The new iPad guts are nice, at last with 1GB of much needed RAM to accelerate all that web browsing. But the most impressive thing is the new battery, which takes most of the space. It's a gigantic 70-percent larger!
The iPad 2 had a 25-watt-hour Li-ion battery. The iPad 3 has a 42.5 watt-hour battery! That's 70-percent more than the previous capacity. 70-percent more magical battery unicorns, people.
The battery life hasn't changed, however: it's still ten hours of use, nine with average use of the cellular data network. So why the increase? Obviously, that big screen and the more powerful processor are hitting the power big time.
Nika Zupanc calls this elegantly minimal workspace her Homework Table. But work is probably the farthest thing from your mind when you feast your eyes on it since the table's devoid of drawers and clutter thanks to a clever retracting accordion file.
A small brass crank on the side of the table looks like a few turns will result in a scary jack-in-the-box clown jumping out at you. But it's instead used to raise and lower an expansive set of folders that can be used to hide documents that would otherwise take away from the table's stripped-down aesthetic. More here.
Most people dismiss meditation as a bunch of hippy nonsense. But no longer; scientists have established that meditation, if done regularly and for long enough, is linked to the brain being able to process information faster. Take that, skeptics.
The research, undertaken at UCLA, used MRI scans to compare the brains of 50 meditators to 50 non-meditators. What they discovered was that long-term meditators display large amounts of something known as gyrification in the brain. Gyrification is just a fancy-pants term for the amount of folding in the cortex—it's what gives the brain its unique, ridged appearance. Furthermore, there's a heap of evidence supporting the fact that the more folded a brain is, the quicker it can process information.
In fact, the researchers found a direct correlation between the number of years participants had been meditating for and the amount of gyrification, which suggests that, over time, people who meditate see an increase in the speed at which they can process information. Speaking to Medical Express, Eileen Luders, one of the researchers, said:
"Meditators are known to be masters in introspection and awareness as well as emotional control and self-regulation, so the findings make sense that the longer someone has meditated, the higher the degree of folding..."
While the finding will likely make those who meditate smile smugly and say "I told you so", you should attempt to rise above it with Zen-like calm. After all, it might do you good.
SodaStream is secretly the most popular kitchen gadget in the world. It almost doesn't make sense: All it does is turn tap water into sparkling water.
The world's obsession with SodaStream is weird. Can't you just buy a bottle of cheap seltzer when you've got the hankering and deal with tap water the rest of the time? More here.
There's no doubt that China's feeling the Microsoft love as of late. After HTC broke ground last week with the launch of the country's first ever Windows Phone handset -- a re-badged Titan known as the Triumph -- Nokia quickly reacted, announcing its plans to unleash unspecified members of the Lumia line on March 28th.
Now, further fueling MS' mobile momentum in the region, comes word of a major launch event, slated for the 21st, which centers on the official unveiling of Tango: Redmond's lighter, low-end software.
There's a never-ending stream of scientific explanations for obesity. The latest suggests that CO2 contributes to our weight gain and that as we pump more of it in to the atmosphere, the fatter we become. But can that really be the case?
The theory is favored by Lars-Georg Hersoug, a scientist from Denmark. He suggests that orexins—hormones in the brain that influence energy expenditure and food intake—are affected by CO2. Affected so much, in fact, that they can shift our metabolism and make us fat.
He has some evidence. Firstly, the rise in obesity in the US was fastest in the period 1986-2010 on the East Coast, where CO2 concentrations are highest. Second, that in animal tests, environmental factors—he can't say exactly which—contribute to weight gain. And third, that inhaling CO2 makes our blood more acidic, something that has been linked to changes in orexins.
Some of this sounds reasonably convincing, some of it less so. But the theory doesn't hold much sway amongst his peers. Speaking to Science Nordic, Thorkild I. A. Sørensen, the leader of the Danish Obesity Research Centre, said:
"[He's] quite right in showing interest for other possibilities. [The] hypothesis is a new and very interesting idea, clearly inspired by studies using animals in captivity that have also put on weight – and a common factor for these animals and people is the air we breathe.
"But there is one problem: the obesity epidemic has developed quite irregularly in time and place, even in a small country such as Denmark, and only a part of the population is affected even though we all breathe the same air."
While it would be wonderful to point to a scientific explanation for the obesity epidemic—espeically one that is out of our immediate control—the fact remains that we're getting fat and need to do something about it. CO2 might cause some very small increase in weight in some of the population, but it's not what we need to worry about. We need to worry about losing weight instead. The most effective way to do that? Eat less and exercise more. More here.
Intel's Dave Salvator has been talking about Thunderbolt's future, promising that optical versions of thehigh-speed interconnect will arrive this year. The copper version currently available is cheaper and can carry 10 watts of power, but it can only be run a maximum distance of six meters.
While the fiber version loses the ability to power devices, it's reportedly far faster and capable of running to the "tens of meters." Dave Mr. Salvator wouldn't commit to a release date, or how much more we'll be expected to pay for the cables, but given that we're also expecting to see PCI-Express 3.0 bolted on to the standard soon, we'll start saving today.
The Xperia Sola aka the Pepper, touting something called "floating touch" for "magic web browsing without touching the screen", because dragging your finger on glass is just so last year.
The Sola fits nicely within Sony's new design aesthetic – it's unmistakably an Xperia measuring up at 116 x 59 x 9.9 mm and 107g. It packs a 1GHz dual-core chip backed up with just 512MB of RAM; 8GB of internal storage; a 3.7-inch 854×480 screen; a five-megapixel rear shooter, and both xLOUD and 3D surround audio to boost its music prowess. On the connectivity front it's equipped with the usual load-out: Wi-Fi; Bluetooth; GPS; NFC with "SmartTags", plus an FM radio to boot. It'll also come with direct access to Sony's new Entertainment Network, but unfortunately is another Android 2.3 Gingerbread throwback. Sony's promising an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich "during summer 2012", which sounds like quite a while to wait to me.
Anyway, the biggest thing about the Sola is Sony's new "floating touch navigation", which allows you to essentially hover your finger over the screen rather than touch it to act a bit like a cursor. Apparently you'll navigate the screen hovering your finger above it; once you've got a link selected, a single tap will be enough to launch it (check the video below for a demo). I'm not quite sure how much better this is going to work than just actually touching the screen – a single tap on a link normally launches it on most phones. Still, it's a novel idea and I'll be interested to see it working in the flesh.
Deep down, we all know that red meat isn't the healthiest thing to eat—but that doesn't stop us tearing into a bloody steak all too often. Sadly, new research suggests that red meat is behind one in ten early deaths, so it might actually be time to make a real effort to cut back.
According to the study, carried out by the Harvard School of Public Health, regularly eating red meat massively increases your risk of heart disease and cancer. The results come from studying more than 120,000 people over 28 years.
What kinds of risk are we talking about? Well, the paper, published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, suggests that each extra daily serving of processed red meat—equivalent to a single hot dog or two strips of bacon—raises mortality rates by 20 per cent. The effect is smaller for unprocessed red meat like steak—though the researchers don't know exactly why—which increases mortality rates by 13 per cent. Professor Frank Hu, one of the researchers, told the Guardian:
"This study provides clear evidence that regular consumption of red meat, especially processed meat, contributes substantially to premature death. On the other hand, choosing more healthful sources of protein in place of red meat can confer significant health benefits by reducing chronic disease morbidity [illness] and mortality."
If you're worried by the findings—and if you eat a lot of beef, lamb and pork you probably should be—there's an easy solution. First, limit your intake of red meat. The World Cancer Research Fund suggests, for example, that you eat a maximum of 1lb of it a week. Instead, switch to fish or chicken; this new research also suggests that replacing red meat with either of those leads to a longer life. Happy eating. More here and here.
Kony 2012 was unleashed on the internet just six days ago, and it has already been viewed more than 100 million times. By some accounts that makes it the most rapidly spreading video ever, beating out the likes of Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Rebecca Black, Beyoncé, and Miley Cyrus.
No matter how you feel about the controversial documentary about Ugandan general Joseph Kony, you've got to admit its reach is remarkable. Just read some of these stats reported by the video metrics firm Visible Measures:
As of this morning, the Kony campaign has generated well over 100 million views, 112 million to be exact. The views come from over 750 clips across the web, most coming from video responses to the campaign. There are even translated and subtitled versions of the documentary popping up in Spanish, Italian, French, and Chinese. There are over 860,000 comments for the campaign.
Does this really make Kony 2012 the "most viral" video of all time? It's hard to argue with that assessment. The video's passed through our collective feeds and inboxes so many times that more than a shocking documentary, it's starting to feel more like chain mail. The filmmakers clearly accomplished the goal of raising awareness about Joseph Kony's war crimes. Now we need assess whether the documentary will succeed in accomplishing any good. Will this documentary make the world a better place? Or will Kony 2012 just be the latest video to top the charts until Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber take the top spot again.
Rejoice, photo filter fans, Instagram is heading to Android "very soon," according to founder Kevin Systrom. Speaking at South by Southwest, Systrom raved about the app's growth, boasting of its 27 million registered users. "They're not excited about it because it makes your photos look beautiful," he says, "They're excited because it networks people across the world and it's the single fastest growing thing in mobile period." The Android version is currently being tested in a private beta, and it's reported to be superior than its iOS counterpart. "It's really, really fast," Systrom said. Don't look so surprised, he did tell us, after all, that iOS was just the beginning.
It's only equipped with a 1.3-megapixel front-facing webcam instead. You'll also find two call buttons and a power button around the top right corner, whereas the HDMI Micro socket is located on the left along the bottom side. There's no 3.5mm headphone jack, so here's hoping there'll at least be an adapter of some sort. Likewise, hopefully ITG will add volume adjustment function into the call buttons.
On the back there's a loudspeaker along with a small monochrome LCD for showing the phone's various statuses, caller number and eventually text messages (ITG's still working on Chinese compatibility). The battery cover and most of the body is made out of a smooth, sturdy magnesium alloy -- a huge improvement from the original xpPhone's cheap plastic body -- though we hope the final product will have finer seams. Inside it sits a huge 11.1Wh battery, which is almost twice as much juice as those on a regular smartphone these days. ITG has yet to confirm the phone's final weight, but you can imagine it being the equivalent of a slightly larger smartphone with an extra standard battery.
The China-exclusive xpPhone 2 won't be cheap when it launches in a month or two: its various flavors (with either silver or gold highlight) will cost between ¥7,000 ($1,110) and ¥12,000 ($1,900), so it's not the kind of phone that you'd want to accidentally drop into the toilet.
That ripple effect you see in that photo up there represents any changes the molecule went through during the quadrillionth of a second that transpired between laser pulses. Yes, that's the kind of rare, psychedelic shot that's sure to earn DiMauro and team bragging rights, but the scientists also say this technique could have practical implications for observing -- and ultimately manipulating -- chemical reactions at an atomic level.
Of course, it could be a long time yet before scientists analyze complex proteins in such detail: for the purposes of this experiment, the researchers stuck with simple nitrogen and oxygen molecules, with which chemistry scholars are already quite familiar. In fact, the researchers don't elaborate at all on specific studies where this technique might be useful, but you might want to hit up the source link nonetheless for some of the more technical details of how they pulled off this experiment in the first place. More here.
Designed by Gustav Widström and Marcus Heneen, the Slända pens always remain standing when you put them down so they're easier to grab the next time you need them. Solving a particular problem that, let's be honest, doesn't really exist.
Technically they'll let you rid your desk of organizers and pen holders, but the Slända's unique design also means it's never going to roll off a table. Which could be its biggest selling point. Either way, for around $30 it should at least stand out enough (get it?) in your office for no one to try and steal it. More here.
For only five bucks the convenient Sombrero Bottle Juicer can be yours. Apparently it was invented because the designer saw a friend trying and failing to squeeze a lemon into his bottled water. This is a very clever solution to that problem, but the juicer can also be a clever kitchen accessory for squeezing and storing fresh juices for cooking. There's nothing like a little lime-juice zip to make your taste buds do the Mexican Hat Dance. Get it here.
Late last year, Motorola announced its MOTOACTV device for fitness fanatics. Since then, the wrist-mounted gadget got a firmware update for better battery life, and on March 9th it's getting another fresh dose of code that brings even more functionality. The update adds 40 new custom activities including yoga, handball, skiing and dancing, so you can track all your fitness endeavors individually.
The new code also allows users to activate the display with a flick of the wrist (instead of pressing the power button) and configure WiFi connections right on the device. Not a moment too soon, Moto, summer's closing in and this should help us get that beach (as opposed to blogger) body we've always wanted. More here.
The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is available and has taken the Windows interface to a whole new level. Unfortunately, the preview did not come with a desktop feature that the world makes use of billions times a day, the “Start” menu. Luckily, we have a solution!
Start8 brings the “Start” menu back to Windows 8. This product is free and is available now! Enter your email address below to receive a download link.
Features
- Adds a “Start” menu to the Windows 8 taskbar
- Enables quick access and searching of your installed applications
- Adds Run... option via right-click menu
- Adds Shutdown... option via right-click menu
- Choose a custom Start button image
Volvo has always built some of the safest cars on the road, protecting the vehicle's passengers when the unthinkable happens. But now the company has added anadditional airbag to its V40 that could save the life of a pedestrian.
In addition to a long list of new features designed to protect the passengers, the new V40 wants to make sure the chances of you hitting a pedestrian are lessened, and if you do, their chances of survival are increased.
First there's its new Pedestrian Detection system which uses a combination of grill-mounted radar and a video camera to detect and recognize a person in the vehicle's path. It can also gauge if they're moving and based on the car's current speed, whether the two are on a collision course. If there is a risk of the pedestrian being hit, an audible alarm will alert the driver. And if there's not enough time for them to react, the vehicle will automatically brake on its own.
But sometimes there's not enough time to avoid hitting someone who darts out in front of your car. So to minimize injuries, the V40 includes an external airbag designed specifically for passengers. Sensors in the bumper register the impact at which point the hood is released and automatically raised by an inflating airbag that extends far enough to provide a cushion as the person rolls up onto the vehicle.
The severity of the accident is dependent on the vehicle's speed and how the person was hit. But if I was a pedestrian who accidentally stepped out in front of a moving vehicle, I sincerely hope there was a Volvo logo on its grill. More here.
NASA reports that two massive solar flares erupted from the sun on Tuesday which are expected to hit Earth this morning—and they could affect power, communication and GPS systems.
The flares are a result of Coronal Mass Ejections; events where the sun spits out huge amounts of energy in the from of plasma. The resulting flares send clouds of charged particles racing through space and, in this case, we're in the way. The first cloud—due to hit the planet at around 7am EST—is travelling at over 1,300 miles per second, while the second is traveling at about 1,100 miles per second. The video shows footage of the flares recorded by NASA.
Earth will probably be bombarded by particles until sometime on Friday. But while NASA haswarned that the event could disrupt power, communications and GPS services, in reality there's not too much to worry about. While satellites and electronics might be temporarily affected, no lasting severe damage should occur.
In fact, there's one upshot: these events increase the chances of spotting auroras, reports the Telegraph. So while you might not be able to check-in on Four Square for a while, you might see something pretty this evening. More here, here and here.
Well, it's finally here, Apple's new hotness. But how does it compare to the new hotness from Asus, Samsung, Amazon, BlackBerry, or heck, the iPad 2?
Clearly the toughest competitor in this chart is the Asus Transformer Infinity. The new iPad has it beaten on pixels per inch, but not by a ton. On paper it looks like the Transformer Infinity crushes the new iPad in terms of guts—the quad-core Tegra 3 is one mean mother—but we'll have to wait and see how Apple's new A5X performs in benchmark tests. Similarly spec'd Android tablets will be coming out all year, which means, considering this is a new product, Apple may not be as far of the curve (technology wise) as one would hope. At the same time, Apple products have a long history of outperforming their specs so let's not jump to conclusions just yet.
The new iPad pretty much beats everything else in the chart. It's hard to see a single compelling reason to take the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 over it or the Transformer (other than price). Amazon's Kindle Fire and BlackBerry's Playbook likewise get chomped, but here at least there is a significant difference in price. $200 is very cheap. For people who primarily want a tablet for reading books and watching the occasional movie, the Kindle Fire might just be a more frugal investment.
iPad starts is $500, $600, or $700 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only version at 16, 32, and 64GB, respectively. For Wi-Fi plus 4G it's $630, $730, and $830, for the the 16, 32, and 64GB versions, respectively.
*Note the forthcoming 4G LTE version of the Transformer Infinity will feature Qualcomm's dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor in stead of the quad-core Tegra 3. You might think that's a step down, but initial benchmarking of the S4 has been extremely good, so in most contexts performance is likely to be just as solid.
P.S. Note that while Tim Cook spent a lot of time talking about the new iPad's four core GPU, that does not make it a "quad-core tablet." That's the graphics processor. The CPU (the main processor) is dual-core. By comparison, the Transformer Infinity has a quad-core CPU and at 12 core GPU. And yes, they were deliberately sneaky about that, knowing that only geeks would know the difference.
