Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, June 13, 2014

Samsung Has A New Tablet With A Gorgeous Screen And It's Thinner Than The iPad Air

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-tab-s-2014-6

samsung galaxy tab s

Samsung has a new line of tablets launching this summer called the Galaxy Tab S.

The Galaxy Tab S comes in two sizes: a 10.4-inch model and an 8.4-inch model. Both are essentially the same on the inside as far as specs go, but the big selling point here is the screen. Samsung put its Super AMOLED display on a tablet for the first time. It's the same type of display used on the Galaxy S5 phone, which many folks in the industry have called the best screen on the market.

The screen looks really nice in person. This is an HD video running on the tablet, but the photo doesn't really do it justice:

samsung galaxy tab s Samsung makes a lot of different tablet models under the Galaxy name, but the Galaxy Tab S will be marketed as the company's flagship brand. It's priced the same as the iPad Mini and iPad Air. The 8.4-incher starts at $399; the 10.5-incher starts at $499. (Those are the prices for the Wi-Fi models with 16GB of memory. Samsung will launch a 4G LTE version later.)

The tablets are very thin and light. Both measure just 6.6 millimeters thick (that's thinner than the iPad Air, which is 7.5 millimeters thick). The 10.5-inch tablet weighs 1 pound, and the 8.4-inch model weighs 10 ounces.

It feels good, too. Unlike previous tablets from Samsung, the Galaxy Tab S feels sturdy instead of creaky and plasticky. It looks good from the front, but the back has the same tacky dimpled plastic that originally debuted on the Galaxy S5. There's also a kitschy bronze-colored border along the sides.

samsung galaxy tab s

Also l ike the Galaxy S5, the Galaxy Tab S has a fingerprint sensor embedded in the home button. You can use it to unlock the device without a passcode or make payments through PayPal. The fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S5 doesn't work very well, so we don't have high hopes for the one on the Galaxy Tab S.

Samsung also designed new cases for the Galaxy Tab S called Book Covers. They snap onto the back of the tablet and let you prop it on the table to three different viewing angles.

samsung galaxy tab s

The Galaxy Tab S is an Android tablet, but Samsung modified the software a lot to add some of its own features and tricks. For example, you can pair the tablet to your Galaxy smartphone over Wi-Fi and drag and drop photos and files between the two devices. You can also use the pairing mode to make calls on the tablet.

There's no specific launch date, but the Galaxy Tab S should start shipping in early July.

SEE ALSO: The most important features in Samsung's new Galaxy Tab S

Join the conversation about this story »

Online Video Advertising Is Growing Many Times Faster Than TV, Search, And Most Other Digital Ad Markets

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-video-advertising-growth-trends-2014-5
VideoGrowth_BII
Online video is growing faster than most other advertising formats and mediums.

Video ad revenue will increase at a three-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.5% through 2016, according to our estimates.
That's faster than any other medium other than mobile. And much faster than traditional online display advertising, which will only grow at a 3% annual rate.

In a new report from BI Intelligence we explore the key drivers of the skyrocketing growth of video ads, examine the cost and performance of the emerging digital ad format, and look at the major players that are shaping the industry.
Access The Full Report By Signing Up For A Free Trial Today »
Here are some of the key trends we explore in the report:

Online video ad revenue will reach nearly $5 billion in 2016, up from $2.8 billion in 2013, while TV ad revenue will decline by nearly 3% per year during the same time period.
Video ad views exploded in 2013, topping over 35 billion views in December, averaging over 100% year-over-year monthly growth during the year.
Online video ads are significantly more expensive than other formats, but prices are steadily declining as more publishers rush into video, and placements open up.
Video ads have an average click-through rate (CTR) of 1.84%, the highest click-through rate of all digital ad formats.
Viewability, the question of whether video ads are actually seen by multitasking online viewers, has emerged as an issue, but we believe that overall demand for online video is too high for viewability to put too much of a crimp in the video ad market.
Streaming devices and connected TV accounted for just 2% of online video ad views in the fourth quarter of 2013, but companies like BrightLine are experimenting with formats to grow this new niche market.
The growth of mobile and digital video advertising has been paralleled by fundamental changes in the online advertising industry — programmatic advertising, which we covered in a recent report, has begun to reshape the entire digital ad market, including video.
Newly launched video ad platforms have been among the companies to adopt programmatic tools, including real-time bidding, ad exchanges, and advanced analytics.

The report is full of charts and data that can be easily downloaded and put to use.
In full, the report:

You Won't Be Able To Stop Playing This Addictive Music App

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/patatap-ios-app-2014-6

Patatap

Patatap is a website that allows you to make music just by typing on your keyboard. And now it's available as an iOS app, so you can create music, even if you're nowhere near a computer.

It sounds simple, and that's because it is. But it's also mesmerizing: as you type, different animations appear on the screen.

The site was made by designer Jono Brandel, in collaboration with music composers Lullatone; he describes the site as being a portable animation sound kit."

Lullatone created sounds to accompany different animations. There are different color palettes, each with its own unique set of sounds. The sounds are aimed to make tapping as melodic as possible; it's like a visual drum pad.

Patatap is even on display as a special exhibit at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California.

If you need some inspiration on tunes to play, you can check out some sheet music and see what other people have done.

But there's no way to describe how awesome — and addicting — it is. You just have to try it yourself, which you can below.

(Pro tip: Hit the space bar to change up what the tunes sound like.)

Join the conversation about this story »

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Panasonic FZ1000: A Large-Sensor Super Zoom That Shoots 4K Video

Source: http://reframe.gizmodo.com/panasonic-fz1000-a-large-sensor-super-zoom-that-shoots-1588817021/+kcampbelldollaghan

Panasonic FZ1000: A Large-Sensor Super Zoom That Shoots 4K Video

Since Sony released the RX10 last year, there have been exactly zero competitors to rival that camera's stellar lens quality, zoom reach, and sensor size. It redefined what a "bridge camera" could be. Panasonic is the next company to realize the advantage of bringing large sensor image quality to a fixed long range zoom.

Facebook Is Now Using Your Browsing History to Target Advertising

Source: http://gizmodo.com/facebook-is-now-sharing-your-browsing-history-with-adve-1589809318

Facebook Is Now Using Your Browsing History to Target Advertising

Facebook has announced that it's to start using app and website data from your browsing habits to provide more targeted ads—and you'll have to opt out if you don't like it.

These Five Amazing Houses Just Won Awards For Being Small and Cheap

Source: http://gizmodo.com/these-five-amazing-houses-just-won-awards-for-being-tin-1589731329

These Five Amazing Houses Just Won Awards For Being Small and Cheap

Last month, we looked Chicago's tiniest buildings of the year . Now, the national chapter of the American Institute of Architects has unveiled its 2014 Small Projects awards, which honor buildings on the smaller end of the spectrum. Their list includes five houses that were built small, on smaller budgets.

World Cup Refs Are Wearing Smartwatches That Alert Them To Goals

Source: http://gizmodo.com/world-cup-refs-are-wearing-smartwatches-that-alert-them-1589886222

World Cup Refs Are Wearing Smartwatches That Alert Them To Goals

At today's opening match between Brazil and Croatia, the referees will be wearing smartwatches that read "GOAL" and vibrate when a team scores. No, it's not punishment for the infamous Frank Lampard disallowed goal of 2010. It's part of a new "unhackable" goal line detection system, the first to ever be used in the World Cup.

Powerbeats2 are Beats by Dre's first wireless earbuds

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/12/powerbeats2-beats-by-dre/

There may have been some big changes at Beats recently, but it's still all about the headphones. The newest addition to the (ever growing) family is the Powerbeats². As the name suggests, they are a revision of the original sport-friendly buds from Beats, but this time they're wireless -- Beats' first in-ears to cut the cord. The Powerbeats² keep the (albeit modified) hook-over-the-ear design, but liberate heads from handsets via Bluetooth 4.0. Beats says you'll get six hours of playback from a full charge, but should they be low on juice when you fish them out of your kit bag, the company claims a 15 minute pre-gym charge will see you good for a one-hour workout. If keeping up with LeBron (who "inspired" the Powerbeats²) makes you work up a bit of a sweat, then their IPX4 water resistance should keep them in good condition.

The Powerbeats² come with one vital feature that anyone who's used Bluetooth headphones for any amount of time will know is essential. They have an LED that tells you when power is low. There's nothing more disheartening than having the music fade on you barely minutes in to your workout. In fact, the Powerbeats² tells you when it thinks there's less than an hour of playtime to go, and ramps this warning up when battery life could be below 15 minutes.

We had a pair of the Powerbeats² land in the Engadget office this morning, so had a real quick chance to check them out. An accusation often levelled at Beats headphones is that they are too heavy on the bass. The first thing I noticed about the Powerbeats² is actually how prominent they are on the mid-highs, perhaps a little too prominent -- if you have the volume jacked right up like I did. Set at a more reasonable level though, while listening to electronic music, I noticed synth stabs and vocals in particular seemed to cut through a lot more than the low end frequencies, and this is music with a lot of low end. This was a trend we found with the new Solo² on-ears, too. So one thing's for sure, Beats is clearly working to move on from the bass-is-best approach of earlier models.

If you've never used earbuds with fastening hooks before, you might be concerned that you don't get the fit that you may be used to with regular in-ears. It's a legitimate worry that the hooks might prevent the buds from sitting tight in your ear, and thus not giving the full "lock" that they need to provide the best audio experience. The Powerbeats² thankfully has adjustable, bendable sections within the part that goes over your ear. This means you can set them up just right for your particular lug-holes, and get the sound piped in without that dreaded "loose" feeling.

Despite being "wireless," there is a cable running between the two buds. This sits comfortably on the back of the neck and even has a widget to let you adjust the amount of slack. It also keep the Powerbeats² from ever parting company with each other of course. The lack of long cable does mean that the remote/control buttons sit quite high up by your left ear, but that's something you will probably get used to with regular use. It's certainly a small trade-off if you're not a fan of wingtips like Beats' Tour model, or Jaybird's BlueBuds. You might also be wondering if there's support for aptX, we were told there isn't, which is a real shame given the asking price (below).

The Powerbeats² launch in Beats' signature colors -- red, white and black -- but cost $199, (whichever hue you go for) when they launch later this month.

Filed under: Wearables, Wireless, Apple

Article: BitTorrent experiments with decentralized private chat service

Are you longing to chat in private — not just "off the record," but off the grid? BitTorrent today released an internal alpha of its server-less chat app, making your dreams for truly private chats a near reality. BitTorrent realized the word "privacy" means different things to different people a...

http://venturebeat.com/2014/06/11/bittorrent-experiments-with-decentralized-private-chat-service/

Sent via Flipboard

Chrome tool lets you see what web apps are really doing

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/11/chrome-tool-shows-what-apps-are-doing/

Chrome Web Store

Ever get the nagging feeling that a Chrome web app or add-on isn't entirely above board? You now have an easy way to prove it. Google has posted a new version of a Chrome developer tool that lets you see just what your apps and extensions are up to. While it's meant for programmers, it should be helpful if you're simply concerned about privacy or security; if a weather app is inexplicably changing pages or sifting through your history, that may be your cue to uninstall it. The tool isn't all that vital now that Google is starting to cut off extensions that don't come from the Chrome Web Store, but one additional safety net won't hurt.

Google's Chrome app developer tool

Filed under: Internet, Software, Google

Source: Chromium Blog

Sigma's unique dp2 Quattro camera can be yours in August for $999

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/12/sigma-dp2-quattro/

The dp2 Quattro is a strange looking camera. Its extra-wide design is quite unusual, but if Sigma's CEO is to believed, the 29-megapixel shooter will deliver superior image quality thanks to its unique sensor design. The Quattro layers pixels in order to capture red, green and blue colors vertically -- there's no need for interpolation, resulting in shaper, more vibrant photos. The company claims that the dp2 can output an equivalent of 39 megapixels, based on tests that pit the chip against traditional sensors. The dp2 is expected to ship in early August for $999, including a fixed 30mm (45mm equivalent) f/2.8 lens. Pricing info for the dp1 and dp3, which come with permanently attached 19mm and 50mm lenses, respectively, is not yet available.

Filed under: Cameras

Amazon launches free streaming music service for Prime members

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/12/amazon-launches-free-streaming-music-service-for-prime-members/

It looks like the rumors were true: Amazon has just launched Amazon Prime Music with a million-plus songs and unlimited streaming with no ads or restrictions. As we noted earlier, the service is free to Prime members (only in the US for now) who've paid $79 to $119 for a subscription, and Amazon clearly hopes that it'll be yet another carrot to lure new subscribers. You'll also be able to download music to listen offline, which will be available on Kindle Fire, iOS, Android and Mac/PC devices anywhere, thanks to Amazon's Cloud Player -- now known as Amazon Music. The site has already been stocked with hundreds of "expertly programmed" playlists like "Powerful Women of Pop" and we were able to successfully sign up and start listening ourselves. Note that while a million songs sounds like a lot, Spotify currently has 20 million songs and Deezer has 30 million. In addition, the site doesn't seem to carry much! new mus ic yet, with quite a few songs in the Billboard Top 100 missing. Still, given other Prime perks like free shipping, streaming and the lending library, it might be enough.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, Amazon

Source: Amazon

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Cheap, tiny robots serve as terrain scouts for expensive ones (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/11/uc-berkeley-eth-zurich-robots/

Big robots like Cheetah and Big Dog cost a lot to make, so it would be such a shame if they get put out of commission after slipping on, say, a patch of ice. To prevent that from happening, UC Berkeley and ETH Zurich researchers propose sending a team of small, expendable robots ahead of the big, expensive one to scout terrain conditions -- in the event that they do get used for real missions, that is. The researchers demonstrated their idea at the IEEE robotics conference in Hong Kong, where they used UC Berkeley's tiny cardboard robot called VelociRoACH to do recon work for ETH Zurich's StarlETH.

They loaded the smaller machine with the ability to send back terrain data to the bigger quadruped, which, in turn, is equipped with a camera to monitor its minion's location. Thanks to this kind of setup, the scout robot can tell the main unit if an area's too unstable to step on, and the bigger machine can avoid that exact spot. During real missions, that'll probably mean losing scouts along the way, but that's the idea anyway: sacrifice cheap robots for the sake of the multi-million creation.

Filed under: Robots

Via: IEEE

Source: US Berkeley

An Austrian Teen Discovered The Vulnerability That Set Off TweetDeck's Outage

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/austrian-teen-tweetdeck-outage-2014-6

TweetDeck was down for about an hour Wednesday while the company was fixing a vulnerability allowing cross site scripting attacks (XSS) that caused a tweet with some code and a little heart in it to be retweeted over and over.

The script in the tweet was being rendered as code in users' browsers. Attackers could execute code (like making an account automatically retweet) on anyone's computer just by tweeting it out.

TweetDeck fixed the vulnerability, which may have first been discovered by an Austrian teen. The Verge reports that at 8:05 this morning, the Twitter account @FiroXL, which belongs to a 19-year-old named Florian, tweeted a Javascript tag along with a heart symbol and a German phrase that means something along the lines of "I wonder if this will work":

TweetDeck Hack

He basically discovered that if he included the heart in his tweet, TweetDeck would execute Javascript or HTML from plaintext (that's why all the spammy tweets you saw in your timeline had hearts at the end of them). As soon as he discovered the vulnerability, he tweeted "Discovered vulnerability in TweetDeck."

From there, other Twitter users started using the technique. TweetDeck shut down its service while it made the security fixes necessary to fix the bug.

SEE ALSO: A String Of Disasters At PayPal Has Capped eBay's Toughest Year Ever

Join the conversation about this story »

Article: Beautify Any Portrait w/FaceFilter3 Pro | Cult of Mac Deals

THE ULTIMATE BEAUTY KIT FOR YOUR PHOTOS FaceFilter Pro 3 is a versatile photo retouching and beautifying toolkit makes it easy to apply natural skin smoothing and blemish removal tools, or—if you're feeling creative—go all out with the comprehensive multi-layer makeup system to really make your f...

https://deals.cultofmac.com/sales/beautify-your-graduation-pictures-w-facefilter3-pro-for-mac

Sent via Flipboard

Article: 8 iPad Apps to Teach your Children about Space

Share This: Google+0 Twitter0 Facebook0 Pinterest0 I've been interested in space for as long as I can remember and I was trying to wrack my brains to figure out exactly what it was that got me into it. In a dark corner of my brain, a book appeared: The Arthur Mee's Children's Encyclopaedia. I rem...

http://ipadinsight.com/ipad-app-reviews/8-ipad-apps-to-teach-your-children-about-space/

Sent via Flipboard

Wire magically untangles itself in water

Source: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/wire-magically-untangles-itself-in-water-1589098717/+caseychan
Wire magically untangles itself in water
Nitinol wire, a metal alloy made from nickel and titanium, basically has magic properties that lets it remember its 'original' shape. You can bend it over and over, twist it up, bunch it together and confuse the heck out of it however much you want but once you throw it in hot water, it'll snap back to its original shape.
Read more...

GE's metallic ink can put tiny sensors inside jet engines

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/10/ge-direct-write/

GE's Direct Write produces a tiny 3D sensor

Embedded tech can fit into some incredible spaces, but it can't yet fit everywhere; there are places that are simply too harsh or small for modern technology. If GE gets its way, though, just about any surface will be fair game. Its Direct Write technology uses ink made from either metals or metal oxides to print tiny, flexible sensors that both fit into tight spots and survive conditions that typically fry electronics. You could see sensors inside the hot environment of a jet engine, or put both pressure and temperature sensors into areas that normally don't have room for anything.
GE is already testing Direct Write sensors with some of its partners, and it notes that the technique could apply sensors to devices well after they've left the factory. However, the technology isn't flawless; while the ink may survive hostile environments, wireless signals typically don't. It may be a long while before you can fit sensors in places where even wires are too risky.

Via: Wall Street Journal
Source: GE Reports

The 10 Most Expensive Homes For Sale In New York City

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/most-expensive-homes-for-sale-in-nyc-2014-6

$100 million city spire penthouse There have been some pricey home sales in Manhattan recently, but many of city's most expensive properties are still on the market.

With the help of Zillow, we've put together a list of the most expensive homes currently for sale in New York City. These apartments feature incredible city views, swanky residential amenities, and more.

These homes are listed $60 million and up. By comparison, the median asking price for homes in Manhattan in April 2014 was $1.28 million, according to StreetEasy.

#10 This penthouse is located at a five-star hotel.

Address: 25 East 77th Street

Price: $60 million

This penthouse is located in the five-star Mark Hotel on the Upper East Side, and boasts 9,800 square feet of space plus 2,400 square feet of finished terrace.

One of the highlights of this incredible property is its living room, which is located within a copper roof turret. The home also has a sky-lit conservatory. Residents would have access to all of the hotel's amenities, including The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges and the Frèdèrick Fekkai Salon.

Click here to tour the penthouse >

#9 A steel tycoon is selling this apartment combo at 15 Central Park West.

Address: 15 Central Park West

Price: $65 million

This apartment is located in 15 Central Park West, "the world's most powerful address." Prestigious architect Robert A.M. Stern renovated and combined an A-line and a B-line apartment into this beautiful space.

Panoramic views in each direction showcase Central Park, Columbus Circle, the Empire State Building, the Hudson River and beyond.

The apartment is being sold by billionaire Leroy Schecter, chairman of steelmaker Marino/Ware Industries, who listed the apartment at its original price of $95 million in August 2012.

#8 Here's a giant penthouse that overlooks Columbus Circle.

Address: 25 Columbus Circle

Price: $68 million

With over 8,000 square feet of space, this penthouse in Columbus Circle is one of the largest in Manhattan. Residents will enjoy more than 390 feet of panoramic views, visible through the apartment's floor-to-ceiling windows. The house was decorated by the talented Tony Ingrao and is decked out in modern furnishings.

This residential building at the Time Warner Center includes perks such as a 24-hour doorman, a 520-car parking garage, and Central Park Club membership.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

-->

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

370-inch TV costs more than the mansion you'd need to house it

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/10/titan-zeus-370-inch-4k-tv/

What will Panasonic make of this, then? The Japanese manufacturer's enormous 152-inch 4K set has been superseded by a rival giant -- the "Titan Zeus" -- which is more than four times the size and triple the price. At a cost of £1 million sterling ($1.6 million), the Zeus also promises a full 4K resolution, but this time stretched out across a 370-inch (8m by 5m) panel that is said to be suitable for both indoor and outdoor domestic use. We can't really comment on the design or image quality, however, because there are no photos or video showing the mythologically-confused TV in action. The company tells us this is because its first and only private customer for the Zeus has asked for their installation to be kept confidential. Then again, similar sets from Titan have been widely used at public events (such as the Xbox gathering shown above). You'll also be able to see a second Zeus on show at the Cannes film festival this year, put up by Curb Media in order to display World Cup action at the size of an actual football goal.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Via: Pocket-lint

MakerBot app lets you remotely check 3D prints in case they go all wrong

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/10/makerbot-iphone-app/

We love 3D printing, but let's face it: it's slow. Luckily, MakerBot has just given you a new way to track the progress of a printout from afar with its new iPhone app. Using the camera from any fifth-generation printer, MakerBot Mobile for iOS can show you an image of the build area every three seconds (from a local network) and ensure that Celtic skull isn't a beautiful failure. You can also use it to pause or cancel a job and get notifications when a 3D model is ready, for instance. It's also baked in its Thingiverse app, letting you browse thousands of models via the cloud and add them to your collections, or share your work on Thingiverse or social networks. Future updates include remote monitoring over a cellular network and more notifications (there's no Android app yet), but meanwhile, you can grab the iOS app right here.

Filed under: Misc, Peripherals

Source: MakerBot

Amazon's updated Kindle apps let you seamlessly switch between text and audiobooks

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/10/amazon-audible-app/

It's a hulking behemoth now, but let's not forget that Amazon got its start peddling books. It never really forgot those roots, either: somewhere along the way it built its own e-reading platform and snapped up a pricey purveyor of audiobooks. Now the e-commerce titan is trying to blur the lines between those two properties even more thanks to a new update to its iOS and Android Kindle apps. The changelog is a pretty lengthy one, but the addition of Whispersync for Voice is the real standout here -- now book buffs can leap between words on a digital page and a professional audio recording without having to leave the Kindle app proper. The upside for Amazon is clear: if it can make it easier for you to jump back and forth between reading and listening, it's got a decent shot at selling more audio recordings. Synergy, folks! If that somehow improves your reading experience along the way, well, that's just peachy too. Just be warned that not every book available from Amazon's virtual shelves has an Audible equivalent -- the company has said there are about 45,000 book/recording matches out there.

Source: Amazon

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)