iPhone 5s Camera Image Samples

DPR Connect reports: [edited]

DPReview Editor Barnaby Britton has spent the weekend shooting with Apple's new iPhone 5s, testing the phone's capabilities under a variety of lighting conditions.

Britton made some of the same observations that other reviews have pointed out: the camera is very quick, improvements to the flash do offer more accurate final results and the panoramas are incredibly impressive. He also noticed that those filtered photos snapped with the updated Camera app only appear as such within the phone: that is, your retro shot of your friend using the Noir filter will look black & white on your phone but when you transfer the files directly from phone to computer, only the original unfiltered image appears.

There are 60 images in the gallery.
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II

Digital Photography Review has posted a full review of Sony's upgraded high-end compact camera.

Conclusion snippets follow:

It feels almost greedy asking the RX100 II to do more than it does. As it is, it takes exceptional pictures for a camera of its size, offers a wealth of manual shooting and customization options, and takes great video. It does everything and more you'd expect from a compact, and quite a few things you'd expect from a bigger camera.

The Sony Cyber-shot RX100 II produces some of the best images we could ever expect to see from a compact camera. It's not the best shooting experience, but Sony has pushed the limits for this category and produced something really innovative.

Is the RX100 II worth the cost of a mid-range interchangeable lens system? And would you be better off saving some money and buying the now-discounted RX100 instead? That depends. If a slightly-less-noisy ISO 3200 JPEG is worth an extra $150 to you, then the RX100 II will be the better investment. If you can live with a little more noise, don't care much for a tilting LCD and don't plan to use Wi-Fi sharing, then you're better off with an RX100.
------------

Inside the iPhone 5s

The Register reports: [edited]

The gleeful geeks at iFixit and ChipWorks have torn apart Apple's latest flagship iPhone, the 5s, and inside they found a lot of glue and a few surprises.

"This is an 's' version, which means it's speedier, more secure, superior – or similar – to its predecessor," said iFixit's Gwendolyn Gay in a video accompanying the teardown.

In addition to the new A7 processor, the fingerprint sensor, the improved camera, and the sensor-wrangling M7 chip – is a higher-capacity 3.8V battery than its predecessor: 5.92Wh and 1560mAh, compared to the iPhone 5's 5.45Wh, 1440mAh power source.

ChipWorks found that the M7 processor is from NXP Semiconductors. The A7 processor is manufactured by Samsung

Its fingerprint sensor is a bunch of very small capacitors that creates an 'image' of the ridges on your finger, based on technology from AuthenTec, acquired by Apple in July 2012.

Being avid advocates of the "Right to Repair", iFixit rates each product it tears down with a 1-to-10 reparability score. Their rating for the iPhone 5s gives that "s" a few more possible interpretations: "six" is the score, which makes it "sorta" repairable.

The benefits of the power-saving sensor-management capabilities of the M7 chip won't be fully realized until developers take advantage of its CoreMotion API, and the advantages of the A7's 64-bit ARMv8 architecture offers developers – including Apple's – a goodly amount of potential for the future.
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London - Nottingham - London, 21-09-13

London to Nottingham
Merengue - Bolivar
Somewhere In My Heart - Aztec Camera
Lazarus - The Boo Radleys
Put a little love in your heart - Annie Lennox & Al Green
Jackie Collins Existential Question Time - Manic Street Preachers
Standing In The Shadows Of Love - The Four Tops
Pump Up the Jam - Technotronic feat. Felly
Play House - Afrobeta
Kiss Me Deadly - Lita Ford
I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man - Prince
New Song - Howard Jones
It's The Same Old Song - The Four Tops
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow - The Chiffons
Lost Weekend - Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
Jonny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
Beauty And The Beast - Jump 5
Hello - The Beloved
Behind A Painted Smile - The Isley Brothers
Johnny reggae - The Piglets
Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough - Manic Street Preachers
Jive Talkin´ - Bee Gees
Stereo - Pavement
Sunny - Boney M
Sometimes - James
Sexy and I Know It - LMFAO
The Sun Rising - The Beloved
Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel
Halcyon - Delphic
Hold on to Love - Peter Skellern
Xanman - Pond
Satellite Of Love (Radio Edit) - Lou Reed vs Groovefinder
A Little Respect - Erasure
Family Man - Daryl Hall & John Oates
My Perfect Cousin - The Undertones
Rocket - Goldfrapp
Lean On Me - Club Nouveau
Wake Me Up - Avicii
Motorcycle Emptiness - Manic Street Preachers
Can you feel it - The Jacksons
Nancy Boy - Placebo
Heart Shaped Guitar - Masked Intruder
Ghostbusters - Bowling for Soup
Mary of the 4th Form - The Boomtown Rats
Tarzan & Jane - Toy Box
I Think I Love You - Partridge Family
I Just Can't Wait To Be King - Jason Weaver
Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry
Crying at the discotheque (ext) - Alcazar
Like Clockwork - The Boomtown Rats
Sweet Harmony - The Beloved
One On One - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Daydream - Günter Kallmann Choir
The Elements song - Tom Lehrer
We don't have to take our clothes off (ext) - Jermaine Stewart
Crash - The Primitives
Wake Up Boo! - The Boo Radleys
Holiday - Madonna
How Bizarre - OMC
My Number - Foals
Cola Bottle Baby - Edwin Birdsong
Dog Days Are Over - Florence + The Machine
Falling - Haim
WWPRD - Jeffrey Lewis and The Rain
Telepathy - Lene Lovich
I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You - Black Kids

Nottingham to London
Deacon Blues - Steely Dan
Sugar and Spice - The Cryan Shames
Shooting Star - Dollar
Birdhouse in your soul - They Might Be Giants (TMBG)
Don't Talk To Me About Love - Altered Images
I've Never Been To Me - Charlene
Pressure Drop - The Maytals
What I Am (single) - Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians
Another girl, another planet - Only Ones
Show Me the Wonder - Manic Street Preachers
Robert De Niro's Waiting - Bananarama
We're Going To Be Friends - The White Stripes
I'm gonna getcha good - Shania Twain
Out of Touch - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Ready or Not - Fugees
King City (alt) - Swim Deep
Toxic - Britney Spears
The Bitch Is Back - Elton John
Age of Aquarius - Fifth Dimension
Baby I Don't Care - Transvision Vamp
Little Yellow Spider - Devendra Banhart
Apache - Micheal Viners Incredible Bongo Band
Afterglow - The Crookes
Sheila (Radio Edit) - Jamie T
Tell That Girl To Shut Up - Transvision Vamp
Jeans on - David Dundas
Mr. Sandman - The Chordettes
Wild Ones - Flo Rida Feat. Sia
Good Looking Woman - Joe Dolan
You Oughta Know - Alanis Morissette
The Boy With the Arab Strap - Belle and Sebastian
That Don't Impress Me Much (dance remix) - Shania Twain
No You Girls - Franz Ferdinand
Come back and stay for good this time - Paul Young
Pin - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Special K - Placebo
------------

Archive of Book Cover Designs & Designers

Creative Pro reports: [edited]

Next time you feel the need for a little visual inspiration, head directly to bookcoverarchive.com and be prepared to spend some time browsing over 1300 cover designs.

Click on a cover to get a close up view with info about the designer, publisher, author. You can also choose to view covers by a specific designer.
------------

Temperature chart for the last 11,000 years

kottke reports: [edited]

For the first time, researchers have put together all the climate data they have (from ice cores, coral, sediment drilling) into one chart that shows the 'global temperature reconstruction for the last 11,000 years'.

The climate curve looks like a "hump". At the beginning of the Holocene - after the end of the last Ice Age - global temperature increased, and subsequently it decreased again by 0.7°C over the past 5000 years.

The transition from the relatively warm Medieval into the 'little ice age' turns out to be part of a much longer-term cooling, which ended abruptly with the rapid warming of the 20th Century. Within a hundred years, the cooling of the previous 5000 years was undone.
------------

Ricoh Theta

The Inquirer reports: [edited]

Ricoh has unwrapped what it claims is 'the world's first mass-produced' 360 degree imaging device. The device features a twin lens that captures the scene around, above and below the device in one shot for fully spherical images.

Weighing 95g, the device links up to smartphones so that images can be uploaded via WiFi and viewed in a free Ricoh app. The app allows users to then pinch, swipe or rotate the images they have taken, editing the size, shape and composition if they like before sharing online

Ricoh said the Theta will work with Apple iOS 6.0 devices and newer. Android compatibility is expected before the end of the year.

The handheld device will be sold for £329 and will go up for pre-order this month.


------------

Sony QX10 & QX100

Digital Photography Review Connect reports: [edited]

Sony has introduced a pair of digital cameras designed to attach directly to your smartphone. The QX10 and QX100 are cameras that clip onto your smartphone, which is used to operate the camera and view photos. The compact QX10 has a 1/2.3" sensor while the QX100 has a large 1-inch-type sensor and fast 3.6X zoom lens. The QX100 is essentially a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II without an LCD. The cameras are priced at $250 and $500, respectively.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX10 and QX100 offer a totally new way of shooting on your mobile device. These cameras leave the world of tiny sensors and fixed lenses behind, offering you a choice of high zoom power or excellent photo quality. But are they worth the price?

The QX10 features an 18-megapixel sensor and a 10X optical zoom lens. Sure that's more pixels than any smartphone - aside from a few Nokias - but will the typical smartphone user notice the difference? As for the zoom, you can pick up teleconverters such as this one for a lot less that the QX10. Sure, you can't zoom in and out, nor will the image quality be as good, but $35 is a lot cheaper than $250.

While it's based on the RX100 II, the QX100 is a bit underwhelming. On the positive side, it offers the same high-quality lens and sensor as the camera on which it is based. That said, it's missing quite a few features, including shutter priority and manual exposure modes, adjustable ISO sensitivity, Raw support, and Full HD video. Add in the bulk and the price ($500) and you might be wondering if you should just carry around a premium compact camera instead.
------------

Samsung Galaxy Gear

The Verge reports: [edited]

The $299 Galaxy Gear is quite unlike anything you've seen before. Yes, it's a smartphone accessory that can pick up notifications, control music playback, and keep time with a rich variety of watch faces, but Samsung takes it a few steps further by integrating a 1.9-megapixel camera, a speaker, and two microphones — allowing you to shoot short 720p movies and even conduct phone calls with the Galaxy Gear.

It is not a phone in its own right — it relies on a Bluetooth connection to your Samsung Galaxy device in order to do most of its connected work. When it goes on sale later this month, the Gear will be compatible with the freshly announced Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition, while software updates for the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S III, and Galaxy Note II are in the works to introduce compatibility there as well.

It features a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED display with 320 x 320 pixel resolution, a single-core 800MHz Exynos processor, a metal face and buckle, and a selection of six different shades of adjustable wrist band.

Basic onboard apps include a pedometer and the ability to find your Galaxy, but most impressive is the number of compatible apps. Samsung says there's over 70 to choose from — which can be installed via the Galaxy Gear Manager app on your phone, including Pocket, Path, Evernote, RunKeeper, and Runtastic Pro.

There are a couple of significant downsides that temper my enthusiasm for the new Gear. First and foremost is the speed and intuitiveness of the user interface — or rather, the lack thereof. There's a tangible lag to anything you do with the Gear, while the swipe gestures are hard to figure out and do different things depending on where you are in the menus.

Additionally, the speaker built into the buckle is too quiet and makes conducting a phone call via your watch a possibility only in quiet areas; it also doesn't play back any music, it just controls output on your connected device.

Samsung promises "about a day" of endurance from the Gear, but by the end of our briefing with the company, the cameras on most of its demo units were refusing to turn on due to the watches running low on power.

On the plus side, the camera built into the Galaxy Gear produces surprisingly decent pictures and there's 4GB of onboard storage to stash them on if you're away from your smartphone. The Galaxy Gear will launch globally in late September and will be available in the United States in early October.
------------

2D to 3D in 3 Strokes

PetaPixel reports: [edited]

The video is a demonstration of a piece of 3D object extraction and manipulation software that made its debut at SIGGRAPH 2013.
The software was developed by Tao Chen, Zhe Zhu, Ariel Shamir, Shi-Min Hu and Daniel Cohen-Or.

3D objects are extracted from 2D images using a '3-sweep' method: two strokes to define the profile of the object, and one along the main axis. Depending on the complexity of the shape, sometimes parts have to be outlined individually, but the result it always the same: the software pulls an editable, movable 3D model straight out of a 2D photo.

The software’s current limitations mean that certain objects don’t scan in as well, and the texture of the extracted model often looks a bit strange.
------------

Olympus O-MD E-M1

Digital Photography Review has released a hands-on preview of Olympus' recently announced flagship Four Third/Micro Four Third hybrid.

Snippets follow:

"There are two distinctions that set the E-M1 apart from its little brother (the E-M5) - a more sophisticated autofocus system and a 'buttons for everything' design approach."

"The biggest technological step forward on the E-M1 is the addition of on-sensor phase detection elements, giving the camera two distinct focus modes. The phase-detection system is used when lenses from the original Four Thirds system."

"The E-M1 gains the 2.3m-dot electronic viewfinder panel we first saw as the VF-4 accessory for the PEN E-P5. The optics give a viewfinder with magnification of up to 1.48x, which puts it only a fraction behind the 0.76x viewfinder in Canon's 1D X and ahead of Nikon's pro-grade D4 DSLRs.

"There's a more advanced processor in the E-M1 that conducts a variety of lens corrections, when creating JPEGs, including correcting for chromatic aberration and correcting sharpness on a per-lens basis.

"The biggest difference between the E-M1 and the E-M5, though, is the degree of direct control on offer. We really liked the E-M5's twin-dial control system, but the E-M1 goes beyond that by providing button-and-dial combinations for quickly changing almost every imaginable setting on the camera, quickly."

For early reviews, visit ePhotozine, Robin Wong and Ming Thein.
------------

Kapture

uncrate reports: [edited]

Sure, your smartphone has the ability to record voice memos, but using it means you have to know ahead of time about something you'll want recorded.

Kapture is an always-on audio-recording wristband — so any time you feel the need to capture the last 60 seconds of audio, all you have to do it tap it, and it instantly saves. And, with the included smartphone app, you can store, edit, share, and replay your old audio clips for as long as you want.

To find out more, visit the Kickstarter page.
------------

Greyp G12

The Verge reports: [edited]

The Greyp G12’s downhill-inspired dual-suspension frame, hydraulic brakes, and beefy midsection straddles the line between bikes and bicycles, and there are pedals if you feel like doing some work yourself.

Greyp says that the G12 can do 40mph unassisted and gets 75 miles on a single charge. (The 1.3 kWh battery cells pictured above push the bike's total weight to nearly 110 pounds.) Recharging from nothing takes just 80 minutes with a standard 220V outlet, after which you’ll be able to unlock the bike with its built-in fingerprint scanner. The G12's retail price and availability are still up in the air, but the price for dealers is €6,000.


------------

London - Lincoln - London, 07-09-13

London to Lincoln
Express Yourself (Digital Remaster 00) - N.W.A.
Needle In A Haystack - The Velvelettes
Crazy in Love - Beyoncé & Jay-Z
Kids - MGMT
He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' - The Velvelettes
Private Eyes - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Pop Goes The World - Men without Hats
My Little Red Book - Love
Lose Yourself (clean) - Eminem
Robert De Niro's Waiting - Bananarama
Dark Star - Poliça
Daddy Cool - The Darts
Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals
Wicked Game - Chris Isaak
Scar - Cloud Control
Scooby Snacks - Fun Lovin Criminals
Down Among the Dead Men - Flash and The Pan
What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted - Dave Stewart & Colin Blunstone
Wish I was skinny - The Boo Radleys
DJ DJ - Transplants
Lovin' each day - Ronan Keating
Hotel California - SkaDaddyZ
Empire State Of Mind [Jay-Z + Alicia Keys] (Explicit) - Jay-Z
Venus - Bananarama
Mind Your Manners - Pearl Jam
Believe (rhythm promo) - Cher
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger - Daft Punk
If I Had Words - Mice (Babe soundtrack)
Shake Some Action - Flaming Groovies
Shoulda Woulda Coulda - Beverley Knight
Shine On - The House Of Love
Bring Me To Life - Evanescence
There's your trouble - Dixie Chicks
Young Savage - Ultravox!
American Woman - The Guess Who
Electric - Leila K
Kiss On My List - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Video Killed The Radio Star - The Buggles
She's So Modern - The Boomtown Rats
The Land Of Make Believe - Bucks Fizz
Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Was In - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
My Way Or The Highway - Limp Bizkit
Fit But You Know It - Streets (Featuring The Futureheads)

Lincoln to London
Rich Girl - Daryl Hall & John Oates
My Favourite Things - Julie Andrews
I Wanna Be Like You - Louis Prima (King Louie), Phil Harris (Baloo), & Bruce Reitherman (Mowgli) -
The Day I Met Marie - Cliff Richard
Harlem - New Politics
Starship Trooper - Sarah Brightman & Hot Gossip
Teenage Dirtbag - Wheatus
Awkward (EP Version) - San Cisco
Can You Dig It - The Mock Turtles
Umbrella (Radio Edit) - Rihanna
California Soul - Marlena Shaw
5.7.0.5. - City Boy
Baby Jane - Rod Stewart
You Make My Dreams - Daryl Hall & John Oates
I Love You More - George Duke
Only You Can - Fox
Joyride - Roxette
Man! I Feel Like A Woman! - Shania Twain
Some Girls - Racey
Lazy guy - Slobberbone
Tiny Dancer - Tim McGraw
War - Edwin Starr
Maneater - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Always something there to remind me - Naked Eyes
Where's me jumper - Sultans of Ping
La Bamba - Los Lobos
Let It All Hang Out - Los Hombres
I Can't Go For That - Daryl Hall & John Oates
C-C-C-Cinnamon Lips - OK Go
Bankrobber - The Clash
Crush (new) - Jennifer Paige
You Might Think - The Cars
Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac
Rattlesnakes - Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
Gertcha - Chas 'N' Dave
The Mighty Quinn - Manfred Mann
Reelin' In The Years - Steely Dan
Black Skinhead - Kanye West
Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? - Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
Down Under - Men At Work
Beans For Breakfast - Johnny Cash
Monkey Wrench - Foo Fighters
Perfect Skin - Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
------------

Sony Smartwatch 2

Trusted Reviews reports: [edited]

Sony’s SmartWatch 2 is a £129, good looking water-resistant Android watch that is meant as a second screen for any Android 4.0 phone. It lets you read texts and emails as well as check social media without having to take your phone out of your pocket.

The SmartWatch 2's body is made from aluminium painted black with a machined edge showing off the silver beneath. It’s a good-looking, industrial design utilising the round power button used on the range of Xperia phones and tablets. All other controls are via the touch screen, with the usual Android back, home and menu touch buttons at the bottom.

The transflective 1.6-inch LCD screen is bright enough to be viewed even on the sunny day we got our hands on it and is just about big enough to use comfortably. It’s only 220 x 176 pixels which on the 1.6-inch amounts to 176 PPI. That’s not an amazing resolution by any stretch, but text is legible enough, although pixels are clearly visible.

It features Bluetooth 3, NFC for easy pairing and microUSB charging and data transfer. The microUSB is covered by a flap to ensure the SmartWatch 2 retains its IP 57 water-resistant rating.

Gentle vibrations make you aware of new notifications which you can check. There is also the ability to answer and reject calls or use the watch as a viewfinder to take photos via a paired phone. There’s no microphone or speaker.

The Sony SmartWatch 2 is always on and can last for up to 4 days under normal usage conditions.
------------

Does pressing the pedestrian crossing button actually do anything?

The BBC has published an informative article on this subject.

Short answer: It depends.

At a standalone pedestrian crossing, unconnected to a junction, the button will turn a traffic light red.

At a junction it is more complicated. At night, the button does act to stop the traffic, but only between the hours of midnight and 07:00. In the daytime, the button has no effect.
------------

A week with Google's Chromebook

If you're thinking of purchasing Google's £1,049 Chromebook Pixel, Jeffrey Van Camp's Living with a Chromebook for a week is like 7 minutes of heaven, then 7 days of hell" article is worth a read.

In case the title isn't too much of a clue, here are some excerpts from John Gruber.

"The biggest realization came for me when I turned on my MacBook Air after a week. (I had to because I needed to take a Skype call.) It was so... fast. And I could use every Chat service I wanted. And the battery life was much better than the Pixel. And it was so much lighter. And I could run the full version of Spotify. And I could open iTunes. And I could edit Microsoft Office documents without a lengthy conversion process. And I could use Dropbox. And it didn’t slow down for me. And, best of all, I could use the Chrome browser, and every Chrome app I had installed, on my Mac. It was wonderful and such a relief to not have to think about what I couldn’t do, or worry if my next email attachment will open or not."

"Some readers say I’ve expected too much out of Chrome, but wanting to edit some documents, chat outside a browser window, and use common services is not excessive."

To anglicise Gruber's conclusion... "How can someone 'expect too much' from a £1,049 notebook?
------------

3Doodler

We wanted to design a 3D printing device that could be used within minutes, without needing any technical knowledge, software or computers. We also wanted it to be affordable as well as fun, so that anyone could 3Doodle!

Peter Dilworth, Co-Founder
------------

Nokia Lumia 1020

Digital Photography Review Connect has published an in-depth report on the Lumia 1020's 41 megapixel camera.

The 'Final Word'

The Nokia Lumia 1020’s innovative zoom and impressive image quality set it apart from all competitors. By nearly every metric, it takes better pictures than any other phone on the market.

Its imaging Achilles heel is its camera app’s sluggish shot-to-shot and start-up times. While many phones feel nearly instantaneous on both fronts, the 1020’s four-second delays can feel very long. Whether you find this negligible or nauseating depends on your personal style of photography.
------------

Nintendo 2DS

VideoGamer reports: [edited]

The Nintendo 2DS is a revised take on the existing 3DS, featuring dual screens and full compatibility with Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS titles.

However, it lacks the 3D capability of its predecessor and the folding, clamshell design. Instead, it features a flat design, and either a red/white or blue/black finish.

Nintendo describes the 2DS as an "entry-level dedicated portable gaming system" and is "designed specifically for anyone looking for a more affordable entry point into the world of Nintendo hand-held video games".

The handheld arrives in the UK on October 12, 2013 for £109.99.
------------

Dyslexie: the font for people with dyslexia

for more information click here.

Sony A3000

Digital Photography Review reports: [edited]

The A3000 is essentially a 20.1MP APS-C mirrorless camera that uses the same E-mount as the Sony NEX line, yet which has the look and feel of a traditional SLR. Though not the first manufacturer to take this approach, Sony is the first to achieve the low starting price point of $399 for both 18-55mm lens and body. However, to achieve that price point the company had to choose lower quality components for the LCD and electronic viewfinder (EVF).

Superficially, the Sony A3000 is rather like the now-discontinued Panasonic G10, a low-priced mirrorless with an EVF and an LCD on the back, designed to ape, if not directly challenge Canon's Rebel and Nikon's D3000-series SLRs.

Its appearance screams low-budget, with few controls. The LCD is more coarse than we're used to seeing these days, with disappointingly low 230,400-dot resolution; its 3-inch size amplifies the effect. The small EVF is also disappointing, and what appears to be a rubber pad around the outside is actually hard plastic, a hazard to glasses-wearers. Those who liked the menus of the NEX system cameras will feel right at home with the A3000's menu; those who did not will carry on hating.
------------

McD's Double Cheeseburger, Nutritional Champion?

Neatorama reports: [edited]

Economist Stephen Dubner, one of the authors of Freakanomics, argues that the McDonald's McDouble is the most nutritious food devised.

Stephen hosted a debate on his blog after a reader suggested it packed a better nutritional punch for the penny than is often assumed.

The Double Cheeseburger provides 390 calories, 23 grams of protein – half a daily serving – seven per cent of daily fibre, 19 grams of fat and 20 per cent of daily calcium, all for £1.29.
------------

Another iWatch Concept

9to5Mac reports: [edited]

Designer Federico Ciccarese has teamed up with some friends to create his latest iWatch render.
------------

Vintage Type

Daring Fireball reports: [edited]

Great collection of vintage type available here.
------------

The Getty Puts 4,600 Images Into Public Domain

Open Culture reports: [edited]

Getty’s Open Content Program has just made available over 4600 high-resolution images of the museum’s collection freely available in the public domain. You can download them, modify them, distribute them — do what you please with them.

President and CEO James Cuno writes. “The Getty was founded on the conviction that understanding art makes the world a better place, and sharing our digital resources is the natural extension of that belief". Cuno promises many more images to come, and material from other sources like the Getty’s international field projects.
------------

London - Lincoln - Bradford - Lincoln - London, 16-08-13

London to Lincoln
R.E.M.: Losing My Religion
Disclosure: F For You
Little Green Cars: My Love Took Me Down To The River
The Temptations: Psychedelic Shack
Outfit: House on Fire
Basement Jaxx: Romeo
Elvis Presley: The Wonder Of You
Naughty by Nature: O.P.P.
Laura Marling: Devil's Resting Place
Elvis Costello: Peace Love And Understanding
Ghostpoet: Cold Win
Ash: Burn Baby Burn
Tori Amos: Winter
Al Green: Take Me To The River
The Vaccines: Melody Calling
Björk: Army Of Me
The Naked and Famous: Hearts Like Ours
Primal Scream: Jailbird
Cornershop: Funky Days Are Back Again
Dance Across The Floor - Jimmy Bo Horne
The Glory Of Love - Otis Redding
Good To Me - Otis Redding
Daydream - Günter Kallmann Choir
Chant Number No 1 (Don't Need This Pressure On) - Spandau Ballet
Come To Me - Otis Redding
I Forgot To Be Your Lover - William Bell
Shack Up [Part 1] - Banbarra
Let's Do The Latin Hustle - Klaus Wonderlich & His New Pop Organ Sound
Four Black Sheep - Martha Wainwright
Apache - Micheal Viners Incredible Bongo Band
I Can't Write Left-Handed - Bill Withers
Cola Bottle Baby - Edwin Birdsong
Merengue - Bolivar
Respect - Otis Redding
Sweet Lorene - Otis Redding
You Send Me - Otis Redding
Misty Blue - Dorothy Moore
House Of Mirrors - David McCallum
Call The Doctor - J.J. Cale
The Dog - Otis Redding
Whole Lotta Love - Ike & Tina Turner

Lincoln to Bradford
The Wizard - Madness
Sweet Is The Night - Electric Light Orchestra
The Loser In The End [2011 Remaster] - Queen
Shadow Of Fear - Madness
Waltz Into Mischief - Madness
Not Home Today - Madness
The National Anthem - Madness
4am - Madness
Killer Queen [2011 Remaster] - Queen
Last Train To London - Electric Light Orchestra
Liar [De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971] - Queen
Queen of the Hours - Electric Light Orchestra
You Take My Breath Away [Live In Hyde Park, September 1976] - Queen
Twilight - Electric Light Orchestra
Crazy Little Thing Called Love [2011 Remaster] - Queen
Save Me [2011 Remaster] - Queen
Keep Yourself Alive [2011 Remaster] - Queen
Mad House (Our House Instrumental Mix) (Our House Instrument - Madness
Armory - Daft Punk
Africa - Madness
Voyager - Daft Punk
Digital Love - Daft Punk

Bradford to Lincoln
MKII - Madness
In My Own Time - Electric Light Orchestra
The Prophet's Song [2011 Remaster] - Queen
Going To The Top - Madness
Destination Unknown - Electric Light Orchestra
The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke [2011 Remaster] - Queen
Keep Yourself Alive [Long-Lost Retake, June 1975] - Queen
The Prince - Madness
Cardiac Arrest - Madness
Shut Up - Madness
You Take My Breath Away [2011 Remaster] - Queen
Night In The City - Electric Light Orchestra
Nightvision - Daft Punk
Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy [Top Of The Pops, July 1977] - Queen
Turn To Stone - Electric Light Orchestra
Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra
Hold On Tight - Electric Light Orchestra
'39 [Live at Earl's Court, June 1977] - Queen
On The Town - Madness
Disappear - Madness
Rectifier - Daft Punk
Now I'm Here [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, December 1975] - Queen
Roll Over Beethoven - Electric Light Orchestra
Flick Of The Wrist [2011 Remaster] - Queen
Drowse [2011 Remaster] - Queen
God Save The Queen [2011 Remaster] - Queen
March Of The Gherkins - Madness

Lincoln to London
Ain't Talkin' - Bob Dylan
Take This Waltz - Leonard Cohen
Unbelievable - Bob Dylan
Somebody Loves You - Phil Keaggy
Wheel In The Sky - Journey
Winning A Battle, Losing The War (Andy Votel) - Kings Of Convenience
The Day It Snowed - Amusement Parks On Fire
My Girl - Otis Redding
Musette and Drums - Cocteau Twins
To Love Somebody - Slobberbone
No One is to Blame - Howard Jones
Boys - Ryan Adams
Joanna - The Walker Brothers
The Day I Met Marie - Cliff Richard
Show Girl - The Auteurs
La Mambo - Van Morrison
My Old Kentucky Home (Turpentine & Dandelion Wine) - Ry Cooder
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight - Robert Palmer (feat. UB40)
Stairway To The Stars - Ella Fitzgerald
The Great Unknown - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
The One - Elton John
Human Condition - Charlie Peacock
Already Gone - Eagles
Idiot Prayer - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
I Wish It Would Rain Down - Phil Collins
I Can't Stop Loving You - Elvis Presley
Look Me In The Eye - Margaret Becker
Waterfront - Simple Minds
Happy Being Lonely, Lonely Being Happy - Vigilantes Of Love
Sultitan Itan - Cocteau Twins
Listen To The Band - The Monkees
Snow In Sun - Scritti Politti
Walking In The Rain - The Walker Brothers
White Moon - The White Stripes
I See Jesus - Wynona Carr
Coda And End Credits - Jimi Hendrix
I Wonder - The Ronettes
Desperate Ain't Lonely - Whiskeytown
Dishes - Pulp
Rescue - Lucinda Williams
She Saw The World - The Blue Nile
Ali Baba - John Holt
Only Love Can Break Your Heart - Neil Young
On the Run - Easy Star All Stars
Hey - Pixies
Nine Times Out Of Ten - Cliff Richard & The Shadows
New Biography - Van Morrison
Amy - Ryan Adams
There's A Light Beyond These Woods (Mary Margaret) - Nanci Griffith
Woman I Love - J.J. Cale
------------

Sony launching 'Smartphone' lenses

SonyAlpha Rumors reports: [edited]

The DSC-QX10 and DSC-QX100 lenses have a built-in sensor, Bionz processor, Wifi/NFC wireless connection and SD card slot. You will be able to control them through your smart phone or tablet (via WiFi or NFC). The lenses can be magnetically attached on your smartphone and work on Android and iOS devices.

One has the RX100II sensor and Zeiss lens. The second model will feature a 10x zoom lens with 1/2,3 inch 18 megapixel CMOS sensor, the same sensor and lens as the Sony WX150.
------------

Astell & Kern AK120

Amazon reports: [edited]

The Astell & Kern AK120 portable audio system is an audiophile's dream. It is capable of playing Mastering Quality Sound files (MQS) from online stores like HDtracks.com in addition to a slew of other lossless formats like Ogg FLAC WAV WMA APE and MP3 audio files.

It packs 64GB of built in memory, and sports 2 micro SD card drives that can each take a 64GB card (total 192GB) and two Wolfson 8740 DACs giving you isolated left and right audio channels.

Price: £1,099
------------

Extract Images From Microsoft Office Documents

lifehacker reports: [edited]

If there are a bunch of graphics, videos, and other elements in a Word or PowerPoint file, you can extract these individual elements with a compression/archive program.

Simply open the file in, for example, 7-Zip (right-click on the file and choose to open it with 7-Zip) and then you can extract all the contents.
------------

London - Somerset - London, 10- & 11-08-13

London to Somerset
Back Stabbers - The O'Jays
You're Unbelievable - EMF
Pompeii - Bastille
Give Me Just A Little More Time - Chairmen Of The Board
When Doves Cry - Prince And The Revolution
Sweet Talkin' Woman - Electric Light Orchestra
Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra) - The Vaccines
King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O - Chubby Parker
Shaddup You Face - Joe Dolce
Punching In a Dream (Single Version) - The Naked & Famous
Duquesne Whistle - Bob Dylan
Zambesi - Piranhas
You're the Reason Our Kid's Are Ugly - Loretta Lynn
Ridin' Solo - Jason Derulo
banana splits theme - Dickies
She's a maniac - Michael Sembello
Blurred Lines (feat. T.I. & Pharrell) - Robin Thicke
Little Does She Know - The Kursaal Flyers
Airplanes (feat. Hayley Williams of Paramore) - B.o.B
The Boys of Summer - DJ Sammy
Hey Ya - Outkast
Comedy - Shack
Coin-Operated Boy - The Dresden Dolls
Dragostea din tei (Mai Ai Hii) - O-Zone
Long Hard Times to Come (From "Justified") [feat. T.O.N.E-Z] - Gangstagrass
Don't Bring Me Down - Electric Light Orchestra
Rhythm Is a Dancer - Snap!
Your Love Is My Drug - Ke$ha
I say nothing - Voice of the Beehive
Ladies of the Harem of the Court of King Caractucus - Rolf Harris
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers
The Diary Of Horace Wimp - Electric Light Orchestra
Testifying Time - The Amazing Snakeheads
Cruel To Be Kind - Letter to Cleo
That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings
Love Shack - The B-52's
Centerfold - J. Geils Band
Good Morning Starshine - Oliver
Tomoko - Hafdis Huld
Frankie - Sister Sledge
Ring Ring Ring - De La Soul
Rhythm of the night - Corona
More Bounce to the Ounce - Zapp
Time Of The Season - The Zombies
Bang Bang - B.A. Robertson
Magic - Pilot
Rama Lama Ding Dong - The Edsels
Don't Get Me Wrong - Pretenders
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Hands Up - Ottawan
Rip It Up - Orange Juice
I Can't Wait (extended) - Nu Shooz
88 Lines About 44 Women - Nails
Sideboard Song (live) - Chas 'N' Dave
Angel - Shaggy
Knock On Wood - Amy Stewart
Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - Bachman Turner Overdrive
Baby Come Back - Player
Night Boat To Cairo - Madness

Somerset to London
Tonight's The Kind Of Night - Noah & The Whale
Yeah Yeah Yeah Song - The Flaming Lips
Bohemian Like You - The Dandy Warhols
Scribble (Radio Edit) - Underworld
Car Wash - Rose Royce
The Beginning Stages, Part 9 (Reach For The Sun) - The Polyphonic Spree
Whiskey In The Jar - Metallica
11th Dimension - Julian Casablancas
Nice Weather For Ducks - Lemon Jelly
Nellie the elephant - Toy Dolls
Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That - Dolly Parton
Love The Way You Lie - Eminem Feat. Rihanna
Hungry Like The Wolf - Reel Big Fish
Time (Clock Of The Heart) - Culture Club
Breezeblocks - Alt-J (∆)
Call on Me (Radio Edit) - Eric Prydz
Burning Love - Elvis Presley
Cracklin Rose - Neil Diamond
Cynical Girl - Marshall Crenshaw
Gun - CHVRCHES
We Will Rock You [2011 Remaster] - Queen
Amanaemonesia - Chairlift
Bourgeois - Phoenix
Louise - Human League
Chantilly Lace - The Big Bopper
Levels - Avicii
Ariel - Dean Friedman
Hey Ruby, Shut Your Mouth - Ruby and The Party Gang
Alphabeat - DJ (Madeon Remix) - Alphabeat
Stronger - Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
Dear Lincoln - Kiran Leonard
Better Off As Two (single) - FrankMusik
Your Drums, Your Love - AlunaGeorge
It's A Shame - Detroit Spinners
Burning Love - Wynonna
I Believe In A Thing Called Love - The Darkness
Don't Save Me - Haim
This Charming Man (hoh) - The Smiths
Swoon (Radio Edit) - The Chemical Brothers
Tesla Girls - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
Everlasting Love - Love Affair
Have You Seen Her - The Chi-Lites
Shake It (Lenny B Remix) [Extended Version] - Metro Station
Life could be a dream (Sh-Boom) - Crew Cuts
What’s Up - 4 Non Blondes
What's Up (Dance version) - 4 Non Blondes (DJ Miko version)
Le Freak - Chic
Killer - Sparkle Moore
Wake Me Up - Avicii
Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top
Really Free - John Otway
Hotel Yorba - The White Stripes
------------

Maggots - The Next Gourmet Experience?

Wired reports: [edited]

Designer Katharina Unger is on a mission to make eating insects irresistible.

The recent graduate from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and current Fulbright Scholar devoted her thesis project, called Farm 432: Insect Breeding, to developing an appliance that incubates insects for human consumption. The striking blue and white vessel is stocked with one gram of black soldier fly eggs, and over a period of 18 days, the eggs move through the device’s chambers, gestating, reproducing, and ultimately producing 2.4 kilograms of nutritious, if slightly nauseating, fly larva.

Unger didn’t stop at growing the flies — she also developed recipes, including a stellar tomato and larva risotto, to help make the icky output more enticing. She’s now working out how changing the diet of the larva would impact taste. “I always speculated what happened if I gave them just one specific type of food,” she says. “Maybe you could make them taste like strawberries?”

Turning insects into a protein powder or peanut butter like substance could help introduce edible insects to the mass market more smoothly, but Unger wanted her project to make a statement. “I felt it would be inconsequential to suddenly hide the main product away,” she says. “In the end it is not only about producing food, but also about the adventure of growing live animals in your home!”
------------

Cookpad, Japan's Largest Recipe Site, Now in English

~Open Culture reports: [edited]

Cookpad bills itself as having the 'Best Japanese recipes from the largest cooking community in Japan'. And that’s not just your usual web site hyperbole. Established back in 1997, Cookpad houses 1.5 million recipes created by a base of 20 million users. And it’s now a publicly-traded company on the Tokyo stock exchange. This week, Cookpad did everyone in the Anglophone world a favor by releasing an English language version of its site.

Right now, you can navigate your way through 1,500 recipes and find dishes like Udon with Thick Egg Soup, Very Delicious Stir-fried Tofu with Shimeji Mushrooms, and Pan-Fried Autumn Salmon with Ginger Sauce. And if you’re patient, you’ll soon find another 30,000 recipes added to the site. It’s worth noting that all recipes are translated by humans, not computers, and the translators are apparently compensated for their efforts.

3-D Printed Figurines

Wired reports: [edited]

Using the latest in 360-degree scanning and 3-D printing technologies, Twinkind, a new company based in Hamburg, Germany, will turn you, your loved ones, or your pets into detailed little statues.

The final figurines, which can range in size from roughly 6″ (around $300) to 13″ (around $1,700), are strikingly, maybe even a little unsettlingly realistic, capturing everything from poses and facial expressions down to hair styles and the folds in clothes.
------------

Free-to-play vintage handheld video games

kottke reports: [edited]

PicaPic is a digitised collection of vintage handheld games made by Hipopotam studio.

They're all free and playable in your browser. It's a really slick implementation. It even has the plasticy clacking sound of the buttons.
------------

Free Font - Billion Stars

Da Font are hosting this font, designed by Måns Grebäckfree.

The free version is for personal use only. The commercial version is available here.

Swashes can be added via the '[](){}' keys.
------------

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Superadrianme has published a hands-on of Panasonic's new high-end compact Micro Four Third camera, complete with ISO comparison image samples.

Snippets follow:

"The system is intuitive and easy to control when comes to changing settings using the dual dials in manual mode. Weighing 500 grams, it fits in nicely to my hands and offers a much better & firmer grip when compared to OLYMPUS PEN 5. The sleek retro design and alloy chassis makes you want to compare it with the Olympus OM-D or even a Leica Rangefinder."

"The LCD touchscreen is fast and responsive. The tiltable LVF is super clear and its reproduction does not lose out to the LCD touchscreen. Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GX7 allows user to use the LCD touchscreen to work like a mouse pad for shifting focus point for fast focusing when using the LVF."

"The AF focusing have significantly improved from previous models. The built-in image stabilizer works exceptionally well, that even for night shot at 2 second shutter speed handheld, the picture came out with minimum blurring which is only visible at 100% crop."

"The colour reproduction is very close to what we see in real life, not too contrasty and over saturated. The image quality at ISO 200 produces great detail even at 100% crop."
------------

Cocoon Grid-It Slim

core 77 reports: [edited]

The GRID-IT organiser first caused a stir when it hit the market some years ago. It was an affordable and clever way to bring order to chaos. The seemingly-randomly-placed elastic straps belie the object's ability to organise whatever you want, in whatever order you want it.

My only gripe with the thing was that it was somewhat awkward to pull in and out of bags, with accidental friction causing some items to snag or shift, thus ruining my organizational OCD masterpiece. For that reason I stopped using mine. But Cocoon Innovations has now finally integrated the GRID-IT into its own bag, the SLIM.

Available exclusively through their website and Apple, the $80 SLIM is kitted out with de rigueur materials - water-resistant ballistic nylon and waterproof zippers - but it's got that sweet GRID-IT built-in behind the front flap, while the secondary compartment closer to your back holds your laptop/tablet. It ain't gonna hold your gym stuff, but for folks like me who are fans of slim bags (it's just 3.5" thick) this is looking like a home run.
------------

BUILD

Archiproducts reports: [edited]

As shelving or partition, freestanding or mounted on the wall, BUILD adapts to your needs. An individual element can double as transport box or seating.

BUILD is quick and easy to install and can be reconfigured in minutes, with any number of units. No instructions, no tools.
------------

BMW i3 Electric Vehicle

Wired reports: [edited]

BMW has finally made a real EV. It’s not another retrofit hack-job that stuffs an electric motor and battery pack into car that was never intended for electrification. It’s been designed from the ground up to serve two purposes: electrify the automaker and stay true to the Ultimate Driving Machine tagline.

This is the BMW i3 and it’s the most innovative thing to come out of Munich in a decade.

First, the stats. The i3 is packing a 22 kWh lithium-ion battery pack good for a claimed range of between 80 and 100 miles — on par with the majority of new EVs on sale. Charging takes three hours over a 220-volt line and into a massive 7.4 kW on-board charger, one of the largest on the market. BMW claims that charge time can be reduced to 30 minutes using an optional DC Combo Fast Charging setup.

In proper BMW fashion, 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque is delivered to the rear wheels through a single-speed transmission. And that hybrid-synchronous electric motor mounted out back revs out to a (silently) screaming 11,400 RPM. BMW claims the i3 will go from 0 to 60 mph in an impressive seven seconds, and maxes out at an electronically limited 93 MPH for ultimate efficiency. And just like every BMW on the road, it has a perfect 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution which provides that phenomenal handling that solidified BMW’s reputation as a driver’s brand.

But despite all those stats, one number stands out: 2,700 pounds. That’s the i3′s curb weight, making it one of the lightest electric vehicles on the market.
------------

RHex, a Robot That Does Parkour

RHex is an all-terrain walking robot that could one day climb over rubble in a rescue mission or cross the desert with environmental sensors strapped to its back.

Pronounced "Rex," like the over-excited puppy it resembles when it is bounding over the ground, RHex is short for "robot hexapod," a name that stems from its six springy legs.

Legs have an advantage over wheels when it comes to rough terrain, but the articulated legs often found on walking robots require complex, specialized instructions for each moving part. To get the most mobility out of RHex's simple, one-jointed legs, Penn researchers are essentially teaching the robot Parkour. Taking inspiration from human free-runners, the team is showing the robot how to manipulate its body in creative ways to get around all sorts of obstacles.

"What we want is a robot that can go anywhere, even over terrain that might be broken and uneven," Johnson says. "These latest jumps greatly expand the range of what this machine is capable of, as it can now jump onto or across obstacles that are bigger than it is."

via kottke
------------

Light stopped for a minute

New Scientist reports: [edited]

While light normally travels at just under 300 million metres per second in a vacuum, physicists managed to slow it down to just 17 metres per second in 1999 and then halt it completely two years later, though only for a fraction of a second. Earlier this year, researchers kept it still for 16 seconds using cold atoms.

To break the minute barrier, George Heinze and colleagues at the University of Darmstadt, Germany, fired a control laser at an opaque crystal, sending its atoms into a quantum superposition of two states. This made it transparent to a narrow range of frequencies. Heinze's team then halted a second beam that entered the crystal by switching off the first laser and hence the transparency.

The storage time depends on the crystal's superposition. A magnetic field extends it but complicates the control laser configuration. Heinze's team used an algorithm to "breed" combinations of magnet and laser, leading them to one that trapped light for a minute.

At full pelt, light would travel about 18 million kilometres in that time – that's more than 20 round trips to the moon. "One minute is extremely, extremely long," says Thomas Krauss at the University of St Andrews, UK. "This is a major milestone."
------------

Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell Vehicle Arrives in the UK

Auto Express reports: [edited]

Five Hyundai ix35 fuel cell vehicles will soon hit London’s roads as part of the London Hydrogen Network Expansion (LNHE) project. The LNHE is aiming to establish the first hydrogen transport infrastructure in the southeast of England, and is being run by a consortium of companies that specialise in different aspects of using hydrogen as a fuel.

The hydrogen-fuelled ix35 will sprint from 0-62mph in 12.5 seconds, has a top speed of 100mph and has a range of 369 miles from each tank of hydrogen. For comparison, the ix35 1.7-litre diesel completes 0-62mph in 12.4 seconds and will hit 108mph.

The fuel cell Hyundai take around three minutes to refuel. At present, there are two hydrogen filling stations in London – one open to the public – and a third is planned as part of the LNHE.

Three more stations will be built by 2015, by which time, the LNHE project hopes to have around 50 hydrogen-powered test vehicles on the road, including buses and taxis.
------------

WikiPearl

Wired reports: [edited]

Back in 2009 Edwards and French designer Francois Azambourg began developing a new technology to eliminate packaging from foods. Called WikiCells, the edible soft skins are made from natural food particles that are bound together by nutritive ions. The goal was to reduce plastic waste while improving human health through portion control and vitamin-supplemented skins.

WikiPearl is the first commercialised product born from the technology, mainly because ice cream is delicious, and it’s the least weird form his WikiCells could possibly take. “Some products are a more radical departure from what people are used to than others,” he says. “But ice cream and frozen yogurt in the WikiPearl form is really easily understood. An added bonus: they melt slower than regular ice cream. Put a few balls inside a specially-designed cooler that’s sold at WikiBar and Edwards says they can last up to eight hours.

But WikiPearls is really just the beginning for Edwards. He estimates that by 2014 wiki vending machines where customers can make their own combinations of filling and skins, should be available. “You could say I want an orange soda with a french fry skin, or whatever it is,” he explains, “And then it’s made there in the machine.” Long-term, he envisions wiki technology in the home where parents could customise the fillings and skins to make their children a package-free lunch.

Image: Phase One Photography
------------

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ70 with 60x optical zoom

Digital Photography Review reports: [edited]

Panasonic has announced the Lumix DMC-FZ70, a 16.1MP compact superzoom with a 60x optical zoom. Spanning the equivalent of 20-1200mm it's the largest zoom lens available in a consumer compact. The FZ70's zoom lens has a maximum aperture range of F2.8-5.9, and the camera introduces a new 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor capable of 1080/60i video.

First Impressions
Side-by-side with the FZ60, the size difference in the lens is immediately obvious. The FZ70's optics are much larger, as expected, making the camera's overall footprint notably increased.

The camera hits a competitive price point at $399, and it seems that some concessions were made in build quality to hit that number. The camera is encased in a composite plastic that feels slightly cheap, especially on the bottom panel. There's a nice deep handgrip though, and the command dial on the back panel makes it easy to change exposure settings quickly.

There's no use resisting the temptation to immediately zoom in to 1200mm equivalent once the FZ70's in hand, so we turned the camera to the streets far beyond and below the office. Zooming to the full telephoto end of the range is done in less than four seconds and the action of the lens is smooth. Using the FZ70 to its full telephoto potential revealed people on the streets below that we hadn't been able to spot with the naked eye. Once focused on these distant subjects, we were able to track them without much difficulty.

Image stabilization is aggressive at the long end of the zoom, and it needs to be. At 1200mm equiv. there's no chance of hand-holding and getting a clear shot, unassisted. The stabilization system fights minor camera shake effectively, shifting to a new subject relatively smoothly when panning across a scene.
------------

Harrow - Bracknell - Harrow, 21-07-13

You Got The Dirtee Love, feat. Dizzee Rascal - Florence + The Machine
Bad Romance - Lady GaGa
Neon Genesis Evangelion Theme Tune - Neon Genesis Evangelion
I Wanna Dance with somebody - Whitney Houston
Starry Eyed Surprise - Paul Oakenfold (ft. Shifty Shellshock)
Chick a Boom (Don't Ya Jes Love It) - Daddy Dewdrop
Greatest Hits - Mystery Jets
The Wanderer - Dion
Dude looks like a lady - Aerosmith
I Wish - Skee-Lo
Charm Attack - Leona Naess
Bum Bum - Mabel
When The Going Gets Tough - Billy Ocean
Push the Button - Sugababes
It Started With A Kiss - Hot Chocolate
C30, C60, C90, Go! - Bow Wow Wow
Juicebox - The Strokes
I Will Dance (When I Walk Away) (Radio Edit) - Katzenjammer
The Show Must Go On - Leo Sayer
My Boy Lollipop - Millie Small
Lean On Me - Red Box
Dude (Featuring Ms Thing) - Beenie Man
Fell In Love With A Girl - The White Stripes
Annie I'm Not Your Daddy - Kid Creole and the Coconuts
Just a Song About Ping Pong - Operator Please
Young Blood - The Naked and Famous
Lovesick - Peace
Tequilla - Herb Alpert
------------

How The Tesla Model S Is Made

Kottke reports: [edited]

Tesla got the factory for a song from Toyota in 2010, spent about a year or so setting up tooling and started producing the Model S saloon in mid-2012. The automaker brings in raw materials by the truckload, including the massive rolls of aluminium that are bent, pressed, and formed to create the car. The lightweight components are assembled by swarm of red robots in an intricate mesmerising ballet.

Editor Note: If you've got a Frankenstein Complex (aka Robobphobia/Terminator Syndrome), look away! If not, it is worth visiting YouTube and choosing a higher resolution version of the video.
------------

Metallic Bubble Wrap

core77 reports: [edited]

Bubble wrap - first invented as three-dimensional wallpaper - started protecting valuables in 1960 and is branded by the Sealed Air company. It's typically made from polyethylene, with a bubble-shaped side bonded to a flat side.

The new metallic form can offer protection in spaces only a few millimetres thick. Packaging can be made that is very thin and much stronger than the plastic variety.

Afsaneh Rabiei, professor of engineering North Carolina State University, and her team started with a thin sheet of aluminum and used a studded roller to form small indents in the sheet. Instead of capturing air in these indentations, she filled them with a foaming agent like calcium carbonate or titanium hydrate. When such agents are heated they form bubbles within the metal.

Then they bond this indented sheet to another flat sheet of aluminium, sandwiching the foaming agent in the separate recesses. Last, they heat the bonded sheets and the foaming agent forms bubbles, much in the way baking soda causes a cake to form its porous crumb. It is the bubbles that absorb the energy and shock from any load placed on the material.
------------

Utilite Miniature Computer

Gizmag reports: [edited]

Mini-PC maker CompuLab has unveiled the next generation of its teeny, Tegra 2-powered Trim-Slice computer. Nvidia's processing heart has been swapped for a Freescale i.MX6 system-on-chip that's available with single, dual or quad cores. The system can run either a desktop-grade Ubuntu or a fully-featured Android operating system, but the best news is a starting price of just US$99.

Dotted around its simple 5.3 x 3.9 x 0.8-in (135 x 100 x 21-mm) "no-screws" housing, you'll find two Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, five USB ports (including one micro USB On-The-Go connector), two RS232 Serial ports, HDMI 1.4 and DVI-D display ports that each support up to 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution, and both S/PDIF 5.1 and analog audio.

Under the hood, its ARM-based Cortex-A9 processor runs up to a 1.2 GHz quad-core configuration, and sits alongside a video processing unit capable of supporting multi-stream 1080p H.264 video, with graphics API support in the shape of OpenGL ES 1.1 and 2.0, OpenVG 1.1 and OpenCL EP.

Systems are available with up to 4 GB of DDR 3 RAM and up to 512 GB of mSATA solid state storage (with expansion possible via an included micro-SDXC card slot). The Utilite also gets 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi via a single antenna, and Bluetooth 3.0 wireless technology.
------------

Lifehacker Best Mac Apps 2013

Lifehacker reports: [edited]

Every day brings new apps to OS X. Few are gems, but some stand out from the crowd. In our fifth annual Lifehacker Pack for Mac, we're highlighting the best downloads for better productivity, communication, media management, and more.
------------

ATLAS - The Robots Are Coming

Gizmodo reports: [edited]

As impressed by we all were by Petman, DARPA and Boston Dynamics' remarkably agile and nimble humanoid, it's about to get upstaged by the company's latest and greatest robot creation: ATLAS.

Not only does it keep its balance and remain standing after being hit by a 20-pound wrecking ball, ATLAS also tackles a treadmill, staying on two feet while two-by-fours and other obstacles are tossed in its path.
------------

London - Nottingham - London, 13-07-13

London to Nottingham
Le Freak (orig) - Chic
He's The Greatest Dancer - Sister Sledge
Upside Down - Album Version - Diana Ross
Everybody Dance (12" Version) - Chic
We Are Family (ext) - Sister Sledge
Spacer (12" Version) - Sheila & B. Devotion
I Want Your Love (ext) - Chic
Lost In Music (orig) - Sister Sledge
Saturday - Norma Jean Wright
Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) - Chic
My Feet Keep Dancing - Chic
Good Times (ext) - Chic
I'm Coming Out (ext) - Diana Ross
Why (12" Version) - Carly Simon
My Forbidden Lover (12" Version) - Chic
Thinking Of You (orig) - Sister Sledge
I Love My Lady - Johnny Mathis
Backfired (12' Remix) - Debbie Harry
Soup For One - Chic
High Society (12" Version) - Norma Jean Wright

Nottingham to London
Think About It (Album Version) - Flight Of The Conchords
On The Road Again - Bob Dylan
Bagboy - Pixies
Baby I Call Hell - Deap Vally
Broken Land - Adventures
Diane Young - Vampire Weekend
Dynamite (Original Mix) - Taio Cruz
Stoned and Starving - Parquet Courts
Last Night - The Strokes
She Said - Rin Oikawa
Skinny Love - Bon Iver
110% - Jessie Ware
Full Circle - Half Moon Run
Afterglow - The Crookes
Heavy - Chase & Status
Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros - Flight Of The Conchords
Justified and Ancient - KLF & Tammy Wynette
Stella - Ida Maria
Fool Yourself (Feat. Rage; Plan B) - Chase & Status
Woman to woman - Shirley Brown
Chelsea Girl - Simple Minds
Inner City Pressure (Album Version) - Flight Of The Conchords
Good Time - Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen
Dick & Jane - Sidney York
She's Got A Boyfriend - Jack Carty
Play House - Afrobeta
Dirty Dishes - Jeani Mack
Pop Muzik - M
Fireflies (UK Radio Edit) - Owl City
Everybody Dance (Clap Your Hands) - Chic
Zola - Wonder Villains
Answer to Shaggy (It Wasn't Me) - Lady Saw
Heart Shaped Guitar - Masked Intruder
Downtown - Petula Clark
Ill Fit - Wave Machines
Central Reservation (The Then Again Version) - Beth Orton
Raspberry Beret - Prince
------------