9 best new Android apps of July 2014

A couple of interesting ones:

LokLok — messaging on your lock screen — lots of potential for embarrassment with this one

SWIP3 — first game designed specifically for Android Wear at $1.69

Wear Mini Launcher — launcher for Android Wear — a lot of positive reviews & it’s free

http://www.androidauthority.com/best-new-android-apps-july-2014-410944/ / Google I/O Android apps game release Bamboo Paper price free application called Bamboo Paper Wacom doodling doodle note taking app free Commandr extends functionality Google Now turn on and off utilities flashlight Bluetooth with your voice through Google Now Tasker support suggestions developers are working to include Leo’s Fortune demo Android TV popular smooth game play amazing graphics high Google Play rating really good game Modern Combat 5 blockbuster game releases improved graphics multiplayer support more campaign missions early bugs LokLok new messaging service message on your lock screen communicate friends doodle take pictures personal Speakle social media service receive likes comments users vaguebook SWIP3 game designed specifically for Android Wear Timberman app purchase Wear Mini Launcher positive reviews /

Now this is real fame!

Credit: Bloomberg Businessweek

PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla Motors, wealth, dinner at The White House. All very nice, but how do you know when you've really made it?

An appearance on The Simpsons!

Tesla Motors CEO, Elon Musk, is about to receive the ultimate accolade:

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1093570_tesla-ceo-elon-musk-makes-it-big-will-appear-on-the-simpsons-as-himself

We all have to start somewhere — cameo in Iron Man 2:

/ wealth success power fade to insignificance made it guest appearance on The Simpsons arrived Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk guest-starring guest starring star 26th season popular cartoon comedy Tesla Panasonic Gigafactory Project Jalopnik brief cameo Paypal Tesla SpaceX billionaire episode, bankrupting character 104-year old nuclear plant owner Mr Burns sustainable energy Model S either cameo appearance playing himself previously appeared Iron Man 2 executive producer Al Jean San Diego Comic-Con convention automakers vehicles Chrysler Hyundai MINI startup Elio Motors three-wheeled $6,800 concept high-profile goes Tesla guest The Simpsons /

New Amazon store lets customers customize & print 3D products for delivery

Credit: Amazon/Gizmag

3D printing is a disruptive technology. Uses include:

● ultra-small-scale manufacture
● just-in-time manufacture of ultra-small-scale parts
● upload customer file to 3D printer site for printing & delivery
● purchase item online for local printing
● customer modification of seller design prior to 3D printing

Amazon is just now entering into the last of these markets:

http://www.gizmag.com/amazon-3d-printed-products-store/33151/ / 3D Printed Products store launch launched 200 print-on-demand print on demand designs users custom customize earrings pendants rings bobble head dolls special widget 3D printed 3D-printed print deliver delivered deliver offer 3D printed items for sale websites Shapeways i.materialise Thingify 3D printing options site users upload print their own items buy items designed by others customize items designed by others community aspect too entrance of Amazon into the market disruption disrupt disruptive store online find and purchase 3D-printed products size popularity ubiquity raises competitors market markets marketplace market place creators retailers sell their offerings Amazon store i.materialise Thingify shift in online retail manufacturing more nimble adaptable adaptive immersive customer experience Petra Schindler-Carter sellers designers manufacturers more dynamic inventory customers personalize customize available designs customization engine interactive 3D preview /

Reasons why Tesla can scale where others have failed

Tesla Roadster.
If you think it looks familiar, you're right. It's based on the Lotus Elise. In fact, the Roadster was a rolling chassis, supplied by Lotus, with Tesla drive train.
Credit: Discover

Between the end of 2010 & 2013, Tesla stock increased in value by over 500%. They sell all the cars they can make, & are allegedly, the only company making a profit from manufacture of electric vehicles. Tesla has plans in train to build a Gigafactory, which will effectively double world production of LiIon battery capacity.

So, what are they getting right that everyone else is getting wrong? My take is that part of it is Elon Musk's commitment to something important outside himself — nothing less than conversion of the car industry to a sustainable technology. Bob Lutz has admitted that the Tesla Roadster was his inspiration to push General Motors into development of the Volt EV. Venture Beat has some more ideas:

http://venturebeat.com/2014/07/27/3-reasons-why-tesla-can-scale-where-others-have-failed/ / Tesla rocked plans build 5 GW lithium ion battery plant 5 GW giga Watt gigaWatt battery production double global battery manufacturing industries scale battery companies A123 Valence Technology filed for bankruptcy supplier qualification supply chain economics electric vehicle demand production capacity electric vehicle EV manufacturers battery suppliers expensive part assemble battery packs Panasonic small cylindrical battery cells assemble assembled cell thermal management system software electronics mechanical enclosure quarter cost battery pack Tesla assembling volumes rise designs mature cost optimization third party battery vehicle engineering time and resources communication hiccups BMS battery management system designs optimize battery time and resourcebattery integration radical technology disruption battery cell technology research and development R&D testing groundbreaking scaled to production performance quality safety targets Panasonic 18650 cells laptop computers second-generation cell design secure patient capital quick buck Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk /

Flexible, printed batteries for wearable, & medical devices

A problem with wearable devices is providing a suitable battery. Even in something as big as a watch, incorporating a battery adds considerable bulk. Check the size of most smart watches. A large number of applications are waiting on the availability of smaller batteries. E.g. smart clothing, smart labels & medical devices. Imprint Energy, of Alameda, California believes this need can be filled by its battery, which uses zinc, rather than lithium, & can be printed inexpensively using industrial screen printers.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/528996/flexible-printed-batteries-for-wearable-devices/ / California startup development develop developing flexible rechargeable batteries battery printed cheaply commonly used industrial screen printers Imprint Energy Alameda California test testing ultrathin zinc-polymer zinc polymer batteries wrist worn wear wearable wrist-worn devices sell manufacturers wearable electronics medical devices smart labels environmental sensors safe for on-body applications small size flexibility product designs impossible with bulkier lithium-based batteries small formats deliver enough current low power low-power wireless communications sensors $6 million funding Phoenix Venture Partners AME Cloud Ventures VC venture capital venture fund Yahoo co-founder cofounder Jerry Yang proprietary chemistry finance batteries’ commercial launch previous investors CIA-backed venture firm In-Q-Tel Dow Chemical research company co-founder Christine Ho graduate student University of California Berkeley collaborate collaborated researcher Japan produce microscopic zinc batteries 3D 3-D printer batteries power laptop smartphone smart phone smart-phone lithium highly reactive protected add size bulk more stable water-based electrolytesform dendrites branch like structures clothes body eye sensors monitor health status /

Renewable energy is ready to supply all of Australia's electricity

Interesting article by Professor Mark Diesendorf, of the University of New South Wales. Amongst other things, he claims that, based on conservative projections to 2030 for the costs of renewable energy by the federal government’s Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics (BREE), an optimal mix of renewable electricity sources to supply all of Australia's electricity needs:

● 46% wind

● 22% concentrated solar thermal (electricity generated by the heat of the sun) with thermal storage

● 20% photovoltaic solar (electricity generated directly from sunlight)

● 6% biofuelled gas turbines

● 6% existing hydro

In Australia (as in many other countries), substantial subsidies are paid to the fossil fuel industry. Professor Diesenforf claims that the cost of the scheme described above could be recouped by ending those existing subsidies.

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2014/7/22/renewable-energy/renewable-energy-ready-supply-all-australias-electricity?utm_source=exact&utm_medium=email&utm_content=832013&utm_campaign=cs_daily&modapt

A commmon concern about sustainable energy is summed up by: "solar only when the Sun shines, wind only when it blows". It is encouraging that, after running the simulations & doing the maths, Professor Diesendorf concludes that thermal storage inherent in concentrated solar thermal, plus existing hydro will be sufficient, with no need for chemical batteries. / University of Melbourne Frank Larkins Australia’s targets increase renewable energy electricity more expensive problems consistency storage developments renewable energy integration electricity grids technically feasible scenariosAustralian electricity industry 100 per cent renewable energy Sun shine irregular weather patterns uncertain intermittent power output electricity generators retailers money variability renewable energy sources better understood empirical experience wind power electricity grids hourly computer simulations demand states countries global regions South Australia coal fired coal-fired power stations gas fired gas-fired wind farms non-renewable energy supply Germany Schleswig-Holstein Mecklenburg-Vorpommern transmission links neighbouring states supply problems National Electricity Market (NEM) generation Ben Elliston Iain MacGill UNSW meet demand reliably papers published in peer-reviewed international journals, downloaded website mix /

Five myths about HIV

One of the greatest risks to do with HIV & AIDS is lack of knowledge. Check out the article linked below. Focus is the situation in Australia, but the myths are universal.

https://theconversation.com/five-myths-about-hiv-in-australia-29320 / Australian quick effective response HIV epidemic tendency underestimate effort maintaining HIV prevention responses misinformation lazy assumptions quick fixes sustained effective HIV prevention initial response multifaceted safe sex affected communities needle syringe programs program programme health workers injecting drug user clients screening donor blood HIV antibody test interventions saved untold lives health dollars treatment Australian researchers researching effective anti-HIV drugs infection cause death managed a pill a day minimal side effects scary general population campaign sexually-active aware take responsibility sexual health partners men sex with men gay homosexually active men HIV infections key populations include people high-prevalence countries Aboriginal people inject drugs HIV prevention interventions communities telling people what to do use condoms get tested for HIV take treatment engage with the real reasons effective health promotion minimise waiting times increased availability of HIV treatments community pharmacies good health promotion social marketing addresses underlying issues sex workers instituted effective safer sex practices HIV rates in Australian female sex workers are less than 0.1% decriminalisation sex work agency working conditions voluntarily occupational health and safety standard penetrative sex HIV transmission female version different kind of condom inserted vagina femidom barrier protection drugs treatment HIV prevent transmission /

Robocup 2014

Credit: Robocup/Mashable

Robocup is an annual soccer competition for robots. Robocup 2014 is on right now (July 21 to 25) in João Pessoa, Brazil.

Long term goal of Robocup is to create a robot soccer team, capable of winning the World Cup, by 2050. Great strides have been made since Robocup began in 1997, but they still have a long way to go.

Competition involves a large number of classifications. While the humanoid classifications look most interesting at first sight, in practice, they are hampered by the simple need to balance on two legs.

Freed of the restrictions of the humanoid classes, mech classes play a faster game, with an apparent understanding of positional play. This is well illustrated in the video below. Audio won't tell you anything if you don't speak Dutch, but video show the robot's apparent understanding of positional play quite clearly.

/ 2014 RoboCup annual robot-soccer robot soccer football competition develop further robotics technology crown RoboCup champion winner World Cup 2050 robot teams human soccer players teams 45 countries this year's competition teams compete different categories robot size construction humanoid fields Kid Teen Adult sizes divisions fewer restrictions design robot look like android anthropomorphic humanoid Humanoid League matches play playing two 10 minute halves hosted in South America Nao humanoid robots began development French robotics company Aldebran Robotics popular platform increase in processor component speeds matches become faster in pace football /

Tesla Model S hacked at Beijing symposium

You may remember a recent post about the Symposium on Security for Asia Network (SyScan360) in Beijing, which offered a $10,000 prize to any symposium attendee who could hack into a Tesla Model S.

Well, one team was partly successful & has been awarded 10,600 RMB in prize money. They were able to remotely unlock the vehicle, sound the horn, flash the lights, & open the sunroof.

http://chargedevs.com/newswire/security-buffs-win-a-prize-for-hacking-into-a-tesla-model-s/ / hack hacker hacking hacked process cracking software operating system OS computer smart phone smartphone car electric cars challenge hackTesla Model S electric $10,000 prize register registers SyScan conference eligible enter competition rules Tesla Model S experts try their luck learn lessons crack its software entirely-electric Tesla websites central display screen operating major functions of the car from a remote computer web browser 17 inch screen warranty would be void high-tech nature Tesla already takes security very seriously full vulnerability disclosure program allowing users to report any flaws in the car's system ex-Apple security expert Kristin Paget improve digital security research take control of cars hitting brakes jerking the steering wheel fun and games exploited experimentally subtext very sinister advanced hacking virus viruses lessons learned /

LG Chem will supply batteries for 200 mile EV in 2016

Credit: LG Chem/Charged EVs

Both General Motors & Tesla have plans for mass market electric vehicles (EVs) with 200 mile (320 km) range for $30,000, around 2016.

Tesla has called its mass market EV the Model III. Part of the battery price reduction necessary to make the range & price targets will come from its battery Gigafactory project.

Now LG has indicated that it will be supplying batteries for an EV with 200+ mile (320+ km) range in 2016.

With GM planning to produce its next generation of EVs in South Korea, it appears to be a likely LG customer.

http://chargedevs.com/newswire/lg-chem-will-supply-batteries-for-200-mile-ev-in-2016/

EV range has always been limited by battery price. Most existing EVs have limited battery range, because more range means more battery cost, & more sticker shock. As a result, most existing EVs have 100 mile (160km) or less range. Tesla has taken the alternative route: their Model S is a superlative vehicle, with a range up to 320 miles[1] (500 km), at a significantly higher price.

When Elon Musk first announced the 2016-2017 timeframe for its 200 mile range, mass market EV, it represented a breakthrough. By 2016, Tesla may find itself in a crowded market. Two advantages it is likely to retain are the free-to-use Supercharger network & the promise of superior performance.

On the other hand, Tesla has recently opened up its patent portfolio & has suggested it is prepared to negotiate sharing its Supercharger network with other manufacturers[2].
__________

[1] http://www.teslamotors.com/en_AU/models

[2] http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/06/11/elon-musk-talks-teslas-supercharger-future / LG Chem CFO Cho Suk-jeh Reuters South Korean company supply batteries EV 200 miles range 2016 automaker new cells General Motors GM supply agreement former CEO Dan Akerson 200-mile EV produce its next generation of EVs Bupyeong South Korea plant GM Korea head Sergio Rocha designed from the ground up EV legacy model GM VP Doug Parks AP new EV next-generation Volt MSRP $30,000 Elon Musk LiIon lithium ion range charge recharge /

Apps that don't deliver, until you pay for an in-app purchase

Credit: Google Play/Android Police

We've all been there: you download an app on the understanding that it is free. Then you find out that its functionality is not all that was advertised, unless you pay for an "in-app purchase". Well, things are about to change for the better in the Google Play Store:

http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/07/18/after-pressure-from-the-european-commission-google-will-no-longer-call-games-with-in-app-purchases-free-on-the-play-store/ / Google representative statement European Commission consumer protection agencies Google Play user users better protections children potential changes Play Store US non-European locations consumer unrest in-app purchases free-to-play games Europe European Commission EU EU's legislative arm issued instructions Google Apple more accurately market free games instructed both companies buy virtual items real money complaints consumers Google committed stop referring games in-app purchases free hard rule very little room for interpretation European Commission's press release free games in-app purchases developing targeted guidelines app developers prevent direct exhortation children time-framed measures monitor breaches of EU consumer laws free-to-play games IAP Play Store re-labeled Google will stop referring to them as such IAP games free promotions Play Store home page Top Free list either Top Free Play Store list Android pad tablet phone game developers publishers policies buy virtual items ask their parents to United States US Play Store complaints play playing online /

Eyes on the road

Driving, or riding in, a motor vehicle is the most dangerous thing most of us do on a regular basis. Is that SMS worth dying for?

/ car automobile accident death road toll fatality illegal damage injury hsopital pain mobile cell phone smartphone smart phone smart-phone /

More about the third generation Tesla electric vehicle (update)

Update: Tesla will be having a Model 3 event in March 2016
http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/tesla-model-3-event-march-2016-may-show.html

Tesla's Roadster was always the first generation in a long term plan to deliver a practical mass market electric vehicle (EV). Second generation Model S has been on sale for some time, & the Model X cross over, in prototype form, has been sighted on California roads.

After a tussle with Ford over the name "Model E", Tesla has renamed their 3rd generation electric vehicle the "Model III".

As a price control measure, the Model III will make extensive use of steel, rather than aluminium, as in the Model S. It will have a range over 200 miles, & be about 20% smaller than the Model S.

When? Elon Musk has said previously, "Hopefully 2016, but I would say no later than 2017."

Performance? Tesla dropped the 40 kWh Model S because it was "sluggish" & "didn't feel like a Tesla". Elon musk has previously indicated that he, doesn't want to deliver a third gen car that "sucks". The article linked below gives further reason to hope that the Model III will have good performance.

Other major point of interest from the item linked below is that Model IIIs will have free access to the Tesla Supercharger network.

And there will be an upgraded, longer range battery for the Roadster.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/tesla/87867/tesla-model-3-to-challenge-bmw-3-series-world-exclusive / model names Roadster Model S Model X third-generation vehicle Tesla Model III 3 mass-market vehicle Model E S-E-X Ford Model E trademark Ford sued I thought this is crazy, Ford’s trying to kill sex Model 3, we’ll have three bars to represent it and it’ll be S III X go on sale by 2017 new platform 20% smaller range of over 200 miles Tesla’s British engineering chief Chris Porritt design Supercharger network free upgraded battery Roadster boost range 245 miles 400 /

Ztylus Camera Case & Lens kit for Apple iPhone 5/5S

Probably, there are more photographs taken with cameras in mobile phones than any other class of camera. With their lack of a zoom lens, its not surprising that so many add on lenses have been developed.

Ztylus has developed case & multi-lens combinations for a number of phones, including Samsung Galaxy & iPhones. Their latest, for the iPhone 5/5S, has a unique arrangement of fish-eye, wide-angle, macro & polariser.

http://dailytekk.com/2014/07/09/ztylus-iphone-camera-case-and-revolver-lens-kit-review/

http://www.gizmag.com/ztylus-smartphone-camera-case-lens-system/32724/

http://ztylus.com/ / extra weight bulk smart phone smart-phone smartphone Ztylus stylish case protect iPhone Note 3 S4 circular mount multiple lens system attached cell mobile four additional lens options case and lens system expand photographic capability case aircraft-grade aluminum polycarbonate integrated kickstand Revolver interchangeable lens systems Samsung Galaxy S4 Galaxy Note 3 iPhone 5/5S black white circular polarizer lens /

Google Street View finds gas leaks

Gas leaks in Boston
Credit: Environmental Defense Fund

Methane is a greenhouse gas. Many times worse than carbon dioxide. Around 120 times. Being combustible, it doesn't persist long in the atmosphere. It combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide, which still isn't good — just less bad.

Methane is the major component of natural gas. One use of natural gas is domestic heating & cooking. It gets to homes through pipes laid in the ground. As the pipes age, they start to leak. This is not normally a fire risk. But we don't want methane in the atmosphere.

Google & Environmental Defense Fund have co-operated in a pilot project to fit methane sensors to 3 Street View cars.

http://www.edf.org/climate/methanemaps

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/google-uses-its-street-view-cars-to-sniff-out-gas-leaks/#!bgNYyN / street streets Boston Staten Island Indianapolis Google’s Street View cars collecting panoramic imagery fitted with methane sensors cars sniffing out natural gas leaks hazard affects many cities world wide US Environmental Defense Fund EDF Google Earth Outreach conduct pilot project Street View cars gathering 15 million readings thousands of leaks utility pipes beneath the streets providing officials data on pollution used to be invisible EDF’s Fred Krupp data has been added to maps Boston older city with older pipes most leaks Indianapolis newer pipes Staten Island number of located leaks immediate threat to safety utilities monitor deal with the more serious ones powerful effect on the global climate warming effect carbon dioxide climate change global warming greenhouse effect gas plug leaks leak reduce near-term climate impacts inexpensive sensors cloud computing data analysis social media transforming environmental protection /

Malaria control: X marks the spot

Credit: SPL/The Economist

After 5,000 years, malaria remains a major disease of humanity. Every minute, a child dies from malaria & it remains a major cause of poverty worldwide, due to effects such as worker productivity, absenteeism, premature mortality & medical costs.

Now there is hope that a genetic approach may lead to control of Anopheles gambiae, a major species of the mosquito which carries the malaria parasite.

http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21604092-how-get-mosquitoes-breed-themselves-death-x-marks-spot
_______________________

Other references:

http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/malaria/en/

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v415/n6872/full/415680a.html / mosquito kill disease control controlling malaria insecticides eliminate malaria selective selectively killing transmits parasite mosquitoes genus Anopheles Nikolai Windbichler Andrea Crisanti Imperial College London paper Nature Communications females break the chain of transmission drink blood pass the parasite on longer term because females population cannot reproduce researchers’ trick engineer mosquitoes gene protein called homing endonuclease genetic parasite cut particular sequences of DNA damages chromosome destroy destroys chromosome copy copies endonuclease gene repair site homing parasitism homing endonuclease species of slime mould X chromosome destroying chromosome completely humans X chromosomes Y males unfertilised egg sperm cell transplanting endonuclease gene genomes male mosquitoes spermatogenesis researchers population caged populations experimented in the wild will break the chain of transmission natural selection parasite has gone reintroduced disruption to the local ecology /

Retinal scanner for Samsung Galaxy Note 4?

Credit: Samsung/BGR

A cryptic tweet from a Samsung account, which includes the image above, reads in part, "Security can be improved using features unique to us,” has lead BGR to speculate that the new Note 4 will include an, "eye scanner".

http://bgr.com/2014/07/14/galaxy-note-4-specs-eye-scanner/ / Samsung's sales starting to slow increased competition low end of the smartphone market saturation at the high end hit company profit declined third consecutive quarter several huge adjustments launch new high-end phones truly compelling differentiation combat Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6 handsets flagship phone Galaxy S5 soon-to-be-announced Galaxy Note 4 recent tweet official Samsung account new key Galaxy Note 4 image eye most secure smartphones hot topic unlock unlocking specs quad-core or octa-core processor 2K display 3GB RAM 32GB 16-megapixel rear camera 4-megapixel front-facing camera /

The effect of breastfeeding on infants

It has long been known that human breast milk has a positive outcome for baby's immune, & neurological development, but recent research is showing that breast milk of a mother nursing a male baby is different than that of a mother nursing a female baby & composition of breast milk can have impacts on baby's behaviour months later.

Read the transcript, stream, or download the podcast at:

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/the-effect-of-breastfeeding-on-infants/5587144 / mother's breast milk contributes contribution immunological immune system neurobiological neurological neural behaviour behavioural develop development research researchers University of Chicago investigate investigation investigating how variation mother mother's milk shapes infant temperament behaviour post-natal post natal life adult adulthood /

Human memory-saving devices get $40m research boost

DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) has granted $40 million for research into brain function & dysfunction, as in epilepsy, memory loss & Alzheimer's.

Initial research will be with epilepsy sufferers to locate the origin of their attacks.

Ultimate aim is to develop brain implants to restore function in brains affected by epilepsy, traumatic brain injury & Alzheimer's.

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-07/11/memory / team creating devices stimulate brain restore memory function grant granted $37.5 million £21.9 million Darpa develop technology people with epilepsy implants locate seizures originate researchers reuse data gathered monitor other brain activity patterns brain stores and retrieves memories memory map patterns record recording brain activity epilepsy sufferers mild memory problems play a computer game remembering pattern differences between best worst scores patents will be used develop algorithm personalised stimulation pattern keep brain performing perform performance optimal level wipe erase restore memories memory rat small device implanted into the brain record analyse electrical activity real time deliver stimulation brain brains brain's entorhinal cortex feeds information hippocampus evidence side effects precautions minimise disruption other areas of the brain extremely low levels of stimulation treat different types memory loss Alzheimer's disease device restore memories lost enhance ability form retrieve new memories team Michael Kahana University of Pennsylvania /

"Factory wipe" — does it make the data on your phone safe from prying eyes?

You're about to dispose of your old phone, so, to protect your privacy, do a factory reset & all you data is gone. Right?

Well, maybe. Exactly what is gone depends on the age of the phone & the version of the operating system it runs. On an Android phone the index into your data is erased. For most purposes, this is enough. But the data is still there & is recoverable by those with the tools & know-how.

If our phone runs Android 3.0 or later, there is a way around this.

Since 3.0, Android has included optional encryption of the phone. Encryption requires a user-supplied key without which data on the phone is unreadable. So before doing the factory reset, encrypt the phone. The factory reset will erase both the index into the data & the encryption key. Your data still won't be erased, but it will unreadable even to someone who has the know-how to recover it.

Apart from the first few versions of iOS, encryption of data has been automatic, so a factory reset will make your data irrecoverable. Earlier versions overwrite user data, so, either way, you're safe.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/11/factory-wipe-on-android-phones-left-naked-selfie-photos-and-worse-researchers-find / hundreds of naked selfies intimate pictures men women found batch Android smartphones owners thought they had wiped research study studying 20 handsets security company Avast factory reset function Android phones doesn't delete data on the phone retrieved using standard forensic security tools researches said found 40,000 photos 750 photos of women various stages of undress 250 photos male anatomy EXIF data picture file details location residence previous owners' identity file data Settings function doesn't actually wipe the data storage on the phone wipes the index points locations storage data is written sufficient accessing data forensic tools access storage areas Avast reconstruct the files Google Ars Technica research older devices versions Android security protections versions running software before Android 4.0 vulnerable Google's Android documentation setting file encryption is optional newer devices vulnerable Android 3.0 onwards encrypt the phone cryptographic key user-provided passcode factory reset delete the key rendering the data unreadable Google's spokesperson recommended disposing device enable encryption carry out a factory reset Apple iPhone iPad encrypt data AES 256 algorithm software key generated information user erase all content and settings cryptographic key deleted encrypted beyond any capability to decode existing data partition /

Hacking a Tesla Model S

Credit: Tesla Motors

Computerisation is a growing trend in motor vehicles. For some, this means the possibility of hacking the system, in similar ways & for similar reasons that other computing platforms are hacked.

Engine management, for pollution control & power management is an important application. Hackers have developed "hot chips" aka "big chips" to increase engine power.

While a reasonable increase in engine power will typically be benign, computers are also used to control anti-lock brakes, traction control, stability control & in some cases suspension.

In parallel with computerisation, a growing number of vehicles are also being connected to the Internet. This raises the spectre of hacking by outside agencies.

With the above in mind, the organisers of the SyScan computer security conference in Beijing from 16-17 July are incorporating a hack-a-Tesla competition into their event. Prize is $10,000.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1093211_hack-a-tesla-model-s-and-win-10000

One of the commenters on the item linked above seems to see this as a consumer rights issue. I have no issue with anyone jail-breaking their phone, or modifying the operating system of their own desktop computer, where all of the risks are borne by the hacker & in any case are restricted to a bricked phone or some lost files.

Driving, or riding in, a motor vehicle is the most dangerous thing most of us do on a regular basis. Nor is the danger restricted to drivers & passengers. Pedestrians & even people inside buildings are sometimes killed or injured, by wayward motor vehicles. Inherent danger is one of the major driving forces behind incorporation of computers into cars. Think traction control, anti-lock braking, stability control & suspension control.

Given the inherent dangers, I see no place on public roads for hacked motor vehicles. / hack hacker hacking hacked process cracking software operating system OS computer smart phone smartphone car electric cars challenge hackTesla Model S electric $10,000 prize register registers SyScan conference eligible enter competition rules Tesla Model S experts try their luck learn lessons crack its software entirely-electric Tesla websites central display screen operating major functions of the car from a remote computer web browser 17 inch screen warranty would be void high-tech nature Tesla already takes security very seriously full vulnerability disclosure program allowing users to report any flaws in the car's system ex-Apple security expert Kristin Paget improve digital security research take control of cars hitting brakes jerking the steering wheel fun and games exploited experimentally subtext very sinister advanced hacking virus viruses lessons learned /

What men really find attractive in a woman's face is — the size of her feet?

Credit: New Scientist

Which of the faces in the image above is prettier?

Heterosexual male test subjects overwhelmingly chose the one on the left by 3.5 to one. Almost 10 times as many chose the same face as, "more feminine".

In fact, neither is the face of a single woman. Both are composites. On the left, of women with unusually small feet, & on the right, women with unusually large feet. This seems to tell us that men prefer women with small feet & they can spot foot size from the appearance of the face!

Something similar for narrowness of hip, length of thigh & overall height.

Things aren't so clear for women, but there is a preference for men with long torsos & small wrists — as evidenced by facial appearance.

More at New Scientist (free registration may be required):

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19118-why-men-are-attracted-to-women-with-small-feet.html#.U7-YUNB_W2c / face more attractive tastes most heterosexual men composite face morph faces eight women unusually small feet faces women unusually large feet smaller feet prettier faces men study longer thigh bones and narrower hips taller overall close most strikingly different morphs Jeremy Atkinson evolutionary psychologist University at Albany New York colleague Michelle Rowe measured hand length foot length thigh length hip width 60 white female college students adjusted individual differences in overall height 16 body-part measurements eight women shortest lengths longest constructed morphs faces rated attractiveness 77 heterosexual male students short-footed more attractive more feminine pick narrow-hipped morph more attractive long-thighed morph researchers reported Human Behavior and Evolution Society Eugene Oregon markers marker healthy childhood biologists stress poor nutrition during foetal development puberty affect sex hormone levels cause earlier puberty relatively short and stout more benign childhood continue growing for longer attain slender slenderer stereotypically feminine face body most men find more attractive David Perrett psychologist University of St. Andrews UK studies facial attractiveness small-wristed morph better candidate for a long-term relationship /

Save dollars & the planet with EcoDrain (video)

Credit: EcoDrain

Heating water is a major part of your household energy bill, & a major part of the hot water use is in your shower.

In the shower, heated water exits the shower head, runs down your body & into the drain, taking that heat energy you paid for, with it.

EcoDrain extracts much of the heat energy from the water leaving via the drain, & adds it to the cold water entering the water heater or the cold water tap (depending on how you heat the water at your house).

You may recognise from the description & the diagram that EcoDrain is a heat exchanger. Nothing new about that. What is noteworthy is a relatively inexpensive device which is relatively easy to retrofit, or incorporate into a new installation.

EcoDrain claim a payback period of 2.3 years.



http://www.gizmag.com/ecodrain-drain-heat-exchanger/32858/

http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/ecodrain-recycles-wasted-heat-used-hot-water

Manufacturer's website:
https://ecodrain.com/en/

FAQs:
https://ecodrain.com/en/faq/ / gas electricity electric electrical solar heat heating power energy bill utility solar PV thermal cost plumbing plumbing do it yourself drain /

"Ribbed" for your pleasure: Jony Ive unveils naked iPhone (video)

One take on the all glass phone
Credit: Jokeroo

Some iPhone models have included a lot of glass in their construction. E.g. IPhone 4 had glass front & back. Now Apple has been granted a patent for a method of constructing an impact-resistant all-glass phone, in the name of Apple chief designer Jony Ive et al. Ribbing can be included for improved strength.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07/09/all_glass_iphone_patent/

Until the all-glass iPhone arrives, this looks like a reasonable alternative:



http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07/08/iphone_6_teardown_vid/ / Apple patented method building all glass all-glass device see-through iPhone granted patent fused glass device housings describes technique fusing glass pieces together whole structure strong withstand impact phones mobile devices technique monitors televisions thick glass robust resist damage heavy tougher reinforcing ribs raised sections around holes casing buttons fitted rendered opaque glass elements create five-sided box circuit boards LCD or OLED display fitted processor motherboard scratches Sapphire Glass screen abolishing the scratchable screen /

Space junk — what's up there?

Credit: The Telegraph (UK)

Human junk has been accumulating around the Earth, almost from the time of the first space launch. At the moment, the oldest known object is the, now derelict, Vanguard 1, launched in 1958. Approximately 19,000 objects larger than 5 cm are being tracked.

Large infrographic, courtesy of World Science Festival at: http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/2014/06/space-junk-infographic/

Is this a problem? Yes. Humanity has a large & growing investment in satellites for purposes including astronomy, geology, weather forcasting, environmental studies & communication. Orbital objects move at tens of thousands of kilometeres per hour. I.e. many times the velocity of a bullet. A collision between two pieces of space junk at such velocities can be very expensive.

A further risk is multiple pieces of orbiting debris from such a collision. A chain reaction leading to a growing mass of space junk may occur.

Not all the news is bad: all artificial satellites finally either leave Earth's orbit (many falling into the Sun) or re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. Almost all re-entering satellites burn up without reaching the surface. For some, this will not occur for thousands of years.

Modern, responsible launchers plan for controlled re-entry, both to reduce space junk & for the safety of us below.

Various schemes have been proposed to remove junk from space. Many are impractical. All are expensive & so far, unproven. Some examples: http://www.space.com/24895-space-junk-wild-clean-up-concepts.html

More about space junk:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_debris

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/8135495/Space-junk-a-risky-game-of-space-invaders.html / humans space program programme garbage buildup rubbish junk trash Earth accumulation junk poses problem future generations orbital debris space junk threats satellite spacecraft International Space Station sidestep dangerous pieces trash satellite launches factor debris timetables spacefaring nations clean up mess ever growing clutter makes launches launch garbage orbit orbiting /

Fireside chat with Google's Sergey Brin & Larry Page (video)

Given the collective wealth of human civilisation, why does poverty persist? Part of the reason is unproductive investment. Part of the solution is technology. Examples, respectively, are individual car ownership & the self driving car.

Individually & as a society, we have an enormous investment in individual car ownership. Most of the time, this investment sits idle. Mainly in the garage, or the parking lot at work.

For enthusiasts, car ownership, & associated activities, is an end in itself.

To a greater or lesser extent, for others, the vehicle itself is of little importance. What is important is 24/7 access to door-to-door transportation.

Once cars are self-driving, why do you need a car in your garage, in the parking lot at work, or anywhere else in particular? All you need is one outside the door — whether it be at home, work, or wherever you happen to be. If you're not leaving right now, that car can be somewhere else, driving someone else.

Because such a system makes better use of the national fleet, the total investment in cars, parking, garaging & other services will be much smaller. Resources thus released can be turned to other purposes.

Discussion of self driving cars begins at the 22 minute mark:

/ wear and tear motor electric vehicle EV energy fuel resources invest investment park road petrol gas diesel Google search engine battery LiIon lithium ion battery charge recharge /

Plants muster defenses when they "hear" an attack

Credit: William Vann/EduPic Graphical Resource

For some time, it has been known that when a plant is being eaten by a herbivore, it starts producing chemicals which taste bad &/or are poisonous to the herbivore. Pheromones released simultaneously, signal nearby plants which also begin producing the same chemicals.

Now it has been discovered that, at least some plants are able to detect, & react to, the specific vibrations typical of the sounds produced by caterpillars feeding.



http://www.cnet.com/au/news/plants-muster-defenses-when-they-hear-an-attack/ / mechanisms University of Missouri MU research researchers scientist biologists botanist discovered defense mechanisms triggered plants sense vibrations caterpillars leaves Heidi Appel senior research scientist Rex Cocroft professor Division of Biological Sciences plant Arabidopsis cabbage mustard recorded sound insects munching laser microphone divided plants sound munching silence researchers heard sounds caterpillars munching leaves produced mustard oils compound toxic caterpillars attack hearing sounds chemical defense crawling away enhance plant defense defence agriculture plant behavior responses outside influences animals look different studies showed plants difference between vibrations wind acoustic features caterpillar feeding vibrations mustard oils specific sound of caterpillar munching was played plants respond to acoustic energ, including music ecologically relevant vibration how plants sense vibrations marauding insects mystery to the scientists /

Huey the colour copying chameleon lamp

Credit: ThinkGeek

As you can see in the animated GIF above, sit Huey on a blue background & he turns blue. On green, he turns — green. Other colours too.



Available from ThinkGeek & Vat19.com/ Huey electronic glowing chameleon lamp dynamically matches color of whatever he sits on down on top match matches color glowing skin paint painted your room squeeze hold the color brown nightstand color cycle mode change from color to color reassuring squeeze Huey the Color Copying Chameleon Lamp lights light surface underneath him two hidden white LEDs sophisticated optical sensor determine the correct color matches color by adjusting the shade numerous multi-color LED's imbedded in his body color sensing technology scientific measuring devices measurement power adapter dynamically matches match color color cycle mode squeeze soft vinyl construction great desk accessory nightlight
Powered by AC adapter 3 AAA batteries /

Tesla promises "realistic" pricing for 2016 "mass market car"

Chris Porritt, Tesla Motors' vice-president of engineering has told Autocar that the upcoming mass market electric saloon (previously called the Model E) will be “realistically” priced against rivals such as the Audi A4 & BMW 3-series.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/tesla-promises-realistic-pricing-new-bmw-3-series-rival / EV electric vehicle compact electric saloon will be realistically priced rival rivals Audi A4 BMW 3-series vice president engineer left Aston Martin join Tesla price of batteries engineering building the Gigafactory battery manufacturing more cost-effective cost effective constructed appropriate materials all-aluminium platform all aluminium Model S Tesla boss Elon Musk 20 per cent smaller than Model S components mostly steel bonding rivets rivet construction Model X SUV platform wheelbase suspension LiIon lithium ion battery charge recharge range manufacturing process modifying components conversion right-hand-drive right hand drive markets /

Australia's Renewable Energy Target (video) - UPDATED

Australia has, for some time, had a Renewable Energy Target (RET) of a minimum of 20% renewable electricity by 2020. [1]

At the national election in September 2013, a coalition of two conservative parties (the larger paradoxically named the, Liberal Party) was elected. Leader of the parliamentary Liberal Party & Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, has at different times described climate change science as, "crap" & something which he takes, "very seriously" [2][3].

The Abbott government has set out to review the RET.

On Monday 07 July at 8:30pm AEST, the long running ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) 4 Corners programme on ABC1 TV will report on the issues. Repeats on Tuesday 8th July at 11.00am & 11.35pm. It can also be seen on ABC News 24 on Saturday at 8.00pm AEST, ABC iview & at the link below. At the moment, a trailer is available:

Update 09 July — 4 Corners documentary, "Power to the People", now available at:

http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2014/07/03/4038488.htm

More about the RET from the Clean Energy Counci:

http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/policy-advocacy/renewable-energy-target.html
__________________________

[1] http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/policy-advocacy/renewable-energy-target.html

[2] http://www.theguardian.com/environment/planet-oz/2014/jun/16/what-does-australian-prime-minister-tony-abbott-really-think-about-climate-change

[3] http://www.phonytonyabbott.com/quotes/collection-quotes-tony-abbott-about-climate-change-and-carbon-pricing / science power generationt technology alternative sources of energy cheaper user friendly decentralising production rooftops homes commercial buildings Federal Government renewable sources of energy reducing renewable energy targets greenhouse gas emitting coal gas price Prime Minister lower prices renewable energy target higher power prices renewable energy industry coal gas price advantage ideological agenda network Australian Solar Council Stephen Long documents revolution in power generation California successive governments legislated one third state's power renewable sources Australian entrepreneur left home create multi-million-dollar solar company US USA United States solar farm energy Sun salt crystal tower crystaline Federal Government lobby lobbied power producers coal gas wind cut demand electricity high tech high-tech cutting-edge industry fossil fuel old-style big polluters economist author Jeremy Rifkin depleting supply fossil fuels solar cell photovoltaic photo voltaic /

Mophie Space Pack adds storage, battery space & protection to your iPhone 5

iPhones are physically closed devices: neither flash memory or battery are expandable. Solutions to both of these limitations exist, but Mophie has the only single solution to both problems: Space Pack adds battery & up to 64 GB of flash memory in a protective case.



Mophie web site:

http://www.mophie.com/shop/space-pack#powerandstorage / new iPhones lowest storage model upgrade cost file files music SD cards card 16 32 extra gigabytes storage new space pack iPhone 5S mophie space pack 100% extra battery life 8 hours extra talk time extra power mophie cases adds extra storage 16 32 64 GB free iOS Space app collections favorites recent file storage battery usage /

Can we say that EVs are “clean?” Not in France!

The linked article describes one instance which illustrates the more general principle that it is virtually impossible to use energy without environmental impact.

http://chargedevs.com/newswire/can-you-say-that-evs-are-clean-not-in-france/

"Cleaner"? Yes. / electric vehicle EV green clean US gas petrol burning SUV one or two more miles per gallon previous year’s model advertised environmentally benign France French literal minded Jury of Advertising Ethics JDP EVs cannot be advertised as being green clean Renault Zoe slogan to fight pollution drive a car posted around Paris traffic restrictions fight an air pollution crisis misleading EVs impact environment wear and tear of parts charging many other means of transport less harmful to the environment cycling public transport Renault principles sustainable development Stéphane Martin CEO Professional Advertising Regulatory Authority every vehicle has an impact on the environment during its construction and its life cycle sustainable development cleaner non-electric cars /

Service dogs don't understand that their owners are blind

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/seriouslyscience/2014/07/01/service-dogs-dont-understand-owners-blind/#.U7P0ltB_W2c / guide dogs help blind owners navigating public transportation preventing crossing streets in traffic dogs know what they need to dodo they know why they are needed French anthropologist filmed guide dogs pet dogs asking owners for food both groups used visual cues indicate their desire looking back and forth between food dish owner guide dogs continued to use sight based communication learn that sounds can help communicate owners licked their chops more frequently than the dogs of sighted owners auditory cue guilty look Canis familiaris eyes of humans as a cue during human dog interactions interactive modalities guide dogs pet dogs differ accessing food gazing at the container gazing at the owner sonorous mouth licking vocalisation contact with the owner incidental learning new distal cue dogs have a poor ability to generalise /

The highest paid CEOs are the worst for investors

Credit: Business Insider

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/ceo-pay-and-stock-performance-2014-6 / cumulative abnormal returns company firm top bottom deciles annually ranked excess CEO incentive compensation distribution 1994-2011 plotted event time invest investing companies highest paid CEO enormous salaries successes leadership yield research Professor Michael J. Cooper Huseyin Gulin P. Raghavendra Rau research relationship CEO incentive compensation future stock price performance CEO pay negatively related correlated future stock returns more CEOs get paid worse stock performs CEOs upper 10% of pay earn negative abnormal returns approximately 8% negative correlation stronger CEOs receive higher incentive pay enormous salaries lead to overconfidence by the CEO aggressive unnecessary investment merger acquisitions damage value company /

Exercise enthusiasts really need smarter socks

Credit: Sensoria/The Gadgeteer

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2014/06/30/exercise-enthusiasts-really-need-smarter-socks// pair smart socks high tech running friendly fabric electronic anklet magnetically magnetic magnet snap cuff anklet charger dedicated mobile application app monitors guides real time audio cues running runner run purchased separately 100% textile sensors Bluetooth smart detachable anklet superior accuracy step counting speed calories altitude distance tracking track track cadence foot landing technique weight distribution foot walk run identify identifies injury prone running styles heel strike striking overpronating overpronation under over pronation pronate leverage mobile app coach runner real time via audio cues dashboard help achieve goals improve performance reduce risk bad tendencies habit smart phone smartphone app available iPhoneiOS 6 above Android OS 4.3 Windows Phone 8.x /

Facebook's mood manipulation experiment — how do you feel about being used as an experimental subject without your approval?

Credit: International Business Times

So the organisation that plays fast & loose with your privacy, now feels free to use you as an experimental subject without your permission.

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/06/everything-we-know-about-facebooks-secret-mood-manipulation-experiment/373648/

We've had the, "Don't put anything on Facebook you wouldn't want your worst enemy to see," rule for some time.

Now, add the, "Don't read the Facebook news feed," rule. / social network serious fire today mood study conducted 2012 Robinson Meyer data scientists skewed Facebook users logged into service content preponderance happy positive words shown content analyzed sadder average manipulated users positive negative words results logged analyzed study emotional contagion Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Facebook users had no idea legal ethical Adrienne LaFrance Atlantic Susan Fiske editor study serious concerns told participate participants research agree option not to agree to it without penalty opt out Jacob Silverman Terms of Service: Social Media, Surveillance, and the Price of Constant Connection researchers initial positive negative vote social site prime users sentiment contagious influential new media sites HuffPo Upworthy Buzzfeed Business Insider A/B testing data analysis encourage readership shares time spent on site headlines reworked articles rearranged market research studies we're subjects disturbing essentially manipulated sentiments users without asking permission Facebook's own practices trust /