Monthly Archives: August 2015

Growing Metal, Printing Humans And Repairing Robots

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In the early part of last week it was like whack-a-mole.  Every time it looked as though stocks might see the light of day and pop higher they were pounded lower yet again as investors worried about the ever-shrinking Chinese economy… The situation got so desperate Tuesday that Apple chief executive Tim Cook even went so far as to email TV stock market personality Jim Cramer to tell him investors have it all wrong: Apple’s business in Chinese is strong.  Apparently, the chief’s glitchy watch did not tweet him that a selective disclosure like that may not have been legal.  Of course, by the end of the week Chinese markets had reversed amid rumors of more intervention and US indexes actually finished the week with modest gains following better than expected second-quarter GDP… On a somewhat related note, NASA says the world is not going to end in September as had been previously reported on the Internet. Just when it seemed safe to believe the stuff posted on Facebook…  Google’s director of engineering expects within the next 10 years engineers will be able to 3D print human organs using stem cells, program human biology away from diseases like cancer and even retard the aging process.  If that’s the case, Google will next need to fix the problem of human over-population. Hope they have an algorithm for that too….  Self driving cars are coming sooner and they are likely to be a bigger business opportunity than most anyone is predicting – if you exclude all of the car companies, Apple, Google, Tesla, Uber and the insurance industry.…  Samsung may be finally getting design right with its new Gear smartwatch.  Is it folly to hope there is no catch, no fatal Samsung flaw? …  Mike Tyson is the official face of a Bitcoin ATM. This is a good time to recall  some past quotes from Mike Tyson, philosopher. ‘I just want to conquer people and their souls.’ … And: ‘Everyone has a plan ’till they get punched in the mouth.’ … And: ‘My biggest weakness is my sensitivity. I am too sensitive a person.’ … Which leads inevitably to: ‘I try to catch them right on the tip of his nose, because I try to punch the bone into the brain.’ … My free suggestion for an advertising slogan for Mike’s new gig: ‘Bitcoin. Pay til it hurts.’ ….  A Chinese chef/inventor wants to replace human noodle makers with a robot and the slowing economy patrons don’t seem to mind.  The red unibrow, twinkling yellow eyes and metallic trim is a nice touch…

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Micro Robots Will Sense Toxins And Deliver Medicine

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It’s not a Hollywood sci-fi film, it’s real science. Nanoengineers at the University of California, San Diego have created a school of synthetic 3D printed robot fish can detox and sense toxins. Researchers hope these proof-of-concept “micro fish” will usher in a whole new generation of health applications like directed drug delivery or smart micro robots for surgery.

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Week 35 in review: Xperia Z5, Lumia 940, Nexus 6, HTC Aero and BlackBerry Passport

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As anticipation for IFA builds rumors dominated the news, but new devices got an unexpectedly strong reception.

The Sony Xperia Z5 family was showered with interest, the Z5 Premium in particular (it’s set to become the first phone with a 4K screen; note: QHD != 4K). The Z5 generation will also have a new 23MP sensor (first upgrade since the Z1) with fast, advanced focusing.

Lumia’s return to the flagship market was met with great interest too. Images of the Microsoft Lumia 940 and 940 XL duo leaked out along with info suggesting they will launch on October 19.

Microsoft got in the news with a very different device too – the Nokia 222 and 222 Dual-SIM. Series 30+ feature phones with social networking and messaging on board they will launch in emerging markets for $37.

The Nexus devices did a poor job of staying hidden, the large Nexus 6 by Huawei was photographed in the wild while specs rumors stabilized on Snapdragon 810 instead of 820. Samsung is said to be interested in the 820, but it the timeframe for a Nexus launch is just wrong.

HTC has fallen on hard times and is in bad need of a best-selling flagship. The HTC A9 Aero has such ambitions though photos of it (if real) make it look like an iPhone knock-off.

Another down on its luck maker, BlackBerry, will be shifting to Android with a new Passport version (which we saw on video) among other devices.

Samsung was in the news a lot this week, but not in a good way. The Galaxy Note5 and S6 edge+ may have 4GB of RAM, but they clean it aggressively (which affects multitasking). The Note5’s trademark S Pen stylus was a headache too as it breaks if you insert it the wrong way around.

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Purported Sony Xperia Z5 Premium leaks in live photos
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium shows its face on live pictures, should feature a 4K display and metal body.

Huawei Nexus 6 photographed in the wild
The images match the 3D render we saw earlier, down to the raised camera ridge.

Microsoft Lumia 940 and 940XL rumoured to launch on October 19
In addition, the Surface Pro 4 tablet as well as a new Microsoft Band could also be introduced on the same date.

Sony teases advanced focusing for upcoming Xperia Z5
An announcement is scheduled for September 2, days before IFA kicks off in Berlin.

HTC A9 (Aero) gets photographed in the wild looking like an iPhone
This is supposedly going to be HTC’s new flagship smartphone, launching before the end of 2015.

BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition with Android OS gets showcased in a lengthy video
The smartphone features the same design and specifications as the recently released variant with BlackBerry OS.

Archos unveils three new smartphones, one runs Windows 10
The Archos Diamond S, Archos 50e Helium, and the Archos 50 Cesium have all been announced today.

Samsung is said to be intensively testing the Snapdragon 820
The Korean company is apparently going to use it in the Galaxy S7 if all the testing goes well.

Meet the Nokia 222 and 222 Dual-SIM: leftovers from a previous era
With prices starting at $37 (before taxes and subsidies) these are only for regions with poor access to cheapo smartphones.

WhatsApp for Android gets updated, adds new emoji and features
You can now mute contacts, mark messages as read or unread, lower call data usage, and choose different colors for emoji.

Samsung Galaxy Note5 battery life test
Samsung surely raised a few eyebrows by…

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Swimming Robot Microfish Will Sense Toxins And Deliver Medicine

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It’s not a Hollywood sci-fi film, it’s real science. Nanoengineers at the University of California, San Diego have created a school of synthetic 3D printed robot fish can detox and sense toxins. Researchers hope these proof-of-concept “micro fish” will usher in a whole new generation of health applications like directed drug delivery or smart micro robots for surgery.

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