Ampersand Table

Behance reports: [edited]

In homage to the fabulous curves & dynamic line weights of the great American type designer, Herb Lubalin (and his unsung genius letterer Tom Carnase), this table for two is modelled on one of his voluptuous 1970s ampersands for U&lc Magazine.

Construction was inspired by the simplicity of surfboard fins – the legs are attached with a precision-fit slot and tab technique. No nails or screws.

Designed by Matt Innes & Saori Kajiwara. CNC router cut, hand glued & finished in Danish oil & beeswax. 1100 x 1000 x 350mm, hardwood ply, food-safe glue. 45mm 3-ply surface.
------------

Cellulon PicoPro

9to5Mac reports: [edited]

PicoPro ($349-$399) packs a high-definition video projector, a battery pack, and wireless capabilities into a 0.55″ thick enclosure with the same footprint as an iPhone 6 Plus. Overall, it’s the best small projector I’ve tested: much easier to use, quiet, and capable of delivering a better complete viewing experience.

PicoPro’s performance is impressive given its size. PicoPro projects a true widescreen image with an actual detail level that’s several times greater than both smaller and larger but similarly-priced projectors I’ve used. Even high-definition iTunes-protected videos played through connected iPads and iPhones without complaint.

An even more intriguing component of PicoPro’s performance is its utter lack of configuration. There is no focus dial nor the need for a focus dial: the laser-projected image starts and remains impressively sharp, unlike typical projectors. For better or worse, there also aren’t contrast, colour balance, or keystone configurations to figure out. There are volume up and down buttons on the top, a battery life indicator button on the back, a power button, and a mode button. That’s it.

PicoPro isn’t a perfect little video projector, but given its size and the realities of pico projection, it does a lot better than I would have expected. Nearly three hours of run time with the battery, cool and quiet operation, and 720p HD video support are all welcome steps forward over prior units I’ve tested.
------------

Dell XPS 13 (2015)

Engadget has published a review of what is currently the world's smallest 13-inch laptop.

Summary & 'Pros & Cons' follow:

"With Intel's new fifth-generation Core processor, the redesigned, 1.2kg XPS is notable for its nearly bezel-less display -a design feat that allows it to have the footprint of an 11-inch machine. And a starting price of $800 (or, if you are in the UK, £1,099! Ed.)."

Other than an update to the touchpad, there's very little we would change about Dell's redesigned XPS 13: It's compact and well-built, with a gorgeous screen, fast performance and surprisingly good audio quality. You'll pay dearly to get it with a touchscreen, but even then, it's priced in line with other flagship Ultrabooks.

Pros:

- Nearly bezel-less display
- Vibrant screen
- Excellent audio
- Attractive & well-built
- Comfortable keyboard
- Powerful

Cons:

- Average battery life
- Touchpad not great
- Expensive with touchscreen
------------

Bionic Bird

BBC reports: [edited]

This 9g device looks like a bird and flies like a bird - flapping wings included - and is controlled using a smartphone.

A big part of the Bionic Bird is the related Flying App. There's a 100 meter range, a 'cruise control' mode, as well as easy and expert modes, and sensitivity settings to help ensure you don't lose control while getting the hang of things.

Charging is accomplished via an 'egg'. The bird is perched on top of it, with charging taking place in 12 minutes. The bird, then, is able to fly for a total of ten 8-minute sessions. As for the bird itself, the device is made from 'indestructible foam' and carbon fibre.

For more information, click here.
------------

Leatherman Tread

Wired reports: [edited]

The Leatherman Tread is an interesting departure for the company, and an industry first: a serious multi-tool that can be worn on the wrist. Each link on the band includes two to three functional tools, for a total of 25 usable features.

The bracelet is fully customisable and can be re-built with slotted fasteners. The user can rearrange links, add or remove tools, or just adjust the bracelet’s size for comfort down to one quarter of an inch. Even the clasp is functional, with a bottle opener and #2 square drive. Other tools include hex drives, screwdrivers, box wrenches, a carbide glass breaker, and a hook-style box cutter that doubles as a SIM card pick.

The wristband is constructed of metal-injected molded 17-4 stainless steel. The tools may be tiny, but they’re not going to snap or bend under stress. There’s an optional Swiss quartz movement watch available in the fall of 2015.

It is TSA- and security-friendly. In fact, that was the original inspiration for the Tread: being able to travel and pass security checkpoints with a full complement of Leatherman tools.

The Tread bracelets will be available in May 2015. The stainless steel finish will cost $150, and the black diamond-like carbon finish will cost $200. The tread watches will cost $500 for stainless steel and $600 for black DLC.
------------

96W 10-Port Desktop USB Rapid Charger Cradle

Because you can never have enough charging ports :-)

Allputer reports: [edited]

Charge up to 10 USB devices simultaneously from one wall outlet. Simply connect any USB mobile device, such as an iPhone, iPad, iPod, Tablet PC, Smartphone, camera, a Wireless Hotspot etc. and quickly charge all your devices from one place. This giant USB Charger is durable and lightweight and works great at home or at the office. This is a must-have travel companion to charge all your USB-power devices.

Price: $119.95
------------

Laser etching makes metal hydrophobic

Sploid reports: [edited]

Scientists at the University of Rochester have created a metal that is so extremely hydrophobic that the water bounces on it as if it were repelled by a magic force field. Instead of using chemical coatings they used lasers to etch a nanostructure on the metal itself.

From the construction of airplane surfaces — which will avoid water freezing of the fuselage — to non-stick pans to phones to computers to TVs to cars to whatever you can imagine made of metal.

They are also thinking of applying the technique to create 100-percent efficient water recollection systems in underdeveloped countries and the creation of latrines in areas where water is not abundant enough to allow for effective cleaning.

The lead scientist says that 'the structures created by their laser on the metals are part of the material surface' so they will not disappear over time, like current chemical coatings do.
------------

Quantum Dots

Wired reports: [edited]

Quantum dot is gonna be the next big thing in TVs‎, bringing better image quality to cheaper sets. Quantum-dot televisions are a new type of LED-backlit LCD TV. The image is created just like it is on an LCD screen, but quantum-dot technology enhances the colour.

On an LCD TV, you have a backlight system, which is a bank of LEDs mounted at the edge of the screen or immediately behind it. That light is diffused, directed by a light-guide plate and beamed through a polarised filter. The photons then hit a layer of liquid crystals that either block the light or allow it to pass through a second polarised filter.

Before it gets to that second polariser, light passes through a layer of red, blue, and green (and sometimes yellow) colour filters. These are the subpixels. Electrical charges applied to the subpixels moderate the blend of coloured light visible on the other side. This light cocktail creates the colour value of each pixel on the screen.

In a quantum-dot set, the changes start with the colour of the backlight. The LEDs in most LCD TVs emit white light, but those in quantum-dot televisions emit blue light. Both types actually use blue LEDs, but they’re coated with yellow phosphor in normal LCD televisions and therefore emit white light.

Quantum dots have one job, and that is to emit one colour. They excel at this. When a quantum dot is struck by light, it glows with a very specific colour that can be finely tuned. When those blue LEDs shine on the quantum dots, the dots glow with the intensity of angry fireflies.

Quantum dots are tiny, and their size determines their colour. There are two sizes of dots in these TVs. The “big” ones glow red, and they have a diameter of about 50 atoms. The smaller ones, which glow green, have a diameter of about 30 atoms. There are billions of them in a quantum-dot TV.

Because that coloured light is the good stuff, quantum dots have an advantage over traditional LCD TVs when it comes to vivid hues and color gamut. In a normal LCD, white light produced by the LEDs has a wider spectrum. It’s kind of dirty, with a lot of light falling in a color range unusable by the set’s colour filters.

So with a quantum-dot set, there is very little wasted light. You can get brighter, more-saturated, and more-accurate colours. The sets I saw in person at CES 2015 certainly looked punchier than your average LCD.
------------

ZX Spectrum Vega

BBC reports: [edited]

Production is set to start on a remodelled version of the ZX Spectrum, which will come pre-installed with 1,000 classic game titles.

The machine, which has been developed by Luton-based Retro Computers, is due to go on sale in April.

Although emulators exist to allow smartphones and computers to play Spectrum games, the Vega has the advantage of being easy to plug into a TV.

Expose iPhone Flash

Cult of Mac reports: [edited]

Expose's iPhone app lets users blast light in photo and video modes, with flash, strobe or continuous settings. You can adjust the white balance and brightness, and the device weighs so little you’ll barely notice it’s in your pocket.

Expose is six-times as bright as your iPhone’s built-in dual-LED flash, up to 130 lumens.

Its body packs a USB rechargeable battery with one hour of run time. You can use it with or without an iPhone case thanks to the four included attachments that pop into your Lightning or 30-pin connector port, and the lanyard will make sure your light never leaves your side.

Price: $60.
------------

Mercedes F 015 autonomous automobile

gizmag reports: [edited]

The F 015 is a collage of futuristic technological concepts. The smooth, pod-like car is driven by a fuel cell hybrid powertrain.

The swivelling front seats can face forward as in a normal car, but given the lack of any human driving responsibilities, they can also swing around to face the rear passengers, creating a roomy interior space. The seats automatically swivel 30 degrees outward when the doors open, making it easier to get in and out.

The "digital arena" of the F 015 keeps occupants connected by way of six high-resolution displays integrated into the instrument and side panels. The displays can be operated via touch, gesture control and eye tracking.


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

Teixobactin

The Independent reports: [edited]

A new antibiotic – the first in nearly 30 years – has been discovered by scientists who claim it appears to be as good, or even better, than many existing drugs with the potential to work against a broad range of fatal infections such as pneumonia and tuberculosis.

Laboratory tests have shown the new antibiotic, called teixobactin, can kill some bacteria as quickly as established antibiotics and can cure laboratory mice suffering from bacterial infections with no toxic side-effects.

Studies have also revealed the prototype drug works against harmful bacteria in a unique way that is highly unlikely to lead to drug-resistance – one of the biggest stumbling blocks in developing new antibiotics.

Such a development would represent a huge boost for medicine because of growing fears that the world is running out of effective antibiotics given the rapid rise of drug-resistant strains of superbugs and the spread of these diseases around the globe.
------------

Omniprocessor

core77 reports: [edited]

The Gates Foundation is backing a machine that can solve two pressing problems at once. It transforms faeces into clean water.

Developed by Seattle-based engineering firm Janicki Bioenergy, the machine burns faeces at a temperature so hot that there's no nasty smell. It meets all the emissions standards set by the U.S. government.

The machine also generates electricity - more than enough to power itself.
------------

Seagate Seven Portable External Drive

The Register reports: [edited]

The Seagate Seven is a 7mm thick, 500GB portable external drive. It has a bare drive look with its steel enclosure punched into shape via a deep draw manufacturing process.

Seagate claims its low profile motor technologies include "extreme Gyro handling capabilities with tablets and thin computing in mind".

It hooks up to host computers with a braided USB 3.0 cable.

Price: $99
------------

Ants Are Cleaning Up the Streets of NYC

Scientific American reports: [edited]

Over a period of six days, a team from North Carolina State University dropped hot dogs, cookies and potato chips around a 150-block section of New York City to study how much food-waste scavengers could eat in 24 hours.

They found that arthropods — invertebrates with an exoskeleton, including insects and spiders — act as a rapid trash-clearance service. Pavement ants in particular are voracious consumers of food waste and together with other arthropods are capable of eating up to 6.5 kilograms (about 14 pounds) of waste per block per year. This chomping adds up to 60,000 hotdogs, 200,000 cookies or 600,000 potato chips across Broadway and West Street. The study was published December 2 in Global Change Biology.
------------

London - Somerset - London, 27 & 28-12-14

London to Somerset, 27-12-14
It's My Life - Bon Jovi
Joyride - Roxette
Cuddly Toy - Roachford
Rock With You - Michael Jackson
I Just Can't Wait To Be King - Jason Weaver
Girls & Boys - Good Charlotte
I Drove All Night (Chris the Greek Club Mix) - Celine Dion
Le Freak - Chic
Jessie's Girl - Frickin' A
Have You Seen Her - The Chi-Lites
Living on My Own - Freddie Mercury
Sunday Morning After - Amanda Marshall
Goodbye Earl - Dixie Chicks
Sweet Freedom - Michael McDonald
Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
Somewhere In My Heart - Aztec Camera
Jolly Green Giant - The Kingsmen
Fancy - Bobbie Gentry
Car Wash - Rose Royce
Back Of My Hand - Jags
Lets Go Fly A Kite - Mary Poppins
The Ugly Bug Ball - Burl Ives
Ariel - Dean Friedman
Angel - Shaggy
Come As You Are - Beverley Knight
Cruel To Be Kind - Letter to Cleo
Everytime We Touch [Club Mix] - Cascada
Dirtee Disco (Radio Edit) - Dizzee Rascal
Come On Over Baby (Video Edit) - Christina Aguilera
I Am The Mob - Catatonia
What's My Age Again? - Blink-182
I'm Still Standing - Elton John
Ride Wit Me - Nelly featuring City Spud
Last Christmas - Jimmy Eat World
Crush (new) - Jennifer Paige
Jive Talkin´ - Bee Gees
I Only Want To Be With You - The Tourists
Don't Get Me Wrong - Pretenders
I Feel Lucky - Mary Chapin Carpenter
Bulletproof - La Roux
Bye Bye Baby - Bay City Rollers
Disturbia - Rihanna
Walking around in women's underwear - Weird Al Yankovic
Give Him a Great Big Kiss - The Shangri-Las
Kids - MGMT
On The Radio - Donna Summer

Somerset to London, 28-12-14
What Time Is Love - KLF
Pray - Take That
96 Tears - ? And the Mysterians
Louise - Human League
The Mayor Of Simpleton - XTC
Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas - Eels
Private Emotion - Hooters
You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me - New Seekers
Don't Worry, Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin
Saturday Morning Confusion - Bobby Russell
Dreaming of Another World - Mystery Jets
Rocket - Goldfrapp
Toe Jam Feat. Dizzee Rascal & David Byrne - The BPA
Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses
Kiss Me Deadly - Reel Big Fish
Get Over It - Guillemots
Are You Gonna Be My Girl (alt) - Jet
The Biggest Horizon - Clint Boon Experience
Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel
Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry
Buck Rogers - Feeder
I Try - Macy Gray
Goodbye Stranger - Supertramp
It's All Been Done - Barenaked Ladies
Silent Night - John Denver & The Muppets
I'm gonna getcha good - Shania Twain
Ladyflash - The Go! Team
Don't You Want Me (12 inch Dance Mix) - Human League
Levels - Avicii
Just Like Christmas - Ingo Star Cruiser
The Twelve Days Of Christmas - The Joseph and Mary Chain
Dragostea Din Tei (Rock Version) - Audiosmog
Be A Pest (Edit) - Animaniacs
You Make My Dreams - Daryl Hall & John Oates
London rain - Heather Nova
Why Do Fools Fall in Love - Alma Cogan
Intergalactic - Beastie Boys
National Express - The Divine Comedy
Anything You Can Do - Bernadette Peters & Tom Wopat
Power Of Love - Huey Lewis & The News
Lucky Lips - Cliff Richard & The Shadows
You Overdid It Doll - The Courteeners
Twist Of The Magi (I did it all for you) - SHeDAISY & Rascal Flatts
Blitzkrieg Bop - Ramones
All Night Garage - Joe Cornish
We Don't Stop - Michael Franti & Spearhead
Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo) - Black Kids
Tarzan & Jane - Toy Box
Bad Girls - M.I.A.
I Know Enough (I Don't Get Enough) - TheAudience
Away in a Manger - Hyperbubble
Express Yourself (Digital Remaster 00) - N.W.A.
Some Girls - Racey
Little ways - Dwight Yoakam
The Way I Do - John McVie (with Lola Thomas)
Two Princes - Spin Doctors
Instant Replay - Dan Hartman
------------

Christmas Day 2014

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honour Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan –

The people walking in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness

a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation

and increased their joy;

they rejoice before you

as people rejoice at the harvest,

as warriors rejoice

when dividing the plunder.

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,

you have shattered

the yoke that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders,

the rod of their oppressor.

Every warrior’s boot used in battle

and every garment rolled in blood

will be destined for burning,

will be fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time on and for ever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty

will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:1-7

- - - - -

From Brett's 2014 Christmas Card

hi res front

hi res back

Image via: http://tumblr.unsplash.com/post/62622705705/download-by-guillaume

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

Nikon D750

Digital Photography Review has published a glowing (90%) review of Nikon's mid-range full-frame DSLR.

Snippets from the conclusion follow:

"The D750 is essentially a lower resolution, less expensive version of Nikon's D810 but if actually offers quite a bit more, including a better autofocus system, faster burst mode, tilting LCD, and built-in Wi-Fi. The major trade-offs are build quality/durability and resolution. If that sounds like an impressive camera to you, then you're absolutely right."

"The Sony-designed sensor in the D750 produces high resolution images with very little noise and an exceptional amount of dynamic range. Noise levels are very low, even at the highest sensitivities."

"One of the other high-points on the D750 is its expansive dynamic range. What's really impressive is what the camera can do when you expose for the highlights and let everything else go dark. So much is captured in the shadows that you can brighten them to the desired level with very little increase in noise."

"It's not often that we review a camera that does nearly everything right. The Nikon D750 is one of those cameras, due in large part to its top-notch sensor and autofocus system. It also wins points for its responsive (but buffer-limited) continuous shooting mode and video quality. While it has a few flaws, they're minor and won't affect the majority of photographers."
------------

Spirograph in a browser

Available here.
------------

Better Portable Graphics (BPG)

Fstoppers reports: [edited]

There is a new image format called BPG (Better Portable Graphics) designed by the French programmer Fabrice Bellard and it promises to deliver better visual quality at half the file size of JPEG.

JPEG has been around for over 20 years and has become the accepted means of displaying images on the web. As our web experience grows ever more visual, and as mobile browsing becomes the preferred method for many folks, JPEG begins to show its limitations.

BPG is a format based off the H.265 video codec by utilising the open source x265. This means BPG offers the ability to render 14 bits per colour channel as opposed to 8 with JPEG. It also offers an alpha channel, and a lossless compression option.

To give BPG a test run and see how it compares to JPEG you can go here and go through a variety of comparison images.
------------

Quadrofoil

quadrofoil.com reports: [edited]

The watercraft comes with an all-electric outboard motor and special steering system, so not a drop of oil goes in the environment.

It flies over water at up to 20 knots, costing 1€/h and hardly any annual maintenance costs. That makes it the most efficient PWC (Personal Water Craft).

Quadrofoil is a thrilling, yet quiet and eco-friendly watercraft. It’s silent motor and zero emissions enable it to ride on lakes, rivers, seas & eco-zones where most motor boats and PWC’s are not allowed. No noise, no waves, no emissions.
------------

Solid State Hard Drives reliability test

Engadget reports: [edited]

Most heavy data users can't wait for the day when conventional hard disks are put out to pasture for good. But just how much better are SSDs? Despite any horror stories you may have heard, the answer is a lot, according to tests on recent models by The Tech Report. It forced six drives - including Kingston's HyperX 3K, Samsung's 840 Pro and Intel's 335 series - to continuously write and rewrite 10GB of small and large files.

Two drives - the Samsung and Kingston models - have both written two petabytes worth of data and are still going. Given that a typical user might write a couple of terabytes of data a year on an SSD, that adds up to a thousand or so years based just on usage. It's worth noting that it was just a small, informal test - but it bolsters the case that SSDs are far less likely to give you failure stress than hard drives.
------------

Desolanator

desolenator.com reports: [edited]

Billions of people lack a plentiful supply of clean drinking water.

But we have worked out a way to help them. We want to create water from sunshine!

We have created the Desolenator - the first easy to use, low cost, solar powered water desalination system that can make any type of water - including sea water - drinkable.

We have the solution available right now. We just need funding and support to get it developed and shipped to the people who need it.

We have started an Indiegogo campaign asking for investment to help us begin to manufacture the Desolenator. But we also to help create a movement. A group of passionate individuals and communities that understand that water is one of the key issues for the world and want to do as much as they can to help ensure that no one on the planet goes thirsty.
------------

High-end pocketable compact cameras

Digital Photography Review has published a review of the following cameras.

- Canon PowerShot G7 X
- Canon PowerShot S120
- Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III
- Fujifilm XQ1
- Nikon Coolpix P340
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1

Snippets from the conclusion follows:

Best high-end pocketable compact - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III

With the RX100, RX100 II and now the RX100 III, Sony has had three opportunities to perfect the concept. The RX100 Mark III offers advantages in its superior battery life, added options/features for video shooters, better image quality, and its built-in EVF.

Best affordable high-end pocketable compact - Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1 is not the newest high-end compact around, nor does it offer the biggest sensor, or the cheapest price tag. That being said, it is still an incredibly capable compact with a built-in electronic viewfinder for under $300 [£250, Ed.]. The Panasonic also leaps ahead of the pack in its massive zoom range, a 28-200mm equivalent. The other compacts all max out at 120mm or less.
------------

Google Devices and Activity dashboard

Google reports: [edited]

A new Devices and Activity dashboard gives additional insight over the devices accessing your Google account. The page shows a comprehensive view of all devices that have been active on an account in the last 28 days, or are currently signed in. And in case any suspicious activity is noticed, there’s a setting to immediately take steps to secure an account and change a password.
------------

Free Fonts - Exo Condensed & Expanded

NDISCOVERED reports: [edited]

Exo is now a system of 54 fonts. Exo Condensed & Expanded gives you new options to play with.
------------

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

Digital Photography Review has published a full review of Panasonic's premium compact zoom camera.

Snippets from the conclusion follow:

"The LX100's image quality is amongst the best we've ever seen from a compact. The lens performs well across most focal lengths and apertures, and the sensor performance means the camera is able to lives up to the expectations its spec sheet sets. Taken together, this means the LX100 will continue to offer excellent image quality in a broad range of shooting conditions."

"In Raw the LX100 will comfortably match its high-end rivals (the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III and Canon PowerShot G7 X), gleefully trump what should be its closest competitor (the G1 X II) and delight in rendering the rest of the enthusiast compact crowd irrelevant. That's not enough to gain it honorary membership of the prime-lens, APS-C club but it narrows the gap like never before."

"It's not a small camera, but it's not that much bigger than the likes of the Canon PowerShot G12. And, importantly, it offers significantly better image quality than pretty much any zoom compact ever made. It's not a camera entirely without flaws but most of them are so minor that it's unlikely they'll ever be more than slight irritations about a camera you'll love."

"Other than size, it's the camera's zoom range that stops it being the ideal camera for a majority of dedicated photographers. I did find the 24-75mm equivalent range a touch restrictive, but it's the only major concern I had: my overall experience has been much more about what the camera can do than what it can't. The LX100 is a pleasure to use and offers superb image quality. I'd consider it one of the best photographers' cameras on the market and probably the best zoom compact ever made."
------------

How to fold the world's best paper airplane

Kottke reports: [edited]

In 2012, Joe Ayoob broke the world record for the longest distance paper airplane flight with a plane designed by John Collins. In this video, Collins demonstrates how to fold that plane, the Suzanne.
------------

Zotac ZBOX Pico PI320

Zotac reports: [edited]

Bring the power of a PC in your pocket with the tiny (115.5 x 66 x 19.2mm) ZOTAC ZBOX PI320 pico series mini-PC. Powered by a quad-core Intel Atom processor, the ZOTAC ZBOX PI320 pico series mini-PC delivers a responsive computing experience with smooth HD video playback.

The pocketable ZOTAC ZBOX PI320 pico series mini-PC packs external expansion with USB 2.0 ports, HDMI output and micro SDXC slot for easy add-ons and upgrades. Connect to high-speed 802.11n wireless or Ethernet home networks with the ZOTAC ZBOX PI320 pico series mini-PC for maximum performance with or without wires.
------------

35 Useful Google Search Tips

Digital Trends has published a useful list of ways to use Google's search engine, for instance:

To check the weather for a specific area: Enter “weather” followed by a zipcode or city

To look up film showings: Enter “movies” followed by your zipcode or city
------------

iBridge

Cult of Mac reports: [edited]

The best smartphone camera in the world doesn’t mean jack if your 16GB iPhone can’t hold another 30 second video, so the guys at Leef have come up with a brilliant solution to ensure you never run out of room for all your video. It’s called the iBridge, and while it might look an ordinary USB-stick, it has the extraordinary ability to add storage to both your iPhone and Mac.

The iBridge comes with a Lightning connector on one side that you can plug into your iPhone, and a USB on the other so it can double as a regular USB drive. Unlike other iPhone storage expansion options, like Mophie’s Space case, iBridge works both with and without a case, thanks to its J-shape that wraps around the back of your iPhone or iPad to beef up your storage.

iBridge will require users to download its app to add files to the storage drive, but now that iOS 8 lets apps into the share sheet, tossing pictures, music, videos, and other files onto this thing should be a breezy. Leef tells us all the details will be revealed later this month, with the first units hitting stores before Christmas.

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

Microsoft offer Office free on iOS & Android

The Verge reports: [edited]

Microsoft's Office suite for iPad, iPhone, and Android is now free. You no longer need an Office 365 subscription to edit documents or store them in the cloud.

The move comes just days after Microsoft announced a strategic partnership with Dropbox to integrate the cloud storage service into Office across desktop, mobile, and the web.

You can now download Office for iPad and store all your documents on Dropbox without paying Microsoft anything at all. Microsoft is also releasing a brand new iPhone app today, alongside a preview of Office for Android tablets, all with Dropbox integration.
------------

Fantastic Fonts And Where To Find Them

Plato Web Design has produced a useful infographic indicating alternative free typefaces to the ones available as standard in Microsoft Word. There is also a link to a zipped file containing the featured typefaces.

For a 'print-friendly' version, click here
------------

The Internet Arcade

The Internet Archive reports: [edited]

The Internet Arcade is a web-based library of arcade (coin-operated) video games from the 1970s through to the 1990s, emulated in JSMAME, part of the JSMESS software package. Containing hundreds of games ranging through many different genres and styles, the Arcade provides research, comparison, and entertainment in the realm of the Video Game Arcade.

The game collection ranges from early "bronze-age" videogames, with black and white screens and simple sounds, through to large-scale games containing digitized voices, images and music. Most games are playable in some form, although some are useful more for verification of behaviour or programming due to the intensity and requirements of their systems.

Many games have a "boot-up" sequence when first turned on, where the systems run through a check and analysis, making sure all systems are go. In some cases, odd controllers make proper playing of the systems on a keyboard or joypad a pale imitation of the original experience.
------------

Microsoft Band

Apple Insider reports: [edited]

Microsoft has launched the Microsoft Band, a fitness-focused wrist-worn device that connects to Microsoft Phones, Android, iOS and OS X. It will also integrate with Apple's HealthKit service and Health app for iPhone.

The Microsoft Band is very similar to Samsung's Gear Fit, offering a thin watch-like device that wraps around a user's wrist. Up top is a rectangular colour touchscreen that displays content horizontally, which can be somewhat awkward when holding a watch in front of your face with your elbow at a right angle.

A resizable clasp is at the bottom of the Microsoft Band, allowing users to find a size that's most comfortable for them. The device is also sold in sizes of small, medium and large.

Inside the band loop is a magnetic charging attachment and a heart rate sensor. Microsoft advertises that the Band will offer two days of runtime on a single charge. The colour display turns on for notifications but is turned off the rest of the time, and requires a button press to be enabled.

The Microsoft Band features integrated GPS for run tracking (the Apple Watch does not feature integrated GPS).

Price: $199
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Free Font - Neris

Cargo Collective reports: [edited]

A display sans for one paragraph (or shorter) length text: quotes, openings, titles, etc. You could use it for body copy, but that’s not where the typeface shines.

The font has many, many languages and features. Stuff like small caps punctuation or Bulgarian/Serbian alternates. There is an instructional PDF included.

Neris is the name of my city's river. While it doesn't really translate into anything meaningful, it looks good in both Lithuanian and English while showcasing most of the distinct features: slanted e, semi-serif i, stylized ink traps and curved sharp joints.
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NASA sounds available on SoundCloud

NASA reports: [edited]

Here's a collection of NASA sounds from historic spaceflights and current missions. You can hear the roar of a space shuttle launch or Neil Armstrong's "One small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind" every time you get a phone call if you make our sounds your ringtone. Or, you can hear the memorable words "Houston, we've had a problem," every time you make an error on your computer.
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Volocopter

New Scientist reports: [edited]

In late 2013, E-Volo flew a driverless version of the Volocopter, and Stephan Wolf, one of the company's founders, is confident that the first piloted model will fly very soon. While it won't be cheap, it is the kind of technology that will eventually democratise flight by the mid-2020s, says Bülthoff.

Developed by pilot Mike Jump and his colleague Mark White at the University of Liverpool, the simulator that I flew simplifies flight control down to basic up, down, left, right and speed control moves that anyone can learn in a short time. Or it can fly autonomously between chosen points. In tests, five volunteers who had never flown but who could drive cars, mastered the system in around 5 hours.

The Volocopter has 18 rotors, each 1.8 metres long, that work in counter-rotating pairs around a circular frame. While it looks odd, this arrangement means the torque effects of each pair cancel out and the vehicle just goes up and down, or side to side, by changing the speed of different rotor pairs.The prototype has nine lithium-ion battery packs, each driving two motors, that currently allow it to fly for 20 minutes.

The joystick works in the same way as a quadcopter remote control, Wolf says. "It's easy to fly even if you have never flown. If you let go of the stick, the Volocopter just hovers where you left it," he says.
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Material Design Icons

GitHub reports: [edited]

Today, Google Design are open-sourcing 750 glyphs as part of the Material Design system icons pack. The system icons contain icons commonly used across different apps, such as icons used for media playback, communication, content editing, connectivity, and so on. They're equally useful when building for the web, Android or iOS.

What's included in the release?

SVG versions of all icons in both 24px and 48px flavours
SVG and CSS sprites of all icons
1x, 2x icons targeted at the Web (PNG)
1x, 2x, 3x icons targeted at iOS (PNG)
Hi-dpi versions of all icons (hdpi, mdpi, xhdpi, xxhdpi, xxxhdpi) (PNG)
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Somerset - Bracknell - London, 19-10-14

Avant Gardener - Courtney Barnett
It Started With A Kiss - Hot Chocolate
Walk Like An Egyptian - Bangles
The Lion Sleeps Tonight - Tokens
Ca Plane Pour Moi - Leila K
The Millionaire - Dr Hook
Brandy (you're a fine girl) - Looking Glass
eez-eh - Kasabian
Show Me the Wonder - Manic Street Preachers
Crash - The Primitives
Wrecking Ball - Nightcore
The Lion Sleeps Tonight - Tight Fit
Royals - Lorde
January - Pilot
My Lovin' (never gonna get it) - En Vogue
Words of Advice for Young People - William S Burroughs
C'Mon C'Mon - The Von Bondies
Trouble - Shampoo
Brianstorm - Arctic Monkeys
What I Am (single) - Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians
Letter from America - The Proclaimers
Father & Daughter - Paul Simon
I Can Dream About You - Dan Hartman
The Talking Fish (Asem Usem Iyak) - Ibibio Sound Machine
Zambesi - Bert Kaempfert
Crimson and Clover - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour) - Dollar
Money For Nothing - Dire Straits
Here Comes the Hotstepper - Ini Kamoze
Hey Ya - Outkast
Celebrity Skin - Hole
Who's Zoomin' Who - Aretha Franklin
Imagination - Belouis Some
Kiss (feat. Tom Jones) - Art of Noise
Get Lucky (Radio Edit) [feat. Pharrell Williams] - Daft Punk
Call Me - Spagna
How It All Went Wrong - Les Incompetents
Do You Believe In Magic - The Lovin' Spoonful
Xenon (DDR version) - Dance Dance Revolution
Our House - Madness
It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls
Baby's coming back - Jellyfish
Teenage Dirtbag - Wheatus
Silence (DJ Tiesto's In Search Of Sunrise Remix) - Sarah McLachlan
Generator - The Holloways
I Want To Be Free - Toyah
Hit - The Wannadies
Believe (rhythm promo) - Cher
Just Lose It - Eminem
Love Your Money - Daisy Chainsaw
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London - Bracknell - Somerset, 17-10-14

Alive - Empire of the Sun
Moonlight shadow (trance remix) - Mike Oldfield
Rock Me Gently - Andy Kim
Bum Bum - Mabel
I Can't Help You - Cate Le Bon
One Step Beyond - Madness
Shiny Happy People - R.E.M.
Drinking from the Bottle (feat. Tinie Tempah) - Calvin Harris
Yellow River - Christie
We Built This City On Rock And Roll - Jefferson Starship
Lipstick On Your Collar - Connie Francis
Luna - Bombay Bicycle Club
Fish Heads - Barnes & Barnes
Better Get To Livin' - Dolly Parton
Don't Look Back Into The Sun - The Libertines
Venus - Bananarama
Run Runaway - Slade
Facts Of Life - Lazyboy (Lazy B)
Tacky - "Weird Al" Yankovic
Nellie the elephant - Toy Dolls
Pretzelbodylogic - Prince & 3RDEYEGIRL
Sandstorm (Italian DDR Poison remix) - Darude
I Believe In A Thing Called Love - The Darkness
Poison - Alice Cooper
Pompeii - Bastille
Last Night - The Strokes
Moonlight Shadow - Nightcore
Brass In Pocket - Pretenders
The King's New Clothes - Danny Kaye
Dirty World - Traveling Wilburys
Finding Out True Love Is Blind - Louis XIV
Build Me Up Buttercup - Foundations
We're Going To Be Friends - The White Stripes
Perfect - Fairground Attraction
Make Me Smile (Come up and see me) - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
Frankie - Sister Sledge
Lean On Me - Red Box
Nancy Boy - Placebo
Lazy guy - Slobberbone
Rock Me Amadeus - Falco
Look Of Love (Part One) - ABC
Superman (It's Not Easy) - Five For Fighting
Dont Call Me Baby (club Mix) - Madison Avenue
Bottle Rocket - The Go! Team
She Is Beautiful - Andrew W.K.
Zombie - Jamie T
Wake Me Up - Avicii
Class Historian - BRONCHO
Go Wild In The Country - Bow Wow Wow
Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode
My Wish - Rascal Flatts
Walking On Sunshine - Katrina And The Waves
Can't Stop The Rain - Cascada
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Google Nexus 6

Google reports: [edited]

Display: 5.96” 1440 x 2560 display (493 ppi)

Camera: f2.0 lens, 13-megapixel with optical image stabilisation

Battery Life: 24 hr from full charge. 6 hr from 15 minute charge.

Size: 83mm x 159mm x 10mm

Weight: 184 g

Price: $649
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Tesla unveils dual-motor Model S

Extreme Tech reports: [edited]

Telsa has released a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive version of the Tesla Model S. On the top-of-the-line P85D, that second motor brings the max speed up to 155 mph and 0-60 mph down to 3.2 seconds. Musk also announced a new 'autopilot' system for all new Tesla cars, which can automatically change lanes when you push the turn signal stalk, automatically reduce your cruise control speed when its forward-facing camera spots a new speed limit sign, and other self-driving functions. Over time, software updates will be rolled out to add more safety/driver assistant features, until eventually your Model S can drive itself.

Some reports suggest that the new Tesla Model S also has stop-and-go adaptive cruise control (it watches for cars slowing down in front, and then speeds back up automatically), it can automatically park, and (on private property) you can summon the car to your current location. If these features aren’t available immediately, they’ll be added later via over-the-air software updates.
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Hudl 2

Tech Radar has published an in-depth review of Tesco's latest budget (£129) tablet.

Snippets follow:

"This is an accessible device with an HD display, solid build quality, and almost unadulterated Android 4.4 KitKat."

"The screen resolution is 1920 x 1200 pixels. Colours are rich and vibrant, text is sharp and easy to read, and you can happily watch movies, game, or read on it for hours."

"The Hudl 2 measures 224 x 128 x 9mm. and weighs 410g. It feels nicely balanced and it's satisfyingly slim. The soft touch coating on the back wraps around the sides adding grip and making it very comfortable to hold."

"The Hudl 2 feels surprisingly premium and it looks good too. I had the black model for review, but you can add some colour if you prefer as it's available in blue, turquoise, orange, pink, purple, red, or white."

"After fully charging the Hudl 2, I surfed the web for a couple of hours, played Clash of Clans for ten minutes, watched two movies, and then the kids watched an episode of Spongebob. By the end of that it was dropping down to the 10 percent mark. Not too impressive."

"If you're shopping for a family tablet that you can share with the kids, this is it. If you want to gift a tablet to someone who has never tried one before, this is it. If you want a cheap tablet for casual use around the house, this is it."
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Google offers a camel’s eye view of Liwa Oasis

The National UAE reports: [edited]

Most images for Google Street View are collected with a car, but for the first time, the task was given to an animal – a 10-year-old camel named Raffia.

Raffia walked through the desert around Liwa Oasis with a Street View camera mounted on top of her hump to create panoramic views for internet users around the world.

The images, now available online show scenery from Liwa including dunes, the oasis, other camels and Raffia’s footprints and shadow.
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Free Fonts - Nexa Rust

FontFabric reports: [edited]

Nexa Rust from Fontfabric Type Foundry is a multifaceted font system consisting of font sub-families Sans, Slab, Script, Handmade and Extras. Each of these sub-families contains a number of font weights which have a characteristic warm, rough look and display a few degrees of saturation.

Font Designers – Radomir Tinkov, Svetoslav Simov, Ani Petrova & Vasil Stanev
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Emergent

Emergent reports: [edited]

Emergent is a real-time rumour tracker. It's part of a research project with the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University that focuses on how unverified information and rumour are reported in the media. It aims to develop and best practices for debunking misinformation.

You can view a list of rumours being tracked on the homepage, along with their current claim state (True, False, Unverified). Click on a story to visit a page that visualises the sources reporting the rumour, and a breakdown of social shares per source.

You can also click on individual articles on the story page to see specific revision and social share data about that article.
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Nixie

Intel reports: [edited]

Nixie is the first wearable camera that can fly. At your cue, Nixie unfolds and takes flight. Nixie composes the perfect shot from an awesome perspective, capturing the moment without interrupting the moment.

[Ed. This project is one of the finalists in Intel’s Make It Wearable competition.]


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