You're never too young to get online: Fisher Price sells new case that turns your iPad into a baby's toy

By NEIL SEARS

Protective: The iPad cover that means children of six months can use their parents' device without getting dribble on it It’s usually a good year before a baby is up on his or her feet – but why should that stop them exploring the big wide world of the internet. Fisher-Price is marketing a plastic and rubber casing for an iPad so children of six months can use mummy or daddy’s device without getting dribble all over it. Selling at around £33, it might be perfect for those who think you are never too young to get online. But the product will alarm critics who believe computers are increasingly being used as ‘electronic babysitters’ when children should be using traditional toys or listening to stories read by their parents. Recent advice even suggested children under three should not use any computers or watch TV.

Warning: Child psychologist Dr Aric Sigman said toddlers should not spend any time looking at screens The product is called the ‘Laugh and Learn Apptivity Case’ and is described as being for children aged six months and older. A picture on the box features a baby using an iPad, safely protected within the case, to play a game without any apparent adult assistance. The wording on the packaging boasts: ‘This sturdy case will protect your iPad from dribbles, drool, and sticky little fingers. The company also offers free apps ‘for plenty of learning fun’. Children who tire of the moving pictures on the screen can amuse themselves with the ‘textured handle and rattle beads’ at the top of the case, or swing it from side to side on its rocker base. All this, however, won’t impress child psychologist Dr Aric Sigman. Last month, he warned that toddlers should not spend any time looking at screens. He said computers were being used as an ‘inferior’ third parent and children risked limiting their brain development when they should be relating to their parents face to face. Professor Mitch Blair, of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, also said paediatricians were becoming concerned about the effects of screen use on child development. source: dailymail

You have read this article Science and Tech with the title Science and Tech. You can bookmark this page URL http://elachelle89.blogspot.com/2012/11/you-never-too-young-to-get-online.html. Thanks!

Apple's £269 iPad mini goes on sale around the world - but even the queues are smaller

By MARK PRIGG

Kay Hunter, 19, one of the first customers with her new iPad Mini on the day they where released at the Apple Store in Glasgow. However, queues were smaller than for previous launches. Apple's new iPad mini has gone on sale around the world. While a few diehard fans queued for hours to be among the first to own the new smaller iPad, queues were tiny compared to previous launches. In Hong Kong, reports even claim that staff outnumbered the customers when the store opened.

The queues at Apple's Covent Garden store today for the iPad mini (left) compared to the queue for the iPhone 5 (right) on October 14th Experts say bad weather, Hurricane Sandy and increased competition from rivals such as Google, Amazon and Microsoft could be behind to lack of queues. Experts believe the effects of Hurricane Sandy and the large number of online orders mean the queues were smaller.

Customers form a queue outside an Apple store to purchase the company's new iPad Mini in Seoul, South Korea Apple fans lined up in several Asian cities to get their hands on the iPad mini on Friday, but the device, priced above rival gadgets from Google and Amazon.com, attracted smaller crowds than at the company's previous global rollouts. Apple Inc's global gadget rollouts are typically high-energy affairs drawing droves of buyers who stand in line for hours. But a proliferation of comparable rival devices may have sapped some interest.

Apple staff in Glasgow celebrate the launch of the £269 iPad mini, which went on sale around the world today About 50 people waited for the Apple store in Sydney, Australia, to open, where in the past the line had stretched for several blocks when the company debuted new iPhones. At the head of Friday's line was Patrick Li, who had been waiting since 4:30 am and was keen to get his hands on the 7.9-inch slate. 'It's light, easy to handle, and I'll use it to read books. It's better than the original iPad,' Li said. There were queues of 100 or more outside Apple stores in Tokyo and Seoul when the device went on sale, but when the company's flagship Hong Kong store opened staff appeared to outnumber those waiting in line.

The Apple Store Ginza in Tokyo saw the biggest number of fans, with many dressing up for the occasion

Tokyo, Japan where many Apple fans queued up to buy the new iPad mini

The queue for the iPad Mini at The Covent Garden Apple store. Craig Jobbins was first in line to get his iPad Mini. He queued from 3.30am. source: dailymail

You have read this article Science and Tech with the title Science and Tech. You can bookmark this page URL http://elachelle89.blogspot.com/2012/11/apple-269-ipad-mini-goes-on-sale-around.html. Thanks!

Luggage you wear: Want to beat baggage charges of the budget airlines? Then try these bizarre outfits for size

By DAVID WILKES

Take more on board: The Jaktogo transforms from a bag, left, into a coat or dress, right, with extra pockets for taking holiday essentials onto a flight They're hardly the most flattering things to wear at the airport check-in desk. But if you don't mind a few smirks and puzzled looks from other travellers, these outfits could save you money. In fact, their designers say they could save frequent flyers thousands of pounds. Engineer John Power invented the 'wearable luggage' to beat the baggage charges levied by budget airlines. A £56 coat, made of light but strong polyester, has 14 variously-sized pockets which can hold a total of 15kg of luggage.

'Not the prettiest thing': Inventor John Power admits the dress won't win any style awards but it will come in handy if you don't want to pay for excess baggage on budget flights After boarding, the Jaktogo can be folded up and carried as a shoulder bag. It also comes in a dress version. Irishman Mr Power, 57, who lives near Antwerp in Belgium, said he travels twice a week using budget airlines. Though their advertised ticket prices are often low, most airlines charge extra for hold luggage.

Carry on: Airlines like Ryanair charge passengers for more than one item of hand luggage or if their bag weighs more than 10kg. The Jaktogo allows people to get around this by adding items to the coat's many pockets This summer Ryanair charged up to £60 per 15kg piece of checked luggage if paid in advance – and up to £240 at the airport. Weight limits are strictly enforced and breaking them incurs further charges. However, budget carriers allow passengers to take one piece of hand luggage on board for free.

They also allow jackets or coats – so Mr Power's invention allows travellers to by-pass the charges altogether. Mr Power said: 'I do get some funny looks at the airport but I usually sell about ten after every trip.' The Jaktogo is available online. source: dailymail

You have read this article Science and Tech with the title Science and Tech. You can bookmark this page URL http://elachelle89.blogspot.com/2012/10/luggage-you-wear-want-to-beat-baggage.html. Thanks!

'Creepy' new iPhone app trawls Facebook friends' galleries to find all their 'sexy pics'

By DAMIEN GAYLE

'Find your friend's sexy pics instantly': A screengrab of the Badabing! app's homepage Concern is growing over a 'creepy' new iPhone app which scours pictures posted by users' Facebook friends to pull out all the photos showing them wearing revealing outfits. On sale on the iTunes store for £1.49 ($1.99), the Badabing! app uses some sort of image-recognition technology to work out which of your friends pictures show the most skin. Once the pictures have been discovered, users can then browse them all before bookmarking their favourites and sharing them with others.

iPhone app: Badabing! trawls galleries posted by users' Facebook friends, highlighting all the pictures showing people in revealing outfits and allowing users to bookmark and share their favourites The service is particular disturbing in light of recent claims by the Internet Watch Foundation that it had found more than 12,000 instances of girls who had posted seductive pictures of themselves that had ended up on pornographic sites. Only weeks ago, Reddit troll Violentacrez was unmasked by Gawker. He had posed many pictures harvested from Facebook onto forums entitled ‘Rapebait’ and ‘Creepshots’, sparking outrage on the internet. On the website, he was also one of the driving forces behind the sickening 'Jailbait' forum, where users submitted sexualised images of scantily-clad underage girls - many of which also originated from Facebook. The users deleted photos of girls older than 16. That forum was also taken down after a backlash by users. The Badabing! app has the potential to allow paedophiles to accelerate the process of looking for pictures of under-dressed youngsters, a spokesman for the Child Exploitation and Online Protection agency warned. source: dailymail

You have read this article Science and Tech with the title Science and Tech. You can bookmark this page URL http://elachelle89.blogspot.com/2012/10/new-iphone-app-trawls-facebook-friends.html. Thanks!

The hypersonic plane that could fly between New York and Tokyo in just 90 MINUTES

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Taking flight: XCOR Aerospace claims its Lynx spacecraft can travel at a speed of more than 2,500 mph - and dozens of miles above the earth - before safely landing at an airport A California-based flight firm says its jet can take you from the the Big Apple to the Orient in half the amount of time it would take to watch Titanic. XCOR Aerospace claims its Lynx spacecraft can travel at a speed of more than 2,500 mph - and dozens of miles above the earth - before safely landing at an airport. It would be the fastest commercial flight since the days of the Concorde.

Propelled: The Lynx's main engines run with the help of flight weight rocket piston pump hardware and liquid oxygen Business Insider reported that work continues on a prototype of the jet, but portions of the aircraft have been released to the public, including testing of Lynx's supersonic engine last week. The Lynx's main engines run with the help of flight weight rocket piston pump hardware and liquid oxygen.

Design: When completed and successfully tested, XCOR will begin marketing the world¿s quickest flights on a jet that takes off and lands like the 747s of today When finished and successfully tested, the company will begin marketing the world’s quickest flights on a jet that takes off and lands like the 747s of today. XCOR COO Andrew Nelson told the Huffington Post that flights between Tokyo and New York are likely to be available within the next 20 years.

Cold feet: The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was first offered by former NASA astronaut Richard Searfoss, left, to Big Bang Theory co-star Simon Helberg, right, who refused XCOR is one of several companies developing suborbital vehicles for commercial space tourist flights. Lynx, a two-seater craft, will be able to take off and land at standard airports and unlike other spacecraft it will be a reusable space plane, capable of making up to four trips per day. It will take a pilot and passenger to the edge of space for a few minutes of microgravity and the ultimate view of the Earth. XCOR anticipates beginning space tourist flights on the new plane in 2013, with tickets selling for $95,000 per person. source: dailymail

You have read this article News Update / Science and Tech with the title Science and Tech. You can bookmark this page URL http://elachelle89.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-hypersonic-plane-that-could-fly.html. Thanks!

Apple unveils the iPad you can hold in one hand: New 7.9inch mini design will cost just £269 as computer giants square up for Xmas tablet 'bloodbath'

By MARK PRIGG

Revealed: The new 7.9inch iPad mini next to the full size 9.7inch iPad with Apple's Phil Schiller Apple has revealed a new smaller iPad mini with a 7.9inch screen that is set to blow away its rivals in the tablet market this Christmas. It will go on sale next week on November 2 and cost from £269 ($329) and the company hopes the ultra-competitive price will destroy its main rivals Amazon, Microsoft and Google. Experts predict the launch will result in a 'tablet bloodbath'.

Unveiling: Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller introduces the new iPad mini during an Apple event in San Jose, California

The iPad mini was revealed by Apple's Phil Schiller at a special event in California, who said:'You can hold it in one hand, this isn't a shrunken down iPad, it's an entirely new design.'. 'iPad mini is as thin as a pencil and as light as a pad of paper, yet packs a fast A5 chip, FaceTime HD and 5 megapixel iSight cameras and ultrafast wireless―all while delivering up to 10 hours of battery life,' said Apple's Phil Schiller as he revealed the iPad mini. The new gadget will go up against Amazon's £129 ($199) Kindle Fire and Microsoft's larger 10.6inch £399 Surface tablet, both of which go on sale in the UK this week, prompting experts to predict a 'tablet bloodbath'. It will also compete directly with Google's £159 Nexus 7, a new version of which is expected to be unveiled later this week. The firm also revealed a new version of its larger iPad which has a 9.7inch screen, and now has a faster chip. Apple's British designer Sir Jonathan Ive said: 'The result is an extraordinary iPad that will be used in so many places in so many ways.' Apple boss Tim Cook took the stage at San Jose's California theatre to introduce Apple's latest blockbuster product. He promised 'We've got some really exciting things to show you', and revealed the firm has sold more than 3m of its new iPods and sold more than 200 million devices running iOS 6, the latest version of its mobile software. Cook also revealed Apple has now sold over 100m iPads around the world, saying 'people love their iPad. 'We couldn't be more thrilled by how quickly iPad has been embraced - but we know we are just getting started.' Apple's Phil Schiller also introduced the 4th Generation larger iPad with a new faster processor and support for 4G networks around the world. It will sell at the same price as the existing iPad. Experts say the launch could lead to a tablet war. 'It's going to be a tablet bloodbath this Christmas,' said Jason Jenkins, Editor of CNET UK. 'Apple has announced the iPad mini, a shrunk-down version of the iPad with a 7.9-inch display, which will compete directly with models from Google and Amazon.

'How important it is for Apple to win this one can be seen from the large amount of time it gave in its presentation to comparing it to Google's equivalent, the Nexus 7. 'That shows it's scared: there is a real chance one of its rivals could take its dominant tablet market share away.

The iPad mini also has a 'smart cover' which can automatically switch it on and off

The iPad Mini, at left, is shown next to the 4th Generation iPad in San Jose 'The iPad mini looks like it will probably be a great product, but at £70 more than the Google Nexus 7 and £110 more than the Amazon Kindle Fire, I'm not sure it's worth the extra money for the use you'll get out of it.' Matt Leeser, Head of Buying for Communications Technology at John Lewis, said: 'We’re excited by Apple’s decision to launch the iPad Mini as it is a significant step towards the proliferation of tablets as the market reaches lower price points and will join a range of very competitive tablet options now in that sector.

The new iPad mini which features a 7.9-inch (20 cm) multi-touch display, FaceTime HD, 5 megapixel iSight cameras and a 10 hour battery life. 'Last year Apple dominated the tablet market, but this year there is going to be a lot more choice available, including tablets from Samsung, Google, Amazon Kindle, and the Nook from Barnes & Noble. 'We’re also excited about the range of options Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system will bring to the market.'

Apple's Phil Schiller holds the new iPad Mini

The new iPad mini is shown next to a full sized model at an Apple event in San Jose, California October 23, 2012. The firm also completely revamped its Mac computer range with a new 13 inch Macbook laptop, a Mac Mini computer the size of several CD cases and a new thinner iMac desktop computer. Apple's Phil Schiller first introduced a new version of the firm's popular 13inch Macbook portable computer that is .75inch thick and has the firm's high resolution retina display. It will cost from £1449 ($1699 in the US), and is available from today. the firm also showed off a new version of the Mac mini, its small Mac the size of several CD cases which will cost from $599 in the US. The firm also revealed a new thinner version of its iMac desktop computer just 5mm thick, but dumps the optical drive found in previous versions (although Schiller said a separate drive was available 'for those stuck in the past')

The new iPad mini works in exactly the same way as both the iPhone and larger iPad.

A visitor looks over the new iPad mini

The back of the new iPad mini, which will be available in black and white

The new iPad will go on sale next week Interest in the new gadget has been huge - with monitoring firm Experian Hitwise saying 1 in every 6000 UK internet searches last week were for the iPad mini. Piper Jaffray technology analyst Gene Munster said in a note to investors that he expects the iPad mini to launch on 2 November. The firm believes Apple could sell 5 million iPad minis in the December quarter, but that will be at the expense of 1 million 9.7in iPads. 'For every 5 million smaller iPads, you lose 1 million standard iPads,' Munster wrote.

The Mini launch comes as research suggests a quarter of us - 22 per cent - own a tablet, with another three per cent regularly borrowing someone else's tablet for web browsing. About 68 per cent of the 9,5123 adults surveyed said they purchased their tablet within the last year. The U.S. survey by the Pew Research Center also suggests the flood of cheaper tablets, such as the Google Nexus or Amazon Fire, are weakening Apple's grip on the market.

The new iPad mini will be available in black and white

Apple's Phil Schiller reveals the iPad pricing for the US source: dailymail

You have read this article Science and Tech with the title Science and Tech. You can bookmark this page URL http://elachelle89.blogspot.com/2012/10/apple-unveils-ipad-you-can-hold-in-one.html. Thanks!

Terrifying moment lift floor drops into shaft with people inside (but don't worry, it's just a stunt to advertise computer monitors)

By SAM WEBB

Gravity: She wedges herself into corner and watches the panels, as it dawns on her that she is safe

Office workers step into a lift, their minds on what tasks the day holds, or perhaps their plans for dinner after work.
Suddenly the lights dim and, with the sound of tortured metal, the floor falls away into a black abyss.
Fortunately, this isn't footage of a terrifying accident but a stunt by a technology company to show how clear the picture is on its new computer monitors.

Ominous: The floor buckles, the light flickers and hidden speakers simulate the sound of distressed metal

South Korean conglomerate LG combined nine of its new IPS monitors and fixed them to a floor of a lift in an office building.
After the floor button is pressed, the monitors show a hyper-realistic animation of the floor collapsing into the darkness.

Vertigo: The man is taken aback as the floor tiles seemingly fall away into the yawning mouth of the lift shaft

The effect is heightened by an ominous flickering of the lights and sound effects of shrieking metal giving way.
For a split second, the hapless victims are fooled into thinking they are about to plunge down into the shaft.
Many jump back or grab the railings when the panels appear to drop away, and one women yelps in terror.
However, the fear is short-lived and most laugh about it afterwards, although one woman storms out of the lift with a face like thunder.

Calm before the storm: These two colleagues are relaxed when they get in the lift

Illusion: They leap to the side and grab the railings when the fake disaster strikes

Yikes!: The floor appears to fall away into a long, dark shaft. The woman is stunned



source: dailymail

You have read this article Science and Tech with the title Science and Tech. You can bookmark this page URL http://elachelle89.blogspot.com/2012/10/terrifying-moment-lift-floor-drops-into.html. Thanks!

What does your sleeping position say about your personality? Worriers curl into a ball, claims researcher

By KERRY MCDERMOTT

Did you sleep like a log last night? If you did, you need to relax more, according to new research.
A body language expert claims the position we sleep in gives a revealing insight into our personalities - with those of us who snooze stretched out like logs more likely to be stubborn and inflexible.
The study suggests that, when we climb into bed and drift off, people in the UK fall into four groups; foetals, logs, yearners and freefallers.

Sleeping like a log: More than half of us in the UK sleep curled up in the foetal position, left, suggesting we are a nation of worriers, while the second most common position is the log, right, which indicates a rigid personality

More than half of us - 58 per cent - curl up into the foetal position while we sleep, indicating that we are a nation of worriers.
Expert Robert Phipps said those who favour the foetal position, snoozing with knees up and head down, are seeking to return to their comfort zone.
Foetal sleepers are conscientious and ordered, but can over-think things and worry unnecessarily, he claimed.
The second most common sleeping position is the log, with 28 per cent of people in the UK lying fully extended in a straight line with their arms by their sides.

Nap-time: 'Yearners' sleep with their arms outstreched, left, while 'freefallers' sleep on their stomachs with their arms at right-angles, right

Mr Phipps claims log sleepers are stubborn and set in their ways, and their preference for having things done their way can make them appear bossy and aloof.
While 'sleeping like a log' sounds like the ideal, Mr Phipps said those of us who adopt the log position can wake up stiffer than when they went to sleep.
The body language expert claims 'loggers' need to relax more and let their muscles unwind, leaving them to wake up less rigid both physically and mentally.


He uses the term 'yearners' to describe the 25 per cent of people who sleep with their arms stretched out in front, a position he claims has two possible meanings.
While it can be interpreted as symbolic of the sleeper's desire to chase their dreams by taking on new and exciting challenges, the arms outstreched position can also suggest the sleeper feels they are being chased.
Mr Phipps said that, while yearners wake up eager to face the challenges of the day and grasp new opportunities, they can also waste time and energy chasing things that don't provide the fulfilment they seek.
Freefallers account for 17 per cent of the population, and sleep face down on their stomachs with their arms at right-angles, as though clinging on to their bed for dear life.
Mr Phipps described it as physically the least comfortable sleeping position, and said many freefallers feel as though they lack control in their lives and are merely 'hanging on for the ride'.
He claimed freefallers can wake up feeling anxious about things they need to get done during the day, in his study commissioned by the Premier Inn budget hotel chain.
The percentages are understood to add up to over 100 per cent to take account of people who change sleeping positions during the night.

source: dailymail

You have read this article Science and Tech with the title Science and Tech. You can bookmark this page URL http://elachelle89.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-does-your-sleeping-position-say.html. Thanks!