Sony unveiled a new, sleeker version of its PlayStation 4 today as promised. The PS4 Slim is basically the same as its predecessor inside, but in a smaller shell and with a new price tag at $299 with a retail availability date of Sept 15. The new model is the “standard PS4 going forward,” according to Sony, and will replace the original console hardware. What they say is almost… Read More
Keeping my glasses from slipping down my face is a constant battle. It’s a classic nerd trope that holds true, for me, and I’ve been losing the fight against gravity. But I’ve found some help in the form of Nerdwax.
Many people have no problem keeping their glasses in place; it depends entirely on your nose, your choice of frames, and perhaps the inherent oil slick of your skin. I’m partial to plastic frames with retro flair, but unfortunately, such frames prioritize aesthetic above function and lack those little rubber nose pads that hold metal frames in place. The lack of rubber grips combined with weighty plastic results in slippy spectacles, particularly during a humid, slick New York summer. Even if you don’t wear prescription lenses, the problem is even more common with sunglasses, which are often larger, weightier, and sometimes made from glossy plastic.
I recently bought new frames and found myself constantly having to re-assert their place atop my nose, adopting that classic nerd mannerism. The new frames’ constant slipping was annoying enough that I considered just switching back to my older pair. What could be done!
Nerdwax is simply a beeswax-based substance that you apply to beneath the nose-bridge area of the frames—the part where your glasses make contact with your nose. It has a mildly sticky, tacky feel that works to keep your glasses in place. It comes in a small tube like chapstick.
Does work? Yes, kind of. It helps.
Once a day, in the morning when I typically clean my lenses, I also rub a little wax beneath the nose-bridge. Not huge gobs of the stuff; it’s more like drawing a line with a soft crayon. It doesn’t glue your frames to your face but it does make them a little more grippy.
It’s not perfect, but it certainly adds some much-needed friction. Over time the wax wears off, distilled and smudged away from your natural skin oils. I only apply it in the morning, but some people apply it more frequently. It has indeed made my new glasses wearable. The alternative would be ungainly rubber nibs, nose pads, or some solution that would make it look like I’m about to go play sports or ride a roller coaster and need my glasses to hold a death grip on my face. Call me vain, but I don’t want my glasses to look like a medical device (which they literally are, I suppose).
British artist Rebecca Moss went aboard the Hanjin Geneva container ship for a "23 Days at Sea Residency." But the company that owns the ship went bankrupt on August 31, and ports all over the world have barred Hanjin's ships because the shipping line is unable to pay the port and service fees.
(more…)
Car racing billionaire Bernie Ecclestone, 83, was accused of paying a $44 million bribe to a German bank. But a German court agreed to end his trial when Ecclestone offered to pay the court $100 million.
The ruling means he walks free from the district court in Munich and can continue running the sport. It also means Mr Ecclestone is found neither guilty nor innocent.
His personal wealth is put at $4.2bn by Forbes, which ranks him as the 12th richest UK billionaire. If found guilty, he could have faced a 10-year jail term and the end of his decades-long dominance of motor racing.
I'm still recovering from this year's Burn, where I saw more amazing art, experienced incredible highs and some fantastic lows. Mark Day's 3:19 timelapse of this year's event captures the lion's share of the art and experiences that moved me.
The iPhone’s base-level storage — starting at 16GB — has been a sticking point for quite a while. More and more content has become available over time in the form of video, apps and photos, and it can be a big limiting factor forcing users to shell out extra cash in order to skirt those requirements. Today, fortunately, that era comes to an end. The cheapest version of the… Read More
Apple is adding an extra layer of differentiation to its 2016 iPhone 7 Plus model with the introduction of a brand new dual-camera system. Revealed a little early by Apple's tweets, all we know of it so far is that there are indeed two lenses sitting side by side, and that's distinct from the regular iPhone 7's single camera lens. One of Apple's (now retracted) tweets explains further: "Two all-new cameras that shoot as one for high-res optical zoom at 2x."
The iPhone 7 launch event is currently still ongoing and Apple has yet to detail the full specs and details of its new iPhones on stage, but in the meantime, you can read up on our earlier coverage of the two most prominent dual-camera phone systems to date: the LG G5 and Huawei P9.
The second generation Apple Watch will be available in ceramic, a new material for Apple that is rare for watches to be made with. The Apple Watch Series 2 — which will also be available in aluminum and stainless steel like the first generation — will utilize white ceramic, which may make it heavier than its metallic counterpart.
Apple didn't mention the Apple Watch Edition at all during the event, which could be a hint that the high-end solid gold watch wasn't the attraction they hoped it could be. The company didn't mention how much the ceramic Apple Watch Series 2 may cost, but if it decides to get rid of the Apple Watch Edition, the ceramic model may be in line to take its place.
As well as killing off the headphone jack, Apple has dropped the mechanical home button from the new iPhone 7, replacing it with a static version that's force sensitive. Instead of a button that physically moves, the new home button will use Apple's Taptic Engine to click back at users. Vibrations delivered through the home button will be used as notifications, with unique buzzes for things like text messages and calls. Third-party companies will also be able to program their own feedback through a Taptic Engine API.
This isn't the first time Apple has dropped a mechanical part in favor of a digitized version, of course. The click wheel on the iPod started out as a moving part in 2001, before being replaced the following year with a...
Apple has confirmed that the iPhone 7 does not include a headphone jack. In its absence, owners will have to use Lightning or Bluetooth headphones, both of which will be more expensive than a pair that ends in the traditional 3.5mm connector.
Amazon is launching its restaurant delivery service in London, where it’ll compete with similar services like Deliveroo and UberEats. Orders can be made through Amazon’s Prime Now app, with the company promising "no menu markups or hidden fees," delivery times of "an hour or less," and free delivery on orders over £15 ($20). However, the service is only available to Prime subscribers, which itself costs £79 a year in the UK (compared to $99 a year in the US).
Amazon Restaurants first launched in Seattle in September last year, and has since rolled out to a number of US areas including Dallas, San Francisco, and Manhattan. In London Amazon faces tough competition from Deliveroo and UberEats, which generally advertise quicker delivery...
A recent study suggests that cats, especially indoor cats, can greatly benefit from food puzzles that force them to play with their grub before eating it. Here are a few ways you can make your own puzzle feeders on the cheap.
The folks at the Purina One cat blog have six different puzzle feeders you can easily build yourself with things around the house. You can make them out of an empty sour cream or cottage cheese container, an empty plastic water bottle, a plastic Easter egg, a shoe box, an egg carton, or just some card-stock paper. The empty sour cream container feeder, called the “wheel,” just needs an extra plastic lid, some non-toxic glue, and a sharp tool like a utility knife to assemble:
Make sure your container is completely clean and sanitized.
Use an X-ACTO or utility knife to cut a few small holes in the sides of the container that are large enough for a piece of kibble to pass through.
Next, glue an additional lid to the bottom of the container that is slightly larger in diameter. This will alter the way that the feeder rolls and adds variety to the experience for your cat.
As the study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery explains, puzzle feeders like these engage the feline hunting instinct and force the cats to work for their food. This “foraging” behavior makes the cat more physically active and helps reduce their stress level, which in turn makes them less demanding of you. You can get complete instructions of all six DIY puzzle feeders at the link below.
A feral kitten with its head stuck in a jar is rescued by a jolly hammer-wielding Azerbaijanian. It takes a few whacks to free the poor little critter.
Psychobook: Games, Tests, Questionnaires, Histories by Julian Rothenstein (editor)
Princeton Architectural Press
2016, 192 pages, 8.9 x 12.1 x 0.9 inches (hardcover)
$40 Buy a copy on Amazon
I am not afraid of toads. I do not like to see men in their pajamas. Someone has been trying to get into my car. I think I would like the work of a librarian. I do not always tell the truth.
The above statements are examples of what could appear on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, a “psychometric test” in which psychology patients must answer with only a “yes,” “no,” “true,” “false,” or “cannot say.” There is no place on the test to expand or explain your answers. The results of the exam help determine whether a test-taker is “normal” or “deviant.” This test has been helping to sort out the “crazies” from the “normals” since 1943, and yes, according to Psychobook, it’s still being used by some doctors today!
Psychobook, just released today, is a fun, fascinating, image-heavy book that looks at all kinds of ridiculous psych tests used throughout the centuries (some cancelled long ago, others still quacking along). Read about mental test kits such as: Lowenfeld Mosaic tests (make a design with colorful geometric toy pieces to see how carefree, thoughtful or anxious you are); the Szondi Test (see how your mind works by looking at portraits of men and guessing whether they’re homosexual, a psychopath, a maniac, or some other such type); Pictorial Completion Test (find out if your kid has delinquent tendencies by having them fill in a drawing with objects that are missing from the scene), and dozens more.
Psychobook even offers lots of tests you can take right from the book. Nervously, I took the Rorschach inkblot test (staring at a blob on a page that’s been folded in half so that it becomes symmetrical, and imagining what the image might be). I passed with flying colors, as my reading said I was “highly capable, to put it mildly...you master everything you turn your hand to...” I guess some of these psychotic tests really do work!
If you liked the videos for Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" and Sia's "Chandelier," you might like this choreographed ad starring Margaret Qualley, set to Sam Spiegel & Ape Drums' "Mutant Brain." (more…)
Evan from Fight for the Future writes, "What do comedian Hari Kondabolu, Lost star Evangeline Lilly, a Navajo punk band, and one of the dudes from Chumbawamba have in common? They're all part of a nationwide tour to raise awareness about the dangers of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement: Rock Against the TPP."
(more…)
Giant pandas are no longer an endangered species; they’re now considered "vulnerable" to extinction. The new designation was announced over the weekend by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an environmental organization that keeps track of the conservation status of plants and animals, according to The New York Times.
The status update is good news for the animals, but it doesn’t mean that pandas are safe. The IUCN says that in the next 80 years, climate change could destroy more than 35 percent of bamboo forests, where pandas live on a bamboo-only diet. That would definitely have consequences for their conservation.
It doesn’t mean that pandas are safe
"Whereas the decision to downlist the giant panda to...
If there is one threat to Google Search, it’s that the majority of content created today lives inside social apps like Instagram and Snapchat and can’t easily be indexed to show in search results. And, even when Google does manage to pull in a piece of content from a social network, it’s nearly impossible to extract any context from the photo, which is essential if Google… Read More
Newly published documents from Edward Snowden have shed more light on American surveillance operations in the UK. The Intercept details how the NSA and GCHQ used information gathered by Menwith Hill Station, a massive but tightly sealed facility that intercepts satellite data transmissions worldwide. Among other things, the files appear to include evidence that links UK-based surveillance to American anti-terrorism campaigns outside official combat zones.
While many surveillance efforts focus on the internet’s connective "backbone" cables, Menwith Hill intercepts wireless signals, using an array of antennae and US government satellites to capture up to 335 million pieces of metadata in a 12-hour period. Previous reports — including an e...
Last summer, researchers discovered a serious problem at the core of Android. There was a flaw in the way Android handled media, potentially allowing remote code execution before a malicious file had even been opened.
Android’s security team patched the initial bug within weeks, but it inspired a wave of new attacks on the way Android processes audio and video files. The first copycat bugs were reported just days after the first patch, with more serious exploits arriving months later. The most recent Android patch report, released today, patches three separate vulnerabilities in Android’s media-processing function, including one critical flaw that could be used for remote code execution.
The Cape Kiwanda sandstone pedestal, a feature of the Oregon coastline known to locals as the duckbill, was "toppled intentionally" by tourists. Video captured at a distance by visitor David Kalas of Hillsboro shows a group of people heaving and pushing the rock until it falls to the ground and collapses: "Got it!" one shouts. (more…)
Paul Borrud not only made one of my favorite surfing videos of all time, but he also has an annual water slide on Australia Day. This year's event looked like tons of fun, but they should look into a longer collection pool for 2017. (more…)
The UK’s Divido is one of a number of startups and tech companies operating in the point of sale consumer finance sector. Its alternative payment option lets customers spread the cost of any purchase over a period of time while the retailer gets paid in full right away. Today the London-based company is disclosing £2.5 million in seed funding led by Mangrove Capital, and DN Capital.… Read More
PayPal this morning announced an expanded partnership with MasterCard aimed at helping the payments service become a more universally accepted checkout method at stores. The partnership, which follows a similar deal with Visa earlier this year, will make MasterCard a clear payment option within PayPal, increase PayPal’s presence at point-of-sale, and will enable Masterpass… Read More
Can the Michael Kors brand command the same influence when it comes to smartwatches as it does when it comes to fashion jewelry?
The Android Wear market has been relatively quiet for the past few months, but as we near the back to school season, the release schedule is set to pick up pace. And as we've seen from so-called fashion brands like Fossil, as well as well-known mainstream watch brands like Casio, Android Wear has found its way into practically any and every retail opportunity. Like Android itself, its versatility is its biggest strength.
Another such fashion brand looking to capitalize on the (admittedly slowing) smartwatch trend is Michael Kors, releasing two lines of its Access smartwatches today starting at $350. And despite some minor issues, the watches are destined to be successful largely because of Michael Kors' existing distribution model of watch dealers and box stores and every mall in between. But next to the ultra-sleek Huawei Watch, Moto 360 and upcoming Asus ZenWatch 3, is the Access smartwatch right for you?
About this review
I (Daniel Bader) am writing this review after using the black stainless steel / black silicone band Michael Kors Dylan Access model for two weeks. It is running Android Wear version 1.5.0 based on Android 6.0.1 with the July 5, 2016 security patch.
Michael Kors Access Specs
Category
Features
Size
46mm casing x 14mm thick
Color
Black stainless steel (reviewed), Silver stainless steel, Gold stainless steel
Keep in mind that I am only reviewing one style of one model of the Access line; like all things department store, there is a color and style for everyone. Specifically, I have been using what is clearly the least provocative of the options — black stainless steel with a comfortable, textured black silicone band — that include multiple shades of gold-casing-on-gold-band and a snakeskin-style embossed leather.
More than a few times during my testing period, several people came up to me to ask about the watch on my wrist.
But between the two overarching styles and multitudinous color and strap variations, one thing is clear: this is a big, heavy, imposing piece of jewelry. At 112 grams, and a chassis that despite its round face juts out at angles to meet a set of 28mm lugs, the Dylan Access is present. When compared to the subtle, minimal and delicate design of last year's Moto 360, it's clear Michael Kors intends for this to be worn by people who want it to be noticed. And noticed it was.
More than a few times during my testing period, several people came up to me to ask about the watch on my wrist. Aside from my early days with the Pebble, and a few times with the original Moto 360, this has rarely happened to me. It appears the size gambit worked.
The Michael Kors branding is subtly entwined into the product itself; the crown to the right of the watch face has a clear MK emblem, giving texture to the button that, though it appears designed to twist like a regular crown, can only be depressed. Its function is limited to waking the screen from sleep or, when held down, activating Android Wear's app drawer (behavior that is set to change drastically with the release of Android Wear 2.0). On the other side is a set of microphones to enable Android Wear's excellent voice-activated "OK Google" support.
Underneath the watch is a metal plate sans heart rate sensor, an omission not mourned for due to its unreliable nature in previous Android Wear devices. In the silicone strap, with is surprisingly comfortable despite the heft of the metal, my wrist felt comfortable and, in the time I normally took to warm to an analog watch, I grew used to the Access on my wrist at all times. That strap can be swapped out with other silicone or leather options, but the lugs are specific to the Dylan Access line itself, which precludes the use of standard 28mm bands.
Like the Sony SmartWatch 3 before it, the Access has a transflective display, which denotes a reflective layer just above the LCD backlight meant to make it easier to read in direct sunlight. And while this is true, the relatively low-resolution 320x290 pixel screen appears to have a muddy sheen atop it in most all other situations, with poor viewing angles and blacks that appear milky. It's actually a better display than the SmartWatch 3 despite the lower pixel density — colors are more vibrant and, straight on at least, it offers a pleasant enough experience — but after using the Huawei Watch and Moto 360 (2015), this just doesn't cut it anymore.
There's even a "flat tire" towards the bottom of the screen just to reiterate just how far behind the watch's display chops are. That flat tire area doesn't even include an ambient light sensor, so you'll be adjusting brightness manually (though the transflective screen somewhat makes brightness a moot point).
After using the Huawei Watch and Moto 360 (2015), this kind of low-resolution display just doesn't cut it anymore.
Internally, the Dylan is a mix of new and old: it is running Qualcomm's specialized Snapdragon Wear 2100 SoC, which offers a slightly more power-efficient mix of Cortex-A7 cores than the Snapdragon 400 in most Android Wear watches to date, a chip that was built for phones and coopted for wearables.
At 1.2GHz, the Wear 2100 cores are clocked identically to the Snapdragon 400s found in most Wear devices, and it is built on an identical 28nm process, so it's no surprise that the Access lasted roughly the same amount per charge as any previous Android-based wearable I've used. The main difference is the optional integrated X5 baseband, which will allow future watches 3G connectivity, a feature Michael Kors clearly doesn't care for. There is also 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage — standard on Android Wear devices since their debut.
While battery life is on par with other smartwatches in its class, the charging experience certainly isn't. Taking design cues, without the know-how from Apple, the Access line charges wirelessly from its underside via a white, circular magnetic cable. While this allows the watch to be water resistant up to 10 meters (33ft), it is otherwise near-useless. The magnets are not nearly strong enough to latch on for any length of time, and I was forced to weigh it down the entire bundle with a book to get keep it connected. Even then, the orientation is such that it often slips off. I woke up to more than a few mornings of the Access fully dead despite being ostensibly attached to its charger.
Michael Kors Access Software
If you've used Android Wear since its inception, the experience here is a known quantity. While Michael Kors bundles its "Access" app, which allows for customizations of its varied and colorful watch face collection, there are no particularly unique tricks to note. It's also interesting that this is one of the least fitness-oriented Android Wear watches I've seen, with no native exercise or tracking app to speak of other than Google's own Fit experience.
The Access app is at once confusing and ultra-simple, and more than a little useless.
Like all Android Wear devices running the latest version, the Access supports a number of gestures to navigate through its Google Now cards — twist up or down to scroll through the cards; push down or pull up to move in and out — and I'm happy to report they work as well here as they do elsewhere. Similarly, the newly-implemented app drawer, which is accessed by swiping to the right of the watch face or holding down the crown, is alive and well. The dark theme, at least on my review unit, somewhat encourages a dark watch face, and thankfully most of the pre-installed options err towards an evening palette.
Those watch faces are not my personal liking — I am more of a spare, minimal kind of watch wearer — but unlike the Apple Watch, Android Wear supports downloadable third-party faces. Still, I settled on one that I liked, called Speedometer, and changed up the colors to suit my style. Most people won't get much out of the included Access app, though: it is at once confusing and ultra-simple, and more than a little useless. Many of the included faces also include support for complications, which Michael Kors calls Subeyes, that include shortcuts for alarms, a pedometer, calendar, and battery count.
Michael Kors Access Bottom line
The Michael Kors Access line is available September 6 starting at $350 for the model above (metal/silicone), going up to $395 for the more exclusive gold-tone Bradshaw varieties. Bands begin at $40, rising to $50 for the embossed versions). (In Canada, watch prices begin at $420, rising to $475, with bands running $50 to $60.)
Despite the issues with the charger, and the imperfect display characteristics, I grew to enjoy the Access, and would certainly recommend it to anyone looking to engage with the more fashion-forward varieties of Android Wear. Like the Fossil Q Founder, this smartwatch is more about the brand than the product, and it's clear that certain decisions were made to reinforce its place alongside similarly-designed analog watches in endless glass displays.
But somehow it works: it is both fashionable and functional, comfortable enough (with a sizeable battery) to wear all day.
Sony unveiled a new, sleeker version of its PlayStation 4 today as promised. The PS4 Slim is basically the same as its predecessor inside, but in a smaller shell and with a new price tag at $299 with a retail availability date of Sept 15. The new model is the “standard PS4 going forward,” according to Sony, and will replace the original console hardware. What they say is almost… Read More
The iPhone’s base-level storage — starting at 16GB — has been a sticking point for quite a while. More and more content has become available over time in the form of video, apps and photos, and it can be a big limiting factor forcing users to shell out extra cash in order to skirt those requirements. Today, fortunately, that era comes to an end. The cheapest version of the… Read More
If there is one threat to Google Search, it’s that the majority of content created today lives inside social apps like Instagram and Snapchat and can’t easily be indexed to show in search results. And, even when Google does manage to pull in a piece of content from a social network, it’s nearly impossible to extract any context from the photo, which is essential if Google… Read More
The UK’s Divido is one of a number of startups and tech companies operating in the point of sale consumer finance sector. Its alternative payment option lets customers spread the cost of any purchase over a period of time while the retailer gets paid in full right away. Today the London-based company is disclosing £2.5 million in seed funding led by Mangrove Capital, and DN Capital.… Read More
PayPal this morning announced an expanded partnership with MasterCard aimed at helping the payments service become a more universally accepted checkout method at stores. The partnership, which follows a similar deal with Visa earlier this year, will make MasterCard a clear payment option within PayPal, increase PayPal’s presence at point-of-sale, and will enable Masterpass… Read More
