Following a report from Mac Otakara yesterday claiming the iPhone 6 will feature a curved glass display and an all-aluminum rear shell, French website Nowhereelse.fr [Google Translate] and designer Martin Hajek have partnered up to showcase renders visualizing such a device based off of the recen...
http://www.macrumors.com/2014/04/25/iphone6-renders-curved-display-rounded-corners/
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Leo's gold has been stolen, and it's your job to get it back. This sounds like the line from many a cliche video game, as coin-collecting has been around as long as controllers themselves. Yet Leo's Fortune for iOS puts a darker twist on what that gold does to those who possess it. Leo's Fortune ...
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Google has sped up secure Web browsing on Android by taking advantage of something most companies don't have: control over the browser and the Web sites it's visiting. Google added support for faster new encryption algorithms called ChaCha20 and Poly1305 to its Chrome browser, said Elie Bursztein...
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/25/ee-three-voicemail-hacking/
With the phone-hacking scandal still playing out in the courts, it should be safe to assume that UK mobile operators have put measures in place protect customers' own voicemail inboxes. Unfortunately, that's only half true. We know thanks to an investigation by The Register, which showed that two of the big four carriers had neglected to close a loophole that allows nefarious third-parties to spoof a customer's phone number and immediately gain access to their voicemails. Those two companies? EE and Three.
Armed with a target's phone number and VoIP calling system, researchers were able to trick both carriers' voicemail systems into believing a call originated from one of their SIMs. Attempts to hack into Vodafone and O2, however, were unsuccessful. Vodafone blocked attempts with PIN requests, while O2's systems always timed out. When pressed about the issue, Three simply pointed to the voicemail security pages on its website and warned users to set a PIN (which isn't enforced by default). EE immediately set about fixing the flaw and sent out an announcement just a few hours later telling customers it had "patched the issues raised in the article." The company said it also plans to run "a full review of all [its] voicemail platforms," to head off any future issues.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Source: The Register, EE Support Forum
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/25/iberia-boarding-pass-on-samsung-gear-2-smartwatches-wearables/
You wouldn't instantly associate Iberia with cutting-edge technology, but the Spanish airline is a paragon of modernity. The Madrid-based business already lets you print your own luggage tags, and now it's teamed up with Samsung to bring boarding passes to your smartwatch. A forthcoming update to the Iberia Android app will enable you to cross the skybridge with just a Gear 2 -- assuming, of course, that you've already got a Galaxy S5 (or another compatible device) stashed in your pocket.
Filed under: Wearables, Samsung
Via: WSJ
Source: Iberia (Translated)
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Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-folding-origami-grill-has-a-metal-mesh-hammock-for-1567012502
When you're cooking dinner in the woods, the last thing you want is to be responsible for burning down acres of trees down because you were careless with your campfire. A portable grill helps keep everything safely contained, and the folding Grillo even keeps your burning briquettes or kindling off the forest floor.
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/24/cochlear-ear-implant-gene-therapy/
Cochlear implants already help those with auditory damage to hear better, but what if they could also grow new nerves while they're there? Scientists at the UNSW have discovered a way to do just that, at least in hamsters. After they introduced a gene therapy solution, a modified cochlear implant used electrical pulses to deliver the treatment directly to auditory nerve cells. That successfully re-generated so-called neurotrophins in the animals, which in turn aided nerve development and significantly improved the implant's effect. Such therapy could one day help the hearing-impaired to pick up sounds better, especially the subtle tones in music. There's a long ways to go prior to human trials, however, since it was only effective in the hamsters for a short time. But it could one day be included as part of cochlear implant therapy and even help other nerve-related conditions, like Parkinson's disease or depression.
[Image credit: UNSW Translational Neuroscience Facility]
Via: The Verge
Source: UNSW
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/24/cheap-malaria-test-kits/
Despite how far we've come with technology, malaria is still a serious threat for huge chunks of the developing world. A prototype tool from UK-outfit QuantuMDx, however, could help stave off mosquito-related deaths by giving health-workers the power to diagnose the disease in 10 - 15 minutes. As the team tells it, typical DNA sequencing can take days, weeks or even months, but its "lab on a chip" can rapidly diagnose a disease and accurately predict which drug and what dosage to administer -- all based on the parasite's genetic code. That last bit is key because malaria has a nasty habit of being resistant to medications.
The device hitting prototype phase is one of the first steps along the way to mass-deployment, and its initial round of clinical trials is scheduled for later this year. QuantuMDx stresses that the device is a low-cost way for workers in developing countries to help battle the disease; the team's aiming for, "around the price of a smartphone," with test cartridges costing $5-10.
{Image credit: Dmitrijs Bindemanis/Shutterstock]
Source: QuantuMDx
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/24/runkeeper-goal-coach-ios-update/
Just a week after introducing its newfangled step-tracking app Breeze, RunKeeper is updating its iOS training software with a new jogging partner. With the latest version, you'll have access to Goal Coach: a motivational feature that helps with goal setting, sticking to training plans and exceeding your own expectations. If you've splurged for the Elite version, the aforementioned trainer will serve up weekly updates -- in addition to RunKeeper's other stats -- keeping you longing to hit the trail. Haven't opted in yet? Well, the price for new users on May 1st increases to $10/month or $40/year, so you may want to decide quickly. Of course, NikeFuel is said to be on its way to the app as well, so you'll have that extra bit of motivation tossed in, too.
Source: RunKeeper (iTunes)
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/24/leica-t-mirrorless-camera/
Leica's been making cameras for a full century this year, and to celebrate, it's just now getting around to releasing an interchangeable-lens camera that you might actually be able to afford... until you factor in the glass. Priced around $1,850 (without a lens), the T looks like a camera that you might want to own. Its core is chiseled from a solid brick of aluminum, resulting in a beautiful body (that's equally durable). There's a 16-megapixel APS-C sensor, a 3.7-inch high-res touchscreen, a 12,500 top ISO, 1080p video capture, a 5 fps continuous shooting mode and a pair of top-mounted control wheels for adjusting exposure. There's also integrated WiFi, and you can pop on an optional electronic viewfinder, if that's your thing.
Of course, since there's a new lens mount, you'll need to add on a $395 adapter to use your M-mount glass. Or you can buy one of two T-mount lenses: an $1,750 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom or a 23mm f/2 prime lens that'll retail for around the same price. Leica's also planning to show off 11-23mm and 55-135mm zoom lenses at Photokina this September, so you'll be able to drop a few more grand to complete your set sometime soon. A silver version of the camera is expected to hit stores next month, while a black model should be available in early August. Hit up our friends at DPReview for some early impressions of the Leica T (spoiler alert: they really seem to like it).
Source: DPReview, Leica, Gizmodo
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/24/china-galaxy-beam-2/
Chances are your phone doesn't have a built-in projector -- and it never will. But there's at least a small subset of the Chinese market that apparently has a need for an entry-level smartphone capable of projecting dim videos and presentation slides onto a flat surface. The Galaxy Beam 2 sports a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1 gig of RAM and an underwhelming 800x480-pixel 4.66-inch display. The battery tops out at 2,600 mAh of juice, so if you're thinking of planning a smartphone movie marathon you might want to bring the charger along. It launched today on China Mobile's 3G network (with pricing TBA), and while Samsung has yet to detail an international release, it's unlikely that we'll ever see the second-generation Beam on this end of the Pacific.
Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Mobile
Via: Engadget China
Source: Samsung
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/24/lyft-ridesharing-service-reaches-24-new-cities/
Lyft isn't about to be outdone by its rapidly growing ridesharing competition. The on-demand transportation outfit has just launched service in 24 new US cities, all in one day -- enough to give it more American coverage than its rivals, at 60 cities in total. The expansion mostly covers notable mid-sized urban areas like Jacksonville, Kansas City and Memphis; you can check out the full list below to see if you're covered. The rollout will still leave many Americans hailing taxis, but it's good news for those who want multiple ridesharing choices when they venture beyond the largest population hubs.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Lyft
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/24/google-glass-now-available-to-anyone/
Google offered Glass to the public as part of a one day sale not long ago. Now it seems that anyone can order one again without an invite. There's been no announcement so far, no fan fair -- a few Redditors just happened to discover that you can head straight to the order page and add one to your cart. We've tried it from multiple accounts that we can confirm did not sign up for the Explorer program, so it appears that Glass is legitimately available to anyone with a Google account. We've reached out to Mountain View for comment and we'll let you know as soon as we hear back. In the meantime you can go order your own Explorer Edition unit now. So long as you're comfortable coughing up the $1,500 asking price, of course.
Filed under: Wearables, Google
Via: Google Glass Geeks
Source: Reddit, Google Glass shop
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Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-a-ship-can-be-cyber-hijacked-2014-4
An increasing reliance on technology in transportation makes ships and other vessels more susceptible to hijacking than they used to be.
It's possible for hackers to access navigational systems and send ships off course, as this Reuters graphic shows:
In October, researchers exposed how easy it is for a system that broadcasts the locations of ships to be compromised. They were even able to issue fake emergency alerts with cheap radio equipment.
After Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared mid-flight, a British anti-terrorism expert suggested that it might have been hijacked using codes to infiltrate the plane's security software. That theory suggested hijackers could have changed the direction and altitude of the plane with radio signals sent from a small device.
Boeing has acknowledged these vulnerabilities and asked the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for permission to change some of its aircraft equipment out of concern that USB ports on the in-flight entertainment systems could allow hackers to access a plane's computers.
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Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/17-emerging-energy-technologies-2014-4
Policy Horizons Canada worked with futurist and data visualizer Michell Zappa of Envisioning to produce a report called MetaScan 3: Emerging Technologies and accompanying infographics. We are reproducing the summary for emerging energy technologies.
We have included predictions based on consultation with experts of when each technology will be scientifically viable (the kind of stuff that Google, governments, and universities develop), mainstream (when VCs and startups widely invest in it), and financially viable (when the technology is generally available on Kickstarter).
Fuel cells: Unlike batteries, fuel cells require a constant source of fuel and oxygen to run, but they can produce electricity continually for as long as these inputs are supplied. They inherently! displac e the need for natural gas turbines, and are ideally used for stationary power generation or large passenger vehicles such as buses (especially at energy-dense future iterations of the technology).
Scientifically viable in 2013; mainstream in 2015; and financially viable in 2016.
Lithium-air batteries: Advances in materials technology is enabling the advance of high energy Li-air batteries which promise an energy density that rivals gasoline, offering a five-fold increase compared to traditional Li-Ion batteries. By using atmospheric oxygen instead of an internal oxidizer, these batteries could dramatically extend electric vehicle range.
Scientifically viable in 2017; mainstream in 2018; and financially viable in 2020.
Hydrogen energy storage & transport: Hypothetical evolution of existing power grids, transporting and storing hydrogen instead of electricity. Could be used in combination with various kinds of energy transformation methods, minimizing loss and maximizing storage capacity.
Scientifically viable in 2019; mainstream in 2021; and financially viable in 2022.
Thermal storage: Often accumulated from active solar collector or from combined heat and power plants, and transferred to insulated repositories for use later in various applications, such as space heating, domestic or process water heating.
Scientifically viable in 2022; mainstream in 2024; and financially viable in 2027.
First-generation smart grid: Electrical meters that record consumption of electric energy in real time while communicating the information back to the utility for monitoring and billing purposes. Can be used for remote load-balancing such as disabling non-essential devices at peak usage
Scientifically viable in 2014; mainstream in 2015; and financially viable in 2016.
Distributed generation: Generates electricity from many small energy sources i! nstead o f large centralized facilities. Centralized power plants offer economies of scale, but waste power during transmission, and are inefficient in rapidly adapting to grid needs.
Scientifically viable in 2017; mainstream in 2021; and financially viable in 2022.
Smart energy network: Speculative global energy & power infrastructure and set of standards which can be used interchangeably. Could theoretically mimic characteristics of the Internet in channeling heat, energy, natural gas (and conceivably hydrogen) from local and distant sources depending on global demand.
Scientifically viable in 2019; mainstream and financially viable in 2020.
Tidal turbines: A form of hydropower that converts tidal energy into electricity. Currently used in small scale, with the potential for great expansion.
Scientifically viable in 2015; mainstream and financially viable in 2017.
Micro stirling engines: Micrometer sized power generators that transform energy into compression and expansion strokes. Could hypothetically be 3D-printed on the fly and cover entire heat-generating surfaces in order to generate power.
Scientifically viable in 2020; mainstream in 2026; and financially viable in 2027.
Solar panel positioning robots: Small-scale robots able to re-position solar panels depending on weather conditions. More efficient than attaching each panel to motorized tracking assemblies.
Scientifically viable in 2014; mainstream in 2016; and financially viable in 2017.
Second-generation biofuels: New biofuel technologies, such as cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel from microalgae, promise to produce conventional fuel-compatible energy at low or zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Scientifically viable in 2016; mainstream in 2017; and financially viable in 2021.
Photovoltaic transparent glass: Glass with integrated solar ce! lls whic h converts IR and some visible light into electricity. This means that the power for an entire building can be supplemented using the roof and façade areas.
Scientifically viable in 2017; mainstream in 2020; and financially viable in 2021.
Third-generation biofuels: Moving beyond today's organisms, 3rd generation biofuels involve genetic modification of organisms to produce new fuels by unconventional means. Examples include direct production of hydrogen from highly efficient algae, and production of energy-dense furans for automotive use.
Scientifically viable in 2022; mainstream in 2024; and financially viable in 2025.
Space-based solar power: Collecting solar power in space, beamed back as microwaves to the surface. A projected benefit of such a system is much higher collection rates than what is possible on earth. In space, transmission of solar energy is unaffected by the filtering effects of atmospheric gasses.
Scientifically viable in 2025; mainstream in 2027; and financially viable in 2028+.
Micro-nuclear reactors: A small, sealed version of a nuclear reactor (approximately a few tens of meters in length) capable of being shipped or flown to a site. Currently able to provide 10 MW of power, plans are for 50 MW capacity in the near future.
Scientifically viable in 2022; mainstream and financially viable in 2023.
Inertial confinement fusion (break-even): An approach to fusion that relies on the inertia of the fuel mass to provide confinement. To achieve conditions under which inertial confinement is sufficient for efficient thermonuclear burn, a capsule (generally a spherical shell) containing thermonuclear fuel is compressed in an implosion process to conditions of high density and temperature.
Scientifically viable in 2013; mainstream and financially viable in 2021.
Thorium Reactor: Thorium can be used as fuel in a nuclear reactor, allow! ing it t o be used to produce nuclear fuel in a breeder reactor. Some benefits are that thorium produces 10 to 10,000 times less long-lived radioactive waste and comes out of the ground as a 100% pure, usable isotope, which does not require enrichment.
Scientifically viable in 2025; mainstream in 2026; and financially viable in 2027.
SEE ALSO: These beautiful charts show the emerging technologies that will change the world
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Source: http://gizmodo.com/these-nanoparticle-panels-will-bring-blue-skies-indoors-1566662662
Skylights are so 1986. Now it doesn't matter if the weather outside is dark and dreary, or even if it's midnight, for that matter: Thanks to this LED panel which replicates cloudless skies, you'll feel like you're bathed in warm sunshine.
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Head-mounted computing specialists Recon Instruments is building quite a team to take on Google Glass. Last year, Intel offered both cash and its manufacturing and technology expertise, and now the "other" Motorola has followed suit. Motorola Solutions has opened its checkbook and pledged to share its product development and distribution know-how with the Canadian outfit. Why has a company with a pedigree in walkie-talkies and barcode scanners teamed up with Recon? Not only does it have plenty of experience making rugged gadgets that'll likely improve the Jet and Snow2's hardiness, but it also already makes wearable computers on the side. The Motorola HC1, you see, is an enterprise device that's designed to work in extreme environments where it'd be too! dangero us to use a phone. Perhaps the two of them will develop a new wearable platform that's as comfortable on the slopes as it is on the oil rig.
Filed under: Wearables
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/23/etsy-acquires-grand-st/
Gadgets are probably the last thing you'd look for on Etsy's DIY-heavy marketplace, but that could soon change. Today the NY-based company announced that it's acquiring Grand St., an online retailer focused on electronics with a creative, maker bent (think app-enabled piggy banks and Wifi-enabled kids' toys). In the short term, at least, Grand St. will continue to operate as its own marketplace, but it's possible that such hardware could someday have a home on Etsy.
In a blog post announcing the acquisition, Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson said, "What unites Etsy and Grand St. is a shared vision of the way making is changing, and we're excited to learn from their community." Grand St., which is also based in New York, curates all the products on its site, and a beta feature lets buyers give feedback to makers. The deal is still closing -- and financial details haven't been shared -- but it definitely seems to be positive news for those in the small-batch maker space.Filed under: Internet
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Etsy News Blog, Grand St.
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/23/amazon-prime-pantry/
Amazon's dead-set on killing off the grocery store, with a same-day delivery service and even a Dash gadget for restocking items around the house. Now the retailer's going one step further, taking on Costco and Walmart with a new program called Prime Pantry. If you're a Prime member living in the 48 contiguous states, you can ship 45 pounds' worth of household essentials -- in "everyday sizes," not in bulk -- for a flat fee of $6. (Yes, that's on top of your Prime membership payment.) Amazon told us the items available include "popular soft drinks and bottled water, a new range of paper and laundry products in popular pack sizes, single boxes of breakfast cereal, potato chips, convenience-sized personal care products and more." Rumors about an Amazon Pantry service began circling late last year, and while the service is live now, the company hasn't formally announced it.
To help you stay within that weight limit, a virtual Amazon cardboard box will show you how much room is left. While you could easily fill a Prime Pantry box with obscene amounts of Fruit by the Foot and gummy bears, the program is especially attractive for customers who want to stock up on heavier and bulkier items that don't usually ship for free. Check out a video introduction below, and find more info at the source link.
Source: Amazon Prime Pantry
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Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/states-where-walmart-and-whole-foods-are-dominant-2014-4
Walmart country and Whole Foods country are very different places.
Morgan Stanley is out with a retail "atlas" that breaks down retail stores by geography. Based on their data, we made the following maps showing the number of Walmarts and Whole Foods per one million people in each state.
Here's Walmart: You can see it absolutely dominates in the center of the country. Arkansas, where Walmart was born, has the most per capita, with Oklahoma a close second. Walmart is much less popular on the coasts.
Here's Whole Foods: It's not that big in the center of the country, but it's huge on the coasts. Colorado is also huge.
There are, of course, far more Walmarts than Whole Foods in each state overall, but it's fun to see where the stores are more and less concentrated. Bottom line: Whole Foods America is much more coastal, while WalMart America is much more central.
Here are tables showing the number and population-adjusted number of Walmarts and Whole Foods stores in each state:
SEE ALSO: Here's How Stuff Gets Shipped Across America
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/21/google-glass-update-calendar-iphone-sms/
On the heels of last week's KitKat update, Google Glass nabbed up two more notable improvements today. First, iOS users can now have their text messages displayed on Glass, after a quick toggle of the Bluetooth settings. Here's the catch: "due to some limitations with iOS," you wont be able to reply to those messages directly from the headset. There's also a new Calendar Glassware that situates an agenda to the left of the home screen. Tapping a card in that timeline will allow you edit title, time, location and even RSVP. If you'd rather just skip those festivities altogether, you can delete events or hide them from view. Both of the new features are said to be rolling out to early adopters "in the next few days," so keep your eyes peeled.
Filed under: Wearables, Software, Mobile, Google
Source: Google Glass (G+)
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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/19/rufus-cuff-wrist-monster/
We told you to put on your disappointment pants for the Galaxy Gear 2, but for the Rufus Cuff we suggest rolling up your absurdity sleeves. Seriously, given its three-inch screen you might just have to. This wearable boasts a built-in mic, a camera, a speaker, web browser, voice control, GPS and full access to the Google Play store -- if the Cuff sounds like a smartphone that straps to your wrist, well, that's basically what it is. It connects to your Android or iPhone via Bluetooth for mobile data, making calls and sending texts, but it's running a full version of Google's mobile OS and can hook on to WiFi if you're in a cellular dead-zone or if your phone's battery runs out.
While the gizmo doesn't exactly look practical (we're pretty sure that it won't play nice with the cuffs of a slim-cut oxford), as of this writing it's has raised over $150,000 of its $200,000 IndieGoGo goal, with a handful of days to go. If you dig the idea of strapping one of these monstrosities on your wrist, all it takes is a $249 pledge.
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile
Source: IndieGoGo
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