vineri, 12 septembrie 2014

Nikon D750 Full Frame DSLR With Tilting LCD Screen Officially Launches For $2,299



 

 Nikon D750
Following on from rumours that have been circulating the last couple of months of a new Nikon Full Frame camera will be launched very soon. Nikon has today officially taken the wraps off their new Nikon D750 Full Frame DSLR camera, that is the first Nikon to be equipped with a tilting LCD screen on the rear.
The Nikon D750 is fitted with a newly developed 24.3 megapixels image sensor and EXPEED 4 that combine to provide superior high-ISO performance that surpasses even that of the D810, says Nikon.

Nikon D750-tilt
Features of the new Nikon D750 include a 51-point AF system, metering and exposure control system equivalent to the D4S and D810 utilising a 91K-pixel RGB sensor together with high-speed, high-precision sequential control for continuous shooting at 6.5 fps. Nikon explains :
“The Nikon D750 FX-format D-SLR has been designed to liberate photographers from previous limitations while giving them more freedom of photographic expression thanks to a variety of factors.
For example, because of the high ISO performance and the autofocus capability in low-light situations, hand-held shooting is made possible even in the dark. The compact, lightweight and slim body with a deep grip widens the field of usage. And the tilting LCD monitor further expands the freedom of shooting angles.”
Other features include ISO from 100-12800, 60p Full HD recording, built-in WiFi and of course the new tilting LCD screen on the rear. For more information on the new Nikon D750 jump over to the Nikon website for details and full specifications.
Nikon D750

iPhone 6 Plus Shipping Now At 3-4 Weeks



iPhone 6 Plus
Apple started taking pre-orders on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus earlier today, and now it looks like the shipping on the iPhone 6 Plus model has changed.
The US Apple Store is showing shipping of the iPhone 6 Plus models as 3-4 weeks, when the handset went up for pre-order it was showing a delivery date of the 19th of September.

Some of the iPhone 6 models are still available with a delivery date of next Friday, although a couple of models, like the gold 16GB model are showing shipping of 7-10 days.
It is not clear as yet on how many units of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handsets Apple had available to pre-order, so it is too early to tell which of the two handsets is the most popular so far.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will launch next Friday the 19th of September, and they will be available in Apple retail stores and other retailers as well as with the various mobile carriers.
If you have pre-ordered the new iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, leave a comment below, and let us know which model you went for, as we are interested to see which one of the two handsets is the most popular.

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact Pre-order Price Slashed



z3-compact1
It has only been a few days since the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact went up for pre-order in the UK. When that device hit pre-order earlier this week, it was going to cost you £429 directly from Sony. If that price was a bit too rich for your blood, Clove in the UK is now taking pre-orders as well.
The good news is that Clove has substantially discounted the new Sony smartphone with pre-orders going for £349 including VAT. If you previously pre-ordered from Clove and paid the higher price, the new pricing will be applied to your order. The company expects the first batch of devices to land in stores later this month.

That first batch will be offered in red, white, and black colors. The smartphone will have a 4.6-inch HD display with 1280 x 720 native resolution. It will run a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor operating at 2.5GHz paired with 2GB of RAM. One of the big features is the 20.7MP rear camera and the front camera is 2.2MP resolution. Internal storage is 16GB with a microSD card for expansion. Android 4.4 KitKat is the operating system for the device.

iPhone 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Alpha



iphone 6
We have seen various mockups and leaked renders of the new iPhone 6, and now we have some photos comparing the iPhone 6 vs the Samsung Galaxy Alpha.
Samsung recently announced their new Samsung Galaxy Alpha, the handset comes with a 4.7 inch display, the new iPhone will also come with a 4.7 inch display, and these renders from designer Martin Hajek give us an idea on how the two handsets will compare side by side.

iphone 6
As you can see from the photos, the Samsung Galaxy Alpha features a similar design to the current iPhone 5S, one of the photos below, show the Alpha next to the current iPhone.
iphone 6
Apple are expected to launch two versions of the iPhone 6 this year, the 4.7 inch model is rumored to launch next month, and the 5.5 inch model is rumored to launch later in the year.
iphone 6
Both of these new iPhone 6 handsets are said to come with the new Apple A8 processor, this is Apple’s second generation 64-bit mobile processor.
iphone 6
The iPhone 6 is also rumored to come with update cameras over the current iPhone, and also a new fingerprint sensor, which is said to be more accurate and durable than the current version.
iPhone 5S vs Samsung Galaxy Alpha
iPhone 5S vs Samsung Galaxy Alpha
Apple are rumored to launch the 4.7 inch iPhone on the 19th of September, the device is rumored to be made official at Apple’s press event on the 9th of September.

Xbox One Special Edition Midnight Forces Wireless Controller


Wireless Controller
Next-generation Xbox One owners that are looking for a new wireless controller might be interested to know that a new Special Edition Midnight Forces controller has been unveiled over on the official Xbox website.
The new Xbox One Midnight Forces wireless controller is priced at $65 and as you can see from the images below and above sports a blue camouflage finish together with redesigned D-pad and thumbsticks.

The new Xbox One wireless controller can be used up to a range of 30 feet away from your console and is powered by two AA batteries. As Xbox One owners will already know it is possible to connect up to 8 wireless controllers to your console at once.
“Equip yourself with the Xbox One Special Edition Midnight Forces Wireless Controller, featuring a modern camouflage pattern and unique military look. Impulse Triggers deliver fingertip vibration feedback, so you can feel every jolt and crash in high definition.
With redesigned thumbsticks and D-pad enhancements for greater precision and comfort, it’s simply the best controller Xbox has ever made. Available exclusively at Best Buy for a limited time.”
For more information on the new Midnight Forces Wireless Controller jump over to the Xbox One website for details or your local Best Buy store where the controller will be an exclusive for a limited time.
Wireless Controller

Grand Theft Auto 5 Release Date For PS4 And Xbox One Announced

miercuri, 10 septembrie 2014

Luxury Houses And Real Estate


Tips For Buying Luxury Real Estate
There is not one design, style or size that embodies a luxury home. It could be a sprawling 15,000-square-foot French manor set on several rolling acres, or it could be a 4,000-square-foot contemporary home nestled into the side of a mountain. Although it's difficult to quantify exactly what luxury means, most buyers think they know it when they see it.

Across the United States, sales of luxury homes have been hitting records. The number of California homes selling for $2 million or more, for example, reached an all-time high in 2013, as the state rebounded from the foreclosure crisis. The U.S. is not the only place seeing bitg sales of luxury homes. Vancouver, Canada's priciest real estate market, saw a record 36% increase in 2013 over the previous year on sales of homes priced over $2 million.

Prices for luxury real estate have also seen significant increases over the last couple of years. According to Knight Frank's Prime Global Cities Index, which tracks luxury real estate in 30 metropolitan markets around the world, the hottest luxury market now is Jakarta, which saw price increases of nearly 38% at the end of 2013 over the previous year. Knight Frank defines luxury real estate as homes that were sold in the top five percentile in terms of value. Other double-digit price increases in the last quarter of 2013 over the same quarter 2012 include Dublin (17.5%), Beijing (17.1%), Dubai (17%), Los Angeles (14%), Tel Aviv (12.7%), Bangkok (12.3%), San Francisco (10.4%) and New York (10.4%).

Why the Growth?

It may seem incongruous that luxury markets are heating up, given that much of the world is still recovering from the 2008 financial crisis. Like the financial markets, the real estate market operates under the law of supply and demand. And by nature, there are a limited number of luxury homes for sale at any given time in a particular market. That limited inventory alone can help drive up prices as multiple buyers bid on a single luxury property.

Strong Job Market

In many metropolitan markets, such as Denver, low unemployment rates coupled with well-paying jobs have fueled the luxury real estate market. Chris Mygatt, president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Colorado, said, "We have never seen this kind of frenzy in luxury home sales before. The strongest single market segment for 2013 was clearly the luxury home market. If you include the sales of properties priced at over $500,000 - the top 10% of the market - we saw an increase of 44% year over year."

International Buyers

In the U.S., international buyers represent a growing percentage of the real estate market, including the luxury market. From April 2012 - March 2013, international transactions were at $68.2 billion, which made up more than 6% of total U.S. existing home sales (in dollars), and more than 4% of transactions, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR); 2013 Profile of International Buyers. Florida, California, Texas and Arizona were the leading destinations during that period, with the majority of international buyers coming from Canada, China, India, Mexico and the U.K. These numbers represent a small decrease from 2012's $82.5 billion in sales to international buyers, but NAR believes this is related to the slow growth in some major European economies and that the issue "should dissipate over time."

The publication also cites that international buyers typically purchase higher-priced properties compared to domestic clients: international buyers spent an average of $354,000 versus $228,000 for domestic purchases. Due in part to the tight U.S. credit standards facing foreign buyers, the majority of international purchases are all-cash deals (63%). This can put other buyers who need financing at a disadvantage, since all-cash deals tend to move faster through the process.

U.S. Relatively Inexpensive

The U.S. is home to only one of the top 10 most expensive cities in the world, making the U.S. a relatively inexpensive and attractive destination, both in terms of cost of living and housing. According to Forbes Magazine, the top 10 most expensive cities in the world (as of March 2013) are:

  1. Hong Kong, China
  2. Tokyo, Japan
  3. London, UK
  4. Paris, France
  5. Moscow, Russia
  6. New York, NY
  7. Shanghai, China
  8. Singapore
  9. Mumbai, India
  10. Sydney, Australia
Buying a Luxury Home

According to the 2013 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers published by the National Association of Realtors, nine out of 10 buyers used the Internet at some point when looking for a home, and 43% of recent buyers first found the home they purchased online.

While the vast majority of homebuyers rely on the Internet at some point during their home searches, luxury homebuyers can be at a disadvantage when it comes to finding properties online. Many high-end properties aren't listed on MLS or search engines. And, in order to protect their privacy, many sellers avoid putting information and photos of the property on the internet.

Find a Qualified Real Estate Agent

If you are in the market for a luxury home, a qualified real estate agent who knows the luxury market may be your best bet for finding properties that are for sale but that are not necessarily easy to find because of privacy concerns. An agent familiar with the luxury market may have inside information about listings before they hit the open market. And, an experienced agent will be able to help you determine the market value of a luxury property. Most residential real estate is valued using comparables - similar properties in the area that have recently sold. Valuing luxury properties can be a challenge since often there are no similar properties in the area.

Financing

The loan process for luxury homes typically takes longer than for smaller mortgages. Even if your financials are in good order, it may take 45 to 60 days to secure a loan. Since it can take extra time, and because the seller of a luxury home is often interested in showing only to qualified buyers, many real estate agents recommend having your mortgage broker, loan officer or personal banker obtain your financing approval early on in the process.

Due Diligence

As with any real estate purchase, it is important to take the time to properly inspect a luxury home prior to purchase. In many cases, luxury homes are larger and have amenities that may require specialized home inspectors, such as:

  • Pools and spas
  • Fountains and ponds
  • Lawn irrigation systems
  • Exterior fireplaces
  • Automatic screen and awning systems
  • Central vacuum systems
  • Heated floors/driveways
  • Sophisticated security/surveillance systems
  • Landscape lighting
The Bottom Line

The luxury home market has experienced record growth in the last several years. Much of the growth in the U.S. and Canada is the result of international buyers who want to take advantage of favorable exchange rates, are relocating for work, are using real estate as an investment, or who may be affluent parents purchasing a home or condo for their children who attend North American universities.

Luxury Cars

Ultra-Luxury Cars

Luxury automobiles priced above $100,000.





Bentley Flying Spur
According to R.L. Polk and Co., the "super luxury" segment (cars costing more than $100,000) is one of only two to show market growth over the last five years. R.L. Polk and Company is a global automotive information and marketing firm that provides solutions to automotive and related industries.
"The popularity of super luxury sedans among affluent American consumers has opened the door for automakers to roll out a whole new generation of innovative, amenity-laden models," said Eric Papacek, analytic consultant for Polk. "New models and concepts recently announced by Bentley, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce and Cadillac are clear signs that the uber car has returned to the American auto scene."

At the top of the luxury car market are two models that arrived on American shores in the last few years—the Rolls-Royce Phantom and the Maybach 57/62.
Five years ago BMW AG became the owner of the prestigious Rolls-Royce name, and in January 2003 the new owners showed off a new car at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Phantom has a design instantly recognizable as a Rolls-Royce, with only the finest materials used throughout the vehicle. As many as 16 hides of leather go into each Phantom, and the automaker claims it to be the softest in the industry. Base price for a new Phantom: around $330,000.

Not to be outdone, Mercedes-Benz has brought back the Maybach name and put it on a set of ultra-luxury sedans. Named the 57 and 62 (based on vehicle length: 5.7 meters and 6.2 meters, respectively), the Maybach is quite different from the Rolls. Styling is more modern and the interior feels more high-tech. The 57 is considered a driver's car, while the 62 would likely be chauffeur-driven, referred to by the automaker as a "business jet on wheels." Featuring power-closing rear doors, a 600-watt audio system and reclining rear seats with power footrests, the Maybach 62 goes for around $375,000.

The Bentley brand stakes a time-honored claim in the ultra-luxury class. The sleek Continental GT is one of the fastest 4-seat coupes available in the world, boasting a 552 horsepower twin-turbo W12 engine that powers all four wheels. Not only is it the first all-wheel-drive Bentley, the Continental GT also is the least expensive, with a starting price at a mere $159,900. Joining the Continental GT coupe last year was the 4-door Flying Spur. The Flying Spur shares styling with its coupe sibling, as well as the powerful W12 engine and all-wheel drive.

The ultra-luxury sedan from Bentley—the Arnage—received a freshened look and a number of enhancements last year. The front fascia now features round headlights and revised hoodlines, both of which bring the sedan's looks in line with the new Continental GT. Inside, the Arnage gets a new dashboard top, fresh instruments and a new DVD satellite navigation unit. The already outstanding ride quality and handling have been enhanced with a revised rear suspension. The 2005 Arnage is available in R and T trims, as well as the long-wheelbase RL.

Aston Martin rides high with the all-new DB9. The two-plus-two sports car offered in both Coupe and Volante (convertible) versions replaced the DB7 for the 2004 model year. The hand-built DB9's 450-horsepower 6.0-liter V12 engine is available with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission. Aston Martin is also considering a sleek 4-door sedan based on the DB9. A concept 4-door called the Rapide was shown at January's North American International Auto Show.

Mercedes-Benz and BMW both offer high-end sedans and convertibles that break the $100,000 barrier.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class, CL-Class coupe and SL-Class roadster are all lavishly equipped, but it's their powerplants that distinguish them from their lesser-priced siblings. The S55, CL55 and SL55 all sport supercharged V8 engines producing an impressive 493 horsepower. The S600, CL600 and SL600 get the same power output from a twin-turbo V12 under the hood. Look for details of an all-new S-Class coming soon.
BMW recently joined this elite group with its 760 luxury sedan. The top-end of the 7-series lineup, the 760 (and long-wheelbase 760Li) offers an expansive rear seating area, impressive handling and excellent performance from its 438-horsepower V12 engine.
Audi now brings an entry to this list with the A8 L W12. This extended-wheelbase version of the A8 sports a 450-horsepower W12 engine teamed with the automaker's legendary quattro all-wheel-drive system.

Jaguar has also moved up into the $100,000-plus arena with the all-new Super V8 Portfolio sedan. This limited-edition XJ Sedan features a sporting style, with sculpted aluminum power vents in the front wings, a distinctive mesh grille and polished 20-inch alloy wheels. Inside are such amenities as a DVD system with twin rear display-screens, four-zone air conditioning and an Alpine Dolby Prologic II surround-sound audio. Under the hood is the latest version of Jaguar's supercharged 4.2-liter V8 putting out 400 horsepower.

Maserati also steps up to this elite group with the introduction of the new Quattroporte. Priced just below $100,000, the Quattroporte features a shape and styling cues, as well as the famous trident badge, that identifiy it as a Maserati. Rosewood, briarwood and mahogany are standard interior treatments; however, buyers can personalize the cabin, even specifying a titanium finish if they wish. The new Maserati sedan boasts a compact 4.2-liter V8 engine producing 400 horsepower. It gives this luxury sedan the performance expected of a Maserati: 0-62 mph comes up in just 5.3 seconds.

Volkswagen currently offers the high-end Phaeton—the first vehicle to break the $100,000 mark wearing the VW brand. However, the automaker has announced that it will no longer sell this vehicle in America due to slow sales.

A number of other vehicles sell for well above the $100,000 mark but wouldn't necessarily be categorized as luxury automobiles. Many of these are ultra-high performance cars from brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche. Details about these can be found in our overview of the Magnificent Exotics.

Pizza Cake: The Best Cake



No the Pizza Cake isn't a cake that's been decorated to look like a pizza. That would have just been disappointing. Instead, it's a pie styled to look like a cake with nothing but layer upon layer of greasy, cheesy, and delicious pizza slices. And it's awesome.
It does not exist yet. But it could. However, that will only happen if Canadians really, really, really want it.
A potential addition to Boston Pizza's summer menu (for their Canadian outlets only), the Pizza Cake actually appears to be a cake-sized stuffed pizza of sorts. Basically, they stacked half-a-dozen complete pizzas on top of each other and closed off the sides so it looks like one giant bundle of food. It's inarguably insane. And probably very delicious. I have no idea how to eat it (much less slice it -- I reckon my Axe Pizza Cutter won't work), but I'm already imagining a mess that's equally confusing and appetizing at the same time.
Like we said, it's only a "potential" addition for now. Boston Pizza is actually holding a poll for people to vote on several options -- the one that receives the biggest support gets the honor of being inducted into the summer menu. As of the moment, Pizza Cake is leading by a wide margin, with entries like pizzaburger sliders (mini burgers wrapped in mini pizzas), pizza taco (chipotle and chicken taco with a pizza shell), and pizza-flavoured mints trailing behind it.
Since I don't live in Canada, I'll just wait for the first local joint that decides to steal this monstrosity. We all know it's going to happen. I mean, how can you deny the rest of the world its Pizza Cake?

 

YETI Hopper Carryable Cooler Bag Promises To Keep Ice Frozen For Days



Coolers are awesome, letting you keep food and drinks cold for extended periods without a fridge anywhere in sight.  And while many coolers are perfectly portable, their boxy dimensions are hardly discreet, paving the way for more fashionable, bag-like thermal containers, which, while they worked, don’t exactly perform to the same standards of ice preservation as full-fledged cooler boxes.  The upcoming YETI Hopper could change that.
Styled to look like a zippered tote bag, it boasts “superior ice retention” that can keep ice frozen for days just like a traditional cooler that’s flanked by hard insulating walls.  That way, you can keep cold beer close at hand for extended periods on the road, all while looking like you’re just walking around with a regular bag like everybody else.

The YETI Hopper can hold 5.2 gallons of content behind its 840 denier DryHide fabric construction, which is the same waterproof material they use in building whitewater rafts.  Underneath the fabric is ColdCell Insulation, an inch of which flanks the sides of the chamber with an inch and a half preserving temperature at the bottom, so it can retain cold even when set down on a warm surface.  It uses the same waterproof, airtight HydroLok zipper used in HazMat suits for closure, which YETI claims will keep leaks from happening even when the bag is turned upside down.  Other features include an EVA foam bottom, RF-welded seams, and a detachable shoulder strap.
Slated to debut in October, the YETI Hopper will retail for $299.99.

Heimplanet Mavericks Inflatable Tent Can Survive Winds Up To 112MPH



Remember the inflatable Cave Tent, which let you set up a functional tent without having to do all the grunt work that usually came with it?  Well, the company behind it just took inflatable tents to another level with the Heimplanet Mavericks.
Originally designed to be used at the Red Bull Storm Chase in Ireland, this blow-up shelter has been rated to withstand winds that blow at a whopping 112 mph.  To the unfamiliar, the Red Bull Storm Chase is a windsurfing competition that seeks out rough, raging storms around the world to use as its stage.  Yep, this isn’t just inflatable, it’s durable enough to shelter you during violent storms, too.

The Heimplanet Mavericks is a 10-person tent that uses a reinforced version of the brand’s inflatable diamond grid design.  The structure, which uses double-walled air beams similar to tubed bicycle tires, is intended to spread stress over a large surface, enabling the tent to maintain its sturdy form even through rough winds.  It uses 10 separate air chambers, so even if one part of the structure gets punctured, the rest of the tent will still hold intact.

Because of the lack of assembly needed, a single person can set up the tent in ten minutes, with most of the work involving hitting the pumps to feed air into the individual chambers.  The tent skin will automatically go up as the frames fill up with air.  To pack up, simply deflate the tent, throw it in the back of the truck, and hit the road.
Available now, the Heimplanet Mavericks retails for €4,999.

 

This Cleverly Designed Murphy Sofa Float Is A Bed, A Wall And A Shelf Also



Want to maximize your tiny studio’s seating capacity, while still having a comfortable place to lay your head at night?  This MurphySofa Float could do the trick, giving you couch space to sit a bunch of guests and a fold down wall bed that you can equip when it's time to retire.
When folded down, the bed uses the main sofa as a platform and an integrated floating shelf as legs for the bottom end.   As a result, the bed sits up at a normal bed height, rather than the lower position that most Murphy beds are relegated to.

The MurphySofa Float features a main couch and a sectional chaise lounge to give your micro-loft plenty of seating space.  The wall bed folds right over the couch, too, so the sofa can stay in place the entire time (no rearranging necessary in the morning).  It uses a durable weighted piston mechanism for keeping the bed stable whether folded up or down, so there’s none of the necessary readjusting that usually comes with Murphy beds over time.

A compartment under the main couch can hide all your pillows, blankets, and other bedtime supplies, with shelves on either side of the bed that you can use as both a nightstand and living room storage.  Even better, the entire thing can fit in a tiny corner of space, so even the smallest digs can accommodate it.
Available now in different color finishes and couch fabrics, the MurphySofa Float retails for $7,495.

 

This Is A Beer Briefcase For The Beer-Drinking Pro



It doesn’t matter whether you carry those half-dozen bottles on their original six-pack carton, a beer coathanger, or some other specialty contraption, walking around with a six-pack of booze is never classy.  Walking around with a briefcase, on the other hand, always seems dignified.  That’s why the Beer Briefcase exists.
Perfect for transporting a healthy supply of beer during a workday, the briefcase comes with designated slots that nestle each bottle around a layer of protective foam.  That way, you don’t only get to tow a half-dozen beers around while wearing office clothes without looking like an antisocial drunk, the beer stays protected the entire time, too.
From the outside, the Beer Briefcase look like a regular attaché, the kind you’ll tote around to carry important documents and other office supplies.  Decked in a shiny metal shell and protected by dual combination locks, you’ll look like you’re toting top-secret documents instead of alcoholic suds, so you can tell people on the subway you’re carrying something of massive value, while actually just being ready to celebrate happy hour any time you feel like it.  It measures 18 x 12 x 3.5 inches.
Sure, it’s overkill, but the Beer Briefcase just might be the classiest way to bring a six-pack of libations on the go.  It’s available now, priced at $44.99.

 

3D Robotics IRIS+ Drone Can Navigate And Record Subjects All On Its Own



There’s no shortage of drones available in the market for aerial photography and videography.  When it comes to ease of use, though, it’s going to be tough to find one as newbie-friendly as the IRIS+.
Made by 3D Robotics, it’s an erstwhile regular quadcopter drone, similar to the ones from Parrot and the dozen or so consumer drone manufacturers in the market.  Except it’s designed to eliminate the skills barrier, giving everyone, from tech-averse grandmas to clumsy kids, the chance to use a drone for aerial photography without watching their money crash into a useless pile of junk.

The 3D Robotics IRIS+ comes with an integrated GoPro mount, so you can simply slap on an action cam without having to set up anything else.  Capable of detecting when it’s flown out of range or running out of batteries, it can immediately return to the home point and land itself autonomously, as needed.  Not a good pilot?  Not a problem, since IRIS+ comes with its own flight planning software.  Simply draw a path of where you want it to travel and it will navigate the flight path all on its own.  Even better, you can specify which area you want the camera to focus on as part of the flight plan and the drone will keep it pointed there the entire time.
Want the drone to film a specific moving subject?  It can do that, too.  Simply have the subject carry a GPS-enabled Android device and it’s done, with the drone using its integrated gimbal to keep the camera centered on the subject the entire time.  That means, you can have it film you during wakesurfing, record your dog while it plays in the park (attach a phone to its collar or something), and even follow a car you want to keep under surveillance (just drop a phone in the backseat or something).
Available now, pricing for the 3D Robotics IRIS+ starts at $750.


 

Star Wars Imperial Chronometers – go all Vader on your time!


The Star Wars franchise has certainly seen its fair share of releases in the past that will definitely keep you wondering just when will George Lucas get tired of milking this particular franchise for all that is worth. Today, we have something else that deals with time – where the richest and poorest man in the whole world have an equal amount of each day, 24 hours – no more, no less. If you already own a Star Wars alarm clock of sorts, and would like to bring some Star Wars love with you on your wrist, then the $129.99 Star Wars Imperial Chronometers would certainly make plenty of sense.
With a couple of iconic Star Wars watches that will help you tell the time, you might be coaxed to be punctual from now on thanks to Vader’s design that sports plenty of red details, or if you happen to have an aim in life but somehow never really managed to hit the target, then the Stormtrooper model with white details would definitely come in handy. After all, the Imperial army did not manage to rise to its position of power without making sure that everything else ran like clockwork, could they? The Star Wars Imperial Chronometers are officially licensed Star Wars timepieces, where the multiple dials depict day, date, and time, and it sports Japanese movement instead of something from the planet Naboo.

This Greedy Pig Turns Cups, Mugs, And Cans Into Instant Piggy Banks



The piggy banks of yesteryear were very inefficient.  Any time you needed the hoarde you’ve stashed inside the piggy, you had to break the darn thing.  What a waste of a perfectly cute ceramic pig.  This Greedy Pig offers a reusable alternative, turning mugs, glasses, and even empty cans into functional piggy banks that you don’t have to destroy in order to withdraw a few coins.
Made by Suck UK, you don’t exactly end up with an actual pig-looking coin bank.  Instead, it looks like half pig and half whatever you decide to use with it.  And you can use a whole load of cylindrical-shaped things, like your Caveman Mug, a chiseled Starbucks tumbler, or even your classy red solo cups.

Designed by Luka Or, the Greedy Pig features the rear half of a pig that you can squeeze (it’s made from flexible PVC) into the mouth of a suitable container, allowing you to Frankenstein a half pig, half-whatever monstrosity.  Basically, it looks like a pig that dived head-first into a container and got stuck like they do in cartoons (because real life looking like cartoons always makes life more awesome).  When you need some of those savings, simply unplug the half-pig out of his current home, take out a little cash, and plug it back in.  Plus, when you get bored with whatever you’re using as a coin bank, you can always trade it in for something new.

The Greedy Pig is available now, priced at £7.50.

 

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge Features A Bent Screen Edge That Serves As A Secondary Display



Samsung has never been afraid to be at the forefront of cutting edge innovations.  And the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge definitely falls in that category, with a screen that uncannily bends towards the right edge.
That’s right, it bends.  It’s not entirely curved like some handsets released in the past.  Instead, it bends just at the outer edge on one side, creating a truly unique display that brings some nifty new features to the mix.

The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge’s unusual display isn’t just for show.  Instead, it actually serves as a separate screen of its own, where Samsung’s UI adds shortcuts to frequently-launched apps, video player controls (so you can just tap on the edge of the phone in landscape mode to pause a movie), and even display the time while the rest of the screen is in sleep mode. Basically, what’s shown on the narrow strip of curved screen depends on the app running or whatever mode the phone is on, with an SDK set to be made available to developers who want to integrate it into their software.  There are also different types of preset contents you can display on the strip, including weather info, notifications, stock tickers, news feeds, and even a ruler (yep, a ruler – probably not that useful, but pretty clever), among others.
Specs are similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which was announced alongside the Edge, with any differences only a consequence of accommodating the unique display panel.  Details include a quad-HD 5.6-inch AMOLED display, a quad-core 2.7-GHz Snapdragon 805 SOC, 3GB of RAM, 16 megapixel rear optics, a 3.7-megapixel front camera, and a 3,000 mAh battery.
No pricing has been announced for the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, but the fact that it uses a very new and very niche technology probably means this is going to cost more than your typical premium smartphone.

 

marți, 9 septembrie 2014

Luxury Homes Accessible to All

The real-estate market has seen an increased interest for accessible homes. Richard Shiffrin has an accessible room beneath his home with a boardwalk that serves as a barrier free path to the beach. Photo: Dorothy Hong for The Wall Street Journal.
When constructing Robert Weidenaar's custom-built home in Frankfort, Ill., builders made a mold of the homeowner's back to craft a concrete shower bench tailored to his dimensions. The bench is molded on the sides to perfectly fit his hands, eliminating the need for traditional grab bars. With the flip of a switch, he can fill the room with steam and warm the bench a few minutes before he goes in.
Donna and David Bailey's 6,200-square-foot home in Asheville, N.C., could accommodate their needs if they someday used wheelchairs or needed extra assistance getting around the home. Danielle Paul for The Wall Street Journal
Mr. Weidenaar, 42, who is paralyzed from the chest down and uses a wheelchair, said it was one of his priorities that the shower looked modern "and didn't scream handicap." The house is invisibly accessible in other ways: Because Mr. Weidenaar races cars as a hobby, the builders constructed a workshop designed around his chair so he can easily fix his autos. Mr. Weidenaar says his favorite part of the house is the accessible indoor pool, complete with a mural of clouds on the ceiling. And his heated driveway never needs shoveling.
A survey released in June by the American Institute of Architects found that two–thirds of residential architects are seeing increased interest in accessible design elements such as wider hallways and fewer steps. More than half of those surveyed say there has been growing demand for exterior amenities like ramps and adapted entrances. At the same time, luxury homeowners are challenging architects and builders to create homes that are both accessible and attractive: high-end finishes that are slip-resistant; elevators and lifts integrated into cabinetry; countertops, cabinet pulls and faucet handles that are both sleek and within reach of someone who is seated.
"It's very rewarding, when everything is right, it's seamless," said Mr. Weidenaar, a Chicago-area restaurant investor. "You don't focus on any of the negatives, because it works for your chair. It's a wonderful way to live, there's no doubt about it."
Mr. Weidenaar initially discussed his vision with several architects before deciding to work with Steve Lecas, owner of Gander Builders, also in Frankfort, Ill. The project became a collaborative effort. Mr. Weidenaar and his wife, Jenny, made sure one of them would be available on site each day. Mr. Lecas also used a wheelchair during the process so he could catch any potential challenges Mr. Weidenaar might run into. After a year of construction, the family moved in to the home in 2010; the final cost of building came to nearly $2 million. Five percent of the cost went toward incorporating all the accessible elements.
Mr. Lecas noted that while the home is focused on accessibility, it doesn't appear different from any other luxury dwelling. "That was probably the part of the house that made me so proud," he said.
Richard Shiffrin, a 66-year-old retired attorney, lives on the New Haven, Conn., shoreline and is mostly reliant on a motorized scooter. He spent $1 million to build his accessible 2,500-square-foot beach home, which is raised 8-feet-high on stilts. Mr. Shiffrin's architect, Peggy Rubens-Duhl, created an outdoor room, complete with a lounge, accessible cabana shower and changing room, in the space underneath the house. Mr. Shiffrin can take his home's elevator directly to the outdoor room, and then take a barrier-free boardwalk down to the beach.
Mr. Shiffrin says through the years he has seen good and bad attempts at accessibility, and he incorporated those experiences when constructing the house, which he built in 2009. He says that 5% of the construction cost involved making the home fully accessible; the elevator, a feature that Mr. Shiffrin said was most essential for him, was also the most expensive, costing close to $35,000.
"I can fully enjoy the home. There's no part of the home that I can say, 'Wow, that room is hard for me' or 'That appliance is hard for me,'" he said. "So it meets my needs and that's the combination of a good architect and a homeowner who is knowledgeable about their needs and is able to articulate it," said Mr. Shiffrin.
Some homeowners are opting for accessible designs before they actually need them, with an eye to the future.
Donna Bailey, 63, and her husband David, 67, made sure when they recently built their 6,200-square-foot home in the mountains of Asheville, N.C., that it would accommodate their needs if they someday use wheelchairs or need extra assistance getting around the home.
Every doorway in the home is 4-feet wide; the floors are hardwood, and each of the four showers in the house has a curbless design. The steps of the interior staircase are lighted to minimize the risk of falling, and the kitchen's refrigerator and dishwasher have easy-to-reach under-counter drawers. There's also extra lighting installed around the butcher block island to prevent potential injuries while working with knives.
Mrs. Bailey, a marketing professional, and Mr. Bailey, an IT specialist, knew that they might one day struggle to carry the 20 pounds of wood needed for one of their fireplaces, so they had a special butler's elevator built in to use for loading the lumber.
Mrs. Bailey said from the beginning she did her own research on accessible design and ran ideas by the architect, who weighed in on what was possible. Construction cost close to $300 a square foot, and outfitting the home for accessibility totaled 3% of the roughly $1.86 million price tag.
Leslie Piper, consumer housing specialist with real-estate listings website Realtor.com, says she has seen a clear shift in the past few years in the demand among baby boomers who want easier to manage homes. "We're moving away from the more traditional kind of compartmentalized spaces, where you have a formal living room and formal dining room," she said. "Those barriers are being broken down and we are seeing a more open living space."
However, when it comes to selling accessible properties, pointing out that it is wheelchair accessible doesn't increase the value, Ms. Piper said. The words "handicap," "disabled/disability" and "barrier free" appear in 6.5% of the nearly 3 million home listings on Realtor.com. Ms. Piper suggests that when it comes to listing terminology, using descriptions such as "wide hallways" or "open floor plan" will better attract buyers who are in the market for such homes.
For their part, the Baileys decided it was easier to design an accessible house from the start than trying to retrofit later on. When friends visit, "they are taking notes and saying that's a good idea, we need to do that, which is very flattering," said Mrs. Bailey.

duminică, 7 septembrie 2014

Foodini Will 3D Print Your Dinner



At first thought, the idea of a 3D printer for food is ludicrous.  I mean, how the heck are you going to produce a breakfast sandwich, baked potatoes, or smoked salmon out of extrusion nozzles?  Then again, there are plenty of food items that are processed into slurry form before being made into presentable meals, which, I'm guessing, are the kind of provisions you can make with the Foodini.
Made by Florida-based Natural Machines, it's a 3D printer designed to use food items instead of plastics as the base material.  It won't robotically produce every aspect of the food preparation process, although it could automate some of the grunt work with certain kinds of food.

The Foodini takes on a similar size and form factor to current desktop 3D printers, along with a similar extrusion-based building system.  Unlike them, though, you can use it independently of a computer, choosing specific recipes and shapes you want made via an onboard touchscreen display.  It comes with empty capsules that you can fill up with either pre-cooked or pre-mixed ingredients, although you'll have to make sure they've been processed enough to take on a texture and consistency that can pass through the printer's extrusion pipes.   Up to five different capsules can be used at a time.

I'm not exactly sure how the food ends up formed, but they say you can use it to robotically manufacture food items like spaghetti, chicken nuggets, and ravioli (things I'd usually buy packaged), so that's an attractive feature.  The decorative applications, of course, are obvious (you can form various food items into complicated shapes automatically), but the more practical aspects for everyday cooking will have to be on a case-by-case basis.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running to fund a production run for the Foodini.  Pledges to reserve a unit starts at $999.

 

Canonical Crams An Entire Cloud Computing Infrastracture Inside The Ubuntu Orange Box



Implementing an OpenStack cloud computing platform can be a lot of work. Which is why there's such a lot of interest in the Ubuntu Orange Box, which crams everything you need to set up an OpenStack system inside the confines of its rectangular chassis.
Need to quickly create a private cloud server for your office? This will do the trick. How about one in a disaster zone when aliens suddenly invade a city? Same thing. Basically, this gives companies, organizations, and superhero squads a way to quickly and easily deploy what would otherwise take many days' worth of manhours.

Designed by Canonical and assembled by TranquilPC, the Ubuntu Orange Box, literally, crams an entire one-stop cloud computing platform in a relatively portable enclosure. Measuring just 22.8 x 11.4 x 9.0 inches and weighing 37.4 pounds without a case, it can be towed around from office to office and even shipped as checked luggage in commercial flights. Inside the chassis sits 10 Intel NUC micro-servers, each one packing a quad-core Ivy Bridge i5-3427U CPU, Intel HD Graphics 4000, 16GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 128GB SSD root disk. That's one machine with 40 cores, 160GB of RAM, and 1.2TB of solid state storage (with the very first node packing an extra 2TB HDD), complete with options for adding more storage to several of the nodes.
All the micro-servers are connected to a D-Link DGS-1100-16 managed gigabit switch, with cooling managed by a single fan on the power supply and passive aluminum heatsinks along the sides for the individual nodes. It comes with WiFi, six Ethernet LAN ports, separate USB/HDMI slots for each node, 64‐bit Ubuntu Server 14.04 LTS, MAAS and Juju.
The Ubuntu Orange Box is available now, with prices starting at £7,575.

Skylock Solar Powered Key Less Bike Lock Alerts You In Case It Is being Moved



We're almost certain future bike locks are going to resemble the Skylock, which updates the traditional U-lock with a whole load of smart and connected technologies. Sure, maybe they won't look the same, but the feature set is exactly what suits these modern connected times.
Unlike traditional bike locks, it's impossible to pick. No, they didn't put a genius locking system into it -- it just doesn't open with a traditional key, so there's no way to access the lock mechanism using your Titanium Entry Card lock pick set. Instead, the lock will only disengage either when triggered by the mobile app or when you enter the combination through the integrated capacitive buttons, so traditional means of opening the lock are completely eliminated.

Skylock pairs with the app over Bluetooth, then responds to commands issued from the software. It also comes with onboard WiFi, so it can send alerts any time it detects that the lock or the bike is being shaken (which means, someone's likely trying to steal it). What happens when you can't connect to any WiFi network in the vicinity? Well, you lose, but it's probably worth the hassle to try to find a parking spot where you can get access to a WiFi network if you don't want to minimize the risk of losing the bicycle.

Its creators claim that the lock is "designed to military standards," complete with a double locking mechanism that requires two cuts before anyone can saw the thing open. An onboard battery (rated for an entire month on a full charge) powers all the electronics, with an integrated solar panel continually recharging it as long as it's exposed to some sunlight (an hour under sunlight can power it for an entire week).
As of now, Skylock is running a crowd funding campaign directly from their website. Preorder price starts at $159, with an early 2015 ship date.


 

Google Made A Self-Driving Car From Scratch And It Has No Steering Wheel



For years, Google has retrofitted existing cars with their self-driving system to test viability of the technology on the road. This time, they're taking the next step: putting together a self-driving vehicle from scratch.
Unveiled at Re/code by Sergey Brin, the self-driving car prototype is purpose-built for ferrying passengers autonomously. As such, they took out all the parts that people use when they drive, churning out a car that has no steering wheel, pedals, mirrors, gauges, and other vehicle staples.  That means, no chance of manual control whatsoever, putting your life completely at the robot car's mercy.
The car comes with a compact and rounded appearance that's a bit cartoonish, almost like the kind of future cars you can imagine seeing in a goofy children's show (if it's raining, make sure to get out of the car carrying a Rainshader Umbrella -- perfect fit). Safety features include blind spot sensors that can detect objects up to distances equivalent to two football fields in all directions, electronically-limited speed (the current version maxes out at 25mph), and backup automated systems that will take over the brakes and steering in case the default setup malfunctions (though we're not sure how this part works).  Inside, it comes with seats to hold two people, a cargo area for belongings, a screen that shows the route, and start/stop buttons.
According to Google, they're planning to build 100 early versions of the prototype for testing during the summer. The company itself has no plans of selling their own cars, though -- instead, they're likely going to license the technology to existing automakers for use with their own vehicles.


 

iOS 8: The New Features You Need To Know


Apple has announced the latest iteration of their mobile platform with iOS 8, which is slated to come to iPhones and iPads starting in the Fall. What new features in the platform can you look forward to?
HealthKit
Represented by an app called "Health" on the iPhone homescreen, HealthKit aggregates all of a user's health data from numerous third-party apps on their phones. No more checking RunKeeper, Cyclemeter, Nike+, and half a dozen other apps daily -- just launch Health and see all your information from a single unified interface.
HomeKit
HomeKit is a new app for iOS 8 that provides a single unified control interface for various home automation systems. Naturally, the hardware is going to need to support HomeKit, apart from being able to connect with your home network over WiFi. Expect this to be something that's going to be useful down the line, rather than in the immediate moment.
Notification Center
You can now access the dropdown notifications from the iOS 8 lockscreen, removing the need to unlock your screen before doing anything else. The Notification Center will also support widgets, so you can add anything you'd like to stay on top of while checking your alerts. Interact with notifications is now possible without leaving whatever app you're using, so you can respond to a text message without closing an ebook you're reading. There will also be a list of frequently used contacts in the Notification Center, similar to Facebook's Chat Heads, except it makes more sense here.
Mail
You can now compose a mail while seeing the rest of your inbox at the same time, a potentially helpful update when communicating with numerous groups on the same subject. A handful of new mail gestures are also available.
Messaging
Group messaging gets a big dose of new features, such as the ability to leave a thread, switch on a DO NOT DISTURB mode, and add/remove people. You can also send video and audio messages right from iMessages, as well as share your current location with anyone on the other end of a conversation.
QuickType and third-party keyboards
QuickType, a new predictive typing system, comes as part of the default iOS 8 keyboard. And, yes, you can opt to replace the default with any of the new third-party keyboards that are, no doubt, popping up in the App Store soon.
iCloud Drive
The personal online storage feature won't just give you access to all your documents on iOS, it will let you access it from other apps, as well as on Macs and Windows devices.
Touch ID
Any app can now use Touch ID, allowing any software to use fingerprint recognition to verify your identity.
Family Sharing
Provided your entire family does their iTunes purchases on a single credit card, you can now share content (apps, movies, books, everything) with them. That means, you only need to buy a game once, while allowing up to six family members to play it.
Siri
For iOS 8, Siri gets voice-activated car control capabilities, Shazam recognition, and support for 22 new dictation languages.
Others
Other changes include several new enterprise features, improved Spotlight experience, an upgraded 3D graphics engine, a Recents menu (accessible via double tap on the home screen), extension support in Safari, and iCloud integration for photos.

Razer Junglecat Gives Your iPhone A Compact, Slide-Out Gamepad



While there are a lot of physical controllers now available for iPhone, many of them tend to fall into the same problem category: they just aren't portable enough to slip comfortably in your pants pocket. And what's the point of a controller for mobile games when it can't be mobile? The Razer Junglecat tries to make its case by avoiding this same pitfall.
Adopting a design similar to the premium feature phones of old (think Sidekick), the controller is designed to slip out from behind a case, allowing your phone to remain fully portable while giving gamers a functional tactile control system. Sure, the case adds a bit extra to the overall size of the phone, but the dimensions remain compact enough (5.9 x 2.5 x 0.7 inches) that it can still cram into your pants' pocket.

With a D-pad, ABXY action buttons, two bumpers, and no joysticks whatsoever (think SNES game pad), the Razer Junglecat isn't likely to be the best gamepad out there. However, that compromise allowed it to retain the compact form factor, all while offering physical controls that should give you a better command of the action in all your favorite games. After all, is there a better controller than the one you can take with you all the time? Oh yeah, this doesn't pack any battery of its own, so expect it to add some drain to your iPhone's juice throughout the course of the day (best keep a power bank on hand).

No word on exact availability date, but the Razer Junglecat will retail for $99.99.


 

Creopop: This 3D Pen Ditches Hot Plastic In Favor Of Light-Sensitive Gels For Kid-Safe Use



3D printing pens will make great toys for kids, literally giving them the power to sketch real-world objects into life.  Except they extrude piping hot plastic, which makes it a bad idea to give to children without parental supervision.  The Creopop changes this, ditching the plastic spools in favor of light-sensitive photopolymer gels.
With the elimination of heated plastic, the pen becomes completely safe for children to use on their own.  Plus, there are no vapors of burning plastic to stink up the room, making for a more pleasant tool.

The Creopop plunges out the gel using an onboard motor, which is hardened as soon as it leaves the nozzle using three UV lights that shoot straight at it.  It works untethered, so no cables to get in the way of your creation process, with an onboard battery good for up to two straight hours of drawing time.  The gel will automatically adhere to previously hardened gels, so you can build various parts of a creation separately, like five individual square panels that you then connect to each other to build a box using the pen.

Just like with plastic spools, the gels (which they call "cool inks," by the way) will be available in different colors.  Doing plastics better, however, they're also offering two types of premium cool inks, glow in the dark and temperature-sensitive, to add even more options in creativity, with plans to add more varieties down the line (e.g. conductive, magnetic, aromatic).
An Indiegogo campaign is currently running for the Creopop.  Pledges to reserve a unit starts at $79.