iPin turns your smartphone into a laser presenter (video)

Credit: iPin/The Gadgeteer

For some time, the iPin Laser Presenter has been available for iOS devices. Now, iPin have plans to introduce a variant for Samsung Galaxy devices at CES (7-10 January).

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2014/01/03/ipin-will-introduce-their-laser-presenter-for-samsung-galaxy-devices-at-ces/ / iPin Laser Presenter review reviewed iPhone very small device plugged plug socket iPhone iPhone’s iPod iPad headphone jack laser pointer Powerpoint controller cool device compatible iOS devices Samsung Galaxy smartphone users iPin introducing new Laser Presenter CES Las Vegas Samsung Galaxy S3 S4 Note devices iPin site YouTube video /

AllThingsD shuts down as Mossberg & Swisher introduce Re/code

http://gigaom.com/2014/01/01/allthingsd-shuts-down-as-mossberg-and-swisher-introduce-recode/

That's midnight, US eastern time, 18 hours from now. Will anyone be surprised by something very similar to the entertaining, informed & informative coverage we've come to expect from AllThingsD? / last day 2013, Kara Swisher Walt Mossberg announced announce announcement web site Web website AllThingsD close closed shut down September deal breakdown owner Dow Jones stroke of midnight newest venture recode re code Re/code launch midnight 2 2nd second January 2014 enterprise venture ATD format domain name redirect redirects Wall Street Journal new tech offering title entitled named called titled WSJ.D paywall /

GM developing Tesla Model E Rival: 200-Mile, $30,000 electric car? Maybe not.

General Motors' plans for a 200 mile mass market electric vehicle have been mentioned previously on these pages. Unfortunately, lithium ion battery company, Envia Systems has dealt this hope a blow:

http://qz.com/158373/envia-the-mysterious-story-of-the-battery-startup-that-promised-gm-a-200-mile-electric-car/

Not hard to see why major manufacturers are reluctant to deal with small suppliers.

No such question mark over the Tesla effort so far.

Tesla & Elon Musk's record of delivering on promises with the Roadster, Model S, Model X (prototype only to date), PayPal, Solar City & SpaceX give reason for confidence. / Atul Kapadia Sujeet Kumar staff startup company Palo Alto California CEO CTO LiIon lithium-ion battery company Envia Systems email General Motors GM deal rare industry newcomer contract worth tens hundreds millions dollars provide electric next-generation Chevy Volt untested small suppliers world world’s major automakers too risky rely on world’s best cell that company industry electric car travel traveling traveled 200 miles single charge motorists range anxiety vehicle vehicles high-end Tesla S range cost much more IPO rich talk talking uncertain uncertainty staff scientists scientist engineer engineers deal confident news affect share price Envia lab laboratory Kapadia’s cell mobile phone rang Senior management sign signed documents contract email phone bay industry industrial city Newark company employees conference room regularly scheduled office meeting papers company’s first licensing deal customer business staff sounded administrative staff deal is in tatters accuse accusation accused Envia misrepresent misrepresented misrepresenting technology unravel unraveling electric-car industry federal grants grant critic critics US government funding advanced battery companies /

2013: the tech year in cartoons

Credit: John Klossner/© Computerworld

See the rest of 2013 at:

http://www.itworld.com/slideshow/133976/2013-tech-year-cartoons-397932#slide1 / Tim Cook Apple Maps navigation error errors bonus Blackberry women in IT information technology dead language COBOL programming program programme language R&D research and development Google driverless car data mine mining big data profile social media file read readable future technology technologies media Ellison Benioff Oracle sales force Steve Balmer smartphone smart-phone smart phone Windows Mobile Nokia Microsoft Digital Equipment healthcare site healthcare.gov stack ranking supercomputer super computer fund funding /

Ubuntu Phone — when? (video)

Credit: The Verge

A smartphone implementation of the Ubuntu Linux OS has been promised for some time. Now Mark Shuttleworth is saying "2014."

http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/2/3827922/ubuntu-phone-os-announcement

"Thumb gestures", sound similar to the swipe in from the side gestures which have begun to appear in Android. Examples are the swipe-from-the-side actions in the Play Store app & for bookmarks & add ons in the Dolphin browser & pull down notifications in Android & iOS.

Omission of the Dalvik virtual Java machine promises speed improvements over Android.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/12/25/ubuntu_year_review/

Interview with Mark Shuttleworth

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/interviews/386080/mark-shuttleworth-interview-taking-ubuntu-beyond-desktops

http://askubuntu.com/questions/282698/when-is-the-expected-stable-release-date-of-ubuntu-phone-and-ubuntu-tablet / multi tasking multi-tasking multitasking teased promised Canonical taking the wraps off mobile version Ubuntu is built around existing Android kernel driver drivers Java Virtual Machine full power smart smartphone smart-phone phone supporting support ARM x86 processors processor Ubuntu phone OS compatible Android phone makers run it device devices minimal adaptation adapt adaption Ubuntu for Android announce announcement announced February new ecosystem ship shipping devices device Canonical chief Mark Shuttleworth definitely arrive time some point during this year carrier manufacturer support announce announcement announced first Ubuntu for Android handset provide provider provided high-end high end Android device maker hands-on hands on demo phones out here in London downloadable images development platform available Galaxy Nexus next couple of weeks only officially supported device for now develop development developers developer multi tasking multi-tasking multitasking core strength strengths handset interface unique features thumb gestures edge screen big role navigation swiping in four different edges of the screen user users switch apps search for content short swipe left side screen dock your favorite apps full left-to-right swipe pull up all of your open apps swipes apps you're running short demos Ubuntu site navigating your apps overall design perspective dynamic home screen experience different than Windows Phone Android iOS focused recently used content contacts recent recently music added apps used static grid of content searching search include global search across apps content device similar just type universal search webOS voice commands built-in text commands work in any application OS operating system historical roots PC dockable monitor keyboard mouse Motorola Webtop concept /

Algae to crude oil: Million-year natural process takes minutes in the lab

Algal slurry, crude oil, refined diesel
Credit: US Department of Energy/Gizmag

http://www.gizmag.com/algae-crude-oil-process-pnnl/30235/ / engineers engineer USA US Department of Energy DoE Pacific Northwest National Laboratory PNNL created continuous process produce produces useful crude oil minutes after harvested algae harvest new process dry drying out alga algae grow grows water, saving save time energy that final product refine refined aviation fuel diesel gasoline process mimic mimics condition conditions prehistory prehistoric plant material fossil fuel deep within the earth high pressures pressure temperatures temperature heat pressure aquatic plant biofuel source wet green plant flammable burnable fuel expensive time consuming time-consuming process processed dry drying remove removing water biomass solvent solvents extract energy-rich energy rich hydrocarbons dried material continuous process wet algae high temperatures pressures temperature pressure Laboratory Fellow Douglas Elliott leader research team faster fast /

Former BP geologist: peak oil is here & it will "break economies"

Credit: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images/The Guardian

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2013/dec/23/british-petroleum-geologist-peak-oil-break-economy-recession / former British Petroleum BP geologist geology warn warning warned age of cheap oil long gone danger of continuous recession increased risk conflict hunger lecture Geohazards postgraduate Natural Hazards Insurers course University College London UCL Dr. Richard G. Miller worked for BP 1985 retire retired retiring 2008 fficial data from International Energy Agency IEA US Energy Information Administration EIA International Monetary Fund IMF conventional oil peaked around 2008 Dr. Miller critiqued critique official industry line global reserves current rates consumption pointing out that peaking result declining production rates declining reserves new discoveries increasing reliance unconventional oil gas 37 countries already post-peak post peak peaked global oil production declining about 4.1% per year 3.5 million barrels a day b/d per year new production equal new Saudi Arabia every 3 to 4 years maintain grow supply new discoveries not matched consumption since 1986 drawing down our reserves reserves are apparently climbing every year growing due better technology old fields raising amount can recover production still falling 4.1% p.a. per annum Dr. Miller who prepared annual in house in-house projections future oil supply BP 2000 to 2007 ATM problem more money limited daily withdrawals production conventional liquid oil flat since 2008 growth liquid supply since then has been largely of natural gas liquids NGL ethane propane butane pentane oil sand oil-sand bitumen prestigious journal Philosophical Transactions Royal Society future oil supply introductory paper co-authored Dr. Steve R. Sorrel co-director Sussex Energy Group University of Sussex Brighton oil industry experts growing consensus era of cheap oil has passed new very different phase endorse conservative conclusions extensive earlier study government funded government-funded UK Energy Research Centre UKERC sustained decline global conventional production appears probable before 2030 significant risk beginning before 2020 current evidence tight oil shale oil resource resources resource base appears relatively modest increasing dependence worse worsen decline rates in the long run reliance tight oil resources hydraulic fracturing exacerbate rising trend in global average decline rates well wells no plateau decline extremely fast tar sands sand Canadian oil sands deliver only 5 mb per day by 2030 IEA projection project all liquids liquid all-liquids production cude oil production grew NGL petroleum crude oil energy return on investment EROI barrel consumption consume global warming climate change green house greenhouse gas Richard Miller large scale large-scale wind farm projects reduction deed in tariff feed-in tariffs renewable energy Dr Nafeez Ahmed is executive director Institute for Policy Research & Development environment guides /