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.

Samsung Releases Galaxy Note Edge With A Curved Display At One Corner

BY THE ENGINEER - SEPTEMBER, 13TH 2014

Samsung has yet again surprised us all with the new Galaxy Note Edge – a smartphone that comes with quite a peculiar screen. What is so unique about this screen? Well, for starters it curves around the phone on one side. You all can relate it to a number of fan concepts we all saw for iPhone 6 but it would seem Samsung has managed to get their first and as per David Park from Samsung, the screen works like a ‘ticker’ where the notifications and news scroll along it.

The curved touchscreen works by providing easy and quick access to apps, alerts and other device related functions. Since it pops out of the phone, the curved area is still accessible even when the cover is closed while also being able to display the notifications at top and bottom while a video is being played.

The Galaxy Note Edge made its debut at the IFA trade show in Berlin on Wednesday. The release is expected to take place in October and shall be in competition with iPhone 6. The Edge employs Samsung’s flexible display technology. The idea was to bring practicability with the curved screen.

Ian Fogg, an analyst covering the smartphone industry at HIS in London said; ‘An edge-based display will give Samsung’s smartphone clear differentiation in a crowded market. But for Samsung to maximise the potential of an edge display it needs third party apps to support the display with additional Samsung-specific functions.

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For The First Time, iPhone 6 Running iOS 8 Leaked Ahead Of Its Release In This Video

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BY THE ENGINEER - SEPTEMBER, 7TH 2014

As the launch date nears, we get a glimpse of the new iPhone 6 through information gathered from multiple sources over the past few months. Just two days away from the big announcement in Cupertino, the latest teaser to hit the internet, shows an iPhone 6 that is fully functional and looks real enough. The authenticity of the latest leaked pictures is still in doubt, but they look somewhat similar to what Apple might offer as per our previous experiences.

The latest revelation to hit the blogosphere was via Chinese blog cnBet, it shows what seems like a 4.7 inch version of iPhone 6, and although there have been countless such leaks, but this latest one appears to be fully functional and one of the features that is catchy for the audience is the new Passbook icon, which can clearly be seen in the Photos, that encourages the notion the Apple will be pushing hard for mobile payments, with this latest release.

It is quite common for iPhone leaks to hit the internet and get the audience all hyped up for the next iPhone, when in turn the actual device does not function in that manner as described by the leaked information. Even though we might be skeptical about the leaked images, but the person to originate this leak also posted a brief video of the device in action.

The design as most of us have already seen resembles a lot to the image of the iPad Air, with a curvy finish that brings uniformity to proceedings. The antenna inserts you see on the rear shell have received different opinions from the audience over the past few months, as some suggested that these are unsightly, but as one can see, what seemed offensive in the earlier schematics, were not actually that much offensive.

The device revealed in the leak is a 64GB white and silver model, which seems to be the confirmation that the 64GB tier will hang around this time, and the device was running iOS 8.0 build 12A365, and it does look authentic.

Given how good the leaks were for the last few iPhones, it is best no to get the hopes high, as this might have just been a spoof as it is not actually that hard to modify android software to look like iOS nowadays and we might get disappointed when we get the actual device. But we can all hope for the best and keep our fingers crossed, as Apple never failed to amaze us before and hopefully it won’t now.

Still, if this is a spoof, it’s a darn good one, as it might’ve fooled most of us. With just two days to official release on September 9th, we won’t have to wait long for the confirmation.

Have A Slow Phone? Here Are 10 Easy Ways To Speed Up Your Android Device

BY THE ENGINEER - SEPTEMBER, 6TH 2014

What is more frustrating than not having access to a smartphone?  Well, it is having access to one that keeps hanging up and won’t perform the way it is supposed to. Here’s a guide for Android users on how they can make most out of their device. Read on and if you have got any suggestions other than these, please share them in the comments section below.

10. Make sure you’re up to date

9. Clean up your home screen

Having too many widgets and icons on home screen can be a reason why your device slows down.

8. Uninstall/disable unused apps

7. Turn off/reduce animations

Lesser the animation lesser the work load and hence faster your device will be.

6. Clear cached app data

This data allows for faster loading up of apps later on, however, it uses space and therefore affects speed.

5. Turn off/reduce auto-sync

4. Wipe cache partition

You’ll have to switch to recovery mode to perform this.

3. Try a third-party launcher

We suggest GO Launcher Ex.

2. Perform a factory reset

Backup the data before you do it.

1. Overclock your device

Scientists Come Up With Transparent Solar Panels

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BY THE ENGINEER - SEPTEMBER, 1ST 2014

Scientists are working really hard to come up with means of shifting to a type of renewable energy that is easy to implement and efficient enough to match our energy requirements. Out of all the ones explored so far, solar energy appears to be the most successful candidate. However, think of solar energy and solar panels and what you imagine right away are fields of blue Silicon or patchwork that covers the roof of buildings. However, scientists have come up with a new type of solar panel that can be affixed directly over a window in order to make most out of the sun’s energy while being transparent too.

The technology has the potential to unlock doors to self-sufficient buildings or even mobile phones that won’t require charging. The researchers at Michigan State University has developed and named it ‘transparent luminescent solar concentrator’ and according to the team this can be used on buildings, mobiles and ‘any other device that has a clear surface’.

Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Richard Lunt, says;’‘No one wants to sit behind coloured glass. It makes for a very colourful environment, like working in a disco. We take an approach where we actually make the luminescent active layer itself transparent.’

He says the invention makes this possible by employing the use of organic molecules that have been specifically designed to absorb particular invisible wavelengths of sunlight.

He further said; ‘We can tune these materials to pick up just the ultraviolet and the near infrared wavelengths that then “glow” at another wavelength in the infrared.’ This infrared light is then guided to the plastic’s edge from where it is converted to electricity by making use of photovoltaic solar cells. Lunt stated; ‘Because the materials do not absorb or emit light in the visible spectrum, they look exceptionally transparent to the human eye. It opens a lot of area to deploy solar energy in a non-intrusive way,’ he said. ‘It can be used on tall buildings with lots of windows or any kind of mobile device that demands high aesthetic quality like a phone or e-reader. Ultimately we want to make solar harvesting surfaces that you do not even know are there.’

However, still more work is required to bring the efficiency up to par. As of now it has 1% efficiency that will rise to 5% when developed fully.

20 LifeHacks That Will Save You Money

BY THE DESIGNER

It is hard to earn money and spending it wisely is very important. Here are the 20 amazing, genius life hacks that will save your money in many ways. Just check them out and save money on daily tasks.

20. Avoid using credit cards.

Scientifically you do not prefer to buy too much stuff when paying through cash. So try paying in cash rather than cards.

19. Make your disposable bottles useful

Freeze the plastic bottles with water instead of buying ice bags. This lifehack is really helpful specially if you are going for a ride and it also saves your money.

18. Night creams = Hands lotion

Don’t waste your money on buying night creams because the ingredients are often same as that of hand lotion.

17. Honey is the best medicine

Natural honey works more than any doctors medicine as it is not only good in taste but it also helps to recover your infections.

16. Planting trees around your house, saves your money

Lessen the burden of your bill by planting deciduous tree around your house which give a pleasant shade to your house and makes your house cooler.

15. Home made coffee actually saves your money

Preparing a coffee at home can make you save enough money to buy a good quality laptop every year. It’s a better offer,isn’t it ?

14. Happiness is priceless,It can’t be bought

Do not waste money on buying expensive toys for them because price does not matters for kids. All you need is toilet tube papers and some creativity.

13. Lower down the brightness of your Televisions, reduces your bills

Lowering the brightness of your television reduces the power consumption up to 40%.

12. Fly on with cheaper airline deals

Clear cache and browser history to avail cheaper deals of airlines, because the search is based on the cache and history and increase the prices. Use this Life hack and save $50

11. Don’t strip off your skin while shaving.

If you can’t buy yourself a new razor then sharpen it up by running it in an opposite direction of your jeans ten to twelve times.

10. White roof tops = Cooler interior

Paint your roofs in white color as light colors do not absorb heat as much as dark colors do. Save your money by paying less for your bills.

9. No more paying for the refills

Sweeper refill is not an issue any more. All you need to do is to remove the cap and re-fill it with the concentrated cleaner mixed with water, it is cheaper and saves your money.

8. Revolution in the libraries

Save your money by using library’s internet, download what ever you want to and the best part it is for free.

7. Print the exact coupon you want before going for shopping

The image says it all. Just do check out the coupon website before going for a shopping and a get an exact print for it. This trick is amazing.

6. Colour your stuff in a much cheaper way

Buy Custom tinted paints rather than buying it from stores, It has great price difference and you’ll avail paints at much cheaper price.

5. Psychological mind game hack

Just make a psychological move and keep on asking your self about your expenses and how to lessen them. This will help you in saving money

4. Buy a car at the end of the month

Dealers will take a loss  to meet their quotas at the end of month this is why you should prefer buying cars at the end of the month.

3. Want to lessen your food expenses ? Then try this

Increase your water intake, this will cut down your food expenses and it also saves your money.

2. Do not spend money over the life of your cat

You do not need to waste your money on your cat, you can teach them toilet training by behavior modification technique that is give them a small demonstration daily and they will learn.

1. Fit a brick in a flush tank, it will save water

The image says it all. Put a brick in a flush tank and it will save water every time you flush.

Via Cracked