X-ray laser spots photosynthesis in real-life conditions

Humanity has known about the life-giving photosynthesis process for a long time, but studying it in real-world conditions has often been impractical. You’ve typically had to freeze samples to get a good look, which isn’t exactly natural. However, the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory just managed a breakthrough: it used its x-ray laser to capture detailed snapshots of photosynthesis at room temperature. The trick was to place protein complex samples in a solution, put that on a conveyor belt, light it up with a green laser (to start the water-splitting reaction) and capture images using x-ray pulses. As those pulses are extremely fast — just 40 femtoseconds long — you can collect crystallization and spectroscopy data before the sample meets its untimely end.

The imagery helps illustrate chemical interactions that were previously somewhat mysterious, and it should only get better as scientists capture more images and provide additional details. Ultimately, the aim is to understand photosynthesis well enough to faithfully reproduce it. If that happens, we’ll have a source of sun-based renewable energy that doesn’t rely on conventional, not-so-efficient solar panels.

Source: SLAC (YouTube), SLAC

Phil Schiller Says 32GB RAM on New MacBook Pro Would Have Required Battery Compromising Design

Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller has allegedly responded to an email from software developer Ben Slaney to further clarify why the new MacBook Pro maxes out at 16GB of RAM, noting that supporting 32GB of RAM would require a different logic board design which might reduce space for batteries.

Schiller: The MacBook Pro uses 16GB of very fast LPDDR memory, up to 2133MHz. To support 32GB of memory would require using DDR memory that is not low power and also require a different design of the logic board which might reduce space for batteries. Both factors would reduce battery life.

Slaney himself wrote an article explaining how the new MacBook Pro uses a low power, enhanced version of DDR3 RAM called LPDDR3E, which maxes out at 16GB. To achieve up to 32GB RAM would have required using DDR4 RAM, but its low-power variant LPDDR4 is not supported by the Intel processors powering the late 2016 models.

Using the iStat Menus tool, Slaney determined that, under normal conditions, the LPDDR3E RAM uses 1.5 watts of power. In comparison, he said the notebooks would use about 3-5 watts if they were using DDR4 memory, although this estimate is rather loosely based on tests of DDR4 RAM on Windows-based notebooks.

Slaney said the 2-5 watts saved translates to 10% of overall power usage being dedicated to RAM versus 20-30% that would be required for DDR4 RAM, which, if accurate, helps justify Apple’s power versus performance tradeoff.

Schiller previously addressed these power concerns in an earlier comment:

To put more than 16GB of fast RAM into a notebook design at this time would require a memory system that consumes much more power and wouldn’t be efficient enough for a notebook. I hope you check out this new generation MacBook Pro, it really is an incredible system.

Apple’s decision is even more justified when considering background power draw, or the energy a notebook uses to go back into sleep mode after regular usage. Slaney said this figure is estimated to be about 50% of overall power draw on an average system when using DDR4 RAM, but only 20% when using LPDDR3 RAM.

Moreover, the new MacBook Pro would get less than 7 days of standby time if it used DDR4 RAM, compared to 30 days with LPDDR3E RAM, he said.

Apple have been using LPDDR for several generations of their notebooks, and it’s part of the way that they get very long standby time on them. Switching to DDR4 would drastically decrease it from the 30 days of standby time that they get now to less than one week. With DDR4 they’d have produced a notebook that would have a completely drained battery if it was at 50% charge and you closed the lid and left it for a few days. Not only would that be annoying, but by running the battery flat often it would end up damaging a percentage of their batteries because they’d frequently get 100% discharged, which puts a lot of stress on them, and sometimes even kills them.

The rest of the article reflects upon poor battery life in several Windows-based notebooks with 32GB RAM, part of which can be blamed on the FAA’s 100-watt-hour limit on notebook batteries brought on airplanes.

Full Article: “Why the MacBook Pro is limited to 16GB of RAM” on MacDaddy

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Tag: Phil Schiller
Buyer’s Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
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Huawei P10: What’s the story so far?

Huawei has made a strong name for itself in the smartphone world over the last couple of years. Its more recent devices have delivered premium build qualities and some great specs for a lower price than many competitors, making them a serious consideration.

With the Mate 9 launch out of the way, all eyes are on Huawei’s next device and what it might bring. Here is everything we have heard so far about the Huawei P10. Be sure to grab the salt and take a big pinch as nothing has been confirmed as yet.

Huawei P10: Release date

Huawei tends to announce its “P” flagship smartphone in April and its Mate series in the latter half of the year so we’d expect the P10 to make an appearance in April 2017 for a summer launch.

No specific date has been rumoured as yet, but leaks will no doubt start to increase over the next couple of months.

Huawei P10: Design

• Leaked engineering sample shows similar design to P9
• Fingerprint sensor could move position from rear to front
• Dual rear cameras likely again

Some images have appeared on Weibo claiming to show an engineering sample of the Huawei P10 in a rose gold colour. The device has an interesting “Dreams” logo and odd wording, putting it into question but the shape and a number of its features show similarities to last year’s P9. 

The leak presents a solid metal unibody design with a dual camera setup on the rear and as with the P9, the camera sensors and flash seem to be positioned at the top within the antenna band. No Leica branding is seen on leak, but we’d expect this collaboration to continue.

Pocketnow

The fingerprint sensor appears to have moved positions however, with the leak indicating a move to the front of the handset rather than the rear. Huawei put a fingerprint sensor on the front of the special edition Mate 9 Porsche Design model, suggesting it might be testing it out and do the same for the P10, but aside traditionally it has opted for rear-mounted.

How reliable these sample images are remains to be seen for now, but a metal body and dual camera setup within the antenna band for the Huawei P10 are most definitely plausible features.

• Huawei P9 review

Huawei P10: Display

• Leak suggests 5.5-inch Quad HD display for P10

A leak on GFXBench suggests the Huawei P10 could feature a 5.5-inch display with a Quad HD resolution. The Huawei P9 features a 5.2-inch Full HD display, while the Huawei P9 Plus offers a 5.5-inch Full HD display, meaning the leak could refer to a larger P10 rather than the standard model. 

The leak gives the model number LON-L29, but it doesn’t specify anything else. The P9 had the model number LON-L19, which is where the P10 theory comes from. Either way though, if the leak is accurate, we will hopefully see a bump in resolution and possibly size.

A 5.5-inch display with a 2560 x 1440 resolution would result in a pixel density of 534ppi compared to the P9’s 424ppi and P9 Plus’s 401ppi.

• Huawei P9 Plus review

Huawei P10: Camera

• 8MP front camera suggested for P10
• Dual Leica rear camera expected

The leaked specs from GFKBench don’t mention the rear camera of the Huawei P10 or whether it will offer a dual setup again, though they do suggest we can expect an 8-megapixel front camera, which is the same as what the P9 offers.

If the leaked engineering sample image is to be believed, the dual-camera setup will remain on the rear and continue with the same layout as the P9, rather than following the same path as the Mate 9. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a bump in resolution of the monochrome sensor to match the Mate 9 however.

If this is the case, a 12-megapixel RGB sensor could be coupled with a 20-megapixel monochrome sensor on the rear. Expect optical image stabilisation too.

• Huawei P9 vs P9 Plus vs Mate 9: What’s the difference?

Huawei P10: Hardware

• Kirin 960 processor reported with 6GB RAM
• 256GB storage option also rumoured

According to the leaked specs, the Huawei P10 could arrive with a new 2.3GHz octa-core Kirin 960 processor and 6GB of RAM as standard, which would mean double the RAM of the P9 if true.

The leak also suggests we might see up to 256GB of internal storage, an option Apple introduced on its latest iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Nothing has been claimed for the battery as yet but we would expect the same as the P9, which was 3000mAh, or perhaps a slight increase, especially if the display size increases.

• Huawei Mate 9 review

Huawei P10: Software

• Android Nougat with EMUI

As you might expect, the Huawei P10 is reported to be coming with Android 7.0 Nougat straight out of the box, with the company’s EMUI skin over the top. This is likely to be EMUI 5.0, which can be found on the Mate 9.

We suspect the experience will be very similar to that of the Mate 9, though a few extra features will probably be announced with the new device too.

Huawei P10: Conclusion

The Huawei P10 rumours are still in the early stages for now, but we expect them to pick up over the next couple of months.

Most succeeding devices make improvements on their predecessors in various departments, so while we don’t yet know specifics, we are expecting a faster processor, more RAM, camera enhancements and battery improvements for the P10.

Watch this space as we will continue to update this feature as we come across more leaks or rumours.

NextEV Nio EP9 in pictures: The world’s fastest electric supercar is simply stunning

No, that’s not a new McLaren you’re looking at, it’s the Nio EP9 – the world’s fastest electric supercar. And it’s made by none other than NextEV, the Chinese brand best known (until now) for its Formula E team.

The Nio name is the new part of the package, because the EP9 isn’t a thing of imagination: it will be available as a full production car from 2017. Well, in China to begin with.

So just how fast is it? Well, move over Tesla, because the EP9 can hit 0-62mph in a mind boggling 2.7-seconds. That’s quicker than Tesla’s so-called Ludicrous mode (ok, so only by 0.1-second, but it’s fast).

That’s not all, though. The EP9 can keep on going, reaching 124mph in 7.1-seconds, 186mph in 15.9-seconds, before topping out at 194mph. Speedy. The car has been put around Germany’s Nürburgring, achieving a world-fastest EV lap time of 7-minutes and 5-seconds.

Pocket-lint

But that’s all the number stuff. Seeing the car in person makes you realise what a racer it is. The inside cockpit – accessed once the flip-up gull-wing doors upwards and forwards out of the way – can snugly fit two people with its bucket seats and harnesses.

It’s a stripped-back but tech-heavy experience inside too. The driver’s racing steering wheel comes complete with embedded driver’s screen to relay all the driving information. To the side there’s a touchscreen centre control, plus rotational dial, while two main screens make up the digital dashboard. It’s not as slickly integrated as a Tesla’s makeup, perhaps.

However, the thing that’s really going to turn heads is the way this car looks. Low slung to the ground, its snarling nose has squinty, elongated lights that give an aggressive stance.

Pocket-lint

From the rear the EP9 is more rounded, with featured tail lights tracing the bodywork, striking a a bull horn-like shape. They degree they protrude from the rear makes them all the more striking; a signature look. Speaking of which, there’s a Chinese signature to the rear.

A shame, then, that the “EP9” and new logo symbol look like budget matte plastic in among all the metal work.

That the EP9 is an electric car with a purported 265-miles of range makes it all the more impressive. That’s on par with Tesla. The NextEV’s batteries are slotted between the doors, can be charged in 45-minutes, and are indirectly water cooled to keep the heat down. We can imagine things would get hot at pace.

Pocket-lint

So how much will the NextEV Nio EP9 cost? Well, it is a supercar, so expect supercar prices. Although there’s no official word yet on how many will be made or how much cash their owners will need to part with.

Anyway, we don’t care about the price. Just look at those pictures. Swoon.

Symantec to buy identity protection firm with checkered past

Symantec is acquiring identity-theft protection firm LifeLock for $2.3 billion. It’s the company’s latest move to branch out from malware protection into cybersecurity, following its purchase of Blue Coat, a company that safeguards web transactions. “With the combination of Norton and LifeLock, we will be able to deliver comprehensive cyber defense for consumers,” Symantec CEO Greg Clark said in a statement.

LifeLock doesn’t exactly have a sterling reputation in the privacy protection business. The company was charged with false advertising not just once, but twice by the FTC, paying $112 million in fines. The commission said that the firm didn’t adequately protect consumer credit cards, social security number and other data, and falsely advertised that it had bank-level data protection, among other claims.

The company could easily afford the fines, however, as it raked in $476 million in 2014. It made a lot of that profit by charging consumers $10 per month for its identity-theft protection services, claiming on radio and TV ads that it would alert consumers as soon as any kind of identity theft was detected (something that the FTC also refuted).

Symantec’s buying LifeLock (of the TV commercials) for $2.3 billion https://t.co/8V8QMNnJhA via @bobmcmillan

— Scott Thurm (@ScottThurm) November 21, 2016

LifeLock received other offers (reportedly from private equity firms, Bloomberg says), but said in a press release that Symantec was its “ideal strategic partner.” Indeed, its business model aligns closely with Symantec, which charges $20 and up for a year of (often unnecessary) antivirus protection.

“As we all know, consumer cybercrime has reached crisis levels,” Clark said. There’s no doubt that fear of hacking, NSA snooping and other security concerns are driving demand for Symantec and other security companies’ apps. However, consumers could stop most of that pain simply by using tough-to-guess passwords, not recycling passwords and not clicking on unknown email attachments — none of which carries a monthly fee.

Via: Bloomberg

Source: Symantec