Microscale 3-D Printing

Despite the excitement that 3-D printing has generated, its capabilities remain rather limited. It can be used to make complex shapes, but most commonly only out of plastics. Even manufacturers using an advanced version of the technology known as additive manufacturing typically have expanded the material palette only to a few types of metal alloys. But what if 3-D printers could use a wide assortment of different materials, from living cells to semiconductors, mixing and matching the “inks” with precision?

Jennifer Lewis, a materials scientist at Harvard University, is developing the chemistry and machines to make that possible. She prints intricately shaped objects from “the ground up,” precisely adding materials that are useful for their mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, or optical traits. This means 3-D printing technology could make objects that sense and respond to their environment. “Integrating form and function,” she says, “is the next big thing that needs to happen in 3-D printing.”

                                                                                                   

 Left: For the demonstration, the group formulated four polymer inks, each dyed a different color. 

Right: The different inks are placed in standard print heads. 

Bottom: By sequentially and precisely depositing the inks in a process guided by the group’s software, the printer quickly produces the colorful lattice.

A group at Princeton University has printed a bionic ear, combining biological tissue and electronics (see “Cyborg Parts”), while a team of researchers at the University of Cambridge has printed retinal cells to form complex eye tissue. But even among these impressive efforts to extend the possibilities of 3-D printing, Lewis’s lab stands out for the range of materials and types of objects it can print.

Why QHD is the future of smartphones?

2014 is shaping up to be the year of QHD displays on our smartphones. The Oppo Find 7 and Vivo Xplay 3Ssignalled the start, and now the Chinese manufacturers have been joined by the Korean mobile giant of LG and the LG G3.

Quad HD (QHD) comes with four times more pixels than a 720p HD display and it's the next step up from full HD (1920 x 1080) with a 2560 x 1440 resolution.

Of course 4K still resides above QHD, but that tech is only just making its way onto high-end TVs and computer monitors so we're unlikely to see it hit our smartphones this year.

While the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8 launched with full HD screens there are rumors pointing towards QHD reboots of both in the form of the Galaxy S5 Primeand One M8 Prime.

• Read our hands on: LG G3 review

Looking back mobile displays have dramatically increased both in size and resolution whilst managing to keep battery life fairly impressive; just take a look at HTC's One M8.

Screens have grown from the 3.7-inch, 480 x 800 (252 ppi) Google Nexus One of 2010 to the full HD displays of the 5.1-inch (432ppi) Galaxy S5 and 5.2-inch (424ppi) Sony Xperia Z2 in 2014.

The difference that four years has made is nothing short of astounding.

It was only a matter of time before manufacturers looked for the next step in screen technology, so the arrival of the 538ppi, 5.5-inch QHD LG G3 and reports of potential M8 Prime and S5 Prime handsets are hardly a surprise.

Why oh why?

Why are mobile manufacturers so interested in QHD displays at the moment? According to Michelle Leyden Li, Qualcomm's Senior Director of Marketing, the answer is simply 'us'.

"Consumers never seem to be satisfied and people want more and more things on their devices," Li explains.

"People are using their phones more for movies, TV, video... it's their own personal device and they want a beautiful experience."

It is that experience that is driving consumers to the high end flagship devices, with Apple's Retina display causing excitement when it was released on the iPhone 4.

There's always an appetite for ever brighter and more high resolution displays, as it leads to consumers feeling like they're getting a next generation of technology for their money.

As consumers we might be the ones pushing for increased resolutions, but is it really in our best interests? According the Huawei boss Richard Yu the answer is a very clear no.

"I don't think we need QHD displays on mobiles. Your eyes totally cannot identify between full HD and 2K on a smartphone. You can't distinguish the difference, so it's totally nonsense," Yu told us at the launch of the firm's Ascend P7 flagship.

"We can [put a QHD display on a smartphone], but it's very bad for power consumption and it doesn't offer anything in return."

LG doesn't agree with Mr Yu - shock horror - with the QHD display providing the same resolution we're accustomed to in high resolution printed magazines and art books.

"We don't want to compete with someone else in the digital world [when it comes to displays]. LG is known for creating beautiful displays for years, and with the QHD screen we're trying to end that battle," explained Dr Ramchan Woo, head of smartphone development at LG.

The need for QHD on the G3 came from LG's research in the print industry, where it found that high res art books have pages equating to around 540ppi.

That pixel density can be matched by QHD displays, and LG claims it also offers improved colour reproduction and sharpness when viewing text.

Apple's 'transparent texting' tech lets iPhone users safely message while moving

To enable a "transparent texting" system, Apple proposes that an app's background be modified to display video images continuously captured by an iPhone's rear-facing camera, according to a patent application filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. 

Due to their inherently mobile nature, smartphones are often used while moving. This is fine for voice calls, but could be problematic for operations that demand visual attention like reading or writing text messages. Aside from appearing antisocial, texting could potentially cause bodily harm if a user operates their device while walking. 

If smartphones were to have a transparent display, or a system that offers the illusion of transparency, users would be more aware of their surroundings. 

The implementation as described by Apple is quite simple. A device uses its rear-facing camera to continuously capture video and present the images as a background within a text messaging app currently being displayed. The onscreen result would be offer the illusion of a transparent display with floating text. 

In one embodiment, the live video background is displayed behind the usual dynamic user interface seen in iMessage, complete with colored bubbles denoting a chat session between two or more people. These bubbles may be opaque or, in some cases, partially transparent to allow greater visibility of the live background. 

The system can be activated via an in-app button that transforms the GUI from the normal white background to a live video version. Extending the application beyond messaging apps, the live video feed can be used in other situations requiring a significant amount of visual concentration. For example, the implementation may be an option in the use of mobile Web browsers, where text and images would float over the live-view background. Another embodiment covers e-book readers such as Apple's iBooks.

While not a completely foolproof system (users must point the iPhone camera straight ahead while walking for full visibility), Apple's invention proves the company is actively investigating unique ways to leverage existing hardware technology for the purpose of enhancing the mobile device experience.It is unknown if Apple is planning to work such a feature into its next iOS build, but the tech required to enable similar functionality is already in place. A transparent texting window could even be considered a good fit with the new "flat," layered iOS 7 design aesthetic. 

YouTube, Facebook Account for Nearly a Third of Mobile Traffic

Facebook and YouTube are now dominating mobile traffic shares in early 2014, as more people shift to a mobile device to upload photos to social networks and watch cat videos.Facebook and YouTube now account for 32% of data sent to and from mobile devices, according to a report by Sandvine. Individually, Facebook's share was 26.9% for upstream traffic and had a 14% share for downstream traffic during peak periods in North America through the beginning of this year, while YouTube only had 3.7% share for upstream traffic, but a 17.6% share for downstream.With Facebook's high upstream traffic, it seems users are uploading photos and videos from mobile devices more than ever before on the social network. YouTube's downstream traffic share is essentially unchanged from the Sandvine's number from last year, 17.7%.

The following chart, created by Statista, lists the top 10 web services ranked by mobile traffic share. 

Adobe Launches Standalone Storytelling App for iPad

Many of Adobe's mobile offerings have been extensions of the company's popular software products, such as Photoshop or Lightroom.

Increasingly, however, Adobe is focusing on providing more tools for its mobile users. The company rolled out Adobe Voice Thursday, an all-new storytelling app for iPad users.

SEE ALSO: The 25 Best Free iPad Apps

The app gives users a way to easily create and share animated videos that combine images, music, voice recordings and special effects.

"Adobe Voice puts the power of Creative Cloud's industry-leading video and audio technology into the hands of the masses," Winston Hendrickson, Adobe's vice-president of products for Creative Media Solutions, said in a release.

The app is meant be simple to use, and provide people — especially those who may not be able to use traditional video-editing software — with ways to tell stories through video.

Users begin by choosing from a preset story template that helps outline the structure of their video. They can then import their own photos, draw from the app's library of 25,000 icons or search the web for their own images.

Adobe also included specially created soundtracks, so users can add music to fit the story. Users can also record their own voiceovers.

The company said it envisions the app to be particularly useful in schools, where students and teachers may want to create interactive videos, but don't necessarily have the knowledge or resources to use conventional video software. Adobe even had students and teachers test the app during its beta period.

News of Adobe Voice first surfaced last fall, when images of the app's private beta, codenamed "Ginger," leaked online.

Nokia XL announced at MWC 2014 : Nokia’s Android Vision in a 5-inch phablet

While everyone believed that Nokia will be announcing one Android phone, the company took MWC by surprise with three Android-based phones. The Nokia X and X+ are the 4-inch budget phones, while the Nokia XL is the 5-inch phablet version of Nokia’s Android reworking.

Just like its smaller siblings, the Nokia XL will be available in dual-SIM configuration in Q2 this year and thanks to the larger display and better camera, it sports a higher 109 euros price tag. Officially, the Nokia XL will run the Nokia X software platform that’s based on Android Open Source Project, with Microsoft and Nokia services baked in, instead of Google’s services.

The 5-inch IPS display might sound good, but it has a lowly WVGA resolution of 800×480 pixels, which might just be a tad too low-res for a display this size. We’ll have to see it in person, before making any judgment though.

Just like the other X phones, the XL boasts the Snapdragon S4 dual-core 1GHz processor, but it gets 768 MB of RAM, along with the 4GB internal storage. There’s also the provision for a microSD card slot. It gets a 2-megapixel front-facing camera along with a 5-megapixel primary shooter, which also has an LED flash.

In terms of connectivity options, the XL gets Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and 3G for cellular connectivity. The 2000 mAh battery is removable and is rated for 16 hours of talk time on 2G and 13 hours on 3G, along with a standby time of 30 days.

Users can sideload apps, and get access to third-party app stores and Nokia’s own store. You will find Microsoft essentials such as Skype, Outlook and OneDrive on the Nokia XL, while search is powered by Bing. Users will get one month of free Skype calls to mobiles and landlines when they purchase the Nokia XL.

The 12 Best Free Photoshop Plugins for Designers

While Adobe Photoshop is a powerful, creative platform, using plugins can help to extend its capabilities and use it to its full potential. Using an add-on can help you perform tedious or difficult tasks in a more efficient manner, enabling you to spend more time on design.

There are thousands of plugins to choose from, but many are outdated and no longer work with updated versions of Photoshop. We've collected the best free plugins you can download, install and start using right away.

1.Social Kit

Social Kit provides customizable templates for four of the biggest social networks -- Facebook, Google+, Twitter and YouTube -- along with a variety of social buttons. Each template is fully sliced and customizable, and the plugin automatically updates when there's a minor change to the social sites' designs You can see your design changes in real time, and you can add contributors to projects to help improve it.

2.Layrs Control

Layrs Control is a free plugin that houses a collection of scripts to make the more mundane tasks in Photoshop. It provides five main features, including a layer name editor and options to remove any unused effects, flatten all layer effects, delete empty layers to cut down the file size, and rasterize smart objects.

3.Cut&Slice Me

Cut&Slice lets you export your assets to different devices in seconds, and it improves your workflow by naming your layers. You can cut and export files in PNG format, trimming extraneous pixels or specifying you size you require. Cut&Slice also exports your button states.

Exported files have unsupported characters in the file name removed, with support for .xxdpi, .Idpi, .mdpi and .hdpi. While Photoshop hasn't changed the way it exports for the web for years, Cut&Slice offers new capabilities, allowing you to create overlapping slices and exporting only what you need with maximum detail.

4.CSS3Ps

CSS3Ps is a free cloud-based Photoshop plugin that converts your layers to CSS3. Since it's based in the cloud, the updates and bug-fixes are transparent, so there's no need to update the plugin to use new features. It's easy to use -- just select your layers and click the CSS3Ps button, and it directs you to the CSS3Ps webpage where the output is generated.

The plugin features support for vendor prefixes for cross-browser compatibility, SASS and SCSS support, border radius, stroke, gradient overlay, drop shadow, outer glow, and inner glow. You can select multiple layers and groups of layers at once and convert them with one click, with additional support for blending modes, bevel and emboss. It's worth noting that in order for the plugin to convert appropriately, you need to use the correct Photoshop effects.

5.BlendMe.In

BlendMe.in is a plugin for both Photoshop and Illustrator that lets you search thousands of assets (including popular icon packs) that you can simply drag and drop into you canvas and continue work. All the icons are vector format, so they're inserted as smart objects and are infinitely scalable.

The assets are provided under the Creative Commons Attribution license, so you can use them in your personal and commercial projects. If you wish to have your collection of icons or assets considered, simply email the developer. All you need to do is install it via the extensions manager and you're ready to start.

The interface sits within the Photoshop panel, so it's unobtrusive and makes it easy to drag assets onto your canvas.

6.Renderly

Renderly will automatically exports screens, assets and detailed design specs, and with its smart technology, only those elements that have changed are exported. All you need to do is use a proper prefix and Render.ly will do the rest.

To keep your icons as vectors, simply add a prefix of "ico." For buttons, name a group with "btn" and create a state (e.g., add ":hover") at the end of the name inside that group. To export images, add "img" as a prefix and the image will be exported as a raster graphic. Inside your group, each variant must have a "+" in front of the layer name, and Renderly will automatically export as many screens or variants as you require. Each top level group is treated as a separate screen, so you can design your entire app or website in one PSD file.

Renderly is currently in private beta, but it's accepting new designers -- simply sign up for a chance to preview it.

7.Guide Guide

Dealing with multiple guides in Photoshop can be a pain, but using GuideGuide makes it easy to have pixel-accurate columns, rows, midpoints and baselines based on your document or selection. Your frequently used guide sets can be used for future use, with the ability to use multiple types of measurements.

The plugin works with Photoshop CS5, CS6 and CC and is simple to install. You can also use the plugin to measure exactly how wide a navigation element should be to fit evenly across the width of a site, as well as creating baseline grids and element padding.

8.Composer

Composer lets you update multiple layer comps in Photoshop with a single click, meaning less maintenance and more designing. It works on Photoshop CS5 or higher.

Select any layers or groups to which want to apply changes and use one of the four commands to update the selected layers: Update Layer Style, Update Position, Update Visibility and Update All. The plugin sits inside the Photoshop panel for easy access.

9.WebFont

The Web Font plugin lets you design with your desired website fonts from within Photoshop, with access to thousands of web fonts from prestigious foundries. It works in combination with professional font manager Suitcase Fusion 5 and web font service WebINK.

You can preview any font while you're working on a design, without having to download and install individual fonts to use in Photoshop. If you've chosen a font from WebINK, you only pay for the fonts that you use in your final site. It's important to note, however, that you can't use fonts purchased from WebINK for derivative work -- only as part of the website design process. When new fonts are added, they're available automatically.

10.Flaticon

Flaticon is a free project, created for and by designers and developers. It's home to one of the largest databases of free vector icons, available to download in SVG, PSD or PNG formats. You can also convert icons into web fonts, with all the icons on Flaticon completely scalable and editable, and accessible to any screen reader.

You have instant access to more than 31,000 icons. The database always stays synchronized so you never have to worry about manually updating the icon collection. The plugin has support for Photoshop CS5, CS6 and CC, and it's compatible with both Windows and Mac OS X.

11.Breeezy

Breeezy is a free plugin that adds multilayer export functionality to Photoshop. This makes it quick and easy to prepare graphics for app development or websites. It features the ability to save a layer's transparency when exporting, pass layer names to files, and organize all exported files and assets in one folder.

It works with Photoshop CS5 and higher on both Windows and Mac OS X.

12.Save Panel

Save Panel is a Photoshop plugin that optimizes file saving, meaning that you can configure the buttons to save documents with your favorite settings. It features the ability to customize the destination folder (either absolute or relative), image dimensions, file type and filename. Using the Save Panel with a service such as Dropbox lets you effectively share images with other people directly from Photoshop.

It's easy to configure, with no limitations on how many buttons you can create and customize. To set up, simply save presets created in the options dialog -- each preset will then be represented with a button on the panel, giving you quick access to your favorite settings.

Skype to Achieves Video calls with 3D Holographic Avatars this year

The growth in video communication has been exponential. Skype now boasts 300 million users, and a 2012 Ipsos/Reuters poll revealed one in five people worldwide now frequently “telecommuted” to work. But Star Trek fans will be happy to hear that incoming technology will add a further dimension to international conference calls. Known as holographic telepresence, it involves transmitting a three-dimensional moving image of you at each destination – allowing you to converse as if you were in the room. One system from Musion, based in Britain, uses Pepper’s Ghost, an effect popular with illusionists, to beam moving images onto sloped glass. Musion has already digitally resurrected rapper Tupac Shakur at a music festival. But full 3D holographic communication is not far behind – in the shape of the Polish company Leia. Named after the Star Wars princess, its Leia Display XL uses laser projectors to beam images onto a cloud of water vapour. The result is a walk-in holographic room, in which 3D objects can be viewed and manipulated from every angle. An IBM survey of 3,000 researchers recently named holographic video calls as one technology they expected to see in place in the next year or so.

Amazon RDS Supports PostgreSQL!

Amazon cloud based services have officially announced that they will be upgrading their support to include PostGreSQL in their list of supported database architecture. This will provide users with the flexibility of cloud services while working with systems that utilize PostgreSQL. Such increased flexibility enables users to easily create, manage, scale and optimize their PostGre setups.

Looking back at the traditional process involved, PostGreSQL database creation and management used to be a complex and cumbersome process that involved a lot of effort and technical know-how. Amazon aims to simplify this process by utilizing its SaaS, PaaS and IaaS capabilities. With a powerful and efficient management console provided by Amazon, users will now be able to easily create and manage PostGre instances. The console provides autoconfigured instances with prefilled parameters that help users to set up instances with just a few mouse clicks.

The main advantage of Amazon RDS is that the user will be able to use all the tools and services that are currently available with database engines. PostGre has become the leading trend in web and mobile application development and this drift will increase with support from Amazon.

The current integration from Amazon includes a few key functional and feature specifications which makes it truly user friendly and efficient. Specifications are explained below:

* Amazon RDS provides the option to select preconfigured parameters and settings. This allows quick creation, deployment and management of PostGreSQL instances.

* Analytics feature has been optimized to allow real time monitoring and tracking of usage statistics and information.

* Another amazing feature is the automated status/activity update. This feature updates the user by sending an SMS or email notification to the registered email address/mobile number.

* Version control and patch management are handled by the system. This process is automated and allows the system to patch the database and maintain proper versioning.

*  Amazon has optimized speed and performance figures. This has been done by modifying the IOPS range and provisioning it to more than 25,000 PostGreSQL.

*  Scaling of database is a piece of cake in Amazon RDS. As always, easy scalability is an advantage of PostGreSQL instances in Amazon.

*  Apart from this, Amazon also provides enhanced security and backup/restoration mechanisms.

Main Features:

Location-based services – Amazon supports location-based geolocation services with PostGre. This is termed as PostGIS service and extends the relational schema to a geospatial data architecture.

Multiple language support – The support for multiple code level languages has been included. There are three language extensions to support Perl, pgSQL and Tcl.

Enhanced search – Amazon ensures a perfected search mechanism that allows users to perform text-based searches.

JSON support – The system supports JSON communication for data manipulation and Hstore function.

Apart from these, the system includes all core features of PostGreSQL database.

Next Generation USB Connector

As mobile devices get increasingly slimmer, so too will their corresponding USB connectors. Even better, you won't have to flip the cable when you try to slip it in upside down. Finally Development for the next-generation USB connector, called the Type-C, is underway and will be thinner and sleeker than current USB 3.0 cables (pictured above), according to the USB 3.1 Promoter Group, which is made up of industry heavy hitters including Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and Intel.

To pack the powerful punch of the USB 3.1 standard, which can move data at 10 gigabits per second, into a smaller cable, it will closely resemble the USB 2.0 Micro-B. But it has a few advantages over existing models: Specifically, it's reversible, meaning users no longer need to worry about plug orientation. 

The plug design is similar to the Apple's Lightning cables and will take away one of USB's main frustrations. The downside is that the new cables won't work with existing connectors.

The Type-C connector is built on existing USB 3.1 and USB 2.0 technologies and will have scalable power capabilities, meaning it will be able to charge a wide range of gadgets.

“While USB technology is well established as the favored choice for connecting and powering devices, we recognize the need to develop a new connector to meet evolving design trends in terms of size and usability,” said Brad Saunders, USB 3.0 Promoter Group Chairman, in a statement. “The new Type-C connector will fit well with the market’s direction and affords an opportunity to lay a foundation for future versions of USB.”

Data Deduplication – A Perfect Tool for Database Management

Efficient management and storage of data is usually a problem that most organizations face these days. There are various methods and technologies which are in place to solve this issue. The amount of space available for storage must be used efficiently so as to store maximum data in minimum space. Data Deduplication is a method which looks for repetition or redundancy in sequences of bytes over a large collection of data. The first uniquely stored version of a data sequence is referenced at further points than be stored again. Data deduplication is also known as intelligent compression or single-instance storage method.

File Level Deduplication

In its most common form, deduplication is done at the file level. It means that no file which is identical is stored again and this is done by filtering the incoming data and processing it so as to avoid repeated storage of the same file unnecessarily. This level of deduplication is known as single-instance storage (SIS) method. Another level of deduplication occurs at block level, where blocks of data that are similar in two non identical files, are identified and only one copy of the block is stored. This method frees up more space than the former, as it analyzes and compares data at a deeper level.

Target Level Deduplication

The second type of implementation is at the target level which is the backup system.The deployment is easier compared to the first source type. There are two types of implementation – inline or post process. In inline implementation the deduplication is done before the data is written or stored to the backup disk.This requires less storage which is an advantage but more time as the backup process can be completed only after the deduplication filtering is done. In the case of post process data the storage space requirement is higher but deployment happens much faster. These methods are chosen depending on the system, the amount of data to be handled, the storage space available for the system as well as back up, the processor capacity and the time constraints.

The greatest advantage is less storage requirements which improves bandwidth efficiency. As primary data storage have become inexpensive over the years, organizations tend to maintain backup data of a project for a longer period so that new employees can reuse certain data for future projects. These data storehouses need to have cooling process with proper maintenance and hence consumes a lot of electric power. The amount of disk or tapes which the organization needs to buy and maintain for data storage also reduces, thus reducing  the total cost for storage. Deduplication can reduce the bandwidth requirements for backup and in some cases it can also boost both backup and recovery process.

Cloud based 3D Streaming

Cloud based services have taken a huge leap from being a young niche technology to a matured and highly optimized environment. This drastic change is becoming more and more visible in most of the technological advances of the day. This write-up will walk you through one of the latest advances in cloud based technology, related to 3D content management.

3D streaming and content rendering has always been a challenge for developers and supporting team members. To understand this complexity, we need to have an understanding about how a 3D model is generated. In simple terms, a graphical element/image is a set of pixels (smallest units of a graphical element). Pixels are tiny blocks containing a specific color and location on the screen. A large number of pixels arranged together in a specific order forms an image. Since its inception, graphics processing has transformed in a huge scale. This transaction started with the basic 2D graphic models with little to no dynamics or effects.

In this case, graphic processing was often termed as “memory-mapped models” wherein, developers used to code the location and color of each pixel in an image. This process was fairly simple and practical in the case of basic 2D models and images. As the technology grew, graphic rendering and associated image delivery platforms (graphic cards, display units, etc.) also began changing forms and sizes. This was followed by the developments in 3 dimensional image processing and rendering, wherein the concept of “Depth” was also introduced in graphics processing.

Now, 3D technology reaches its next milestone where it will be made available to users via cloud based services. This means that users will have 3D rendering and content delivery at their fingertips with the help of 3D streaming technology from Amazon. Amazon is already prepared to provide 3D streaming services to its users via EC2’s new G2 instances. The new G2 instances consist of robust and well set infrastructure that ensures a great 3D experience to its users. As detailed in their company website, the new G2 instances will have:

·         NVIDIA GRID™ technology using GK104 “Kepler”. This will be a Graphics Processing Unit that has 1,536 CUDA cores and at least 4 GB of video (frame buffer) RAM.

·         Intel Sandy Bridge processor running at 2.6 GHz with Turbo Boost enabled, 8 vCPUs (Virtual CPUs).

·         Minimum of 15 GiB of RAM.

·         Around 60 GB of Solid state disk storage.

One limitation or rather, “feature” as the company calls it, would be the requirement for a client software/product that runs on “Remote Framebuffer Protocol” or RFP. This will be required in order to detect the GPU present in the remote cloud based system. A very good and common example for such a compatible product would be “Teamviewer”, as it provides the flexibility, ease of use and compatibility with the new G2 instances. The new G2 architecture would also work with non-RFP based products, but the GPU would remain undetected in this case.

The new G2 technology using EC2 clusters presents a great window of opportunity for end users to utilize the capability of cloud based graphics rendering technology. We can surely look forward to a drastic increase in quality of graphically processed products in the near future.

Biohacker Implants Smartphone-Sized Sensor Into His Arm

The above image is a photo of biohacker Tim Cannon, the so-called “DIY Cyborg” who implanted a Circadia 1.0 computer chip the size of a smartphone under the skin of his forearm.

The wirelessly charged sensor, developed over the course of 18 months by Cannon and his fellow hackers/artists at Grindhouse Wetware, monitors his vital signs, then transmits that real-time data via Bluetooth to his Android device.

Cannon told Vice’s Motherboard that Circadia 1.0 could “send me a text message if it thinks that I’m getting a fever.” The device could then help determine what factors are causing the fever. Future versions of the sensor are expected to monitor the pulse and — thankfully — come in a smaller, less ghastly package.

As if the bulging device, bruised skin and crude stitches weren’t an obvious giveaway, the procedure was not medically approved, so Cannon recruited some body modification pioneers to perform the surgery. Not only that, he did it “raw dog,” without anesthesia.

“I think that our environment should listen more accurately and more intuitively to what’s happening in our body,” Cannon said. “So if, for example, I’ve had a stressful day, the Circadia will communicate that to my house and will prepare a nice relaxing atmosphere for when I get home: dim the lights, let in a hot bath.”

Cannon expects the first production series of the chip to be ready in a few months and said it will cost around $500. But since the implant procedure will certainly still be medically unapproved, interested hackers will have to seek out the body modification community to have it done. Steve Haworth, the body modification expert who conducted Cannon’s surgery, said he would charge around $200 for the procedure.

STEAM OS

According to Valve's site, "SteamOS combines the rock-solid architecture of Linux with a gaming experience built for the big screen. It will be available soon as a free stand-alone operating system for living room machines."

SteamOS will tie in with Steam, and "you don’t have to give up your favorite games, your online friends, and all the Steam features you love just to play on the big screen. SteamOS, running on any living room machine, will provide access to the best games and user-generated content available."

Valve says Steam OS has "achieved significant performance increases in graphics processing, and we’re now targeting audio performance and reductions in input latency at the operating system level. Game developers are already taking advantage of these gains as they target SteamOS for their new releases."

"Steam is not a one-way content broadcast channel, it’s a collaborative many-to-many entertainment platform, in which each participant is a multiplier of the experience for everyone else," Valve writes. "With SteamOS, “openness” means that the hardware industry can iterate in the living room at a much faster pace than they’ve been able to. Content creators can connect directly to their customers. Users can alter or replace any part of the software or hardware they want. Gamers are empowered to join in the creation of the games they love. SteamOS will continue to evolve, but will remain an environment designed to foster these kinds of innovation."