Mechanical ‘trees’ generate energy by swaying in the wind
What if windmills looked more like trees? Well, a team of engineers at Ohio State University is looking for answer to that question with structures that resemble trees, but actually create energy when they move in the breeze. That swaying motion from the wind, and the resulting structural vibrations, is converted into electricity with electromechanical materials such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). The project isn’t merely concerned with those tree-like structures, though. It also looks to harvest the energy generated from the vibrations of buildings and bridges.
“Buildings sway ever so slightly in the wind, bridges oscillate when we drive on them and car suspensions absorb bumps in the road,” said Ryan Harne, director of the Laboratory of Sound and Vibration Research. “In fact, there’s a massive amount of kinetic energy associated with those motions that is otherwise lost. We want to recover and recycle some of that energy.”
At first, the recovered energy will be used to power the sensors that keep tabs on the structural integrity of buildings and bridges. In other words, the system will be self-sufficient, able to power itself from the vibrations created by moving the wind or from cars driving across it. Harne says the tree-like structures could eventually be used in small-scale scenarios where other alternative energy sources, like solar panels, aren’t an option.
Source: Ohio State University
Alphabet’s Q4 2015 numbers are in: it’s now the most valuable company in the world
Alphabet, the holding company formed by Google in August, was the center of attention on Monday after disclosing the results of its Q4 2015 operations. Revenue in the quarter came in at $21.3 billion, an 18% jump over the same period a year prior. It was enough to push Alphabet to nearly $5 billion in net income.
The spot formerly held by Apple as the most valuable company is the world now belongs to Alphabet.
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Alphabet’s market cap sits at $558 billion, putting it higher than Apple’s $535 billion. This figure values a publicly traded company by multiplying its share price with the number of shares issued.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai was ecstatic to announce Gmail is joining Android, Chrome, Google Search, Google Play, Google Maps, and YouTube as services with one billion monthly active users.
Ruth Porat, Alphabet’s CFO, said the following about the company’s performance to finish off the year:
“Our very strong revenue growth in Q4 reflects the vibrancy of our business, driven by mobile search as well as YouTube and programmatic advertising, all areas in which we’ve been investing for many years. We’re excited about the opportunities we have across Google and Other Bets to use technology to improve the lives of billions of people.”
Other Bets, which includes highly ambitious projects, made $448 million in 2015 but didn’t come in profitable. Although Google Fiber and Nest contributed to most of that, Alphabet saw the group lose money. The company notes that it will continue to invest in Other Bets as long as its core business continues succeeding.
Source: Alphabet
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There are 1 billion monthly active users of Gmail
Another one of Google’s products has reached the illustrious mark of 1 billion monthly active users. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, announced the milestone for Gmail during its quarterly earnings report earlier today.
Thanks a billion for helping us make Gmail better and better!https://t.co/Rd82YqwGjl
— Gmail (@gmail) February 1, 2016
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It was only eight months ago when Gmail had 900 million monthly active users, meaning 100 million people either returned to or joined Google’s email platform since May. Gmail has been around for more than a decade, so maintaining 100 million additional monthly active users in eight months is an impressive feat.
This puts Gmail up there with Android, Chrome, Google Search, Google Play, Google Maps, and YouTube as Google’s services with 1 billion monthly active users.
The other little statistic mentioned by Alphabet is that somewhere around 10% of replies from Google Inbox are automated.
Source: Gmail (Twitter)
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Google Nexus phones may be going the way of Apple
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Up till now, Google Nexus phones have been built through a healthy working relationship between Google and an Android device manufacturer. The symbiotic relationship allows Google to showcase its vanilla Android experience, and the manufacturer is allowed to demonstrate its formidable hardware capabilities. However, reports are saying that Google may be changing its relationship with manufacturers moving forward, adopting a more Apple-esque approach where Google designs both the hardware and software and just contracts out the manufacturing of the device.
While that sounds unthinkable for most Android manufacturers – especially for those who have provided such brilliant Nexus devices – there are manufacturers who would jump at the opportunity. While Google has taken a 15% cut in the past leaving little for the manufacturer itself, it’s rumoured that HTC would be willing to partake in such a scheme as it would give the struggling company a boost in short term revenue, even if their name doesn’t end up on the device itself. It will be very interesting to see how this all pans out in the future as the competition heats up between Google and Apple.
What do you think about Google Nexus phones with hardware and software designed by Google? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: The Information via engadget
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Music streaming now counts towards gold and platinum certification
Music streaming has been all the rage for years now, but the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) had yet weigh its merits. However, that’s about to change. Starting today, the RIAA will take into account audio and video streaming numbers in addition to sales when certifying an album gold or platinum. Back in 2013, the music industry’s governing body began tallying individual songs towards its so-called Digital Single Award, but this new change will be the first time streaming is factored in to the main Album Award process.
“Modernizing our Album Award to include music streaming is the next logical step in the continued evolution of Gold & Platinum Awards, and doing so enables RIAA to fully reward the success of artists’ albums today,” said RIAA chairman and CEO Cary Sherman.
As you might expect, how much an album is streamed won’t count the same as a purchase. After a “comprehensive analysis” of a number of criteria, including listening patterns and more, the RIAA came up with a formula for including streaming numbers. Going forward, 1,500 on-demand audio or video song streams will equal 10 track sales or 1 album sale. What’s more, 150 on-demand streams will count as one download.
Of course, the change in formula means a number of albums gain gold and platinum status. The likes of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, Hozier’s self-titled album, The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind the Madness are now certified platinum. Thanks to the new format, Michael Jackson’s Thriller is now 32-time platinum certified. Not too shabby.
Source: RIAA
Zika virus declared an international health emergency
If it wasn’t already patently clear that the Zika virus poses a serious threat, it is now. The World Health Organization has declared that Zika is a health emergency “of international concern,” and that there needs to be “coordinated” response to both track and limit outbreaks. Effectively, it’s a call to action — countries and organizations are under pressure to devote research and funding toward fighting the mosquito-borne disease.
It will likely be a while before the WHO’s alert has a tangible impact. Scientists are still two weeks away from launching studies to confirm the link between Zika and microcephaly (abnormally small heads) in fetuses, let alone a vaccine that’s likely years away. However, the declaration could prevent a bad situation from getting much worse.
Via: New York Times
Source: World Health Organization
Gmail has over 1 billion active users
Does it feel like virtually everyone you know has a Gmail address? You’re not alone. While discussing its latest fiscal results, Alphabet has confirmed that there are now over 1 billion active Gmail users per month, or 100 million more than there were last May. That’s a big milestone, but it’s almost surprising that Google’s email service didn’t hit the magic figure earlier. After all, Facebook reached the 1 billion mark last summer, and it’s a non-essential social network — you’d think a vital tool like email would get there first. Clearly, Facebook is a more common bond that transcends your choice of email providers.
That’s not the only tidbit Alphabet wanted to crow about, though. It also noted that about 10 percent of replies from Google Inbox users are automatic. There’s a real chance that your Inbox-toting friend responded to your thoughtful, carefully-written email with a quick AI-generated message. That doesn’t bode well for the future of human interaction, but it does suggest that Autoreply is more than a mere novelty.
Thanks a billion for helping us make Gmail better and better!https://t.co/24Fzk9bG31
— Gmail (@gmail) February 1, 2016
Source: Alphabet (YouTube)
Facebook’s Whatsapp messenger hits 1 billion monthly users
Last time Whatsapp crowed about its active monthly user count, it was a zero shy of where it is now: 1 billion. The outfit says that’s almost one in seven people on Earth who use Facebook’s $19 billion messaging application. The announcement says not to expect much to change with this notable milestone other than forthcoming improvements to speed and security, most notably, while aiming to get the other six billion of our neighbors using the platform. Just think, if the company hadn’t dropped its $1 annual subscription fee, that’d be a relatively easy billion dollars a year in income — and we all know just how cool that much money is.
One billion people now use WhatsApp. Congrats to Jan, Brian and everyone who helped reach this milestone! WhatsApp’s…
Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Monday, February 1, 2016
Source: Whatsapp
Google may take total control over making the Nexus
Most people in the Android community have heard of the Nexus line. Their software is totally stock from Google and their hardware is from some other manufacture. However, that all could change in the future.
Google seems to be continuing forward with its plan to completely control the Nexus line to compete directly with the iPhone. It would still run stock Android, but hardware would now be made by Google as well. Of course, they will probably source parts from other manufactures like everyone else, but overall, the device would be theirs.
Google makes huge money off of Android as is, but reports say Google is still worried about Apple. They feel this may be the only way to deliver an Android product that consumers will love in order to take away business from the iPhone. Doing this would also make everything work even smoother together than before. That is the main reason people enjoy their iPhones so much.
There still isn’t a ton of proof showing Google will do this, but they did already do this with their Pixel line of Chromebooks and tablets. Doing a similar strategy with the Nexus doesn’t seem to far-fetched.
Source: The Information
Via: Phandroid
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Samsung’s Gear 360 to come alongside the Galaxy S7
On Sunday night, Samsung told the world that its newest range of products, headlined by the Galaxy S7, will come on February 21 during MWC 2016. But, as I noted yesterday, the video posted online by the company made it clear that virtual reality will have a prominent role in Samsung’s future. The man in the teaser was wearing a Gear VR headset while navigating the digital world around him, but the next device furthering Samsung’s virtual reality efforts may not be about experiencing the technology for yourself. Samsung seems to want people to record 360-degree imagery themselves.
The Gear 360 will allegedly debut with the Galaxy S7 next month.
SamMobile is confirming that the Gear 360 (SM-C200), a camera capable of seeing the world around it at every angle, will be launched at Samsung’s upcoming Unpacked event. The source states the device will utilize two 180-degree fisheye lenses to complete its goal. Since there are two lenses, an option exists to record just one side covering 180 degrees. Users will be able to adjust HDR, exposure, white balance, and ISO from a companion app and also watch what the camera sees in real-time.
Maximum resolution will come in at 3840×1920, which equates to 1920×1920 per lens.
The Gear 360 will be powered by its own battery, removing the need to connect another power source for use. And when it comes to storing content, an unspecified amount of internal storage is included.
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The approach might actually sound familiar because, earlier this month, Samsung’s Project Beyond was pointed at as the predecessor to a device recently trademarked “Gear 360.”
Gear 360 support is guaranteed for the Galaxy S7, considering Samsung will be pushing the two devices at the same time; however, the source has not revealed whether or not previous Samsung flagships will work the the Gear 360.
A release date and the Gear 360’s pricing is still unknown, but a device with this type of technology will likely be on the pricier end of the virtual reality spectrum.
Source: SamMobile
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