Scientists figure out a way to 3D print materials like graphene using bacteria

Why it matters to you

The key to creating bespoke custom 3D-printed materials like graphene may involve using printed bacteria.

Want to know what the future of 3D printing might hold? How about the possibility of printing custom materials such as graphene by using 3D-printed bacteria?

That’s exactly what scientists at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands are doing. They’ve developed a new process — thought to be a world first — that enables them to 3D print a range of materials using bacteria.

“For many years, people have been using bacteria to make chemicals, whether that’s antibiotics, or a number of other things like that,” Dr. Anne Meyer, one of the researchers on the project, told Digital Trends. “Using bacteria to make materials is something that’s new. We’re really starting from scratch to work out what the possibilities are.”

Meyer and her colleagues have so far used bacteria to 3D print materials resembling all-around wonder material graphene, scratch-resistant mother-of-pearl, and even a bacteria-based model of dental plaque — which they claim could be used to test future toothpastes.

More: Bioengineered bacteria could be used to 3D print food and tools on Mars

“One of the big advantages of using bacteria is that it’s cheap, easy, and environmentally friendly,” Meyer continued. “You literally mix your bacteria with the precursor starting material and, when you come back the next day, it has already made your product. There’s none of the chemical waste that you have with some of the traditional chemical approaches.”

Impressively, the work is being carried out using a regular over-the-counter 3D printer, which Meyer said was an important part of the project. “We didn’t want to make something that would be prohibitively expensive, or require a high level of expertise,” she said. The idea is to develop an easily reproducible process that can then be replicated by other researchers around the world.

In a recent proof-of-concept demonstration, the team combined E. coli with a gel formed from algae. They then 3D-printed the resulting material onto a dish with calcium ions. The gel solidifies when in contact with the calcium, ensuring that the bacteria then stayed in place. As it turns out, it is already possible to print bacteria into very exact lines only 1 millimeter in width.

We guess you only need to be worried when people start talking about using bacteria to 3D print food. That’s the point at which we would get squeamish!

Catch CrackBerry Kevin talking BlackBerry KEYone on Cheddar!

Michaluk at that.

Here’s the deal: Android O may be all the rage today, and the Galaxy S8 is being announced soon, but the BlackBerry KEYone is definitely the most exciting phone to a subset of Android users. For those people, CrackBerry Kevin is giving the phone the boost it deserves, joining the Cheddar team at its New York studios prior to a meetup happening in the city on Wednesday, March 22. Watch the entire 10-minute segment below, and then go RSVP to the event!

BlackBerry KEYone

• BlackBerry KEYone hands-on
• BlackBerry KEYone specs
• The latest KEYone news
• KEYone vs. Priv: Battle of the BlackBerry keyboards
• Join the discussion in the forums

BlackBerry Mobile

Here’s what the Galaxy S8’s 5100mAh power bank accessory will look like

It’s fair to assume that the Galaxy S8 will be arriving with a refreshed accessory lineup.

It’s springtime (for some of us) and just as the flowers are blooming and the bees are buzzing through the meadows, so is Samsung preparing itself for its big flagship release later next month.

Practically everything about the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ seems to have been revealed, but of course, we won’t know if that’s the case until an official announcement from Samsung. For now, we can speculate on the smartphone and what its accessories might look like, especially considering the company will have to ostensibly refresh its accessory lineup to work with the Galaxy S8.

Samsung might sell this curvy, oblong-looking battery pack along with the Galaxy S8. It’s a 5100 mAh battery pack with 15W Fast Charging and USB Type-C compatibility. According to the source, it may come in Samsung’s signature gray and blue aesthetic, and it may retail for €60. The new accessory lineup may also include a few new cases and screen protectors, too.

We’ll know more after Samsung officially announces the Galaxy S8 on March 29.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus

• Latest Galaxy S8 rumors!
• Galaxy S8 announcement coming March 29 in NYC
• Galaxy S8 release date set for April 28
• Join our Galaxy S8 forums

Android O hands-on preview: Top 10 features!

Surprise! Google just took the wraps off a new version of Android in developer preview form. Say hello to Android O!

It’s still early days for Android O, and Google will be adding new features over the course of four developer previews before it’s all finalized later in the summer. For now, what we have is a very early sneak peek at some of the new features — including notification channels, adaptive icons, and picture-in-picture mode for phones and tablets.

And we still don’t yet know what Android O will be named, either, though there are some obvious possibilities.

It’ll take a few more preview releases before we’re able to show all of Android O’s capabilities in all their glory, but for the moment we’ve got a preview of the top ten features you need to know about!

• Android Central on YouTube
• How to get the Android O preview on your device

Android O

• Everything new in Android O
• Should you put Android O on your phone?
• How to install the Android O Developer Preview
• Android O isn’t in the Android Beta Program yet
• Join the Discussion

We can now compare the Galaxy S8 in black, silver and ‘orchid’ colors

Now we just need to use the darn phone.

We’ve seen a whole host of in-person pictures and marketing renders of the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, but this latest leak gives us a great look at both sizes of the phone from multiple angles and in all three colors. Oh yes, the colors: “black sky,” “orchid grey” and “arctic silver” are the purported official names. We can just call them black, orchid and silver.

The orchid color is definitely a more subtle shade of purple than had been first rumored earlier on in the year, and I’m a fan of the look. The silver also looks to be more of an understated brushed look rather than the hyper-glossy silver of the Galaxy S7. All of the colors have corresponding color-matched metal frames, tying it all together.

Alright, now it’s time to actually use the phone.

Samsung has historically done a good job of bringing at least a couple of the available colors of each phone to all regions and carriers therein, but we’ll have to wait a while longer to learn which colors go where and with what limitation, if any.

We’ve seen just about every angle and detail in the hardware for the Galaxy S8, now we just need to see it in person to understand how it actually feels and performs — that’s far more important than seeing a handful of renders on a page. We won’t have to wait long: Samsung’s event is on March 29.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus

• Latest Galaxy S8 rumors!
• Galaxy S8 announcement coming March 29 in NYC
• Galaxy S8 release date set for April 28
• Join our Galaxy S8 forums

What is Apple Clips, how does it work, and when can you get it?

If you haven’t noticed yet, the most popular apps right now, including Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook, are all about video.

Apple has likely noticed this trend, so it’s announcing a new app that it made: Clips. In a press release, the California-based company said its new app “makes it quick and fun for anyone to create expressive videos on iPhone and iPad”. Clips combines video clips, photos, and music into little videos you can easily share through Messages, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, and other social networks.

• What is Facebook Messenger Day and does it work like Snapchat?
• What is YouTube TV, which channels does it offer, and how does it work?
• Instagram now lets you save live videos: Here’s how to do it

Here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s Clips app, including how it works and when you can use it.

What is Apple Clips?

Clips is an iOS app that allows you to easily splice together a polished video without a lot of effort. Apple already offers several video creation tools, from the high-end Final Cut Pro on MacOS to iMovies for iOS and MacOS. There’s even a Memories feature in the Photos app on iOS 10 that automatically pieces together slideshows from pictures. Clips is an alternative, free option that’s presumably meant to help fill in the gaps.

Is Apple Clips like Snapchat?

Clips is like Snapchat in that it offers all sorts of fun effects that you can overlay onto your media. These include comic filters, speech bubbles, shapes, full-screen animated posters, and dozens of soundtracks that automatically adjust to match the length of the video. Clips also uniquely offers a Live Titles feature that lets you animate and create captions using just your voice (it’s powered in part by Siri).

• What’s the point of Snapchat and how does it work?

How does Apple Clips work?

Record and edit

If you’ve ever made videos in apps like Instagram or Vine, you’ll quickly figure out Clips. You simply hold down the record button to capture what you want, then let go, and repeat. Once you’re done recording, you can drag your clips into order, and then add filters, emoji, animated icons, titles, etc. The whole experience should take mere seconds. However, you may find some hiccups when you use Live Titles.

Live Titles

Live titles kicks in when you want to choose a look for any text you want on-screen. You’ll see a prompt to speak, and that’s it. Your words will be automatically transcribed and time-coded in the video as you say them. But, like using Siri, we imagine this feature may sometimes have trouble understanding you. We’ll let you know when the app becomes available and we have a chance to really take it for a spin.

Sharing

Videos can be shared directly to social networks and video sites, including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, and more. You can also share them with friends in Apple’s default Messages for iOS app.

When will Apple Clips be available?

Clips will be available in the Apple App Store in early April. It will be compatible with the iPhone 5S and later as well as the new 9.7-inch iPad and iPad Pro models, iPad Mini 2 and later, and the iPod Touch sixth-generation. Just make sure your device is running iOS 10.3.

How much does Apple Clips cost?

Apple Clips will be a free download for iOS users.

Want to know more?

Check out Pocket-lint’s Apple hub for related news.

Amazon Alexa adds Prime Now: How to get fast deliveries with your voice

Amazon is constantly improving its voice assistant, Alexa, and its latest feature is a “prime” example (pun intended).

The company has announced Alexa now works with its Amazon Prime Now delivery service, meaning you can now use your voice to order goods from Amazon or local stores and restaurants, and then get that order delivered to your front door within one to two hours. But there’s a few rules and limitations involves, so if you want to know more, here’s everything you need to know about this new feature.

• Buy the Amazon Echo from Amazon for £149.99
• Buy the Amazon Echo Dot from Amazon for £49.99

What is Amazon Prime Now?

Amazon Prime Now is a perk that Amazon gives to Prime members.  

An Amazon Prime membership costs $99 a year (or by the month for $10 per month). With Prime Now, you can place orders for same-day delivery in several US zip codes. It offers free two-hour delivery or one-hour delivery in most areas for $7.99 per order. You can get groceries, gifts, goodies, and more – all from local stores and restaurants.

Prime Now is available in select US cities from early morning to late night, seven days a week. It is a standalone site and mobile app.

How does Amazon Prime Now work with Alexa?

Order

Amazon Alexa is available through the Amazon Echo line of speakers as well as some third-party devices. As of 21 March, you can use Alexa for hands-free shopping and fast, same-deliveries – as long as you are an Amazon Prime member and live in a Prime Now area. If all those boxes are checked, you can buy anything from the complete Prime Now retail catalogue, which includes tens of thousands of products.

You can say, “Alexa, order Pepsi from Prime Now,” and then Alexa will return results from your history or the best result from a search of the Prime Now catalogue. Once you confirm the item, Alexa will ask if you want to buy more items. Alexa will even provide recommendations for products to buy so you meet the minimum order value ($25). 

Remember, Alexa already allowed users to order from Amazon, so if you would like to your to be delivered in a two-hour window, then you must specify “from Prime Now” when talking to Alexa. Amazon’s assistant will select the next available delivery window. You can add a tip for your courier in the Prime Now app or on the website.

Cancel

To cancel an order, you can simply say “Alexa, cancel my order” within eight seconds of placing the order. After eight seconds, you must use the Prime Now app to cancel an order. (Go to Your Account, then select Your Orders, and select the order you wish to cancel.) If it can be canceled, you’ll see a Cancel Delivery button. If it can’t be canceled, you need to contact Customer Service to attempt to cancel the order.

Tracking

Alexa cannot track Amazon Prime orders. You will need to visit the Prime Now app or website to track your order.

Where is Prime Now available?

You can only order from Prime Now in the following US cities:

• Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Berkeley, Brooklyn, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Orange County, Miami, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Nashville, New York City, Northern Virginia, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle and Eastside, and Virginia Beach

Want to know more?

Check out Amazon’s FAQ page for more details.

• Amazon Alexa comes to iOS devices: How does it work and what can it do?

iTunes movie rentals finally work across multiple devices

Somehow, Apple went until 2017 before adding one of the most basic features to iTunes. You see, for the past nine years, when you’d rent a movie via the app, you’d have to watch it on the device the rental originated from. So, if you rented Manchester by the Sea on your commute, watched a few minutes and then wanted to finish bumming yourself out on your big screen at home, you were out of luck. With the latest version of iTunes (12.6) and “rent once, watch anywhere,” that’s changed.

Assuming you have iOS 10.3 installed on your iPhone or iPad, and tvOS 10.2 on your Apple TV, the feature should be ready to take for a spin. A caveat, though: As 9to5Mac notes, those OS updates are only available in public beta and developer beta channels, respectively. Once those go wide, though, the feature itself should follow suit. This isn’t a massive improvement, but hey, neither is a red iPhone 7.

Via: 9to5 Mac

Source: Apple

MGM courts millennials with new shows on Snapchat

Snap and MGM Television have inked a deal to produce original short-form shows for the social network, MGM Studios announced today. This is Snap’s first major content deal with an entertainment studio, although it’s also partnered with a variety of TV networks looking to reach Snapchat’s millennial-aged user base.

Snapchat Shows are typically standalone programs based on original or existing works that run four to five minutes. Right now, MGM Television isn’t saying what kinds of content it plans to create for Snapchat or when it will appear, but it’s possible the company will look to its current slate of reality show properties like Survivor, The Apprentice and Shark Tank for inspiration.

Snap has been steadily moving away from its social networking roots and towards becoming a mobile TV platform over the past year. It signed a deal with NBC in August to produce a mini version of The Voice and original shows from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live. Disney is making a recap series for The Bachelor. The BBC is bringing its nature documentary series Planet Earth II to the social network, and A+E is creating a relationship reality show called Second Chance.

Snapchat reportedly has over 100 million daily active users who view an estimated eight billion mobile videos per day. It looks like TV networks, eager to get younger audiences watching their shows, are tapping into its massive popularity. But do teens and millennials even want this content? We don’t know how many people are watching Snapchat Shows, but at least one program — the politically-themed Good Luck America — is doing well enough to get renewed, so it must be generating some amount of ad revenue for Snap.

Via: Variety

Source: Variety, MGM

First Xbox One ‘Tech Series’ controller adds tactical styling

Console players with money to burn might find their stock controllers just a little too drab one day and go hunting for a more stylish gamepad. Xbox One owners are particularly in luck, since Microsoft seems to add new color and design schemes every few months. The latest remix of the console’s standard wireless controller comes in the new Tech series, and the first in that line looks perfect for the aesthete in your life that appreciates geometric designs and military chic.

The Recon Tech Special Edition isn’t too different from the stock model, adding cool gold accents and insignias on the gamepad’s face and nice rubberized grip strips on the back. While that won’t give players an edge (or expanded functionality) like the Elite controller’s finely-tuned sensors and alt-control paddles, the Recon Tech includes the standard Wireless controller’s Bluetooth capability to hook up to Windows 10 and Samsung Gear VR.

Plus, the $70 Recon is still relatively affordable compared to the Elite’s $150 pricetag. As is typical with the Xbox One gamepad options, you’re paying a premium for style, since every other unique paint scheme (including custom jobs from the Design Lab) costs $10-$30 more than the $50 stock wireless controller.

Source: Xbox Wire