Gravity wave ripples across Venus’ hellish atmosphere
It took the Japanese atmospheric probe Akatsuki a while, but once it got into orbit around Venus just over a year ago, it immediately spotted a large, bow-shaped disturbance. Researchers now believe the phenomenon was a gravity wave, or atmospheric formation caused by the topography below. The feature is nearly 6,000 miles wide and remained in nearly the same spot for four days, despite scalding surface winds that whip at 250 mph. The unusual nature of the wave led the scientists to conclude that atmospheric conditions on the surface of Venus may be different than previously thought.
The term “gravity wave” (not to be confused with the space-time distorting gravitational wave) is a bit confusing — in the atmosphere, it can be thought of as vertical wave. The most common way to trigger a vertical wave is by putting something in the way of surface winds, like a mountain. That forces it to rise, and if the surrounding air is stable enough, gravity will make it sink right back down, kicking off the wave cycle. On our planet, this can cause long, thin clouds to appear at high elevations over mountainous regions at the “peaks” of the gravity wave (as shown in the GIF below).
On Venus, it’s the same phenomenon, but in a much more extreme setting. The “morning star” is like Bizarro Earth, if every single person drove diesel Volkswagens for the next billion years or so. The planet’s sulfuric acid atmosphere is 90 times denser than ours, and those greenhouse gases produce surface temperatures of 850 degrees F, while winds constantly whip the planet at up to 250 mph. (Venus is about 72 percent of Earth’s distance to the Sun and nearly the same size.)
Using its UV and infrared cameras, the Akatsuki team examined temperature variances on the bow wave, with known topography from the planet overlaid (below). The center of the bow is located at the western slope of “Aphrodite Terra,” an Africa-sized highland region stretching up to 5 km (15,000 feet) high. Mission scientists figure that the winds whipped across these highlands, rapidly pushing a column of air into the upper reaches of the 65km thick atmosphere.
At a certain elevation, conditions were right to form a stable, bow-shaped gravity wave in the atmosphere, scientists believe. “It further shows that such stationary gravity waves can have a very large scale — perhaps the greatest ever observed in the solar system,” the team writes.
Simulations show such a feature should be theoretically possible, but it doesn’t fit known data about the planet’s surface weather, so climatologists may have to rethink what they know about Venus. “Winds in the deep atmosphere may be spatially or temporally more variable than we previously thought,” the team posits. That’s understandable, given that it’s not exactly easy to set a probe down on the planet’s metal-melting surface.
After several days of observation, Akatsuki crossed to the other side of the planet and when it returned a few months later, the structure was gone. As of yet, the probe has yet to spot a similar disturbance, so it may be a rare event and “beginner’s luck” for the mission. Either way, it could prove helpful to future experiments or be an aid if we ever decide to terraform our nearest neighbor.
Via: The Verge
Source: Nature
Roku revamps its mobile app with improved ease of use
Roku is giving its mobile app a bit of a makeover for the new year. A revamped navigation toolbar resides at screen’s bottom now, offering quick access to installed channels, app settings, tossing photos from your mobile device to your TV and remote control functionality. And speaking of the remote control, the company says that once you launch a channel the app will automatically go into remote control mode.
What’s more, said mode looks a bit more like the outfit’s physical remotes, which should make navigating things a bit more intuitive. Why the app doesn’t mirror the remote layout entirely is anyone’s guess. There are a few minor additions as well, like a new splash screen and the What’s On tab. Basic, quality of life stuff is the name of the game with this update, not sweeping changes.
Evernote aims for speed and simplicity with its new iOS app
How do you keep loyal users after quickly stepping back from a potentially intrusive new privacy policy? For Evernote, it’s by releasing a new app that focuses on the core features its users love. The company’s latest iOS app has been “rebuilt from the ground up” around simplicity. Gone are the many options from the last Evernote app; now you’re presented with your notebook immediately, and you can quickly add new notes by tapping on the plus button on the bottom of the screen. The goal, according to Evernote’s chief product officer Erik Wrobel, is to “spend less time navigating and more time getting stuff done.”
The app’s new design is reminiscent of Evernote’s web interface, which has featured a minimalist style for years. Expect more white space, and less of the company’s iconic green color throughout the app. Editing notes should be a lot simpler, as well. Now there are only four buttons at the bottom of every individual note screen (for adding photos, voice clips, drawings and other files). Before, there was also a button for adding reminders, as well as a drop down list for more options. If you want to hop between notebooks, you just need to tap on the top of the screen for an organized view of all of your content.
It might not seem very different to some, but the interface changes should make it easier to focus on your notes, rather than be distracted by options you never use. Additionally, you’ll finally be able to format the color and style of text in your notes. People who rely on Evernote for work will also have more separation between their personal and professional notes.
When it comes to privacy moving forward, both Wrobel and Evernote VP of design Nate Fortin say that they’ll start engaging with users earlier, so that they’ll know in advance if a change goes too far. They also hope to start working with the wider privacy and security community, though they didn’t list any specifics on how they’d approach that. Wroben and Fortin reiterated that Evernote is still committed to its Three Laws of Data Protection, which states that users own their data, and that their data is also protected and portable. Last year, before the uproar around its privacy changes, Evernote CEO Chris O’Neill told us user trust is his main concern.
I didn’t have a chance to try out the new iOS app, so I can’t say if Evernote’s claims actually hold true. But on paper, at least, it seems like a worthwhile upgrade for Evernote addicts like me. I hope the company doesn’t slow down with its app development, though. I’d love to see this refined aesthetic make its way to Evernote’s Mac and Windows apps, both of which feel far behind the company’s web interface.
Realtor.com uses augmented reality to help you find a new home
When it comes to looking for a new house, the process of browsing listings, visiting properties and more can become quite the chore. Realtor.com is looking to make things a bit easier on perspective home buyers with two new features for its Android app: Street Peek and Sign Snap. Street Peek uses augmented reality to display details about a home when you point your phone’s camera at it. Even if the house isn’t for sale, you’ll still see all the important details from the real estate website’s database.
Street Peek can also show you info on a group of houses at the same time. Expect to see details like listing or rental price, recently sold price, estimated value and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms for the houses you frame inside the app. What’s more, the AR tool will show you a map of what’s nearby when you tilt the screen. Unfortunately, Street Peek won’t be available until spring in the Realtor.com Android app.
The good news is you can use the other feature the company is announcing today immediately. Sign Snap employs image recognition and GPS to access information on a listing from the Realtor.com database. As the name suggests, all you have to do is take a picture of a “For Sale” or “For Rent” sign with your phone. From there, you can browse photos, property details, price data, open house dates and more. And yes, you will have the option of sharing your finds via email, text or your social channels.
Realtor.com says iOS users can expect to use Street Peek and Sign Snap after the former feature launches on Android in the coming months. For now, you can see both tools in action in the videos below.
Source: Realtor.com
Google Maps may soon offer parking suggestions
Google Maps can already tell you how congested your drive will be, but how about when you arrive? It looks like the app is about to give you at least a decent idea about the parking situation, thanks to a new feature spotted in the latest 9.44 beta by Android Police. Availability of spaces at a selected destination is shown as “easy,” “medium” and “limited,” with the latter situation highlighted in red. Once you start navigating, it’ll give further details in the instructions, indicating that parking around your arrival address is “usually not easy” or “limited,” for instance.
Waze and Inrix touted a similar feature last September, so Google may be trying to ensure that it at least keeps up. Waze’s app can actually find you a spot, however, while Google’s app just gives a general overview of the situation. It’s not clear yet how Google is getting the data.
I downloaded the app and parking availability didn’t work anywhere I tried in Paris, France, and Ars Technica says it’s not appearing in the New York/Long Island area either. However, it did show up for me at the destinations that Android Police’s tipster tried (somewhere in Maryland, I think). So far, locations seem to be limited to malls, airports and other public spots, which is not surprising considering that the feature is still in beta. It may work for you, though — you can download it from the APK Mirror if you’re feeling adventurous, or wait for the official release.
Via: Ars Technica
Source: Google Maps Beta (APK mirror), Android Police
Facebook stops paying publishers to stream live video
For a while, Facebook was obsessed with live video — it even paid publishers to make sure there was a steady flow of professionally-shot streams on offer. However, Zuckerberg and company appear to be tempering their enthusiasm a little bit. Recode sources understand that the social network is “de-emphasizing” Facebook Live when it talks to publishers, and isn’t expected to renew the pay-to-stream deals it struck in 2016. Instead, the focus is reportedly on long pre-recorded videos.
The company isn’t commenting on the report. Supposedly, though, the shift is as much about the cool reception to livestreaming deals as it is changing priorities. While Facebook is still eager to promote user-made broadcasts, publishers weren’t enthused with the cash from their deals as it frequently didn’t justify the cost of staging a live feed. Why hop on Facebook Live if it’d be easier to do nothing? Facebook didn’t intend the paid deals to last long, according to Recode’s tipsters, but it might not have had much luck even if it wanted extended agreements.
This doesn’t mean that pros will avoid Facebook Live entirely. Major events like electoral debates are still going to draw a lot of viewers, and for some brands it simply makes sense to go live instead of shooting canned video. With that in mind, don’t be shocked if you see a marked drop in the number of pro-level livestreams. Not that Facebook is necessarily worried — if it goes ahead with plans for mid-roll video ads, it could still make plenty of money.
Source: Recode
Apple’s Bozoma Saint John on Apple Music: ‘We’re Developing Something Very Special’
Apple Music executives Larry Jackson, Bozoma Saint John, and Zane Lowe sat down for an interview with Complex, where they discussed Apple Music’s performance over the last eighteen months and where the streaming service is going to go in the future.
According to the trio, Apple Music has evolved and is continuing to evolve, with Apple now focusing heavily on pop culture and expanding beyond music into TV and movies.
Image via Complex
“Every day something is changing or moving or evolving for people who love music and entertainment,” said Lowe. “We’re all still working it out, and even when you don’t have the answer, it’s still a privilege to be in the conversation.” Saint John, meanwhile, described Apple Music as a “living, breathing brand.”
When discussing the topic of the music industry, Saint John went on to share what she hopes Apple Music will look like five or 10 years in the future. According to Saint John, Apple is “developing something very special.”
We’re developing something very special and we just want people to pay attention to it. My five-year vision is that I want every single person on the planet to be engaged on Apple Music. I truly believe we’ve created something very, very special. I don’t think anyone else can do this. I will scream from the mountain top until everyone knows. Can I add one thing, too? This is a love fest right now, but I also feel like our conflict makes us better, too. There’s plenty of times where I have screamed at Larry. And though he has not screamed back, I have felt his frustration.
As we’ve learned over the last few months, Apple is making a serious push into original television programming to better compete with other music services like Spotify and Pandora. Apple is already working on two Apple Music-related shows, a documentary called “Vital Signs” starring Dr. Dre and a reality television show based on the “Carpool Karaoke” spot made famous by “Late Late Show” host James Corden.
More original, scripted television shows, even those unrelated to the music industry, will follow, and movies could be on the horizon as well.
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For more details on Apple Music, make sure to check out the full interview over at Complex.
Tag: Apple Music
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ZTE Hawkeye Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
When ZTE announced Project CSX, its crowdsourced phone, it seemed sure to go wrong somehow. But thankfully the internet decided to play nice this time around. The result is a $199 phone that you can order from Kickstarter that will ship this September to almost anywhere in the world.
The phone has midrange specs to keep costs low, but its Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor is far from shabby. It’ll have impressive dual rear cameras, too — one 13-megapixel and one 12-megapixel combination that’s capable of optical zoom.
Users also voted for other cool features including a self-adhesive case, eye-tracking for scrolling web pages and dual-SIM support. The phone will come unlocked, and it also has NFC and a fingerprint sensor.
I’m honestly impressed to see how many features ZTE is packing into the phone at this price, but the September shipping date is quite a long time to wait and there will be plenty of new phones that may offer similar or better features by then.
Quick specs
- 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
- 3GB RAM, 32GB onboard storage
- 5.5-inch display
- Runs Android 7.0 Nougat
- 3,000mAh battery with Quick Charge 2.0
These prototype versions of Hawkeye don’t feature the dual-cameras that the phone will come with when it ships in September.
CNET
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe review – CNET
The company’s most impressive looking flagship to date, the Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe overpowers the ZenFone 3 and large-screened ZenFone 3 Ultra phones it was announced alongside at Computex in Taipei. It looks like it has the chops to match up with other flagship phones in the market, too.
Sporting a monster 6GB of RAM, the base 64GB model will cost $499 (£340, AU$695). The competitively priced phone will be available in Q3, sometime after July.
8
Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe impresses with metal body and top specs
Own looks
Unlike the glass-clad ZenFone 3, the Deluxe model has a curved aluminium back, though it shares the same rear camera design and a fingerprint sensor on the back.
The phone is comfortable to hold and has a slightly larger 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display as compared to the ZenFone 3’s 5.5-inch screen. Some may have a little bit of trouble reaching over with their thumb due to the slightly wider screen, but for me each corner was reachable with a bit of a stretch.
Asus has also worked on removing antenna lines to give the phone a clean looking back. We’re told that the antenna is located around the sides of the phone instead. If you look closely, you’ll see little antenna bands on the small chamfered edges near the display. Asus’ engineers said the Deluxe won’t have the “grip of death”/Antennagate issue found on the iPhone 4, as the chamfered edges aren’t likely to be in contact with your hands while holding it.
If you look carefully, you should be able to see a small tiny white antenna banding on the chamfered edges.
Aloysius Low/CNET
Top grade hardware
Like the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Xiaomi Mi 5, the ZenFone 3 Deluxe sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor. Unlike those devices, it houses a whopping 6GB of RAM.
The Deluxe will come with different storage capacities that go all the way up to 256GB. It blows my mind that a smartphone will soon have more onboard storage than the laptop I’m using to write this right now.
Like the ZenFone 3, the Deluxe’s camera will have four-axis optical image stabilization, but it’s on a 23-megapixel camera instead of a 16-megapixel camera. Asus is using the Sony IMX318 sensor, which features a super quick 0.03s autofocus and three-axis electronic image stabilization for video. The phone can shoot 4K 3,840×2,160-pixel video, and there’s also two tone flash, a colour sensor and laser autofocus.
The fingerprint sensor is located at the back.
Aloysius Low/CNET
Should you get it?
The ZenFone 3 Deluxe seems like great addition to Asus’ ZenFone line. I’m glad the company is finally budging its focus from budget and midrange handsets, which its ZenFone 2 line was largely comprised of, to make this high-specced device.
If you’re due for a smartphone upgrade, the ZenFone 3 Deluxe is a device to keep your eyes on.
Key specs
- 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display, full HD resolution (1,920×1,080-pixels)
- 3,000mAh battery
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor
- Five magnet speaker and NXT amp
- Three colours: Grey, Silver and Gold.
Check out the rest of CNET’s Computex 2016 coverage here.
This review also appears in Spanish. Read: ZenFone 3 Deluxe: nuestra primera impresión del nuevo celular insignia de Asus.
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