Nike used 3D printing and Olympic sprinters to design its new track shoe
When Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce competes in the women’s 100m and 4x100m relay at the Olympics this month, she’ll do so wearing what Nike claims is one of its most advanced track and field shoes yet. The 29-year-old Jamaican, who is favored for gold in Rio, actually helped Nike design her new spikes, the Zoom Superfly Elite. In the years leading up to the 2016 summer games, she worked with Nike’s Sport Research Lab to figure out the ideal performance for a sprinter silhouette. Among other experiments, she test-3D-printed prototypes of the spikes, which were tailor-made based on captured data that measured her speed on the track and, most importantly, off the blocks.
More specifically, Nike utilized 3D printing to make a set of different spike plates, each with a different amount of stiffness to meld perfectly with the sprinter’s sole. Shane Kohatsu, Nike’s innovation design director, says the key here was to understand how the plates rebounded off the track. That information would then be used to build a shoe that helped runners go faster. The optimal model needed to provide the right amount of support as well as withstand all the power exerted during a 100m race. At the same time, though, it had to be lightweight enough for the athlete to feel comfortable.
In Fraser-Pryce’s case, you wonder why she’d be tempted to use a new shoe at Rio 2016. After all, she’s won gold in the women’s 100m in the past two summer Olympics. Why fix something that isn’t broken? But in a sport where one-tenth of a second could be the difference between silver and gold, any advantage helps. And while the final design of the Zoom Superfly Elite doesn’t feature a 3D-printed plate, the research was crucial to develop the plastic version that over 100 Nike-sponsored athletes will wear at the Olympics.
A few of the 3D-printed plates created during Nike’s development of the Zoom Superfly Elite
After testing more than twenty 3D-printed plates, Nike decided to build the Zoom Superfly Elite without the screw-in spikes traditionally found on a sprinter’s footwear. Instead, the company applied fixed pins on the bottom of the plate, which are designed to ensure that the foot is closer to the track. In theory, this should translate to faster speeds for the runner. We’ll soon see how that works in practice, when Fraser-Pryce races in the women’s 100-meter preliminaries on Aug. 12th.
Kohatsu, who has led a number of other 3D-printing projects at Nike, believes in the technology as a tool to make better products, not necessarily as the main aspect of a product. At least not yet. “For us right now, 3D printing is all about accelerating the project, the innovation process,” he says. “The 3D printing industry isn’t at a place where it can replace mass production techniques. We use it for what it’s best at doing, which is accelerating prototyping.” Still, Kohatsu points to Nike’s 3D-printed concepts for football cleats, which show the potential of 3D printing.
Nike archrival Adidas has also been getting serious about 3D printing in recent months. Earlier this year, the German sportswear giant revealed Futurecraft 3D, a running shoe made with 3D-printed materials. Even though it’s only a concept right now, Adidas says a consumer version is in the works. The same goes for brands such as New Balance and Under Armour, which also introduced partially 3D-printed shoes a few months ago.
The old (left) and new (right) spikes
Nike Senior Director of Athlete Innovation Tobie Hatfield, who designed Michael Johnson’s iconic gold spike for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, also doesn’t feel like 3D-printed footwear is ready for mass-market production. “We’ll 3D-print to have something for them [the athletes] to have in their hand,” he says in reference to designing his latest project, the Nike Zoom PV III, a shoe for pole-vaulters. “If the scale is correct, they can put it on and walk around in it, but they’re not going to go pole-vault in it. We don’t do any of that.”
Like the Zoom Superfly Elite (which hits stores in October), the Zoom PV III also had 3D-printed prototypes, although the tech wasn’t as influential there. That’s namely because Hatfield has other machinery he prefers to use to create parts.
Ultimately, Kohatsu says it’s fascinating that people see 3D printing as “an Easy-Bake Oven,” but he doesn’t think the technology is quite there yet. Still, he’s certain Nike will continue to use 3D printing to help design things like the Zoom Superfly Elite and Magista 2. “If there’s some way to make a product that really enhances the benefit for the athlete,” he says, “then for sure we’ll be diving into that as quickly as possible.”
New York bill would ban ‘Pokémon Go’ stops near sex offenders
New York state might not just ban sex offenders from playing games like Pokémon Go — it may eliminate the incentives for them to play, too. A group of senators have introduced a bill that would prevent augmented reality game developers from placing objectives (such as pokéstops) within 100 feet of where a registered sex offender lives. Companies that don’t heed the warning could face fines of up to $100 per day for every location that violates the legislation.
The measure has yet to reach a vote, and there’s no guarantee that it’ll become law. It certainly faces some daunting obstacles. The bill could easily be considered redundant when there’s already a ban on offenders playing AR games, and banning objectives may cause serious problems for players in dense urban areas like New York City. Also, it’s not as if this would stop determined offenders — they’d just have to walk a little farther from home to find their targets. As important as children’s safety is, the bill might not do much to help.
Via: Polygon
Source: New York State Assembly
Basis recalls Peak smartwatch for burn risk from overheating
Back in June, Basis stopped sales of its fitness-focused Peak smartwatch following reports that the wearable was overheating. Today, the company issued a recall for the device, citing the risk of burns or blisters due the device running hot. When it first acknowledged the issue, Basis said it was working on a software update that would remedy the temperature problem and urged customers not to use the wearable until a solution was in place. However, the company revealed today that “despite our best efforts,” it couldn’t find a fix that wasn’t detrimental to the overall user experience.
If you’re a Basis Peak owner, you can return the wearable and any accessories to the company for a full refund. Basis urges all customers, even those who haven’t encountered any issues, to stop using the device immediately and send it back. The company will no longer support the gadget, but users will still be able to access any stored data until December 31, 2016. At that point, all Peak services will shut down, so the watch won’t sync and it will become unusable. For more information on the recall, Basis set up a support site to guide customers through the process.
Source: Basis
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 costs at least $850 in the US
Pre-orders for the Galaxy Note 7 have started in the US, and it’s clear that you’ll be paying a pretty penny for Samsung’s pen-toting flagship phone. The best deals among major carriers are at Sprint and T-Mobile, where the Note 7 will cost $850 if you buy it outright — it may be wiser to go with the installment plans ($35 monthly for 2 years at Sprint, $33 per month with $70 down at T-Mobile). AT&T will sell you the new Note for either $880 outright or $37 per month for 2 years, while our overlords at Verizon offer it for $864 up front or $36 per month over 2 years.
At least you’ll get perks for ordering early. As a general rule, carriers are offering a free Gear Fit 2 or 256GB microSD card if you pre-order. AT&T will also give you a free Gear S2 or 99-cent Galaxy Tab E if you’re willing to subscribe to a data plan for that second device, and it’s continuing a promo where buying a second qualifying Samsung device will score you $695 in bill credits. In T-Mobile’s case, you can choose a year’s worth of Netflix as your freebie if shows are more important than fitness or storage. While your bank account might be hurting by the time you leave the store, you might not have to go accessory shopping at the same time.
Via: Mashable
Source: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon
Apple fixes its gender pay gap, makes small diversity gains
Gender and ethnic diversity remain one of the tech industry’s biggest problems, but this year more big companies are actually shaping up. In its latest Diversity Report, Apple announced today that it’s fully erased the gender pay gap among men and women in the U.S. “for similar roles and performance.” While a noteworthy accomplishment, Apple’s previous wage difference wasn’t very large, with women making 99.6 cents for every dollar a man makes, Business Insider reports. Both Microsoft and Facebook also announced earlier this year that they’ve erased any pay differences among genders.
“We’re now analyzing the salaries, bonuses, and annual stock grants of all our employees worldwide,” Apple wrote. “If a gap exists, we’ll address it. And we’ll continue our work to make sure we maintain pay equity.”
Apple’s overall workforce is now 68 percent male and 32 percent female, a minor shift from last year when it was 69 percent male and 31 percent female. Women account for 37 percent of its new hires, compared to 35 percent last year and 31 percent in 2014. Under-represented minorities, meanwhile, make up 27 percent of new hires (24 percent last year and 21 percent in 2016).
Overall, 54 percent of Apple’s new hires are minorities (which includes Asians, who are more highly represented in the tech world). The below chart shows how Apple’s new hires compare to its existing employees.
Despite its slow and steady progress in overall diversity, Apple’s leadership teams haven’t improved. In fact, the amount of white executives has actually increased to 67 percent from 54 percent a year ago. Among Apple’s retail leadership team, white members now account for 76 percent, compared to 69 percent last year.The gender status of leadership roles, meanwhile, has remained stagnant at 72 percent male and 28 percent female.
Back in January, we also noted that Apple was making very slow gains in diversity. Last year, it also committed $50 million towards getting more minorities hired in the tech world
Source: Apple
You can now pay your Comcast bill at thousands of 7-Elevens
For those who prefer to pay their cable or internet bills in cold, hard cash, Comcast’s new partnership with PayNearMe will allow you to do just that at some 7,700 7-Elevens. Finally, customers can re-up their gigabit internet and grab a couple taquitos anytime, night or day.
Customers will still need a smartphone to make their payments, of course. The in-person payment option works by going to the “Pay Bill” section of the XFINITY My Account app, where users can download a barcode for the amount they’d like to pay. A participating 7-Eleven will scan the barcode, take the payment (plus a $1.25 fee for every transaction) and send a digital receipt to the customer’s phone.
“About five percent of our customers prefer to pay their bills in cash each month,” Comcast’s VP of Customer Service strategy said in a release. “This new partnership gives those customers a payment option that is convenient and simple.”
Now that Comcast is being sued in Washington State, more customers might actually want to consider paying in cash — part of that $100 million lawsuit alleges that the cable company harmed some customers’ credit scores by conducting unnecessary credit checks.
Sony’s original series ‘Powers’ won’t return for season three
Although it lasted two seasons, Sony’s original superhero crime drama Powers unfortunately won’t be returning for a third. According to series creator and comic book author Brian Michael Bendis on Twitter, “season 2 was the last. at least for now.”
this is hard to tweet, but word is that @POWERStheSERIES is sadly, no more. season 2 was the last. at least for now. 1/2
— BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (@BRIANMBENDIS) August 3, 2016
i’ll type more about it later, but thank you ALL for your support. such a fantastic personal experience that you gifted all of us. 2/2
— BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (@BRIANMBENDIS) August 3, 2016
For Sony, the show was a bit of a trial run to test the waters of original programming on its PlayStation Network, so the show’s cancellation doesn’t bode well for more full-length streaming series on PSN. As for the most devoted followers of Powers, Bendis did tell fans that the comic book version he first published in 2000, which eventually became the basis of the series, will live on at Marvel with a new storyline called “Diamond Days.”
Apple’s Workforce is Slightly More Diverse This Year
Apple has released updated diversity numbers that reveal its overall workforce, including tech, non-tech, and retail jobs, is 68% male and 32% female as of June 2016, a slight change from a 69%-31% split in 2015.
Apple profiled some of these employees, including Divya, Ryan, Adrienne, Aurelio, Edith, Riad, Charissa, and Kully, and shared a Creating Opportunities page highlighting its diversity programs and partnerships.
Denise Young Smith, Vice President of Worldwide Human Resources at Apple:
“Diversity is more than any one gender, race, or ethnicity. It’s richly representative of all people, all backgrounds, and all perspectives. It is the entire human experience.”
Apple’s race and ethnicity breakdown among U.S. employees is 19% Asian, 9% Black, 12% Hispanic, 2% Multiracial, 1% Other, and 56% White, representing a 2 percent increase in White employees and a 1 percent increase in both Asian and Hispanic employees compared to last year’s data.
Females represent 37% of Apple’s global new hires, while U.S. underrepresented minorities represent 27% of global new hires. Apple defines underrepresented minorities as “groups whose representation in tech has been historically low — Black, Hispanic, Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Other Pacific Islander.”
Apple said that it has achieved pay equity in the United States for similar roles and performance as of August 2016. The company said female employees earn one dollar for every dollar male employees earn, while underrepresented minorities earn one dollar for every dollar white employees earn.
We see diversity as everything that makes an employee who they are. We foster a diverse culture that’s inclusive of disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, and service to country. We want all employees to be comfortable bringing their entire selves to work every day. Because we believe our individual backgrounds, perspectives, and passions help us create the ideas that move all of us forward.
Creating an inclusive culture takes both commitment and action. We’re helping employees identify and address unconscious racial and gender bias. We’re cultivating diverse leadership and tech talent. We’re continuing our advocacy for LGBTQ equality, investing in resources for Veterans and service members and their families, and exploring new ways to support employees with disabilities. We’re also strengthening our common bonds through on-campus groups, events, and programs.
Apple has shared its recently filed Federal Employer Information Report EEO-1 [PDF], representing employees as of August 2015.
Note: Due to the nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Tag: diversity
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Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 10 With Bug Fixes and Feature Tweaks
Apple today released another update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 10 includes bug fixes and updates for JavaScript, web APIs, Apple Pay, Apple Pay, Web Inspector, MathML, rendering, accessibility, and security. As of release 8, Safari Technology Preview has supported Apple Pay in the web browser, a feature set to launch as part of macOS Sierra.
The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Versions are available for developers running both macOS Sierra and OS X El Capitan. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.
Apple’s goal with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can be run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while aimed at developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
Tag: Safari Technology Preview
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1Password Introduces $2.99/Month Plan for Individuals, With 6 Months Free at Sign-Up [Updated]
Password managing app 1Password today announced the launch of a new subscription plan for individual users priced at $2.99 per month. The new model will be added to 1Password’s existing subscription tiers, including a team plan (beginning at $3.99 per month) and a family plan ($4.99 per month). This will allow users not in need of enterprise- or family-related perks to join in on 1Password’s various subscription benefits.
According to AgileBits, the company behind 1Password, the biggest advantage of signing up for a subscription on the password organizing app is that users will “get all the 1Password apps for every platform, along with Pro Features, free updates, and free upgrades to every new version of 1Password.” The service allows its subscribers to cancel at any time and alleviates the worry of having to face licenses and paid upgrades down the line.
The individual subscription service runs on the same new hosted platform that AgileBits created for 1Password Teams and 1Password Families. The company said that using the $2.99 per month subscription model provides users with “the simplest and most feature-packed way to use 1Password.”
Our new individual hosted service comes with everything you expect from 1Password, along with these new features:
-Built-in automatic sync across all devices
-Data loss protection
-Web access to your data on 1Password.com
-Item History for restoring deleted or changed items
-Secure Document storage
-Brand new multi-factor security model
As a launch special, anyone who signs up for the new individual plan will get the first six months of 1Password free, without needing to even add their credit card information into the app. To take advantage of the offer, users will need to sign up for the $2.99 per month model before September 21, 2016. The 1Password app is available to download from the iOS App Store for free [Direct Link] — with the option to choose a one-and-done upgrade to 1Password Pro for $9.99 — and the Mac App Store for $64.99. [Direct Link]
Update: As 1Password mentioned on Twitter, the company has “no plans to eliminate standalone licenses,” so any user who prefers to avoid subscription tiers can still do so.
Tag: 1Password
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