Swatch to release its own smartwatch

Credit: swatch.com

Smartwatches — will they achieve popularity, or will they remain a technical curiosity & geek toy?

After letting the horse bolt on the digital watch, the Swiss, or at least Swatch (Swiss watch), are making sure this horse doesn't get away.

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/gadget/3542397/swatch-release-its-own-line-of-smartwatches/ / Fitbit Force Flex Pebble Samsung Galaxy Gear Sony smart watch Kickstarter crowd funding source sourced sourcing wrist firmware update SMS text email color TXT display user interface phone smartphone smart phone Bluetooth /

Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting ...

Credit: all-free-download.com

Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we've been ignorant of their value. — R. Buckminster Fuller

Looks like this principle is about to be demonstrated once more, this time, by the coffee industry.

Processing coffee requires large amounts of water. As the producer of 70% of the world's coffee, much of the coffee processing occurs in South America, where waste water is a major source of riverine pollution. Things are about to improve, however, as this hitherto misunderstood resource is about to be turned into a source of green energy.

http://phys.org/news/2014-08-sites-energy-coffee-good-results.html / Latin America coffee environment community health coffee production wastewater released untreated rivers affecting aquatic fauna flora downstream communities coffee wastewater organic waste high toxicity affects soil generates greenhouse-gas emissions methane health environmental problems coffee wastewater Central American farmers coffee wastewater generate energy UTZ Certified Energy from Coffee Wastewater project protect water resources generate energy treating discharge from coffee mills Han De Groot coffee production fresh water sustainable wastewater treat treatment treated environment oxygen aquatic life /

Samsung's Gear S smartwatch — curved display, 3G connectivity & Tizen OS

Credit: Samsung/gizmag.com

Smartwatches to date have relied on a Bluetooth connected smartphone for Internet connection. Samsung's latest, for release in October, has its own 3G connection for voice & data.

Screen is curved, with 2 inch diagonal & 480 x 360 pixels. OS is Tizen, running Gear apps.

http://www.phonedog.com/2014/08/27/samsung-gear-s-is-a-new-tizen-smartwatch-with-a-2-inch-screen-and-its-own-3g-connection/

http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/27/samsung-gear-s-smartwatch/

http://www.gizmag.com/samsung-gear-s-smartwatch-details/33566/ / wearable Samsung Gear S wristwear smartwatches paired smartphone communications 2G 900/1800 850/1900 3G 900/2100 850/1900 make calls send TXT SMS text messages emails onscreen keyboard on screen Gear S 2-inch 480x360 Super AMOLED display face display curved fit comfortably user user's wearer wearer’s wrist 1GHz dual-core processor 4GB storage 512MB RAM software features S Voice S Health sensors accelerometer gyroscope compass heart rate ambient light 300mAh battery Along with the Gear S launch headset-style device Gear Circle receive calls issue voice commands Bluetooth connection wearer’s neck vibrate alert user incoming calls alerts /

California Governor signs law mandating "kill switch" on all smartphones sold in state

Mobile phones figure prominently in robbery statistics around the world. 65% in San Francisco, for instance.

As a deterrent, the US state of California will require, from 1 July 2015, that all phones sold in the state, have a kill switch, which will allow the legitimate owner to disable, &/or remotely erase their phone, if stolen. Also required, is the ability to re-enable the phone after it is recovered.

Legislation does not specify how the kill switch is to be implemented, but it will probably vary from existing "find my phone" capabilities only in that it will be installed & enabled by default.

Existing solutions for idevices include FoneHome & Apple's Find iPhone.

Android solutions include Where's My Droid & solutions included in security packages such as AVG, Norton, Lookout & CM.

Just search for "find phone" on the relevant app site.

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/130546-california-governor-signs-law-mandating-kill-switch-on-all-smartphones-sold-in-stateS / California state governor Jerry Brown mandated Monday every smartphone sold California 1 July 2015 device useless if stolen historic legislation prevent smartphone theft majority robberies smart phone smartphone theft San Francisco Oakland bill SB 962 manufacturers implement develop kill switch all smartphones sold online physical stores turn their smartphones back on phone is returned remotely erase data legislation law enforcement officials endorsed every other state in the union equipped with theft deterrent technology purchase new phones Apple Google Samsung agreed to add a kill switch feature enable by default carriers reluctant implement kill switches $7 billion smartphone insurance market /

Tesla to build a network of free Superchargers in Australia

Credit: Tesla/Green Car Reports

Tesla has been promising a Supercharger network in Australia ever since pricing of the Model S in this country was announced. Things have become more certain with the appointment of consulting engineer & renewables specialist, Evan Beaver, to manage the Australian Supercharger programme.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/21/tesla_plots_free_charge_stations_for_oz/

http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/2355-Tesla-in-Australia/page102?p=663146&viewfull=1#post663146 / Tesla network Supercharger stations plan planning planned Australia Model S arrives rollout Vulture South deliveries develop Supercharger network owners road trips free-to-use Supercharger stations coast-to-coast travel Europe Asia charge recharge range Brisbane Sydney Canberra Melbourne corridors priority charge recharge LiIon lithium ion battery /

Quincy Symonds, AKA "The Flying Squirrel": CAH sufferer, surfing prodigy

Credit: booooooom.com

As an infant, Quincy was diagnosed with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a malfunction of the adrenal glands, which left her with a lack of the hormone cortisol. No cure is available, but her condition can be managed with hormone treatment three times per day.

As a six year old, she is "one of the best 6-year-old surfers in the world", with her own sponsorship contract.



More video on Quincy's YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheFlyingSquirrel08

More about congenital adrenal hyperplasia: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Congenital_adrenal_hyperplasia / 6-year-old 6 year old girl land water Quincy Symonds surf surfer surfing pint-sized Australian sponsor sponsorship sponsors surfing community Quincy's battle serious condition congenital adrenal hyperplasia disorder adrenal gland surfing prodigy parents adrenal crisis infant diagnosed disorder steroid-dependent requiring medication three times a day surf coach Tony no fear nicknamed nickname the Flying Squirrel started surfing at 4 years old skateboard skateboarding little Aussie favorite pro-surfer and skater /

This speech from Steve Jobs is hiding in your Mac

You may remember the, "Think different," advertising campaign from Apple. Almost as widely publicised, was Steve Jobs' Commencement address at Stanford University on 12 June 2005. Turns out that copies of both of the above are part of Apple's Pages word processor.

One interesting point raised is that the comprehensive typographic capability built in to the first Macintosh came about because of a course in calligraphy that Jobs never would have taken if he hadn't dropped out of college.

Definitely worth a read:

http://www.razorianfly.com/2014/08/25/this-speech-from-steve-jobs-is-hiding-in-your-mac// words speech exact transcript Apple co-founder’s 2005 Commencement Address Stanford University speech transcript words company’s Think Different Finder Go To Folder Applications Pages.app Contents Resources Return file Apple.txt speech by Jobs Here’s to the crazy ones The misfits the rebels The troublemakers The round pegs in the square holes The ones who see things differently universities graduated college graduation connecting the dots Reed College drop-in biological mother unwed college graduate student adoption Woz Steve Wozniak started Apple my parents garage Stay Hungry Stay Foolish Google in paperback form The Whole Earth Catalog Whole Earth Catalogue Pages for Mac /