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Monday, March 09, 2015

Apple has invented a new kind of gold (AAPL)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-watch-special-gold-ceramic-alloy-2015-3

king tut gold ancient egypt

On Monday, Apple is finally going to tell us a lot more about the long-anticipated Apple Watch. Namely: how much it costs.

Predictions for the price of the coveted gold "Edition" version of the Apple Watch are ranging as high as $10,000 (or even higher!) — but there are suggestions it could cost significantly less. Why? Because, as Dr. Drang points out on Leancrew, Apple says it has invented a new kind of gold.

We know the watch is going to be 18-karat gold. But 18K gold isn't pure gold — it's an alloy of three parts gold to one part other material.

What Apple has done is produce a new patented alloy that contains less gold per volume while retaining the same 3:1 ratio and 18K classification. The other material isn't one of the standard metals used in alloys; it's ceramic, which is less dense. Dr. Drang on Leancrew explains this in more detail (emphasis ours):

How can this be? It’s because Apple's gold is a metal matrix composite, not a standard alloy. Instead of mixing the gold with silver, copper, or other metals to make it harder, Apple is mixing it with low-density ceramic particles. The ceramic makes Apple's gold harder and more scratch-resistant — which Tim Cook touted during the September announcement — and it also makes it less dense overall.

As developer Marco Arment points out on his blog, this reduced gold content opens the door ! to a sig nificantly cheaper Apple Watch Edition than people are speculating. "The uncomfortable issue of an extremely expensive watch that's completely obsolete in a few years would all be significantly less problematic if the Edition was priced closer to $2,000-$3,000," he writes. "We don't know yet if Apple will do that, but it sure looks like they can."

Apple design chief Jony Ive also talked about Apple's special gold in a recent profile in the Financial Times. He explained how Apple's new gold methods made it "twice as hard as standard gold."

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NOW WATCH: Here's How The Apple Watch Works

This simple flow chart illustrates how low oil prices seep through the global economy (USO, OIL)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/effects-of-low-oil-prices-chart-2015-3

Some analysts have described the oil crash of late 2014 as the most important economic event since the financial crisis.

In February, Citi's Ed Morse said West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices could fall as low as $20 per barrel from its triple-digit level we saw last summer.

To help us understand how all this fits into the big picture, Morse's team offers this flowchart that shows all the effects that low oil prices continue to have on the global economy.

citi oil

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NOW WATCH: 9 animated maps that will change the way you see the world

'Minecraft' no longer risks opening a big security hole on your PC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/09/minecraft-reduces-java-risks/

As a matter of course, Minecraft has required that you install Java's run-anywhere code base -- a big problem when that tends to introduce security exploits and annoying adware. However, the construction game should be considerably safer thanks to a low-key update in recent weeks. The Windows edition of Minecraft (OS X is coming later this year) now installs a standalone version of Java that's used only while you're playing. If you want, you can scrub the full version of Java without losing access to your blocky masterpieces. And the kicker? If you haven't been keeping on top of your software updates, the game may run smoother at the same time. It's not urgent that you get the upgrade, but it's definitely worth considering if you only bother with Java for the sake of living in Mojang's virtual world.

Filed under: Gaming, Internet, Software, Microsoft

Source: Minecraft, How-To Geek

Friday, March 06, 2015

That Decades-Old FREAK Security Flaw Affects Every Version of Windows

Source: http://gizmodo.com/freak-attack-a-dangerous-security-flaw-caused-by-us-go-1689331567/1689842048/+ericlimer

A few days ago, computer scientists revealed a wide-spread security exploit called FREAK. At first it was thought to be a vulnerability confined to Android devices and Macs, but it turns out that it affects Windows machines too.

This Origami Donut's Hole Stays the Same Size However Much You Squash It

Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-origami-donuts-hole-stays-the-same-size-however-mu-1689807749

A structure whose internal dimensions remain the same regardless of the external forces applied to it sounds fanciful—but that's exactly what this high-tech piece of origami does.

Thursday, March 05, 2015

A Perfume That Smells Like RosesâBut Is Actually Made from Yeast

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-perfume-that-smells-like-roses-but-is-actually-made-f-1689526675

A rose is a rose is a rose, except when it's actually a yeast. A company called Gingko BioWorks in Boston is partnering with French fragrance company Robertet to create a genetically-modified yeast that makes the rose oil used in perfumes.

Article: Stephen Wolfram writes nifty IoT data store for his nifty software stack

One of the challenges associated with the internet of things is figuring out where to put all that data. If you have dozens of connected devices talking to the cloud (and that is a big if) you've got to think about where that data lives, how to normalize it and how to grant others access to it so...

https://gigaom.com/2015/03/04/stephan-wolfram-writes-nifty-iot-data-store-for-his-nifty-software-stack/

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Wednesday, March 04, 2015

HTC Vive: Virtual Reality That's So Damn Real I Can't Even Handle It

Source: http://gizmodo.com/htc-vive-virtual-reality-so-damn-real-that-i-cant-even-1689396093

I saw the future today. I mean that. I got the chance here at MWC to try the new VR headset that Valve and HTC are developing. Is it good? It's absolutely incredible. This thing is just...my god you guys I can't even.

Government finds the FAA is vulnerable to hacks

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/04/the-faa-is-vulnerable-to-hacks/

UPGRADES TO DIA

On the scale of extremely disconcerting government revelations, this isn't PRISM, but damn if it isn't alarming. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a scathing report on the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) air traffic control systems. The FAA is basically just asking to be hacked thanks to its lackadaisical approach to security and software updates. Things are so bad, that relying on servers that have past their "end-of-life" date is probably the least concerning revelation made by the GAO. The government also found that FAA employees were sharing passwords through unencrypted communications channels, and had failed to patch out of date software with three-year-old security flaws.

The GAO report states right off the bat that, despite the FAA's efforts to improve security "significant security control weaknesses remain, threatening the agency's ability to ensure the safe and uninterrupted operation of the national airspace system." Any effort to prevent, detect or combat an intrusion by hackers is basically undermined by the agency's failure to fully implement a security program required under a law passed in 2002.

If you're not alarmed by all this, you should be. Think about it: This is the agency in charge of directing traffic for over 2,000 planes in the air at any given moment. (Planes, you know, the metal tubes hurtling through the sky at hundreds of miles an hour, each filled living human beings.) And they're relying on hardware that isn't supported by the manufacturer and left security flaws with simple fixes go unpatched for three years.

Senators John Thune and Bill Nelson were among those who quickly demanded answers from the FAA and the Transportation Department. So far the response has been disappointing, with the FAA saying its working on the problem, but offering little in the way of concrete solutions.

Filed under: Transportation

Via: Ars Technica

Source: GAO

Article: Watch Mozilla preview WebGL 2, the first major update to plugin-free 3D graphics in the browser

There were a lot of announcements at Game Developer Conference in San Francisco today, but one flew under the radar: a preview of WebGL 2. Mozilla gave us a sneak peek of what will one day power games and other intensive applications in the browser. WebGL, which stands for Web Graphics Library, i...

http://venturebeat.com/2015/03/03/watch-mozilla-preview-webgl-2-the-first-major-update-to-plugin-free-3d-graphics-in-the-browser/

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Tuesday, March 03, 2015

drag2share: Stratos' all-in-one payment card should work anywhere in the US

source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/03/stratos-universal-payment-card/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

Stratos Bluetooth payment card

Many "universal" payment cards... well, aren't. They either don't work everywhere or only hold a limited number of cards, which leaves you out of luck when you're trying to add one more loyalty program. Stratos thinks it has this problem licked, though. Its new Bluetooth Connected Card promises "100 percent compatibility" with payment systems in the US, and it can hold an unlimited number of cards that you control through a mobile app. You also shouldn't have to worry about a thief going on a shopping spree if you lose your card, since you can tell it to automatically lock down if it's not close to your phone for a while.

The pricing model is different, to boot. Instead of buying the card outright, you pay for subscriptions ($95 for one year, $145 for two). This will let you get a new card every year, whether it's a replacement or an upgrade. Eventually, you should also get perks like virtual card downloads and location-based recommendations. You might not relish the idea of paying more on top of whatever fees your existing cards carry, but Stratos might be worthwhile if you really can leave most of your cards at home. And unlike some of its rivals, it's not stuck in development limbo -- shipments start as soon as April.

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Pebble introduces a premium Steel version of its color smartwatch

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/03/pebble-time-steel/

It's only been a week since Pebble introduced Pebble Time, its second-generation color smartwatch, and there's already a new version of it up for grabs. Today at Mobile World Congress, the company has just announced Pebble Time Steel, a premium all-metal iteration of the Time. Indeed, the entirety of the Time Steel -- from the bezel to the buttons -- is made out of stainless steel and is available in silver, black and gold finishes. It has the same dimensions as the Time but is about 1mm thicker. That isn't so bad, especially since the Time Steel apparently has a longer battery life of up to 10 days instead of 7. As if that wasn't luxurious enough, when you buy a Pebble Time Steel, you'll get two straps: a stainless steel band plus a leather one.

Oh, and that's not all. Remember that smart accessory port that's on the Pebble Time? Well, today Pebble is also announcing a new open hardware accessory platform that developers can use to create "smartstraps" for the watch, using that smart accessory port to further extend the watch's functionality. Simply use the quick release trigger on the Time (and of course, the Time Steel) to swap out the straps and the smartstrap would have an additional flap that attaches to the smart accessory port.

As for what kind of new functions will the straps bring? Well, CEO Eric Migicovsky suggested perhaps a GPS strap, or one with a heart monitor, or even a battery strap that extends the watch's battery life to three or four weeks. He says that instead of integrating these sensors -- which are often obsolete in a few years anyway -- into the watch, it's more efficient to have them be modular. Pebble is already working on partnerships to come up with some of these smartstraps, but it also wants to hear from its community about additional ideas.

"It's one of the reasons why we wanted to launch the Time on Kickstarter," says Migicovsky. "Our plans involve more than just people buying the watch. We want to involve the community, to come up with the different straps." He says that we'll likely see some of the early smartstraps by the end of the year.

As for the Pebble Time Steel, if you've already backed the Pebble Time but now you'd rather have the Steel instead, don't worry. Migicovsky says you can upgrade to the Steel by increasing the amount of money you're kicking in without losing your spot in line. The special Kickstarter price for the Time Steel is $250 (and yes, you get both the leather and steel bands for that price), while the final retail cost is $299. The Pebble Time Steel will, however, ship in July rather than May.

Photos by Carlos Martinez

Filed under: Wearables

drag2share: Behold the first photo of light in both wave and particle forms

source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/03/behold-the-first-photo-of-light-in-both-wave-and-particle-forms/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

You've likely read in a textbook before that light behaves both as a particle and a wave at the same time. Scientists had previously seen it behave one way or another, but it's only now that someone finally found a way to photograph light as both in a single picture since Einstein proposed its dual nature in the early 1900's. In order to photograph light, a team of scientists from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) used a novel technique and an electron microscope so powerful, there are only two in the world.

Here's how they did it: they shone laser onto a tiny nanowire that caused it to vibrate, which, in turn, caused light waves to travel back and forth along its length -- when the waves met, they ended up emitting light particles. The team then fired electrons close to the nanowire that enabled them to capture both the light waves and particles, as you can see in the image above. Sound complicated? The video below makes it easier to understand, but take note that it's still the shorter, oversimplified explanation. If you want the whole enchilada (and all the scientific lingo that comes with it), you'll have to read the team's paper published in Nature.

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The iPhone 6 Plus is killing tablet sales

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-iphone-6-plus-is-hurting-tablet-sales-2015-3

iPhone 6 Plus 5

Consumers are shying away from tablets.

Sales of the handheld devices have crashed 30% across the industry, Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly said on an earnings conference call.

Best Buy's tablet sales declined less than the industry average, although the company declined to give specifics.

It's possible that phones with bigger screens, such as the iPhone 6 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note, are hurting tablet sales, a company representative told Business Insider.

The so-called "phablets" are becoming more popular as consumers demand a bigger and brighter experience on their smartphones.

The iPhone 6 Plus boasts a screen that is 1.5 inches large than the previous model. It also has a larger battery, holding charge for 24 hours or more.

As more people buy these phones, it's likely that they don't feel the need to buy a tablet.

Best Buy executives also say that lack of innovation in the space is negatively affecting sales.

Global tablet shipments have been declining, according to a report by BI Intelligence. Meanwhile, "phablet" shipments will hit 1.5 billion by 2019.

bii sai cotd tablet shipments q4

"Larger screens are blurring the lines between tablet and phone," a Best Buy company representative said.

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NOW WATCH: 14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do

Article: HP teamed up with Microsoft to build its latest flagship laptop

This isn't your typical laptop announcement post. The most interesting thing about the Spectre x360, HP's new flagship notebook, isn't its design, performance or even price. No, what's interesting about this laptop is that Microsoft helped build it. Over the course of a year and a half, the two c...

http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/01/hp-spectre-x360/

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