New iOS App switcher concept by the designer of Auxo offers a vastly improved multitasking experience (video)

Credit: Sentry/ Redmond Pie

http://www.redmondpie.com/new-ios-app-switcher-concept-by-the-designer-of-auxo-offers-a-vastly-improved-multitasking-experience-video/ / concept ideas help us to visualize a specific software hardware rather improve elements Apple’s mobile OS iOS jailbreak scene app switcher Sentry designer behind Auxo tweak Cupertino company could reinvent multitasking bar multitasking bar app switcher functionality poor long press before closing apps down one-by-one Jony Ive iOS 7 jailbreak developers app switching swipes up from the middle of the display interface breaks from the center to reveal open apps other settings such as volume brightness toggles similar to SBSettings NCSettings tweaks app switcher vertical split nice aesthetic touch /

ISS astronaut reveals inside view of life in space

http://www.dvice.com/2013-2-18/iss-astronaut-reveals-inside-view-life-space     / Canada's first spacewalker spacewalk Chris Hadfield has been living aboard the International Space Station ISS photos messages from space share what it's like to live in space obscure details about life among the stars that aren't commonly discussed answering questions from his sleep station tiny, phone booth sized padded room with a door for privacy thoughts recent privatization space Space X Dragon coming ISS grab it with Canadarm2 Australia coolest looking part of Earth as seen from space vacuum space has no smell, when astronauts return from a spacewalk the ISS airlock has the distinct smell of gunpowder distant stars galaxies really look like  space versus the Hubble photos we've become so accustomed to examining here on Earth. Hadfield said, "it looks like a carpet of countless tiny perfect unblinking lights in endless velvet, with the Milky Way as a glowing area of paler texture astronaut most important question experienced space traveler to the furthest reaches of our knowledge the horse the wheel sailing ship steamship propeller jet rocket Space Station  establish permanent base on the Moon and beyond, but when depends on inventions not yet made power generation primary obstacle fossil fuels even solar power won't be enough crucible where space exploration technology is designed and tested /

Tick tock: why timing your Mac hardware upgrades makes good sense

http://gigaom.com/2013/02/16/tick-tock-why-timing-your-mac-hardware-upgrades-makes-good-sense/     / planning MacBook upgrade coincide Intel’s chip releases largest performance gains purchase historic Apple-Intel Apple Intel upgrade cycle update update Mac Macintosh buy new Mac next release wait  refresh significant performance improvements minor updates major overall performance boost decide hardware version operating system  OS X software release cycles processor performance history release dates waiting new release performance most important factor to consider chip benchmark Mac Geekbench GPU /

Mindfulness & meditation training eases PTSD symptoms in the US military

Mindfulness meditation & the military? Not things most of us would associate. To quote one originally sceptical, 50 year old veteran, “No one wanted to do it. We thought it was a waste of time.” However, after returning from his second tour in Iraq he had changed his mind: “For me, meditation was a lifesaver."

http://m.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/mindfulness-and-meditation-training-could-ease-ptsd-symptoms-researchers-say/2013/02/16/a296a52a-4ad2-11e2-b709-667035ff9029_story.html     / 2 million American soldiers served Iraq Afghanistan several hundred thousand post traumatic PTSD post-traumatic stress disorder struggle anxiety ange, depression flashbacks nightmares ailment take years emerge treated drugs behavioral therapy approaches for many these methods don’t work researchers new methodlimit future cases ease symptoms meditation cultivating tranquillity military particular type mindfulness important therapeutic tool reduce stress increase focus practitioners mindfulness meditation focus  single thing happening in the moment breathing regular practitioners physical emotional benefits lower stress in many context Elizabeth Stanley associate professor security studies Georgetown University studies began practicing meditation soldiers dealing with the extreme stress of combat basic training fire weapon march in formation research colleagues attracted attention military leaders, commander allied forces former Army military intelligence officer scientist research collaborators psychologists neuroscientists published results pilot study mindfulness protected soldiers anxiety other stress-related negative emotions 60 Marine reservists two months of intense training before being deployed to Iraq received regular instruction mindfulness meditation asked meditate 15 minutes a day other group got no meditation training researchers found that after two months meditation group reported significantly lower levels of stress anxiety another benefit soldiers smarter improved their capacity to retain new information known as expanding their working memory participants remember letters from alphabet while doing simple arithmetic did significantly better at this task than those who didn’t receive such training meditated more did better than those who meditated less initially skeptical We thought it was a waste of time suffering from problems related to combat stress marriage was in trouble  drinking a lot constantly angry calmer less angry follow-up tests stressful experiences tend to degrade working memory what is a target what  much more focused lifesaver funded by the Department of Defense alters brain circuitry MRI scans Martin Paulus UCSD increases activity in the insula region of the brain plays a major role in the perception of bodily sensation interpreted as innocuous painful pleasurable controlling emotions Bosnia combat diagnosis PTSD doctorate in government at Harvard /

Monsanto's Supreme Court seed fight • What would Woody Guthrie think?

Credit: Library of Congress/ Wikimedia Commons/ The Atlantic

What would Woody Guthrie think?  What any decent person would think.  That the behaviour, as described, of Vernon Bowman, the 75-year-old Indiana farmer mentioned in the article, is wholely reasonable & honorable.

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/02/monsantos-supreme-court-seed-fight-what-would-woody-guthrie-think/266072/     / temporary use shipping containers building blocks O+A's festival backdrop in Amsterdam permanent with 4D A Architects' shipping container housing New Jerusalem Orphanage Gauteng South Africa project Mia Anfield 4D and A already on site for storage Adam Kalkin American architect prefabrication specialist houses designers design construction period six months Anfield arrival materials site donated consideration building thermal performance during cold weather hot sunny days orientation of the building timber screens constructed of eco-friendly composite decking roof garden thermal mass inside walls ceilings clad in dry wall 50mm Isotherm foam insulation raised on plinths encourage flow air solar thermal photovoltaic systems /

Twenty-eight containers transform orphanage in South Africa

Credit: Dennis Guichard/ Safintra/ Gizmag

http://www.gizmag.com/shipping-container-orphanage/26227/     / temporary use shipping containers building blocks O+A's festival backdrop in Amsterdam permanent with 4D A Architects' shipping container housing New Jerusalem Orphanage Gauteng South Africa project Mia Anfield 4D and A already on site for storage Adam Kalkin American architect prefabrication specialist houses designers design construction period six months Anfield arrival materials site donated consideration building thermal performance during cold weather hot sunny days orientation of the building timber screens constructed of eco-friendly composite decking roof garden thermal mass inside walls ceilings clad in dry wall 50mm Isotherm foam insulation raised on plinths encourage flow air solar thermal photovoltaic systems /

Strategic Recovery Institute develops electric off-road racing vehicle (video)

750 lb ft of torque at zero rpm
Credit: Strategic Recovery Institute/ Gizmag

Amazing as this vehicle is, even more amazing is the fact that the US military pays $400 per gallon for gasoline (petrol)! That's delivered, in theatre. Presumably, US gallons. Thats just over $480 per UK gallon, $105 per litre.

And you thought You were paying too much!

http://www.gizmag.com/sri-electric-off-road-racer/26242/     / desert racing off road top speed of 125 mph EV1 electric off-road off road racer green racing SRI California-based non-profit group focusing sustainable design e-racer e-road racers have few manufacturers U.S. Army Lt. Gen James Pillsbury (Ret) design build race all-electric car 2012 SCORE Baja 1000 U.S. military’s fuel bill for foreign theater operations comes in at roughly $400/gallon cost of fueling petrol powered vehicles abroad all-electric off-road vehicles in demonstrate superior performance reliability cost savings winner would then have the opportunity to score a lucrative e-vehicle contract for various personnel requirements and support needs EV West Strategic Racing Designs  2011 Baja 1000 in class 5-1600 400 kW 2000 Ah system powered by two NetGain Motors 69 cell lithium ion battery packs trailer mounted and solar charging system gas petrol /

iPhone 5 ranks 5th in user satisfaction, behind 4 Android phones

That's in the United States.  Fares better in the UK.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/iphone-5-ranks-5th-in-user-satisfaction-in-u-s-behind-four-android-phones/     / fifth generation customer satisfaction Apple handset placed recent report OnDevice Research poll smartphone tablet users 6 six countries US USA Android handsets major mobile marketsfour different Android handsets user satisfaction Samsung Galaxy Note 2 II user satisfaction score HTC Rezound Motorola Droid Razr M Atrix HD budget-sensitive lowered expectations less expensive handset boost  HTC One X Samsung line up of the Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S 3 Mini Galaxy S 3 III data France Germany Japan Indonesia overall device satisfaction Cupertino Google device /