The ‘Lyra’ integrates lighting and security into a commuter bike

Why it matters to you

Sure, there are lighting options and GPS trackers aplenty, but these come built into the bike itself.

Two things are always high on the list of any serious cyclist: safety on the streets, and security of the bike itself.

San Francisco-based bike specialist Mission Bicycle has focused on both areas with its latest design, which is currently looking for backing on Kickstarter.

The Lyra is a stylish two-wheeler that incorporates an array of LED lighting to make you highly visible on the road, while the lightweight steel frame includes a GPS tracking device to help you track down your bike if it gets stolen or if you simply can’t remember where you parked it.

But more on those LEDs, first.

Mission Bicycle founder Zachary Rosen said his team designed the lighting feature “in an integrated way that doesn’t have extra flourishes or gimmicks or anything like that, it’s there to serve a purpose.” That purpose is, of course, to get you seen on the streets at night, giving approaching motorists and other road users ample time to safely respond to your presence.

We like the way the front lights are built into the forks of the bike, creating an eye-catching spread of light across the ground, thereby increasing your visibility. Rear lighting, meanwhile, comes in the form of a series of red LEDs built into the back of the seat stem, with two modes of lighting offered — super-bright and energy saving.

Speaking of power, the lighting system runs off a battery that lives in the head tube. When it’s running low, you simply remove it from the tube and charge it using the USB cable. Mission Bicycle says that testing shows the battery is good for around 20 half-hour night rides, equivalent to “about a month’s worth of commutes home from work.”

Now, while you’ll want a decent lock to reduce the chances of your precious bike going walkabout, the Lyra’s built-in GPS tracking device means you can keep tabs on the location of your bike around the clock. Each time the bike begins or ends a journey, it’ll ping its GPS location directly to the Lyra’s smartphone app so you’ll know exactly where it is at any given moment.

More: Digital Trends’ pick of the best biking gear for commuters

A Lyra prototype has already been built and tested, and Mission Bicycle hopes to start delivering its latest design — available in both single speed and 8-speed options — to U.S.-based Kickstarter backers in the fall of this year. Prices start at $1,000, but you’d better hit the project page quick if you want to snag an early-bird deal.

Where to buy the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus in the UK

Pre-ordering the Galaxy S8 can bag you a new phone eight days before the street date.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 has been officially announced, and it’s available to pre-order now around the world. In the UK, all the major mobile operators are ranging the S8 and S8+, and both Samsung and Carphone Warehouse are offering the phone unlocked and SIM-free. As usual, there’s a wide range of on-contract plans available depending on your choice of carrier and service plan.

Let’s take a look at each of the major online options for pre-ordering a Galaxy S8 in the UK.

On contract

Carphone Warehouse

As usual, Carphone Warehouse is offering both Galaxy S8 models, in both color variants, on a wide range of different network options. Contracts with O2, Vodafone, EE and Carphone’s own iD network are available, with the cheaptest monthly plan being a £35.99, 2GB bundle on EE, with an upfront payment of £199.99. (For the S8+, that rises to £329.99).

For data-hungry users, Carphone offers a 24GB plan on Vodafone for £42 per month, with £169.99 upfront, for either device.

Pre-order customers at Carphone Warehouse can bag a free Samsung Level Box speaker worth £99.

See Galaxy S8 at Carphone Warehouse

See Galaxy S8+ at Carphone Warehouse

EE

EE has both phones available in black and grey, with upfront prices starting at £9.99 when you pay £60.99 per month for the Galaxy S8, or £65.99 for the S8+. Both models are available with EE’s “Official Samsung Pack,” for a extra £88 upfront (£97.99 total), which includes a £20 case voucher, Samsung’s new wireless charging pad, and a spare charging cable.

EE also offers a free 64GB Samsung microSD card for all GS8 buyers on choose one of its “Max” plans.

See at EE

Vodafone

Vodafone is offering both handsets in both colors, with the cheapest monthly plans starting at £32 per month (with a hefty £300 upfront charge) for 500MB for the base model S8. Voda’s data-heavy 24GB plan is available for £47 per month (£30 upfront) with the S8, and £52 per month (£50 upfront) for the S8+. And both can be maxed out to 30GB for an additional £6 per month.

Like other operators, Vodafone customers can score an S8 up to eight days ahead of the street date if they pre-order.

See Galaxy S8 at Vodafone

See Galaxy S8+ at Vodafone

O2

O2 has both phones available to order, with upfront prices starting at £9.99 (£55 per month for the Galaxy S8, £60 for the S8+.) As usual, O2’s price plans can be tweaked depending on your data requirements, whether you’d prefer to pay more upfront or monthly.

Data bundles come in between 1GB and 50GB, with O2’s most capacious GS8 bundle on offer for £86 per month when you pay £69.99 upfront. For the GS8, that rises to £87 per month and £79.99 upfront.

To sweeten the deal, O2 is throwing in a JBL Flip 4 speaker worth £119 for all Galaxy S8 pre-order customers.

See Galaxy S8 at O2

See Galaxy S8+ at O2

Three

Three has both phones in both colors, with on-contract prices for the GS8 starting at £35 per month on the carrier’s 500MB “Essentials” plan, which costs £35 per month and £99 upfront.

Three has a number of finite data buckets up to 12GB, and the Unlimited “All You Can Eat” plan is offered with both models too — prices start at £50 per month (£99 upfront) for the GS8, and £69 per month (£79 upfront) for the GS8 Plus.

See Galaxy S8 at Three

See Galaxy S8+ at Three

Unlocked

Samsung UK

It doesn’t get much simpler than ordering a GS8 or GS8+ unlocked direct from the manufacturer, Samsung has both phones available in ‘midnight black’ and ‘orchid grey’ colors with free shipping. The regular 5.8-inch Galaxy S8 will set you back £689. Stepping up to the 6.2-inch S8+ costs £779.

See at Samsung

Carphone Warehouse

Carphone’s SIM-free prices mirror Samsung’s — £689 for the S8, £779 for the S8+, with the same two color options available for both phones.

See at Carphone Warehouse

Unlocked Mobiles

Independent retailer Unlocked Mobiles has both Galaxy S8 models available at a slight discount compared to the standard price — £674.89 for the regular S8, or £764.98 for the S8+.

See Galaxy S8 at Unlocked Mobiles

See Galaxy S8+ at Unlocked Mobiles

If you’re picking up a Galaxy S8 or S8+ today, be sure to hit the comments and let us know which one you’re buying!

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

• Galaxy S8 and S8+ hands-on preview!
• Galaxy S8 and S8+ specs
• Everything you need to know about the Galaxy S8’s cameras
• Get to know Samsung Bixby
• Join our Galaxy S8 forums

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Full HTC Ocean details leak; pressure sensitive Edge Sensors and 3D audio recording revealed

Preview materials for the HTC U, currently code named Ocean, have leaked online courtesy of Android Headlines.

They give us our best look yet at what to expect from HTC’s 201 flagship device, including some innovative new gesture-controlled features that build upon previously rumoured details.

Chief among those new features is something called ‘Edge Sensors’. We’ve already seen rumours suggesting the HTC Ocean would have touch-sensitive zones around the outside, but the preview materials by suggesting you will be able to squeeze the sides of the phone with varying amounts of pressure to carry out certain functions.

• HTC U ‘Ocean’: What’s the story on HTC’s next flagship?

It’s suggested a short squeeze of the sides while the phone is sleeping and the display is off would enable certain gestures, while a long press will activate others. Android Headlines says gestures can include opening the camera, launching Google Assistant, launching HTC Sense Companion or even activate a Wi-Fi hotspot.

HTC has also appeared to add three different levels of sensitivity, to help make sure you don’t activate certain functions without meaning to.

Details surrounding the camera on the HTC U “Ocean” have been few and far between up until now. However, both Weibo and Venture Beat have suggested it will come with the same, or similar cameras as the Google Pixel, also made by HTC. That would mean a 12-megapixel rear camera and 16MP front-facing with UltraPixels.

The preview materials don’t actually refer to megapixels, but instead refer to various features that should result in good quality photos. The HTC U is said to come with HDR+, with real-time live preview functionality. That means you’ll be able to see what your photo will look like, before you press the shutter button.

3D audio recording will also be possible thanks to four microphones placed around the device, and this will be the default option when taking videos. A second, high-resolution audio mode has also been teased, which claims to “bring a full range of lossless sound to the recording”.

HTC’s BoomSound speakers should make a return to deliver high-quality audio output from front-facing speakers, but the 3.5mm headphone port looks set to get the axe, in favour of USB Type-C audio instead. HTC will supply the U with its own USB-C headset.

To make sure you get the best possible sound from that headset, HTC has implemented a feature called HTC USonic, that claims to measure your specific ear canal in a matter of seconds, and adjust the audio accordingly. The USonic feature should also adjust to filter out any background ambient noise, for specific situations, such as commuting to work. And because it only takes a few seconds to adjust, you can easily go from one profile at home, to a different one on-the-go.

It also looks like the HTC U could follow a similar path as the Samsung Galaxy S8 and offer some PC functionality thanks to a feature called HTC Sense Link PC Client. It suggests you’ll be able to copy and paste content between the phone and your PC or laptop, as well as view notifications, although it doesn’t say if you’ll be able to interact with them from your computer.

• HTC might reveal HTC U flagship with ‘touch-sensitive frame’ in April

Elsewhere, specs are said be Android Nougat 7.1 out-the-box, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and 64GB storage with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage with 6GB RAM. The 3,000mAh battery should come with Quick Charge 3.0 technology and the 5.5-inch WQHD display will have a Gorilla Glass 5 coating. 

On paper, then, the HTC U is shaping up to be a highly capable device with some interesting features. We’re still no closer to knowing when it will be released though, although recent rumours are suggesting an April reveal for a May release.

Scientists discover shortcut for turning grass into plane fuel

It takes millions of years for natural processes to convert plants into gasoline, but researchers at Ghent University have figured out how to do it much faster. By pre-treating grass to make it break down quicker, and then adding Clostridium bacteria similar to that found in your gut, they produced decane, one of the main ingredients of gasoline and jet fuel. While decane is a polluting fuel, commercial jets will need it for at least the next few decades, and the researchers believe their process is efficient enough to make it commercially feasible.

For their system to work, the scientists first treated the grass with a compound that broke it down and made it easier for bacteria to digest. They then treated it with an enriched Clostridium bacteria from the family that makes up the good bacteria in your gut, rather than the one that kills you. Fermentation much like that used for beer produced lactic acid and its derivatives, and further treatment yielded caproic acids. With further processing, that was converted into decane, a primary ingredient of gasoline and jet fuel.

As mentioned, decane and similar products aren’t very clean fuels (they produce CO2 when burned), but they still have a much higher energy density than, say, lithium batteries. As such, be the main fuel used in aviation for the foreseeable future, as jet planes need to be relatively light to get aloft.

For now, the process can only yield a few drops of biofuel, but the researchers claim the process is already relatively efficient, and with some more work, could possibly be made commercially feasible. Unlike corn, grass grows pretty much anywhere, so the ability to convert it into fuel on the cheap would be a huge step.

Source: Frontiers

Imagination Tech Shares Plunge as Apple Ends Deal With British Firm

Shares in Imagination Technologies plunged by nearly 70 percent on Monday, after Apple informed the British firm that it plans to stop using its graphics technology in Apple consumer devices in up to two years’ time.

Imagination said Apple had made the decision because the tech giant was developing its own independent graphics processing chips, which would reduce its reliance on the company.

The news delivers a major blow to Imagination Technologies, which traditionally provides the PowerVR graphics architecture found in Apple’s full range of iOS devices and receives a small royalty on every sale, which amounts to up to half of the British firm’s revenue.

In a press release posted on the company’s website, Imagination said it doubted that Apple could go it alone without violating Imagination’ patents, intellectual property and confidential information.

Apple has used Imagination’s technology and intellectual property for many years. It has formed the basis of Graphics Processor Units (“GPUs”) in Apple’s phones, tablets, iPods, TVs and watches. Apple has asserted that it has been working on a separate, independent graphics design in order to control its products and will be reducing its future reliance on Imagination’s technology.

Apple has not presented any evidence to substantiate its assertion that it will no longer require Imagination’s technology, without violating Imagination’s patents, intellectual property and confidential information. This evidence has been requested by Imagination but Apple has declined to provide it.

The firm said that Apple’s notification had triggered talks on alternative commercial arrangements for the current license and royalty agreement.

Apple has been a licensee and stakeholder in the company since at least 2008, and became a key investor in mid-2009 after raising its stake in the firm to 10 percent. Apple paid Imagination license fees and royalties totaling 60.7 million pounds for the year to end-April 2016 and is expected to pay about 65 million pounds for this year, Imagination said.

Late last year it was reported Apple was in “advanced talks” to acquire Imagination Tech after the British chip maker announced job cuts. Despite confirming the talks, Apple subsequently decided not to make a buyout offer, but several Imagination employees were recruited by Apple as part of its efforts to build an in-house graphics team.

Tag: Imagination Technologies
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Latest SoundCloud App Update Adds Google Chromecast Support

SoundCloud has added support for Google Chromecast in the latest update to its iOS app, almost two years after support for the feature arrived on the Android version.

After updating the SoundCloud app, users of the music streaming service will also be able to cast songs from SoundCloud Go+, the company’s paid subscription plan, to their TV and speakers.

Now users with a SoundCloud Go+ subscription can stream their complete catalog through Google Chromecast. We also enabled shared playback, so multiple users can control what’s playing. Finally, we upgraded both of the mobile apps and the receiver to provide a consistent and streamlined experience.

Whenever a song is played over Chromecast, SoundCloud offers up song and album suggestions for adding to the currently streamed track list.

A SoundCloud Go budget tier costs $4.99 per month, and includes access to over 120 million tracks, offline listening and no ads. SoundCloud+ costs $9.99, and includes access to a wider selection of 150 million songs and excludes previews from the library. Non-paying listeners can still listen to tracks with ads, but can’t download songs for offline listening.

The SoundCloud app is a free download for iPhone and iPad available from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Tag: SoundCloud
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Early Galaxy S8+ prototypes had dual cameras at the back

Samsung was working on dual rear cameras with the Galaxy S8.

Samsung decided to stick with a 12MP “Dual Pixel” rear-facing camera on the Galaxy S8 and S8+, but it looks like the South Korean manufacturer dabbled with a dual-camera setup at least on the Galaxy S8+. Images of early prototypes of the Galaxy S8+ reveal dual cameras at the back along with dual LED flash and a heart rate sensor.

The device in the image above has the same model number as that of the Galaxy S8+ (SM-G955F). The lack of a fingerprint sensor at the back also reinforces earlier rumors that Samsung was working on an embedded fingerprint scanner located underneath the display.

According to reports from Korea a few weeks prior to the launch of the Galaxy S8, Synaptics — the vendor developing the on-screen fingerprint sensors — simply didn’t have enough time to integrate the technology into Samsung’s flagships. With the bezel-less infinity display taking up most of the front of the phone, Samsung decided to move the fingerprint sensor to the back of the phones, which may have necessitated a switch to the traditional single camera setup.

Samsung works on several variations of a design before settling on a retail model, and a version with dual rear cameras was just one of many design variants the manufacturer likely tested out for the Galaxy S8. That said, we may still get to see a dual-camera setup as well as an embedded fingerprint sensor in the Galaxy Note 8 later this year.

Scientists control soft robots with magnetic fields

As slick as soft robots are, they tend to have very simple movements. It’d be a challenge to create a truly complex machine using existing technology. Researchers may have a solution to more sophisticated movement, though. They’ve invented a technique that uses magnetic fields to steer squishier robots. The trick was to cover the robots in a polymer film loaded with iron microparticles made to form parallel chains using a magnetic field. When you want to steer a robot, you just subject its relevant components to another magnetic field — the direction and strength of the field determines what happens.

The scientists used their fresh approach to build three robots that take advantage of this newfound flexibility. One is a cantilever (the “lifter” you see above) that can carry up to 50 times its weight. An accordion bot can expand and contract like a muscle, while a valve can squeeze to act as a pump.

There’s no question that it’ll take a long time to make this method viable for real robots. You’d need an external device to produce the field, for a start. However, the potential uses are already easy to see. The accordion and valve robots would be particularly useful for robots that have to mimic organic functions, not to mention prosthetics, implants and other health care equipment.

Source: NCSU, ACS

5 songs you need to stream this week: Slowdive, Gary Clark Jr., and more

Every week, there are thousands of new songs hitting the airwaves — and it’s just too much for your two ears to handle. With all those options, you can’t be wasting your time on tracks that deserve a thumbs-down click.

But don’t worry, we’re going to save you the hassle. We listen to some of the most-hyped and interesting songs each week, and tell you which are worthy of your precious listening time.

More: Spotify vs. Apple Music: Which service is the streaming king?

Here are our top five songs to stream this week. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our Spotify page for a playlist of our weekly picks, which can also be found at the bottom of this post.

Slowdive — Sugar for the Pill

After more than two decades, famed English shoegaze pioneers Slowdive have come back in impressive fashion. The second new song to be released from their upcoming album is a punchy new single called Sugar for the Pill. On the bass drum-driven track, the band embraces the same washed-out waves of sound that helped them gain acclaim in the first place, providing listeners with a relaxing new song with which to spend their self-reflection time.

Gary Clark Jr. — Our Love

So long as you can sit through a built-in advertisement for Jameson Irish Whiskey at the start, Gary Clark Jr.’s video for Our Love is sure to enthrall. The guitar player and vocalist owns each note of classic swinging soul, providing the gorgeous ballad with a ripping guitar solo about halfway through. If you’ve got a date night planned this week, this is the song you want on in the background— just the ticket for a loving dance around the living room.

Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly, James McAlister — Saturn

Indie star Sufjan Stevens has been dipping both feet into the world of electronic music of late, collaborating with The National’s Bryce Dessner, composer Nico Muhly, and drummer James McAlister on a new solar system-inspired record called Planitarium. The debut single from the album, Saturn, spends its first half as a sort of electronic take on the slow and rhythmic acoustic melodies we are accustomed to from Stevens, before evolving into a full-on dance hall jam at the halfway point.

Syd — Treading Water

This fantastic cut from L.A.-based songwriter Syd will have you bobbing your head all week. With a percussion-driven beat, jazzy guitar chords, and an extremely smooth vocal take, the 24-year-old vocalist showcases his immense talent for crafting hook-driven singles that actually have musical substance. Perfect for the club or a relaxing weekend drive, Treading Water will take your mind off your stresses, transporting you to a world of magical harmony and rhythm.

Whitney — You’ve Got A Woman

Chicago’s up-and-coming indie sensation Whitney released two new covers this week that were recorded amid the band’s positively insane touring schedule. This track, You’ve Got A Woman, is something of a deep cut — a version of a song by 1970s Dutch duo Lion. A funky psych-pop jam with fun hits and shimmery guitar, it retains the upbeat quality that we know and love from the band. It’s a song forsSpring if we’ve ever heard one.

That’s it for now, but tune in next week for more tunes — and check out the playlist loaded with our recent selections below:

Toyota’s hybrid boat will begin testing in the Port of Tokyo in 2018

Why it matters to you

Toyota is the world leader in hybrid electric vehicles, and it is now bringing its resources to the water with hybrid boats.

Toyota has developed the first leisure craft in Japan powered by a parallel hybrid system. The hybrid boats will be studied in Tokyo’s waterways from July 2018 to March 2021. It should come as no surprise that the carmaker is experimenting with new hybrid vehicles, as its Prius is the world’s best-selling hybrid electric car.

Toyota is lending its hybrid boat, the Ponam-28V, to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government at no charge. According to the press release from Toyota, the government will use the boat to assist in routine maintenance of piers and other port facilities at the Port of Tokyo. In addition, the Ponam-28V will be used for special visits to Tokyo Bay during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, wherein many of the competition venues will be located along the waterfront.

More: Lexus floats a new brand idea, the high-performance Lexus Sports Yacht

Toyota’s new vessel will also serve as a platform for canal tours at the Port of Tokyo for both residents and visitors alike.

With the combination of an electric motor and internal combustion engine, the Ponam-28V’s parallel hybrid system promises a comfortable cruising range. In EV mode, the boat gains greater efficiency, fewer emissions, and low noise levels.

The Tokyo government will send feedback of the boat’s performance to Toyota for analysis. This data can be used to improve the current hybrid system as well as aid in the progress towards future models and systems.

More: New Toyota Mirai billboards in California help clear the air

The Ponam-28V has sibling vessels in the form of the Ponam-31 and Ponam-35. The numbers in each model name indicate their respective lengths: 28, 31, and 35 feet. The Ponam-28V features a 3-liter gas engine paired with a 36 kW electric motor. The latter is powered by an 11 kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery pack. The internal combustion engine puts out about 260 horsepower, while the electric motor provides about 50 horsepower. Maximum torque measures close to 260 pound-feet.