drag2share: This Is What Wikipedia Looks Like Imagined as a Galaxy
It may look like some kind of holographic AI, but this is actually Wikipedia's 100,000 most popular articles in 2014, mapped out as a galaxy.
Thursday, February 05, 2015
Olympus Air A01 Turns Your Phone Into a Lens-Swapping 16 MP Shooter Â
Source: http://reframe.gizmodo.com/olympus-air-a01-turns-your-phone-into-a-lens-swapping-1-1683948845
Olympus just announced a new Japan-only product that mimics what Sony did last year with their QX line. It's a camera sensor and lens mount that's controlled completely by your smartphone. The Air A01 uses a hot 16 megapixel micro four-thirds sensor and is compatible with all lenses for that system.
With video in mind, Olympus introduces the E-M5 Mark II
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/05/olympus-om-d-e-m5-mark-ii/
The original OM-D E-M5 has had a great run since being announced roughly two years ago, but it's time for an upgrade. Accordingly, Olympus is taking the wraps off of the E-M5 Mark II, a Micro Four Thirds camera that aims to go head to head with the likes of Sony's recently released A7 II and other similar mirrorless shooters. Olympus says that the second-generation E-M5 isn't here to replace its flagship OM-D camera, the E-M1 -- though it very well could, at least on paper. And even though it is very similar in looks to its predecessor, the E-M5 Mark II brings enough internal changes to make it a worthy successor. For starters, it packs a redesigned 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor, coupled with a TruePic VII image processor, an upgraded 81-point autofocus system, a 40-megapixel high-res shot mode, a 3-inch (articulating) touchscreen and WiFi.
Where the E-M5 shines, however, and how it differentiates itself from the first model, is with the video-focused specs it features. This time around, Olympus has added support for 1080p shooting at 24/25/30/50/60 fps; it can handle up to 77 Mbps bit rate at 30 fps, which is great news for those of you who are into that sort of thing. Naturally, the company betting big on its in-body five-axis image stabilization system to help with video -- this is similar to what's found on the Sony A7 II, with Olympus emphasizing that it was the one to pioneer such technology. What's more, photography-wise, the E-M5 Mark II, which is dustproof and splashproof, has a max ISO of 25,600, a 9 fps sequential-shooting mode (with focus locked) and a battery rating of 470 shots.
The OM-D E-M5 Mark II will be available, in black and silver, later this month for $1,100 (body-only).
Meanwhile, if you already own the top-of-the-line E-M1, you should expect to get a firmware update over the next few days, which Olympus says is due to enhance the camera's overall performance and bump its sequential shooting support from 6.5 to 9 fps.
Olympus Air is a lens camera that pairs with your smartphone
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/05/olympus-air-lens-camera/
We knew it was coming, but it's finally here. Not to be outdone by Sony, Olympus revealed last year, during Photokina 2014, that it was working on a lens camera of its own. And now we're starting to learn more about it. Meet the Olympus Air, the company's first attempt at this type of remote device. Aside from being able to connect with your iOS or Android smartphone wirelessly, the Olympus Air has a 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor and can take up to 320 shots on a charge. Interestingly enough, Olympus is pegging the Air as an open-platform camera, since the company does plan to allow third-party developers to create applications for it.
In addition to that, Olympus says the Air is capable of producing "SLR-quality" images and can hook up with any Micro Four Third lens. Unfortunately, the company is only bringing it to the Japanese market for the time being, but we wouldn't be surprised to see it make its way to the US in the near future. There's no word on pricing at the moment -- however, we do know that it'll be up for grabs in the Land of the Rising Sun next month.Filed under: Cameras, Misc, Peripherals, Mobile
Olympus expands its rugged camera line with the Stylus TG-860
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/05/olympus-stylus-tough-tg-860/
There's no doubt that the E-M5 II is Olympus' big reveal of the night. Still, there are people out there who are just looking for something simple, like an all-terrain digital camera. Here's where the newly announced Stylus Tough TG-860 hopes to come in. While this compact shooter won't blow anyone away with the internal features it boasts, interested parties would likely care more about its ruggedized features than anything else.
The TG-860, which succeeds last year's TG-850, is waterproof (up to 50 feet) and shockproof (up to seven feet), but those aren't its only notable attributes. There's also a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor with a 21mm ultra wide-angle lens; a selfie-friendly, 180-degree adjustable screen; WiFi; GPS; and 1080p/60fps video. Olympus says the Stylus TG-860 is scheduled to launch in April, at which point it's set to be priced for $279.drag2share: The best sketch app for iPad just made its drawing tools free
Paper by FiftyThree is the best iPad app out there for creatives to illustrate their ideas, and as of Thursday, all the drawing tools that used to be in-app purchases are now free.
Paper has always been free to download, but the app's drawing tools — called Draw, Sketch, Outline, Write, and Color — were previously only available as in-app purchases costing $0.99 each or $3.99 for the bundle.
FiftyThree recently revealed that Paper has been downloaded 13 million times. With the move to make all drawing tools free, FiftyThree is hoping that more people will give the app a try with all the tools at their disposal.
Removing in-app purchases does means closing the door (at least temporarily) to revenue from in-app purchases, but FiftyThree also has a thriving physical Bluetooth stylus business selling "Pencils," which retail for $49.99 to $59.99
Wednesday, February 04, 2015
The CEO of 'Wichcraft explains why he eats a 1,000-calorie breakfast every morning
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/wichcraft-ceo-jeffrey-zurofsky-breakfast-morning-ritual-2015-2
Jeffrey Zurofsky has the distinction of being one of the select restaurateurs who has not only survived the harsh New York City restaurant business but has figured out how to make a name for himself.
Along with his business partners, including celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, Zurofsky cofounded the gourmet sandwich chain 'Wichcraft and the fine-dining restaurant Riverpark and its accompanying urban farm. The two also cohost the new Bravo television series "Best New Restaurant."
Zurofsky tells Business Insider that part of his success is due to the sustained energy he gets from the huge, carefully concocted breakfast he eats each morning and the routines that surround it. "I'm an animal about my rituals," he says.
Zurofsky likes to think of his morning ritual starting the night before. Before going to bed sometime between midnight and 2 a.m., he writes out his to-do list for the next day on a small slip of paper he can carry around. The small size also ensures that he keeps his list focused.
Then he'll go through his emails, replying to the most important and moving important but non-urgent messages to a folder he'll go through when he starts work the next morning. He also gives his calendar a quick look.
He makes sure to eat two scoops of almond butter before calling it a day, a trick that "4-Hour Workweek" author (and Zurofsky's favorite writer) Tim Ferriss recommends as a way to provide sustainable blood sugar while sleeping. Ferriss found that for him, it "eliminated at least 50% of 'feel like shit'" awakenings.
After Zurofsky wakes up at 5:30 a.m. (he makes up for the limited sleep with a nap later in the day), he walks his dog and does some exercise, whether running, gym training, or squash. He follows it up with meditation, and then he's ready for an intense meal.He changes up the cuisine and preparation of his breakfast each morning, but it always contains 1,000 calories and 30 grams of protein. It includes the following:
- Eggs
- 1 cup of legumes (here's an extensive list of ones you can buy)
- Assorted vegetables
- Meat or poultry
- Green juice with ginger
Zurofsky showers after breakfast and then walks or bikes to work, often listening to an e-book during the commute. When he arrives at the office sometime between 7:30 and 8:30, he gets through two hours of uninterrupted work before he takes any meetings or calls.
The point of this structured, approximately two-hour morning ritual is to build sustainable energy and diminish stress.
"It's just about keeping your mind clear and staying focused on the most important work of the day," he says.
SEE ALSO: 15 successful entrepreneurs share the most important lesson they learned in their 30s
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NOW WATCH: Here's How Much Mark Cuban Sleeps To Be On Top Of His Game
Article: ARM’s new chips will come with 3.5x performance boost
ARM holdings, the company behind the mobile processor architecture that powers the iPhone and iPad, unveiled its next generation processor blueprints today that it says will increase performance three fold compared to its current designs. The new Cortex-A72 chips aimed at smartphone and tablets w...
http://www.cultofmac.com/310943/arms-new-chips-will-give-iphone-3-5x-performance-boost/
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drag2share: We're One Step Closer to Blazingly Fast Computer Chips Made of Silicene
Move over graphene, today is silicene's day to shine. Silicene is a single-atom thick layer of silicon, whose theoretical properties could have exciting applications
drag2share: London has a real problem with thieves targeting keyless cars
If you own a new car, there's a good chance that it features some form of keyless security. Whether it helps unlock your car or lets you start it with the push of a button, it makes driving all that bit easier. That's unless it's the reason your car gets stolen. Police forces all over the UK are reporting a rise in keyless car thefts, but a new report released by the Metropolitan Police today suggests that it now accounts for over a quarter of all vehicle thefts across London.
According to the Met, 6,283 cars and vans were pinched in the capital last year by crooks without the owners' key. That works out at 17 vehicles a day. Gangs reportedly use devices (which are originally intended for mechanics) that "bypass the vehicle's electronic information as the owner locks it" or are physically breaking into cars to gain access to their OBD port, which then allows them to download the car's information and imprint it on a new key in no time at all.
ARM's latest processor design puts fast 4K graphics on your phone
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/03/arm-cortex-a72-processor/
You've probably heard no end of hype for 4K video on TVs and computers, and now it's about to invade your phone... at least, so long as ARM has its way. The company just took the wraps off of Cortex-A72, a processor reference design that promises a huge boost to computing power, especially when graphics come into play. Thanks to updates that include optimizations for an efficient 16-nanometer chipmaking process, 30 percent more memory performance and an 80 percent speedier graphics core (the Mali-T880), the A72 is about 3.5 times more powerful than ARM's earlier Cortex-A15. That's beefy enough to record 4K video at an extra-smooth 120 frames per second -- many current smartphones only manage 30FPS at best. You should get "console-class" gaming, too, and there's a promise of Google Now-style natural voice commands that don't depend on a distant server to interpret what you're saying.
The design should be more miserly across the board, too. It uses about 75 percent less energy than its A15 ancestor when it's at a similar performance level, and even the graphics use about 40 percent less power. And as you might expect, it's built to take advantage of both ARM's established big.LITTLE tech (which switches to lower-power CPU cores for lighter workloads) and 64-bit platforms like Android 5.0 Lollipop.
You'll have to be patient if you want to try any of this first-hand, though. Huawei (HiSilicon), MediaTek and Rockchip have already signed up to make A72-based processors, but ARM doesn't expect the first shipping hardware until sometime in 2016. This is more of a preview of what's possible than anything else. It's up to chip and phone builders to translate what ARM has made into something you'll appreciate, whether you're making 4K home movies or playing intensive shoot-em-ups.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile
Source: ARM
Monday, February 02, 2015
'Doctor Who' coding game for kids arrives on tablets
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/02/doctor-who-coding-game-on-tablets/
You no longer have to fire up your computer just to give your children some programming lessons from Doctor Who. The BBC's educational coding game, The Doctor and the Dalek, is now available on iPads and Android tablets (both through Amazon and soon Google Play). You'll get largely the same instruction-based Boolean logic puzzles as before, but with a few new levels and new abilities for your one-of-a-kind Dalek companion. The catch? While the game is still free, it's only available in the UK for now -- here's hoping that the BBC makes it available worldwide so that more kids can help their favorite Gallifreyan.
Source: BBC, Amazon, App Store
Raspberry Pi 2 announced with substantial hardware upgrades
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/02/raspberry-pi-2/
While Raspberry Pi fans were told to expect a brand new board somewhere around 2017, it turns out that wasn't quite true. This is the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B: a substantial upgrade from the Model B+ that will go on sale later today for $35/£25. The new board has some fundamental upgrades that could well warrant the upgrade for existing Raspberry Pi dabblers -- that is, if smaller wasn't better. Raspberry Pi Foundation lead Eben Upton told The Register that the new Model B "is a usable PC now." A fact borne out by official support for Windows 10.
"You could use a Raspberry Pi 1 as a PC but you had to say 'this is a great PC in so far as it cost me 35 bucks'. We've removed the caveat that you had to be a bit forgiving with it. Now it's just good."
How much better? Well, the team's upgraded the processor on-board to a 900MHz quad-core chip and have loaded in 1GB of RAM, which the foundation reckons will offer at least six times the performance of the old Model B+. It may look the same, but the board (with that processor which has apparently been in development for years), also has a special a tweak connecting to the quad-core brains to ensure it handles the gig of RAM on board. Naturally, it'll be up to the Raspberry Pi community and makers to show what is possible with this sequel PC -- but we're assuming the specification bump will mean "a whole lot more". Older boards will likely get cheaper over time, but the Raspberry Pi 2 will still go on sale for the same price as last year's B+; $35/£25. Just like its predecessor, at launch, it's only available via a limited number of partner outlets on either side of the Atlantic.
Filed under: Peripherals, Science, Internet
Via: The Register
Source: Raspberry Pi
A British company has invented a boiler that generates electricity as well as heat
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/flow-energy-launches-boiler-that-produces-electric-power-2015-1
A British company has launched an innovative boiler that could totally change the way people pay for their energy and heat their homes.
The Flow boiler provides both hot water and heat for the flats and apartments it is installed in but, on top of that, it also produces electric energy that can power household appliances.
It aims at covering several energy needs with one single energy source, potentially allowing customers to generate their own power inside their homes. The more people will be able to generate electricity on their own, the less demand there will be on the national grid.
Flow believes that its boiler can reduce a household's emissions by 20%.
Here is how it works: In a traditional boiler, gas is burned to heat water, which then passes through the home's pipes and radiators.
The Flow boiler instead uses the gas to heat a high-pressure liquid coolant that is sealed inside the system. The vapour created then moves through a dynamo called a "scroll expander," which spins and acts as a mini electric generator.
The hot vapor then moves through a heat exchanger, heating up the hot water for the house. The vapor returns to the boiler as the hot water is pumped around the house.
The Flow is using gas from the national grid to do two jobs (create heat and drive a turbine) where a normal boiler does one, in other words.
Stiff said that the company has stocked up interests for 15,000 boilers prior to launch, but the company has the capacity to produce 200,000 units per year. If that is the case, the company will be able to hire 700 people at its headquarters in Ipswich, the Ipswich Star reports.
The boilers are also produced in the UK: in Livingston, Scotland, by the American manufacturer Jabil.
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Saturday, January 31, 2015
Google's 3D-Scanning Project Tango Just Got a Little More Real
Source: http://gizmodo.com/googles-3d-scanning-project-tango-just-got-a-little-mor-1682894029
Google ATAP (that's Advanced Technology and Projects) is where wonderful things are born. Things like the animated magic of Glen Keane's Duet
Friday, January 30, 2015
Google's 3D-sensing Project Tango is no longer an experiment
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/30/project-tango-is-no-longer-an-experiment/
Yet another project is graduating from experiment to proper part of Google. Only two weeks ago, Glass left the confines of the Skunk Works-like Google X and became its own division headed up by Nest co-founder Tony Fadell. Now Project Tango, the 3D-sensing and -mapping concept, is moving on from the ATAP (Advanced Technology and Projects) labs to become a part of the company proper. Unfortunately what that means for the technology or what products it might eventually end up in isn't exactly clear. Will the next Nexus sport a depth-sensing IR camera? Maybe. Or perhaps they'll be used to build more advanced home automation and home monitoring tools for Nest. All we do know is that Tango will live on, even if the name "Project Tango" eventually fades away.
Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Tablets, Google
Source: Google ATAP (Google+)
Article: IBM joins forces with Mars, taps genomics, to boost food safety
Tech heavyweight IBM has joined forces with food manufacturing giant Mars in an attempt to boost global food safety. Scientists from the two companies have founded the Consortium for Sequencing the Food Supply Chain, tapping advances in genomics to gain a better understanding of food safety. IBM ...
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Thursday, January 29, 2015
LG's phone sales are way up, but killing plasma TVs had a cost
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/29/lgs-phone-sales-are-way-up-but-killing-plasma-tvs-had-a-cost/
LG is still trailing Samsung and Apple in total smartphone sales (and profits from them), but the company just revealed its financial data for the last year and has plenty to be happy about. It sold 59.1 million smartphones last year, up nearly a quarter from what it moved in 2013. The report didn't explain when we can expect the G Flex 2 in the US or leak what's in the next big G series phone, but said the company will "concentrate on improving its brand power, operating more efficiently, and focusing on selective key markets." Its TV business is doing well too, where profits grew 31 percent from last year to $482 million. Still, the company had a net loss in the last quarter of 2014 because of write-offs related to shutting down its plasma TV business as it ramps up Ultra HD and OLED.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile, LG
Source: LG
Leak hints that HTC's next flagship phone comes in two sizes
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/29/htc-one-m9-evleaks-shot/
You'd be forgiven for not knowing what to expect from HTC's next flagship smartphone. The images that have emerged are frequently dodgy, and there are even claims that the company is seeding decoys to throw people off the scent. However, you might finally be looking at the real thing... or rather, things. Well-known leaker Evan Blass (aka @evleaks) has posted a supposed product shot displaying a pair of differently-sized, previously unseen devices that he believes to be HTC's successors to the One M8. Both have edge-mounted front speakers, a large front camera (UltraPixel?) and the super-thin bezels that many have been asking for. The designs are feasible, although that Galaxy S5-style home button on the larger version gives us reason for pause -- either this is sketchy, or HTC's lawyers have decided that Samsung won't get angry. You'll likely know more at HTC's media event on March 1st.
Old habits die hard... pic.twitter.com/eQ81vxQl2S
- Evan Blass (@evleaks) January 28, 2015 Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC
Source: @evleaks (Twitter)
Microsoft's Office for Android tablet apps arrive today
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/29/office-for-android/
It's only been a few weeks since Microsoft released the preview versions of Office for Android, but the software giant is finally ready to bring the final version of those apps to Google Play. Starting some time Thursday morning -- we're hearing from around 10 a.m. ET onwards -- you'll be able to download the finished versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint to your Android tablet. As before, the requirements for downloading said apps include having a tablet that's 7-inches or larger that's also running Android 4.4 KitKat or newer. They also have to have an ARM-based processor and 1GB of RAM or above.
I had a chance to take a brief early look at the Office for Android apps, and I have to say Microsoft did a pretty good job in porting over its Office apps from desktop to the tablet. However, the first thing you'll be asked to do when you launch any of the apps is to sign up or log in to your Microsoft account -- that's the only way you can edit, save or print documents. It's a bit of annoyance, but seeing as the apps are free to download, I'll acquiesce. If you wish to use the app on screens that are 10.1 inches or larger, you'll have to pony up $6.99 a month or more for an Office 365 subscription. A subscription also offers premium features such as tracking changes in Word and getting the "Presenter View" in PowerPoint. You're also able to sync documents across devices if you have a subscription.
All of the Office apps have a similar home screen. Recently opened documents reside on the left column while templates for new documents sit on the right. At the bottom of that left column is a link to open other documents. You can store your files either locally on your device, on your Microsoft OneDrive account, at a SharePoint location or on Dropbox. The interface for each app is strikingly similar to that of their desktop cousins. As far as I can tell at first glance, the layout and functions on the apps are the same -- everything from editing slides in PowerPoint to creating charts and tables in Excel.
I was a little skeptical that the apps would register my taps accurately, especially on a complicated spreadsheet on Excel, but they did. Resizing tables, text and images was easy and I didn't encounter too many bugs in general. Indeed, there were a few functions that actually benefited from a touch interface -- the ability to doodle and draw circles right on the PowerPoint slide with your finger is pretty great. It's worth noting here that while Word and Excel work in both portrait and landscape modes, PowerPoint is strictly landscape-only. That's not really a big dealbreaker though, as you would want your presentation slides to be in that format anyway.
We'll need a little more time to test these apps to really suss out their worth in day-to-day use, but at first glance, they're not too bad at all. Some of you must have thought so too, as Microsoft tells us that the previews alone generated more than 250,000 downloads across 33 languages and more than 110 countries. It's obvious that a lot of folks are Office aficionados who also happen to own an Android tablet. If that applies to you, stay tuned to that Google Play store, download the apps and let us know what you think. Here's hoping the Windows version of these tablet apps are as good or better.
Filed under: Software, Microsoft
Source: Word (Google Play), Excel (Google Play), PowerPoint (Google Play)
Skin patch turns friction into electricity to power wearables
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/29/patch-friction-wearables-generator/
Until we find that perfect technology to power wearables with our own bodies, scientists all over the world are going to keep developing possible candidates. A team from the National University of Singapore, for instance, has developed a flexible, postage-sized device that can convert static electricity into usable energy. One surface of the device is attached to the skin, while the other is covered in silicon with a gold film underneath. Sandwiched in between the two are tiny pillars of silicone rubber -- slimmer pillars lead to bigger output, since they allow a larger surface area to touch the skin.
The group presented their findings at the 2015 IEEE MEMS conference last week, as well as demonstrated how much electricity the device can produce. After attaching the patch to one's forearm and then to one's throat, they found that clenching your fist and talking generate 7.3 and 7.5 volts, respectively. Tapping it with a finger, though, produces 90 volts or enough energy to power several commercial LED lights. The team plans to make their creation even more flexible in the future, so that they can create one in any size and still confirm to the contours of the human body. They'll find that they have a lot of competition from all over the world, though, such as those researchers who developed a tattoo that converts sweat into electricity and those who created a headset that turns a person's jaws into a power plant.
Filed under: Science
Source: IEEE
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
What It's Like To Use Keaton Row, The Startup That Raised $6 Million To Help People Who Are Too Busy To Shop
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-use-keaton-row-2015-1
Harvard Business School grads Cheryl Han and Eleanor Mak wanted to make personal styling more convenient for women who don't have time to shop.
In January 2013, Han and Mak founded Keaton Row, an online platform that pairs women who are too busy to shop with stylists who can pick out clothes for them.
The styling services are free, and you can shop from retailers like Nordstrom and Shopbop with just the click of a button.
Keaton Row just announced a Series A funding round led by Time Inc. Returning investors Menlo Ventures, Rho Capital, and Grape Arbor also contributed to the round, which sources say was valued at $6 million.
I got paired with a Keaton Row stylist to learn a little bit more about the service.
When you sign up for Keaton Row, the site asks you a series of questions so that it can have a good understanding of your personal style.
An algorithm takes the answers you supply and uses them to match you with a Keaton Row stylist.
It even takes preferred color palettes and patterns into account.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
drag2share: Identify Songs Without Shazaam by Using Google Now
source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/vip/~3/VZFTHocKE-s/identify-songs-using-google-now-1681772603
There are plenty of apps
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Tron-like Glow headphones pulse to the music and your heart
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/27/glow-headphones/
At first glance, a pair of Glow headphones might seem like gimmicky glow-in-the-dark earbuds that are designed to get your attention and not much else. But look a little closer and you'll find something a whole lot more interesting: Glow purports to be the "world's first" pair of smart headphones embedded with laser light. Yep, that TRON-like glow from the cable emanates from something called Fibrance, a special light diffusing fiber from the folks over at Corning -- you know, the same folks who make that Gorilla Glass stuff. As for what makes it so "smart"? Well, the colored light of the cable isn't static -- it actually pulsates to the beat of the music. And, if all of Glow's Kickstarter goals are met, even to the beat of your heart.
But that isn't the only thing that makes Glow so unique. Glow is also one of a few pair of headphones that's designed to be compatible with Android right from the start. "Android never had a dedicated audio accessory," says Zi Wang, the man who came up with the idea for Glow almost two years ago. Wang would certainly know a thing or two about this -- he's currently employed at Google and has worked closely with the Android team. Though he invented the concept, however, Wang's role in Glow is mostly advisorial, leaving most of the operations up to a team he built himself. Leading the team is Rafal Zboinski, an engineer with a long history when it comes to research and development in both hardware and software.
"Close to 98 percent of audio accessories on the market don't work properly with Android devices," says Wang, adding that they mostly only work with iOS. What he means by this, is that these accessories often have features that mimic the built-in clicker found on Apple's earbuds. That clicker does all kinds of things, like adjust the volume, answer phone calls, play or pause the music and even take a photo. Those same functions, he says, don't always play well with Android. Seeing as Android has nearly 1.3 billion users around the world, this struck Wang as a severe oversight. "It deserves a compatible solution to iOS."
What sort of functions are they talking about? Well, in addition to the lights pulsing to the beat of the music or to your heart, there's also a five-way D-pad controller that communicates with your phone over Bluetooth LE. You can use the controller to do all the usual things, like change the volume, play/pause music and switch tracks. It should work with most music apps like Pandora, Rdio and Spotify. Pressing the center button would activate voice commands like Google Now and you can use it as a camera shutter button too. There's also a separate phone button to answer or reject calls, and that D-pad has a clip on the rear.
And that's not all. Wang is planning on much more advanced features that include the ability to understand contextual situations. For example, say you're running late for a meeting and you're in your car. Your phone would be clever enough to know all of that information already due to your scheduled appointments and it would recognize your mode of transportation based on data from speed and motion sensors. If you receive a message in that moment asking your whereabouts, you could simply press the up button to trigger a canned "I'm on my way" response. Another example, Wang says, is if the phone notices you're watching a movie, you could hit a button to trigger an "I'll get back to you" reply.
The catch here, however, is that most of these advanced features will be Android-only, at least to start. iOS users will still have base features like music controls and rhythmic light pulsing, but Wang lacks the resources right now to guarantee parity with both. iOS support is, however, one of Glow's stretch goals on Kickstarter.
Of course, Glow also touts a superior audio performance. It boasts dual balanced armature for great harmonic response and true sound reproduction. Wang says they've worked really closely with Knowles, a company that makes high-quality audio components for brands such as Sennheiser.
Interestingly, the Glow still hooks up to the phone via the regular ol' 3.5mm jack. With Bluetooth LE, why not just add stereo Bluetooth to the mix and remove the need to be tethered to the phone altogether? That's because if the battery ever goes out, you can still use the headphones as just regular headphones. "If the battery goes out on a 15 hour flight, you can still listen to music," says Wang. If it was wireless, you'd be out of luck. Still, Wang says Glow will offer eight hours of continuous use and the team is currently developing an attachment to extend the battery life if necessary.
In the end, Wang wants Glow to be more than just a pair of headphones. He wants them to be in the wearable category too. But while earbuds like the Bragi Dash is focused more on fitness, he wants Glow to be more about lifestyle, emphasizing more on utility and usability. "Our heartrate sensing and ability to express that, is about expression. When you're out running, you can see the light pulse faster according to the rhythm of your heart ... if it senses you're in a calm mood, the pulsing will slow down." There'll be a binary switch that lets you choose whether you'd prefer the light to pulse to the rhythm of the music or to your heartbeat.
Wang wants Glow to have a beautiful aesthetic, but he's also careful to make it out of quality materials. That aforementioned D-pad is made out of a soft polycarbonate, and the housing of the light fiber is wrapped in a TPE material that he says will ensure the cord be free of tangles. As for colors? They'll be available in red, green or blue -- sorry, no RGB color-switching mode yet.
Oh, and there's actually a story behind the choice of the Fibrance material itself. Two years ago when Wang came up with the idea, he wanted to use electro luminiscent light cables. Indeed, he was so far along in the creation process that he had already made prototypes and filmed a Kickstarter video for it. But he came across the Corning Fibrance material by chance at an event, and was so enamored by the technology that he had to make the hard decision to scrap the entire thing and start from scratch. They were only two weeks from launching, but he says he had to do it. It was a good decision in the end, he says, because between then and now, they've also integrated other important features like Bluetooth, the beat analysis and a much lower power chip (an ARM Cortex M0, if you're curious).
I had a chance to try out a working prototype of the Glow headphones, and while it's difficult to truly judge the audio quality in such a brief amount of time, I came away impressed. It was neither too bass-heavy nor too treble-heavy, striking a nice, rich balance between the two. The light, as advertised, did pulse according to the music, but not in a heavy staccato like I expected. Instead it sort of ebbed and flowed with the song, almost like a roller coaster of rhythm rather than anything that flashed or blinked (which I imagine would be far more annoying). It seems like a neat feature, but in all honesty I'd probably feel really self-conscious wearing such an eye-catching thing out in public.
Alright, so what's the damage? If you get in on the Early Bird Special, a pair of Glow headphones will set you back $127. Wait a little longer, and you can snag one for $149, which is a special Kickstarter price. It's certainly spendy, but that's about on-par with most premium headphones. There are also a couple of big-ticket Kickstarter packages -- the $1,000 developer kit will get you an SDK, while a $4,000 backing will get you and a friend invited to a special electric dance music event in Las Vegas, appropriate accommodations, plus three different Glow headphones.
It's worth noting here that certain features require the Kickstarter to hit certain stretch goals. iOS support will need $500,000, the ability for the Glow light to dance to steps and movement will need $750,000 and that cool heart rate monitor thing? That will require $1 million. Photosynthetic sensors don't come cheap.
"Kickstarter for us is a market validation," Wang says. "We want to see if people will like it. What do people think? Are we on the right track?" If you feel like it is and you're willing to put your money on it, then head over to Glow's freshly launched Kickstarter page to pledge your contribution.
[Image credit: Glow]
Source: Glow, Kickstarter
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