Saturday, March 29, 2014

drag2share: Crystal Clear Putty Is Like Playing With Molten Glass (Minus Burns)

Source: http://gizmodo.com/crystal-clear-putty-is-like-playing-with-molten-glass-1553639032

Crystal Clear Putty Is Like Playing With Molten Glass (Minus Burns)

Play-Doh's all well and good when it comes to entertaining a toddler. But when you grow up, you need science to deliver something a bit more captivating. And what could be a better way to waste away the hours at work than with a handful of crystal clear putty that looks like liquid glass?

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Friday, March 28, 2014

drag2share: Scientists Can Reconstruct Faces by Reading Your Mind

source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/vip/~3/U7eT8Si2dd8/scientists-can-reconstruct-faces-by-reading-your-mind-1553577287

Scientists Can Reconstruct Faces by Reading Your Mind

Fantasizing about an old flame? Lusting over a celebrity instead of your current squeeze? Watch out: scientists can reconstruct the faces you're thinking about from a brain scan alone.

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drag2share: A Majority Of Americans Say They're Likely To Buy A 4K TV In The Next Two Years

source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/gjs7fOO_i1Y/a-majority-of-americans-say-theyre-likely-to-buy-a-4k-tv-in-the-next-two-years-2014-3

Over half of Americans are at least "somewhat likely" to buy a 4K Ultra HD TV in the next two years, according to a survey by Strategy Analytics.

Strategy Analytics sampled 2,204 Americans and 4,095 Europeans ages 15 through 74 in the final quarter of 2013.

  • One-fifth of the survey's U.S. respondents said that they are "very likely" to buy a 4K TV in the next two years. Another one-third said that they are "somewhat likely" to do so.
  • Less than one-fifth said that they are basically neutral on whether or not they will buy a 4K TV.
  • Only 23% expressed a fair degree of certainty that they would not buy a 4K TV.

European respondents reported being about equally likely to buy a 4K TV in the next two years as Americans. Fifty-six percent of Europeans said that they are at least "somewhat likely" to buy a TV with this new technology. Just 21% said they were either "somewhat unlikely" or "very unlikely."

We think 4K Ultra HD will roll out much faster than standard HD. Our forecast anticipates that 4K televisions will be in roughly half of all North American households by the end of 2024, just ten years from now, a fast adoption curve for such a new technology. A Parks Associates forecast is even more bullish, anticipating that 4K-capable TVs will be in over four-fifths of U.S. households with broadband Internet access in the same time frame. That quick pace of 4K adoption will primarily be driven by rapidly falling prices. 

Download the chart and data in Excel. 

IntentionToBuy4KUltraHDTV

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drag2share: The Spray-On Surgical Film That Could Make Sutures Redundant

Source: http://gizmodo.com/the-spray-on-surgical-film-that-could-make-sutures-redu-1553539956

The Spray-On Surgical Film That Could Make Sutures Redundant

Surgeries, major or minor, virtually always require sutures—but they can prove uncomfortable and painful, or even become infected. Now, a spray-on film of biodegradable polymer nanofibers could replace them for good.

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drag2share: ZTE's incoming Grand S II could be first smartphone with 4GB RAM

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/28/zte-grand-s-ii-4gb-ram/

ZTE's Grand S II already looks like a pretty fine handset with its brushed metal back and Snapdragon 800/801 CPU, as we saw at its launch earlier this year. But judging by a leak at Chinese regulator Tenaa, it could take it up another notch with 4GB of RAM -- a first for any smartphone and double the original spec. That's the maximum possible RAM on a 32-bit ARM chip, and 4GB modules were only recently teased by Samsung and SK Hynix. We wouldn't be surprised if it ends up as a high-end option for the Grand S II, in the same way that ZTE's Nubia X6 is available in a 3GB RAM variant. Take all this with a grain of salt for now, but remember that until we see a 64-bit CPU and Android OS, 4GB will be as good as it gets.

[Image credit: Tenaa]

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Article: Enlisting a Computer to Battle Cancers, One by One

When Robert B. Darnell was a graduate student in the early 1980s, he spent a year sequencing a tiny fragment of DNA. Now Dr. Darnell is an oncologist and the president of the New York Genome Center, where the DNA-sequencing machines can decode his grad-school fragment in less than a ten-thousandt...

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/27/science/enlisting-a-computer-to-battle-cancers-one-by-one.html

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Article: With Microsoft's Project Spark, Anyone Can Build A Video Game

Microsoft wants gamers build their own worlds—playable game worlds, in fact. Microsoft’s Project Spark, in open beta now for Windows 8 and the Xbox One, splices together a Minecraft-like sandbox with actual developer tools, enabling budding game makers to actually build a playable game from scrat...

http://readwrite.com/2014/03/27/project-spark-microsoft-beta#awesm=~ozLQw73rfGhK1M

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Article: Sigfox picks up $15M to expand its dedicated internet-of-things network

The French internet of things startup Sigfox has taken €15 million ($21 million) in new funding, to allow it to continue its international expansion. Sigfox is a network operator of sorts, having designed a wireless architecture that’s purely for machine-to-machine (M2M) communications. Its netwo...

http://gigaom.com/2014/03/28/sigfox-picks-up-15m-to-expand-its-dedicated-internet-of-things-network/

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drag2share: Control Any Circuit with a TV Remote and an Arduino

Source: http://lifehacker.com/control-any-circuit-with-a-tv-remote-and-an-arduino-1553002471

Since you probably don't use most of the buttons on your remote control, why not make them work for other things? This project shows you how to use an Arduino to decode the signal from a remote and then use it to make an outlet switch keyed to that code.

This little hack comes from one of our favorite Instructables users, DIY Hacks and How Tos. To build this project, you'll need an Arduino, an infrared receiver module, some LEDs, switches, and a few other electronic odds and ends. When you're done, you'll be able to power on or off pretty much anything you want using your TV remote. And yes, you can buy remote outlets with separate controls, but this one lets you use a control you already have. Plus, it's an excellent learning project if you're just getting started with Arduino.

Control Any Circuit With a TV Remote (and an Arduino) | Instructables

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drag2share: How to Return to Running After an Injury

Source: http://lifehacker.com/how-to-return-to-running-after-an-injury-1553063140

How to Return to Running After an Injury

Running injuries can be unfortunately abundant, but it's hard to keep a runner down for very long. Unsurprisingly, one of the most common questions I hear is, "How do I return to running after an injury?"

This post originally appeared on Strength Running.

But it's also an exceptionally complex question and there are always followups:

What type of injury do you have?

Is it chronic or your first time?

Did you run through pain (and make it worse)?

How much time did you take off from running?

So my answers aren't usually the most helpful because I don't know your training background or your level of running experience . Runners that I work with personally will get more specific advice because I know more of their variables and can offer specific solutions.

Recently I wrote about my Achilles tendon injury and how I was back to my pre-injury training volume within a week of being healthy, roughly.

Many were curious how I was able to return to running so soon after my Achilles injury. This post is a case study on how I modified my post-injury training, what worked for me, and how you can apply the same lessons to your running.

Before we get into the exact steps I took, let's be clear that this is a more aggressive approach for two important reasons:

  • My training age is 15+ years (which means I can be more aggressive because of my experience level—I really know my body).
  • I'm training to run a very competitive marathon in about ten weeks, so it's now or never. I'm willing take risks, though I wouldn't recommend it for everyone.

My comeback will be different than your comeback. My approach is riskier so I don't recommend this same method unless you're experienced and willing to take risks before a major race.

What Affects Your Return to Running After an Injury?

How to Return to Running After an Injury

A running "injury" is a nebulous concept and I've written before about how we need to redefine what we actually call an injury. The very nature of your injury dictates whether you need a cautious or aggressive return to running.

It typically depends on four variables:

  • The type of injury
  • The severity of the injury
  • How long you took off from regular running
  • The consistency and quality of your treatment approach

These four issues work together to influence whether you're back to running within a week or a month.

Example 1: In 2008 I had severe ITBS and didn't run for six months. Not only was the injury serious, but I delayed my IT Band Syndrome treatment while I wallowed in self-pity. Once I took a more structured approach I finally got healthy, but my return to running took another six months of struggle. It was a long process.

Example 2: My recent Achilles injury was not severe and I caught it early, only running through pain for one short run. It wasn't chronic, my treatment approach was much more aggressive, and my comeback was relatively fast.

That's the type of injury I like to see: one that's resolved quickly!

Runners want to start running as soon as possible, so when I built my injury prevention program, the focus was on preventing injuries in the first place. But if you do suffer an injury, the treatment approaches (for ITBS, Achilles tendinopathy, runner's knee, and plantar fasciitis) are aggressive and designed to get you back to running quickly.

Post-Injury Training: Mileage

How to Return to Running After an Injury

Since I'm training for the Boston Marathon, it's more beneficial for me to prioritize mileage than fast workouts. Thankfully, it's also easier to run for mileage after an injury than faster workouts.

Coming back from any injury (or extended period of time off) requires a gradual approach. The first few days of running are simply to establish consistency, evaluate any existing soreness or pain, and get your legs used to running again.

Knowing your "baseline mileage" is helpful here. Increasing your mileage up to your baseline can be done more quickly than the 10% Rule would suggest. Any increases after your baseline must be done more conservatively.

Here's a look at my daily mileage after my injury:

How to Return to Running After an Injury

The first few days had low mileage totals—these days were simply to establish consistency. On the first day I ran three miles on the treadmill to test my Achilles. The treadmill provided two benefits: no hills to place extra stress on the tendon and the ability to stop at once if pain occurred.

The daily mileage doesn't always increase though: after seven miles, I cut the next day to five. After my first ten miler, I cut the next day to eight. For the next four days, I tested the Achilles to see if it could handle a normal workload of about ten miles. This is my "baseline" so it's relatively comfortable for me to run this amount.

There's no perfect way to structure a comeback, but my approach includes a few strategies:

  • A short test run to see if any pain presented
  • 3-4 days of low mileage to establish consistency
  • 3-4 days of normal mileage to further establish consistency
  • Like Matt Fitzgerald mentions in his book Brain Training, I have a zero-tolerance policy for sharp pain

My goal at first is to simply run every day—the effort on those days is secondary. Once consistency has been established, you can gradually add more advanced training like workouts, long runs, and double sessions.

Just like progression is used to increase training stresses, it should also be used with your return to running.

Post-Injury Workouts

How to Return to Running After an Injury

Faster workouts are even less important than overall consistency and mileage when coming back from an injury. My first workout was on the 28th after I had been running slow (except strides) for nearly a week.

I ran four miles of fast work with none of it faster than tempo pace—and three of those miles were at "Goal Marathon" pace or slower. So, not a very taxing workout. Instead, the goal was to simply run fast and see how the Achilles responded.

I followed that workout with a fartlek of 8x30 seconds at about 10k pace. The purpose of this workout was to establish the routine of running faster, twice per week instead of just once. Again, not a very taxing workout.

The pattern of testing each variable is what helps make the process of returning to running more effective.

Run a little bit less than you should. Run a little slower than you normally would. Introduce another training stress (mileage, workouts, frequency of workouts, long runs, etc.) gradually and with a "test" first.

So far, I've run four workouts in the two weeks since my Achilles healed:

  • 4 x mile in 6:02, 5:56, 5:54, 5:38, 1' jog recovery
  • 8 x 30" at 10k pace, 90" jog recovery
  • 4 x 2k in 7:28, 7:23, 7:20, 6:58, 1' jog recovery
  • 10' Progression near the end of a 10 mile run

And so far so good! Patience plays a big part of recovery and returning to your normal workload.

Prevention is Easier than Treatment

After an injury, the treatment steps often become means of prevention. Wisely invest 15 minutes a day in injury prevention and I would put cash money on you reducing your injury risk this year by more than half.

A common mistake I see runners make is that they stop all treatment steps after their injury heals. So if the ITB Rehab Routine is instrumental in the healing process, they stop using it while healthy. Big mistake!

Keep integrating treatment steps into your training even after you're healthy. You don't need as much, but a 5k of prevention is worth a marathon of cure. See what I did there?

And of course, if you're like this guy, I offer this coaching advice:

If you think you have no time for prevention work, you'll sooner or later have to find time for injuries.

How to Return to Running After an Injury | Strength Running


Jason Fitzgerald is a 2:39 marathoner and USATF-certified running coach at Strength Running. Get his latest coaching advice and free injury prevention course here.

Photos and images by Whologwhy, Vestman, Ed Yourdon, Regissercom, and Diamond_Images.

Want to see your work on Lifehacker? Email Andy.

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drag2share: Card Table Puts an Always Available Deck of Cards on Your iPhone

Source: http://lifehacker.com/card-table-puts-an-always-available-deck-of-cards-on-yo-1553141113

Card Table Puts an Always Available Deck of Cards on Your iPhone

iOS: If you want to play cards but don't have a deck, a free app called Card Table can do the trick. You need an iPhone or iPad touch and iPad to use it, but if you've got all that you just need people to play.

Card Table works by using your iPad as the table that everyone sees and placing the cards, themselves, on your iPhone (or iPod touch). You can then move cards from your iPhone to other phones or to the iPad. Basically, the iPhone acts as your hand and the iPad as communal playing surface.

The obvious downside is that you need an iPad and another iDevice to get any use out of this app, plus you need other people with iDevices to join in. When a deck of cards can cost less than a dollar, nobody is going to go out and buy phones and tablets to play the game.

That said, while the app doesn't work as a replacement for the deck of cards you already have, it does work well for the one you don't. If you know you're around friends with iPhones and need a deck of cards for a game night, now you have one free of charge with the gadgets you already own. Plus, you never have to worry about shuffling properly.

Card Table (Free) | iTunes App Store

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drag2share: Science gets closer to artificial life with first synthetic chromosome

Source: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/scientists-have-created-first-ever-man-made-chromosome-1553312707/@caseychan

Science gets closer to artificial life with first synthetic chromosome

Science, man. An international team of scientists have made a major breakthrough in synthetic biology. For the first time ever, they were able to insert a man-made, custom-built chromosome into brewer's yeast to not only create a life form but one that also passes down its man-made genes to its offspring. We're closer to creating artificial life.

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drag2share: Foodini is a 3D printer for everything from burgers to gnocchi

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/27/foodini/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

Who wants a 3D printer for just candy when you can have one that prints a five-course dinner instead? That's the idea behind Foodini, a new 3D printer that takes fresh ingredients and turns them into a culinary masterpiece. The device can do things like make custom ravioli, your own unique crackers or cookies, or even an intricate dark chocolate vase (if you just have to print candy). Its creations are made by filling the printer's "food capsules" with fresh ingredients and then inputting a recipe for the device to create. Foods can be printed in just a few minutes and eaten right away (if they're made from pre-cooked materials) or cooked after printing. Foodini is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter to manufacturer its first run of the printers. $1,000 gets you in line to get one in January 2015, and a $2,000 investment can have you throwing your first printed dinner party by October of this year.

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drag2share: Philips adds web-connected tap switch, white-only lux bulb to Hue lighting lineup

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/28/philips-hue-white-bulb-and-switch/

Think you're all done building out your Hue lighting collection? Think again. Philips' latest product is one you're likely going to want to own. The tap switch, available later this year for $60, lets you control connected lights wirelessly by tapping one of four buttons. More impressive, however, is the switch's ability to turn lights off and on without requiring a power source of its own. The device is powered by kinetic energy, so a tap creates enough juice to complete each task. Philips is also announcing a new "lux" bulb, which looks and operates like traditional Hue units, albeit without the 16 million colors. This bulb emits only white light, but it's reportedly very bright. Lux is set to retail for $40 per bulb (compared to $60 for the color version), or $100 in a set of two bundled with a Hue base as well. Like the switch, lux will ship in Europe and North America after the summer.

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drag2share: Philips Hue targets the ultra high end with $3,500 3D-printed luminaires

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/28/philips-hue-luminaires/

Philips' Hue collection of app-controlled LED bulbs has never been the cheapest option for lighting a room, but the company's existing products are at least priced to be accessible to many homeowners. That's absolutely no concern when it comes to this latest lineup of lamps, however. The table and pendant luminaries (a fancy word for light fixture) were designed by WertelOberfell and Strand+Hvass. These works of art are still perfectly functional, though -- each is capable of displaying any of 16 million colors, with full wireless control. These 3D-printed fixtures are hardly affordable, however. A selection of table lamps will be available for pre-order beginning March 31st for €2,500 (about $3,500) while the pendant versions will retail for a whopping €3,000 (about $4,150).

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Thursday, March 27, 2014

drag2share: Philips' new LED bulbs are powered over Ethernet, provide occupancy and climate info to office managers

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/27/philips-power-over-ethernet/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

Get ready for a whole new generation of connected lightbulbs. Philips latest concept replaces an office's traditional electrical wiring with Ethernet, used to power LED bulbs and pass info to and from each lamp. Each fixture outputs light, but also collects information from a variety of sensors. A motion sensor can track the number of employees in a given area, for example, while a thermometer can report back on the current temperature. Facility managers can track any section of the office in realtime, adjusting lighting and heating from a smartphone app to save on utilities whenever possible. Of course, as you'll need to replace traditional cabling with Ethernet, the installation itself is sure to cost a pretty penny. Philips quotes a 50-percent reduction in installation costs for PoE over traditional wiring with new installations, however, so if you're planning to refurbish an office this is definitely an interesting option to consider.

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drag2share: A Microscopic Lens-Free Image Sensor Could Turn Anything Into a Camera

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-microscopic-lens-free-image-sensor-could-turn-anythin-1552714005

A Microscopic Lens-Free Image Sensor Could Turn Anything Into a Camera

This tiny piece of glass may not look like much, but in fact its surface is cleverly etched to capture light, and it contains a small chip to process the incident light. Yep, it's a tiny camera that could provide any object—however small—with the means of capturing images.

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drag2share: Philips' 2014 4K TVs include an Android-powered model and smaller sets

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/27/philips-2014-4k-tvs/

Philips 7500 TV set

Philips' 4K TVs last year were on the large side, but it's following up in 2014 with smaller models -- including one with a few tricks up its sleeve. The company's new 55-inch 8809 series set mates the extra-high resolution with Android, giving you both Google Play apps as well as access to your Dropbox content. It's also a capable set whether or not you like the mobile OS, with a 1GHz refresh rate and Ambilight illumination that plays nicely with both games and Hue lights. There are also 48- and 55-inch 1080p sets running Android (the 8109 and 8209 series), and you can pick up the 7809 series (pictured here) in 42-, 49- and 55-inch flavors if you're comfortable using a 4K set without Google underpinnings. All of the new 7000 and 8000 series TVs should be available in Europe and Russia in the second quarter of the year, although the Android variants aren't expected to reach the UK. Pricing isn't available at this stage, but we'd expect these screens to be more affordable than Philips' 65- and 84-inch behemoths.

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drag2share: New Construction Material Is Lighter Than Water And Stronger Than Steel

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/new-material-is-lighter-than-water-stronger-than-steel-2014-3

Lighter Than Water, Stronger Than Steel

Researchers in Germany have made a significant advance in creating lightweight, tough materials by taking a note from bone, wood and honeycombs.

A Karlsruhe Institute of Technology team fabricated polymer and alumina composites in a regular framework structure using 3-D laser lithography. Their hierarchical microarchitecture achieved extremely porous materials with strength-to-density ratios higher than bone, aluminum or steel.

"The novel lightweight construction materials resemble the framework structure of a half-timbered house with horizontal, vertical, and diagonal struts," said Jens Bauer, a microarchitecture expert who lead the research, in a statement.

Their samples contained 45 percent to more than 90 percent air, making them extremely lightweight while also withstanding more than 46,000 pounds per square inch of pressure. They published their work recently in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

2-9.gif3-3.gif

SEE ALSO: A Colorado Man Is Connected To 700 Sensors That Record Every Detail Of His Life

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drag2share: Singapore's Airport Was Just Named The World's Best — Again

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/singapore-changi-airport-photos-2014-3

sunflower garden at Singapore Changi airportSingapore's Changi Airport was just named the world's best airport in 2014 by the World Airport Awards. 

This is the second year that Changi took the top spot in Skytrax's World Airport Awards, the most prestigious airport award in the industry.

Skytrax evaluates over 400 airports around the world for service, check-in, transfers, shopping, security, immigration, and more. 

It's no surprise that Changi took the number one spot. The international transit hub has incredible amenities, like a butterfly garden, rooftop pool, movie theaters, hotels, spas, and showers, and even a four-story slide.

Last year, I visited the airport during a trip to Singapore and had a chance to explore. The bottom line: This is a place where you'll actually enjoy having a long layover.

Disclosure: Our trip to Singapore, including travel and lodging expenses, was sponsored by the Singapore Tourism Board. 

The airport is an architectural marvel. The newest terminal, Terminal 3, was designed by CPG Consultants, in collaboration with Woodhead, Tierra Design and SOM, Bartenbach LichtLabor and Hugh Dutton & Associates.



Most passengers enter the airport at Terminal 3, the newest and largest terminal at Changi, which is where Singapore Airlines is based. At 380,000 sq. m., the terminal is spacious, with high ceilings and an open, airy feel.



There's also a lush vertical garden here called the "Green Wall." It has more than 20 varieties of plants, vines, and flowers growing on it.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
    

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drag2share: The Futuristic Liquid Nitrogen Machine That Makes Ice Cream To Order

Source: http://gizmodo.com/the-futuristic-liquid-nitrogen-machine-that-makes-ice-c-1551782945

The Futuristic Liquid Nitrogen Machine That Makes Ice Cream To Order

Despite the warm wood and cheery red accents, Smitten Ice Cream can feel a bit like a mad scientist's shop. There's the industrial-sized tank of liquid nitrogen that greets you inside the entrance of its new flagship location in Oakland. And there's the billowing clouds of nitrogen when the stainless steel ice cream machines churn out personalized scoops to order.

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drag2share: Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 range inbound, likely with thinner bezels and upgraded displays

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/27/samsung-galaxy-tab-4-fcc/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

Leaked image of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7.0

We've been hearing scraps of information about Samsung's next batch of Galaxy Tabs since February, but now we have something that helps us piece them all together: An FCC filing for what looks to be the 10-incher, with the model number "SM-T805." The official paperwork doesn't reveal much, but the same model has also appeared on internal Samsung documents that suggest it possesses a 2,560 x 1,600 display -- which would be a huge upgrade over the existing Tab 3 10.1. Smaller Tab 4 models have also leaked elsewhere, with a press render of the 7-inch version (shown above, courtesy of @evleaks) showing thinner bezels than the current Tab 3 7.0, presumably resulting in a cheaper version of the highly portable (and generally very good) Tab Pro 8.4. We could be due for an official launch event pretty soon, especially with the press renders showing a date of April 24th, so stay tuned for more numerical branding fatigue.

Update: The SM-T801, likely the 8.4-inch model, just hit the FCC as well.

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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

drag2share: Many Consumers Still Don't See The Value Of Tablets

Source: https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/welcome

A majority of U.S. consumers who don't yet own a tablet still say they won't buy one this year. And most of them say it's because they're happy with their PC or laptop.

  • Roughly 53% of consumers who don't already own a tablet reported that they will not be buying a tablet in the next 12 months, according to a new Kantar Worldpanel ComTech survey. 
  • Another 34% responded that they were unsure if they would be buying a tablet. Among consumers who were unsure whether they wanted to buy a tablet or not, 47% claimed tablet prices were too high. 
  • Only 13% of those consumers who don't already own a tablet said they would buy one this year.
  • Among respondents with no plans to buy a tablet, a whopping 72% claimed that they were happy with their current laptop or PC, while 42% also said they were simply not interested in a tablet.

That last statistic is the most telling, and it indicates that tablet vendors have failed to drive home the message of what the tablet's true value is.

Most tablet-averse consumers likely look at tablets as expensive entertainment devices that are supremely lacking in productivity capabilities compared to PCs.

But it's not just PCs that are taking away from the value of the tablet.

Advancements in smartphone screen size and quality are making the tablet less attractive as an entertainment device. Why would consumers pay a few hundreds dollars for an extra, only slightly bigger device when they likely already have a perfectly good smartphone in their pocket?

One of our mobile predictions for 2014 was that more tablet-friendly productivity software would become available, making the tablet a more respectable productivity tool. With Microsoft launching Office for iPad this week, and Google building a full-fledged enterprise suite of apps for Android, expect the tablet's value to consumers and businesses to rise soon.

Click here to download the charts and data in Excel

TabletBuyers

Here is a look at some of the biggest reasons why consumers will not be buying a tablet over the next 12 months.

TabletReasons

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