailDroid is the email app you should try for once at least, before you decide what’s the best email client for your Android device. Click on the link below to download the app and share your experience in the comments below.
The post MailDroid provides a feature-rich email experience – App Review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Mpow Streambot Box Bluetooth 4.0 audio receiver, $22.99
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The post Mpow Streambot Box Bluetooth 4.0 audio receiver, $22.99 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Xiaomi slashes the price of its Redmi 2 smartphone in India
Xiaomi announced that its now reduced the price of its flagship smartphone, the Redmi 2, in India. Starting today, the handset can be picked up for Rs. 5,999 ($95) from the manufacturers online portal. That’s Rs. 1,000 ($15) less than its usual price of Rs. 6,999 ($110).
In terms of specifications, the Redmi 2 packs a 4.7-inch IPS display, a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable internal storage, an Adreno 306 GPU, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter and a 2,200mAh Li-Po battery.
Straight out of the box, the device runs the latest build of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, but is instantly upgradable to KitKat via an over-the-air update. All you have to do is pop in your SIM and connect to a Wi-Fi network, then you’re be good to go.
If you’re based in India, like the sound of the Redmi 2 and want to pick one up for the reduced price — hit the source link below.
Source: Xiaomi
Come comment on this article: Xiaomi slashes the price of its Redmi 2 smartphone in India
What do you want for lunch? Let Tossup from Microsoft help you decide
It seems to be a perennial issue for groups of friends or family – making a decision about when to get together and what to do or where to go. You are probably familiar with the dynamic if you have ever asked the question, “where do you want to go eat?” Invariably the responses come back as a bunch of “I don’t care” or “whatever” responses and if anyone ever makes an actual suggestion, the objections start to pour in. Microsoft is trying to come to the rescue for these situations with a new app called Tossup from their Microsoft Garage unit.
Using Tossup, a user can pose a simple question or propose a small list of choices for consideration. After inviting others to be part of the group, they can cast their votes and the app will handle compiling the results and letting everyone know what was decided. Besides setting up the initial polls, the app is able to pull in information, like restaurant reviews, for users to review. A chat feature is also available and the app is capable of interacting with calendars to help you remember where to be at the right time.
You can grab Tossup from the Google Play Store using the link below.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: What do you want for lunch? Let Tossup from Microsoft help you decide
Schedule maker app Doodle gets a redesign
Looking for an easy way to schedule meetings or hangouts with friends? Look no further then Doodle. They have been around since 2007 and have over 25 million users.
They have been working hard creating a totally new redesign to make it even easier to schedule your life. The update is available to their Android and iOS app. The best part is it’s completely free!
Some new features of the redesign are:
- Built in chat
- Push notifications
- Contact integration
- Matrix view
Source: Doodle
Come comment on this article: Schedule maker app Doodle gets a redesign
Sony vows to never abandon its smartphone business
Sony Mobile CEO and President Hiroki Totoki left some remarks in an interview with Arabian Business on Saturday that really demonstrates the dedication and dive he has towards the mobile sector of Sony’s business.
Practically waving a flag proudly and holding down the Sony ideal, Hiroki has gone on record stating he wants to make the mobile division succeed.
Hiroki describes how Sony has lost money buying 100% of the Ericsson division and went on to lose lots of money due to the purchase. During his time as CEO, he started initiating plans to cut costs by 30%, and to reduce the division’s headcount by 20%. Sony has already laid off 1,000 workers from its Swedish manufacturing and R&D centres in its first wave of cuts and plans to lay off 2,100 more workers by the end of 2015.
These key decisions are crucial to keeping the company afloat. Although tough, Hiroki does not seem to mind. Working with Sony for 30 years, he does not lack business sense. When Sony exited the PC business, which was its VAIO division, people speculated the same would happen to its mobile division.
“Before that rumour, we exited the VAIO business, which was the PC business. That led people to think that Sony would exit the smartphone business, as well. But the smartphone business is very different from PCs.
“Smartphones are completely connected to other devices, also connected to people’s lives — deeply. And the opportunity for diversification is huge. We’re heading to the IoT (Internet of Things) era and have to produce a number of new categories of products in this world, otherwise we could lose out on a very important business domain.
“In that sense we will never ever sell or exit from the current mobile business.”
Sony seems to have chosen a great leader for its mobile division, with the market becoming more and more competitive due to new up-and-coming Chinese companies. As well as shifting ideals in consumers minds that gravitate towards bang for your buck devices and wearables, only time will tell how well Sony does.
Source: Arabian Business
Via: Xperia Blog
Come comment on this article: Sony vows to never abandon its smartphone business
Samsung earnings miss target as Galaxy S6 sales fall off
Yesterday analysts were still expressing some limited optimism regarding Samsung’s financial performance for the year. Park Jung-hoon with HDC Asset Management noted that as long as the earnings number did not start with a “6” then there would not be any shock for investors. Today Samsung released their guidance for the second quarter and it turns the projections are a bit shocking as operating profit is projected to be 6.9 trillion won ($6.1 billion USD). This level represents a 4 percent annual decline and is the seventh consecutive quarter of declines for Samsung. Perhaps the worst part for Samsung is that the trouble is being attributed to their mobile business despite Samsung being the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world in terms of shipments.
Tom Kang with Counterpoint Research says,
“Samsung’s smartphone division is performing really poorly and its semiconductor business isn’t outperforming because weak overall demand for handsets is limiting semiconductor demand.”
Part of the smartphone division’s poor performance can be traced directly to the Galaxy S6 as “sales are falling off” according to Kang after an initial pop when the device was released. Samsung also missed an opportunity with the Galaxy S6 edge by not having sufficient manufacturing capacity ready for demand. Dohoon Lee with CIMB see the initial impact of the Galaxy S6 only continuing to fade over time. Kang goes even further to note that the Galaxy S6 is “not that popular among consumers at this point” and he thinks Samsung will have to lower the price to attract buyers. Despite these negatives, the Galaxy S6 is still expected to be Samsung’s best selling smartphone ever.
Analysts also noted the weakening demand for handsets, which is eroding Samsung’s semiconductor business. If there is any silver lining, it is that investors appear to have mostly priced these results into the stock price, so the price is not moving much and even experienced a small bump.
Come comment on this article: Samsung earnings miss target as Galaxy S6 sales fall off
AIVAnet 