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NASA’s New Patents Release – Exciting News

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"NASA patents release"

Where will the new NASA patents release lead the scientific world?

STATES CHRONICLE – Exciting news for the scientific world. NASA has added 56 new patents release to the public domain and has additionally created a searchable feature for the thousands of patents in the collection.

This collection includes a portfolio of over 1000 technologies developed mainly for aerospace mission goals.

However, they also apply to a wide variety of other domains (going up to fifteen different areas) that include: electronics, automation, robotics, sensors, propulsion, power generation, power storage, optics, communications, biotechnology, software, aeronautics, manufacturing, etc.

Some of this new technology has been used in the development of artificial limbs, breast biopsy, heart assistance devices, infrared thermometers, and anti-icing systems in transportation.

NASA’s new patents release program aims at helping the world, but especially the U.S., enter a new era of technological breakthroughs by saving private companies time and money to work on other product and business aspects.

NASA encourages American entrepreneurs to use these patents and apply the information in new commercial ventures. To quote Daniel Lockney, executive of NASA’s Technology Transfer program, the goal is to “place America at the forefront of high-tech manufacturing and economic competitiveness.”

Their 3D technology has been used this year to trace the Zika mosquitoes’ route in the U.S. and find their possible thriving environment. It’s been also used in mapping underwater island such as the one in the Kingdom of Tonga. These islands were formed through volcanic activities.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration officials have thoroughly selected the 56 released patents and believe they will make a significant difference for the private sector. This is because generally, the private sector has a low demand for “space exploration” products.

Big, private space exploration companies like SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, Bigelow Aerospace or Blue Origin, are probably devouring the new patents release as we speak.

With one exciting news after another, NASA is adding value to the world evolutionary patrimony and is writing a new chapter in the modern world’s history.

The new patents release is yet another statement for their dedication to bringing the human potential beyond our inherent limits and into the future of the unthinkable human evolution.

We are eager to cover the innovations NASA’s patents release will make possible.

Image source: Pixabay

Microsoft Launched Microsoft Band, Their First Wearable Fitness Device

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Microsoft Band

The rumor mill has been has been churning out rumors about the first wearable fitness device from Microsoft for quite a while. Today, Microsoft silenced them and launched the Microsoft Band, their first fitness bracelet priced at $199.

The Microsoft Band is worn around the wrist and it allows its users to monitor their exercise and fitness regime. What makes the Microsoft Band special is that it is a cross-platform device, meaning that it can be paired up with Windows phones, Android phones and iPhones.

The Microsoft Band marks the software’s giant debut into the market of wearable technology. Many people expected Microsoft to launch a wearable device ahead of Apple, but that didn’t happen, as the Apple Watch was launched during the Apple Media Event on September 9.

The Microsoft Band can monitor the pulse rate, count your steps, track the sleep quality and measure the wearer’s calorie burn thanks to sensors that are positioned on the back of the device. Microsoft released a statement in which they said that the Microsoft band will be available starting today for a price of $199.

Microsoft also launched a new Microsoft Health app that is meant to function together with their Microsoft Band. It includes cloud service so that health and fitness data can be stored and monitored.

The Microsoft Band can also support 24-hour heart rate monitoring, which means that your heart will always be monitored and recorded. It’s got a built-in GPS, so that once you open your Microsoft Health app, you can see the route of your run, the pace and distance.

The Microsoft Band connects to your smartphone and will show you your email alerts on its screen. Windows Phone owners can also take notes with the Microsoft Band and set reminders with the help of Cortana, Microsoft’s intelligent personal assistant.

Microsoft’s first wearable device, the Microsoft Band fitness tracker is a great tool for tracking and recording health and fitness metrics; and with the surprising price of $199, chances are it is going to be a success.

Microsoft Will Keep Using Nokia Brand for Non-Flagship Phones

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Microsoft Will Keep Using Nokia Brand

It was revealed today that Microsoft will keep using Nokia brand for their non-flagship and entry-level phones, even though Nokia has now been incorporated by Microsoft.

In April of this year, Microsoft bought Nokia which for $7 billion which added around $2.6 billion in phone revenue to Microsoft’s pocket.

Late last night it was announced by the Vice President of Marketing for phones at Microsoft, Tulla Rytila, that the company was preparing to release the new Microsoft Lumia brand, which used to be called Nokia Lumia.

Our global and local websites are going through a transition as we speak and in the coming days our social channels will get a new name too—they will be called Microsoft Lumia. This work continues across our devices, packaging and retail, to name a few.

The first time the news broke about Nokia Lumia becoming Microsoft Lumia was on Nokia France’s Facebook page.

Microsoft is not planning to put its name on all the Nokia phones, it will only do so for flagship smartphones. Microsoft will keep using Nokia brand for non-flagship phones, such as the Nokia 130, which is immensely popular, even if it does not have any apps or Internet connecting capabilities.

Tulla Rytila revealed that Microsoft is looking forward to revealing the new Microsoft Lumia smartphone soon, although it didn’t give any specific date when this event would take place. The VP also said that the change in brand is simply a natural progression.

It is believed that the reason Microsoft will keep using Nokia brand for some phones could be that Nokia resonates with the low-end market of the phone users. Someone who is using a simple phone, not a smartphone, will not be happy about the name change; they could even be confused.

Microsoft hasn’t revealed the exact reasons why Microsoft will keep using Nokia brand for some of their phones.

Microsoft Corporation reported quarterly revenue that is higher than expected. It’s because Microsoft has experienced a boost in phone sales, created by the acquisition of Nokia in April.

Amazon Kindle Voyage – The Best E-Reader to Date

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Amazon Kindle Voyage Review

It was in September that we talked about rumors for the new Amazon Kindle Voyage and now we’re thrilled to announce that the Amazon Kindle Voyage has been launched. In today’s article we’re going to give you a short Amazon Kindle Voyage presentation.

Amazon Kindle Voyage

The new Amazon Kindle Voyage is the new e-reader from Amazon that costs $199 for the Wi-Fi model and $269 for the 3G one. Compared to the Paperwhite which costs $119 for the Wi-Fi model, the Voyage is a lot more expensive.

The Amazon Kindle Voyage is also better that the Paperwhite. It’s got a display that is 39% brighter, which makes the display appear almost white. The touchscreen is also more responsive than the previous model’s and a bit sharper. It weighs 181 grams and measures 7.6 mm thick.

The display has a pixel density of 300 ppi and it uses a new 6-inch Carta E Ink HD touchscreen. The glass of the display is chemically strengthened which makes it scratch resistant and gives it less glare.

A new and exciting feature of the new Amazon Kindle Voyage is the addition of a light sensor, that can automatically set based on your surroundings. There is a Nightlight feature that will gradually reduce your light so that your eyes can adjust to it.

The new Amazon Kindle Voyage has 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage and a 1GHz processor. You should know that the e-reader comes without an AC adapter, just a USB cable.

One downside of the Amazon Kindle Voyage is that it has a poorer battery life than the Kindle Paperwhite. While the Paperwhite had a battery life of 8 weeks, the Amazon Kindle Voyage has a battery life of 6 weeks. This really shouldn’t be too much of a nuisance, because e-readers last so much longer than smartphones.

In conclusion, the Amazon Kindle Voyage is the best e-reader available on the market and the price agrees with this. If you’re happy with your Paperwhite, then upgrading to the Voyage isn’t necessary.

Apple Pay is Now Available with iOS 8.1 Update

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Apple Pay is Now Available

Last week we talked about how Apple Pay was going to make shopping much easier, by letting us ditch our wallets at home and now we’re pleased to announce that Apple Pay is now available with the iOS 8.1 update.

Apple Pay is Now Available

Apple Pay is now available for all the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus owners who update to the new iOS 8.1. The update was rolled out today and it’s about 100MB in size. You can go to your iPhone’s Settings/General/Software Update and you’ll find your update there or you can update through iTunes.

Apple Pay is only supported by iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus because they have the dedicated chip and the NFC connectivity that permits them to communicate with retail terminals. They also feature a secure element that will store credit card data safely and also a unique number called the device account number.

Apple Pay is now available and supports debit and credit cards from Visa, MasterCard and American Express, issued by banks including Capital One, Bank of America, Citi, Chase and Wells Fargo. It was announced last week by Apple that it managed to tie up with 500 banks for the Apple Pay service.

But the new iOS 8.1 update brings us much more than Apple Pay. It debuts the return of Camera Roll, a feature that was cut when iOS 8 was introduced. The users have complained to Apple about and it was brought back.

Apart from these new features, iOS 8.1 also fixes some bugs that the Wi-Fi had. It also fixes a bug that prevented the iPhone to connect to hands-free devices via Bluetooth. Other fixed bugs include bugs that caused the screen to stop rotating and Safari not to play videos.

With iOS 8.1 Apple has enabled HealthKit to access data in the background and it made other minor accessibility improvements.
The iOS 8.1 update is made available for iPhone 4s and newer models, iPad 2 and newer models, the third gen Apple TV and the fifth gen iPod touch.

Microsoft Wearable Device to Launch within Weeks

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Microsoft Wearable Device

A little while back we gave you a first look at the Apple Watch, a smartwatch that Apple that was released during the September 9 Media Event, along with the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Today we’ve learnt that Microsoft will release their first wearable device within a few weeks, according to Forbes. Let’s take a look at what we know so far about the Microsoft wearable device.

Microsoft Wearable Device

People have been saying how Apple was the last tech company to jump on the wearable device bandwagon, by many forget that Microsoft has yet to release a wearable device. The good news that has popped up online today through Forbes is that Microsoft is preparing to launch its first wearable device within a few weeks.

The gadget is supposedly a smartwatch that will give its user information about the heart rate among other health-related data and send it to the wearer’s mobile device. The smartwatch is thought to be a cross platform device, which means that it’s going to be Android and iOS compatible. The sources say that the device will also boast a two-day battery life, which is twice as much as any smartwatch available on the market.

The longer battery life could give Microsoft the upper hand it definitely needs in the wearables market. The Samsung Galaxy Gear, the Apple Watch and the Moto 360 all need to be charged daily.

Analysts are predicting that the new Microsoft wearable device is going to cause quite a stir, as right now the market is not yet saturated with such devices. There is room for everyone to put out a smartwatch, especially one with a longer battery life.

Forbes was the ones to report, back in May, that Microsoft was working on a cross-platform wearable device, so you might want to keep an eye on them.

It is not yet known what the price of the Microsoft wearable device is going to be or how it is going to look like. We are going to keep you informed about the new Microsoft wearable device as soon as information becomes available.

Plans for Kickstarter Anonymising Router Were Canceled

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Kickstarter Anonymising Router

We reported last week how James B. Comey FBI Director has criticized encryption and believes that U.S. citizens should let the government spy on them for their own safety. Today, we’re going to take a look at some more news about privacy and encryptions. It appears that plans for the making of a Kickstarter anonymising router were canceled.

Kickstarter Cancels Its Plan to Build Anonymising Router

Right now if you want to move anonymously on the web you need to do so with the help of software, or join the Tor network, but a small company who has put its project on Kickstarter was planning to do it through hardware. The Anonabox is a router that anonymizes its user. Now the plans for the Kickstarter anonymising router were canceled after questions were raised about the project’s authenticity.

The router’s inventor, August Germar, sought for $7,500 on Kickstarter to get the project started, but received instead $585,000 within the first week. This says a lot about the world’s desire to remain anonymous online and how many people are bothered by constant online monitoring.

But, the plans for the Kickstarter anonymising router were cancelled after it was discovered that there were such routers already available in China. The Anonabox prototype looked very similar to some devices from a Chinese electronics firm. Also, some security faults were discovered with the Anonabox that could have made it easier for hackers to compromise the device.

All this trouble led Kickstarter to cancel the project and ensure that all the people who gave money for Anonabox were given back their dollars. Kickstarter’s decision led many to believe that there may be more behind the cancelation of Anonabox, such as external pressure from the U.S. government.

Germar issued a statement in which he said that the Chinese devices were generic knockoffs, and that he only wanted as many people as possible to have the Anonabox. Of course, this doesn’t help the Anonabox case too much. The company is planning to continue development on the anonymising router and sell it directly.

Apple Removed Bose Products from its Online Store

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Apple Removes Bose Products

Apple bought Beats Electronics for $3 billion, the most money Apple has paid for any purchase. But when Apple bought Beats, it also received all of the company’s problems, one being the lawsuit Bose filed over patent infringements. Now, Apple removed Bose products from its online store, and in today’s article we will take a closer look at Apple’s decision.

Apple Removed Bose Products from its Store

There had been rumors about the fact that Apple would remove all Bose products from its online store and on Friday the rumors became reality. Apple removed Bose products from the store and there was no reason given for the action.

There are two possible reasons behind’s Apple decision: the first one could be that this is a court required decision and the second one could have something to do with the public feud between Beats and Bose.

The lawsuit we mentioned at the beginning of the article could be behind the fact that Apple removed Bose products from its online store. Bose sued Beats for patent infringement over the noise-cancelling technology that is present in one of the most popular Bose products to date, the QuietComfort noise-cancelling headphones. It was revealed last week that the two companies settled and it is believed Apple’s decision could be part of that settlement. No details about the settlement are made public.

The second possible reason behind Apple removing all Bose products from its online store could have something to do with the ongoing public feud between the two companies. The most recent example of the feud is sponsorship related: the NFL has banned its player from wearing any Beats products when playing, doing interviews or press conferences. Colin, Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers player, was fined $10,000 for wearing a pair of Beats headphones.

It was also revealed that many players who own Beats products are covering the logo of the company with black tape. Jimmy Iovine, Beats cofounder and Apple executive, commented on this news and said that he would like to personally send players black tape to cover the Beats name on their headphones. It’s like, I can’t believe I’m this lucky. I feel like sending them the tape.

James B. Comey FBI Director Criticizes Encryption

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In the midst of all the hacking that is happening these days, including the recent Snapsaved.com hack where thousands of photos sent through Snapchat were leaked on the Web, James B. Comey FBI Director criticizes encryption and believes that U.S. citizens should let the government spy on them for their own safety.

James B. Comey FBI Director Criticizes Encryption

James B. Comey FBI Director is very unhappy about the fact that Apple and Google and other tech companies are making it harder to access personal information. The encryption these companies are creating makes it hard for law enforcement officials to gather the information they need to catch criminals. If you think that this is another way of saying that FBI has a hard time getting your personal and private information, then you are completely right.

James B. Comey FBI Director

In a speech James B. Comey FBI Director made on Thursday, he said that all the increasing implementation of encryption technologies will leave law enforcement agents unable to collect evidence against wrongdoers.

He said:

Those charged with protecting our people aren’t always able to access the evidence we need to prosecute crime and prevent terrorism even with lawful authority. We have the legal authority to intercept and access communications and information pursuant to court order, but we often lack the technical ability to do so. Those charged with protecting our people aren’t always able to access the evidence we need to prosecute crime and prevent terrorism even with lawful authority. We have the legal authority to intercept and access communications and information pursuant to court order, but we often lack the technical ability to do so.

In other words, national security agencies and law enforcement agents want U.S. citizens to accept that the government is spying on them and to make sure that they don’t do anything to make it hard to them to do so.

What are your thoughts on this matter? Drop us a line in the comment section below and tell us about it.

Apple Unveils New iPad Air 2, Mac Mini and OS X Yosemite

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In an earlier article today, we presented you the latest Apple devices which were unveiled at the Apple Media Event yesterday, October 16: the new iPad Mini 3, the iMac with a Retina 5k display and Apple Pay. Today, we’re going to take a look at two more amazing devices and a new update to the OS X Yosemite operating system.

New iPad Air 2

The much anticipated iPad Air 2 finally arrived and it’s got Touch ID. The rumors were also right about the color gold, in which the new iPad Air 2 is now available. It’s got a brand-new A8X chip, the same Retina Display but a new antireflective coating that makes the new iPad Air 2 the least reflective tablet on the market, says Apple. The new iPad Air 2 is also thinner and lighter, but we expect that from a new iPad, don’t we?

ipad air 2

The new iPad Air 2 has some new prices: for the Wi-Fi models you pay $499 (16GB), $599 (64GB) and $699 (128GB). The cellular ones are a bit pricier as always: $629 (16GB), $729 (64GB) and $829 (128GB).If you are in the U.S. you can preorder the new iPad Air 2 today!

Mac Mini

The new Mac Mini is a wonderful device, a thin client. Naturally, Apple doesn’t call it that, but that’s what it is. A slim and compact personal computer, that comes without a display, keyboard or mouse. It’s got integrated Intel HD Graphics 5000 and Intel Iris Graphics, 8.0.2ac Wi-Fi and models start from 4GB of RAM, 500GB of internal memory and a processor speed of 1.4GHz; this standard model’s price is $499. For $699 you get a faster processor, 2.6GHz with 8GB of RAM and 1TB of internal memory. If you want the 2.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB of RAM and 1TB Fusion Drive model, you’ll have to pay $999 for it!

OS X Yosemite

During their Media Event, Apple also presented their latest OS X Yosemite operating system. It comes with all the new devices, but is also available as a free download with all Macs since 2009 (some more models from 2007 and 2008 are compatible, but you’re going to have to double check on that). The free upgrade is available starting today, October 17, so if you own a Mac that is newer than 2009, go ahead and update its operating system!

Are you going to get the new iPad Air 2? Are you interested in the new Mac Mini? Drop us a line in the comment section below and tell us about it.

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