Samsung Makes Fun Of Apple iPhone 6 In This Hilarious New Advertisement

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BY THE ENGINEER - SEPTEMBER, 22ND 2014

After the big revealing of iPhone 6 that Apple did, Samsung didn’t waste any time in coming up with adverts that mocked the most anticipated launch of this year. The series of ads was dubbed as ‘It Doesn’t Take a Genius’ and pointed towards the Apple’s in-store Genius bars. The ad shows two employees talking (more like moaning) about the new devices while promoting why Galaxy Note 4 should be the users’ choice.

One video covers the fact that the Apple’s live stream crashed on Tuesday and one of the employees is seen stuttering and freezing and the other guy goes like; ‘You can’t handle a live stream? You work in technology. Unbelievable.’ The Galaxy Note 4 was unveiled at IFA event in Berlin.

The second advert aims at the larger screen. The employees are watching the live stream and one says; ‘We’ve been waiting two years for us to do something groundbreaking. Here it is. A bigger screen.’ The other guy responds with; ‘Wait. A bigger screen? Every other phone has a bigger screen.’

The third advert in the series shows the employees breaking a sweat while trying to draw on the device without a stylus pen and the other talks about lack of multiple windows – both as you can expect, are offered by Galaxy Note 4. The battery life has been made fun of as well while quoting the faster capacity when it comes to charging of Note 4. The iPhone being a fragile phone has been discussed as well and the last advert shows the employees talking about Apple Watch and stating that Samsung already has a wider range of such wearable technology.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will be available for pre-order by the end of this month with a 5.7” screen and a 16 MP camera, coupled with S pen stylus and multi-window feature

SEatylock Combines Your Bike Saddle With A Security Lock

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BY THE ENGINEER - SEPTEMBER, 22ND 2014

It can be quite a hassle when you just have to travel down somewhere close with your bike and have to carry the lock with you. However, not taking the lock along can result in the loss of your bike as well. What to do then? What if you had a bike that had a lock incorporated into it? That is exactly what the Seatylock is about. Seatylock is a bike seat that can be moved to serve as a bike lock.

The locking part of the device folds up underneath the saddle when not in use and hence, keeps the design classy so as to say. Upon parking the bike, all the user needs to do is to flip a lever that allows for the quick release of Seatylock, disengaging the aluminium adapter that has been mounted onto the seat post. Followed by this, the plastic-coated hardened steel lock is folded out and then run around the frame and the object you are securing the bike to before turning the key in.

Since the saddle is part of the lock, the thieves won’t be able to do much when it comes to stealing the bike. As of now, Seatylock is raising funds on Kickstarter and if all goes well it will be available in two versions of saddle; a streamlined Trekking model and a bit fatter Comfort model. Users can also have third party saddles incorporated if they want to.

You can have a unit for a pledge $85. The retail price will be $129

Strati Is The World’s First 3D Printed Car

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BY THE ENGINEER - SEPTEMBER, 22ND 2014

3D printing has surely taken the market by storm and we are witnessing more and more practical uses of 3D printing popping up every now and then. So far we have seen a plethora of items ranging from buildings to human bones, however, today we will show you another feat pulled off via 3D printing; a 3D printed car known as Strati.

Strati is made up of only 40 parts as opposed to conventional vehicles that are built by using more than 20,000 components. The idea was conceived by Local Motors based in Arizona. The printing followed by assembly took a total of 44 hours to complete and was carried out at the 6-Day International Manufacturing Technology Show 2014 in Chicago.

It has been made of one solid piece and shall have a top speed of 40 Mph while being able to deliver a range of 120-150 miles. The chassis and body of Strati were printed using a huge 3D printer, however, tires, seats, battery, wiring, suspension, wheels, window shield and electric motor were created using the traditional approaches.

The car is battery powered and can carry two passengers. It has been created from black plastic layers that have been reinforced with carbon fiber. Local Motors John Rogers said; ‘We are the first company to make a 3D-printed car using carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic. The seats, body, chassis, dash, center console and hood will all be 3D printed.’

Local Motors plans on offering 3D printed cars for a price range of $18,000-30,000 based on the features that the customers wish to have.The 3D printer for Strati was provided by Cincinnati Inc. Mr. Rogers is hopeful that this manufacturing process that costs quite less shall allow for new innovation in the market soon enough. According to Local Motors’ website, the company is planning the launch of ‘production-level 3D printed vehicles that will be available to the general public for purchase in the months following the show.’

New Intelligent Blinker Bracelet Will Make Life Of Bicycle Riders Easier

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BY THE ENGINEER - SEPTEMBER, 23RD 2014

Bicycles are an important part of our traffic nowadays, and most of the time are a part of the mainstream traffic and not given separate lanes. In such scenarios, gadgets like the one we are going to show you today become necessary.

Signalling is a vital part of riding a bicycle on a busy street. A rider has to inform the traffic behind him what he is going to do next and this is the part where the Intelligent Blinker comes in. It’s needless to say that the more visible the hand signals are, the safer the rider will be.This is the reason doctoral students at Switzerland’s EPFL research institute created this gadget. It’s basically a wrist bracelet that automatically starts flashing when the rider raises their arm to signal.

The device comes in a pair. And contains an accelerometer and a magnetometer, to determine the changes in the orientation of the bracelet. When the rider raises his arm, these sensors trigger a set of LEDs that start blinking. User can adjust the angle at which one wants the Intelligent Blinker to kick in.

The bracelet can be charged by USB, although it also contains a photovoltaic panel. In the prototype version available, the size of the circuit board is too large for practical use. The developers do plan to reduce the size of the wrist bracelet. They are also planning to optimize battery consumption and add additional functions.

For the past few years, we have seen other devices made for the similar purpose, like Safe turn bracelet, that lights up automatically when signals are made using an internal tilt switch for the task. There are also LED arrow equipped gloves called Zackees, which have to be manually activated just like the Doppelganger gloves.

A device that was actually more identical to Intelligent Blinker is, the Useeme Bicycle Turn Signals bracelet, that recently failed to reach its funding goal on Indiegogo. So we hope this gadget will meet it’s funding goal and become a reality

Google Android One Launched in India

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BY THE ENGINEER - SEPTEMBER, 23RD 2014

Google outlined its Android One initiative at I/O 2014 and it’s aim was to bring quality, relatively cheap smartphones to developing countries while also addressing the unique needs based on locality and to find a way around the prevailing issues with the current locally available hardware. Recently, Google took the wraps off the first wave of certified smartphones that are now available for purchase in India right now.

Even though in developed countries such as USA where the smartphone market has become saturated, there is quite a market available in developing countries (5 billion people) that still don’t own a smartphone and Google is all set to claim this market. Company has pointed out that when you talk about smartphones in markets such as India; quality hardware has a high price, devices are running out-of-date software, smartphones either don’t support data plans or the plans are too expensive to opt.

The company has come up with a plan to tackle these issues by coming up with reference designs and facilitating manufacturers by helping them pick components. The devices that can be granted the Android One status have certain standards to meet such as quality front and rear camera, expandable storage while also having region-specific features that include dual SIM compatibility and built in FM radio.

The devices will run the latest 4.4-Kitkat Android and shall be some of the first devices that will get access to Android L. The software updates shall come directly from Google. Google has also taken Airtel on board with this project and it will be providing users with cheaper data plans. If you’re using Google Android One with an Airtel SIM you will be able to receive free Google updates for about 6 months and 200 MB equivalent for app downloads. None of these will contribute towards your data allowance, isn’t that great?

The first 3 smartphones in this initiative taken by Google are available in India right now and have more or less the same specs; 4.5” 480×854 displays, Cortex A7 1.3 GHz quad core processors, 1GB RAM and a 4 GB expandable storage. They come with dual SIL slots and 5MP and 2MP cameras. The makers are Karbonn, Micromax and Spice.

The devices come with a price tag of Rs. 6,399 and shall be followed up by devices by HTC, Asus, Lenovo and Acer by the end of this year. Google plans on taking on the markets of South Asia and Philippines by the end of this year.

Alienware Area 51 Is The Most Powerful Gaming System That You Can Buy

BY THE ENGINEER - SEPTEMBER, 17TH 2014

For all the gaming fans out there, behold, Alienware’s all new Area 51 gaming system is here for you! Dell has stated that the gaming system is capable of offering state of the art performance. The desktop gaming system comes with an amazing new chassis and incorporates the Extreme Edition Core i7 processor from Intel. It shall also support 4K gaming by employing three full-sized video cards.

Dell has named the design of the chassis as The Triad. Apart from coming with looks that are akin to ET, it has been developed to be thermally efficient and the design facilitates access to interior for upgrades that may come in handy later on. The internal fans are located at the bottom so that cool ambient air can be sucked in while the hot air is blown out diagonally from the top. Owing to this, even if the setup is pushed against the wall, the ventilation wouldn’t be blocked.

The port panel on the front can be seen accessed from seated position while the back panel has been installed at an angle hence allowing for easy accessibility when it comes to cable stabbing. The Area 51 gaming system will be available with a choice between 6 or 8 cores – the Intel Haswell-E core i7 processors that was introduced on the Intel x99 Express chipset. The assembly shall be shipped from the factory while optimized for overclocking and with support for up to 32 GB of 2,133 MHz DDR4 RAM while also being compatible with SSD storage and HDD hybrid options. A support for five drives is expected.

Users will be able to install 3 AMD or NVidia graphics cards that will power multiple monitors at UHD resolutions and even higher. The Command Centre suit of Alienware has been updated as well and now stands at version 4.0. There are a myriad of functions and tweaks all aimed at enhancing the experience of gaming. Dell has also stated that the launch of a curved display with 34” screen will allow for immersive gaming experience. It shall have a resolution of 3,440 x 1,440 and suit the Alienware rig perfectly

10 Secrets About iPhone 6 That Only A Few People Know

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BY THE ENGINEER - SEPTEMBER, 16TH 2014

So, Apple has finally revealed the much anticipated iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus. We already covered the revealing of these smartphones, but decided to make a list of features that are being offered by Apple for you all. Go through the list and let us know which one is your favourite.

10. Slow Motion Video Recording – Captures 240 Frames/Sec

9. Hidden Cost For iPhone 6 Ownership

The purchase price of the iPhone is technically speaking only a fraction of the cost of ownership. The cost also covers the contract pricing while also catering to the replacement of the iPhone accessories and peripherals.

8. Supports The Newest OS Version – iOS 8

Well, this comes as a no surprise but we thought you should know this; the latest iPhone supports iOS 8. The latest iOS supports features such as starting a message on iPhone and completing it on iPad.

7. iPhone 6 and An Apple Watch

Not really a surprise, but hey you can pair the Apple watch with your iPhone and be able to take phone calls and messages along with a myriad of other options on your smartwatch.

6. Apple Pay – Make Payments At A Retailer Using Captured Card Image

The Apple Pay feature introduced by Apple is the latest thing in market. It comes with the possibility for the user to take image of the card and then use this to make payments to the retailer.

5. Retina HD Display Screen Uses Metal 3D Gaming Development Software

Get ready for a whooping gaming experience on your new iPhone 6 that will be fully making use of the iPhone’s A8 chip.

4. Wi-Fi Calling

The new iPhone will allow the users to make high quality voice calls by making use of LTE and also Wi-Fi calling while also allowing the users to brows, stream content and download way faster.

3. iSight Camera – Focus Pixels For Faster Auto-Focus

The camera is more than an improvement; it is capable of capturing 80% more light all thanks to the new sensors that have been installed. This time around, the iSight camera has also incorporated the focus pixels to enhance the photograph quality.

2. Horizontal Display For Home Screen

1. Reachability Gesture – Comfort with Large Screens

You’d have noticed that there are two kinds of people; those who love the large screens and those who hate it because of the fact that you can’t reach easily for far areas of screen. Keeping this in mind, Apple has introduced the ‘Reachability Gesture’ that allows the users to reduce the application size in order to navigate it easily. In order to activate it during an app, simply double tap the home button.

Transform Your Ordinary Bicycle into An Electric Cycle With This Gadget

BY THE ENGINEER - SEPTEMBER, 16TH 2014

Electric Bikes are a great alternative to cars in urban areas. But usually the price tag for electric bikes is a put off. Spending a four or five figure value on an electric bike isn’t worth it for most of the consumers. The price tag is even a bigger put off for those who already own a pedal bicycle. A Japanese-Swiss company Sunstar addressed the problem and came up with a solution that is both cheaper and more practical. They introduced a modular Virtus electric drive. That transforms an ordinary pedal bicycle into an electric bike.

Virtus recently joined the growing list of aftermarket e-bike add-ons that include the likes of Rubbee and Velospeeder. As a modular mounted device, the Virtus is more cleanly integrated power option just like those used on permanent electric bikes.

According to Sunstar, the Virtus will fit on any conventional bike frame and provide the rider with a speed of 15.5mph (25kmph). They made it compatible with some of the famous bike frames, those that are popular among the masses. The versatility of the product has also contributed to broaden the potential consumer base. Instead of having to spend big on an altogether electric bike, one can simply transform their pedal bike into one.

The main components of the Virtus are it’s 250-watt, 55-Nm motor and a multi-sensor controller. The controller provides access to motor output, tracks torque, cadence, crank angle and speed. The multi-sensor unit can also be used on the simple pedal bicycle providing performance-tracking. The hardware connects to the user’s smartphone wirelessly to support performance tracking and control features.

The Virtus comes with three battery options. Two of them providing the user with 11Ah, 400Wh battery either mounted on rear rack or atop the down tube. Whereas the third option is with dual battery system that is a 400Wh battery and an 8Ah, 300Wh battery attached to the down tube. The system also includes a LCD computer that helps adjust between four modes, tracking battery level and getting read-outs of speed, mileage and other metrics required by the rider.

The Virtus is portable and can be removed from one bike in a matter of minutes and then installed to another one. So if you are fond of bikes and their types such as the mountain bike, race bikes, this is the product for you. Virus’s prototype will be revealed by Sunstar at this week’s Eurobike show. No other specs on the dimensions have been revealed yet except for the weight that is 7lb (3.2kg). It seems as the system will both be available over the counter for the user to assemble on their bikes and also integrated into full bikes. So would you buy one? Let us know in the comments section below.