Shellfish-inspired glue stays sticky underwater

Even the strongest human-made glue tends to fail when you dunk it underwater. Purdue researchers, however, think they have a simple solution to this: imitate nature. They’ve developed a polymer adhesive that’s based on the proteins mussels use to cling to rocks. The team’s synthetic creation takes advantage of compounds inside the proteins’ amino acids to bind directly to an intended surface, rather than interacting with water on the surface. The result is a material that not only outperforms the glue you see in the hardware store, but is 17 times stronger than the shellfish’s own adhesive — and that has scientists scratching their heads.

Purdue speculates that mussels may only produce adhesives that are just strong enough to keep their bodies attached. A too-strong substance could actually backfire by making it difficult for a mussel to escape predators without hurting itself. The artificial version, meanwhile, is as powerful as humans want it to be.

There’s still a long way to go before this glue is ready for real-world use. However, there’s a good chance that could happen. The US military’s Office of Naval Research funded the project, and it clearly has a vested interest in making sure that its constructions survive water. This doesn’t mean that you’ll see warships held together by glue instead of rivets, but the concept isn’t completely far-fetched.

Source: Purdue University, ACS

Spotify lands ‘2 Dope Queens’ and other hit WNYC podcasts

Last month, Spotify reaffirmed its interest in podcasting by introducing three original shows. The streaming service clearly wants to be a source for not just music, but all our listening needs. Now, it’s taking another big step to establish itself as a legitimate podcast destination. Spotify announced today that a partnership with WNYC Studios will bring some of the network’s popular podcasts to its platform.

Since its establishment in 2015, WNYC Studios, a branch of the WNYC public radio stations, has been home to big shows like Radiolab, Freakonomics Radio, On The Media and others. Starting today, those podcasts are available on Spotify.

Aside from the just-mentioned, other WNYC programs that will be streaming for all Spotify users include Alec Baldwin’s Here’s The Thing; Death, Sex & Money; The Sporkful; Only Human; The Fishko Files; New Yorker Radio Hour; Nancy; Snap Judgment; Note To Self; Sooo Many White Guys and 2 Dope Queens. The latter, hosted by Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams, will also have a two-week exclusivity window. New episodes will be available only on Spotify during that time, beginning with the third season premiere on March 21st.

Spotify recently surpassed 50 million paid users, so between that group and the millions more free users, the platform has the potential to bring podcasts to a much wider audience. Still, music and podcasts are two very different types of media, so it remains to be seen how many of those listeners will also be interested in long-form entertainment without a beat.

Source: Spotify

Nintendo teases three-part ‘Breath of the Wild’ documentary

Need a quick fix for your Zelda-love? The hot new Switch game, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will get a three-part making-of documentary that will be released tomorrow, March 14th, at 6 AM Pacific (9 AM Eastern).

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has gotten rave reviews, but the new Switch console itself still lacks a big games selection. Nintendo needs to maintain interest in the new console, and this video series might help. We already know a bit about the development process from a talk the developers gave at GDC earlier this month, but a more in-depth look behind the scenes could keep Nintendo fans invested while they wait for more Switch titles to arrive.

We don’t know how the series will be distributed or what will be in it, but the short preview attached to Nintendo’s tweet looks like a standard behind-the-scenes documentary. It shows an artist drawing a hang-gliding Link, several people gesturing around a table in a work session, many talking head shots and a quick look at a small orchestra recording the soundtrack. Nothing groundbreaking, for sure, but it looks engagingly professional at least.

If you’re interested in game-making or Nintendo in general (or more specifically interested in Breath of the Wild) be sure to check in tomorrow morning with Nintendo to watch.

Via: Polygon

Source: Twitter

Your clothing could soon have stealthy heart rate sensors

You might not have to wear a smartwatch or a dedicated monitor to track your heart rate in the future — you might only need the clothes on your back. Scientists have developed polymer optical fibers that are flexible enough to be woven into clothing, enabling sensors anywhere your outfit meets bare skin. And did we mention they’re washing machine friendly? You could theoretically slip on an everyday shirt or cap to track your BPM, and you could toss it in with the rest of your laundry at the end of the day.

The fiber is crafted by melting and spinning two polymers, one that transmits the light-based data and another that serves as a coating. That’s no mean feat, the team tells Popular Science — you can’t usually melt and spin optical fibers, and this technique allows for much higher production volumes.

Researchers are currently interested in catering to hospitals, which could use sensor-equipped clothing to monitor vitals without risking the sores that come from wearing traditional sensors. That, in turn, could minimize the chances that patients get further illnesses. However, the researchers hope to expand their flexible fiber tech to track oxygen, pressure and other crucial data. And it’s reasonable to expect that this technology will eventually go beyond the medical field. Don’t be surprised if you one day buy fitness apparel that tracks your stats without any obvious signs that there’s technology inside.

Via: Popular Science

Source: Empa, Royal Society Publishing

Volvo’s first EV will cost less than $40,000

When Volvo revealed its intentions to make its first all-electric car, it raised at least a few questions: would the EV carry a premium over Volvo’s already pricier-than-usual lineup? And would it have enough range to be more than an urban commuter car? Apparently, the answer to both is “yes.” The company’s US chief Lex Kerssemakers told the press that the 2019-era vehicle should carry a price between $35,000 and $40,000, and should have at least a 250-mile range. That would put it at the lower end of Volvo’s price spectrum, and pit it directly against the wave of new mainstream EVs like the Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model 3.

The company isn’t ready to talk about the finer details of the machine. However, the price and range suggest that this is most likely to be a sedan than either an SUV or a compact car like the old C30 Electric concept. And Kerssemakers stresses that range is important — he says that people won’t buy an EV unless it has “sufficient” range, even if it’s overkill for the daily commute.

Volvo’s approach should be important for EVs as a whole by not only making them more accessible, but introducing them to a familiar brand associated with upscale cars. It may also be crucial to the company’s success in its home country. Tesla sales are exploding in Sweden, and it would be more than a little embarrassing if Volvo let a foreign rival go unchallenged for more than a few years.

Via: Business Insider

Source: Automotive News

Apple Expected to Announce New Products as Soon as Next Week, Supply Chain Sources Say

Apple is expected to announce new products later this month, most likely between Monday, March 20 and Friday, March 24, according to reputable supply chain analysts we spoke to who wish to remain anonymous. The analysts said the information is from its own sources and not based on other reports.

The research firm did not disclose which products it expects Apple to announce, but rumors have widely suggested at least a trio of new iPad Pro models will be unveiled as early as this month, including an all-new 10.5-inch model with slimmer bezels and updated 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch versions.

The sources expecting an iPad refresh include, among others, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis, and Japanese blog Mac Otakara. The latter of the three also expects a new 7.9-inch model that would supplant the iPad mini 4, but others have denied or yet to mention that particular claim.

Last month, Japanese blog Mac Otakara said Apple will host a March event where it will debut its new iPad Pro lineup, a larger iPhone SE model with 128GB storage, and new Apple Watch bands. The report also claimed Apple will add a red color option for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which could be part of (PRODUCT)RED.

Apple has yet to invite the media to an event this month, however, and those invites would be on shorter notice than usual if it is indeed planning to announce new products this way as early as next week.

In each of the past two years, Apple invited the media to its March event roughly 11-12 days beforehand, including February 26 invites for a March 9 event in 2015 and March 10 invites for a March 21 event last year.

There are three plausible scenarios if new products are in the cards: Apple is planning a March event, and invites will go out soon; Apple is planning a Spring event, but not this month; or Apple will share its announcements through a press release as it did when it dropped the price of the fourth-generation iPad to $399 in March 2014.

A few reports have suggested the 10.5-inch iPad Pro could face shipping delays, so perhaps Apple will delay announcing it entirely.

Apple has hosted March events four times in the past six years. In 2011 and 2012, it introduced new iPad models at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. In 2015, it revealed Apple Watch pricing and release date information. Last year, Apple debuted the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and iPhone SE at its Town Hall.

One rumor suggested Apple could be planning an event on April 4, but this date was based on Personal Pickup for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which is generally not a reliable indicator of an event. The in-store pickup date for 12.9-inch iPad Pro models is a rolling target, as evidenced by the April 10 date now shown.

The all-new 10.5-inch iPad Pro is expected to have slimmer bezels, and possibly no Home button, allowing it to have the same overall footprint as the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. This design could foreshadow the rumored 5.8-inch iPhone. The tablet is also rumored to have a higher-resolution display and quad microphones.

The updated 12.9-inch iPad Pro is said to feature a 12-megapixel rear camera and True Tone display like the current 9.7-inch model, using advanced four-channel ambient light sensors to automatically adapt the color and intensity of the display to match the light in the surrounding environment.

Related Roundups: iPad Pro, iPhone SE
Buyer’s Guide: 12.9″ iPad Pro (Caution)
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Apple Seeds Sixth Beta of iOS 10.3 to Developers

Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming iOS 10.3 update to developers, just under one week after seeding the fifth beta of iOS 10.3 and three months after the release of iOS 10.2, the last major update to the iOS 10 operating system.

Registered developers can download the sixth iOS 10.3 beta from the Apple Developer Center or over-the-air with the proper configuration profile installed.

iOS 10.3 is a major update, introducing significant new features and changes to the iOS 10 operating system. The biggest consumer-facing feature in iOS 10.3 is “Find My AirPods,” which is designed to help AirPods owners locate a lost earphone. Find My AirPods records the last known location of when an AirPod was connected to an iOS device via Bluetooth and can play a sound on a lost AirPod.

Apple’s latest update also introduces a new Apple File System (APFS), installed when an iOS device is updated to iOS 10.3. APFS is optimized for flash/SSD storage and includes features like strong encryption.

Apple plans to introduce some App Store changes in iOS 10.3, allowing developers to respond to customer reviews for the first time. iOS users are also able to label reviews in the App Store as “Helpful” or “Not Helpful,” which should help surface the most relevant review content.

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Apple also plans to limit the number of times developers can ask for a review, allow customers to leave app reviews without exiting an app, and provide a “master switch” that will let users turn off all app review request prompts.

Also new in iOS 10.3 is a redesigned app open/close animation, an Apple ID profile in Settings, a better breakdown of iCloud storage usage, warnings about outdated apps that won’t work with future versions of iOS, HomeKit support for programmable light switches, improvements to SiriKit (bill paying, bill status, and scheduling future rides), CarPlay interface improvements, iCloud analytics options, and more.

Related Roundup: iOS 10
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Apple Seeds Sixth Beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.4 to Developers

Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming macOS Sierra 10.12.4 update to developers, just under one week after seeding the fifth macOS Sierra 10.12.4 beta and over a month after releasing macOS Sierra 10.12.3.

The sixth macOS Sierra 10.12.4 beta is available for download through the Apple Developer Center or the software update mechanism in the Mac App Store for those who have previously installed a beta.

macOS Sierra 10.12.4 brings iOS’s Night Shift mode to the Mac for the first time. First introduced on iOS devices with iOS 9.3, Night Shift is designed to gradually shift the display of a device from blue to yellow, cutting down on exposure to blue light. Blue light is said to disrupt the circadian rhythm and is believed to interrupt sleeping patterns.

Night Shift can be activated through the Displays section of System Preferences, where a setting to have it come on at sunset and turn off at sunrise is available. Night Shift can also be toggled on manually through the Notification Center or via Siri.

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The 10.12.4 update focuses mainly on Night Shift, but also includes dictation support for Shanghainese, cricket scores for Siri, improved PDFKit APIs, and iCloud Analytics options.

Related Roundup: macOS Sierra
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New iPad Models Spotted in Device Logs

Multiple new iPad models are being tested in Cupertino and the nearby Bay Area, potentially confirming rumors suggesting several refreshed iPads are launching in the near future.

New iPad model identifiers have been spotted in device data collected by mobile marketing company Fiksu and were shared by TechCrunch this morning. Four identifiers have been popping up in data logs, but that doesn’t necessarily correspond to four new devices as WiFi and WiFi + Cellular iPads historically have different model numbers. Fiksu believes the numbers correspond to between two and four new iPads.

Below are the iPad identifiers that have been found along with their corresponding count, as provided by Fiksu. Only a small number of visits have been seen, which Fiksu says is “about the same number we see being tested about a month before release.”

– iPad 7,1 – 17
– iPad 7,2 – 11
– iPad 7,3 – 5
– iPad 7,4 – 10

These identifiers are similar to identifiers for existing iPad Pro models, which are as follows:

– 12.9-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi) – iPad 6,7
– 12.9 inch iPad Pro (Cellular) – iPad 6,8
– 9.7-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi) – iPad 6,3
– 9.7-inch iPad Pro (Cellular) – iPad 6,4

At the very least, the presence of these identifiers suggests there are a minimum of two new iPad models in the works, in line with rumors suggesting Apple is working on both a revamped 10.5-inch iPad Pro that will effectively replace the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and a new 12.9-inch model.

The 10.5-inch iPad Pro is said to feature a nearly bezel-free edge-to-edge display that allows Apple to fit a larger screen in the same 9.7-inch form factor, and it is said to include an A10X processor and Touch ID built directly into the display.

Rumors sourced from reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have suggested there are supposed to be three new models on the horizon, including a 12.9-inch tablet, a lower-cost 9.7-inch tablet (priced as low as $299), and the flagship 10.5-inch tablet, while Japanese site Mac Otakara has claimed Apple could be working on four iPads, the three mentioned by Kuo along with a 7.9-inch iPad mini Pro model.

Though Fiksu is seeing only four identifiers, it’s possible additional iPads are in development but haven’t been found in device logs as of yet.

On the other hand, it potentially indicates we’re going to get a new 10.5-inch model and a new 12.9-inch model, with no new iPad mini or refreshed lower-end 9.7-inch model. This scenario doesn’t fit Mac Otakara’s prediction, but should Apple lower the price of the existing 9.7-inch iPad Pro, it does fit in with what Kuo has predicted.

Apple’s new iPads could debut as soon as later this month, according to supply chain analysts who shared the information with MacRumors this morning. Apple may be planning an event or a release for late March, perhaps even as early as next week.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer’s Guide: 12.9″ iPad Pro (Caution)
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Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers make paid apps free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest apps on sale in the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money, and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

More: 200 Awesome iPhone Apps | The best Android apps for almost any occasion

YConvert PRO

Not sure how to invest your money? YconvertPRO offers you a solution with the new currency conversion feature.

Available on:

iOS

RecApp

RecApp is the most advanced voice recording app on the App Store. It includes a set of special features for those who use their iPhones for professional activities.

Available on:

iOS

Coyn

Coyn is all about efficiency. Experience the most unique user-interface and enjoy managing your cash. Simply swipe up to add expenses and swipe down to add income.

Available on:

iOS

SaveAgram

Download videos and photos from Instagram with ease. Simply enter the Instagram link, press ‘Download Instagram’, and the video and/or photo is saved.

Available on:

iOS

Week Cal Widget

See your week’s events right from the notification center. Scroll up and down or scroll previous and next week, offering a full calendar at your fingertips without unlocking your device.

Available on:

iOS

Budget and expense tracking

Where did your money go? Try this easy and simple expense tracker that promises to be perfect for tracking expenses quickly and completely.

Available on:

iOS