RNA gene editing could stop viruses in their tracks
The gene editing technique CRISPR promises to treat all kinds of genetically-linked conditions, but it’s so far limited to tweaking DNA, not the RNA that does everything from carrying protein sequence info to regulating gene expression. That may change soon, however. Scientists have discovered that a commonplace mouth bacterium (Leptotrichia shahii) can be programmed to break down whatever RNA you want. You could rip apart viruses, which are frequently based solely around RNA, or kill a cancer cell by denying it the chance to make vital proteins.
This isn’t a cure-all right now. Researchers have to refine their approach before it works in humans, and it’s hard to say whether or not this RNA editing will be as effective in practice. As you might surmise, though, the potential is huge. If this works as well as it suggests, you could fight a wider array of illnesses with gene editing, even those that are notoriously difficult to treat using conventional methods.
Via: New York Times
Source: Science
[Review] Charge your robot boyfriend with a Blitzwolf battery
The Blitzwolf charger is a sleek, aluminum portable battery that I was sent to review. Of all of the battery packs I’ve reviewed so far, this one is my favorite. Let’s find out why.
First Impressions
The aluminum curves of this battery pack would make Jony Ive swoon. This is a beautiful piece of tech, and one that I love to use. Like an iPhone, this battery pack is prone to picking up scratches here and there, but I find that this gives gadgets more character.
Features
- Model: BW-P1
- Capacity: 10400mAh/37.44Wh
- Battery Type: LG 2600mAh Li-ion battery x4
- Input: 5V/2.1A 9V/1.8A
- Output: 5V/2A (Universal), 5V/2.1A, 9V/1.8A, 12V/1.35A (for Android QC2.0), 5V/2.4A (for Apple)
- Size: 102 x 76.8 x 21.5mm / 4.02 x 3.02 x 0.85in
- Weight: 270g
- Certification: CE, FCC, CEC, Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0
Usage
The power bank holds roughly four full phone charges, unless of course your Android phone has a ginormous 3000mah+ battery. Like most chargers and power banks, it’s a breeze to use. Just plug it in and go. It only has one USB output port, which is kind of limiting. If it had one more port I’d say the battery would be 100% perfect.
“I had a baby battery! And it was perfect, in every way!”
-Mad Max: Fury Road (or something)
I’m deeply sorry for forgetting that apostrophe but I’m too lazy to go back and edit. Although a small thing, one of my favorite things about this power bank is that when I unplug my phone after a good charge, the battery automatically turns itself off. With some battery packs I’ve used, you have to manually press a button to turn it off and on.
On the front of the device you’ll find the button, LED light indicators, a micro USB port to charge the power bank itself, and a USB 3.0 port to charge your gadget. As you can see, it’s a 10400mAh battery. My love of symmetry wishes it was an even 10000 or 11000, but I’m not complaining.
Conclusion
I love this thing and I recommend it everyone. I’m not just saying that either, I personally tell my friends and family to buy one. You can pick one up for $21.99 at Banggood.
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The Prophix smart toothbrush will film the inside of your mouth
The American Dental Association recommends using an electric toothbrush over a manual one, but even with the added power, it’s possible to miss spots while cleaning your teeth. The forthcoming Prophix smart video toothbrush from Onvi aims to improve your brushing efficiency by showing you a live stream of the inside of your mouth — on your phone.
The Prophix packs in a small light and an HD camera, capable of recording 1080p video and 10-megapixel stills. This allows users to get a gag-inducing closeup view of where the brush head is cleaning — not to mention the flecks of food and gunk caught between your teeth. Luckily, the system includes four interchangeable attachments — a brush, a prophy cup, a rubber picking tip and a tiny mirror — to help you scrub away that effluence. What’s more, if you happen to find a trouble spot, you’ll be able to snap a photo of it to show your dentist later.
The ability to film the inside of your mouth will not come cheap. Despite the fact that this device performs the same basic function as my existing system (aka my bathroom mirror and a pair of functional eyes), Onvi is asking a whopping $400 for the Prophix. That’s roughly double what both the Sonicare FlexCare Platinum and Oral-B 7000 SmartSeries brushes sell for. I mean, I can understand the advantage of including the prophy cup and rubber pick attachments, especially for people who are already dealing with dental issues like gingivitis. But slapping a camera and light on this thing — not to mention having to install yet another app — feels gimmicky.
Also, if you’ve got $400 to blow on a video toothbrush, then you’re clearly an adult. An adult who, presumably, is responsible enough to brush his damn teeth regularly without having to follow the directions of a gamified stat tracker.
Facebook shoves mobile web users toward the Messenger app
Remember when Facebook divorced instant messages from the main app and forced folks to download Messenger if they wanted a direct way to send quick missives while on the go? Well, the social network is doing something similar once again. Reports are floating about that people accessing their messages from the mobile web either isn’t possible or that there are a few annoying obstacles in place.
Android Authority writes that some mobile web users are getting a reminder that “Your conversations are moving to Messenger” with a near instantaneous redirect to the Google Play download page for Zuckerberg’s blue chat application. In our tests, it’s been hit or miss. I can still access everything from Chrome on iOS without any hiccups, but Android-owning coworkers experienced a couple of hurdles to get to their existing message threads — including a few bounces to Messenger. Zuckerberg and Co. are cranking the nag factor way up here for Android users.
Facebook’s motivation is pretty clear: It’s putting an awful lot of effort into Messenger and wants everyone to use it, whether the users care to or not. After all, there have been hints at ads making their way to the chat app. If there are ways to circumvent seeing those, people are going to use them. Until they’re gone, that is.
Source: Android Authority
MSQRD: Take selfies to the next level [Review]
Overview
It’s time to take selfies and videos to the next level with all sorts of fun filters that MSQRD has waiting for you. It has what you need to make your friends and family laugh with at you
Developer: Masquerade Technologies
Cost: Free
How To Use
There are two options, you can shoot a 30-second video or take a selfie with the many different face filters. Once you have taken your snap you are then given the option post to Instagram, Facebook, or just about any app you can think of to share it on. The video or picture is also saved to your photo gallery. That’s it. That’s all there is to this app.
Review
This is probably one of the simplest apps in the Play Store. MSQRD has 23 different filters that you can use including Pee Wee Herman, Daredevil, and even Jimmy Kimmel. Though I’m not sure why you would want to have Jimmy Kimmel’s face.
What makes this app great is how well it recognizes your face and adapts to it. I have played with a few apps that attempt this same thing and have fallen short. But, the folks at Masquerade Technologies have really nailed it on this one.
Conclusion
This sort of app doesn’t appeal to everyone and I get that, but honestly my family and I must have sat around for 45 minutes tinkering with this app and having fun with it. This app doesn’t do much, but what it does do, it does it well. I’m sure at some point they will add some filters for a premium, but for now, it’s 100% free. It’s worth the download.
Download MSQRD in the Play Store
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Punch Up: How long can you last? (review)
If you’re a fan of Flappy Bird and the innumerable clones that have come into the Play Store market since, you may really like Punch Up, a newer game from the French developer M.Pomme Studio. It can be downloaded for free in the Play Store.
Gameplay
You play as ‘Punchy’, a small square ninja-in-training. That’s not terribly important; what is important is that you can only move Punchy left-to-right given a certain mechanic offered by each level. For example, the 1st level allows you slide along the ground left or right in short bursts. The 2nd level allows a similar burst, but at an angle governed by a constantly-rocking arrow.
Through each level there are coins to collect for several purposes: the main one being buying new lives (more on that in a bit), with others being customizing your Punchy character.
The danger in the game comes from a multitude of sources. In the 1st level, it’s stalactites quickly growing out from and falling from the ceiling. These things are so dangerous because getting struck from just a single falling stalactite equals instant death, requiring a re-start from the beginning of your current level. The added trouble is that these fallen spikes can quickly become additive….meaning that as more and more spikes pile up on the ground, it becomes more difficult to move against these; making staying alive that much more difficult. On each level you’re given a certain amount of time (1st level is 30 seconds) in which to simply survive. Get to 0, and off to the next level you go! After completing the 1st level, you go to a memory-style mini-game. Several different shapes of varying colors flash before you. You’re then asked to pick the color of a certain shape (i.e.; what color was the star?). Guess right and off you go to the next level. Guess wrong and you’re given two choices:either buy a new life to retry for 300 coins, or choose die and start over 1 level back.
Throughout the game there is never a moment to relax; you are always fighting to stay alive. That is probably the biggest compliment I can give to a game that is aiming to provide just that kind of experience.
What We Liked
- Spot-on controls: your character goes exactly where you want when you want. Zero perceptible lag is visible.
- Simple but addicting gameplay: In the traditional vein of Flappy Bird, you will die often, and each time you will tell yourself “I can do this; one more try!”. But you likely won’t.
- Pleasing arcade-style graphics: Nothing crazy here; just good colors, detail, and animation that fit the game’s overall style.
What Could Use Improvement
- Difficulty: I know, I know: it’s supposed to be hard. But good grief….
- Sound: Maybe a little more punch with sound effects, but I’m nit-picking here.
Download Punch Up here for free in the Play Store.
Recommended Reading: The Golden State Warriors’ tech training
Golden State Warriors
use tech to their
on-court advantage
Terry Collins,
CNET
The Golden State Warriors set an NBA single-season record this year with 73 wins and are currently facing the Cleveland Cavaliers for the championship. Part of the reason for that success can likely be attributed the team’s use of tech to track player performance and physical activity. CNET has the story on all the gadgetry and how the Warriors are using it to ensure they continue their winning ways.
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The man who’s keeping 1990s virtual reality machines alive Some roots of the current VR boom are alive and well thanks to one man in the UK. |
The trailers for ‘Ghostbusters’ (2016) and the art of editing comedy Trailers for the new Ghostbusters movie are edited differently based on location and other factors. As it turns out, small tweaks make a big difference. |
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What Silicon Valley’s billionaires don’t understand about the first amendment This piece from The Guardian offers some great insight into Peter Thiel’s battle against Gawker. |
The kingdom of crying Kim Kardashian Celebrity emoji apps are all the rage right now, but how did we get here? Crying Kim Kardashian may hold the answers. |
Six gadgets that let you cook with sunlight
Barbecue season has begun in the United States, and folks are dusting off their charcoal and propane grills for the first time in months to welcome the warmer weather. However, outdoor cooks have another option — if they’re adventurous enough to try cooking with the power of the sun. The concept of a solar ovens isn’t new; in fact, it’s probably quite ancient. But technological advancements made it possible to increase efficiency and make it easier to cook without traditional fuel. There are high-tech options field tested in remote terrain, a tubular solar cooker that reaches 550 Farenheit within just a few minutes, and even a super hot “death ray” that could have produced some tasty results, if it hadn’t self-destructed.
ASUS’ ZenBook 3 vs. the updated MacBook: Which packs more punch?
The 12-inch MacBook is attractive and compact, but not without compromises. When the original came out last spring, our reviewer Dana Wollman took issue with its lackluster performance and lack of ports outside of a USB-C connection. Still, the MacBook was good enough to warrant a refresh in 2016 that delivered more battery life and improved performance. Now, ASUS is getting in on the minimalist act with its new ZenBook 3. At a glance, the new MacBook and ZenBook 3 seem quite similar indeed, with small, lightweight designs and, well, not many ports. While we’ll certainly put the Zenbook 3 through its paces in a full review, a quick peek at the specs reveals two machines similar in profile, but with the potential for very different performance.
| Price | $999 / $1,499 / $1,999 | $1,299 / $1,599 |
| Dimensions | 296 x 191.2 x 11.9mm (11.65 x 7.53 x 0.47 inches) | 280 x 196.5 x 13.1mm (11.04 x 7.74 x 0.52 inches) |
| Weight | 910g (2 pounds) | 920g (2.03 pounds) |
| OS | Windows 10 | OS X El Capitan |
| Display | 12.5-inch LED-backlit LCD | 12-inch LED-backlit LCD with IPS |
| Resolution | 1,920 x 1,080 | 2,304 x 1,440 |
| Processor | Intel Core i5 6200U or Core i7 6500U | Intel Core m3 (1.1GHz) or Core m5 (1.2GHz) |
| Memory | 16GB / 64GB | 8GB |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 520 | Intel HD Graphics 512 |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB SSD | 256GB / 512GB SSD |
| Ports | USB-C | USB-C |
| WiFi | 802.11ac with WIDI | 802.11ac |
| Battery | 40 WHr | 41.4 WHr |
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