Stanford researchers developed a battery that can charge your smartphone in just one minute

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/stanford-aluminum-ion-battery-charges-smartphone-one-minute-2015-4

Researchers at Stanford University in the US have created a new aluminium battery that charges smartphones to full capacity in one minute. Scientists say the technology could one day replace many of the batteries used in devices today, according to a media release.

The findings were detailed in an online edition of the journal Nature, published on April 6.

The aluminium-ion battery is a safer alternative to the lithium-ion batteries currently used in laptops and smartphones, which can be a fire hazard. The new prototype is also better for the environment than disposable alkaline batteries, like the ones you find in TV remotes.

The prototype was developed by Stanford University chemistry Professor Hongjie Dai along with student colleagues.

"We have developed a rechargeable aluminium battery that may replace existing storage devices, such as alkaline batteries, which are bad for the environment, and lithium-ion batteries, which occasionally burst into flames. Our new battery won't catch fire, even if you drill through it," Dai said in a statement.

The team's new battery can keep going for around 7,500 charges, while previous experimental aluminium batteries lasted only 100 charge cycles. A typical lithium-ion battery lasts around 1,000 charge cycles, according to researchers.

Aluminium is an appealing material for batteries because it's affordable, doesn't catch fire too easily, and has a high-charge capacity. The challenge, until now, has been "finding materials capable of producing sufficient voltage after repeated cycles of charging and discharging," researchers note. 

The new battery consists of a negatively charged aluminium anode and a positively charged graphite cathode. 

The battery is not only long-lasting, but it can also bend, greatly widening its potential use in electronic devices. 

Researchers still have to work on improving the voltage of the aluminium battery. Right now, it only produces about half the voltage of a typical lithium battery. 

For more information, watch the video from Stanford University:

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Intel's $150 Stick That Turns a TV Into a Windows Desktop Is Now on Sale

Source: http://ces.gizmodo.com/intels-150-hdmi-stick-turns-any-tv-into-a-windows-desk-1678550370/1695954486/+ericlimer

The Intel Compute Stick, a snazzy $150 dongle that can turn anything with an HDMI port into a full-fledged Windows computer, made a bit of a splash when it touched down at CES 2015. And now it's landing for real, preorders have started at Amazon and Newegg.

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Watch Olympus' Dope Image Stabilization Work Its Shake-Free Magic

Source: http://reframe.gizmodo.com/watch-olympus-dope-image-stabilization-work-like-magic-1695968869

Olympus’ 5-axis image stabilization is some of the best out there. The system allows you to usable shoot images in conditions where the results would horribly shaky. This video captures a view of what the sshake-free guts look like under the hood. It’s hypnotizing.

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Ultrawide vs Dual Monitors: Which Are Better for Productivity?

Source: http://lifehacker.com/ultrawide-vs-dual-monitors-which-are-better-for-produc-1695967682

We love multiple monitor workstations, but “Ultrawide” displays, packing resolutions that rival two or three panels side-by-side, are looking better and better these days. After all, having more than one monitor doesn’t automatically make you more productive. Here’s how these new ultrawide monitors differ from a dual-screen setup, and when you might consider buying one.

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drag2share: This Stunning Image Shows Us The Future of Climate Models

source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/VErLjbKd64U/this-stunning-image-shows-us-the-future-of-climate-mode-1695810790

This technicolor swirl may look like an artist's acid trip, but what you're actually looking at is the next generation of high-resolution climate models.

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Samsung's latest flagship 4K TV starts at $6,500

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/02/samsung-4k-tv-2015/

Samsung's latest and greatest ultra-HD television will cost you big bucks -- but it's also got a healthy selection of affordable options among its latest round of 4K TV sets. The JS9500 SUHD TV (the "S" denotes its premium UHD range), effectively the Korean electronics giants' crown jewel for 2015, will start at $6,500 when it lands later this month. It sports a curved screen with nanocrystal technology (something that appears in all of its SUHD sets), a full array local dimming backlight (which helps with contrast and black levels) and the company's "PurColor" technology, which delivers more vivid colors. You'll be able to snag the JS9500 in 65-inch and 88-inch sizes -- though the company isn't saying just how much the larger version will cost. Most likely, that'll be upwards of $10,000, as that's the price for the 77-inch JS9100 SUHD TV.

As you'd expect, the rest of Samsung's 4K TV lineup gets progressively cheaper. The JS9000 curved SUHD starts at $3,500 for the 48-inch model, while the 65-inch version will run you $5,000. That's a $1,500 discount from the JS9500's comparable set, but you also lose that model's fancy backlighting technology. If you're still not sold on curved TVs, Samsung's also got a flat SUHD, the JS8500, starting at $3,000 for the 55-inch model. And if you're looking for the cheapest option, the JU6700 curved UHD starts at just $950 for the 40-inch entry.

While Samsung's 4K pricing is pretty much on-par with last year's high-end sets, which went for around $5,000 for 65-inch entries, it's nice to see a variety of options at the lower end of the spectrum. There's also more of a reason to snag a 4K set this year, with a wider availability of UHD content coming from Netflix, Amazon, and others. Samsung's also a founding member of the UHD Alliance, which is focused on building up the 4K ecosystem. On the software side, all of the company's 2015 Smart TVs are running its Tizen OS, which powers a snappier user interface alongside its octa-core processors.

To match its new range of curved TVs, Samsung also offered up details on its latest round of curved soundbars. They start at $500 for the J6000 soundbar and wireless sub, and run all the way up $1,300 for the J8500, which supports high-definition audio and fits 65-inch and 78-inch sets. If you want a more realistic surround sound setup, you could also pair them with the company's new omnidirectional Radiant 360 "ring speaker."

Filed under: HD, Samsung

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OnLive, the first company to try streaming games over the internet, is shutting down

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/onlive-rip-2015-4

Six years ago, OnLive came up with a radical idea: With a good enough Internet connection, you could stream video games from the data center into your home, the same way millions do with Netflix Instant Watch movies today. 

Soon, OnLive will be no more, as it sells most of its important technologies to Sony and prepares to shut down service by the end of the month.

It's been a long and tumultuous journey for OnLive. Funded by companies like Warner Brothers, Autodesk, and AT&T, the service launched in mid-2010 at a price of $14.95/month plus the cost of individual games (that monthly fee would soon be waived).

Games could be played from any PC, Mac, phone, or tablet. More recently, Amazon added OnLive support to its Fire TV and Fire Stick media players.

The problem was that in 2010, not enough Americans had the kind of broadband Internet connections needed for the high-velocity world of video games. And even when more people did get fast connections, people generally preferred to buy their games through more traditional channels — after all, you can play those without an Internet connection at all, and you don't have to worry about performance issues.

OnLive tried to reverse its fortunes, including launching a virtual desktop service that would let customers access Windows apps in their browsers, but it wasn't enough.

In 2012, OnLive's management took desperate measures: It laid off its entire workforce at once, entered into a proceeding known as the "Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors" that left employees with worthless options, and sold all the company's assets to a private equity firm for a mere $4.8 million, a tremendous dip from OnLive's one-time $1.2 billion valuation.

In 2014, the company came back to life with a service called CloudLift, that took a player's existing games and let them continue it f! rom any device. 

Apparently, that didn't work either, and on April 30th, all of OnLive's cloud services will be shut down, forever. Sony is snapping up OnLive's patents, which only makes sense, given that Sony bought a similar service called Gaikai for the technology that lets it stream games directly to PlayStation game systems.

SEE ALSO: The original Xbox was almost free

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Acer's Chrome OS all-in-one is the first with a touchscreen

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/01/acer-chromebase/

Intrigued by the idea of an all-in-one Chrome OS computer, but were hoping for something a little more exciting than the likes of LG's Chromebase? You've got it: Acer has just unveiled its own Chromebase. The system has a 21.5-inch 1080p display like its LG rival, but it's the first to include a touchscreen for those times you want to share input (or just can't be bothered to reach for the mouse). It's also running on NVIDIA's Tegra K1 chip rather than the speedier Intel Celeron of its competitor, although that's not necessarily a bad thing if you're looking for a quiet, low-powered PC. Whether or not it has the lower cost to match is up in the air, however. Acer ships its Chromebase to Asia and North America in the second quarter of the year, but it hasn't divulged pricing just yet.

Filed under: Desktops, Acer

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Source: Acer

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Now You Can Buy a Chromebook For Just $150 (And They're Getting Better)

Source: http://gizmodo.com/now-you-can-buy-a-chromebook-for-just-150-and-theyre-1694699006

Five years ago, Google CEO Eric Schmidt proclaimed that laptops would become disposable. We’re nearly there. Starting today, you can buy a new Chromebook for just $150—the cheapest price ever. And this spring, there’s a $250 Chromebook coming that looks pretty incredible.

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Google puts Chrome OS on your TV with its own HDMI stick

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/31/google-chromebit/

Google has unveiled a whole new type of Chrome device, and it's one that can fit in your pocket. It's called the Chromebit, and it's essentially a Chromebook crammed in a dongle. This tiny little package contains a Rockchip 3288 SoC, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of eMMC memory, a USB 2.0 port, WiFi 802.11 ac support, Bluetooth 4.0, a Smart Ready controller and an ARM Mali 760 quad-core GPU. Just like Intel's Compute Stick, all you have to do to get the Chromebit working is to attach it to any display with a HDMI port, and voila, you've turned it into a computer. Unlike the Intel stick though, the Chromebit's HDMI end actually swivels around so that the dongle doesn't stick out in an unsightly way behind a monitor or TV. As for battery life, well, Google says it doesn't really know that just yet as the product is still in testing. Google promises that the Chromebit -- the first is made by ASUS -- will retail for less than $100. It'll be available in either silver, blue or orange and will be out later this summer.

Filed under: Misc, Home Entertainment, HD, Google

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Source: Google Chrome Blog

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Microsoft technology gives Seattle 5,000 times faster public WiFi

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/31/microsoft-seattle-center-wifi/

Techie culture-vultures aren't likely to encounter Vine upload fails anymore at Seattle's home to arts, culture and the Space Needle thanks to Microsoft. The city's biggest patron has installed a new WiFi service at the Seattle Center that uses new technology to blow away the previous system's speed and capacity. The installation is a pilot program for Microsoft Research's white space tech that harnesses long-range, wall-penetrating TV signals. Along with quadruple the access points, the tech gives the Seattle Center public WiFi speeds up to 5,000 times faster, letting you Skype, Vine and Meerkat to your heart's content.

The previous system supported basic browsing only and often didn't work at all with too many users online. Microsoft told the Ballard News-Tribune that "this technology can handle more than 25,000 users at a time," which should be a boon during concerts and other big events. The pilot is also part of a city-wide program to improve public WiFi, and Microsoft's white space tech "may be deploy(ed) to other neighborhoods in the city," according to Mayor Ed Murray. To use the tech, you just have to log on to the "Microsoft Wi-Fi Seattle Center" network, with a free app coming soon.

[Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]

Filed under: Wireless, Internet, Microsoft

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Via: The Ballard Tribune

Source: Seattle Center, Microsoft

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drag2share: Buy an LG G3 in the US, get a free VR headset

source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/31/lg-vr-headset-US/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

LG's new mobile VR headset -- which is basically just a plastic version of Google's cardboard VR viewer -- is finally hitting American shores. The company just announced that it'll be throwing in a free headset, simply called the VR for G3, with the purchase of its latest flagship Android phone at participating retailers. Since it's adopting the Google Cardboard platform, which is just a box that you can plug your smartphone in for simple VR experiences, there really isn't much to LG's offering. You just need to slide in a G3 unit and load up a VR app (LG will also link users to some VR gaming content). It also features a magnet that works together with the phone's gyroscope (again, just like Google's box), that lets you select things without interacting with the screen. Unfortunately, it's still unclear how existing G3 owners can get their hands on LG's VR headset (we've dropped a line for additional details).

It may seem a tad gimmicky, but a cheap VR headset will allow consumers to get a taste of the virtual reality experience without shelling out for an expensive accessory like Samsung's $200 Gear VR. And while it certainly won't compare with complex VR tech from Oculus, HTC and Valve, the VR for G3 is a reminder how small the barrier to entry for VR is getting.

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drag2share: 'Spooky' experiment proves quantum entanglement is real

source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/30/spooky-experiment-proves-quantum-entanglement-is-real/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

Einstein was wrong -- about the quantum mechanical phenomena known as superpositioning and wave form collapse, at least. A team from Australia's Griffith University and Japan's University of Tokyo, have proven that both are tangible phenomena, not simply mathematical paradoxes. See, back when he was still reigning "smartest guy on the planet," Einstein just couldn't wrap his massive intellect around the theory of superpositioning (or as he called it, "spooky action across distance"). That is, a particle in superposition effectively exists in both places at once (not unlike Schroedinger's Cat) until you observe it at either location. At which time the particle you aren't looking at ceases to exist (a process known as wave function collapse). What's more, the disappearing particle seems to know that its twin has been discovered through some mechanism that happens instantly, literally traveling faster than the speed of light -- a clear violation of Einstein's theory of relativity.

In a paper published last week in the journal, Nature Communications, the team split a single photon in half and transmitted it to two separate labs. Upon analysis, they found that the particle not only exists in a superposition state until its observed but that it never showed up in both labs at the same time. According to Einstein's understanding of physics, this simply shouldn't be possible.

Now that the researchers have proven that both superposition and wave function collapse are real, we can begin to apply these phenomena to the next generation of quantum information processing systems. "Usually there are two types of quantum information processing," University of Tokyo professor of applied physics, Akira Furusawa, said in a statement. "There's the qubit type, the digital information processing, and there's continuous variable, a sort of analog type of quantum information. We are trying to combine them." And by leveraging the wave function collapse mechanism, researchers may be able to make quantum communications more secure.

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Article: Researchers demonstrate quantum entanglement, prove Einstein wrong

What Einstein termed "spooky action at a distance" has been successfully demonstrated for the first time. For the first time, quantum entanglement of a single particle has been observed by researchers -- an event that Albert Einstein believed to be impossible under the contemporary quantum mechan...

http://www.cnet.com/news/researchers-demonstrate-quantum-entanglement-prove-einstein-wrong/#ftag=CADf328eec

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Liquid metal machines 'eat' in order to move

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/30/liquid-metal-eating-machines/

Robots typically rely on batteries to get power, but they may soon have to do little more than nibble on another material to start moving. Chinese researchers have developed simple liquid metal machines (not shown here) that zip around if they "eat" aluminum and other substances that produce electrochemical reactions. It's not possible to directly control their movement, but they closely mimic whatever space they're in -- you can propel them through channels, for instance.

These amorphous machines aren't blisteringly fast. Right now, chewing on metal lets them move at about 2 inches per second for over an hour. It's doubtful that you'll see a nimble, Terminator 2-style shapeshifting android any time soon, then -- perhaps thankfully -- but one of the basic ingredients for that kind of liquid robot is now in place.

[Image credit: Shelley Brunt, Flickr]

Filed under: Robots, Science

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Source: Xinhua

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