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year, owners of the original (including myself) would be lesss than pleased if their (almost) new device was already superceded.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 /

He’s behind you!

Credit: R.J. Mataleone/Worth1000.com

Anecdotal evidence suggests that sharks generally take swimmers from behind. If true, this suggests that they are attempting to avoid detection as they approach & so, that they have an understanding of which is the back & front of a human being.

All of this calls into question the widely held belief that shark attacks on humans are experiments or mistakes.

Dr. Erich Ritter of the Shark Research Institute has conducted an experiment that throws further light on these questons:

http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21591551-some-sharks-know-how-stay-out-sight-nearby-people-hes-behind-you / human beings believe top food chain victim victim’s friends friend relative relatives natural order attack attacks aberration aberrations predators’ predator normal behaviour sharks fish mistake mistaken experiment human swimmers seals seal turtles turtle Dr. Erich Ritter Shark Research Institute American charitable foundation attack data prove proof sense shark’s point of view approach would detect detected mistake experiment results publish published Animal Cognition scuba divers kneel seabed site Bahamas reef sharks divers stationary direction travel front kneel kneeling body shapes shape person divers knelt alone back to back pairs pair camera surface 12 metres above recorded record statistics statistician colleague Raid Amin University of West Florida analyse 312 encounters approaching shark passed behind undetected back /

2013 Tesla Model S electric vehicle: Consumer Reports is still in love (video)

Credit: Consumer Reports/Green Car Reports

Even after 12 months, rocket launch acceleration, low running costs, plus brilliant handling, ride & brakes don't lose their shine -- the Tesla Model S is still the best car Consumer Reports has ever tested.

That's not just best electric car, that's best car.

Green Car Reports

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1089437_2013-tesla-model-s-electric-car-consumer-reports-still-in-love

Consumer Reports

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/12/update-tesla-model-s-one-year-on/index.htm / year Tesla Model S ownership mile miles tire tyre tyres tires impressed mild irritations car Ratings road test road-test score 99 100 point 100-point scale highest rated highest-rated extended test tested last five years accolades highest ever highest-ever marks mark owner satisfaction latest annual auto survey reliable average reliability score based experiences 637 CR subscribers good early production niche luxury vehicle California start-up start u company Tesla’s thoroughly rewarding driving experience rocket rocketlike launch feel supreme quietness overlook drawback drawbacks notable quirks have emerged range cruise cruising range Tesla’s major drawing draw cards top spec top-spec 85 kWh version 300 mile 300-mile range charged normally maximum max range manufacturer company maker advice advises 225 miles electric vehicle EV EVs 245 EPA calculated electric car indicated range drops drop freezing weather cabin heat remaining miles remaining-miles calculator display displays software update Model S Teslas vampire losses off charger for 24 hours Supercharger stations 30 minutes reduce range anxiety commuter car Updates via cloud software updates road debris penetrated battery pack from below ride height highway speeds road debris /

Simulated nematode? (video)

Credit: OpenWorm/Gizmag

You've heard of open software, well ... this is an open worm!

http://www.gizmag.com/openworm-nematode-roundworm-simulation-artificial-life/30296/

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2OBznK6HkI&feature=youtube_gdata_player / OpenWorm project create created creating first artificial lifeform bottom-up bottom up computer model millimeter-sized millimeter sized size nemotode worm simplest known multicellular organisms organism step forward OpenWorm research researching researcher researchers complete completed simulation nematode's 302 neurons 95 muscle cells cell worm wriggling around in fine form wriggle C. elegans nemotode simplest multicellular organisms known hermaphroditism hermaphrodite hermaphroditic life form 959 cells 302 neuron neurons simple simplify simplicity nematode usual challenges challenge living feeding feed food reproduction reproduce reproducing avoid avoiding eat eaten model the complex behavior organism OpenWorm collaboration develop development developing bottom up bottom-up description describe making models model individual C. elegans cells cell cellular interactions observe observation observed functionality real world real-world nematodes realistic behavior will emerge individual cells act real organism artificial animal input-output input output models individual cells cell model muscle cell size shape relaxed mechanical properties membrane interior innards connect connected contact cell membranes reuron neurons contact structure produce following list behaviors stimulate stimulation stimulated passive active responses cells surrounding model approach homeostatic dynamic behaviors modeled complete description underlying chemical reactions reaction /

iFixit tears the 2013 Mac Pro asunder, finds an actually repairable Mac

Credit: iFixit/Ars Technica

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/12/ifixit-tears-the-2013-mac-pro-asunder-finds-an-actually-repairable-mac/

http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Mac+Pro+Late+2013+Teardown/20778?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Mac+Pro+Teardown+PR&utm_content=Mac+Pro+Teardown+PR+CID_833b53074cc4aa2c0712edc7265b1748&utm_source=CampaignMonitor / Apple iFixit company company's products thin customer consumers incredibly difficult end users user repair battery glued into case CPU CPUs RAM solder soldered motherboard proprietary teardown tear down connectors Mac iPhone iPad iPod iOS OSX iFixit tore new Mac Pro apart break computer down teardown accompanied high-resolution photographs pictures detailed notes found computer despite more integrated nature fair number proprietary parts part easy repair upgrade Macintosh Mac RAM easily easiest component remove replace requires require slide case case's cover push button special screwdrivers suction cups MacBooks MacBook iMacs iMac standard 1866MHz ECC DDR3 DIMMs DIMM trivial purchase upgrade your own RAM replace replacing replaced SSD simple connector proprietary drive held in place single Torx screw PCI Express SSD very similar PCIe drives 2013 MacBook Air Retina MacBook Pro display difficult remove FirePro GPUs GPU case each held four screws screw clamp proprietary PCI Express connector connects daughterboard computer main logic board CPU socket RAM slots rear panel port ports GPUs can be removed theoretically possible upgrade Apple third parties new GPUs fit into the Mac Pro's case cooled system system's single fan connect daughterboard /

Free iBook: "Yellow Submarine"

Credit: Apple (Parlophone)/EMI/Wikipedia

Available now: Yellow Submarine book with music, video, illustrations, text & audio. Have to get one at the price!

http://new.itunes.com/r?v=2&la=en&lc=au&a=AZjv3KDaipFbJa1YG1eBNOsQ%2B2TQZhkLVniCGIWNaMzphNUoX1oCw08LwIutSKbB&ct=Ab2m0e8

If the page above has been removed, try:

https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/yellow-submarine-english/id479687204?mt=11 / Apple iTunes iOS ebook iBook iBooks iPhone iPad iPod touch tablet smartphone smart phone App Store book cover art album Yellow Submarine artist The Beatles George Harrison Ringo Starr Richard Starkey Paul McCartney John Lennon George Martin records vinyl music Blue Meanies Meaney Meanie Pepperland Yellow Submarine studio album Beatles released Apple Records soundtrack film album album's release /

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 /