Say hello to the new HP Chromebook 14: Hewlett Packard’s new laptop is the first of the Chromebook series with an Intel Haswell processor.The UK model will only have 3G, but there is a 4G version available in US markets. Selected deals in the US can get consumers up to 200MB of data per month for two years on a T-Mobile contract.  On making enquiries to HP as to whether there will be a similar sort of deal with a 4G network here in Britain and currently there isn’t.



The Chromebook 14 or Chromebook¹⁴, as HP themselves style it, has a 14-inch high-definition screen. Under the hood is a 16GB solid-state drive, with HDMI, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connectivity and a combined headphone and microphone jack.  The  Chromebook 14 comes in white, turquoise and coral peach, which in reality is actually just pink


What you Need to Know About Chrome Laptops

The Chromebook series is based around Google’s Chrome operating system. Examples include the hugely high-resolution Chromebook Pixel the Samsung Series 5, or the bargain £200 Acer C7. They do not have software installed on them like a normal laptop, instead they need to be connected to the Web and rely on apps that connect to the Internet, including Google apps like Gmail, YouTube, and Google+ Hangouts. You also get 100 GB of free storage on Google Drive to keep files, documents and pictures for a two year period.  The HP Chromebook 14 hits the UK shelves in November, starting at £250.

What do you think of Chromebooks? Is the always-online requirement a heavy flaw? Tell me your thoughts in the comments

The bike is hung up in the garage waiting to be taken out again. But until somebody comes and moves the hills, or explains to you exactly how the gears work on the bike so you don’t feel as though you’re riding through wet concrete everywhere you go, the bike will stay hung up in the garage. That’s how most people feel about biking these days but Autobike has developed a new automatic bike that will make any road seem flat. Biking can be fun again according to the electric biking company from Detroit.

Smooth, Self-powered and Automatic

The SRAM front hub dynamo generates electric from every revolution of the front wheel. The electric is used to power the brain of the operation, a computer which is placed right behind the pedal crank. Sensors are able to detect the cadence of the cyclist and any incline in the road. The brain then caluculates the adjustments needed to keep the cyclist at their chosen cadence and changes the gears accordingly. Rather than experience rapid gear shifts that judder the bike and jar the rider, the developers have used a Nuvinci N360 rear hub transmission allowing for super smooth gear shifts.

All about the Cadence

Cadence is a term used to describe the amount of revolutions your pedals go through per minute while cycling. Most people fall within the range of 60 to 70 revolutions per minute (rpm) but when they climb a hill this will normally change depending on how well a person uses their gears.

Autobike uses automatic gear shifting to make sure that people can stay at the same rpm anywhere they go. The rpm is completely up to them and what makes them feel comfortable, making every road and hill seem flat. The co-founder of Autobike, Sean Simpson told Mashable; “we set out to create a bike that offers a fun experience that is accessible to anyone who wants to jump on a bike with zero training. They can just hop on and go.

Getting Back on the Bike

The Voyage and Voyage ST can be ordered from Autobike for $1,000. Developers are hoping the bikes will get people to return to biking and perhaps even forego the short ride on the subway or bus to work for a healthier, more economic bike ride.

Google looks for talent in BlackBerry's backyard

With Blackberry Ltd shedding staff in its hometown of Waterloo, Ontario, other tech companies, including Google Inc's Motorola Mobility unit, are moving to take advantage of a growing pool of local talentMotorola Mobility said on Thursday it plans to set up a new hub in Waterloo, located about an hour's drive west of Toronto.

"We have a small space right now and we're looking to grow considerably," said Derek Phillips,engineering director for Motorola Canada.

He declined to specify the number of new hires expected, but said the company was seeking computer science and engineering talent.

Google acquired Motorola Mobility last year in a $12.5 billion deal that gave it ownership of a large portfolio of communications patents. It has since moved to revamp the company's money-losing mobile phone business.

Google separately has its existing Canadian development headquarters in Waterloo, which boasts an in-office slide.

The company is one of hundreds of tech players with a presence the city, attracted in part by graduates of the University of Waterloo's highly ranked computer science, engineering and technology programs.

The vast majority of local technology companies are small startups looking to make a splash such as the one BlackBerry, then called Research in Motion, made after it pioneered pocket email in the 1990s.

But times have changed for BlackBerry, which said on Friday that it would cut about 4,500 workers, more than a third of its global workforce, and post a quarterly loss of nearly $1 billion.

It is unclear if the sale, if it goes through, will result in further job cuts.

START UPS HIRING

Phillips did not link Motorola's expansion to BlackBerry's troubles, but said the local talent pool was key to the area's appeal.

"The goal is to try to get just as many people who are interested to come out and hire as many people as we can. I think as long as we can find really good people, we will find a way to hire them," he said.

The hiring is not expected to come close to replacing the hole left by the BlackBerry cuts. But members of the local technology community noted that Motorola is not the only one looking to expand in the region.

Mobile payments company Square Inc plans to establish a permanent office in the area in 2014, spokeswoman Lindsay Wiese told Us

Avvey Peters, head of external relations at Communitech, a non-profit that bills itself as a regional hub for the tech sector, said she knew of about 1,000 job vacancies in the industry. She estimates the sector employs about 30,000 people.

"Certainly everybody's watching. Everybody's feeling for individuals who either have been laid off or are going to be," she added. "The local ecosystem created BlackBerry, not the other way around."

The job cuts are expected to strike a blow to the city and regional economy, given the knock-on-effect on retailers, the property market and local service providers.

The latest layoffs follow other cuts over the past three years as Blackberry bled market share to competitors such as Apple Inc and phones that use Google's Android operating system.

On Monday, BlackBerry said it agreed to sell itself for $4.7 billion to a consortium led by its biggest shareholder, Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd.

MeteoEarth is available for US$3.99 in the Google Play store.


You know those fancy, animated weather visualizations that you get on
the local television news broadcasts -- the ones with the 3D drill-down
dynamic graphics that make it appear as if the meteorologist is
directing the clouds? Well, you can now get something similar on your
Android device. MeteoGroup is a European producer of weather-in-motion
graphics that it supplies to broadcasters.

Heavy weather geeks are going to argue that you can't beat a set of pixelated, classic overlapping Doppler radars with all the science imaging they provide. However, where MeteoEarth comes in is with an overall picture of developing weather, including wind, and across vast regions. Like the difference between the scientist in the windowless office and the presenter, it's a different kettle of fish.

MeteoGroup is a European producer of weather-in-motion graphics that it supplies to broadcasters. Recently, it's made some of its graphic tools available in mobile form.

Not to shatter any illusions, but just like the weather forecasting itself, which is accomplished by scientists in windowless workspaces in drab offices around the world -- not the prancing, toothy guy in the shiny suit on TV -- many of the visualizations on TV are supplied by third parties. Germany-based MeteoGroup is one of those suppliers.

Gaming-Like Graphics

I'll go out on a limb here. MeteoEarth is a weather app unlike any other, and once you've seen its gaming-like graphics, you'll want it -- even if you're not a weather geek.

Unfortunately it's expensive at $3.99 in the Google Play store, plus an additional in-app purchase of $4.99 for a year's premium features. On the other hand, you're getting what you pay for.

If you've used Google's Earth product, you'll have an idea as to what to expect. This app is based around a highly visual 3D globe that, much like Google Earth, is navigated through touch, allowing you to spin effortlessly around, speedily visiting continents with God-like ease.

The globe's timeline is managed through a Play button on a bar that lets you visualize the high-resolution animated weather-in-motion in one-day or five-day time spans, depending on whether you've paid for the upgrade or not.

The whole shebang is compelling and an absolute pleasure to use. I found myself following the direction of moving cloud and watching weather unfold. Great stuff.

The Features

MeteoEarth's features include wind, rain, isobars and clouds; local time zones with graphically represented day and night; and moon phases with sun and moon graphics. A one-button link to sister program forecaster Weather Pro is included.

What's Missing

Missing features I would like to see in MeteoEarth include street-level graphics and roads -- it'd be nice to drill down to the neighborhood level -- and storm-tracking overlays. However, I understand that storm tracking is an upcoming feature, for future update



The Issues
I ran into a couple of issues with MeteoEarth. First, there's no instruction manual -- just a button-by-button description. I found this to be a gaping omission because there are features pitched that I would have liked to have used for the purposes of this review that I was unable to verify, because I couldn't figure out how to use them.

For example, you should be able to "intuitively" save an unlimited number of default views of a location, weather element and level of zoom. I was able to save one view, but I did have a good laugh at the developer's use of the work "intuitive" when describing the feature.

A help section would have helped.

Conclusion

If you enjoy those TV visualizations, go for this app

European Lawmakers Push for Universal Chargers

European Parliament committee wants to mandate uniform electronic chargers -- or, put differently, it wants Apple to cooperate. Also: Portugal could be next to block The Pirate Bay;

Members of the European Parliament's internal market and consumer protection committee voted unanimously Thursday in favor of a new law mandating universal chargers for mobile devices.

In addition to convenience -- German parliamentarian Barbara Weiler called the current situation "cable chaos" -- the measure is motivated by a desire to curb electronic waste.

While the measure is not necessarily targeted at Apple, the company is an obvious outlier. Apple chargers are notoriously incompatible with other devices (and vice versa).

In 2009, the European Commission partnered with the International Telecommunications Union and mobile phone manufacturers to create a voluntary agreement around the micro USB chargers. Apple signed up for the agreement but has yet to adopt such a charger.

Despite the committee's vote, the single-charger measure must still make it through the European Council and European Parliament.

Portugal to Pursue 'Pirate' Blockade

In Portugal, a coalition of copyright trade groups will file an injunction to force Internet service providers to block The Pirate Bay and other file-sharing sites.

The Pirate Bay, the 29th most-visited website in Portugal, has been similarly blocked in other European nations, including the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium.

The group filing the injunction, reportedly backed by major movie studios, says it will deliver the injunction by the end of the year. If successful, it would mark the first time that Portuguese ISPs would be required to block a website because of copyright concerns.

Plus

UN Report Details Global Broadband Growth

The United Nations Broadband Commission released a report on broadband and Internet use around the world.

By the end of the year, the total number of mobile broadband connections will hit 2.1 billion, the report says -- about three times more than fixed-line subscriptions.

Singapore and Japan lead the world in per-capital mobile broadband use, with 123 and 113 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, respectively.

Perhaps surprisingly, Oman and Kazakhstan, of all places, have higher broadband penetration than some European countries, including Germany and Switzerland. Meanwhile, Europe is tops in fixed-line broadband connections, with Switzerland leading the way at 41.9 subscriptions per 100 residents.

Europe is also tops in overall Internet use. Iceland -- which used the Internet to help draft its constitution -- is No. 1 at 96 percent.

Carbon Nanotube Computer Technology Breakthrough

Researchers at the Stanford University announced on Wednesday that they have created the first-ever working carbon nanotube computer.

They published their discovery in this week’s edition of Nature. The researchers, led by professors Subhasish and H.S Philip Wong call it “CEDRIC”, which they say loosely stands for carbon nanotube digital integrated circuit.

The reason for the excitement over this advancement comes as current silicon transistor computing is soon reaching its limit as the transistors can not get much smaller due to quantum effects. The new carbon nanotube transistors are the way forward because they can conduct electricity better than silicon and on a smaller scale.

Put into practical terms, carbon nanotube-based computers will be faster and more energy-efficient, which is always a challenge for manufacturers every time there is a new generation of processor.

The future is not problem free however. This technology is still new but the Stanford researchers have been able to solve some of the problems surrounding error connection. The system they have developed can switch off defective carbon nanotubes and come up with an algorithm which addresses misaligned carbon nanotubes that can short-circuit the system.

“People have been talking about a new era of carbon nanotube electronics moving beyond silicon,” Mitra said in a statement. “But there have been few demonstrations of complete digital systems using this exciting technology. Here is the proof.”

Although this is a key breakthrough for the technology, CEDRIC is still not able to carry out complex computations like a normal PC but the future looks promising. No doubt carbon-nanotube computers will be what our children use in the coming years.

search update for Google's 15th Birthday

The core algorithm for Google search has just been updated to handle longer, more complex question-like queries. The last major update to the search engine was back in 2010, with Caffeine, but the change to Hummingbird brings about the matching of past queries with new ones, making consecutive queries possible – for example, ask a question about something and then ask something else without actually naming the thing you're talking about. Google will remember what you're talking about. And relative queries – this or that – will also be possible.
The update also pairs voice search to text search, making your phone that much smarter when you're looking for something. Because voice searches tend to naturally be more complex than text searches, Google had to improve the way their search formulas worked. While the changes to the results you see may not be apparent to you, believe me, there's a lot of new mojo going on in the background. And they've already been happening, with the actual implementation of Hummingbird occuring a last month ago but only being announced yesteray at a birthday event in Google's legendary original garage

.The changes are built on Google's ''Knowledge Graph,'' a complex encyclopedia of over half a billion objects and several billion facts and relationships between them. Released in mid-2012, Knowledge Graph is basically an attributes log that understands the kinds of information you're likely to want to know when you search for something. So you won't just get search results based on words, but on concepts, relationships and more. And now it handles voice searches in the same way.

It's a nice announcement for the 15th birthday of Google

If your Android device is lost or stolen, and you're sweating bullets over sensitive material getting into the wrong hands, you can relax a little -- as long as it's connected to the Internet. Google has finally introduced remote lock functionality as a feature of its new Android Device Manager. All you need to do is go online to activate the lock.

Google on Tuesday rolled out a feature for its recently launched Android Device Manager that lets users lock down a stolen Android device from anywhere, via the Web.

"This is something that should be embeded into the OS and the platform because it's an inherent security feature

It might be asked why Google took so long to roll out its remote lock capability; iOS has had it for three years, and there are several third-party remote lock and tracking apps for Android devices.

"Consumers weren't demanding security, so why should Google put it in?

Sure, with the NSA stuff security is important -- but in three to four months everybody's going to forget about it, and nobody's going to care

How It Works                                                                                                                             

Android Device Manager and its newly released remote lock feature run on Android 2.2 OS and above.

The remote lock feature will override any existing password on an Android device, and it will turn off the screen as well, so long as the device is connected to a network.

If it is in Airplane mode or is turned off, the remote lock feature will kick in the moment the device is connected to a network.

Users have to first enable the Android Device Manager. Then they go to the Android Device Manager website and choose "Lock," enter a new password, and confirm it.

The device will then be locked and will require the new password to unlock.

Late to the Party                                                                                                                           

"Remote Lock is a feature that has been a part of most mobile device management solutions for years,

The actual remote lock operation "is part of the MDM API which Google has now implemented in their own Android Device Manager interface,

With the growing trend toward BYOD, many businesses have selected MDM solutions to institute some form of control over the proliferation of mobile devices being used by employees in the workplace.

Android's remote lock can coexist with existing enterprise solutions.

A device can have multiple device administrators configured, so "it is perfectly reasonable for the end user to use the Google Android Device Manager to remote lock a lost device as well as an enterprise management solution such as third-party MDM to also provide the same capabilities for the enterprise

Impact on Third Parties                                                                                                                 

There are several third-party solutions from independent vendors, such as Where's My Droid, Seek My Android, and Seek Droid. Some are free and others are for-pay.

Where's My Droid has been around since 2009, for example. It added screen lock to its features in 2011,

Google's remote lock feature will likely shoulder out third-party products because "third-party products are more likely to break when there's a patch, whereas core features won't because they have been tested against the patch already

However, platform vendors like Google "will just do the basics, so if you need a lot of bells and whistles, that's where third-party players can provide value

Safety Is Just a Concept                                                                                                              

Security "is a big challenge in any industry because there aren't industry-wide standards, consumers don't want to pay for it, and anything you put in can be hacked

Even the Apple fingerprint sensor was hacked in two days

Remote lock features should be used with other security features.

Many users are likely to have more than one security app, in order to protect themselves better

iOS 7 Shows Up, Lets Review It

Apple's servers were working overtime Wednesday as the new version of its mobile operating system, iOS 7, became available for download by the public



iOS 7 may be just what the BYOD enterprise has been waiting for. Privacy settings are more detailed than in previous iOS versions, for example, and multitasking has been improved. "It's much easier to seamlessly switch between running applications, killing things that you don't want running, and seeing what the state of the machine is.

iOS 7 has a number of new features that should appeal to consumers who are fans of Apple's iPhone, iPod and iPad, but it also contains features to bolster the company's already strong position in the enterprise.

The most obvious change in the software is its new flat interface. It will be jarring to old timers accustomed to icons that emulate analog objects.

Departing from past skeuomorphics isn't just Apple putting a pretty new face on iOS.

There's a significant disruption, because most of the icons that have become so familiar and instantly recognizable have been replaced by something similar but different enough to make you ask yourself, 'Where is it?

Mixed Bag

There are some inconsistencies in the interface as well.

"Not all developers have gone through the entire process of providing an iOS 7 look-and-feel in their applications,"So it can be a sort of mixed metaphor when you go from the Apple application -- all of which have been updated -- versus other applications that have not gone through that yet."

"That can be disconcerting," he added. "A period of adjustment will be necessary.

That doesn't seem to be deterring download traffic, though. Within the first 24 hours of availability, 18 percent of North American iOS traffic was generated by iOS 7 users, according to analytics firm Chitika. By comparison, when iOS 6 was introduced, it generated 15 percent of the iOS traffic within it first 24 hours of availability.

Also among the new features is a control panel to give an Apple jock one tap access to common functions such as WiFi, Bluetooth and Do Not Disturb. The panel also provides music controls and access to the timer and camera apps, as well as enabling use of the LCD flash as a flashlight.

"Things you want to have at your fingertips can be accessed with fewer steps now. "That's a primary benefit of iOS 7."

"Some might argue that that's a little bit of catch-up to what Android already offers in some cases, although Apple has done it in an elegant way.

Better Multitasking, Privacy

Many users will appreciate the new auto update feature in iOS 7. It allows installed apps to update themselves without a user going through the rigmarole of entering an Apple ID.

Multitasking has also been improved in the new iOS.

"It's much easier to seamlessly switch between running applications, killing things that you don't want running, and seeing what the state of the machine is,

Privacy settings are more detailed in iOS 7. You can block information from being sent to Apple, such as location or diagnostic and usage data. You can gain visibility into which apps are accessing info like location, contacts, pictures, calendars and Bluetooth sharing.

Apple has brought AirDrop to iOS from its desktop operating system, OS X.

Suddenly we can set up ad hoc networks where we can share information in a P2P format

That has some interesting implications if that becomes a use case for these devices. That reduces the dependence on the carrier for connectivity. Millions of iPhone subnetworks could be created.

No. 1 in Enterprise

with iOS 7, Apple is making a real play for the enterprise crowd

With the announcement of iOS 7, Apple seems to have turned a new page in providing the enterprise some of what it has long been waiting for, Unlike the iOS 5 and iOS 6 releases, which contained only minor updates to its enterprise features, Apple has prioritized a number of enterprise management needs, added features that expand business usefulness, and corrected a number of incomplete or insufficient concepts launched in earlier versions."

Among those features are the ability to assign bundles of apps to use a VPN, better support of mobile device management, an activation lock that can't be skirted by resetting a machine, and mass device enrollment.

By 2016, by predictions, "Apple iOS devices may be the No. 1 smartphone platform purchased and supplied to end users by the enterprise.

Adobe to Give Creatives New Gizmos

Adobe is inching into the hardware space with a couple of new items for the digital artist's toolbox -- a pen and a ruler compatible with its Creative Cloud software. However, "Adobe is lacking control over one key aspect of these devices, and it's the tablets," noted Web designer Kris Black. "Adobe is still relying on tablets made from other manufacturers."

The company plans to release its Mighty digital pen, a thin-tipped stylus designed to help digital artists have more control over their creativity while drawing on a tablet screen. The pressure-sensitive pen comes with color and tip tools that allow artists to draw lines of varied widths and colors. The device uses Bluetooth to connect to Adobe's Creative Cloud software.



Napoleon Ruler App for the iPad

To produce the Mighty, Adobe is teaming with Adonit, which has hardware experience making the Jot tablet stylus.

Adobe also plans to release the Napoleon, a digital ruler that makes it easy for artists to draw precise lines, edges or other shapes on tablet screens.

Both devices are designed with what Adobe terms "the new creatives" in mind -- a generation of artists and tinkerers who now have a variety of new tools, both analog and digital, at their disposal. Both are scheduled in the first half of 2014.

Adobe also plans to release two iOS apps -- Parallel, a drafting app, and Contour, an app that helps artists capture and create outlines. Both are optimized to work with the Mighty and the Napoleon.

Making It Seamless

If Adobe can produce devices that stand out from the crowd, the company's foray into the hardware arena could be an exciting development for designers, architects, artists and developers, said Kris Black, a Web designer and the author of Squarespace 6 for Dummies.

"If companies like Adobe can make creating art digital in a way that the technology doesn't interfere with creativity, then I think we'll start to see more and more people using digital tools to create art,"

Along with setting a reasonable price point, it will be crucial that Adobe tie in its software to the devices, said Black. There are already similar stylus tools available to digital artists, but if Adobe can produce a device that has seamless integration with its creative software, then the Mighty and the Napoleon would come out way ahead of the competition.

"The strongest features of these Adobe devices will be how they integrate with Adobe's software," Black emphasized. "Apple has proven that when you can control the hardware and software, you can make huge, game-changing advancements in technology and how people interact with your products.

Software at Its Core

In addition to offering its own hardware, Adobe might need to strengthen its relationships with tablet makers to help users get even more out of products like the Mighty and the Napoleon, Black noted.

"Adobe is lacking control over one key aspect of these devices, and it's the tablets. Adobe is still relying on tablets made from other manufacturers," he added. "If Adobe could strengthen their partnerships with hardware manufacturers like Wacom and Apple, I think they could make deeper innovations with their drawing devices."

Adobe won't stray from its core software business even if its hardware efforts prove to be successful, said Trip Chowdhry, senior analyst for Global Equities Research. However, the company has shown that it is willing to try new ways to get creative people interested in its software, and that's an initiative that won't stop even if the products turn out to be a flop.

"Adobe is a software company at heart, but it has also been good about overseeing a transition of its software to the cloud and anticipating how the market is shifting, "They are willing to try out new initiatives that will enhance their software, and we're going to continue to see that attitude from the company

No fingerprint scanner yet for Samsung

Fingerprint scanning technology – as found rather unimpressively on the new iPhones – has been quite the hot topic the last few weeks, with everything from iOS flaws to humorous applications of the security feature occupying our attention with fingerprint scanner manufacturers - one that Apple had bought outright and another that Samsung was working closely with. While Apple managed to come through in the end, it may not have done them any favors. Samsung, on the other hand, don't look like they're in any particular rush.
Some consider the fingerprint scanner a breakthrough security addition, other see it as a flimsy sales gimmick easy to bypass, while even more think it never took off on laptops for good reason. Either way, it has been one of the key selling points for the new iPhones, even if its many flaws have already been discovered. Meanwhile, Samsung has had the code supporting a fingerprint scanner buried in their devices for ages, since the S3 in fact, but it looks like they won't be doing anything major with the technology for a while yet, with their scanner partner a year behind Apple's in the delivery of a stable fingerprint scanner.

We never officially admitted that Samsung was weighing the fingerprint system and Knox for Galaxy Note 3 for security functions. We are not yet developing the technology. - unnamed Samsung official

The Note 3 came and went without a fingerprint scanner and Samsung has now officially stated they are ''not yet developing the technology.'' A fingerprint scanner will of course appear in future Samsung devices, but it may be a little slower to roll out than you might expect. If the response to Apple's inclusion of the TouchID scanner turns out to be generally negative it would make sense for Samsung to avoid it altogether. But if the scanner becomes a smartphone must-have, Samsung will find themselves playing catch up.

In the mobile sector, Samsung has been a fast follower instead of being a risk taker. It is waiting until its rival Apple opens up the market to some extent. - Yoon Jung-sun, Hyundai Securities

What do you think of the technology? Do you want it in your next Samsung?

Space Mission To Jupiter’s Moon, Europa

Just lately there has been alot of talk about missions to Mars and further exploring what can be found on the planet. But a group who call themselves Objective Europa want to go where no one else has thought of going, Jupiter’s moon. The group are looking into the feasibility of sending a one-way crew to this icy moon, which is called Europa, in order to search for knowledge and extraterrestial life.

Objective Europa currently is only an online group and are not attached with any legal organisation. The group has stated its aim by saying, “Our purpose is to establish the foundation for and carry out a crewed mission to Jovian ice moon Europa through international crowd-research and participation.”

The team is made up of some interesting names and give the possible mission some credibility. There is Kristian von Bengtson, co-founder of Copenhagen Suborbitals, a non-profit organisation that aims to launch humans into space. He is a Danish architect but specialises in manned spaceflight. Another team member is Michele Faragalli, who is a rover mobility specialist for the NASA contractor Neptec Design Group.

Jacques Cousteau’s son, scientist and diver Pierre-Yves Cousteau, is an ambassador for the group as well as being a team member.

At the moment this mission is nothing more than a concept but the group have opened up various research topic for discussion. They will need to gather information and find out whether it is feasible to send a manned mission to Europa, as well as do cost analysis.

So the race is on, will humans land on Mars or Europa first?

With the news the other day that BlackBerry has been sold for 4.7 billion dollars, we wondered what's behind all the sales of smartphone companies right now? Nokia sold recently to Microsoft and the rumors persist that HTC's Robert Downey Jr-led ''Here's To Change'' campaign is a last ditch effort to avoid hitting the auction block too. Let's take a look at what's going on, and why

BlackBerry

BlackBerry, after lackluster sales of its newest devices, the Z10 and Q10, and slow uptake of its 10 OS has ''agreed in principle'' to be bought out by its largest shareholder, Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited for $4.7 billion. The consortium is led by the ''Canadian Warren Buffet,'' Prem Watsa, who is also the chancellor of the university in BlackBerry's home town of Waterloo, a position BlackBerry's founder, Mike Lazaridis, also held previously.

Born in the Indian cyber-centre of Hyderabad, Watsa has grown up recognizing good business opportunities. He worked his way through the stock market, life insurance and asset management worlds before founding his own investment council which was eventually snapped up by Fairfax, of which he became the Chairman and Chief Executive. He successfully predicted the sub-prime mortgage blow-out back in 2007 and made billions for Fairfax. Now he'll be in charge of turning BlackBerry into a profitable entity, but it won't be quick, and it won't be with the same business model either.

Watsa knows BlackBerry, having sat on the board until Fairfax started sniffing around, and remaining close friends with BlackBerry's founder. Keeping BlackBerry Canadian, and in the hands of such a polished profiteer could be BlackBerry's saving grace. Although it is not yet known what will happen to BlackBerry if the sale goes ahead, there's not much hope for the 40% of the workforce currently being laid off in the face of a $1 billion loss for the quarter. In any case, BlackBerry will retreat from the consumer market, currently dominated by Samsung and Apple, and instead focus on its core business of providing enterprise business solutions to its corporate partners. If it's not dismembered and sold off as scrap, that is.

Nokia becomes Microsoft's

You'll also remember that just last month Nokia announced its sale to Microsoft for $7.18 billion, in the face of less-than-amazing sales of its flagship Lumia devices and the limited reach of Windows phones. Funnily enough, the markets Nokia lost ground in were those dominated by BlackBerry, who has suffered the same fate regardless. As Forbes recently noted, the same thing happened back in 2000-2001, when Siemens, Panasonic and Philips all performed poorly compared to market leaders and ended up pulling out of the consumer mass market arms race. The dominance of Apple and Samsung along with iOS and Android, a weakening market for high-end smartphones generally and a minor slip-up are all it seems to take to topple once-mighty companies these days.

Is HTC next?

Which brings us to HTC. Facing the same stiff competition as BlackBerry and Nokia, HTC put up a relatively poor showing with the HTC One series, and are certainly not enjoying the smartphone market slump and increase in cheaper Chinese manufacturers either. Sure, they might finally be working on a beefier version of the HTC One, a move I thought they should have made back at the beginning of their ''Here's To Change'' campaign, but it may be too little too late. Speaking of which, have you heard anything much lately from HTC's record-breaking campaign? No, neither have we.

HTC denies they're looking at selling out, but a merger or sale might be the only way to keep their head above water too, especially if their $12 million gamble doesn't start paying off soon. Perhaps the only reason they're still going is because they're on Android for starters, and are also looking at other ways to expand their appeal, like making a custom ROM for the Chinese market. Where there's a will, there could just be a way, and change is the way to get there.

So it seems this autumn may just be the best time to snap up a new smartphone...company

Cell phones have gone a long, long way since the days when they were too bulky to carry around. Back in the day, it was such an uncommon sight to see people staring intensely at a small (or rather huge) block of plastic, pressing buttons, or doing whatever it is they did on their mobile phones. Today, cell phones are more ubiquitous than sliced bread, and they can do practically everything – from sending text messages to taking pictures to browsing the Internet to playing games. But what do we really use cell phones for

Respected research entity, has released the results of a study, which takes a look at just how people use their cell phones in 2013. The results are not exactly intuitive, with sending and receiving text messages topping the list.
According to the results, 91% of  adults own a cell phone, and yes, they do more with their devices than make calls. The break down of cell phone use in 2013

• 81% of cell phone owners send or receive text messages
• 60% of cell phone owners access the internet
• 52% send or receive email
• 50% download apps
• 49% use directions, recommendations, or other location-based information
• 48% listen to music
• 21% participate in a video call or video chat
• 8% “check in” or share their location/chat on social media services

It is worth noting that that Internet use is not that far away of sending and receiving text messages. With the trend of going mobile for email and Internet browsing, I don’t think that anyone will be surprised to see those numbers go up in the next few years. Another important factor here is the cost, availability, and efficiency of  data services, which should only improve in the coming years.

We should also not overlook the fact that this study was conducted in April/May of this year. Who knows what changes have happened since then?

What do you do on your cell phone most?

In recent years, FIFA has benefitted from big changes. Tactical Defending, Player Impact Engine, First Touch: they all advanced the series by rewriting the fundamentals. But FIFA 14 doesn’t really have a big marquee feature. It feels more like a consolidation than a reinvention – an opportunity to cement what has already been successfully laid down. This year’s changes are smaller, more subtle, but they bring out the very best in FIFA, which is already a fantastic experience. This time around it's more attacking, more polished, and will keep you coming back throughout the season.

Initially, most of FIFA 14’s innovations appear superficial. The way players move and shoot have both been dramatically improved, and there’s a new level of realism to the animation on the pitch (cutscenes look a bit robotic in comparison). But the longer I played, the more I realised these additions subtly affected how matches played out, and the style in which I played.
And though it’s tricky to separate them out – it’s really a cumulative effect – I think it all starts with the more natural way 
players move and interact with each other and the 
ball. They’ve become much more physical entities in the last few years – evident in tackles and collisions – but now that’s finally seeped in the way they move. Players transfer their weight convincingly when they suddenly change direction, they have a sense of momentum once they’ve built up speed, and they caress the ball with the inside and outside of their boot when they pivot or cut inside. It looks great, making games much 
more attractive to watch, yet it also shapes the general style of play.
Given the improvements made to animations, it’s slightly disappointing that the overall graphics haven’t been improved, though. On the pitch, it looks like it has for the last few years, and it’s on the verge of becoming stale. That said, the overall presentation continues to improve. The pre-match build up is impeccably directed, doing a great job of imitating the the spectacle and glitz that’s synonymous with modern sports broadcasting.

The improved animation has a deeper impact. FIFA’s dribbling has been something of a work in progress, improving incrementally over the last few years, but Precision Movement (that's how EA's referring to the new animation system) really feels like the missing piece of that puzzle. It’s more liberated and expressive than ever before. You can really skin players on the wings, and the ball has more distance from the player, making running with it feel much faster and mercurial. Dribbling also works well in tandem with the new ability to protect the ball manually using the left trigger or L2. It helps you retain possession in key situations – if the opposition tries to pick your pocket, you can hold out an arm to fend them off. But I found myself using it more productively in attacking situation, since it’s perfect for turning defenders when bearing down on goal.

Improvements have also been made to shooting. Pulling the trigger now produces a range of different shots – balls dip at the last minute, gradually rise into the top corner, or are thumped low and hard. Combined with the improved ball physics, I found myself scoring types of goals that I never saw in FIFA 13: there are more rebounds, more balls falling marginally over the line, more deflections, more venom. It adds pleasing visual variety, but it’s ultimately determined by factors largely out of your control.

Meanwhile, passing definitely feels like it’s in need of some attention. It’s just not as clean or as precise as it is PES. Playing a cross-field pass should feel more graceful than it currently does and close, one-touch passing should be faster. It’s never really been as central to the style FIFA has tried to recreate, and this year it definitely feels a touch behind its other fundamentals.

My favourite aspect of FIFA 14, though, is unquestionably the improved AI of teammates. When going forward, I always had plenty of options. Players intelligently run into space, demanding the ball played into their feet or down the line. I’ve always been a fan of the lobbed-through ball, and in FIFA 13 I obstinately use it to no great effect. But in FIFA 14 there’s someone there, making the run I always wanted. And I find putting them through just as satisfying as scoring a goal. This intelligence is also present when defending (players don’t get sucked towards the ball so easily), but I definitely found it more useful going forward. Perhaps it’s a consequence of having a more inquisitive forward line, but I experienced more dubious offside decisions than in previous seasons.

Of late, FIFA’s tried to encourage thoughtful, build-up play, but the improvements made to the movement of your fellow teammates really foster more end-to-end, thrilling encounters. It’s the side of football FIFA has always excelled at portraying: taking early leads, a frantic tempo, and plenty of last-minute goals. That’s not to say there isn’t a tactical element, but it’s not FIFA’s real strength, and this year it feels like it’s more comfortable with that identity.

FIFA 14 is even more tightly stitched into the rhythms of the real-life game. Stats continue to be updated, using information from the most recent round of real-world fixtures, and pundits again single out players experiencing a patch of good form. Yet it's all integrated much better this year, with the commentary less crowbarred into the opening of matches. This year it even extends to the presentation prefacing games. For instance, when I played as Real Madrid, the pre-match buildup focussed closely on Gareth Bale, following his recent record-breaking transfer. They’re little touches, but together it raises the level of presentation and ensures that FIFA stays relevant for the duration of the season.

It also has unparalleled variety for a sports game. There are just so many different ways to consume it. From one-off fixtures to ongoing seasons, online friendlies, a selection of that week’s games, a career mode, and skill games (there’s a whole new suite of addictive mini-games to grapple with). And that’s all before we get to Ultimate Team, which is increasingly the most popular way to enjoy FIFA. There are lot of minor but very welcome additions – online Single Matches thankfully return after last year’s absence, meaning you can contribute to FUT even if you’re pressed for time and without the pressure of a season-long campaign. And the number of divisions to scale has been taken up to 10, making the challenge even greater.

THE VERDICT

FIFA 14 isn’t a major landmark for the series in terms of innovation. Unlike recent iterations, it doesn’t ask you to relearn key skills. But the changes have made FIFA more attacking, fun, welcoming, and attractive, and ultimately it’s a stronger experience. PES presents a credible alternative in terms of gameplay – FIFA can’t replicate it’s artful passing style – but when it comes to exciting gameplay, impeccable presentation, and a generous year-long experience, FIFA is still in a league of its own.

BBM for Android and iPhone Won’t Launch This Week

BBM has created a lot of hype since its announcement to privatize. Beforehand, the company announced that BBM for Android and iOS would hit the respective App Stores over the weekend — which didn’t happen because the leaked APK went online a day before the official launch and was downloaded by over a million people. This affected the servers in an abnormal way and as a result, the company decided to delay the launch of the application.
The company has also confirmed that they are working around the clock to release the application for Android and iOS, especially after the overwhelming response that the leaked APK received. Now, in a recent update, head of BBM at Blackberry Andre Bocking addressed the users in a blog post, with all the same reasons.

Last week, an unreleased, older version of the BBM for Android app was posted on numerous file sharing sites. We were aware of an issue with this unreleased version of the BBM for Android app. This older version resulted in volumes of data traffic orders of magnitude higher than normal for each active user and impacted the system in abnormal ways. The version we were planning to release on Saturday addressed these issues, however we could not block users of the unreleased version if we went ahead with the launch.

We attempted to address the problems caused by the unreleased version throughout the day on Saturday, but as active users of the unreleased app neared a million – and accelerated – it became clear that the only way to address the issue was to pause the rollout for both Android and iPhone.

The team is now focused on adjusting the system to completely block this unreleased version of the Android app when we go live with the official BBM for Android app. We are also making sure that the system is reinforced to handle this kind of scenario in the future. While this may sound like a simple task – it’s not. This will take some time and I do not anticipate launching this week.

Bocking did confirm one thing which most of us didn’t want to hear; that is, the application will not launch this week. We waited for such a long time, so waiting a bit more time shouldn’t be a problem, right? Anyway, we’ll let you know if we hear anything about the launch of the much-anticipated BBM for Android and iPhone.