Hoverboard is here just in time for 2015

Well, almost, & only $US10,000.

Or you can get a developers' kit on Kickstarter, starting at $299. With 53 days to go, as of this writing, over $215,00 has been pledged of the $250,000 goal.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/142464853/hendo-hoverboards-worlds-first-real-hoverboard / zero gravity levitation hover technology in your hands HENDO hoverboard 1 inch off the ground prototype hover in defy gravity riding it support Kickstarter community finishing touches Hendo Hoverboard produce them create places to ride them engineering team iteration iterating design four disc-shaped hover engines magnetic field pushes generating lift levitation levitates board off the ground self-propelled stabilize drive it forward altering the projected force on the surface below non-ferromagnetic conductor metals working on new compounds technology minimize costs enabling technologies time and resources Whitebox developer kit technology crowdsourced creative minds artistic vision engineers practical professional riders industrial design current technology special types of surfaces hoverpark designing a park supporters backers collaborators hoverpark brick levitation magnets Earnshaw's Theorem stable static equilibrium Lenz’s law eddy currents conductor conductive material magnetic field  Magnetic Field Architecture MFA /

Formula E update

Nicolas Prost/Nick Heidfeld collision on the last lap of the Beijing event

Previously, on these pages, the capacity of Formula E batteries was quoted as 28 kiloWatt hours (kWh). In fact, they are 32 kWh battery capacity, with 28 kWh usable. Three drivers (Alguersuari, Legge & Abt) have been penalised 57 seconds, for exceeding the 28 kWh limit in Beijing.

Prost has been penalised 10 grid places in the next race for, "causing an avoidable collision", in the last lap of the Beijing event. See video at the top of this post & the link below.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/sep/15/nicolas-prost-accepts-blame-formula-e-nick-heidfeld-crash

Complete video of the 1st Formula E race in Beijing, Saturday 13 September 2014.

Next Race:
Putrajaya, Malaysia
Round 2 - Saturday 22 November 2014
Practice 1 - 08:15 Malaysian local time
Practice 2 - 10:30
Qualifying - 12:00
Race - 16:00 / Formula E all electric racing series second race Putrajaya Malaysia ePrix stadium races F1 FIA electricity sport electric vehicles EV terrific acceleration pass passing possible tracks with tight corners technology range race organizers identical cars Spark-Renault SRT_01E built French company Spark Racing Technology carbon fiber aluminum chassis Dallara electric powertrain electronics McLaren Electronics Systems Williams Advanced Engineering building 200 kiloWatt battery pack batteries powertrain generate 270 horsepower five-speed paddle shift gearbox fixed gear ratios Michelin 18 inch tires wet dry conditions sound 80 decibel whine full grid 20 cars FIA Formula E strategy street courses dedicated circuits tire wear grip management battery life charge prematurely testing drivers learn knowledge teams construction constructors constructing FanBoost pit stop second fully charged car advances in battery technology battery swaps charging battery Renault Michelin DHL Qualcomm Richard Branson Virgin Racing team Leonardo DiCaprio Venturi team lithium ion LiIon battery charge recharge range battery management system BMS /

How does the iPhone 6 camera compare to previous iPhone cameras?

Credit: Lisa Bettany/Camera+/Ubergizmo

Lisa Bettany, professional photographer, & one of the partners responsible for the Camera+ app for iOS, has done a comparison of the cameras in every iPhone ever made.

To get an idea, just compare the two ends of the image above.

Extraordinary progress since 2007.

More:

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2014/09/photos-compare-the-cameras-of-every-iphone-apple-has-ever-made/

http://snapsnapsnap.photos/how-does-the-iphone-6-camera-compare-to-previous-iphone-cameras/ / camera cofounder co-founder Camera+ app compare photos taken every iPhone Apple photos same subject photo types macro backlit subjects daylight lowlight photograph macro close up close-up closeup photos taken Camera+ app features default camera app accurate users expect devices Apple improvements iPhone 6 clear winner more balanced colors sharper details amazing lowlight low-light low light performance iPhones superior day light daylight portrait sunset iPhone camera technology /

Red Bull customer fails to get promised wings — sues

Red Bull, while maintaining that, "... its marketing & labelling have always been truthful and accurate ..." has decided to settle out of court. If you live in the United States, you may be entitled to a refund of $10 in cash or $15 worth of Red Bull if you've bought the stuff since 2002.

If this applies to you, go to energydrinksettlement.com before 02 March 2015.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/10/11/red_bull_wings_lawsuit/ / website Red Bull caffeine consumer consumers claim multi-million dollar award wings ad slogan promised crash crashed Austria-based drinks maker manufacturer settle US lawsuits out of court long-time user Benjamin Careathers sue sued New York court false advertising filed cases in California did not have wings improved athletic intellectual ability deceived users lawyers acting on behalf of seeking to redress pervasive pattern fraudulent deceptive false otherwise improper unproper advertising sales marketing practice Red Bull defendants have engaged in Red Bull defendants prey upon consumers Red Bull gives you wings mixture of ingredients significantly improve consumer’s physical mental performance best course of action settle out of court agreeing refund deal will cost Red Bull $13.5m $6.5m avoid cost distraction litigation spokesman said maintains denies wrongdoing liability change future advertising plaintiffs David Wolf Migeul Almarez California court documents /

Puppy-sized spider surprises scientist in rainforest

Credit: Live Science

A spider the size (& weight) of a puppy would surprise most of us. It is regarded as venemous, but doesn't pose a lethal threat to humans. Even so, with 5 cm (2 inch) fangs, it could inflict an injury best avoided. Plus it has another weapon: when it feels threatened, it rubs it abdomen with its hind legs, releasing a cloud of hairs which will sting & itch for weeks if they get into sensitive parts of the body, such as the eye, mouth & nose.



http://www.livescience.com/48340-goliath-birdeater-surprises-scientist.html / Piotr Naskrecki night nighttime walk rainforest Guyana rustling creeping underfoot small mammal possum rat entomologist photographer Harvard University Museum of Comparative Zoology brown furry mammal enormous puppy size spider South American Goliath birdeater Theraphosa blondi arachnid world world's largest spider Guinness World Records leg span foot30 centimeters body size large fist Live Science weigh 6 oz.170 grams the scientist wrote on his blog giant huntsman spider larger leg span much more delicate sounds feet have hardened tips claws clicking sound horse's hooves prickly hairs 2 inch fangs rainforest rub its hind legs against its abdomen cloud of hairs microscopic barbs eyes mucous membranes extremely painful itchy 2 inch long 5 centimeter fangs venomous deadly to humans extremely painful hairs front spider's body tiny hooks barbs Velcro eat birds killing small mammals leaf litter ground night spider species puncture drink bird eggs eat frogs insects main prey earthworms humid common spiders tropics South America lab study museum /

A charge for your phone in 5 minutes – revisited (video) – updated

Credit: Zap&Go

You may remember a recent post about a large external rechargeable lithium ion battery which could accept enough charge in 5 minutes to fully charge a typical mobile phone. It worked because at 13,500 mAh capacity, it could accept enough charge in 5 minutes to subsequently fully charge the much smaller battery in a typical smart phone.

Some of the same functionality is provided by Zap&Go, a smaller device (both physically & electrical storage capacity), which can accept a "phone-full" of charge in 5 minutes, using capacitor technology.

Other features include:
• built-in electrical wall-plug
• interchangeable international plugs for world-wide use
• can be used as a wall-charger for your phone

How do the Pronto (in the previous post) & the Zap&Go compare?
• Pronto uses a lithium ion battery of 13,500 mAh capacity
• there is a 4,500 mAh capacity Pronto, but it will not accept charge fast enough to do the 5 minute trick – more like 20 minutes
• Zap&Go uses a supercapacitor
• both will accept enough charge in five minutes to subsequently fully charge a "typical phone" – read iPhone 5s rather than Galaxy Note 4
• full charge for a Pronto will take 1 hour, but will charge a "typical phone" several times – tablets too
• full charge for a Zap&Go will take 5 minutes, & will charge a "typical phone" once only – developer claims two full charges of a Zap&Go to fully charge an iPad 2
• Pronto requires an external charger
• Zap&Go has its charger built in, plus international adapters
• Pronto is bigger & heavier than Zap&Go

Zap&Go is an Indiegogo project.



Developer's figures on Zap&Go performance charging a range of devices:

http://www.zapandgocharger.com/features.html

Indiegogo listing:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/zap-go-5-minute-charger#home

Zap&Go website:

http://www.zapandgocharger.com/

More:

http://www.gizmag.com/zap-and-go-supercapacitor-charger/34228/

http://www.ohgizmo.com/2014/10/15/zapgo-portable-charger-fills-just-5-minutes/ / Oxford based startup crowdfunding development design develop Zap&Go phone charger speed portability graphene supercapacitor ad-hoc power supply charged charge 1,500-mAh capacity fully charge iPhone 5s five minutes more practical solution current alternatives traveling travel smartphones tablets keep getting thinner displays pixel-dense power-hungry battery life portable devices one day of heavy usage limitations LiIon lithium-ion lithium ion batteries hours fully charge need more juice external battery recharge our electronics socket wall plug fast external batteries 2,600-mAh Petalite Flux Power Practical Pronto 13,500 mAh version pack suitcase traveling charge faster typical smartphone Zap&Go speed portability phone tablet standard 5-volt USB port normal charger plugging it in electrical socket phone tablet charging device fast five minute charge cycle quick full charge connect product working prototype stage company founder Stephen Voller two major innovations replace aluminum foils super capacitor supercapacitor more conductive graphene shrink size new power supply include international plug adapters for UK Japan EU Indiegogo campaign /

Making the case for a large screen phone

LG G3, left – Samsung Galaxy Note 4, right
Credit: Pocket Now

Having recently made the case for small screen phones, today, it will be the largest, those that approach the size of tablets, sometimes called, "phablets".

So, why would anyone want a phone with a screen in the 5.5 inch, & up, range?

Obviously, part of the answer is the reverse of the arguments for smaller screen: a user with large hands & a carry method that doesn't place a premium on the pockets of tight jeans.

Other advantages of large screen phones:
• More information on the screen – reading a webpage on a phone can be a struggle to get the information on the screen at a readable point size. Even worse, can be reading PDFs, because the point size is fixed. (If this is a problem for you, on Android, have a look at qPDF Viewer &/or ezPDF Reader, using the "text reflow option".)
• Can make multitasking easier by having both apps visible on the screen at the same time
• Combine some of the advantages of phone & tablet
• Samsung's S-Pen stylus brings a unique level of precision & set of functions to its Note phablets

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 – 5.7 inch screen:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/16/technology/personaltech/samsung-galaxy-note-4-review.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ianmorris/2014/10/15/samsung-galaxy-note-4-review-far-more-to-offer-than-apples-iphone-6-plus/

LG G3 – 5.5 inch screen:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ianmorris/2014/07/11/lg-g3-review-the-perfect-smartphone/

G3 Vs Note 4:

http://pocketnow.com/2014/09/06/samsung-galaxy-note-4-vs-lg-g3

Apple iPhone 6 Plus – 5.5 inch screen:

http://www.techradar.com/au/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/iphone-6-plus-1264566/review
/ 2011 Samsung unveiled smartphone big joke mistake screen measuring 5.3 inches diagonally device criticism the most useless phone look stupid talking on it critics were wrong sell millions huge Note spawned dozens of copycats entire new category phablet smartphones big enough tablets smartphone manufacturer phone as big as the Note plus-size phones watershed device original iPhone iPad important influential digital invention bigger better Note Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus more intuitive interface half dozen half-dozen clever features sharper larger display charge battery half-full in just 30 minutes stylus transformative device big phone ambitious effort future of computing more useful powerful than PCs other kinds of computers gimmick gimmickry gimmicky features seem half-baked heart-rate monitor fingerprint scanner rough edges truly useful machine stunning display size larger display giant phone display bigger better DisplayMate technical tests digital displays significantly better color accuracy sharper more vivid Android Google mobile operating system OS TouchWiz user interface several useful features use them in different modes phones scan email look up directions morning mail plan a day calendar take notes side-key panel pop-up menu home screen previous screen open apps side key side-key panel tap under your thumb second mode two handed two-handed tasks small pop-up windows any size you wish stylus productivity select text click on links more precision notepad scribble hand writing recognition multiple windows useful learning curve phone of tomorrow /