It's not the heat, it's the carbon dioxide

Credit: Adam Hardy/Dan Ly/YouTube

Jumping allows the conch snail to escape from the predatory cone snail. Previous experiments had shown that rising temperature had left the conch's predator avoiding ability unimpaired.

No such luck with rising carbon dioxide levels:

http://www.coralcoe.org.au/news/jumping-snails-left-grounded-in-future-oceans / sea snails mollusk mollusc Mollusca leap escape predator predators jump jumping ability rising human carbon dioxide emissions team international scientists discover discovery discovered research lead author study published today Dr Sue-Ann Watson ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies Coral CoE James Cook University observed observe observation conch snail strong foot leap away approaching predators predator predate stop stops jumping takes longer to jump when exposed levels carbon dioxide projected end this century Dr Watson explains increased carbon dioxide ocean acidification levels disrupt particular neurotransmitter receptor snail’s nervous system delaying vital decision making decision-making escape snail more vulnerable poisonous dart slow moving slow-moving nemesis marbled cone shell effects quite profound altered behaviours behaviour behaviors behavior between predators predator prey potential disrupt ocean food webs web study shows show disrupted decision making decision-making elevated carbon dioxide levels level occur marine invertebrate invertebrates scientists observe observed similar effects before fish co author co-author Professor Göran Nilsson University of Oslo neurotransmitter receptor common many animals evolved quite early animal kingdom study suggests suggest human carbon dioxide emissions directly alter behaviour many marine animals including seafood part human diet Professor Philip Munday Coral CoE past studies effects ocean acidification animals mostly focused happen shell shells marine snails calcifying animals shell shells built more acidic environment study shows dual threat both weaker shells impaired behaviour Professor Munday critical study understand extent behavioural disturbances disturbance question sea creatures adapt fast enough rapid pace rising carbon dioxide levels ocean acidification /

New Corning Gorilla Glass

Credit: 123RF®

Mobile phones — so many uses — clock, calculator & SMS were amongst, if not the, first uses, apart from voice. Current smartphones include Web browsing, email, games, GPS navigation, word processing, document scanning & storage, programming environment, photography, photo editing, astronomy & banking in their repertoire.

And the next killer app is:

killing germs?

Apparently so:

http://applefansite.com/2014/01/new-gorilla-glass-will-kill-germs-phone/ / hard scratch resistant penetration tough Gorilla Glass public health Corning latest version toughened screen protectors protect protection company prevent growth fungi mildew mold algae bacteria nasty things live phone phone's phones screen new products product contain ionic silver coating ion bacteria germ killing services version last lifetime buy Corning guarantee health related benefit benefits germ free devices AppleFanSite germ virus antiseptic antisepsis screen protection protector surface anti bacterial anti-bacterial fungal viral germ-free germ free /

10 app trends for 2014: privacy, wearables, education & more

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/10/app-trends-2014-privacy-wearables-education / iOS Android smartphone smart phone pad tablet iPad iPod Google Apple app application hand mobile cell device free-to-play gaming evolution free to play iOS versus Android sharing economy regulation apps industry industries entertainment publishing game games enterprise education sector attracted big investment generated lucrative acquisitions billion billions dollars revenue revenues privacy regulation Dotcom dot com dotcom-style bubble pop 2014 big trends trend apps developer developers startup startups brand brands create creating release releasing crash relatively small number apps make making big money rubbish spare time hobbyist projects project startup startups raise raised seed venture financing catch on users money photo-sharing photo sharing health tracking health-tracking tools tool freemium games messaging apps overstuffed category cull 2014 search audience business model good technology acquihirers Facebook Snapchat hack security ID privacy password passwords mobile free-to-play gaming free to 2 play f2p freemium software free games messaging apps WeChat Line KakaoTalk WhatsApp Kik Snapchat the Blackberry mail BBM Facebook Myspace games game shop shopping music video social networking network education device /

Tesla Model X spotted on public road in Culver City, California

Credit: Instagram ID jmtibs/Inside EVs

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1089596_2015-tesla-model-x-prototype-seen-testing-on-southern-california-roads / 2015 Tesla Model X spotted sighted seen on public roads Instagram sighted spotted Tesla Model X electric crossover prototype testing street streets Southern Culver City California plug in plug-in crossover spotted 10 miles from Tesla Tesla's design center in Hawthorne Tesla show showed Model X opening Palo Alto store October appearance Model X public indicates Tesla is preparing prepare unveil production model to public 2014 Detroit Auto Show Tesla press conference scheduled 11:40 am Tuesday Model X revealed headquarters of CEO Elon Musk SpaceX all electric electric vehicle EV all-electric crossover falcon doors crowds auto shows Tesla showed revised prototype new interior 2013 Detroit show Model S rides platform Model X sedan same hardware 85 killoWatt hour kWh 85-kilowatt-hour battery pack SUV crossover design Model X all wheel 4 wheel four wheel all-wheel drive production line assembly line volume production beginning begin first quarter 2015 /

Google has built a neural network to identify 100 million house numbers for Streetview

Credit: ExtremeTech

http://mobile.extremetech.com/latest/40259-google-has-built-a-neural-network-to-identify-100-million-house-numbers-for-streetview / Internet prove your humanity type typing words number letter letters numbers captcha Google Google’s recaptcha variant bot automaton spam bots at bay search giant identify text scan scanned books house numbers number Streetview Google brain cycles new research paper Google details company trained neural network read millions unidentified house numbers captured Streetview cameras camera human intervention artificial neural network computational model seek seeks replicate parallel nature living brain system works directly pixel images captured by Streetview cars car brain many previous models model break breaking address image individual digits identify identifying each one look looks whole number recognize recognizes recognize type address Google Map return correct location right addresses structure essential area building numbers not non linear front door company build building synthetic brain train neural network Google used publicly available Street View House Numbers SVHN Dataset massive dataset 200,000 addresses split up into number blocks total 600,000 numerical images train electronic brain six days system learn dataset identify digits Streetview pictures high level accuracy /

Gemini Planet Imager snaps first direct image of exoplanet Beta Pictoris b (slide show)

Credit: Christian Marois, NRC Canada/Gizmag

Although its not the sharpest you've ever seen, the photograph above is a direct image of a planet (Beta Pictoris b) which is orbiting a star 63 million light years away. In addition to the distance, there is the problem of overcoming the dazzling light of the star. Think of pointing your camera directly into a searchlight & trying to take a photograph of a moth flying just to the side.

Gemini Planet Imager has done something similar, except that the star is very much brighter, & both star & planet, very much further away.

http://www.gizmag.com/gemini-planet-imager-pictoris/30379/ / 10 years development develop developed developing Gemini Observatory advanced planet imaging instrument capture captured direct image exoplanet Beta Pictoris b image breakthrough analysis analyze extrasolar planets planet planetary body Gemini Planet Imager GPI tool advanced optics system infrared spectograph recover retrieve direct images young planet planets orbit orbiting distant stars star GPI collaboration collaborate collaborative project developed institute institution institutes several countries test deployed 8meter 8-meter Gemini South telescope Chile first light first-light team targeted Beta Pictoris system capture direct images image imaging Beta Pictoris b some 63 million light years away detecting detection detect exoplanet exoplanets direct imaging image dazzle overpower overpowering light majority known exoplanets exoplanet detected detect detection indirect methods method transit method rely relies detection drop reduction brightness parent star pass passes in front Transit Timing Variation method compare comparison compares deviations deviation orbit caused gravitational pull computer based computer-based predictions predict prediction /

New Pebble smartwatch: Pebble Steel (video)

Left to right: Pebble Steel, original Pebble
Credit: Pebble/The Verge

What's good: improved appearance.

What's bad:
• More expensive at $249.
• No longer, "... designed to fit most 22mm watch bands." Ability to accept standard watchbands was proposed as an advantge of the original Pebble, but photographs make it obvious that this doesn't apply to Pebble Steel.

What's good or bad, depending on your point of view: functionality of Pebble Steel is unchanged from the original Pebble.

Why that's good:
• With deliveries starting ealier this year, owners of the original (including myself) would be lesss than pleased if their (almost) new device was already superceded.
• Retains all the functionality of what is arguably the most practical & useful smart watch to date.
• Retains compatablity with all existing Pebble watch faces (numbering in the hundreds, if not thousands) & other software.

Recode takes a look:

http://recode.net/2014/01/06/first-look-the-new-pebble-steel-smartwatch/

The Verge too:

http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/6/5276698/pebble-steel-launch-interview-ces-2014

What's perhaps best of all: the original Pebble is still available for $150. Get both old & new at:

https://getpebble.com/checkout / 300,000 Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky E-Ink good holiday season Silicon Valley startup shipping ship stainless steel Gorilla Glass version first Pebble Bluetooth watch consumers little more refined less sporty sport plastic Pebble watch two versions version Steel brushed stainless matte black swappable metal leather bands band cost $249 a hundred dollars more ship ships end of January Pebble Steel original Pebble watch connect pairs pair iOS iPhone Android devices device devs developer developers dev created hacks hack hacked BlackBerry Windows phones phone smartphone smart phone notifications runs run same apps app waterproof same battery life five to seven days Pebble app store company optimized apps Yelp Foursquare GoPro quick flick wrist Yelp local wild card spot bar restaurant GoPro controller product production produce Kickstarter prototype competition competitor compete release releasing Sony Samsung Qualcomm released release review Samsung Galaxy Gear Qualcomm Toq 50 person 50-person Pebble team Consumer Electronics Show CES launchpad company’s company Palo Alto offices office assess full assessment testing test tester Pebble bandwagon like watch wear plastic swimming swim serious athletic activities activity active smartwatch smartwatches smart watch watches geeky geek mainstream Pebble Steel sleeker sleek style stylish alternative versions version masculine-looking masculine looking Pebble Migicovsky design current customer base male consultant consulted consult consultation watch designers design develop development developer building build manufacure make appeal women video tape record taped Migicovsky /