10 Reasons To Consider The 2016 MacBook

9to5Mac reports: [edited]

No fan noise

A single cable solution
The MacBook can only do 4K resolution at 30Hz, but the ability to connect it to a USB-C-enabled display like LG’s 27UD88-W 4K monitor is a nice option. Not only will a single cable provide the bandwidth to drive an external display, but it will also charge the MacBook and allow it to interface with devices connected to the display’s ports.

Easy charging with external batteries
The MacBook can take advantage of external battery packs, and draw upon power via a USB-C connection.

Export 4K videos
With Final Cut Pro X, it’s easy to export videos, even Ultra High Definition 4K videos, without breaking much of a sweat.

Low profile, lightweight and portable
It’s so light and thin that I can hold the machine in one hand while typing with my other hand.

Superb build quality
The MacBook arguably has the best build quality of any of Apple’s laptops. The hinge, for instance, eschews the black plastic found on other MacBook models. The aluminum feels dense, strong and ready to stand up to everyday usage.

Surprisingly loud speakers
The speakers are loud and clear, and deliver sound quality that might cause you to do a double-take upon first listen.

Peppy Core m5 processor
There’s nothing that I threw at this machine that it wasn’t capable of handling, and not just barely, but it did so admirably.

Beautiful screen
Editing videos and photos on the MacBook is no problem when it comes to color accuracy and uniformity across the entire screen.

Long battery life
Apple says that the battery will last for 10 hours browsing the web.

[Editor's Note: the only thing that would stop this beautiful piece of technology being my next laptop is the size of the hard drive, currently the largest available option is 500GB]
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Boosted 2nd Generation Electric Skateboard

The Verge reports: [edited]

The new version looks almost exactly the same as the original, but it offers swappable batteries (including longer-range options), a better Bluetooth connection with the remote, and a water-resistant build.

The extended-range battery weighs about 350 grams (or about three-quarters of a pound) more than the standard version, and is about 8mm thicker. The wheels are also a little bigger this time around, measuring 80mm versus 75mm. But Dastoor says the new boards have lighter drivetrains which should keep them from weighing much more than their predecessors.

The only other cosmetic change is the addition of two power ports, meaning customers will have to do less work if they want to rig up things like on-board lights.

There are now two Bluetooth radios in the board — the previous versions only had one, which meant you could only connect one device (your phone or the remote) to the board at a time. Building in two radios takes away the need to constantly disconnect and connect those devices, and also opens up opportunities for things like ride-tracking using your phone or live telemetry on something like an Apple Watch.

The Single (one electric motor) will cost $999, the Dual (two motors) $1,299, and the Dual+ (two more powerful motors) $1,499.

Google Home

The Verge reports: [edited]

Physically, the Home is a small cylinder with a modular case that you can customise with different base shells to match your decor. It will also have LED lights to let you know it's working. It boasts a powerful speaker, one of the main uses Google is foreseeing is listening to music.

Google Home is designed with multiple rooms and speakers in mind. And you can talk to any speaker and tell it to play music on other speakers. It will work with Google Play Music, but it should also be able to handle any other service that supports Google Cast.

Compatibility with Cast means it can talk to the Chromecast plugged into your TV.

Unfortunately, the Home won't support multiple Google accounts at launch, but the company says that will come in time.

It will let you ask Google questions, with responses optimised for audio and it will to work with a set of home automation devices — including thermostats and lights.

It's coming out later this year for an unspecified price.
------------

HP Releases Industrial Colour 3D printer

TechCrunch reports: [edited]

HP's new machine prints black nylon at “340 million 3D pixels or voxels per second” by laying down a layer of nylon powder, colouring it using HP’s inkjet-like technology, and then fusing it. It produces items 25% faster than its competitors in a wider array of colours.

Price: $130,000
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Greenwich Testing Driverless Cars

c|net reports: [edited]

If you're in the UK, you can register with the Gateway (Greenwich Automated Transport Environment) project and take a ride around London's Greenwich area in a totally automated self-driving electric shuttle. You'll then be invited to share your thoughts on the experience. You can also take part in workshops to discuss the future of automated transport.

"The move to automated vehicles is probably the most significant change in transport since the transition from horse-drawn carriages to motorised vehicles," said professor Nick Reed, director at the UK's Transport Research Laboratory and technical lead of the Gateway project. "Testing these vehicles in a living environment, like the UK Smart Mobility Living Lab, takes the concept from fiction to reality."

The Gateway trial is part of an £8 million project to research driverless cars, and is one of three tests taking place in the Greenwich area. It hasn't yet been confirmed whether the autonomous electric shuttles will venture onto public roads, but the experiment will see them mix with pedestrians and cyclists.

Each vehicle will first be driven around the area by a human to map the route in 3D. The pod will then be able to find its way round using built-in lasers, sensors and cameras that check where the car is against the 3D map, while detecting obstacles, hazards and pedestrians.
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The Tap – 'The Keyboard Evolved'

Tap reports: [edited]

The Tap Strap has a series of embedded sensors which monitor mechanical information of the hand and fingers. This information is processed by an MCU in the Strap, which decodes the raw data into finger tap combinations and transmits the resulting characters or commands via a Bluetooth radio.

It can be worn on either hand or on both hands simultaneously for two-handed tapping. With each tap, the Tap Strap sends a character or command to a device based on which fingers touched the surface.

Tap is compatible with all Bluetooth enabled devices which support the HID Keyboard Standard. This includes iOS and Android phones and tablets, Windows and Mac computers, and most Smart TVs.

Users can learn to tap in about one hour using the TapGenius App, a mnemonic-based learning system which combines musical and visual tutorials with a game.

Tap also provides a solution for blind and low vision users. Tapping can be done with fingers touching anything – without the need for on-screen keyboards.

Tap is expected to ship commercially before the end of 2016.

Thanks to Conrad for the link.
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Hyperloop – First Real-World Test

digg.com reports: [edited]

The Hyperloop — a magnetic levitation transportation system promises to make it possible for people or cargo to travel at 750 miles an hour in comfortable pods between San Francisco and Los Angeles in as little as 30 minutes.

Hyperloop One, has announced an $80 million round of financing, as well as a series of partnerships with global leaders in industries like transportation, engineering, architecture, passenger/freight economics and tunnelling.

On Wednesday, the company held the first live test of its version of the ultra-fast transportation system at a site in Nevada. It worked, although it didn't go very far.

Nuheara IQbuds

engadget reports: [edited]

IQbuds are Bluetooth headsets for your phone. They have active noise cancelling, and the same technology can be used to give your hearing a boost, or focus on voices in noisy environments.

Nuheara claims they allow you to blend music and the sounds around you. The touch-controlled IQbuds have a four-hour battery life and charging case.

IQbuds will also let you tweak the sound around you by adding more bass and/or cutting high frequencies. IQbuds also let you change ambient sound for each ear. For someone with high frequency loss of hearing on one side, or similar, it's potentially very helpful.

For more information, click here.
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Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool

I confess to occasionally being bewildered by Radiohead's appeal. However, I do respect their refusal to take the 'easy path' in their musical journey.

Their latest album is now available in various formats from their website. If you fancy a listen before you buy, Tom Robinson previewed the album on his Sunday show, which is available here for a month.
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Desolenator – Clean Water On Wheels

The Guardian reports: [edited]

The Desolenator, measuring 120cm by 90cm, is a solar panel that converts sunlight into electricity, and uses heat captured from the sun to supplement the process. Water flows over the panel to bring it to a high temperature. It then flows into a small boiler in the device, powered by the electricity produced from the solar panel, and is converted to steam. The steam is then cooled, and the waste flows out of the machine.

Boiling the water gets rid of pollutants such as arsenic and fluoride, and the device can cope with dirty water.

It can produce 15 litres of distilled water in a day, enough to sustain a family for cooking and drinking.

The first commercial versions are expected to be in operation in India early next year, after field tests are carried out.

In the developing world, the price will depend on what deals aid organisations can negotiate. In developed countries, it is likely to cost £685.
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Combining Typefaces by Tim Brown

Adobe Typekit Blog reports: [edited]

Originally published by Five Simple Steps in 2013, my Pocket Guide to Combining Typefaces has sold thousands of copies, been used in college curricula, and been cited in conference talks by industry-leading designers.

Unfortunately, Five Simple Steps closed its doors this month. Because this pocket guide is no longer available for purchase, I’ve decided to make it available for free here on the Typekit blog. Download the PDF and enjoy.
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Hisense 75M7900 75" 4K HDR TV

Pocket-lint reports: [edited]

Hisense has released a 75-inch 4K HDR TV for a little under £2,500.

As well as an ultra HD resolution, the high dynamic range (HDR) tech employed ensures that the set matches the recommended standards for 4K Blu-ray playback.

HDR effectively offers better colour reproduction and contrast than conventional television technologies. It is employed on 4K Blu-rays and some content from streaming services, such as Netflix and Amazon Video.

Both of those latter services are available with 4K and HDR support. Its quad-core processor also powers other smart TV functions and apps, including BBC iPlayer and the ability to stream and share content to the TV from a smartphone, tablet or computer.

Two HDMI 2.0 sockets with HDCP 2.2 are available on the set, with another two for good measure. There are also three USB outputs, with one of them meeting USB 3.0 standards.

An optical audio output means you can hook it up to a soundbar or AV receiver.
------------

Pictar iPhone Camera Grip

Hypebeast reports: [edited]

The device is a case that turns your iPhone into a point-and-shoot, offering dual-stage shutter release that lets you lock focus and exposure.

It includes a wheel for controlling exposure, zoom, ISO and shutter speed. The case also features a toggle for the selfie camera and a strap.

There is a 'cold shoe' for external mics, flashes and a standard tripod mount.

For more information, click here.
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Olympus Pen-F

Digital Photography Review has published a full review of Olympus' digital reincarnation of their 1963 premium compact.

Snippets from the conclusion follow:

“In terms of design, the F is a gorgeous camera, both to gaze at longingly on a table or to physically hold and use. In many ways, the PEN-F is the most physically remarkable Four Thirds camera to date.”

“In the paws the camera sits comfortably; it can easily be used with just a single hand. The touchscreen is especially useful, especially if you are a street shooter: touch-to-focus and touch-to-shoot can help keep things discreet when trying to get candids, and can be near instantaneous.”

“By far, one of the most helpful inclusions is the camera's 5-axis sensor-based image stabilisation system. It is extremely robust for both stills and video. In real-world shooting that it gave us an average of four additional stops of handhold-ability.”

“Autofocus performance from the Olympus PEN-F is on par with what we'd expect from a modern contrast detect AF (CDAF) system, which is to say, good. When using Autofocus Single (Olympus calls it S-AF), focus speeds are fast.”

“Image quality from the PEN-F is very good. The PEN-F's JPEGs are (as we expected) very pleasing, with accurate colours. We also found the PEN-F offered better high ISO JPEGs than its closet competitor, the GX8. Raw performance is also very good.”

“The PEN-F is a very capable camera jam-packed with features and tools to help shooters realise their vision. It offers impressive image quality, some of the best image stabilisation available, acceptable video quality, direct controls and ample customisation, all in one incredibly-handsome digital camera.”

Price: £999 (body only)
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Solar Impulse 2 Completes Pacific Flight

Business Insider reports: [edited]

The global journey of Solar Impulse 2 began in Abu Dhabi in March 2015. It faced delays along the way, before attempting the most dangerous part of its journey: the flight over the Pacific Ocean, where there are few places to make an emergency landing.

Pilot Bertrand Piccard made the 62-hour, nonstop solo flight without fuel. Now three more stops in the United States remain.

The plane will then attempt to traverse the Atlantic Ocean on the last leg of its trip.

For more information about the Solar Impulse project, click here.
------------

Bullet Bluetooth 4.1 Earbuds

hiConsumption reports: [edited]

Weighing in at an ultralight 3.5g, the Bullet hosts a built-in microphone for making wireless phone calls.

It comes with a portable charging capsule. And at the end of the day you charge the charger. Additional features include CVC Noise Reduction for noise suppression and echo cancellation. It also supports multi-point connectivity for connection with multiple devices.

Charging time is about an hour with 80 hours of standby time.

Price: $150
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Lift-Bit

Wired reports: [edited]

Carol Ratti, founder of MIT’s Senseable City Lab, has designed a sofa called Lift-Bit.

The Lift-Bit website bills Ratti’s creation as “the world’s first digitally-transformable sofa.” It is composed of several hexagonal, cushioned stools that, when combined, form a honeycomb of a couch.

Each modular pillar contains a motor that adjusts the height of the cushioned unit. One of two things controls that motor: an app, or capacity sensors within the stool that respond to a hovering hand.


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

trueCall38

trueCall38 reports: [edited]

Do you get annoyed when you fill in an online form and have to enter your phone number when you know the company doesn’t need it?

The solution: enter our phone number 0333 88 88 88 88 as your phone number, and if they call, they will hear our short but sweet recorded message:-

"trueCall38 is handling my calls. I prefer not to be contacted by phone, so please contact me via my email address. Goodbye!"

Note: Some online forms won't accept the full trueCall38 number. If the number is rejected enter 0333 8888 888.

Thanks to Paul Mayers for the link.
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Flyboard Air

Zapata Racing reports: [edited]

Zapata Racing has achieved the dream of mankind and offers you the first video of Franky Zapata flying on the Flyboard® Air.

The Independent Propulsion Unit represents 4 years of hard work for a result exceeding all records:

- Autonomous flight up to 10,000 feet
- Top speed of 150km/h
- 10 minutes duration

Although it is still in prototype phase, it has exactly the same behaviour as the WFD Flyboard® Pro Series.

For an interview with (the frankly bonkers) Franky, visit The Verge
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Key|Smart Key Holder

Key|Smart reports: [edited]

This Swiss-style key holder will create the perfect pocket organiser and minimalist keyring.

Incredibly versatile with a wide selection of accessories, our key organisers can fit up to 100 keys.

Price from $19.98.
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BBC iPlayer Kids

BBC reports: [edited]

We knew from developing the BBC iPlayer website for children that parents value having a version of iPlayer that’s guaranteed to be free of programming aimed at adults.

We decided to create a single app that enables kids to tell the app their age and instantly be presented with content curated specially for their age group. With support for up to four profiles, we’ve made it easy for siblings to use the app on a shared device, entering their name and picking a character to denote their profile.

There’s a Shows area with full A-Z lists of all CBeebies and CBBC programmes available to watch. And a Downloads area, providing easy access to programmes downloaded to watch offline.

App Settings (disabling downloads, enabling higher quality downloads) and links out of the app, are behind a Safety Lock.

BBC iPlayer Kids is available to download from the Amazon, Apple and Google Play app stores.
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HP Spectre 13.3

engadget reports: [edited]

At 10.4mm thin, the Spectre is about as thick as a AAA battery, making it not just the skinniest PC in HP's portfolio but the slimmest notebook on the market. Think of it as HP's answer to Apple's 12-inch MacBook, except with a bigger screen, extra horsepower and a little more bling.

It looks striking in photos and even more so in person. It is is very, very thin, and though it's not technically the lightest, at 2.45 pounds, it is still extremely easy to hold. The combination of metal and carbon fibre helps the machine feel at once compact and well-made.

A piston-style hinge, inspired by upscale cabinetry allows the 13.3-inch Gorilla Glass screen to almost float above the keyboard. (The skinny bezels also add to the effect.) HP had to go with a non-touch screen to keep the machine's thickness down.

Spectre is powered by your choice of sixth-gen Core i5 or i7 processors, helped by up to 8GB of RAM and PCIe solid-state drives with up to 512 gigs of storage. It also brings more ports than you might expect: three USB Type-C connections, two of which support Thunderbolt.

The notebook is rated for a healthy nine and a half hours of runtime.

The Spectre 13.3 goes up for pre-order on 25 April. Price starts at $1,170.
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David Niven's Jazz Collection Available Online

Open Culture reports: [edited]

David W. Niven spent his life [1930-1993, Ed.] amassing a vast record collection, all dedicated to the sounds of early jazz.

For the sake of his children, Niven started transferring his record collection to cassette tapes during the 1980s and prefacing them with audio commentaries that offer background information on each recording.

In 2013 his collection made its way to the web, thanks to archivist Kevin J. Powers. If you head over to Archive.org, you can stream digitised versions of 650 cassette tapes, featuring over 1,000 hours of early jazz music. There’s also scans of David's hand written liner cards for each recording.

According to the archivist, this extraordinary collection “represents the very finest American music of the twentieth century, and because Mr. Niven took the time and care to record these commentaries, he has produced a library that is accessible to everyone from jazz aficionados to jazz novices.”
------------

Tesla Model 3

The Verge reports: [edited]

At the unveiling of the Model 3, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the car will deliver at least 215 miles of range, and have a starting price of just $35,000.

The base car will do 0-60 mph in less than 6 seconds. All Model 3 cars will include support for Tesla's high-speed Supercharging network. By the end of 2017, when the Model 3 launches, Tesla says it will have a total of 7,200 Superchargers, double the number available today.

Autopilot hardware is standard, and all safety features will be active automatically. Five adults will fit comfortably.

The front to rear roof area — from the windshield all the way to the trunk [boot, Ed.] will be one continuous piece of glass. And, just like the Model S, it will have front and rear trunks for storage.

The Model 3 isn't expected to begin production until late 2017, more than 18 months from now. Tesla will happily take your preorder for a modest $1,000 down payment. Tesla plans to more than double the size of its dealership and service network by the end of next year, to sell and take care of all these new cars.
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Solid State Storage Becoming Affordable

Amazon recently discounted the Crucial BX200 960GB 2.5" drive down to £155 (currently back to £199).

For comparison, the Seagate 1TB 2.5 Hybrid drive sells for £68, under half the (offer) price. However, the solid state drive will be between 70% and 200% faster than its mechanical cousin, lighter, and more shock resistant.

The demise of the HDD is on the horizon.
------------

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100/TZ100 Review

Digital Photography Review has published a full review of Panasonic's latest 'enthusiast' compact zoom.

Excerpts from the conclusion follow:

“With a 25-250mm equivalent zoom lens and jacket-pocket-friendly body, the ZS100 gives users the perfect mix of focal range and size.”

“The ZS100 features a 20MP BSI CMOS sensor which is capable of capturing 4K video. Its video capabilities are also used for the camera's clever Post Focus and 4K Photo features. There's also an electronic viewfinder, which isn't great, but it's better than no viewfinder at all.”

“The ZS100 is a responsive camera in nearly all respects. It starts up quickly, focuses in a snap and can shoot continuously at 10 frames per second (6 fps with continuous AF). In fact, the 'Depth from Defocus' autofocus system is one of the ZS100's best features. Not only does it lock focus quickly but it proved itself to be excellent at both subject tracking and continuous AF. We were also impressed with how little 'wobble' there was in both continuous AF and when rack focusing in movie mode.”

”Image quality is very good, though not the best in the 1" sensor class. The 20MP CMOS sensor captures a good amount of detail, though its lens isn't terribly sharp and JPEG sharpening is on the weak side. Colours lean toward neutral and yellows take on a greenish cast, which can lead to undesirable skin tones. In Raw mode we were able to 'push' the shadows stay without a huge noise penalty. Despite a few quibbles, the ZS100's image quality is light-years ahead of any other compact travel zoom on the market.”

“It strikes the right balance between size and zoom. It ticks just about all the boxes that most photo and video travellers might desire, earning the ZS100 our top award.”

Price: £549
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Warka Water Tower

inhabitat reports: [edited]

The Warka Water tower pulls drinking water out of the air.

It's a woven basket-like structure that sustainably harvests dew, fog, and rain into water. Each tower is made from local and biodegradable materials such as bamboo, hemp, and bio-plastic, and is covered in a mesh fabric with a special coating that allows water collection.

In addition to environmental sustainability, the Warka Water project is socially and financially sustainable. The structures are designed to be owned by the villagers and serve as a community gathering space. The Warka Water tower is estimated to harvest between 50 and 100 litres of drinkable water every day and can store up to 1,000 litres.

The 132-pound, easy-to-maintain structure costs approximately $1,000 and can be constructed in just four days by a team of six.

For more information, visit the Warka Water website.
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Oculus Rift Review

Mashable has published a comprehensive and intelligent review of the recently released $600 virtual reality headset.

Excerpts follow:

“The Oculus Rift began as a bulky Kickstarter project nearly four years ago; it’s now a highly anticipated headset boosted by multiple billions in Facebook money.”

“The Oculus Rift is a masterwork of design that makes virtual reality both jaw-droppingly beautiful and necessarily comfortable.”

“Running the Oculus Rift takes a lot of PC power [Macs are not supported, Ed.]. Someone who already owns a gaming rig still may need to spend $200 or more to get their graphics card the necessary updates; starting from scratch will cost about $1,000.”

“The Oculus Rift arrives in a sleek, black case, containing the headset itself, a sensor that stands on a desk nearby to track its position, a small remote and an Xbox One controller. Aside from a minuscule instruction manual and a lens cleaning cloth, every item included has an immediate, obvious gaming purpose. Provided you have all the required USB ports on your PC (two USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0), initial setup will take less than 10 minutes.”

“You'll need room to move around when you’re in VR. While you'll probably remain in an office chair as you use the headset, it’s imperative to be sure you won't knock anything over when your real-world vision disappears. Otherwise, you run the risk of hurting yourself, or something else.”

“The Rift headset is pretty comfortable. The foam around the headset moulds it snugly to your face, but it doesn't retain a lot of your body heat — I was surprised at how cool it felt, even after an hour or two of use. Generally, neck strain wasn’t that bad, though by the fifth day of testing I needed to take the headset off after an hour due to fatigue.”

“The Rift's headphones provide crisp, immersive audio for games, and using them is much nicer than trying to add a pair of large headphones on top of a bulky headset. Audio is essential for making VR feel real, especially when you can understand where sounds are coming from; these headphones do it right.”

“The Oculus Rift launch lineup offers a lot of impressive games for the first few months of VR. Almost every purchasable title (ranging from $9.99 to $59.99) is polished and comfortable.”

“The launch games for Oculus rely almost entirely on the Xbox One controller, though a few have also adapted controls to the Oculus Remote. Some put you in the shoes of one person; others position you as an omnipotent figure leaning over the game. Almost everything works in concert with your head’s movement, so you’re never just looking straight ahead. Your view often becomes the cursor for selecting items, or a reticle for targeting — and blasting down — enemy ships.”

“The current crop of games has some standouts. ADR1FT, a haunting story of an astronaut struggling to survive after her space station blows to pieces, puts you in a barely working space suit miles above the earth.”

“The most pleasant surprise of the Rift launch lineup is how many games succeed even without that first-person perspective. Virtual reality adds a diorama feel to third-person platformers like the charming Lucky's Tale, as your head becomes the camera. You can lean all over a scene and feel like you're playing with a sandbox of toy, which is really immersive in strategy games like AirMech: Command and tower defense titles like Defense Grid 2. Even pinball and air hockey are novel when played in VR, though they’re perhaps not as deep of a playing experience.”

“These virtual reality games are best enjoyed when you don't have anything else going on. You don't realise until you're in the Rift how cut off you are from the outside world; you can't check your phone, glance at another program or even look at the clock while playing. You're really in another universe — and having to lift the headset up from your eyes every five to 10 minutes feels far more disruptive than just pausing a regular game.”
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SXSW 2016 Unofficial Torrent

SXSW Torrent reports: [edited]

These torrents contain 1,593 music tracks that can be previewed on the SXSW 2016 website.

[Ed. The South by Southwest Music and Media Conference (SXSW) is ‘a six-day event held every March in Austin, celebrating 30 years in 2016. The conference offers access to ideas and global viewpoints on an increasingly borderless industry. It aims to educate and inspire musicians and professionals alike, with sessions attended by over 30,000 registrants and showcasing artists.’

If you're intimidated by the huge number of tracks, visit NPR Music for a link to a mere 100 songs curated from the festival.]
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Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge - Best Mobile Camera

DXO reports: [edited]

The 26mm f/1.7 lens delivers very accurate and repeatable exposures, which helped the S7 edges achieve an outstanding Exposure & Contrast score of 90 during our tests. Even in tricky high contrast scenes, it captures great exposures thanks to its built-in auto HDR feature, making it a great choice for landscape or backlit photography.

The new Samsung S7 edge ranks in joint first place for still photos alongside the S6 Edge and Sony Z5. The main strengths of Samsung’s S7 edge photos are its excellent and repeatable exposures in all conditions, fast and accurate autofocus, and a very good compromise between noise and detail.

Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone also offers notable improvements to its video performance, capturing nice exposures, with pleasant colour and excellent video autofocus and stabilisation.
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Moby Dick – Available As An Audiobook

‘The Moby-Dick Big Read’ is an audiobook version of Herman Melville’s ‘Great [unread] American Novel’, with its (count them) 135 chapters read by a mixture of the well-known (including Tilda Swinton, Stephen Fry, David Attenborough and Benedict Cumberbatch) and the not-so-well-known, all freely accessible via iTunes and SoundCloud.

Thanks to Kottke for the link.
------------

Nik Photo Editing Collection Available Free

Digital Photography Review reports: [edited]

Google's Nik Collection of desktop image editing plug-ins is being offered free of charge.

Compatible with Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture, Nik's Analog Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, Viveza, HDR Efex Pro, Sharpener Pro and Dfine apps are all available as a free download from Google, a substantial savings over the previous $150 price.

- - - - - - -

[Ed. Grey Learning has kindly made a number of previously 'paid for' training videos available free.]
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Our Easter Story

The story of Easter as told by the children of Christ Church Tunbridge Wells UK.

Thanks to Tim Roberts for the link.
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Bandai Body-kun & Body-chan

Rocket News 24 reports: [edited]

Bandai has announced they will be selling these 150mm male and female posable figures from April 2016.

Named ‘Body-kun’ and ‘Body-chan’, they will be accompanied by dozens of accessories, making it easier to draw someone using a laptop, wielding a sword, or a cellphone.

What sets these figures apart from other posable art models is that they are built to bend in a 'natural' fashion, in over 30 different places.

Price: from £30, depending on accessories.

Images courtesy of ITmedia News and @INSIDEjp.
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9.7-inch iPad Pro

Essentially a smaller/slightly slower/lighter (437g vs 713g) version of its 12.9" predecessor, it features an upgraded display with less reflective glass, a wider gamut and sensors that adapt the display’s colour balance to complement the ambient light.

It supports the Apple Pencil, there's an optional Smart Keyboard, and it comes with an improved 12 megapixel, f/2.2 camera (12.9" = 8 megapixel, f/2.4).

Price: from £499 - 32GB WiFi, up to £839 - 256GB WiFi + Cellular.
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iPhone SE

If you've been thinking of upgrading from your iPhone 5/5S/5C, but don't want the extra bulk of the 6S/6S Plus, your wish has been granted.

The iPhone SE is almost identical in form-factor to the 5S, as fast as the 6S, with a decent main camera.

As long as you're not worried about its low-quality 'selfie' camera, slower Touch ID sensor and lack of 3D touch, and want an iOS smartphone, you'll be saving nearly £200 over purchasing an equivalently specified 6S.

Price: £359 - 16GB, £439 - 64GB
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The Colour Thesaurus

Ingrid Sundberg writes: [edited]

‘I love to collect words. One of my ongoing collections is of colours. I love to stop in the paint section of a hardware store and find new names for red or white or yellow. Having a variety of colour names at my fingertips helps me to create specificity in my writing.’

‘So for fun, I created this Colour Thesaurus.’
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Look Into My Eyes

Bored Panda reports: [edited]

My name is Andrei Mogan, I’m a photographer from Romania, and I started this project in the summer of 2014.

The idea behind it was to capture not only the unique pattern every eye has but also the person behind it. Every person is different in its own beautiful way and you can see that in their eyes, which are also unique from person to person.

If you want to see more detailed eye images and aren't 'Mail Online allergic', click here.
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Atlas, 2016 model

Boston Dynamics reports: [edited]

The latest version of Atlas is specialised for mobile manipulation. It uses sensors in its body and legs to balance and Lidar (Light Radar) and stereo sensors in its head to avoid obstacles, assess the terrain, help with navigation and manipulate objects. It is about 5' 9" tall and weighs 180lbs.

[Editor's Note: Is it only me who cringes when the humans push Atlas around?]
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Microsoft proposing Xbox Live/Playstation Network compatibility?

Forbes reports: [edited]

Microsoft just extended what felt like an open invitation to Sony and the PS4. ID@Xbox director Chris Charla wrote a release on the Xbox News wire...

“...in addition to natively supporting cross-platform play between Xbox One and Windows 10 games that use Xbox Live, we’re enabling developers to support cross-network play as well. This means players on Xbox One and Windows 10 using Xbox Live will be able to play with players on different online multiplayer networks – including other console and PC networks.”

It’s a perfect dare from Microsoft’s point of view. The company has nothing to lose by offering their network of players: the Xbox One is second place in the current console war, and access to the PSN player base be massive for any games that allowed cross-play.

Sony, however, has everything to lose my breaking down that particular wall. The PS4 has a massive lead in the console war, and that means anyone looking to buy a new machine has to consider that games on PS4 are likely to have more players, and statistically speaking, their friends are more likely to be on PSN.

I’d be surprised if we saw any sort of cross play between Xbox One and PS4 players, for all the reasons above. But by putting the idea out there, Microsoft continues to make its company look ahead of the curve, and that’s good business for a gaming division that was in a pretty bad place just a few years ago.
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Lee Sedol Fights Back

Google's AlphaGo Project has seen Lee Sedol, one of the world’s top Go players, beaten by a computer. This has come as a shock to many ‘experts’ in the Artificial Intelligence field. Earlier in the year Elon Musk, a big investor in AI, predicted that a feat like this was at least ten years away.

Lee has since played, and won, the fourth game in the five game tournament. An online search will give you plenty of commentary on this, but for the lazy/time challenged, click here for a fascinating and accessible look at how Mr Sedol went about it.

[Update: final score, 4-1 to AlphaGo.]
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London - Somerset - London, 30 & 31-01-16

London - Somerset, 30-01-16
Spring / Sun / Winter / Dread - Everything Everything
No Light, No Light - Florence + The Machine
Two Hearts - NZCA Lines
Help Yourself - Tom Jones
The Best Damn Thing - Avril Lavigne
The World Should Revolve Around Me - Little Jackie
Vogue - Madonna
Everything Is AWESOME!!! (feat. The Lonely Island) - Tegan and Sara
Kung Fu Fighting - Cee Lo Green & Jack Black
Emmylou - First Aid Kit
Who Were You With In The Moonlight - Dollar
Staying Out For The Summer - Dodgy
Don't Save Me - HAIM
WTF (Where They From) [feat. Pharrell Williams] - Missy Elliott
White Lines (Don't Do It) - Grandmaster and Melle Mel
Rocket - Goldfrapp
The Wire - HAIM
18 with a bullet - Pete Wingfield
Freak Of The Week - Marvelous 3
Girls With Guitars - Wynonna Judd
Return to the Moon (Political Song for Didi Bloome to Sing, with Crescendo) - EL VY
Give Me Just A Little More Time - Chairmen Of The Board
Taking In Water - Jessie Ware
I Try - Macy Gray
Shiny Happy People - R.E.M.
Freaky Friday - Aqua
Where's me jumper - Sultans of Ping
Rock the Casbah - The Clash
The Story Of The Blues (Pt 1) - The Mighty WAH!
Happy - Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Amigo - Black Slate
Filthy/Gorgeous - Scissor Sisters
Monster - The Automatic
Paper Planes - M.I.A. (XL)
There's Nothing In the Water We Can't Fight - Cloud Control
No Social - The Shortwave Set
I'm a Believer (radio version) - Smash Mouth
You're Moving Out Today - Carole Bayer Sager

Somerset to London, 31-01-16
Feel This Moment (feat. Christina Aguilera) - Pitbull
On Fire Tonight (feat. Myron Glasper) - Blackalicious
Annie I'm Not Your Daddy - Kid Creole and the Coconuts
Loco-Motion - Little Eva
I Just Can't Wait To Be King - Jason Weaver
Give It Up - Steve Miller Band
Tthhee Ppaarrttyy - Justice
Go West - Village People
I'm Waiting For The Man - The Velvet Underground
Seven Little Girls (Sitting In The Back Seat) - Paul Evans
Ready for the Floor - Hot Chip
Tribulations - LCD Soundsystem
Dance Floor - The Apples In Stereo
Nuthin' But a G'Thang - Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - Righteous Brothers
Put a little love in your heart - Annie Lennox & Al Green
Cruel To Be Kind - Letter to Cleo
What Took You So Long - Emma Bunton
Rockaria - Electric Light Orchestra
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers
Take a chance on me - A-Teens
Atomic - Blondie
Where Are You Baby - Betty Boo
Hyperventilating - Peppercorn
Tell Him - Vonda Shepard
Colonel Hathi's March - Jungle Book
FAKE ID - RAT BOY
Drop dead gorgeous - Republica
We don't have to take our clothes off (ext) - Jermaine Stewart
Icarus (Radio Edit) - Madeon
I Feel The Earth Move - Carole King
Hey There Lonely Girl - Stylistics (w/Eddy Holman)
Pretzelbodylogic - Prince & 3RDEYEGIRL
What Did the Hippie Have In His Bag? - Cornershop
Birthday - Katy Perry
Living On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor) [feat. T-Pain] - Pitbull
Easy Lover - Phil Collins & Phil Bailey
It Hurts to See You Dance so Well - The Pipettes
Don't Bring Me Down - Electric Light Orchestra
Mickey - B*Witched
Are you Gonna Be My Girl - Jet
Pass Out - Tinie Tempah
Sylvia - Focus
Charlemagne - Blossoms
God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II - Kiss
You're History - Shakespear's Sister
Stronger - Kanye West
I Beg Your Pardon - Kon Kan
Murder on the dance floor - Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Me No Pop I - Coati Mundi
Too Much Wheelin' And Dealin' - Mel & Tim
Don't Go - Hothouse Flowers
Run (Radio Edit) - Gnarls Barkley
Pretty Pimpin - Kurt Vile
Robot - The Futureheads
Justified and Ancient - KLF & Tammy Wynette
Rosanna - Toto
I'm Your Man - Wham!
Human Fly - The Cramps
Lip Up Fatty - Bad Manners
Hitchin a Ride - Vanity Fare
Robert De Niro's Waiting - Bananarama
Birdhouse in your soul - They Might Be Giants (TMBG)
Afternoons And Coffeespoons - Crash Test Dummies
Why Do Fools Fall in Love - Alma Cogan
Fireflies (UK Radio Edit) - Owl City
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Somerset to London, 28-12-15

Hugging My Grudge - The Boy Least Likely To
Nu Flow - Big Brovaz
Jaded - Aerosmith
There Ain't Half Been Clever Bastards - Ian Dury & The Blockheads
Cry Just A Little Bit - Shakin' Stevens
Tongue Tied - Farrah
You are everywhere - Michelle Branch
Part of That World - The Little Mermaid
Mixed up, shook up girl - Val McKenna
Scribble (Radio Edit) - Underworld
Rum and coca cola - The Andrews Sisters
Catch You - Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Song 4 Mutya - Groove Armada Ft. Mutya
Another First Kiss - They Might Be Giants (Tmbg)
Silence (single) - Delerium
Mixed Up World - Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Benny Hill [TV Theme] - Benny Hill
This Is Love - George Harrison
Pokemon Theme - Nightcore
Catacombs - Fionn Regan
C30, C60, C90, Go! - Bow Wow Wow
April Skies - The Jesus & Mary Chain
Reelin' In The Years - Steely Dan
Sweet Caroline - Elvis Presley
Grazing in the grass - Friends of Distinction
Fooled Around And Fell In Love - Elvin Bishop
(I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight - Cutting Crew
Johnny reggae - The Piglets
Run - Sandie Shaw
Little Yellow Spider - Devendra Banhart
Starry Eyed - Ellie Goulding
Wild Young Hearts (Edit) - Noisettes
Dolce Vita 2003 (Marco De Jonge Remix) - Ryan Paris
I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman - Whistling Jack Smith
Here I Go Again - Whitesnake
When Smokey Sings - ABC
boys, boys, boys - Sabrina
My Girl - Madness
Neighborhood #3 - Power Out - Arcade Fire
Driver's Seat - Sniff 'n' The Tears
That's What I Said - Dave Clark Five Featuring Mike Smith
Last Christmas - Wham!
Empire (Single Edit) - Kasabian
Shut 'em Up - The Prodigy, Public Enemy & Manfred Mann
I Think We're Alone Now - Tiffany
Don't Stop Believin' - Glee Cast
Bingo Bango - Basement Jaxx
You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties - Jona Lewie
Nothing On But The Radio - The Alice Band
Don't Talk To Me About Love - Altered Images
So Good (radio edit) - Rachel Stevens
Venus - Bananarama
Sedated Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne/Ramones (Arty Fufkin)
Human Fly - The Cramps
We Still Got the Taste Dancin' On Our Tongues - Wild Beasts
Everybody Needs Somebody To Love - Solomon Burke
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London to Somerset, 27-12-15

Look Of Love (Part One) - ABC
Jump - Van Halen
Strict Machine - Goldfrapp
You Can't Judge a Book By the Cover (single) - The Strypes
I Believe In A Thing Called Love - The Darkness
Angel With A Shotgun - Nightcore (original by The Cab)
Tie Me Up With Jackets - Fight Like Apes
Fish Heads - Barnes & Barnes
Hold Your Head Up - Argent
Ain't That A Shame - Fats Domino
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - Jackson 5
Back to Basics - Shapeshifters
Three Cheers for Pooh - The Divine Comedy
The Bitch Is Back - Elton John
Angel of Darkness - Nightcore (original by Alex C. feat. Yasmin K.)
I Just Can't Help Believin' - Elvis Presley
Little Red Corvette (single) - Prince
All That I've Got - The Used
One Vision [2011 Remaster] - Queen
So What the Fuss (Radio Edit) - Stevie Wonder
Tribulations - LCD Soundsystem
Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money) - Pet Shop Boys
Please Dont Get Me Anything For Christmas - Shaun Keaveny
Bellissima - DJ Quicksilver
Castles in the Sky - Ian Van Dahl
Just Abuse Me - Air Traffic
Back When You Were Good - The Hours
Have I The Right - Dave Clark Five
1901 - Phoenix
Love the Way You Lie - Eminem & Rihanna
Man! I Feel Like A Woman! - Shania Twain
Private Eyes - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Goodnight Sweet Prince - Brandtson
Hold On - Alabama Shakes
Let Me Take You Away (Club Mix) - Jenn Cunetta
Empty Threat - CHVRCHES
Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon [2011 Remaster] - Queen
Dam Dadi Doo - Nightcore (original by Fantasy Project)
Make It Holy - The Staves
Hand Held in Black and White - Dollar
Sugar And Spice - The Cryan Shames
This is not a love song - PIL
Don't Believe in Christmas - The Sonics
Iron Leaguer - Eternal Mission - Yoko Ishida
Louie - Ida Maria
Ready Teddy - Gene Vincent
Call It Love - Deuce
Ziggy Stardust - Bauhaus
We Built This City On Rock And Roll - Jefferson Starship
I Love You - The Volumes
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Free Font - Fira Sans

Fira Sans is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by Erik Spiekermann, Ralph du Carrois, Anja Meiners and Botio Nikoltchev of Carrois Type Design for the Firefox OS.

Fira Sans Condensed adds 16 (count them) condensed weights, going from 'dont-use-at-anything-less-than-headline-sizes' (DUAALTHS) skinny to satisfyingly chunky, along with corresponding italic versions.

Available to download from Font Squirrel.
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Free Font - Montserrat

Montserrat is a well-constructed, clear, contemporary typeface, in the style of Gotham and Proxima Nova. Designed by Julieta Ulanovsky it is available in 8 weights (no italics) from Font Squirrel.
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Free Font - Argon

Inspiration Hut reports: [edited]

Tom Anders Watkins has created this font. A free download is available but if you are interested in buying the full download it is only $8. To download, simply click one of the links at the bottom of the article.
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Share The Meal

ShareTheMeal is an initiative of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger. Each year, WFP reaches 80 million people with food assistance in around 80 countries. WFP is 100% voluntarily funded, so every donation counts. WFP’s administrative costs are among the lowest in the non-profit sector – with 90% of donations going directly to WFP operations.

ShareTheMeal is an app from the World Food Programme that enables people to "share their meals" with children in need. Available on both iOS and Android platforms, it allows you to effortlessly donate 35p (the amount it costs to feed one child for a day) any time you decide to do so. You can, of course, donate more if you want.
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Hewlett-Packard HP-01

Louis Westphalen has published a fascinating article on Hewlett-Packard's 1977 'smartwatch'.

"...it is 1977, quartz watches are still less than 10 years old; it's the year Star Wars hit theatres for the first time... and you are looking at... nothing less than the most technically advanced wristwatch ever produced."

"Remember the Casio calculator watch? – the HP-01 could be considered its mastermind ancestor, reaching an unprecedented level of complication, back in 1977. Its technical feast has to be put in perspective: imagine fitting three batteries, and six chips in a wristwatch some 30-plus years ago! As its advertising puts it: "With the HP-01, you can compute and then count down the time it takes for a command to reach a spacecraft several hundred million miles away.""

"The 7-digit screen has the bright red LED display that were popular in the 1970s. To compute all its functions, it featured a 28-button keyboard; you could access to the main six functions with a tap of your fingertip. For the remaining 22 actionable buttons you needed a stylus. HP engineers had found a very astute way to always have the stylus handy, is ingeniously fitted into the bracelet buckle."

"The HP-01 definitely qualifies as bulky on the wrist (it's a massive 40 mm x 45 mm x 15 mm). It is not on the light side, weighing a respectable 170 grams or 6 ounces. At the time it was introduced, it was sold for $695 on its steel bracelet – more than a Rolex."
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10,000 wax cylinders digitised

boingboing reports: [edited]

The University of California at Santa Barbara library has undertaken an heroic digitisation effort for its world-class archive of 19th and early 20th century wax cylinder recordings, and has placed over 10,000 songs online for anyone to download, stream and re-use.

The online database boasts recordings from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, ranging from hit singles to operatic arrangements to vaudeville songs. There’s also spoken word — including speeches and readings — and everything is searchable by title, genre, instruments, region, and even subject.

To visit the library, click here.
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EverBlock Systems

EverBlock Systems reports: [edited]

EverBlock Systems offers a modular building system of oversized plastic blocks that facilitates the construction of all types of objects. It's quick and easy to build nearly anything, by stacking and organising the universal blocks in nearly any shape, pattern, or size.

Anything you've constructed can be taken apart and re-assembled again, and the pieces can be re-used to build other objects, making EverBlock a unique green building method.
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