Ikea starts selling residential solar panels in the UK

Ikea starts selling residential solar panels in the UK

Ikea starts selling residential solar panels in the UK 

..Because when you think of Britain, you think of sunny skies. Ikea has started selling solar panels for residential rooftops at its stores in the United Kingdom. The furniture outfit's move into home solar systems (as opposed to sun-powered lighting) was apparently made attractive due to the drop in cost of solar panels, and Ikea's initial offering will set you back £5,700 (about $9,300). For your money, you get a 3.36 kW system, in-store consultation, installation, maintenance and energy monitoring service. Ikea's got plans to sell solar panels in other locales, but according to Ikea Chief Sustainability Officer Steve Howard, such expansion will be done market by market (so don't expect a worldwide rollout). Hey Steve, might we suggest your next store to start selling solar be someplace with more than two weeks of sunshine per year?

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4 Apps to Lower Your Smartphone Bill

4 Apps to Lower Your Smartphone Bill 

Who uses their phone to make calls anymore? It seems as if smartphones hardly make it up to users’ ears these days and instead get regularly used to text, share pictures, video chat, update our social networks or search the web. While convenient, smartphones aren’t cheap. 

According to J.D. Power and Associates, U.S.- based families spent on average $139 a month last year on their cell phone bills. While some of the costs are out of your control, there are ways you can reduce your bill. Developers have created a slew of apps that let you text, video chat and even make phone calls for free. Here’s a look at four:

WhatsApp

While most carriers offer text messaging plans, going over your selected plan can result in a jaw-dropping statement. Text messaging has become the main form of communication for many users, and app developers have responded to the trend with several free services.

1. WhatsApp, a wildly popular free texting app works on the iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Windows-based phones. The app allows you to message across platforms without having to pay for SMS by using your internet data plan to send the messages.

Read more: http://bit.ly/16XAIDK

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iMotion 3D controller launches on Kickstarter with dreams of replacing your mouse, we go hands-on

iMotion 3D controller launches on Kickstarter with dreams of replacing your mouse, we go hands-on 

If you thought the Kinect was a brilliant step forward in 3D sensing and you were enthralled by the possibilities of hand gestures with the Leap Motion, then you might be interested in what the iMotion 3D motion controller has to offer. A small rounded rectangular device that fits onto your hand like a glove, the iMotion is composed of accelerometers, gyroscopes and three LED sensors that will communicate with any standard web cam to locate your body in 3D space. There's no special sauce to it either; as long as you have the iMotion software on your computer, you're able to use the controller with pretty much any application. However, iMotion does plan on releasing an SDK so that developers can fine-tune their app or game to enable additional features of the iMotion, such as better precision and haptic feedback.

The technology was initially developed a few years ago by Intellect Motion, a company based out of Singapore, for medical purposes like sports rehabilitation. A year ago however, it started to delve into the gaming side of things and came up with the prototype device you see above. Now the company is ready to move on to the next stage, and that's to launch the device on Kickstarter and get the iMotion out to the public. Join us after the break to get our early hands-on impressions, a video of it in action and more details of the Kickstarter campaign. Read more: http://bit.ly/16XCxAo

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ZTE planning bigger, better Firefox OS phone for US release next year

ZTE planning bigger, better Firefox OS phone for US release next year 

ZTE planning bigger, better Firefox OS phone for US release next year 

ZTE is one of the few companies making a sly side-bet on Firefox OS, and next year it's planning to double-down on that initial wager with the launch of a second handset running Mozilla's smartphone platform. Speaking with IDG's Michael Kan at Expo Comm China 2013, ZTE's Executive VP He Shiyou expects the device to land first half 2014, with a larger display than its predecessor, a dual-core processor, a "revamped user experience" and, of course, a low price tag. The exec also said that, with approximately 100,000 units sold, demand for the ZTE Open "has exceeded supply," and he anticipates double that figure in total sales. ZTE deliberately manufactured the Open on a small scale, but is optimistic about future adoption of Firefox OS. Shiyou believes HTML5-based apps will become more relevant as speedy network technology like LTE reduces reliance on native software, stating: "In the future, the app store business model will be no more."

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Amazon overhauls tablet range with three new Kindle Fire models

Amazon overhauls tablet range with three new Kindle Fire models

Amazon overhauls tablet range with three new Kindle Fire models

Three new Kindle Fires have risen from the ashes of Amazon's current tablet range, which the company has tossed into the flames in favour of more powerful specs, superior screens and better battery life.

At the top end of the new lineup are the Kindle Fire HDX tablets, which directly replace the current Kindle Fire devices. Two models will be available -- an 8.9-inch version with a 2560x1600-pixel display, which works out at 339 pixels per inch (ppi), and a 7-inch model with a 1920x1200-pixel screen at 323 ppi. Read more: http://bit.ly/16zbXMN

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Solar Powered UAVs To Replace Satellites

Solar Powered UAVs To Replace Satellites

Man’s ambition has always been to touch the sky and then to touch what’s beyond it. We all are aware of this quest that began so many years ago, and over the years, scientists have been busy in refining their methods and techniques. Today’s article covers one such attempt where the scientists have presented a substitute for the regular satellite.

Satellites are very costly; irrespective of their function. In order to keep in revolution, millions of dollars are needed just for one satellite from launch costs to repairs. Nonetheless, Titan Aerospace has attempted to alter the rules of satellite game by presenting a new high altitude UAV in order to trade typical satellites.

The solar powered UAV entitled Solera has an enormous wingspan of 50 meter (164 ft) and 15.5 meter (54 ft) body. Solera weighs only 159 kg (350 lbs) and is capable of generating 7kW of power in daylight with the help of 3,000 solar cells covering its body.

It is the performance of UAV that specifies the craft although its physical features are quite amazing. Solera can orbit for about five years at 104 km/h (65mph) and can reach heights of 20 km (65,000 ft).

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WORLD’S FIRST FLYING BICYCLE

WORLD’S FIRST FLYING BICYCLE 

In addition to creating useful everyday products, Kickstarter inventors have also had a chance to test the waters with their wildest dreams – dreams like the Paravelo flying bicycle.

The designers at XploreAir have created the first ever flying bicycle, and now they are looking for your help to take this thing to production. An electric motor fires up the biofuel-powered fan, while the flexible wing controls the takeoff process. The bike can reach altitudes of 4,000 feet allowing users the ability to enjoy the great outdoors with a bird’s eye view. The vehicle can also reach speeds of 15 miles per hour on the ground, while achieving higher speeds of 25 miles per hour in the air. There is no need for a license to fly this bad boy, and with the ability to take off from virtually anywhere, riders will fully be able to appreciate the 3 hours of flight time. Support the project on Kickstarter (http://kck.st/15Eooeu) , and see this thing in action here: http://youtu.be/EpY1Q6IUb0s

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BlackBerry Messenger app arriving on Android and iOS this weekend

BlackBerry Messenger app arriving on Android and iOS this weekend

BlackBerry's effort to extend its messaging service beyond its own failed hardware has finally come to fruition. After some awkward false starts, plus a detailed leak, BlackBerry Messenger apps for iOS and Android will soon be available for download at the respective app stores, allowing members of those more popular ecosystems to do... well, chat-related things that they could largely do already, except now through BlackBerry's BBM servers. The company has confirmed that the Android BBM app will launch at 7AM ET on Saturday, while its iOS equivalent will be available beginning at 12:01AM local time (in each market) on Sunday. More details : http://bit.ly/15Eo3II

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LG Nexus 5 launching with Android 4.4 KitKat on 14 October?

LG Nexus 5 launching with Android 4.4 KitKat on 14 October?

According to Ausdroid and several other publications around the net, LG and Google will officially be taking the wraps off the LG Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 KitKat on 14 October. The timing makes sense given past Nexus events held by Google in October, but nothing has actually been confirmed by the company.

Past FCC filings noted the Nexus 5 features Qi wireless charging capabilities inside of the back cover, which will allow customers to place their device on a charging stone and forget cords. You'll find LTE bands (unlike the Nexus 4), NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, and of course, CDMA / EVDO rev A, pentaband DC-HSPA+ and quadband GSM / EDGE.

The FCC documents further revealed a 4.96-inch diagonal for display, hence the Nexus 5 name, with a length and width of 131.9 mm x 68.2 mm. A Snapdragon 800 SoC was also mentioned.

With the LG Nexus 5 allegedly getting Android 4.4 KitKat in mid-October, this means other Nexus handsets will follow in subsequent days. Ausdroid says to expect updates in the fragmentation/screen resizing area, Miracast updates, new Gallery Visualisation, new APIs regarding animations, and new notification widgets. Perhaps most notably, the blue default colour scheme found in past versions of Android will be changed to other preset palette colours. 

Of course as we do with all rumours, we suggest you take this one with a healthy grain of salt. At any rate, an October release is sounding more than likely. 

Source: Ausdroid

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SanDisk's CFast 2.0 card is the world's fastest memory card of any kind

SanDisk's CFast 2.0 card is the world's fastest memory card of any kind

About a year after the CompactFlash Association announced the CFast 2.0 draft spec, SanDisk has revealed its new Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 memory card. The first of its kind, SanDisk says read speeds of up to 450MB/s and write speeds of up to 350MB/s make it the world's fastest memory card, period. Speed isn't the only improvement either, as the cards claim a tougher, pinless design and even unique serial numbers that owners can register with customer support. For now however, its use is going to be quite limited. The only camera ready for it at launch is the just-announced Arri Amira, although the Arri XT and Classic (with the XR module) cameras can also use it with an adapter. For those still using traditional CompactFlash storage for their 4K shooting the company is stretching the limits there too, with a new 256GB card that it says has the highest capacity ever. That extra storage will cost you however, with a price of $1,809 for the new 256GB version. There's no word on a price for the CFast 2.0 cards or their USB 3.0-equipped reader, but pro videographers in the US and Europe should be able to find them soon at specialty shops and Arri-authorized locations.

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“Terminator” Polymer Discovered, Capable of Healing Itself

“Terminator” Polymer Discovered, Capable of Healing Itself

Spanish scientists, who have apparently never seen a James Cameron film, have developed a new polymer that spontaneously heals itself. Dubbing the material the “Terminator” polymer, after the T-1000 (played by Robert Patrick in Terminator 2), the scientists maintain that the material’s true use is to improve the lifetime of everyday plastic products. 

First reported by the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Materials Horizons, no self-healing material has ever been created – until now. Basically acting like living Velcro, the Terminator polymer can fix any imperfections in itself up to 97 percent. And we’re not just talking about tiny blemishes, here; watch this video of someone literally slicing it in half with a razor blade before it magically heals itself: Watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8NYRRz-jSxA

PhysOrg describes what’s going on up there like this: “[T]he permanently cross-linked poly(urea-urethane) elastomeric network completely mends itself after being cut in two with a razor blade. A metathesis reaction of aromatic disulphides, which naturally exchange at room temperature, causes the regeneration.”

We describe that video as “what children will look back on with terror when people ask how the human race was nearly annihilated.”

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Forget passwords and PINs: Nymi bracelet replaces logins, keys and even wallets with your own HEARTBEAT

Forget passwords and PINs: Nymi bracelet replaces logins, keys and even wallets with your own HEARTBEAT

Forget passwords and PINs: Nymi bracelet replaces logins, keys and even wallets with your own HEARTBEAT 

A Canadian firm wants to replace all our computer passwords, screen locks on phones and tablets, car and house keys and even wallets with a single authentication band worn on the wrist.

The Nymi bracelet reads and monitors the wearer's cardiac rhythm, which is as unique as a person's fingerprint, to authenticate who they are. 

A built-in proximity sensor can then detect where they are, and when the wearer is close to a paired computer, device or car, will automatically confirm their identity and unlock the required hardware or software. Read more:http://dailym.ai/18C71s0

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Now, computer that teaches people social skills

Now, computer that teaches people social skills

Scientists have developed an automated personal-computer system that can help people enhance their social interaction skills.

The programme called MACH, or "My Automated Conversation coacH" has been developed by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) mainly to help those who suffer from social phobia linked to autism.

It uses a computer-generated face that simulates a conversation. Using a standard web camera, MACH scans facial expressions, listens carefully to patterns of speech, and

reads behavioural cues. MACH keeps track of weak language, like utterances of 'Mmm', 'Uhh', and 'Basically'. It also provides feedback about how effectively the user has been communicating.

The software plays back a video of their speech, alongside charts monitoring intonation, head movements, and other coded gestures. "MACH must appear and behave human like, adapting its behaviours to changes in the interaction," researchers said in their paper to be presented at UbiComp conference in Zurich this month.

To achieve that level of realism, the animation of the virtual coach incorporated arm and posture movements, facial expressions, gaze behaviour and lip synchronisation.

The software was constructed over two years and tested on 90 MIT undergraduates seeking to improve their self-presentation in front of prospective employers, the 'New Yorker magazine' reported.

The team's paper stated that MACH led to a significant improvement in social interaction, based on a before-and-after evaluation of subjects by a professional career counsellor. Beyond job interviews, the programme could be useful for helping people with social phobia linked to autism - the root of the project - as well as public speaking or even dating, according to M Ehsan Hoque, who led the research.

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Aprilia’s FV2 concept bike

Aprilia’s FV2 concept bike

Aprilia’s FV2 concept bike incorporates a fly-by-wire injection system, traction control, ABS, electronically adjustable suspension and carbon fiber construction with a 1200cc, 90-degree v-twin engine that we are likely to see in the RSV and Tuono in the next couple of years.The dash integrates a nav system that also supports downloading of performance telemetry data or upload of new engine mappings from the Web.The 1200cc, 90-degree v-twin claims 134.5 metric horses and over 10.5 kgm of torque, which is in the ballpark for sporty streetbikes and nakeds these days.

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Nexus 7 finds Apple napping

Nexus 7 finds Apple napping

Google has beat Apple at its own Retina-display-thumping game. Meet the Nexus 7, the eye-popping 323-pixels-per-inch wonder.

It is, in a way, the (rumored) iPad Mini Retina wrapped in Android 4.3.

Here's the deal: If you can find most of the apps you need on Google's Play Store and would like a small tablet with the highest resolution display on any tablet to date (i.e., higher than the 9.7-inch Retina iPad and way higher than the iPad Mini), then the second-generation Nexus 7 may be a good choice.

How did this happen? Well, Google, Asus (the device manufacturer), and Japan Display Inc. (the display maker) have managed, for the first time, to slap a smartphone-density display on a small tablet.

Without getting too technical, the second-gen Nexus 7 uses a display technology (called low-temperature polysilicon, for those keeping score) from Japan Display that has been used, to date, only on phones like, ironically, Apple's iPhone 5 (which has a pixel density of 326, just slightly more than the new Nexus 7).

Maybe more ironically, Apple is considering the same technology for a future Mini Retina, according to Richard Shim, an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch. When that Mini would appear ranges from sometime in October (optimistic) to early next year (pessimistic).

Analysts have told me that the 7-inch 1,920x1,200 display on the Nexus 7 may be the upper size limit for Japan Display's ultra-high-resolution technology -- at the moment. In other words, JDI's tech is not quite ready to scale up to the larger 7.9-inch screen on the Mini.

Whatever the case, you can pick up the new Nexus 7 for $230 at some Best Buy stores as of Friday. That's about $100 less than Apple's cheapest Mini (which I also own) but with a much better screen and a faster (quad-core) processor.

That's a really tough hardware/price proposition for Apple to beat, in my opinion.

I like the Mini a lot. I'm not sure yet but I may like the second-gen Nexus 7 better.

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Canvas 4 review: The best Micromax smartphone yet

Canvas 4 review: The best Micromax smartphone yet

Glossy plastic with a hint of aluminium

The build quality of Canvas 4 is a notch above Canvas HD. Even though both devices use glossy plastic shells, the quality of material used in Canvas 4 is better. The back cover, which can be removed to access SIM, microSD card slots and battery, is glossy and smooth. But it has a fine pattern - similar to the one seen on some sea shells - which makes the device look premium and polished.

Another highlight of the design is the aluminium strip around the device, which not only adds to the looks of the device but also make more sturdy. The power button located on the right side and the volume rocker on the left have also been made of aluminium. It is a nice touch and a pleasant change from the plastic buttons found on most of the phones.

For a budget phone, Canvas 4 has a fantastic screen. The resolution is still 720P (1280 x 720 pixels) but the quality of picture is much better. It can show punchy and saturated colours and brightness is higher compared to the screen on Canvas HD. The good resolution means the screen is sharp and text looks clear on it. The touch sensitivity and refresh rate too seem to be slightly better.

The camera is the other highlight because it carries the 13MP tag. Yes, Canvas 4 can shoot images that are 13 mega pixels in size. Unfortunately, quality of the pixels that make up these images is not good. The camera captures nice colours but it seems the way the phone processes the images rob them of details. The result is that images suffer from noise as well as lack of detail. In daylight, it is possible to get usable images with Canvas HD. But in low light conditions or if you are shooting close ups, the camera performance is poor.

On videos, performance is better. The device can record decent FullHD videos and keeps subjects in focus. We would have liked to see videos recoded in MP4 format instead of 3GP that Canvas 4 uses, but for shooting clear...

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First community solar projects getting launched

First community solar projects getting launched 

Solar gardens are sprouting in Minnesota.

These innovative solar power projects allow electric customers to invest in a large array off their property and own a share of the output, which gets credited to their monthly bills.

The first solar garden, a large ground-mounted system, is nearly finished in Rockford, next to the headquarters of its sponsor, the Wright Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association, which says it plans to immediately build a second one.

In Minneapolis, start-up company MN Community Solar said Thursday that it expects no shortage of investors for that city’s first planned solar garden atop a business on E. Lake Street.

“The majority of residential customers and many businesses don’t have a roof that works for solar energy,” said the company’s CEO Ken Bradley, a longtime solar energy advocate who helped push adoption of the state’s new solar law, passed in May by the Minnesota Legislature. “Community solar gardens allow anyone to participate.”

Dustin Denison, a company principal, said it hopes to begin construction next year on the planned 40-kilowatt solar array, which is expected to cost $180,000. It will be built atop Northern Sun Merchandising, a seller of T-shirts, buttons and other products with progressive political messages at 2916 E. Lake St.

Denison, who is also a solar installer, said MN Community Solar is looking to build even-larger solar arrays, and has begun talking to cities and businesses about potential sites. Some of those arrays could be 1-megawatt systems, or 25 times larger than the one planned on Lake Street, Denison said.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, a green energy supporter who came to Lake Street on Thursday for the company announcement, said the city likely has properties on which community solar projects could be built.

Meanwhile, the state’s first solar garden neared completion this week in Rockford, and should be wired into the electric grid and...

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Federal judge finds Apple guilty of conspiring to raise ebook prices

Federal judge finds Apple guilty of conspiring to raise ebook prices

Apple has been found guilty of conspiring with book publishers to raise ebook prices, in one of the biggest anti-trust lawsuits ever brought by US federal authorities.

US district judge Denise Cote ruled on Wednesday that the company played a "central role" in a conspiracy with the biggest book publishers in the US to fix prices in violation of antitrust law.

Executives from the companies would meet in the private dining rooms of upscale New York restaurants to bemoan the low prices charged by the ebooks market leader Amazon, and what they could do about it, Cote said in her ruling.

Cote ruled that that damages would be determined at a new hearing. Apple continued to deny on Wednesday that it had done anything wrong, and said it planned an appeal.

The ruling was not unexpected, as Cote had earlier suggested that Apple's defense would fail, and the publishers – Hachette Book Group Inc, Macmillan, HarperCollins Publishers LLC, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster – settled with the Department of Justice ahead of the trial. With Random House, these six firms are the largest publishers of trade books in the United States.

In a statement after the ruling, Apple said:

Apple did not conspire to fix ebook pricing and we will continue to fight against these false accusations. When we introduced the iBookstore in 2010, we gave customers more choice, injecting much needed innovation and competition into the market, breaking Amazon's monopolistic grip on the publishing industry. We've done nothing wrong and we will appeal the judge's decision.

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After Reader, Google to kill Latitude

After Reader, Google to kill Latitude

The Google Latitude service was originally created by Google to provide users access to selected friends location on Google Maps. Latitude is following Google Reader. The service will disappear on August 9th, Google announced today. The Google Latitude service was originally created to provide users access to selected friends' locations on Google Maps. The services that will retire include Google Latitude in Google Maps for Android, Latitude for iPhone, the Latitude API, the public badge, the iGoogle Gadget, and the Latitude website at maps.google.com/latitude. 

Google explains that they will delete your list of friends on Latitude and you will no longer be able to see or manage friends and existing friends will no longer see your location. 

Google announced a new version of Google Maps for iOS and Android (version 7.0) on Tuesday. Google hasn't technically declared it, but Latitude appears to be the latest service casualty to fall to the company's expanding focus on Google+. The latest version of Google+ for Android includes the ability to check in to locations using Yelp and Foursquare and share current locations in new posts.

Those who want more on-the-go minute location data from consenting friends and family appear to be left without an option starting August. 

The new Google Maps app has some changes that users may not appreciate so much. The 'My Maps' support for instance has gone though Google says it will return in a future version.

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Solar powered plane finishes journey, lands in NYC

Solar powered plane finishes journey, lands in NYC

The aircraft soars to 30,000 feet while poking along at a top speed of 45 mph (72 kph). Most of the 11,000 solar cells are on the super-long wings that seem to stretch as far as a jumbo jet's. It weighs about the size of a small car, and soars with what is essentially the power of a small motorized scooter.

The Solar Impulse left San Francisco in early May and has made stopovers in Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Dulles.

The cross-country flight is a tuneup for a planned 2015 flight around the globe with an up-graded version of the plane.

Solar Impulse's creators view themselves as green pioneers—promoting lighter materials, solar-powered batteries, and conservation as sexy and adventurous. Theirs is the high-flying equivalent of the Tesla electric sports car.

Europe saw the solar plane first with a test flight from Switzerland and Spain to Morocco last year.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-07-solar-powered-plane-finishes-journey.html#jCp

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