"Microsoft unveils first look at Windows 10"

SAN FRANCISCO - Microsoft on Tuesday lifted the veil on the next version of Windows: Windows 10.


At an event in San Francisco focused on corporate users, Microsoft previewed early elements of the next generation of its iconic computer operating system.

It represents the first step in a whole new generation of Windows, said Microsoft executive Terry Myerson.

The company said it will focus on one Windows product family across devices. Its corporate users will find Windows 10 "familiar, compatible and productive," Myerson said.

Microsoft's Joe Belfiore gave a demo, focused on the core experience in how the PC "is evolving."

There are live tiles, familiar to Windows 8 users, but also elements familiar to Windows 7 users, which is far more widely deployed. The Start menu and taskbar are front and center.

Yes, the company is skipping the "Windows 9" moniker. Why skip "9"?

"When you see the product in its fullness I think you will agree with us that it is a more appropriate name," Myerson said.

Among other things, Belfiore said the company wants to focus on personalization, to make the Windows experience particular to individual users' tastes and preferences.

"We are trying to hit this balance in just the right way," Belfiore said.

Starting Wednesday, Microsoft is launching a Windows Insider program and will release a technical preview of Windows 10 for laptops and desktops, with other devices to follow.

Microsoft will start talking more about the consumer experience next year at the company's developer conference in the spring, Myerson said. It expects to launch Windows 10 "later in 2015."

Myerson emphasized that the insider program is for people who are comfortable "running pre-release software that will be of variable quality."

"We want to set expectations right," he said. "We are planning to share more than we ever have before...Windows 10 will be our most collaborative, open OS project ever."

Microsoft has been talking broadly about its Windows strategy for months. At its developer conference in April, CEO Satya Nadella and other Microsoft executives outlined ways in which it would make it easier for software developers to create applications that will work across all Microsoft devices – PCs, phones and tablets.

Ahead of the event, researcher Forrester said the pressure is on for Microsoft to address the needs of its business customers given the sluggish adoption of Windows 8.


"Only about 1 in 5 organizations is offering Windows 8 PCs to employees right now," Forrester analyst David Johnson said in a note.

Microsoft's last big Windows overhaul – 2012's tablet and touch-friendly Windows 8 – was a dramatic departure from the familiar and well-received Windows 7 that preceded it. It left many consumers frustrated over the disappearance of the familiar Start button and desktop.

Windows 8 has since been updated to add features that make it more comfortable for people who prefer more traditional mouse-and-keyboard interactions.

Wall Street so far has embraced Nadella's big moves since being named CEO in February. The stock (TICKER: MSFT) is up about 25% this year. It was at around $46 in mid-day trading Tuesday.


After the announcement, analyst Daniel Ives with research firm FBR said a unified Microsoft platform "is music to ears of CIOs worldwide." It could also open "massive opportunities" on the consumer front in coming years, he said.

In July, the company announced a massive layoff that would trim some 18,000 jobs, many aimed at its $7.2 billion Nokia acquisition. Earlier this year, it announced Office for iPad, a long overdue version of its bread-and-butter productivity software for Apple's popular tablet.

And just this month, Microsoft said it will acquire the studio that created the hit "sandbox" game Minecraft for $2.5 billion, a move that could help bolster both Xbox and the company's mobile ambitions.

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"Apple Sells 10 Million iPhone 6 And 6 Plus Devices During Launch Weekend"

Apple has officially confirmed a total of 10 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus sales during their initial weekend on sale. This is a new record for an iPhone launch, besting the 9 million iPhone 5s and 5c sales from that launch last year, and far outpacing the 5 million new iPhone 5 devices sold back in 2012.

Analyst estimates for launch weekend sales ranged from between 7-8 million from Bernstein’s Toni Sacconaghi, up to sales in the “low teens” of millions from Wells Fargo analyst Maynard Um. Many had pegged launch device numbers at around 10 million, citing supply constraints as a limiting factor. Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus also launched in one fewer country than did the iPhone 5 and 5s, and that country was a significant one for Apple: China, which has recently become one of its primary hardware revenue drivers.

Apple had previously announced a record-setting 4 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus pre-orders during the first 24 hours of availability, after they originally went up for order on Friday, September 12. The previous announced, official pre-order record was 2 million, set by the iPhone 5 two years ago. The intense pre-order demand, paired with the unprecedented line sizes reported at most stores last Friday when the new iPhones officially went on sale explain the record-setting number of pre-orders, and Apple’s assurance that demand far exceeded supply during initial sales. Apple CEO Tim Cook said in the press release accompanying today’s announcement that sell-through records with this generation of iPhone were exceeded “by a larger margin” and that the company could have sold “many more iPhones with greater supply.”

By the end of this week, Apple intends to open up iPhone 6 and 6 Plus sales to 20 additional countries, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. As far of a breakdown of which device is more in demand, Apple generally doesn’t provide a detailed mix when announcing new device numbers, but thus far analysts seem to agree the iPhone 6 is in greater demand, though the 6 Plus is likely in shorter supply.

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"The Ten Best New Features in IOS 8"

Apple's new iOS 8 mobile operating system promises a simpler, faster and more intuitive user experience.

It comes with several new features and updated apps, offering existing iDevice users the experience of a new, more capable device.

Here is a look at 10 new features introduced with iOS 8.

Interactive notifications

App notifications in iOS 8 are actionable. This means that users will be able to take actions on notifications for text messages, emails, reminders or Facebook without the need to open their respective apps. This will allow them to focus on the task they’re working on.

New Messages app

The Messages app now offers the ability to communicate with just a swipe. Tap to Talk feature allows users to share their voice and the same gesture also works for sharing videos and photos within Messages app. Users can choose to share their current location from within Messages.

Health app

The new Health app gathers the information that users choose from their various health apps and fitness devices (Fitbit, Fuel Band), and provides a clear, consolidated overview in one place. iOS 8 offers developers the ability for health and fitness apps to communicate with each other.

Predictive text & support for third party keyboards

Apple has also introduced predictive typing for its QuickType keyboard, which is more personalised, and takes context into account, such as who the recipient is and in which app users are typing. The OS now also supports third party keyboards just like Android.

Family Sharing

Family Sharing allows users to communicate and share purchases, photos and calendars within the same household. Family members can browse and download each other’s iTunes, iBooks or App Store purchases. Up to six members can participate, each with their own Apple ID.

Continuity

With iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, Apple has made switching between iOS and Mac devices more seamless for users who use both platforms. iPhone owners can answer phone calls on their Mac or iPad, and even send SMS messages from any of them. They can start writing an email on one device and seamlessly continue on another.

New Safari and Mail apps

Safari browser now offers Tab view on iPad. It also includes a new Sidebar that slides out to reveal bookmarks, Reading List, and Shared Links. The Mail app supports gestures for marking emails as read and flagging them. It also recognizes a reservation, flight confirmation, or phone number in an email.

iCloud Drive

With iCloud Drive, documents of any type can be stored, accessed and edited across devices. Users can make edits on one device and the most up-to-date version of the documents will be available across all devices, including on iOS devices, Macs, Windows PCs or on icloud.com.

Improved Spotlight search

Spotlight has now become intelligent and gives users suggestions from Wikipedia entries, places nearby, trending news, iTunes Store and App Store, among others. It detects context and location to improve search results. It even works inside Safari browser.

New Photos app

The iOS 8 Photos app and iCloud Photo Library offer better browsing and editing features. The Photos app can automatically straighten horizons and users can quickly adjust light and colour or access individual tools for deeper fine-tuning. Effects are automatically updated across the user's devices.

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"Steve Jobs did not allowed his children to use the Ipads and other Apple products[Strange but true]"

He may have been dubbed "the master evangelist of the digital age", but even the late Steve Jobs worried about the effect that technology has on children.

While he persuaded millions that Apple's chic but pricey gadgets were a must-buy, turning the company from a basket case to a global powerhouse, he prevented his own children from using iPads and limited their access to the internet generally.

To a generation of young people it may sound like the most boring of the seven circles of hell, but Jobs' children would instead sit around a long dinner table in the kitchen and actually talk to one another.

The shock revelation that Mr Jobs' children were not uber-geeks came from US journalist Nick Bilton, who recalled a conversation with Apple co-founder in 2010, a year before he died.

Mr Jobs had called him to complain after he wrote about a perceived failing of the iPad, which had just gone on sale.

Mr Bilton, writing in The New York Times, said that "after he had finished chewing me out" he had been shocked by Mr Jobs' response to a question that was mainly designed to change the subject.

"So, your kids must love the iPad?" he asked. But Mr Jobs replied, "They haven't used it. We limit how much technology our kids use at home."

Mr Bilton said he responded "with a gasp and dumbfounded silence".

"I had imagined the Jobs's household was like a nerd's paradise: that the walls were giant touch screens, and the dining table was made from tiles of iPads," he wrote.

Walter Isaacson, the author of the biography called simply Steve Jobs, told him later that "every evening Steve made a point of having dinner at the big long table in their kitchen, discussing books and history and a variety of things".

"No one ever pulled out an iPad or computer. The kids did not seem addicted at all to devices," he added.

Chris Anderson, ex-editor of technology magazine Wired, who has five children, aged six to 17, agreed with the Jobs family approach. "My kids accuse me and my wife of being fascists and overly concerned about tech, and they say that none of their friends have the same rules," he told Mr Bilton. "That's because we have seen the dangers of technology first-hand. I don't want to see that happen to my kids."

There is some scientific support for the idea that modern technology can be damaging. A study, published last month, of 11 and 12-year-olds found that removing digital devices, including televisions, for five days saw an improvement in social skills.

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"Finally in India, you can now withdraw cash from ICICI Bank ATMs without a card"

MUMBAI: ICICI Bank has introduced a cardless cash withdrawal facility which allows customers to transfer money from their account to anyone in India with a mobile number.

The recipient, even if he does not have a bank account, can withdraw money round the clock without using a debit card from over 10,000 ATMs of ICICI Bank.

"We foresee tremendous growth potential in the use of electronic payments in our country. 'Cardless Cash Withdrawal' provides an added facility in an array of electronic payment options that ICICI Bank offers to its customers."

At present, electronic remittances are possible for only those with a bank account. Beneficiaries without a bank account can receive cash only through money order which is an expensive and time consuming process for remittances.

The 'Cardless Cash Withdrawal' facility can be initiated by any ICICI Bank savings account customer (sender) by logging into internet banking.

The sender first needs to register the recipient's name, mobile number and address. The sender will get a four-digit verification code while the recipient a six digit reference code, over SMS.

The recipient can withdraw cash from almost all ICICI Bank ATMs by entering the mobile number, cash amount along with the verification and reference code, within two days of the transaction.

This service can also be used by the Bank's account holders to withdraw cash from their own accounts without using a debit card.

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"How Apple Watch works?, 10 things to know about the latest trending gadget"

All the rumours came true, the Apple's smartwatch is released today.The Apple Watch (sorry, “iWatch” fans) will be the first big new product line Apple has introduced since the iPad in 2010, and the first under the leadership of Tim Cook as CEO.

Like the iPad, iPhone and iWatch before it, the Apple Watch will enter a market where other tech companies have tried and failed to reach a mass audience. As with those earlier products, Apple hopes that a mixture of sleek hardware design and easy-to-use software will convince millions to buy a device they never even knew they needed.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Apple Watch:

You Need an iPhone to Use It

Like many smartwatches, the Apple Watch is meant to be used in conjunction with a smartphone. Think of it as as an easier-to-reach display that can relay information from your phone—when someone sends you a text, for instance, the Apple Watch can display the message on its screen for easier access. Though the watch was unveiled along with the iPhone 6, it will also be compatible with the iPhone 5, iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c.

It’s Expensive and It Won’t Be Out Soon

Shocker—Apple is introducing a gadget at the very high end of the category’s price range. The Apple Watch’s retail price will start at $349 when it launches early next year. Samsung’s Galaxy Gear retailed for $299 last fall, while the Kickstarter-funded Pebble smartwatch costs $150. Apple products typically sell at a premium, which helps the company maintain its huge margins.

It Has Animated Emojis

Everyone’s favorite yellow emoticons will have more verve on the Apple Watch. Users will be able to customize the facial expressions of emojis by touching different portions of the figure’s face. For instance, users can touch the emoji’s mouth to widen its smile or tap its eyebrows to raise them higher. The 3D figures spring to life before being texted off to a friend also using an Apple Watch. The redesigned emojis are a way to compensate for the fact that the Apple Watch screen is prohibitively small for sending traditional text message to friends. In addition to animated emojis, Apple Watch will analyze incoming texts and present a selection of potential responses that might make sense in context. Users can also use the phone’s microphones to dictate text.

It’s Compatible With Apple Pay

The new device is part of Apple’s broader scheme to replace your physical credit card through Apple Pay, a service that allows people to buy products through the press of a button on their iPhone 6 or Apple Watch. Utilizing Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, the devices will be able to communicate with payment systems at participating retailers using credit card information they already have tied to their iTunes accounts.

So far, McDonald’s, Staples, and Macy’s are among the companies that have agreed to accept Apple Pay.

It’s Using the Watch Dial in a Creative Way

The iPod’s click wheel was an innovation that simplified the chore of navigating through a thousand songs on an MP3 player. Apple hopes it’s hit on similar design magic by turning the traditional watch dial—now the “Digital Crown,” in Apple PR-speak—into a button that can be used to navigate the watch face. Through the dial, users will be able to zoom in and out on the screen, as well as scroll up and down, without obscuring the watch’s small surface. It also serves as the home button and the way to call up Siri, who will return as the Apple Watch’s digital assistant.

It Has Three Different Models in Two Sizes

The Apple Watch will come in three different styles. There’s the basic Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Sport, which will have a sweat-resistant wrist strap and the Apple Watch Edition, which will come in an 18-karat gold watch case. All of them will be available in two different sizes of either 38 mm or 42 mm for the watch face. The watches will all be customisable with easily changeable wrist straps. Expect these colorful straps to become the iPhone cases of the wearables era.

You Can Send Someone Your Heartbeat

Apple spent a lot of time at its press event talking about how the Apple Watch is the most personal device it’s ever created. Case in point: a user can “send” someone else their heartbeat by pressing two fingers to the Apple Watch screen to allow it to measure a pulse. Users can also share sketches, sound recordings and wrist-based love-taps for other forms of 21st-century flirtation.

It’s Extremely Sensitive

Apple claims that the technology inside its watch will allow it to both give and receive tactile feedback with quite a bit of subtlety. The vibration system, called Taptic Engine, provides haptic feedback that varies based on the context—for instance, the device would vibrate differently depending on whether you needed to make a right or a left turn while using a navigation app. The Apple Watch’s touch screen will also be able to differentiate between a tap and a press, which would should present more control options on the very small amount of available real estate.

Apple Still Hasn’t Revealed a Bunch of Important Information

With the Apple Watch not slated for release until 2015, Apple still has a lot of questions to answer. How’s the battery life? The fact that the company crowed about the iPhone 6’s improved battery life but was silent on Apple Watch may not be a good sign. We also want to know whether it’s water resistant, whether there will be a version for lefties and which app developers will be on board at launch.

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"IBM now hires more in US than India amid tax, visa worries"

Over the past decade, IBM hired frenetically in India, and cut jobs in the US in an effort to be cost competitive with Indian IT services providers. Now, the Big Blue appears to be changing track, goaded perhaps by the Obama administration's social and tax pressures, and the US work visa restrictions.

However, other global IT services companies like Ireland-registered Accenture and France-based Capgemini are continuing to keep their hiring focus on India.

IBM's 'Jobs at IBM' website currently lists about 6,750 jobs, of which nearly a third, 2,150, are in the US. India follows way behind at a little over 700, and China is third with about 650. More striking are the entry level positions. Of the total of 446 entry level positions open as on September 2, as many as 172, or nearly 40%, are in the US. In India, there are a mere five.

An employee of the company in India said the internal job portal now shows certain IT positions with 1-2 years' experience reserved for US citizens. "I can't recollect such entry level positions earlier being reserved for US citizens," he said.

When contacted, IBM did not directly address the matter, but issued the following statement: "Managing resources and skills is an ongoing and critical component of our business model. IBM continues to meet the changing requirements of its clients, and to pioneer new, high value segments of the IT industry. To that end, IBM is positioning itself to lead in growth areas such as cloud, analytics and cognitive computing and investing in these priority areas. Investing in and hiring talent from over 100 college campuses in India continues to be part of the strategy."

US tech entrepreneur and academic Vivek Wadhwa said he would not know if the IBM hiring trends were accurate, but said it would not surprise him. "IBM, like other US companies, is surely under pressure from nativists to hire more Americans. The noise is only getting louder. But it may be that IBM is trying to balance its growth and that is what is behind such a strategy," he said.

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"The top reasons why Samsung should fear iphone6"

The last few years will likely go down as a golden age for Samsung Electronics. While Apple defined the modern smartphone with its iPhone in 2007, Samsung has been growing far more rapidly. Since 2010, Samsung's share of the smartphone market has quadrupled to 31%, according to research firm IDC. Apple's share has barely budged in that same period, ending 2013 at about 15%.

But Apple may finally have the right ingredients to reverse Samsung's fortunes. On September 9, Apple is set to unveil not only a new phone, which some pundits are calling the iPhone 6, but also details of a longawaited smartwatch that will work in concert with the new phone. Bloomberg News has reported several of the features expected to be packed into the next iPhone, including larger screen sizes and a payments system allowing customers to use the device to make purchases in stores. Put all of these pieces together, and you get some potentially profound changes that could sap the advantages of Samsung's hot-selling Galaxy line of products.

We don't know everything about the new iPhone, but we know this: It won't be a good day for Samsung. Here's why:

More competition in large phones
Since the launch of the iPhone seven years ago, the device's screen size has only increased by half an inch. Meanwhile, the global appetite for large phones has been insatiable, and Samsung has been the main beneficiary. Devices with screens larger than 4.5 inches made up a third of the worldwide market last year, and IDC expects them to grow to 44% this year.

Now, Apple is finally getting in on the action. The company plans to unveil models with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens, according to people familiar with Apple's plans.

"Samsung has had a few years with no real competition on larger form-factor phones, and that's where they've been able to run the table on Apple," says Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray. "Now that competitive advantage is going to simply disappear." Teresa Brewer, an Apple spokeswoman, declined to comment on possible new products.

Mobile payment lock-in
After years of experiments, Apple will announce a payments platform so that iPhone owners will be able to buy goods at brick-and-mortar stores with a quick flick of their iPhones. The company has inked deals with Visa, MasterCard and American Express for the iPhone 6, which contains a wireless chip that transmits data securely to an in-store reader.

Even in the rosiest scenario, you'll still want to keep your wallet with you. It will take many years for the majority of retailers to make the investments necessary to support digital payments, says Richard Crone, a payments-industry consultant.

Still, Apple has a better chance to change consumers' behavior than Google, which has struggled to convince hardware makers, mobile carriers and stores of Google Wallet's worthiness. Apple has 800 million credit and debit cards on file with customers who have purchased items through iTunes. Apple may have to do some convincing after security concerns over hacked celebrity accounts. If Apple executes well, it will be far more difficult for Samsung to wrest iPhone customers away .

An iWallet "would be the ultimate in stickiness," says Crone. "It would create a tremendous barrier to exit for Apple customers and more importantly , a tremendous barrier to entry for competitors."

Watch and learn
Samsung has been making smartwatches for at least a year. In May, the company held a splashy event hoping to establish itself as the center of the nascent wearables segment. It introduced Sami and Simband, a set of software and hardware standards that any company could use to create their own devices and apps, and released yet another watch of its own on August 28. So far, there are few signs of traction, says Tavis McCourt, an analyst at Raymond James. "I would say Samsung has not moved the category forward," he says.

Tom Beermann, a spokesman for Samsung, declined to provide an update on the number of companies using Sami or Simband, or to provide data on the number of watches sold.

Apple's wearable device, often referred to as the iWatch, may not come out until next year, according to a report from Recode. No matter, says Munster. With only small companies such as Fitbit and Jawbone making progress in niches like fitness, there will be plenty of pent-up demand by the time the products arrive in Apple's stores, he says. If the iWatch goes mainstream, it could shut Samsung out.

Corporate ambitions
Apple has become the dominant provider of smartphones and tablets to corporations, seemingly without breaking much of a sweat. Apple's focus on simplicity has encouraged information-technology departments to accommodate employees' desire to use their iPhones and iPads at work. That's been good enough to get these devices into more than 90% of the world's largest companies, Apple CEO Tim Cook said earlier this year.

Samsung has had to work harder to win over companies. Part of the problem is the gadget maker's reliance on Google's Android operating system. Only a fifth of Android users run the latest version of the software, forcing companies to create different versions of their applications and leaving them vulnerable to newer kinds of attacks, according to OpenSignal, an app maker that conducted a study of its users.

To overcome this fragmentation, Samsung has made a push in recent years to fix Android's work-related issues. It created programmes for IT to manage employees' mobile devices called Safe and security software called Knox. So far, the effort has failed to establish Samsung as a major player in the workplace, says McCourt. "If the point was to increase Android's market share to be more like Apple's, then it has failed," he says.

Now, Apple is getting more serious about the corporate market. In July, the company said it would a team up with an old rival, IBM. "By partnering with IBM, Apple is being proactive about seeking and defending the enterprise market," Frank Gillett, Forrester analyst, wrote in an e-mail. Expect to hear more next week about what makes the iPhone 6 the perfect workhorse.

Apple may be finding its voice again
When Steve Jobs died in 2011, Apple lost not only its CEO and technology visionary, but the pitchman who championed iconic ad campaigns such as "Think Different," "There's an App for That" and "I'm a Mac." Since then, Apple has churned out a stream of ads that were forgettable at best.

In the meantime, Samsung's ad agency, 72andsunny, pulled off a brilliant bit of marketing jiu jitsu by going for Apple's jugular. The ads mocked what is perhaps Apple's greatest asset: The frenzied fans who turn up every year to wait in line for the newest iPhone. A new series of Apple ads shows how its products enrich people's lives, whether they are composers or parents. The campaign is going well, and the recent commercials are outperforming Samsung's on average, according to ad industry researcher Ace Metrix.

Apple is finally beginning to find its post-Jobs voice, says Edward Boches, an advertising professor at Boston University. For longtime Apple watchers, the September 9 event will bring a tinge of Jobsian nostalgia: It will take place at a college near Apple's campus, where the founder introduced the Mac and iMac. Apple's news conferences may have lost some luster since then, but they still do the trick. The same can't be said of Samsung's live performances.

Developers love Apple

Samsung's incredible run in recent years has come at a time of relative stasis for Apple. The Cupertino company has not introduced a major new product category since the iPad in 2010.

On the flip side, that's given developers plenty of time to get familiar with Apple's mobile devices. They've created more than 1.2 million apps and earned $20 billion-plus, exceeding Android. Developers are clamoring for new Apple products to code for, and they're going to get them. "If Apple puts the hammer down with great, unique new products, it's really going to put Samsung back on its heels," says Piper Jaffray's Munster.

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"Facebook loses around $22,000 per minute it's down"

Is Facebook Down? Why yes it is. [Update: Err, was. As of 1pm PST, service has returned to the US, Germany, and other places after a roughly 20 outage, though some users are still having trouble accessing the service.] Users reported the social network went down on web and mobile in the US as well as the UK, Germany, Thailand, Portugal, and other parts of the world at around 12:40pm PST. With earnings of $2.91 billion in Q2 2014, Facebook theoretically loses about $22,453 for every minute it’s down around the globe. However, since this was pretty prime browsing time for Facebook’s key markets in the West, it was likely losing a lot more.

Downtime trackers showed the outages too. We’ve contacted Facebook for info about how widespread the problem was, and the cause, and when all users worldwide can expect it to work again. Facebook has had an uncharacteristically problematic summer with major outages in May, June, and August.

We’ll have more info when we hear back from Facebook. Until then, here’s some of the best Internet art criticizing Facebook for sucking away our time (all rights and accolades go to the orginal artists).

Feel free to take this moment to go outside or have a quiet moment of reflection before the feed starts gushing again.

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"'Smart' device that engineers cells to kill cancer"

In a path-breaking discovery, biologists have created a new technology for modifying human cells to create therapeutics that could travel the body and selectively target and kill cancer cells without disrupting healthy cells.

This device is a protein biosensor that sits on the surface of a cell and can be programmed to sense specific external factors.

After detecting these factors, the device sends a signal into the engineered cell's nucleus to activate a gene expression programme.

"Till date, there was no way to engineer cells in a manner that allowed them to sense key pieces of information about their environment, which could indicate whether the engineered cell is in healthy tissue or sitting next to a tumour," explained Joshua Leonard, an assistant professor at Northwestern University's McCormick school of engineering and applied science.

For example, the engineered cell could detect big, soluble protein molecules that indicate that it is next to a tumour.

"Since this toxic programme would be activated only near tumour cells, such an approach could minimise side effects as well as improve therapeutic benefits," Leonard added.

The biosensor platform is highly modular, enabling the biosensors to be customised to recognise factors of relevance to various patients' needs.

"In that way, you could programme a cell-based therapy to specify which cells it should kill," Leonard added.

Doctors could potentially collect immune cells from a patient's body, engineer the cells using the biosensor platform and put them back into the patient.

"From there, the cells would do the work of detecting cancer or the disease they are designed to identify," the researchers added.

The study has been published in the journal ACS Synthetic Biology.

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"With This Facebook's New feature, You Can Know Where your Friends Are!!"

Your phone always knows where you are. And now, if you want, your Facebook friends will always know where you are, too.

Facebook is introducing a mobile feature called Nearby Friends that taps into that steady stream of location information so friends can track each other in real time.

The idea is to make it easy for people to meet up in real life, so they can have conversations in person instead of comment threads, temporarily replacing Likes and LOLs with eye contact and actual laughter. A live meet-up is also an excellent opportunity to grab a selfie with your pal and upload it to the Facebook owned Instagram.In a refreshing change, the new Nearby Friends feature is not turned on by default.

Friends will not be able to see where you are unless you decide live-tracking is something you want in your life and visit Facebook's settings to turn it on. Making a potentially invasive new feature opt-in suggests Facebook has perhaps learned from some of its past mistakes and privacy problems.

You can choose to share your general location with all your Facebook friends, close friends or a customized list of people you feel most comfortable with. Further minimizing the potential stalking factor, your location is only shared with other people who are also using the feature and who have chosen to share their location with you.

When turned on, Nearby Friends shows a list of approved Facebook friends who also use the feature and shows their approximate location. A push notification can tell you how many of your friends are nearby. Open the app to see a list of pals, the neighborhood or city where they are, how many miles away that is from your current location, and a time stamp of when they where there.

There is an option to share your exact location with specific friends, which can be handy for coordinating large groups at concerts or finding someone in a crowded area. Your friends will see a little image of your face on a map for a set period of time.

Nearby Friends will be available on Facebook's iOS and Android apps, but will only work for select locations at first.

Facebook, Instagram and many other apps already include features that let people "check-in" to locations, but those location features are different because you decide if and when to share each specific location. You might check into a Starbucks downtown, but never into your home or other spot you'd rather keep private. Nearby Friends is continuously gathering details about where you are in the background instead of waiting for a manual check-in.

This is not the first time an app has used location information to physically connect friends. Similar apps such as Highlight, which got a flurry of attention in 2012, mapped out the locations of nearby strangers. Facebook also purchased a startup in 2012 called Glancee that also connected strangers. That technology evolved into this new, more private feature.

If you turn on the Nearby Friends feature, Facebook starts collecting data on your exact location and keeps details on where you've been in the past, not just places where you've used its app to check in. It also collects location information even when the Facebook app is closed.

But you can turn off this location history in the Facebook app's settings. It's possible to delete individual locations from a history, or clear the whole thing and start from scratch.

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"3-D printing The Human Body:Artificial Eyes, Plastic Skulls[Heights Of Technology]"

The 21st century has seen the growth of 3-D printing, with well-known applications in architecture, manufacturing, engineering, and now increasingly in medicine.

The birth of 3-D scanning technologies combined with organic inks and thermoplastics has enabled the "bioprinting" of a range of human body parts to accommodate a wide range of medical conditions. Let's start form the top.

Skulls

Doctors at University Medical Center Utrecht, in Holland, have reported successfully performing the first surgery to completely replace a patient's skull with a tailor-made plastic version that was 3-D printed.
The patient had a chronic bone disorder that caused her skull to be 5cm thick. The hospital said the condition had caused her to lose her vision and ultimately would have killed her, but that three months after the operation the patient regained her vision and was able to return to work.

Eyes

Batch-printing of up to 150 prosthetic eyes an hour has become a reality according to UK-based company Fripp Design and Research. The mass-production technique promises to speed up the manufacture of eye prostheses and drive down the cost. Printing each eye with slight variation in color is intended to produce better aesthetic results.

3-D printing for the human body 3-D printing gave her a chance at a normal life Refugee amputee gets 3-D printed arm.The aim is to ensure more affordable eyes for the developing world with countries such as India reportedly showing interest in the products. The company, in collaboration with the UK's Manchester Metropolitan University, hopes to implement the use of its printed eyes within the next year.

Noses and Ears

Fripp Design has also collaborated with the University of Sheffield, in the United Kingdom, to produce facial prostheses such as ears and noses. 3-D facial scans of patients are used to print out prosthetics using pigments, starch powder and silicone for replica facial parts closely matching the patient's original nose or ear. The real benefit here is that once parts begin to wear, they can be re-ordered at a fraction of the cost as the technology and design will already be in place. The simpler process of scanning a patient's face, rather than more invasive face molds needed for traditional prostheses, also makes the process a lot more patient-friendly.

A team at Cornell University, in the United States, is doing things differently. It's printing 3-D molds of a patient's ear using ink gels containing living cells. The printed products are injected with bovine cartilage cells and rat collagen and incubated until they are ready three months later. Human transplants could be possible within three years, say researchers.

Synthetic Skin

James Yoo at the Wake Forest School of Medicine in the United States is developing a printer that will print skin straight onto the wounds of burn victims. The "ink" they're using consists of enzymes and collagen which once printed are layered with tissue cells and skin cells which combine to form the skin graft. The team plans on developing portable machines to print skin directly onto wounds in remote and war-torn settings.

The ideal synthetic skin graft needs to match the coloration of the patient as accurately as possible in order for the graft to look natural. Dr. Sophie Wuerger and her team at the University of Liverpool in the UK are working on using 3-D cameras, image processing and skin modeling to ensure the tone and texture of printed skin match up to the real thing.

Limbs

Thermoplastics have led the way in the growth of printable hands, arms and even individual fingers. Richard Van As is one of those producing affordable hand and finger prostheses with his company Robohand, based in South Africa. The team is creating functional fingers for use on amputated hands by combining the printing of the thermoplastic polylactide with aluminum and stainless steel digits to create a functioning mechanical finger.

Robohand recently collaborated with U.S. entrepreneur Mike Ebeling on a project providing affordable printed arms to war amputees in Sudan. The collaboration is known as "Project Daniel," named after 14 year-old Daniel Omar who lost both his hands and part of his arms after a bomb was dropped near his family home in Sudan's Nuba mountains. The team is enabling Robohands to reach the masses at costs as small as $100 for a basic hand.

Bones

One of the more established fields of 3-D printing is the bioprinting of human bone implants, and now replacement bones.
In 2011, researchers at Washington State University announced they had printed a bone-like structure that acts as a scaffold for new bone cells to grow on, before it degrades. The structure was printed using calcium phosphate and has been successfully tested in animals. The hope is to print customized grafts for use in patients with bone fractures.

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"Google Launches Chrome Remote Desktop On Android, Allowing Mobile Access To Your PC"

Google this morning launched a mobile client application called “Chrome Remote Desktop app for Android” (whew!) which allows for remote access to your Mac or PC from your Android device, whether smartphone or tablet. The new app is an extension of Google’s previously launched Chrome Remote Desktop screen-sharing service, which allows you to share your desktop’s screen with other Chrome browser or Chromebook users.

As with its big-screen counterpart, to use the Android application you first have to install a helper application on your desktop or laptop computer. That app is here in the Chrome Web Store and works on Windows (XP and above), Mac (OS X 10.6 and above) and Linux computers. The helper app installs as an extension to Google Chrome or the Chrome-based OS that powers Google’s Chromebooks.

Once installed, however, you’ll be able to open the app and connect to any of your computers with just a tap, manage them, and navigate through their files and folders from afar — like a modern version of GoToMyPC, for example.

We’ve known an Android client was in the works for some time, as there was even a functional version of the Android client available back in January, though it required that you compile the app from source in order to use it. An iOS version is also in the works, but its development is said to be further behind.

The move comes at a time when competitor Amazon is targeting enterprise users with its own version of remote access software, Amazon Workspaces. Officially launched to the public in March, this service similarly lets company employees access their work computers from any device, including Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad, Android or Kindle Fire HDX tablets. Of course, in Amazon’s case, the goal is to make its tablets appear more business-friendly.

Google’s Remote Desktop, on the other hand, has a more consumer-focused vibe, which even had the company once touting the service as a way to be the family hero by “adjusting printer settings on your mom’s computer to finding a lost file on your dad’s laptop,” for example.

The official Chrome Remote Desktop Android app is available here on Google Play.

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"Kitestring, The App That Makes Sure You Get Home Safe"

You don’t have to walk alone anymore. Rather than asking your mom, bestie, or significant other to stay on the phone with you while you walk down a sketchy street at night, you can use Kitestring. You punch in your emergency contacts, let it know when you’re somewhere dangerous, and Kitestring will text you a little later to see if you’re okay. If you don’t respond, it alerts your loved ones that something may be wrong.

I’m a relatively burly guy and I still see a need for this. While backpacking through Thailand, I’d roll up my sleeves and punch my fist into my palm menacingly in hopes that I’d look too tough to attack on an empty midnight street. Kitestring can’t dissuade someone from messing with you, but it won’t let you disappear without a trace.

You should still keep your eyes open, and your valuables tucked away. My favorite safety trick is to walk in the road rather than the sidewalk. If someone wants to jump me, I’ll see them coming in the empty street opposed to them having a chance to suddenly lash out if I pass right by them on the sidewalk. Kitestring is just another form of insurance just in case things go bad.

There are plenty of other apps designed to help keep you safe when you’re out alone. OnWatch and Circle Of 6 can share your current location with loved ones. bSafe can ping your emergency contacts with one touch, and record audio and video evidence. And Nirbhaya lets you alert your contacts just by shaking your phone.

But what I like about Kitestring is that it’s a mobile web app, which makes it accessible to people on all sorts of phones. The set-up process is quick and simple, and the app isn’t cluttered with too many features. And it doesn’t require the user to send the alerts, which is important because if there’s an incident, you might be separated from your phone.

As Bust points out, you might freak out your family or partner if your phone dies or you fall asleep and you don’t answer the check-up text. But that false positive from Kitestring is better than no one realizing you’re gone until it’s too late to track you down.

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"Samsung Galaxy S5 Review:More Evolution Than Revolution Despite New Hardware Features"

The Galaxy S5 (or S 5, if you ask Samsung) is the company’s latest flagship phone and sure to be a swift seller. The phone is, in its own way, beautifully designed and the materials, while clearly plastic, are durable and should maintain a luster over time. Is this an iPhone replacement? No, but it is a replacement for the S4 that should please shoppers already predisposed to Samsung and Android.

Basics

• 5.1-inch, 1920×1080, 432 ppi display
• 16/32GB storage, 128GB expandable via microSD
• 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, LTE
• 16MP rear camera, 2MP front facing camera
• Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz processor
• 2GB RAM
• Fingerprint reader, optical heart rate monitor
• MSRP: $199.99 on 2-year agreement, $650 off-contract

Pros

• Heart rate monitor is genuinely handy, especially for aging population
• Latest TouchWiz UI is best-designed yet

Cons

• Still feels like a plastic phone
• More misses than hits with fingerprint scanner

Design

Samsung’s Galaxy S5 is not a revolution in industrial design. It looks like the GS4, with a bit of influence from the Note 3 that Samsung released last fall. The unit I tested had the black pebbled faux leather back, which is surprisingly pleasant to both touch and look at, and the phone is rimmed with a faux metal plastic border that reminds me of something from a 50s diner stool. It’s not the refined, all-metal design of the HTC One M8, but it is appealing in its own way. I still think Samsung would do well to join the big boys like Apple with use of high-quality materials, but if we must have plastic, then this is the plastic I’d opt to have.

One advantage of the plastic: the back, at least, is relatively durable and drop-proof. Also, the phone is remarkably light, especially given that whopper of a display it’s packing. Plus, this is a water-resistant phone that doesn’t look like a water-resistant phone (read: it isn’t bulky) so that’s a plus. The USB flap door that ensures completely IP67 environment protection is a pain, however, given the frequency with which you’ll have to fidget with it to charge and connect to your computer.

Features

Samsung has refined TouchWiz, and the My Magazine feature on the Galaxy S5 is a nice way to get your social and news fix in one place, reminiscent of the BlinkFeed feature on HTC’s Sense UI. The built-in Samsung apps all get updates this round, but the best new features on the device are, surprisingly, the ones that sort of seemed glommed on unnecessarily.

he heart rate monitor Samsung included on the device uses pulse oximetry to detect a person’s heart rate through their finger tip. The concept is surprisingly simple, and my veterinarian brother says they’ve been using the tech to find your pet’s heart rate for years; essentially, it shines a light through the capillaries in your finger tip, taking snapshots of the size of the blood vessels within in rapid succession, to detect how engorged they are and then translating that into a number representing beats per minute. It’s a highly accurate measurement method, and indeed in testing it returned results that made sense given my relative level of activity, caffeination, time of day and more.

The fingerprint sensor is also interesting. It works decently well, but has a higher failure rate than Apple’s Touch ID sensor, at least when used natural with a one hand grip, swiping the thumb down from the screen over the sensor pad. This makes it suboptimal for use with unlocking the device, but used as a specific security tool for unlocking sensitive data within apps, or for authorizing payments, both of which are possible since Samsung makes the hardware feature available to third-party devs, it becomes a lot more interesting.

That said, both of these features are unlikely to make a splash in your daily life. The heart rate monitor is a handy shortcut for aging users who need to keep tabs on their cardiovascular health fairly regularly and change their behavior accordingly, but for the most part, it’s little more than a neat trick to pull out at parties and then quietly forget about.

Of the software features included on the Galaxy S5, the best is probably Milk Music, which is for U.S.-customers only and offers streaming radio, ad- and subscription-free. The service works great as a replacement for terrestrial radio thanks to its auto-start, dial-based discovery interface that required minimal user input to get to the music, and it has an impressive library of tracks thanks to Samsung’s use of Slacker Radio to power the service. Milk Music is available to any recent Galaxy device, however, so it isn’t necessarily a reason to buy.

Display

Samsung’s GS5 display is definitely a sight to behold, but it’s very hard to impress in the display world these days – or too easy. In terms of display quality related to pixel density and the crispness of text and graphics, I haven’t been able to discern a difference since Apple introduced its Retina display on the iPhone 4. The Galaxy S5′s screen size is impressive, however, and makes for a great way to watch mobile video thanks to full HD resolution and a 5.1-inch diagonal surface area, all in a phone that manages to still not feel overly large for a pocket.

Is it the best screen in the smartphone business? Very possibly. Is it a huge improvement over the GS4′s screen? For most users, no, and in fact, it actually has less pixel density than its predecessor. If screen quality is a key decision point for those considering an upgrade from last year’s model, then keep that wallet closed; the GS4 still has an excellent screen, and the GS5 hasn’t made any strides in that regard to merit an expensive upgrade. Plus, as with seemingly every Android device, auto-brightness still has major issues getting things right. Apple seems to be alone in divining the secret sauce for properly dimming and brightening your display based on ambient conditions.

Samsung’s GS5 display is definitely a sight to behold, but it’s very hard to impress in the display world these days – or too easy. In terms of display quality related to pixel density and the crispness of text and graphics, I haven’t been able to discern a difference since Apple introduced its Retina display on the iPhone 4. The Galaxy S5′s screen size is impressive, however, and makes for a great way to watch mobile video thanks to full HD resolution and a 5.1-inch diagonal surface area, all in a phone that manages to still not feel overly large for a pocket.

Is it the best screen in the smartphone business? Very possibly. Is it a huge improvement over the GS4′s screen? For most users, no, and in fact, it actually has less pixel density than its predecessor. If screen quality is a key decision point for those considering an upgrade from last year’s model, then keep that wallet closed; the GS4 still has an excellent screen, and the GS5 hasn’t made any strides in that regard to merit an expensive upgrade. Plus, as with seemingly every Android device, auto-brightness still has major issues getting things right. Apple seems to be alone in divining the secret sauce for properly dimming and brightening your display based on ambient conditions.

Samsung’s GS5 display is definitely a sight to behold, but it’s very hard to impress in the display world these days – or too easy. In terms of display quality related to pixel density and the crispness of text and graphics, I haven’t been able to discern a difference since Apple introduced its Retina display on the iPhone 4. The Galaxy S5′s screen size is impressive, however, and makes for a great way to watch mobile video thanks to full HD resolution and a 5.1-inch diagonal surface area, all in a phone that manages to still not feel overly large for a pocket.

Is it the best screen in the smartphone business? Very possibly. Is it a huge improvement over the GS4′s screen? For most users, no, and in fact, it actually has less pixel density than its predecessor. If screen quality is a key decision point for those considering an upgrade from last year’s model, then keep that wallet closed; the GS4 still has an excellent screen, and the GS5 hasn’t made any strides in that regard to merit an expensive upgrade. Plus, as with seemingly every Android device, auto-brightness still has major issues getting things right. Apple seems to be alone in divining the secret sauce for properly dimming and brightening your display based on ambient conditions.

Camera

The camera on the Samsung Galaxy S5 benefits from the company’s alter-ego as a camera maker, and works very well in optimal conditions, with fast autofocus and high res 16MP captures. But it still doesn’t fare all that well in low-light situations, the bane of all mobile cameras, and some of the features new to the GS5, while impressive from a tech standpoint, leave a lot to be desired.

Specifically, the focus selection option on Samsung’s phone is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, it produces great final results, letting you create portraits with background blur that look like they were taken with much more expensive cameras with fancy interchangeable, wide aperture lenses. On the other hand, they take a long time to capture, which makes getting candids with them near impossible, and taking portraits an exercise in “wait, no don’t move yet, it’s still processing.”

The trade-off for your patience is that the photos are much better in terms of overall quality than the selective focus pictures captured with the HTC One M8′s Duo Camera (which captures images much faster though). But the effect can be replicated on other devices, including the iPhone, using third-party camera apps, so it has a lot less value as a selling feature for the GS5 over other handsets.

Battery

The battery on the Galaxy S5 is removable, so that’s already a big advantage over some of the competition. It bumps up capacity over the GS4′s power house by 200mAh, which puts the total at 2,800mAh. In practice, it improved things over the GS4 and gave a full day of use under normal to high circumstances, but the HTC One M8 still outperformed it overall. The GS5 doesn’t offer any quantum leaps in battery tech, in the end, but if you like having the option to swap, it’s there with the GS5, and not with the One.

Bottom Line

The Galaxy S5 offers some genuinely useful stuff that the Galaxy S4 doesn’t, with extreme water and dust-protection (which really works, based on a brief 30-second submersion test and use in a fairly strong downpour) that should give most users a lot of extra peace of mind. It also increases the screen size even further, refines the look and feel of the all-plastic case and improves the onboard camera. You get some extra hardware widgets on this new model, both of which feel a little like kitchen sink additions.

Overall, though, the Galaxy S5 can’t help but feel like a dressed up Galaxy S4. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and new users will be very happy with their purchase. It might not be enough to convince existing device owners to upgrade, however, and if you’re on the fence between this and other devices like the HTC One M8 or the upcoming iPhone, it’s probably best to wait it out or try competing devices in person. I stand by my declaration that the One is the best Android smartphone currently available, but Samsung’s GS5 is a close contender for the crown.

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"Google Glass to go on sale in US on April 15"

Google will makes it controversial Internet-linked Glass eyewear available for purchase for a limited time in the United States beginning on April 15.

Anyone in the United States with $1,500 to spend on Glass will be able to join the ranks of "explorers" who have gotten to test out the devices prior to them hitting the market, the California-based Internet titan said Thursday in a post at Google+ social network.

"Our Explorers are moms, artists, surgeons, rockers, and each new Explorer has brought a new perspective that is making Glass better," Google said in the post.

"But every day we get requests from those of you who haven't found a way into the program yet, and we want your feedback too."

On April 15, Google will commence what it billed as the biggest expansion of the Explorer program to date by letting anyone in the US buy the eyewear online.

Google said online sales would take place "for a limited time," but did not specify how long that might be.

Selling the image

Google in March said it is joining forces with the frame giant behind Ray-Ban and other high-end brands to create and sell Glass Internet-linked eyewear in the United States.

The partnership with Luxottica was portrayed as Google's "biggest step yet into the emerging smart eyewear market."

Luxottica brands include Oakley, Alain Mikli, Ray-Ban, and Vogue-Eyewear.

The first smart glasses by Luxottica for Google Glass will go on sale in 2015, the head of the Italian eyewear group said Tuesday.

Google has been working to burnish the image of Glass, which has triggered concerns about privacy since the devices are capable of capturing pictures and video.

Google recently sent out a release to debunk Glass myths including that it invades privacy, distracts wearers, and is for "technology-worshipping geeks."

"If someone wants to secretly record you, there are much, much better cameras out there than one you wear conspicuously on your face and that lights up every time you give a voice command, or press a button," Google said.

"If a company sought to design a secret spy device, they could do a better job than Glass."

During the Explorer testing phase, developers are creating apps for Google Glass, which can range from getting weather reports to sharing videos to playing games.

Google in February gave the early adopters a bit of advice: don't be "Glassholes".

It was the final suggestion in a recommended code of conduct posted online for the software developers and others taking part in the "explorer" program.

The Internet titan appeared intent on avoiding the kinds of caustic run-ins that have seen some Glass wearers tossed from eateries, pubs or other establishments due to concerns over camera capabilities built into devices.

Don't be "creepy or rude (aka, a "Glasshole")," Google said in a guide posted online for Explorer program members.

Glass connects to the Internet using Wi-Fi hot spots or, more typically, by being wirelessly tethered to mobile phones. Pictures or video are may be shared through the Google Plus social network.

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"10 Most Inspiring Quotes by Steve Jobs"[MUST READ!!]

With a life as storied as he had, it's no wonder thaT Steve Jobs is remembered not only for running an incredibly successful company, but for being tremendously outspoken.

He seemingly had an opinion on everything, and his thoughts often echoed his obsessive commitment to quality at Apple, whether on his approach to mistakes ("Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.") or his attention to detail ("Design is not what it looks and feels like. Design is how it works.").

But he had plenty to say on deeper matters as well. Here's a roundup of some of his more thought-provoking words collected from various interviews and speeches.

"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while."

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."

"If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on."

"You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle."

"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me."

"I’m as proud of many of the things we haven’t done as the things we have done. Innovation is saying no to a thousand things."

“I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.”

"Getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life."

"Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles."

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"Scientists develop electronic 'band-aid' patch to monitor user health"

Engineers from two American universities have developed an electronic patch similar to a band-aid that can stick to a user’s skin and relay health information to a phone or computer. The patch includes silicone chips encased in a plastic case and silicone fluid that help it to stay stuck to the skin even through continuous movement.

The research team comprised of engineers from the University of Illinois and Northwestern University and was headed by John Rogers and Yonggang Huang from the former and latter universities respectively. In order to make sure that the wiring inside the patch does not break because of the way human skin is always in motion, the engineers designed them to unfold and fold according to the skin’s motion.

With the rising popularity of wearable technology and fitness monitoring devices, the patch could make sense to lot of users. Considering how malleable and unobtrusive it is, many users would prefer using it instead of wearing another gadget around their wrist or arms.

In the future, the research team wants to add biomechanical sensors to the patch to make it possible for it to analyse a user’s sweat and transmit more in-depth health and medical information.

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"Facebook wants to clean up spam in your News Feed"

Facebook wants to clean up the spam on its news feed, and has made changes to help give more prominence to "relevant" stories. To do this, the company will try and filter out "like-baiting", repetitive content and spammy links from feeds.

It is not uncommon to scroll down one's Facebook News Feed and coming across posts that read "One like = One prayer" or that a particular organisation will give $1 for every 'Like' the post generates. According to a survey carried out by Facebook though, such stories are 15 percent less relevant to users than other stories with a similar number of likes, shares and comments. Facebook is now working on cleaning up the News Feed section of users wherein there will be a drastic reduction in the number of such posts.

Addressing the issue in a post on April 10, Erich Owens, Software Engineer and Chris Turitzin, Product Manager wrote about the changes that Facebook is working on. According to them, "The goal of News Feed is to deliver the right content to the right people at the right time so they don't miss the stories that are important and relevant to them. We are announcing a series of improvements to News Feed to reduce stories that people frequently tell us are spammy and that they don't want to see."

They write that Facebook will be better at detecting such posts and reducing their visibility on the news feed, but assured users that this will not impact pages or posts that are trying to build a "genuine discussion" among users.

However, in the post, they also noted that even great content becomes less relevant when it is repeatedly re-shared. They write: "We've found that people tend to find these instances of repeated content less relevant, and are more likely to complain about the Pages that frequently post them." Facebook wants to de-emphasise these stories as well, and claims that this has had a good response from users in their testing, as users were hiding 10 percent fewer stories after the change.

The company is also trying to cut down on spammy links, by measuring how frequently people visit a link and then like or share the original post. The update announced reduces the visibility of such "spammy" links, and according to the post, this has led to a 5 percent increase in people clicking on links, in the early testing.

The changes are likely to impact those people, who according to Facebook, are "frequently and intentionally creating feed spam." The post reads, "[They] will see their distribution decrease over the next few months.' Publishers who are not involved in spamming might see a very small increase in News Feed distribution.

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