Archive for April, 2012
Anti-fog? Maybe no more
Apr 30th
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if there was anti-fog, anti-glare and self-cleaning glass? Well, now we could ponder on that thanks to a new research by The MIT.
The secret twist of the research is layers of glass that are selectively removed to create microscopic cones. This nanotech innovation adds the desirable characteristics for this wonder glass. The glass would essentially look nearly invisible because of the lack of glare, fog or any other visual cue that the eye can see. Here is the paper that describes in detail this interesting technology.
Ultimately, if this technology can be implemented using an inexpensive manufacturing process, it could highly enhance the optical devices, the screens of smartphones and televisions, solar panels, car windshields and even windows in buildings.
Imagine how convenient it would be if our beloved touch screen devices were not only reflection free, but also resistant to sweat contamination!
Solar panels would also be quite grateful for this cutting edge technology. How? Well, if solar panels installed on roofs and on the ground could repel liquid and even be self cleaning, that could help the panels provide as much optimal power as possible for solar panels need to be cleaned periodically to work properly, thus, making them time and energy efficient.
Yet the majority of the population would applaud the last feature; self-washed car windows, no more dirt and grit on the exterior surface of the windows, no more glare and reflections that can impair visibility, and yes no more waiting for hours in those cold morning for the fog to evaporate!
Well, why haven’t we thought of this earlier? Maybe we should’ve paid more attention to nature, since that’s where the researchers seem to have drawn their inspiration from! Here is the statement from the MIT website:
“textured surfaces ranging from lotus leaves to desert-beetle carapaces and moth eyes have developed in ways that often fulfill multiple purposes at once. Although the arrays of pointed nanocones on the surface appear fragile when viewed microscopically, the researchers say their calculations show they should be resistant to a wide range of forces, ranging from impact by raindrops in a strong downpour or wind-driven pollen and grit to direct poking with a finger. “
Further testing will be needed to demonstrate how well the nanotextured surfaces hold up over time in practical applications, the report noted.
The research was funded by the Army Research Office through MIT’s Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology; the Air Force Office of Scientific Research; Singapore’s National Research Foundation through the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Center, and the Xerox Foundation.
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Descriptive Camera
Apr 26th
In our modern day and age, nothing seems to be impossible, or at least technically impossible, and here comes Matt Richardson to further prove this with the “Descriptive Camera”.
I’m quite confident that most of us enjoy taking pictures and documenting almost everything in our day to day life, with state-of-the-art apps sparking every single day ,whose aim is to facilitate our experience ( such as Instagram and many others). Here comes a different take on this digitized world of ours; a camera that captures words ( 20 to be exact) instead of images!
Yes, you read it correctly, apparently Mr. Richardson believes that:
“ As we amass an incredible amount of photos, it becomes increasingly difficult to manage our collections. “
Well, at first glance, when we heard about this camera, we thought it’s quite nonsensical; what actual use is a written piece of description sent to you from a person at the Mechanical Turk API ? When did we stop using our own intelligence and started relying so much on technology? Oh, long ago! Set aside the laziness this device might applaud, it might be beneficial If the descriptive metadata about each photograph could be appended to each image on the fly.
As the website explains:
“Information about who is in each photo, what they’re doing, and their environment could become incredibly useful in being able to search, filter and cross-reference our photo collections.”
The Descriptive Camera is still a prototype, yet if they could combine an actual image and a printed description on the back of that image it might be something worth splurging on. Or, better yet, if you could take an image of a specific meal, let’s say, and the camera prints out the recipe for you, now that would be revolutionary for each and every housewife!
Yet, one thing they ought to consider is implementing this technology to help the blind; imagine how invaluable it would be for a blind person to take a picture of something they unfortunately cannot see, and receive an accurate description (in Braille, of course) immediately at their disposal!
Well, we’ll definitely keep you posted for any new added features or updates.
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Have you met TED?
Apr 25th
TED has been a vital source of inspiration for many years now, for a variety of different topics. Now with TED-Ed, their aim is to inspire curiosity by harnessing the talent of the world’s best teachers and pundits.
The nonprofit organization devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading”, today launches the second phase of its TED-Ed initiative “Lessons Worth Sharing” : a groundbreaking website housed on TED.com that enables teachers to create unique lesson plans around TED-Ed video content.
TED-Ed launched in March with a channel on YouTube, as well as an open call for educators and animators to submit lesson ideas and animation reels. Just five weeks later, the channel (with 22 videos) has attracted more than 2.6 million views, 44,000 subscribers and more than 3,000 comments.
The TED-Ed site was built with an exceptional $1.25 million commitment from Kohl’s Department Stores, a program selling special merchandise with the aim of donating 100% of the net profit to benefit children’s health and education initiatives nationwide. It is launching today in Beta, and the content it currently contains – a few dozen videos – is for illustrative purposes.
One of TED-Ed catalysts , Logan Smalley, explains:
“ The new website is all about what teachers and students can do with those videos. The goal of TED-Ed is for each great lesson to reach and motivate as many learners as possible.”
To simplify things, each video featured on the site is mapped through tagging, to a traditional subject taught in schools, and the magic doesn’t stop here, it also comes accompanied with supplementary materials (such as multiple-choice questions, open-answer questions, and links to more information on the topic) that aid a teacher or student in using or understanding the video lesson.
Yet what differentiates the site is its incredible “flipping” feature; when a video is flipped, the supplementary materials can be edited and the resulting lesson is rendered on a new and private web page. The creator of the lesson can then distribute it and track an individual student’s progress as they complete the assignment.
If you yourself are an educator , you are not restricted to on flipping a featured lesson; you can contribute by creating your own lesson from scratch using video from YouTube that permits third party embedding, i.e. the vast majority. TED-ED will select the best and feature them for wider distribution.
As Ken Robinson once said:
“Creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.”
TED has certainly not lost sight of creativity, amplifying education with such a powerful new assist. We hope it will reap the brilliant results it most definitely deserves.
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Rumor has it… Windows8 release date!
Apr 24th
After much speculations about the release date of Windows 8 Release preview (the Release candidate version), Microsoft has finally confirmed that it would be released in the first week of June. During the Windows Developer Days conference in Japan, Steven Sinofsky announced about the Windows 8 Release preview. After that the official Building Windows 8 Twitter account tweeted about it.
We’ve been hearing a lot of deliberation about the launch date of Windows 8 Release preview and finally Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft’s Windows Division, spilled the beans during the first day of the Windows Developer Days conference in Japan announcing that it will be launched during the first week of June. The news confirms previous speculation that the Windows 8 release candidate would be called a “Release Preview.”
This new leak was confirmed via Twitter today (Link)
Obviously there was a mix up with the slides during the conference, for they showcased the old Windows logo, sparking readers’ interest and inquiries whether or not they are reverting to the old logo. Microsoft responded , however, with this brief note: “just a miss on the slide. #sorry.”
The new Windows 8 logo, which was designed with the assistance of the third party design company Pentagram, has been a bit polarizing to long time Windows fans since it was first revealed. Microsoft said at the time that they wanted the new logo to look more like a window than previous logo, which resembled a flag flapping in the wind. Sam Moreau, the Principal Director of User Experience for Windows, wrote back in February:
Microsoft and Windows are all about putting technology in people’s hands to empower them to find their own perspectives. And that is what the new logo was meant to be. We did less of a re-design and more to return it to its original meaning and bringing Windows back to its roots – reimagining the Windows logo as just that – a window.
The most prominent changes will be:
- The new OS will be the most significant redesign since Windows 95.
- The trademark Windows “Start” button will no longer appear, replaced by a sliding panel-based menu.
- Powering computers running traditional processors from Intel and AMD, the OS will also run on new tablets and laptops running low-power ARM processors.
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Got a question? Quora has the answer, or so they say
Apr 23rd
Ever wondered what would happen if Twitter, Facebook and Google Wave were combined?! Well, we’re sorry to tell you, CTO Adam D’Angelo and Charlie Cheever beat you to it in June 2009, when they founded Quora. It was launched in private beta in December 2009, and made available to the public on June 21, 2010.
So what is Quora?
To quote their own words: “Quora connects you to everything you want to know about. Quora aims to be the easiest place to write new content and share content from the web. We organize people and their interests so you can find, collect and share the information most valuable to you. “
Robert Scoble, seems skeptic about the website though ; “Quora succeeded in combining attributes of various websites that employ a system of users voting content up however it is a horrid service for blogging, and while it was a decent question and answer website, it was not substantially better than competing sites.”
In other words:
-50 credits if the upvote is from the person who asked the question.
-10 credits if the upvote is from anyone else.
-500 credits once you start off using Quora.
-20 credits when people follow questions you ask.
-10 credits when people upvote your contributions.
Video :
Quora added two substantial feature to their website; the first one is the elimination of the original “Pay to show to Topics” feature of Credits, where users would have to pay credits to have their questions show up to people following specific topics. Instead, users will have to pay 50 credits to ask a question, any question and all topic additions are “free.”
Users can earn credits by having their questions and answers upvoted, answering ” Ask to Answer” questions or having users gift them credits.
The second added feature is the “Promote” ; yet another way to use credits to give desired content more visibility throughout Quora.
With Quora Promote, a user pays one credit for every two people he or she would like to have the chosen content promoted to (i.e. 100 credits for 200 people). The people who are being promoted here are exactly the same ones who would have seen it anyways, a.k.a. followers of the topic and/or of the person who posted it. Hence, our thoughts that this “Promote” is a little nonsensical, however D’Angelo seems to think otherwise.
If you are already an avid Quora user, you probably have the Iphone app that alerts you right away when someone votes up one of your answers or replies to one of your comments. You can simulate that on your computer; install Charm of Quora if you are using Chrome, Firefox or Safari. It shows recommended content and boards. You can post, search, view notifications directly from the extension.
As Sandra Liu Huang, Quora product manager, answered a question on Quora stating that the android app must be available this April for a limited beta testing.
From what’s being said around, the startup wants to raise between $30 to $50 million in its Series B, at a $400 million valuation – while potential investors are most certainly interested , co founder D’Angelo will be contributing from his own money ; adding up to $20 million according to one source.
Whether it is just another Silicon Valley popular start-up, or actually a valid asset to our daily life, it sure is worth looking into.
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Go Green this Earth Day
Apr 22nd
As Gaylord Nelson once said :“The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.”
These are some sound words to resonate in our minds as we celebrate the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day.
Earth Day went global in 1990, when an estimated 200 million joined the movement and helped ignite the recycling craze.
According to earthday.org , more than 1 billion people will participate in Earth Day 2012 events on April 22. The global event celebrates the beauty of our planet and calls on individuals, organizations, companies and governments to do their part to ensure the preservation of the planet.
We believe if each and every one of us contributed, no matter how little, we would witness a huge difference. Here are some of our suggestion to help our planet :
1. CHANGE YOUR LIGHT
If every household in the United State replaced one regular lightbulb with one of those new compact fluorescent bulbs, the pollution reduction would be equivalent to removing one million cars from the road.
2. RECYCLE GLASS
Recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20 percent and related water pollution by 50 percent. If it isn’t recycled it can take a million years to decompose.
3. DIAPER WITH A CONSCIENCE
By the time a child is toilet trained, a parent will change between 5,000 and 8,000 diapers, adding up to approximately 3.5 million tons of waste in U.S. landfills each year. Whether you choose cloth or a more environmentally-friendly disposable, you’re making a choice that has a much gentler impact on our planet.
4. GO VEGETARIAN ONCE A WEEK
One less meat-based meal a week helps the planet and your diet. For example: It requires 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. You will also also save some trees. For each hamburger that originated from animals raised on rainforest land, approximately 55 square feet of forest have been destroyed.
5. WRAP CREATIVELY
You can reuse gift bags, bows and event paper, but you can also make something unique by using old maps, cloth or even newspaper. Flip a paper grocery bag inside out and give your child stamps or markers to create their own wrapping paper that’s environmentally friendly and extra special for the recipient.
6. ADJUST YOUR THERMOSTAT
Adjust your thermostat one degree higher in the summer and one degree cooler in the winter. Each degree celsius less will save about 10% on your energy use! In addition, invest in a programmable thermostat which allows you to regulate temperature based on the times you are at home or away.
7. TAKE A SHORTER SHOWER
Every two minutes you save on your shower can conserve more than ten gallons of water. If everyone in the country saved just one gallon from their daily shower, over the course of the year it would equal twice the amount of freshwater withdrawn from the Great Lakes every day.
8. RECYCLE OLD CELL PHONES
The average cell phone lasts around 18 months, which means 130 million phones will be retired each year. If they go into landfills, the phones and their batteries introduce toxic substances into our environment. There are plenty of reputable programs where you can recycle your phone, many which benefit noble causes.
9. RECYCLE UNWANTED WIRE HANGERS
Wire hangers are generally made of steel, which is often not accepted by some recycling programs. So what do you do with them? Most dry cleaners will accept them back to reuse or recycle. (Cue Joan Crawford)
10. INVEST IN YOUR OWN COFFEE CUP
If you start every morning with a steamy cup, a quick tabulation can show you that the waste is piling up. Invest in a reusable cup, which not only cuts down on waste, but keeps your beverage hot for a much longer time. Most coffee shops will happily fill your own cup, and many even offer you a discount in exchange!
Green Fashion
Another unconventional method to celebrate this special day can be throughout fashion, yes you heard us right! Kyle Retzik, owner of Skunkfunk USA, stated:
“Skunkfunk is an eco-conscious company; we employ sustainable business practices in every aspect of the business, from our selection of materials to the way we ship our products. We even produce reusable bags out of our fabric scraps.”
Green Gadgets
The nPower® PEG
The nPower® PEG is the world’s first passive kinetic energy charger for personal hand-held electronics. It’s very easy to use as mentioned on their website; all you have to do is place the nPower® PEG vertically in your bag, and it harvests your own kinetic energy as you walk, storing it for use whenever, wherever you need it. The PEG has a 2000 mA lithium polymer battery on board, capable of charging an iPhone 3 to 100%, and an iPhone 4 to about 75%. It weighs 14 ounces. PEG will go on sale online in about a month, retailing for US$169.99.
Meet the first learning thermostat
The Nest Learning Thermostat is aiming to change the way we approach heating and cooling with the technology; It remembers your temperature preferences for times throughout the day and programs itself to create a personalized schedule. Nest connects to your Wi-Fi giving you the option to remotely adjust your temperature from your smartphone or any web browser.
So take a moment and reflect on how beautiful our nature is, and let us work together so that our children as well as many generations to come could enjoy it too. Here is an inspirational video to spark your senses.
Looking for a simple, elegant backup solution?
Genie Timeline 2012 is a new version of the number one continuous data protection program Timeline 2.1. It offers the first metro style user interface; enhanced performance, and added features. Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter for the latest news.
>Follow @Genie9backup
Life’s a Picnik…
Apr 19th
Life will not be a Picnik anymore for all you journalists and bloggers out there as of today, April 19th !
Yes, we’re sad to say, the web-based photo-editing tool that saved immeasurable journalists on a deadline is shutting down. It was quite simple, true, yet it came in handy when you needed some basic edits instead of firing up photoshop.
The Silver lining though, was that the premium services – which include cool special effects plus a ton of touch-up features – were free for everyone.
Yes, we know that switching to a new digital tool can be extremely daunting, especially if it’s a tool you use every day and are comfortable with, but let’s face it, we’re living in a fast paced world and we have to cope. Just take an hour off your schedule, it’ll be more than enough to find an alternative. In case you’re still bewildered, here are our alternatives :
1. Fotoflexer This site offers a similar web-based photo editor with much of the same options as Picnik, though nowhere near as snappy to load. Advanced features include blemish fix and some easy-to-use layer functions; the web interface is available in 22 languages. If it looks familiar, you may already be using it on Picasa, Flickr, Photobucket and Facebook. One cool feature from the web browser version: you can edit live images taken with your computer’s built-in camera.
2. Photoshop Express Online There’s no need to spend a couple hundred bucks on Photoshop when you can access Photoshop Express Online for free. While it’s not nearly as feature-rich as the software program, it offers plenty of photo editing options that will likely be more than sufficient for what you need. Other fun effects online include Dodge and Burn (making certain spots lighter or darker), Crystallize and Pixelate. Photoshop Express also offers a fantastic free app for editing photos on-the-go with Photoshop Express for iOS and Photoshop Express for Android.
3. Pixlr Express Another great site is Pixlr Express. It recently launched and is a quick and easy way to moderately or drastically edit photos, depending on your needs. In addition to fun photo effects like “bubbly” or “foggy,” there are also quick ways to enhance portraits with features like red-eye removal and teeth whitening (hi coffee drinkers!). Of all the sites listed here, I find the interface to be the most intuitive and modern. Also available as a free Android or iPhone app.
4. Snapseed If you haven’t taken the leap to Snapseed, get thee to the download! It’s an amazing way to tweak and edit photos, and partly why some of those Instagram photos you see look so amazing.
5. PicMonkey We’ve saved the best for last; you will love how quick, easy and completely free this handy site and app is. In fact, you might not even miss Picnik afterall!
So, stay calm and blog on…
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>Follow @Genie9backup
Apple/Google TV? No,thanks.I’ll have an Uppleva please!
Apr 18th
Pop quiz; what’s the common thread between Samla, Sätta ihop
and elektronik? If your answer was: why that’s simple it’s gather, assemble and electronics of course! Chances are you’re either a Swede or spent too much time assembling Ikea furniture!
Either way, we’re confident you are going to be thrilled with their latest soon-to-released product; Uppleva.
The world’s largest furniture maker has joined forces with Chinese consumer electronics firm TCL to launch an all-in-one solution to all the media hassle. The HTDV home entertainment system is much more than just a sleek looking TV; it has speakers built into its base, a wireless subwoofer, integrated cable storage, an Internet connection, CD, DVD and a Blu-ray player all controlled with one simple remote. Sounds incredible doesn’t it? We thought so too, the only downside would be trying to assemble it at home!
Moreover, IKEA’s living room chief, Magnus Bondesson told Reuters “This is a large step for us. We will have an offer that is unique in the market” .
It is rumoured that Uppleva will be launched in five European cities in June (Stockholm, Milan, Paris, Gdansk, and Berlin) , throughout seven European countries this autumn( Italy, France, Poland, Denmark, Spain, Norway, and Portugal), and in its remaining markets by the summer of 2013.
Prices start at 6,500 Swedish Kroner (around $950), sure that may be far more expensive than the Apple Tv ( $99.00) and Google Tv that has been slashed down to $99.00 as well. However, Uppleva is incomparable to both of those, since it has far more options; it’s a whole entertainment system and to make it more appealing, the TV screens are available in four sizes, from 24 inches to 46 inches, and in a range of colors including gray, black and blue. Users are also able to plug in their iPods or other mp3 music players.
We leave you off with a video of this incredible new innovation, enjoy:
Looking for a simple, elegant backup solution?
Genie Timeline 2012 is a new version of the number one continuous data protection program Timeline 2.1. It offers the first metro style user interface; enhanced performance, and added features. Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter for the latest news.
>Follow @Genie9backup
It’s what you do with what Nokia Lumia 900 does!
Apr 17th
Living in this fast paced world may be quite a hassle without the “right” smartphone to help guide you through your day.
Apple has been at the forefront for quite sometime now, even though Samsung seems to be catching up with its Galaxy S2 and rumoured Galaxy S3 to be released on May 3rd. However, we must not neglect Nokia’s well deserved efforts for a come back and trying to keep “ connecting people” with their Lumia 900. They’re even trying to win over the fellow gentlemen with their new ad that promises to win over the ladies in a similar way the Iphone used to do. Even though a brand new mobile gadget may send an aura of elegance and sophistication, we might not agree it will attract the right kind of females.
The video:
However, if you’re still not sold on buying the Lumia 900 once it’ll be released, here’s a comprehensive comparison chart that may aid you in the pursuit for the right smartphone.
Looking for a simple, elegant backup solution?
Genie Timeline 2012 is a new version of the number one continuous data protection program Timeline 2.1. It offers the first metro style user interface; enhanced performance, and added features. Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter for the latest news.
>Follow @Genie9backup
Crab Computing
Apr 16th
Long gone are the days of the MacBook Pro, it’s time for a crab computer! Or so are the hopes of a team of scientists from Japan and England, as they give new meaning to unconventional computing.
We must admit, the first time we’ve heard this story, we thought it was some sort of a hoax, but after further exploring this concept, it turns out it’s far from that.
Theories from the early 1980s that explored the prospects of building a computer out of billiard balls were the grounds for this study. The mechanical computer, proposed by Edward Fredkin and Tommaso Toffoli, was based on Newtonian dynamics and relied on the motion of billiard balls in an idealized, friction-free environment instead of electronic signals like a conventional computer.
So basically, by building this new computer model, Yukio-Pegio and colleagues at the Kobe University have decided to take it upon themselves to relinquish what Fredkin and Toffoli have chosen to leave off.
The basic concept for this new form of computing is a form of biomimicry (Link) , and it appears, after further examining crabs’ behavior, scientist found out that crabs exhibit what they call “ swarm behavior”.
Soldier crabs or Mictyris guinotae live in flat lagoons and form huge colonies of hundreds of thousands of individuals. “A single crab or a small group of crabs do not usually enter the water; however, a large swarm enters the water and crosses a lagoon without hesitation.” Nature never seizes to amaze, as this large group seems to be split into two behavioral sections; the crabs on the edge of the swarm exhibit aggressive leadership, keeping a solid edge to the group as they move forward (or, more likely, sideways) in unison. While those in the middle of the swarm and in the tail, passively follow their neighbors.
When a swarm of crabs is placed into a corridor with walls on each side, the crabs will closely follow the wall like a rolling billiard ball. This sort of behavior can be easily controlled, for example, by casting a shadow from above on the swarm to mimic the presence of crab-eating birds. The soldier crabs will move away from any shadowed areas for fear of being munched on. When two swarms of crabs—or “crab balls”—collide, they appear to merge and continue in a direction that is the sum of their respective velocities.
You can read the whole study here
Here’s a video for further explanation :
So, to sum up, these findings open up the possibility of creating an unconventional computing model that may lead to a new generation of ultra-efficient computers, instead of being merely energy consuming individuals!
Looking for a simple, elegant backup solution?
Genie Timeline 2012 is a new version of the number one continuous data protection program Timeline 2.1. It offers the first metro style user interface; enhanced performance, and added features. Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter for the latest news.
>Follow @Genie9backup