Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Rescued From Ecuador

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Rescued From Ecuador

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 07:00 AM PST

How did you spend your New Year’s Day? I’d bet that you had a better experience than Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Actually, Bezos is having a pretty rough start to the year 2014. On January 1st, as he was aboard a cruise ship vacationing in the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, he began to have some sharp pains. To make a long story short, these pains happened to be the result of kidney stones. Since there’s not much a cruise ship’s crew can do for passengers with kidney stones in the middle of the ocean, Bezos had to be flown by a helicopter to his personal aircraft. He was then taken to the US for surgery to remove the kidney stones. Bezos literally got the royal treatment, as it was the Ecuadorian Navy that rescued him from the ship.  It’s no fun being on a trip and getting sick, but being the founder of Amazon.com sure seems to have its perks. How many people regularly get rescued from cruise ships when they don’t feel well?

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Rescued From Ecuador

Here’s To Hoping For A Better 2014

Jeff Bezos is a fairly busy guy. As already mentioned, he is the CEO of Amazon – and he recently became the owner of the Washington Post. He also helped found a space exploration company. Forbes estimates that Bezos is worth $27.2 billion, so I guess the costs for all of the private airfare are just another drop in the bucket for him. Bezos also recently made the news when he spoke of the possibility of Amazon delivering packages with drones in the coming years.

I’m glad everything worked out for Bezos, as I’ve heard that kidney stones are brutal – I’d sure want to be rescued as well. Maybe his next project could be something relating to helping cruise ship passengers with kidney stones.

[Image via onenewspage]

SOURCE: http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/4/5274518/jeff-bezos-reportedly-airlifted-galapagos-kidney-stone

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Corning’s Gorilla Glass Kills Germs

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 06:00 AM PST

During CES 2014 US firm Corning announced that its Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass is now ready for orders. This special touchscreen glass contains ionic silver, a substance which has been known to fight germs for over 100 years.

Corning said that the glass can combat bacteria and fungi, with the protection lasting for the lifetime of the device that it is built in to.

Although some investors have voiced concerns about Corning’s competitior, GT Advanced Technologies, Corning itself has faith in the product.

Corning's Gorilla Glass Kills The Germs

 

“This innovation combines best-in-class antimicrobial function without compromising Gorilla Glass properties,” said the firm’s senior vice president James Steiner.

It’s Only Your Germs

Professor Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona, doesn’t think germs on your devices are a problem. “Touchscreens are a source of a wide range of microbes, but not much of an issue if you do not share it among other people – since, if you are the only one using it, it’s only your germs, he said.

Yet despite that opinion, a components expert from Techanalysis Research consultancy thinks there is a gap in the market for this type of product.

“This gives Corning an edge, even if it’s a bit of an odd edge,” said Bob O’Donnell. “There are clearly folks in the world who are very concerned about germs and carry antibacterial hand gel in their pockets. If vendors opt to pay extra for this glass I’m sure they will talk about its abilities. But it’s likely to be only a small niche of people for whom this would be the deciding factor when choosing between products,” he continued.

Currently Apple, Amazon LG, HTC and Samsung are among some of the companies using Corning’s products.

Corning has said that the new Gorilla Glass is ready for high-volume production and that several tech manufacturers are already testing it.

[Image via gizmodo]

SOURCE: http://www.corninggorillaglass.com/news-events/Corning-Unveils-Worlds-First-Antimicrobial-Cover-Glass-1

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Alicia Keys & BlackBerry Split 

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 05:00 AM PST

A little less than a year ago, Alicia Keys and BlackBerry came together and announced that the singer was to  be the brand’s new Global Creative Director. If you remember, my initial reaction was, “Whatever that means!”

While BlackBerry did insist that Alicia Keys had a direct hand in its operations – including launching a scholarship program geared at encouraging women to enter science and technology – my reaction may have been totally justified. After all, the news is that Alicia Keys and BlackBerry are parting ways starting January 30. That’s right, folks, the entertainer is no longer going to represent BlackBerry as its Global Creative Director.

Alicia Keys & BlackBerry Split 

Aside from the scholarship program, what has Alicia Keys done for the brand? I suppose we can count her publicity appearances, tweets (although I seem to remember her promoting BlackBerry using her iPhone on social media, which was, of course, immediately deleted), and using her BlackBerry in her concerts.

I’m no expert, but that does seem lacking – especially with the associated title. Brand ambassador sounds more like it!

In any case, the collaboration between Alicia Keys and BlackBerry is a short-lived one. And you have to admit that the lifespan is rather understandable as well.

In recent times, BlackBerry has been undergoing significant changes. It is no secret that the company has been engaged in a long – if not perpetual – struggle to keep its head above water. It has been releasing ridiculously posh phones which do not really bring much to the table. It released BBM for iOS and Android. And, only about two months ago, BlackBerry fired its CEO.

BlackBerry’s move to say bye to Alicia Keys might be one of the smartest things it has done in recent times. With its seriously serious issues, it could use the money it pays the singer for something more worthwhile.

In the meantime, Alicia Keys’s career could use more of her attention.

[Image via mashable]

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Sony Sirius To Have 20MP Camera

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 04:00 AM PST

In recent years, companies have given their new secret weapons codenames to shroud the products in more mystery.  There has been many rumours about some of the codenames for upcoming Sony devices and now there has been some information being bantered about regarding some of the specs for the Sirius, which all believe will be announced at CES.

The press conference from Sony is scheduled for 5pm PST, 8pm EST, and 1am GMT. Nobody knows exactly what Sony has to show the world over these next few days, but I think that Sirius is going to be one of them.

Sony Sirius To Have 20MP Camera

The alleged specs for the Sony Sirius are that it has the new Snapdragon 805 processor, which is an upgrade from the Snapdragon 800. It’s also featuring a 5.2-inch 2560×1440 resolution display, 3GB of RAM, a massive 20.7MP camera on the back, along with a 3500mAh battery inside powering it all. Not to mention it’s going to have Android 4.4 KitKat as the OS. This would make it the first device from Sony to launch on the most up-to-date version of Android.

Of course, this is not all that Sony has up its sleeve for the coming year. There is another flagship allegedly due out around May. It is codenamed the Canopus but unfortunately there is no information regarding the specs.  If the specs are indeed true then the Sony Sirius appears to be a state of the art device and it seems like a fitting upgrade from the Xperia Z1.  Sony is renowned for having a good battery life on their devices, but packing in a 3500mAh battery in this device should definitely give you great battery life, even with a massive 2560×1440 resolution display.

Sony’s press event starts at 5pm PST from Las Vegas at CES 2014.

[Image via androidheadlines]

SOURCE: http://www.gizbot.com/mobile/sony-sirius-5-2-inch-2k-display-smartphone-snapdragon-ces-2014-news-015098.html

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World’s First Smart Toothbrush For A Sparkly Smile

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 03:00 AM PST

The world’s first connected toothbrush was unveiled on Sunday at CES 2014 in Las Vegas. The Kolibree smart toothbrush will help you achieve that Hollywood pearly white smile and generally improve your oral health.

The toothbrush connects to the accompanying app via bluetooth. It’s through the app that your every brush stroke is recorded. It will then tell you whether you brushed your teeth for long enough and whether you were able to clean the important and more difficult-to-reach areas of your teeth and gums.

World's First Smart Toothbrush For A Sparkly Smile

You can sync several smart toothbrushes to the one app so it is useful for the whole family. If you have a child who has an aversion to cleaning their teeth, then the rewards and score board should encourage them to improve their oral hygiene.

 

A spokesperson for the company said: “It’s like a FitBit for your teeth, the more you know about the health, the smarter you can be about how to approach it. The same should apply to dental care and oral care hasn’t been updated in years.”

The Kolibree smart toothbrush will ship later this year and models will vary in price from $100 to $200.

[Image via macrumors]

SOURCE: http://mashable.com/2014/01/05/kolibree-connected-toothbrush/

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Flexible Chip Can Be Wrapped Around A Human Hair

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 02:00 AM PST

Scientists are clever people aren’t they?  They research and develop all kinds of wonderful tech for use in the real world by people like you and me.  I have no idea how this next innovation will be used but the possibilities are going to be far reaching, from medical to clothing I expect.  Scientists in Switzerland have created electronic chips so flexible they can be wrapped around a human hair.

The technique entails constructing an electronic circuit on top of a sandwich of polyvinyl layers balanced on a hard base.  The wafer is then placed in water, which dissolves two of the polyvinyl layers and causes the base to be released, sinking to the bottom of the dish.  The remaining circuit is embedded on a light, transparent non-soluble polymer film called parylene that is just a millionth of a metre or one micrometre thick.

Flexible Chips

The created transistors continue to work even when wrapped around a human hair, which in case you didn’t know, is approximately 50 micrometres thick, according to the research published in the journal Nature Communications.

If these Ultraflexible electronics can be achieved by dissolving a polymer layer and releasing a thin polymer film from a host substrate, then the ultra-bendable chip may have medical uses and has before now been actually tested on an artificial eye in laboratory conditions.  The experimental chip was added to a contact lens to act as a monitor for glaucoma, in which pressure builds up dangerously in the eyeball, the team has said.

The invention also has many other potential outlets, from “flexible solar cells to wearable bio-sensors”, they said.  The electronics “can be transferred on any object, surface and on biological tissues like human skin and plant leaves,” according to the study led by Giovanni Salvatore at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.

[Image via ibmresearchnews]

SOURCE: http://phys.org/news/2014-01-ultra-flexible-chip-hair.html

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Control Your Garage Door With Open-Me App

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 01:00 AM PST

Don’t you just hate that feeling you get when you can’t remember if you left the garage door open? And if you can’t remember that thought will just keep bouncing around in your head until you can actually verify whether your door is in fact open or shut. It’s not rocket science to know that you shouldn’t leave your garage door open while you’re gone. But what can you do if you’re at work, no one’s at home, and you can’t seem to reach any of your neighbors? Honestly, until now there wasn’t much you could’ve done besides clocking out and driving home to close the door yourself. And who wants to do that?

Thankfully, though, there is now some specialized equipment and a free app that will allow you to control your garage door from anywhere by using your phone. It is known simply as Open-Me, and it was created by Justin Menkveld.

Your Phone Controls Your Garage Door With Open-Me

But How Does It Work?

Apparently, it’s really simple to install and use. Once you install the appliance (which includes GPS technology) onto your garage door remote, Open-Me mostly does the rest for you. The appliance connects to your home network. Once it is connected, all you have to do is set up your GPS preferences. For instance, you can choose to set it up to automatically close the door when you move 100 feet away from the door, and to open itself again once you are in a 100 foot range.

You can also see the status of your door (see image above) whenever you want to know if it’s open or shut. If that’s not enough comfort, premium users of Open-Me also have access to a video feed of their door at all times.

Open-Me is currently seeking funding through Kickstarter, and you can learn more about it here. It works with iOS, Android, and more.

Does Open-Me seem like a product you would use?

[Image via allistuff]

SOURCE: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1323801281/open-me-control-your-garage-door-from-your-phone-0

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