Sony Smartwatch 2 vs Samsung Galaxy Gear TechBeat

How Do You Make The Thinnest Pane Of Glass? By Accident! Posted: 23 Sep 2013 01:20 PM PDT On face value, it appears to be a scientist's version of a 'knock knock' joke. In actual fact though, graduate student Pinshane Huang and Professor David Muller of Cornell and Germany's University of Ulm were laughing all the way to the Guiness Book of world records with the thinnest pane of glass in the world. A Happy Accident The two scientists were originally trying to form graphene, which is a two dimensional form of carbon. While they were at work on the project, they discovered a mark of some kind on the graphene. As they examined the unwanted blemish on their desired graphene, the electron microscope picked up a silicon/oxygen composition which was the same as glass. It's believed that some kind of air leak was responsible for causing a reaction between the copper foils and the quartz furnace used to make the graphene. This reaction led to the production of the world record breaking glass. A Proven Point So how thin is the thinnest pane of glass in the world? Precisely one molecule thick (or thin). What was even more astonishing and rewarding for the scientists was the fact that using the powerful microscope, they were actually able to see something else. Because the average pane of glass is millions of times thicker than Huang and Muller's discovery, observing it through a microscope simply produces a tangled mess of atoms. The simple two atom thick glass gave Muller another 'first' in the history of science when he was able to see the exact structure of glass first hand. As if the day wasn't already full of discovery, the image taken by the electron microscope of the structure of the glass bore remarkable resemblance to a sketch that was drawn many years ago. Physicist W.H. Zachariasen had an idea of what the structure of glass would look like and in 1932 he put his money where his mouth was by way of a sketch. The accidental creation of the thinnest pane of glass in the world finally gave support to Zachariasen's theory. The Future The ultra thin glass might have various practical uses including use for transistors in smartphones.

Record Your Dreams With ‘Shadow’ App Posted: 23 Sep 2013 01:03 PM PDT How many dreams can you remember these days? How familiar is the feeling that you've had an extraordinary dream but the more you focus on it the faster it slips away? The new mobile application titled 'Shadow' aims to change all of that by enabling you to track and record your dreams. There has always been an interest in finding out just exactly what goes on in our brains when we're not thinking about it. It seems that the 'Shadow' app will help us to find out exactly what sneaky our subconscious mind is trying to tell us, or hide from us during our sleep. The Vision The interest in sleep patterns is by no means new to the scientific community. The neurology of sleep has been explored for years but scientists are no closer to discovering how our dreams and their content affects us in day to day life or vice versa. It's known that we are able to access information during our sleep that we can't during our awakened state. Unfortunately, 95% of that information disappears within 5 minutes of waking up. It is the opinion of many people that the benefits of remembering our dreams could range from increased self-awareness to acting as a self-guide through difficult times. Shadow aims to build a real time data base of people's dreams. By doing so, users are able to learn any patterns to their dreams. They will find out whether their dreams are affected by social, physical or environmental factors. How It Works In the basic sense, the Shadow app is an alarm clock. Yet instead of waking the user abruptly like a traditional alarm clock would, the app brings us round from the sleeping state at a reduced rate. On awakening the user will: De-activate the alarm Record their dream via audio recording or by typing the text into the phone Shadow will store the recording in a dream journal which you can keep private or share with other shadow users. Shadow hopes to enlighten people in self-awareness and explore the possibility of connection through dreams.

Potential Sale For Blackberry Posted: 23 Sep 2013 12:38 PM PDT After announcing on Friday that 4,500 jobs will be cut, smartphone maker Blackberry has said that it has agreed in principle to sell to a consortium led by Fairfax Financial for $4.7 billion. In a statement Blackberry said that Fairfax, its largest shareholder, had offered $9 a share in cash to buy the struggling company. In New York, trading of Blackberry shares was stopped temporarily pending the announcement. In the announcement, the company said it had “signed a letter of intent agreement under which a consortium to be led by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited has offered to acquire the company subject to due diligence”. The statement continued with: “Diligence is expected to be complete by November 4, 2013. The parties’ intention is to negotiate and execute a definitive transaction agreement by such date.” Despite these first steps with Fairfax, Blackberry has made it clear that it will still  “actively solicit, receive, evaluate and potentially enter into negotiations” with other potential buyers. Fairfax’s chairman and chief executive said, “We believe this transaction will open an exciting new private chapter for Blackberry, its customers, carriers and employees. “We can deliver immediate value to shareholders, while we continue the execution of a long-term strategy in a private company with a focus on delivering superior and secure enterprise solutions to Blackberry customers around the world.” Analysts think that this could be the best option for Blackberry, being able to re-invent and re-organise itself without the scrutiny from Wall Street investors. Brian Colello from Morningstar said,  “Based on the company’s disastrous earnings warning on Friday, I think a deal had to happen and the sooner the better. This is probably the only out for investors and the most likely outcome. “The benefit to this sort of takeover is the ability for Blackberry and the consortium to reinvent the company without public scrutiny. It appears that the end game is going to be whether Blackberry can emerge as a niche supplier of highly-secured phones to enterprise customers and governments.” Only time will tell if it is possible for Blackberry to re-emerge from this set-back and once again lead the way in the smartphone market.

Sony Smartwatch 2 vs Samsung Galaxy Gear Posted: 23 Sep 2013 06:26 AM PDT The smartwatch has been around for some time but the technology of the devices brought to market so far haven't been the Secret Service/James Bond style that everyone pictures when they say the word "smartwatch". Now though, Sony and Samsung seem to have stepped up their game and are going head to head in a considerably more exciting battle of the smartwatches than we've seen to date. Sony Smartwatch 2 Spec Overview 1.6 inch display 220 x 176 pixels Aluminum body with interchangeable straps Micro USB Charging with 3- 4 day battery life (average use) NFC and Bluetooth connectivity $262 out late September 2013 Samsung Galaxy Gear Spec Overview 1.63 inch display 320 x 320 pixels Stainless steel body Snap-on USB 3,0 charging with 24+ hours heavy use Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity $299 out October Battling It Out So what does it all mean? Well for a start, the Samsung Galaxy Gear seems to have a sharper display. In fact Samsung are proud to say that the display is bright enough not to be affected by sunlight. No cupping your hand over the smartwatch's face to tell the time. Both the Samsung and the Sony are nicely designed although the Sony Smartwatch 2 offers a little more flexibility for its users with interchangeable straps. Both watches are extremely app friendly (of course), but Samsung have an advantage with this as they've secured partnerships with some of the more popular app developers. Also, when it comes to running apps, the Samsung model might be slightly better as the CPU is faster than its competitors. Bond, James Bond For anyone who wants to pretend they're a spy, the Samsung features some brilliant tools. There's a 1.9 megapixel camera contained in the strap of the camera for the photo opportunity that needs instant capture without fiddling around for a camera or smartphone. Users can also make calls directly from the watch which has a built in microphone and speaker, as well as the Samsung 'S Voice' voice recognition tool. The second version of the Sony Smartwatch doesn't feature these benefits although users can use the watch to call friends and family but only with a Bluetooth headset as there isn't a mic or speakers. But what kind of spy could do without a waterproof watch? Sony's watch allows its user to swim whereas the Samsung will only protect them from a shower. Which is Best? The one thing that will undoubtedly let the Samsung watch down is the fact that it is only compatible with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. A short way down the road there will be updates to make it compatible with the S3, S4 and Note 2. In comparison, the Sony watch is compatible with any android phone that operates Android 4.0. the options are almost endless. Now though, other companies are hot on the heels of Sony and Samsung trying to push the limits of the smartwatch all the time.

Voyager Officially Leaves Solar System Posted: 23 Sep 2013 04:42 AM PDT In 1977, two unmanned space crafts were launched to explore space and report back to NASA with information about the major planets: Voyager 1 and 2. Within the first 12 years of launching, both Voyagers returned information about Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Now though, after 36 years of being in space, NASA is extremely proud to announce that Voyager 1 has left the solar system. Delayed Response In actual fact, although NASA announced the Voyager's departure from the solar system quite recently on September 12th 2013, it appears the leaving date itself was way back in 2012 – August 25th to be precise. So why the big delay on the celebrations? At the moment, Voyager 1 is over 11 billion miles or 17 billion kilometers away from Earth. NASA can't see the spacecraft at all. All that is visible is a radio signal that is being bounced back to Earth from the Voyager which looks like a pale blue light. Unlike travelling out of town, there are no signs which tell concerned onlookers exactly where the Solar System ends. Instead, scientists must look for clues in the direction and number of cosmic rays as well as a difference in magnetic fields. However, the signs just didn't appear to be there. It wasn't until information from a plasma blast that hit the voyager in April 2013 that NASA had any indication that the Voyager was outside of the solar system. The Clue Is In The Plasma In March 2012, the sun emitted a huge blast of plasma which took 13 months to hit the Voyager. When it did hit though and the information was read by NASA experts, they were astonished to see that the density of the plasma was 40 times what they expected it to be. In short, it was the density of plasma they expected to find outside of the solar system. Following this discovery, NASA quickly began to backtrack and look for any other signs of interstellar activity and found another similar event back in October to November the same year. A rise in tone from the plasma instrument on the voyager indicated that the spacecraft left the solar system on August 25th 2012 which is now known as the day when the first man made object went into interstellar space. Officially. The post Voyager Officially Leaves Solar System appeared first on TechBeat.

FBI Asked Microsoft For Access To Encryption Software Posted: 23 Sep 2013 02:01 AM PDT Sources have revealed that the FBI have a history of asking software companies for backdoors in their encryption software to help them catch criminals. The backdoors would provide government agencies with the ability to wiretap people's computers. As the news broke out that the NSA had spent millions on malware that can be used to override security software, more information on government hacking schemes have come to light. It now seems that the FBI have also been leaning on tech companies to poke holes in their encryption software to allow the agencies easy access to people's private files on their computers. Loaded Questions Peter Biddle was the head engineer of Microsoft's encryption program BitLocker. During a recent interview, Biddle told Mashable that back in 2005 when he was working on BitLocker, he had been approached several times by government agents and asked to put a backdoor in the software. Although the computer software programmer couldn't remember which agency it was that approached him, he could recount the conversations that he had with the agents stating that "at least once the question was more, 'If we were to officially ask you, what would you say?'" In all of the accounts of government agencies asking tech companies to create these back doors, there is one common theme; the question is always asked in a subtle way, dropped in to the middle of a conversation and quickly brushed over if the answer isn't appealing to the agent. In fact, the agencies are very careful not to be caught on record asking for such things. Nico Sell, the lady responsible for the mobile phone privacy app, Wickr was also approached by the FBI and asked "So are you gonna give us a backdoor?" When Sell pushed back and asked for a written request along with the name of the agent's manager, the agent immediately stopped with his requests. FBI Deny Allegations Although the FBI have gone on record as being concerned about encryption software allowing criminals (in particular pedophiles) to hide their activity from agencies, an FBI spokesperson responded to the allegations by saying "The FBI does not ask for backdoors. Period." However, the FBI will continue to push for an expansion on the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act which tells digital communications companies to build software that can easily be wiretapped by agencies.

Dish On YouTube’s Offline Videos TechBeat

Samsung’s Golden Galaxy S4 Posted: 25 Sep 2013 01:39 PM PDT Samsung clearly don’t want to be left behind in the gold rush. Following the release of Apple’s gold iPhone, Samsung has announced it will be launching its very own golden phone. The new Gold Edition Galaxy S4 will be available in two options, a Gold Pink model or a Gold Brown. The technology company has been showing off the new handsets on its United Arab Emirates social media outlets. It is unlikely that these luxurious handsets will reach global distribution but instead look to be targeted at a well-off demographic, similar to the one that the Nokia Oro was aimed at. But at least Samsung can say it too has a golden flagship product.

NASA Declares Deep Impact Mission Lost Posted: 25 Sep 2013 09:09 AM PDT On Friday 20, 2013 NASA officially declared the comet hunting Deep Impact mission lost. Although the loss was unexpected, the mission team were more than happy with the $267 million unmanned spacecraft's performance. In the little under 9 years from launch, the spacecraft had managed to travel 4.7 billion miles throughout space sending back a plethora of information that as previously unknown about comets. Communication Lost The last contact was made on the 8th August but since then there has been nothing from the spacecraft. Nobody on the Deep Impact mission team is entirely sure about the specifics which caused communication to fail between control and the spacecraft but it's thought that the most likely reason is a problem with time tagging. A problem with fault protection software reading dates after a certain day could have caused the computers to constantly reboot resulting in the spacecraft losing its place so that radio signals were interrupted and the solar panels pointing the wrong way. The electronics would have become frozen without and the craft would have been inoperable. A good Life Although the team were looking forward to receiving valuable data from Deep Impact for years to come, they're extremely happy with its performance. The space craft lasted up to 3 or 4 times longer than anyone anticipated. The launch of the comet seeking spacecraft came about in 2005. Its first mission was to intercept comet Temple1 with an impact, blasting material from the comet that could be studied. The mission was a complete success and from there on out, the comet hunter was able to provide much more information through various missions. On its travels, Deep Impact has: Impacted Temple 1 comet Passed 6 stars to confirm planet movement around them Collected images of the Earth, moon and Mars Collected images and provided information about the composition of Garradd the distant comet Sent images of ISON The chief mission scientist Mike A'Hearn of the University of Maryland was by no means disappointed in the results from the Deep Impact Mission stating "I'm a little biased but I think tax payers saw very good value from this mission." Like many of NASA's missions, Deep Impact seemed to outperform any preconceptions of its capabilities. The Discovery Program Executive at NASA headquarters and mission Program Executive, Lindley Johnson says "Deep Impact has completely overturned what we thought we knew about comets and also provided a treasure trove of additional planetary science that will be the source data of research for years to come."

Welcome Back To Life, Simplenote! Posted: 25 Sep 2013 08:03 AM PDT Simplenote has been dubbed as the “first great notes app“, and in spite of a rocky recent history, it seems that its fans have not lost enthusiasm for the app. The notes app scene has not been idle, with many apps coming into the picture, but with Simplenote’s comeback, the classic app might just be the talk of the town again. If you think about it, Simplenote may not be up to par with all the other notes app out there, especially with developers making sure their new apps can do practically everything. On the other hand, Simplenote does what it says on the tin: keep notes on a day-to-day basis. Simple. Plus syncing with the cloud. Now, thanks to Automattic, Simplenote has been given a new lease on life. The app is now available on iOS, Android, and Mac. The main thing going for the app is that it was built to go fast, and again, stay simple. Users who lean toward all sorts of functionalities for their notes apps might have a beef with, for example, the fact that you can’t refresh or save your notes. They are, however, automatically synced as you go, so there is no need to worry about losing your notes. Simplenote also allows collaborative editing, in the principle of Google Docs. With this new launch, Simplenote is being offered for FREE. Premium features are going to be turned off – at least until the development team finds a “significant value” they can provide. If you’re thinking why should you give up existing apps such as Evernote (which I liken to a notes app on steroids), here’s something from Matt Mullenweg that you can chew on: “You don't open a letter with a chainsaw.” That may be bordering on exaggeration, but if all you really want is a notes app that works – fast and efficiently without all the bling – then Simplenote is what you need.

James The Robot Bartender Knows When You Want A Drink Posted: 25 Sep 2013 06:24 AM PDT James the robot bartender will chat, serve and recognize when you want drinks thanks to the partnership of a team of professors from Germany, Scotland and Greece. The birth of robot bar tenders isn't particularly newsworthy as there have been other attempts before James. However James, the Joint Action in Multimodal Embodied Systems robot is different to its predecessors due to his social skills. People are Messy While it's been proven that robots are more than adept at mixing a whole host of drinks, the reality of them functioning as well as a human bar tender in a real life situation has always been unlikely. As a rule, robots like clean orderly situations. The chaotic atmosphere of the average pub serves to confuse robots. Robot bartenders in the past have only been able to mix drinks for patrons that have expressly ordered the drinks via a smart device. In reality though, patrons don't like to use devices to order drinks, they prefer to use the traditional signals to indicate that they want a drink. Determining an Order During the project, the European team decided that in order to be able to teach James the social skills necessary for a bar tender, they would have to research people's behaviors when ordering drinks in pubs. Cameras were placed in a number of pubs throughout England and Germany. When the footage was watched, the team discovered that 90% of people who wanted a drink would simply move closer to the bar where they could stare directly at the bar tender who picked up on the signal and took the order. For robots, the subtlety between somebody leaning against the bar and somebody staring over the bar at the bar tender is difficult for them to process. The team had to enable James the robot bar tender to process the information that people were presenting through body language and react in the appropriate way in a split second. A new Bartender is Born The results, published in Frontiers of Psychology show that progress is definitely being made. The project runs until January and the team hopes to bring robotics forward to the point that robot-human interaction is far more natural.

The Dish On YouTube’s Offline Videos Posted: 25 Sep 2013 05:00 AM PDT There is no arguing that YouTube is the site to go to for video content. Whether it’s music, how-tos, or simply stupid, fun videos, YouTube has got something for everyone. And while there are some people who would not touch the site with a 12-foot pole, YouTube’s stats show that they have the upper hand. Did you know that more than 1 billion users – unique! – visit YouTube each month? Even more mind blowing is the fact that more than 6 billion hours of video are watched each month. That equates to almost an hour for every single person on Earth! And according to Nielsen, YouTube bests any cable network in the US, reaching more US adults in the age range 18-34. (Source) So what’s up with YouTube? There’s the saying that you should not fix it if it ain’t broke. Why are they making some considerable changes? Well, it’s not exactly NOT broke. Or, at the very least, there are certain things that needed improvement, and that’s what the YouTube team has done with recent updates. I don’t know about you, but where I come from, mobile Internet still has a lot of room for improvement. While things have really looked up in recent years, there are still times when I want to curse my telco for being so dumb. And that’s where the ability to watch YouTube videos even without a net connection comes in very handy. In a blog entry last week, YouTube announced that they are going to soon launch a feature that will allow viewers to watch offline videos. There are some important details to know about this upcoming feature: The YouTube mobile app is necessary to take advantage of this feature. Ads included. The offline videos are time sensitive. You only have 48 hours to watch them without an Internet connection. This feature does not cover movies and TV shows YouTube offers for rent/purchase. If you’re a content producer, then you also need to know that this will be the default setting, so if you do not want your content to be available offline, you have to manually change the settings.

Space Mission To Jupiter’s Moon, Europa Posted: 25 Sep 2013 02:31 AM PDT Just lately there has been alot of talk about missions to Mars and further exploring what can be found on the planet. But a group who call themselves Objective Europa want to go where no one else has thought of going, Jupiter’s moon. The group are looking into the feasibility of sending a one-way crew to this icy moon, which is called Europa, in order to search for knowledge and extraterrestial life. Objective Europa currently is only an online group and are not attached with any legal organisation. The group has stated its aim by saying, “Our purpose is to establish the foundation for and carry out a crewed mission to Jovian ice moon Europa through international crowd-research and participation.” The team is made up of some interesting names and give the possible mission some credibility. There is Kristian von Bengtson, co-founder of Copenhagen Suborbitals, a non-profit organisation that aims to launch humans into space. He is a Danish architect but specialises in manned spaceflight. Another team member is Michele Faragalli, who is a rover mobility specialist for the NASA contractor Neptec Design Group. Jacques Cousteau’s son, scientist and diver Pierre-Yves Cousteau, is an ambassador for the group as well as being a team member. At the moment this mission is nothing more than a concept but the group have opened up various research topic for discussion. They will need to gather information and find out whether it is feasible to send a manned mission to Europa, as well as do cost analysis. So the race is on, will humans land on Mars or Europa first?

View And Purchase World Renowned Art With The Artsy App Posted: 25 Sep 2013 12:56 AM PDT The digital collectors of art, Artsy.net recently announced the release of their own app for iPhones and touch iPod. The company has been working relentlessly to bring the art world into the online space by connecting with galleries, museums and art fairs around the world to display images of the works on the start up's website. So far, the 150,000 registered users of the site are able to browse and purchase over 60,000 pieces of art from some of the leading galleries around the world. The Artsy App is a further step in Artsy's mission to make art accessible to all. Art in Your Pocket Carter Clevelend, the founder and CEO of Artsy, spoke about the online art network telling LA Times'Culture Monster that "This is the first time such a large selection of artworks from world-renowned institutions has been made available to the public all in one place." The app for iOS7 will serve to increase the visibility of works from various artists, allowing the user to carry thousands of images of famous works of art in their pocket. The price of work ranges from hundreds to millions with artists such as Monet and Jeff Koons Free and Simple The app itself is similar to the site. Users can browse the collections of art and if they see something they like they can view a 2D high-resolution image to scale in a virtual art gallery setting. If the user wishes to buy the work, they can do that with a single tap of the finger. Any works below $10,000 can be bought directly through the Artsy app but dearer pieces will prompt the app to connect the user with the gallery to complete the transaction. For those who never want to miss the birth of a new masterpiece, the app will keep them updated of the upcoming fairs and exhibitions from around the world. The app is updated daily to keep its users abreast of all the exciting action. Educating the Masses The app allows people who wouldn't necessarily go to an art gallery browse works online and even ask experts for advice before purchasing any pieces. Artsy intends to break down some of the barriers between the art world and the general public. The big vision is to make art accessible and as popular as music is.

Apple Releases New iMac With Iris Pro TechBeat

Ouya’s Free The Games Program Revised Posted: 26 Sep 2013 06:00 AM PDT Remember that big news about OUYA setting aside $1M for its Kickstarter matching campaign? Dubbed Free the Games Fund, the campaign came under very close scrutiny – both from fans and critics alike. The fact that people put the Ouya’s Free the Games Fund under the microscope is nothing surprising in itself. In this day and age where everyone has an opinion and the venues to express them, no one is really holding back any punches. So yeah, the Ouya Free the Games program has been criticized, and Ouya was not slow to make the necessary adjustments, to be fair. In a blog entry last week, they announced the changes, making sure it is clear that they listened to the feedback. Brownie points! Here are some of the revisions to the program. Project Minimum: Originally, they set it at $50k. Not surprisingly, people thought that the amount was too high. Ouya responded by lowering this to $10k. Minimum # of Backers: ”The intent is for the community to want your game, not a small number of well-resourced supporters. We felt we needed to look at the minimum number of backers to make sure it is in line with the spirit of our program. So, for every $10,000 raised on Kickstarter, you have to have a minimum of 100 backers.” Exclusivity: ”1 month for every $10k funded by OUYA up to 6 months. So, if you set a goal for $20k and you meet your goal, your game would be exclusive for 2 months. If your goal is for $70k, and you meet your goal, your game will be exclusive for 6 months.” Additionally, the rules have been changed to allow more leeway in the availability of the game on other platforms. They now allow developers to make PC versions of their game. I suppose that this is a huge bone of contention, and making this concession is something that the Ouya guys had to think about. Those are the main points, but you can see the other changes following the link above. Judging by the responses to the blog post, not everyone is happy, but the adjustments are being seen as a step in the right direction. Game developer? What do you think about this move? The post Ouya’s Free The Games Program Revised appeared first on TechBeat.

California Law To Allow Teens To Delete Social Media Posts Posted: 26 Sep 2013 05:00 AM PDT California has passed a law allowing under-18s to force websites to delete their personal information. The law takes effect from 2015 and includes content that has been posted by the individual, like photos and content. However, companies will not be made to remove content posted or reposted by others. The information will also not have to be removed from their servers. Chief executive of Common Sense Media, a charity that promotes children’s digital privacy said: “Teens often self-reveal before they self-reflect and may post sensitive personal information about themselves – and about others – without realising the consequences.” According to a survey carried out by Pew, 19 percent of US youths with a social media account had posted comments or photos that they later regretted, while 59 percent had deleted or edited a post. The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) have concerns over whether webites will understand this new leglislation and the legal obligations that come with it. “Our chief concern is that this legal uncertainty will discourage operators from developing content and services tailored to younger users, and will lead popular sites and services that may appeal to minors to prohibit minors from using their services,” said CDT’s policy counsel Emma Llanso. However Google chairman Eric Schmidt said back in May that the Internet needs a “delete button”. So should this new legislation been extended to everyone with a social media profile, not just children? We’d love to hear your comments.

Cuddle Mattress Makes Spooning More Comfortable Posted: 26 Sep 2013 04:00 AM PDT We've all seen the photos advertising a new mattress with the couple spooning one another and most of us will have exactly the same thought running through our minds; "they will not be like that in a few minutes!" The reality of it is that cuddling up to somebody in bed is only comfy for a short time before the 'big spoon' starts to lose the feeling in their arm and the 'little spoon' gets annoyed with by the feeling of an arm digging into their neck/back. The Cuddle Mattress could revolutionize spooning as we know it. How Does It Work? Unlike the traditional solid mattress, the Cuddle Mattress is split into three sections, top middle and bottom. The central part of the mattress is solid to offer support to the torso and lower back. The top and bottom of the mattress where the head and the feet lie have slats in them. It is the slats that enable couples to spoon comfortably by allowing space for the limbs to sink into the mattress and avoid the dreaded 'dead arm'. The slats at the lower end of the bed provide a space for sleepers to put their feet and keep their toes warm or simply to aid 'wrigglers' to find a comfier position. To provide further comfort for users, the slats come in a variety of materials: Latex Polyurethane Polyurethane memory foam Soft on one side and firmer on the other, they can be turned depending on the user's preference. The mattress also comes with its own fitted sheet. Where Can You Buy One? Here's the catch, the Cuddle Mattress hasn't actually come to fruition yet. The mind behind the space providing mattress, Medhi Mojtabavi was inundated with emails. "It was like a fever around it" said Mojtabavi. Unfortunately, without funding and with other commitments, even though the mattress won an award from Red Dot in 2007, the mattress was still not on the market. After an email from a man who had recently undergone shoulder surgery saying he was extremely interested in purchasing the mattress, Mojtabavi thought about the project with renewed vigour. Like thousands of other startups, Mojtabavi launched a crowdfunding campaign via Indiegogo.com in the hope of raising the capital he needed ($75,000). Unfortunately, most people wanted to try the mattress before they bought it and the goal wasn't achieved. Mojtabavi has far from given up on his project though and is actively seeking out investors or even partners to bring the mattress to production.

Apple Releases New iMac With Iris Pro Posted: 26 Sep 2013 03:00 AM PDT Following the release of the new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, Apple has given its iMac a small revamp. The new release brings Haswell cores from Intel, new NVIDIA Corp. GPUs, improved Fusion drives and more ports. Last October Apple made major changes to the iMac line, which included a new 5-mm thick aluminum frame. This time round the changes are more subtle but nonetheless contribute to making Apple’s all-in-one (AIO) personal computer a serious contender in the bid for the best value in the market. Currently Lenovo dominate the AIO PC market after over-taking Apple. So what does the new iMac have to offer? Well the revamped model comes with  8 GB (upgradable two 32 GB for 27-inch, 16 GB for 21.5-inch) of 1600 MHz DDR3 and a 1 terabyte “Fusion” drive, a mostly hard disk hybrid drive with an undisclosed amount of NAND flash onboard (upgradable to 3 TB traditional HDD, a 256 GB SSD, or a 512 GB SSD). Apple’s AIO PC comes with a wireless “Magic Mouse” and wireless keyboard. It also has 802.11ac Wi-Fi and the following ports:     SDXC card slot     Four USB 3 ports (compatible with USB 2)     Two Thunderbolt ports     Mini DisplayPort output with support for DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI (adapters sold separately)     10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)     Kensington lock slot The 21.5-inch model of the iMac, which costs $1,299 comes with the on-die Iris Pro GPU inside the Intel Haswell 2.7 GHz quad-core Core i5- 4570R processor. Apple claims that it has been able to significantly improve the hardware and firmware of its proprietary Fusion drives, thus making performance 50 percent faster than the previous generation. Compared to the competition, Apple has priced the new iMacs rather aggressively. Even those who want a Windows 8 AIO can now consider a new iMac via Boot Camp, which supports Windows 8.

Can Biking Be Fun Again? Yes Says Autobike Posted: 26 Sep 2013 02:00 AM PDT The bike is hung up in the garage waiting to be taken out again. But until somebody comes and moves the hills, or explains to you exactly how the gears work on the bike so you don't feel as though you're riding through wet concrete everywhere you go, the bike will stay hung up in the garage. That's how most people feel about biking these days but Autobike has developed a new automatic bike that will make any road seem flat. Biking can be fun again according to the electric biking company from Detroit. Smooth, Self-powered and Automatic The SRAM front hub dynamo generates electric from every revolution of the front wheel. The electric is used to power the brain of the operation, a computer which is placed right behind the pedal crank. Sensors are able to detect the cadence of the cyclist and any incline in the road. The brain then caluculates the adjustments needed to keep the cyclist at their chosen cadence and changes the gears accordingly. Rather than experience rapid gear shifts that judder the bike and jar the rider, the developers have used a Nuvinci N360 rear hub transmission allowing for super smooth gear shifts. All about the Cadence Cadence is a term used to describe the amount of revolutions your pedals go through per minute while cycling. Most people fall within the range of 60 to 70 revolutions per minute (rpm) but when they climb a hill this will normally change depending on how well a person uses their gears. Autobike uses automatic gear shifting to make sure that people can stay at the same rpm anywhere they go. The rpm is completely up to them and what makes them feel comfortable, making every road and hill seem flat. The co-founder of Autobike, Sean Simpson told Mashable; "we set out to create a bike that offers a fun experience that is accessible to anyone who wants to jump on a bike with zero training. They can just hop on and go." Getting Back on the Bike The Voyage and Voyage ST can be ordered from Autobike for $1,000. Developers are hoping the bikes will get people to return to biking and perhaps even forego the short ride on the subway or bus to work for a healthier, more economic bike ride.

Google Working On Cookie Alternative

Google Working On Cookie Alternative Posted: 19 Sep 2013 04:19 AM PDT Google is working on an alternative ad tracking system that could potentially replace cookies. Cookies are used by advertisers and web sites to track your web history, so that they can tailor adverts based on your possible shopping interests. Google is working on a system called “AdID”, which would allow them to abandon the cookie system completely. It is currently the only browser that allows all cookies as the default setting. Rival companies to Google’s Chrome have all taken a stand against cookies, with Microsoft’s default setting in Internet Explorer being “do not track” and Apple’s Safari browser blocking third-party cookies altogether. For browser makers, maintaing a robust cookie environment offers little financial reward, whereas keeping users happy yields better financial incentives. If Google can prove that its new AdID system is more useful for advertisers and more private for users than cookies, then Google could be on to a winner. Apple has its own cookie alternative called the “identifier for advertisers” or IDFA. AdID could be the thing that helps Google compete not just with Apple but with all its rivals.

Valve Launches Steam Family Sharing Posted: 19 Sep 2013 03:30 AM PDT The family that games together…stays together? Have fun together? Engage in massive competition against each other, for sure. If your household is into gaming, and you use Steam heavily, then you will be happy to know that Valve is launching family sharing for the platform. Sharing is always a good thing, especially when it comes to gaming and accounts, and Valve’s Steam Family Sharing is certainly going to make a lot of people happy. With the capability of sharing game libraries with other accounts on up to 10 devices, there is a lot to look forward to. If, for example, you share a gaming computer at home, you can also benefit from Steam Family Sharing. Using that authorized computer, individual members of the family can play their games all the while making sure that the game saves and achievements are attributed to the proper account – all thanks to the Steam cloud. Now, if you have a tendency to snoop, and you see that someone in the family has already downloaded a game that you want to play, you can also request access via Steam Family Sharing. All that family member has to do is to authorize your computer to gain access to the game in question. There are limitations worth taking note of, though. One, not all Steam games will be available for sharing. Two, rather obviously, only one person can play a shared game at a time. If a game is currently in use on another computer, and you want to play, the borrower will be given time to quit the game. Right now, Steam Family Sharing is still not out, but in the very near future (they say mid-September, though we’re slightly past that point), Valve will start the private beta. There’s no need for me to point out that you should (try to) sign up for that beta NOW, is there?

Big Screen Gaming From Tiny GameStick Console Posted: 19 Sep 2013 02:34 AM PDT The GameStick console will be the latest release from PlayJam, the UK based interactive casual games network. The tiny 2 inch console is part of PlayJam's vision to provide easy big screen gaming solutions for the whole family at affordable prices. GameStick is an easy to use, highly portable plug and play console that allows users to bring their games directly to the big screen. How it Works The GameStick console will plug straight into a free HDMI port on the TV, powering up from the Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) if there is one. If another powers source is needed, there's a power adapter and micros USB port on the stick. The controller connects to the stick via Bluetooth. Specs: Processor – Amlogic 8726-MXS Memory – 1GB DDR3 / 8GB FLASH Content Download Manager w/ cloud storage for games. WiFi – 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth – LE 4.0 O/S – Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Controller – Bluetooth 1080p HD video decoding Expandable memory (up to 32GB) via microSD card slot Support for iOS and Android mobile devices to be used as controllers Console Competitionhttp Healthy competition between console manufacturers is good for everyone. GameStick is being compared by many to the Ouya games console which was released in June 2013. Both consoles have backers on Kickstart and both had similar release dates at first. In an interview with Gamasutra, PlayJam's CEO Jasper Smith says this about being second to release the product: "There's a lot to be said for letting others go first and learning from it" How To Get A GameStick Anyone who loves the idea of this microconsole can get their hands on one from the 29th Octobeer 2013 from Amazon or Gamestop for a very affordable $80. Included with each package as standard is: Gamestick console x 1 Bluetooth control x 1 Power adapter x 1 Necessary cables Pre-installed Game x 2 You can also opt to purchase a docking station that can charge both the controller and console.

Mercedes Benz Self-Driving Car Makes Cross Country Trip Posted: 18 Sep 2013 11:05 PM PDT At the Frankfurt Motor Show (Sep 10-22) onlookers were told by several auto giants that the birth of fully autonomous cars was going to be soon. A mere 7 years in fact. What better to prove this theory than an announcement that the Mercedes Benz self-driving car had actually completed its first ever cross country trip without any help from a driver at all. Out On The Open Road Mercedes Benz S500 Intelligent Drive drove through Germany from Mannheim to Pforzheim, which is approximately 100km. During the drive the autonomous car negotiated roundabouts traffic lights and jams and pedestrians comfortably on its trip. The success of this test compared to other manufacturer's autonomous tests is all the more impressive due to the fact that the self-driving car negotiated its way through roads that were open to the public. Mercedes was able to get a clear picture of how the car would cope in the real world. Other tests that have been completed in the past have been in controlled environments on closed roads. Futuristic Technology? Perhaps the most surprising nugget of knowledge is the fact that Mercedes say the technology used in the S500 Intelligent Drive is not a far cry from the technology seen in the current S-Class. Partial self-driving technology is already out there with the likes of lane control etc. however drivers are still required to have control of the car. Hands must be left on the wheel at all times or full control of the car is returned to the driver. In the future, the driver won't have to pay attention at all but be available in case of emergencies. So you can read behind the wheel but you won't be able to nod off. According to Mercedes, Nissan and other companies, this technology should be available in 2020. In fact, the Mercedes Benz self-driving car is the closest anyone has actually got to the dream of autonomous cars. Mercedes say they could have released the finished product at the end of next year but the question of whether the technology could cover all eventualities and prevent accidents stopped them short. Then there is the future of self-driving cars; Google wizards have been focusing on producing their own self-driving vehicles with a view to using them in a robo-taxi service. These cars will need no driver at all and be fully autonomous. What will the roads look like with driver-less cars?

New Apple TV Can Arrive Next Month

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• Portable Solar Oven Cooks Meals In As Little As 10 Minutes
• Amazon Released Grand Theft Auto 5 Early
• New Apple TV Can Arrive Next Month
• PS4 Up To 50% Faster Than Xbox One – Report Says
• Trade In Your iPad For A Surface, Microsoft Says

Portable Solar Oven Cooks Meals In As Little As 10 Minutes Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:10 AM PDT Who doesn’t love a good barbecue? A little camping trip with the family and some sausages gently sizzling away? Then there's the question, which barbecue should we use? Gas or Charcoal? Which is better for the environment? Which gives a better taste? Well what if you could have a complete portable oven to cook your meals wherever you are and you don't need any fuel source at all. Only daylight? The GoSun stove is a solar powered portable oven that can reach scorching heats of up to 700F (371C). Couple that with the fact that this sci-fi looking oven can fit in a healthy 3lbs (1.4kg) of food or 53oz (1.6l) fluids and you have an extremely capable cooking appliance. How Does It Work? The part of the stove that contains the food or liquid is tubular with a slide out tray to hold whatever is to be heated. The lining of the thermal shock resistant glass tube consists of copper, aluminum and stainless steel. These metals will help conduct heat throughout the tube, cooking its contents evenly and thoroughly. But where does the heat come from? You guessed it, the sun. The casing or backing to the cooking tube is made up of parabolic mirrors which are well known to be excellent solar collectors. The curved shape of the mirrors concentrate the heat from the sun to reach a far higher temperature than an average flat plate. This heat is directed towards the center of the cooking tube and after ten minutes to preheat in the sunshine, families can enjoy up to 6 hot dog sausages cooked in as little as ten minutes. Where Can I Get One? Although the solar oven isn't out just yet, KickStarter are taking pre-orders from eco-sympathetic campers who can't wait to get their hands on one. The stove isn't the cheapest item on the market. At $279 per oven, it will definitely take some usage to get a return on investment. For those who have smaller needs and shallower pockets, there's the smaller model – the $79 GoSun Mini. The post

Amazon Released Grand Theft Auto 5 Early Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:01 AM PDT Amazon.co.uk breached a strict embargo and delivered copies of Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA5) ahead of the official release date. The popular video game was sent to a small number of customers who had pre-ordered the title, days before the launch day. Rockstar North, GTA5′s creator, is yet to comment publicly on the error but is reported to be investigating what happened. “We have established processes in place to deliver new titles to customers on their release date and are looking into the circumstances that led to a small number of customers receiving this game earlier than intended on this occasion”, an Amazon spokesperson said in an interview. This is not the first time that the games maker has had to deal with a pre-launch leak. In August, Sony leaked audio from the new game and offered an apology to Rockstar. It was caused when customers downloading a “locked” version of the preview after pre-ordering the title, were able to extract audio revealing the plot lines. However all of this is unlikely to effect sales of GTA5. Reports claim that it could bring in £1 billion over its lifetime, whilst development costs are said to be in the region of £170 million. This makes it one of the most expensive games ever made.

New Apple TV Can Arrive Next Month Posted: 17 Sep 2013 08:00 AM PDT Apple’s September event has come and gone, and as is usually the case, critics are hitting hard and fanboys are being just as loud. Stocks have dipped, but we know that people are lining up as early as now for the newest iPhones to hit the shelves. Crazy is as crazy does, so they say. In spite of the strong focus on the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, we cannot overlook the fact that Apple does have other products! The Apple TV may not be the most exciting thing in tech these days, but it certainly is not something to disregard. So, while most everyone is either ranting or raving about the new iPhones, known Apple enthusiast MG Siegler drops a note about the new Apple TV. Obviously, this is not an official statement from Apple, but anyone who has followed @parislemon and the scene for a while would know that there there is probably something to this statement. Of course, other pundits and analysts are quick to jump into the fray, with Gene Munster even going as far as to say that Apple is “working on a full-fledged television“. IF that were to happen, that would be the bombshell of bombshells this year, but I think we can all agree that it’s not a likely occurrence. (I hope I don’t end up having to eat my hat in a month or so.) Still, the chances of seeing a revamped Apple TV are high, especially if we think back on how Apple  launched the Apple TV 3 and the iPad 3 last year. It sure is a different year, but we know how these things have a way of repeating themselves. So are you looking forward to seeing a new Apple TV? Are you thinking of getting one, or are you sticking with getting a new iPhone instead?

PS4 Up To 50% Faster Than Xbox One – Report Says Posted: 17 Sep 2013 04:33 AM PDT The launch dates for the next generation game consoles have been released and the world eagerly awaits the new and improved consoles. PS4 and Xbox One go toe to toe in the battle of the games console. PS4 Coming out Swinging Early reports from developers who have studied the intricate workings of the consoles seem to indicate a clear hit and a miss for the Xbox One regarding speed. Not only is the RAM in the PS4 faster than the Xbox One by 40-50% but the graphics card in Sony's console was shown to operate at 30 frames per second (fps) with a full 1080 resolution while Microsoft's baby reduced the resolution to below 30 fps even at a resolution of 900. Since Microsoft, who have also been pushed into changing certain policies by disgruntled fans, were made aware of the substantial gap in performance, it seems they may have tried to bridge the gap slightly by boosting the speed with a CPU upgrade. (1.6GHz – 1.75GHz). Other Differences There are a few other differences between the two consoles that gamers might be swayed by when choosing which console will take pride of place in their homes: Release Date – Sony have decided to split the release of the PlayStation with North America being able to purchase the console on November 15th and Europe having to wait for a week until the 22nd. Microsoft on the other hand have gone for a global launch of Xbox One on November 22nd. Design – Xbox One is bigger than its predecessor (Xbox 360) by 10% and weighs in at 3kg. The PlayStation4 is only slightly lighter at 2.8kg with a sleek, split look design. Release Games – Although there is a plethora of games for both consoles (Assassin's Creed Black Flag, Call of Duty Ghosts) it's the exclusive games that will have the biggest effect on whether a gamer purchases an Xbox One or PS4. Xbox fans can look forward to favorites Halo, Forza and Dead Rising 3 while PS4 will come alive with the sights and sounds from Dark Sorcerer, Drive Club and Killzone Shadow Fall. The Truth Speculation is all very well and good but at the end of the day, that's all it is. Hardware hasn’t been set in stone for either console. So until they are released and the put to the test in real life situations, nobody can truly tell which will take the title for best games console.

Trade In Your iPad For A Surface, Microsoft Says Posted: 17 Sep 2013 02:00 AM PDT Who wants an iPad? Practically everyone I know. I do know for sure that I am very happy with my iPad 3, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else in the world – except for an iPad Mini with a Retina screen, that is. For sure, I would NOT trade it in for a Surface. Microsoft thinks, though, that it can give iPad users a better deal with their new promotion: trade in your iPad, and you’ll get a Microsoft Surface for practically free. Well, not really, as you only get a $200 gift card for the Microsoft store if you turn in your iPad – 2, 3, or 4. Granted, that amount is the minimum they’ll give you, with the number varying depending on how used your Apple tablet is. You have the brilliant options of getting a Surface RT or Pro, which ranges from $349 to $799. So yeah, if you go for the lowest end model, then you only have to dish out $149 for a new Microsoft tablet. What’s the catch? Do we really have to go there? The better question is: “Why would anyone in his right mind want to trade in an iPad for a Microsoft Surface?” Really! On a more objective note, the probable reason behind this almost month-long promo is that Microsoft has a surplus of tablets in stock. With their event having been announced – which will very like announce a new line of Surface tablets – they need to get rid of existing stock. This obviously means that if you bite and trade in your iPad for a Surface, what you will be getting is already obsolete. Still, in this fast paced tech world, obsolete is not always that bad. (Unless you actually throw away your iPad for a Surface.) This tablet trade promo is valid from September 5 to October 27 of this year, so if you have always been itching to try out the Surface, and you are totally unsatisfied with your iPad, here’s your chance!

3D Printers Arrive in US Stores

Daily International News September 18, 2013 From VOAnews.com

UN Experts to Return to Syria 'Within Weeks' Chief UN chemical weapons inspector says his team to follow up on several more allegations of chemical weapons use More Syria Peace Talks Elusive Despite Chemical Weapons Diplomacy Political talks have been repeatedly delayed by disarray within Syrian opposition leadership and by disagreement over who else might attend More Iran Keeps Low Profile in Syria Diplomacy Analysts say President Hasan Rouhani could use hoped-for Syria peace conference to improve relations with the West More Syrian Christians in Limbo, Fearing Repeat of Iraq By siding with Assad regime, Syria's Christians are increasingly the target of attacks by factions of hardline Islamic rebels More Navy Yard Gunman Was Treated for Mental Illness During visit to Rhode Island in August, Aaron Alexis complained to police that people were talking to him through walls, ceiling of hotel room More North Korea Presses for Resumption of Nuclear Talks United States, Japan, South Korea oppose restart until Pyongyang makes verifiable attempts to dismantle its nuclear program More Cambodian Opposition Refuses to Call Off Parliament Boycott Opposition continues to insist that ruling party agree to independent investigation into allegations of massive voting fraud in July’s election More Mugabe's New Government Faces Old Challenges Zimbabwean president’s major headache is on how to turn around battered economy More Malawi Rastafarians Push for Dreadlocks in Schools Dreadlock-wearing community says it is unconstitutional to deny their children an education because of their religious practice More 3D Printers Arrive in US Stores Machine is capable of turning a drawing into a physical object in a matter of hours More

SAP Bank Reconciliation Program.

Business Process Procedure in SAP. Business Process Procedure Name:  Bank Reconciliation Program Overview Trigger: Business Process Description Overview Automatic bank settlement program Input - Required Fields Field Value / Comments Company Code, bank clearing Accounts, settlement Account Output – Results Comments Bank settlement Field Name Description R/O/C Company code Enter your company code R Document Date  Interval Enter the date interval for settlement R Clearing Accounts Enter clearing bank accounts R Settlement Account Enter the bank  settlement account R FI Posting Date Enter the posting date as end of the month R Associate level covers the fundamental knowledge requirements for a consultant or project team member Professional level requires proven project experience, business knowledge and a more detailed understanding of the SAP solution Masters level (in development) involves demonstrating an expert level understanding a specific area of SAP software sap cash settlement program, SAP, SAP Overview, SAP Training, SAP Learning, SAP Accounting, FI Posting in SAP, FI Transaction Overview. Previous Next Enter your email address: