Chủ Nhật, 16 tháng 10, 2016
There’s so much more to life than what we can see with the naked eye. We’re unable to see — or at least register — certain things that happen right before us, because they happen too fast. Sometimes, we miss out on subtle colour transitions and contrasts that could help us see more clearly and make a more informed split-second decision. Occasionally, our slightly narrow field of view prevents us from seeing something happening on our periphery. And that’s just to name a few. But in recent years, new technologies have been developed to help us see some things we might otherwise not. Here are five devices and apps that use these technologies. Image: Provided by Oakley The Prizm lenses use a unique technology — basically ultra-precise colour tuning — that enhances the detail of what you’re seeing. This in turn enhances your experience in a positive way, whatever that experience may be. The lenses see things in different ways than the naked eye. Landscapes that would generally be washed out, dull or flat while looking through other lenses (or no lenses at all) are enhanced to become more defined, vibrant and vivid. While the lenses are designed to enhance vision in any environment, they’re especially great when playing sport. The lenses sharpen your sight so you can see more clearly and react more quickly; they enhance detail recognition to help you spot what you need to see; and they improve your peripheral vision (especially when it comes to tracking moving objects). 2. Seek Thermal thermal imaging We can, of course, feel heat, but we obviously can’t see it with our naked eye. That’s where Seek Thermal’s thermal cameras that attach to your smart phone come in. The cameras work with an app to show you thermal activity, which is to say they enable you to see heat and where it’s coming from. You can use the imaging capabilities to help scout, track and recover wildlife, locate air leaks and all kinds of other uses when you want to detect the temperature of an object or find where heat is present. You can even use it to figure out the temperature of a food and drink, so you can make sure you get the coldest beverage available from the cooler or refrigerator. 3. Dark Sky The naked eye can sometimes predict when a storm is coming. We can, of course, see cloudy skies, flashes of lighting and other signs of inclement weather. We can’t, however, see enough to know for sure that it’s going to rain, snow or sleet, or whether a tornado is going to form above us. But Dark Sky can. It’s a hyperlocal weather forecasting app that uses new, innovative technology to give you down-to-the-minute weather forecasts — for precisely where you’re standing. If it’s going to start raining where you’re standing within 11 minutes, the app will tell you. It’ll also tell you forecasts for further along in your week, which you obviously can’t see with the naked eye. The app also shows you what storm patterns look like in meteorological radar form — so you can see what a storm looks like from satellites above. Imagine for a second the number of organisms surrounding you during any part of your day — especially if you’re exploring the great outdoors. Now think about how few of them you can actually see during any given moment. Chances are, you don’t even know most of the species around you exist or are present. That’s where the LifeScanner app comes in. It enables you to use your smart phone to see what species scientists have found in different parts of the world — both visible to the naked eye and otherwise. It’s great for education and exploration. 5. RF-Capture Our eyes can’t see through walls, but the RF-Capture can. Developed by researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, the device captures human figures through walls and occlusions by transmitting wireless signals. According to the researchers’ website, the device "reconstructs a human figure by analyzing the [wireless] signals’ reflections. The researchers say it can know who the person behind a wall is, trace a person’s handwriting in air from behind a wall and determine the movements a person behind a wall is making. According to Popular Science, the device works by relaying a radio signal through a wireless transmitter. The device’s receivers then pick up the signal reflected back by a hidden body, and the data collected from the signal helps determine the silhouette of the body on the other side. The device can even distinguish between different people, and can track motion and posture. Discover more about Oakley Prizm technology and see the full range of eyewear here
4. LifeScanner
Thứ Tư, 14 tháng 9, 2016
Instagram is great for a lot of things — but storing high-quality photographs isn't one of them. No matter how gorgeous a filtered image looks in your feed, you'll notice a lot of flaws if you zoom in. That's because the popular social network heavily compresses posts to make everything load faster in your app. That's good news for most, since it makes Instagram boot up quicker and means less waiting around for new content as you scroll deeper into your feed. Most users who just want to look at pretty pictures on their phone probably don't care that they can't see every little high-def wrinkle on their friend's grandpa or Shar-Pei. But you shouldn't rely on Instagram to preserve your memories if, say, you want to clear space on your device. Store your photos elsewhere using a service like Google Drive, Dropbox or iCloud, where they can be re-downloaded in all their high-res glory. Once they're uploaded to a service that will maintain their full size and resolution, delete them from your phone. Let's quickly look at a photograph I took wth my Samsung Galaxy Note 5 during a trip to Milan, Italy. To see how much Instagram compressed my shot, I visited the web version of my post. Note that I edited the shot before I uploaded using Instagram's built-in tools, though I didn't apply a filter. You can probably already tell that something's up with the image quality: The wooden slats on the side of the building look wobbly or pixelated. It looked fine on my smartphone screen, though. Digging in a bit deeper, I viewed the page source of the Instagram page, tracked down the relevant, compressed JPG image and saved it to my local hard drive — a fussy way of saying I downloaded the Insta to my computer. I zoomed in just a bit on it, and things weren't pretty: Image: Damon Beres/mashable As you might expect, the file size of this image was also much smaller than the original photograph — suggesting lower quality. Meanwhile, the detail is a lot crisper in the full-resolution photograph: You might say: "Jeez dude, is it really worth stressing over something you really only notice when you zoom in?" I'd say don't stress — life is short! — but definitely think about it. We don't know what kind of awesome screens we'll be working with in a few years, and tiny differences in photo quality could stand out. Even now, you might appreciate having access to the highest quality version of your photos — for projecting your vacation albums, setting a ridiculously beautiful desktop background, wallpapering your baby's room with printouts of your safari, or whatever. The lesson: Share your photos on Instagram. Just don't back them up there.What's the difference, really?
Thứ Hai, 20 tháng 6, 2016
Picture a mural transforming before your eyes. You would assume it must be digital, a projected image, but you look closely and see that it’s not. It’s a painting that is being changed by air. That’s what you can expect to see if you head to The Container Yard in the arts district of Downtown Los Angeles for the Degrees of Perfect exhibition, presented by Lennox, on June 24, 2016. It’s an idea so new that at first it felt impossible. Even those who have been involved since its inception are amazed to see it come to fruition. We spoke to some of the collaborators on the project to find out more about how this first-of-its-kind exhibition came to be. What does perfect feel like for you? It’s not the same for everyone. But, in reflecting on the question, the team involved with the project noticed one important similarity across their unique visions of perfect: balance. For Fluke, president at ASHOP CREW and the lead creative producer on the project, perfect is a balance that allows for creative productivity. He describes it as “having the perfect environment and the perfect elements around you in order to be creative and to be able to express yourself…. It’s the perfect lighting, the perfect sound.” “It’s the air that is the perfect temperature; it’s not too hot and not too cold,” answered Kyle Mitchell, associate creative director at GSD&M. “It’s a world where all these things come together to create something brand new.” With this in mind, the team set out to create something that would communicate the Degrees of Perfect idea. To do this, the creative team looked to two seemingly opposite worlds and worked to bring them together in harmony. “It’s a balance between engineering and the piece of art,” Fluke explains. “We have two completely separate universes that come together to create something unique and present it in the format of an exhibition.” The team had a lofty vision for that exhibition: paintings that used air as a medium. At first, the idea felt almost too lofty. “One of the biggest challenges for me was the fact that this was just a huge theory. The idea of having a color-changing art piece, forget having a color-changing mural, it was just a big theory that Kyle and me were kicking around.” Any traces of doubt were erased as the dedicated team of specialists got to work, solving one puzzle at a time. The paint, designed to react to changing temperatures, was the first part and, surprisingly, the easiest. “It’s super simple. The paint itself is designed to disappear at a certain temperature, and it’s programmed in laboratories. It’s really designed that way chemically. The problem is that it’s not a precise science, so it changes at different temperatures.” Fluke explains. Image: LENNOX In order for this paint to detect the temperature change two things had to be engineered: a heat-detecting canvas and a unique HVAC system. “First I asked Fluke what temperatures he needed, that was the most important thing.” Alain Savard, Founder and Owner of Climatisation – premier Lennox dealer, explains, “I took those two temperatures, and we calculated how much time it is going to take to make the panel react.” From there, the team tested numerous frames and canvases—small at first, then progressively larger. “We put aluminum in the front and really good insulation in the front’ Alain explains. “We played with it a lot. I don’t know how many [we made].” Creating the perfect air was the next challenge. Lennox systems are designed to do exactly this, so the team knew it was possible, but the project called for a completely unique HVAC system. “The genius behind this,” Fluke explains, “was that Alain was able to give us a closed circuit, so we’re not wasting any energy. We’re actually recycling the same air over and over again, which is something I had not thought of. That’s where his expertise really came into place, he said, ‘We can’t waste this hot air or cold air; let’s recycle it.’" With the paint, canvas and perfect air in order, the team set out to find artists who were up to the challenge. Image: LENNOX “One of the things that was remarkable was to see the reactions that the [artists] were having when we expressed to them that they were able to add an extra layer to their work.” Fluke tells us. “[As artists] we’re essentially telling a story, visually, and one of the main challenges of the visual artist, as a painter, as a muralist, is that you’re trying to tell a story, you’re trying to share an emotion, but you only have one layer.” He continues, “There hasn’t been a traditional painting form where you can add a second layer, an animation, so we essentially gave the artist’s 50% more opportunity to express themselves.” Fluke explains. That said, ASHOP CREW and Lennox wanted the crème de la crème: the people who could master this new medium of thermal art and use that second layer to help creatively communicate the Degrees of Perfect idea. “We chose very talented people from different areas. We have artists from Montreal, Toronto and a local from L.A.” Fluke explained. “The one thing they have in common is that they’re street artists, they know one surface to a certain extent, which is murals. They’ve all painted live scale murals and they’ve done so much work in the public eye. We wanted to give them an opportunity to take something they’re already doing and bring it to another level, another degree.” With the air and the thermal art sorted, there was just one final layer: sound. The team chose recording artist and producer Toro y Moi and starRo to DJ on the night. Not only is Toro y Moi extremely talented and enthusiastic about the project, he is a graphic designer, artist and illustrator himself, so he has a deep understanding of the work that’s gone into the project. On Friday, June 24, at 8:00 p.m., the results of this incredible project will be showcased at The Container Yard in Downtown L.A. If you’re in the area, register with DoLA to see this sure-to-be incredible exhibition. For more, follow along with the hashtag #lennoxartproject and here: @Lennox on Facebook And stay tuned to Mashable and Lennox® for more!Ideation: Degrees of Perfect
The science
The art
The result
@LennoxAir on Instagram
@LennoxAir on Twitter
Thứ Tư, 27 tháng 4, 2016
The ever-changing world of ride sharing apps, currently dominated by Uber, is making another sharp turn, again. But this time it's the riders who are on the hook in the face of innovation. An update to the Uber app noticed by a high profile user on Monday revealed that tardy app users will now have less time to dally, with the penalty being additional charges. "Starting today, you may incur a fee if you cancel a trip more than two minutes after requesting OR if the driver has to wait more than two minutes to begin your trip," read the message that popped up in the update. However, after speaking with Uber and getting a detailed breakdown of how the update works, it appears that the wording of the update doesn't correctly reflect the exact nature of the changes. Here's what Uber told us: First, in the new update, if you order a car and cancel after the two-minute mark, you will be charged a cancellation fee. That part of the app's update message is clear (previously the cancellation time limit was five minutes). But that policy only applies to a small number of cities involved in the company's pilot program. (Calling it a "pilot program" means that the company is just testing this out; the change isn't permanent, yet.) Those cities include New York City, New Jersey, Phoenix and Dallas. And the fee will be anywhere from $5 to $10 depending on the city you're in. .@uber reduces the amount of time before you can cancel without a penalty: From 5 min to 2 mins. REAX? pic.twitter.com/d8emKWUlDg — sree sreenivasan (@sree) April 26, 2016 Second, you will not be charged a "fee" if you make a driver wait more than two minutes (the app's wording is misleading on this point). Rather, you will be charged the per minute rate in your city starting "after" the two minute mark as opposed to only being charged for your trip once you get into the car. So yes, making a driver wait longer than two minutes will now cost you a bit more, but you won't be charged a flat fee as you will be in the event you cancel after two minutes. When asked why the pilot program had been enacted, an Uber spokesperson told Mashable that it came about due to demand from drivers who feel waiting for riders is costing them money. "Drivers' time is valuable, and while we expect riders to request a ride only once they’re ready, we know that waiting for a rider at their pickup location can be frustrating," Uber's spokesperson told Mashable. "In select cities we are running a small pilot so that drivers are compensated for their time even when riders are running a bit late or have a change of plans. When riders and drivers are respectful of each other's time, the whole system runs more smoothly and the Uber experience improves for everyone." One thing that should also be made clear is that drivers will still be required to wait at least five minutes for a rider before canceling on a rider – that part hasn't changed. If the driver, for some reason, cancels the trip before the five minute mark, that driver will not earn a cancellation fee. At present, Uber says that it has no plans to expand the policy to other cities. Nevertheless, the newly stringent policy in those four densely populated cities could ultimately turn some riders away who were initially attracted to the app for its seemingly more affordable and rider-centric approach. But as the company has grown, certain realities of the car service business — namely balancing driver needs against rider needs — have become unavoidable. The coming weeks and months will tell if riders in those pilot cities decide that Uber's updates are reasonable, or an excuse to go back to traditional taxis, which have their own apps now, too. Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
