Source: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/new-amazing-metal-is-so-hydrophobic-it-makes-water-boun-1680799039
Scientists at the University of Rochester have created a metal that is so extremely hydrophobic that the water bounces on it as if it were repelled by a magic force field. Instead of using chemical coatings they used lasers to etch a nanostructure on the metal itself. It will not wear off, like current less effective methods.
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/21/teenage-engineering-pocket-operator-synths/
Teenage Engineering has carved out a niche in the electronic music world. Its OP-1 is a highly adaptable synth that puts industrial design on par with sound quality and features. If there's one thing the OP-1 isn't, it's affordable. The basic synth is priced at a cool $799, pitting it against considerably more-established options from Roland, Korg, Moog and others. With its latest products, however, the Swedish startup is looking to put a whole lot of music-making power in your hands for a very low price.
The Pocket Operator (PO) series is a set of three miniature battery-powered synths, all priced at $59. There's the PO-12 "Rhythm" drum machine, the PO-14 "Sub" bass synth, and the PO-16 "Factory" melody unit. All three have 16-step sequencing and a selection of 16 sounds to choose from, and also offer 16 additional effects. There aren't any official videos available just yet (we'll update the article when they become available), but you can check out a clip of musician Cuckoo playing with a prototype PO-12 (which has been known about for some time) after the break.
As you'd expect from Teenage Engineering, the POs are very pretty. Powered by two AAA batteries, the synths are totally stripped back. Each is just a circuit board with a display and a number of mechanical switches and knobs. They do have the built-in speakers, 3.5mm in and outs, parameter locks and sync functionality you'd expect from a pocket synth, but the whole vibe is very barebones.
Teenage Engineering is collaborating with fellow Swedish brand Cheap Monday -- best known for clothing Williamsburg's finest in skin-tight jeans and all manner of knitwear -- to bring its POs to market. Cheap Monday has its branding on each of the POs, and is also offering a range of Teenage Engineering-themed graphic tees and pins for displaying your brand allegiance. In addition to the clothing tie-ins, it's producing a more-functional case (priced at $39) for protecting your synths. All of the gear will launch tomorrow, timed with the start of NAMM trade show -- at $177 for the full suite, we expect them to sell very well.
Progressive Insurance offers customers the option to plug a device into their cars' OBDII ports to track their driving and lower their insurance rates. Unsurprisingly, it's about as secure as a Tiffany necklace left on a sidewalk. But that doesn't mean the dongle will turn your car into a killer robot.
We're going to learn a lot about the next version of Windows on Wednesday.
Presumably, we'll find out when the preview build will launch, new features aimed at consumers rather than enterprise users, and changes to how the Windows Store works.
But what we haven't heard about yet are the new types of hardware we can expect to see in 2015 that take advantage of Microsoft's new Windows.
One of those devices may be a hybrid gadget that's a mix between a smartphone and a laptop that would run on Windows, according to a report from The Information. That device won't be unveiled this week, but Microsoft may introduce other new Windows-based gadgets on stage at its event tomorrow.
This phone-laptop hybrid would consist of a smartphone that would plug into a shell with a larger screen and keyboard, according to The Information. Microsoft is likely to market this gadget towards enterprise users.
It sounds a lot like the Asus Transformer Book V, which allows you to dock your smartpone on the laptop's lid and run both Android and Windows at the same time.
Source: http://gizmodo.com/bloomberg-htc-m9-with-20mp-camera-and-first-smartwatch-1680364079
Bloomberg is reporting that HTC will launch a new flagship phone in March, with heavily updated camera and audio features, alongside its first ever smartwatch.
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