Tech Roundup: Voyager 1, Apple iPhones & More
[A recurring feature on the latest trends in Science & Technology.]
iPhone 5c is not the budget iPhone you've been waiting for; shares tumble 5pc:
Those leaks and rumors were very much right after all! From the champagne colored iPhone 5s, to the "budget" iPhone 5c (we'll come to that in a bit), almost everything was known well ahead (if you had been closely watching the stories). While the event was not expected to usher a drastic overhaul in terms of iPhone design, there were certainly no big surprises either. The latest iPhone too sports more or less the same design as that of the iPhone 4, but Apple clearly is of the opinion why change something for change's sake. It's good in a way because it shows how the tech giant has a forward-thinking approach to its designs.
Moreover, with the smartphone now being a mature product and almost feature complete in terms of software, the updates are bound to be incremental rather than revolutionary. But Apple could do well by listening to market demands for a cheaper phone, or a larger handset. Galaxy Notes and Xperia Z Ultras have indeed proved that people do love bigger smartphones to carry around.
In all sense, the new iPhone 5c is a colorful iPhone 5, but not the "budget" iPhone people have been waiting with bated breath. For its part, Apple never claimed to be working on a low-cost variant, and in my opinion, should have put an end to this speculation then and there. With an expected price tag of Rs. 40,000, the iPhone 5c surely won't help the company penetrate developing markets like China, India and Brazil.
Nokia toyed with Android phones, reports NYT:
Now that Nokia's phone business is Microsoft's, many a dreams about a Nokia Android phone were shattered. But as per new details posted on The New York Times, "a team within Nokia had Android up and running on the company's Lumia handsets well before Microsoft and Nokia began negotiating Microsoft's $7.2 billion acquisition of Nokia’s mobile phone and services business." And much like Nokia's "Plan B", Microsoft had its own plans of developing Surface phones if "Nokia wasn't successful with Windows Phone," reports The Verge. Interesting how market dynamics change!
Voyager 1 officially out of Solar System:
Launched in 1977, NASA's Voyager 1 has been drifting across the space visiting outer planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. While the spacecraft was considered to have reached the outer boundaries of the Solar System last year, NASA held off from saying the craft reached interstellar space until now. "What we can say is Voyager 1 is bathed in matter from other stars," project scientist Ed Stone said. "What we can't say is what exact discoveries await Voyager's continued journey. No one was able to predict all of the details that Voyager 1 has seen. So we expect more surprises." The entire article is an interesting read.
Climate change, not humans, responsible for mammoth extinction, new DNA study concludes:
It has been argued that early humans hunted mammoths into extinction, but a new DNA study reveals climate change to be the primary factor. By analyzing the genetic diversity of close to 300 specimens, Dr. Love Dalen and his team concluded that the woolly species had its decline starting back when the Ice Age was at its peak, the climate so cold that the grass they fed on became scarce. The Ice Age paving the way for a warmer world further accelerated this decline, the researchers add.
Newborns can recall words heard in the womb:
Should you watch your mouth with your unborn child around? Probably! According to latest findings by the University of Helsinki, fetuses of moms-to-be in their third trimester exposed to gibberish (variations of "tatata") were able to distinguish them after being born. Playing the same sounds to the new-born babies showed a pattern of enhanced brain activity when they heard the word, and a 'mismatch response' on hearing an alternate variant of "tatata", indicating recollection of the words in-utero.
In other news:
Those leaks and rumors were very much right after all! From the champagne colored iPhone 5s, to the "budget" iPhone 5c (we'll come to that in a bit), almost everything was known well ahead (if you had been closely watching the stories). While the event was not expected to usher a drastic overhaul in terms of iPhone design, there were certainly no big surprises either. The latest iPhone too sports more or less the same design as that of the iPhone 4, but Apple clearly is of the opinion why change something for change's sake. It's good in a way because it shows how the tech giant has a forward-thinking approach to its designs.
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| NASA's Voyager 1 (Image: NASA) |
In all sense, the new iPhone 5c is a colorful iPhone 5, but not the "budget" iPhone people have been waiting with bated breath. For its part, Apple never claimed to be working on a low-cost variant, and in my opinion, should have put an end to this speculation then and there. With an expected price tag of Rs. 40,000, the iPhone 5c surely won't help the company penetrate developing markets like China, India and Brazil.
Nokia toyed with Android phones, reports NYT:
Now that Nokia's phone business is Microsoft's, many a dreams about a Nokia Android phone were shattered. But as per new details posted on The New York Times, "a team within Nokia had Android up and running on the company's Lumia handsets well before Microsoft and Nokia began negotiating Microsoft's $7.2 billion acquisition of Nokia’s mobile phone and services business." And much like Nokia's "Plan B", Microsoft had its own plans of developing Surface phones if "Nokia wasn't successful with Windows Phone," reports The Verge. Interesting how market dynamics change!
Voyager 1 officially out of Solar System:
Launched in 1977, NASA's Voyager 1 has been drifting across the space visiting outer planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. While the spacecraft was considered to have reached the outer boundaries of the Solar System last year, NASA held off from saying the craft reached interstellar space until now. "What we can say is Voyager 1 is bathed in matter from other stars," project scientist Ed Stone said. "What we can't say is what exact discoveries await Voyager's continued journey. No one was able to predict all of the details that Voyager 1 has seen. So we expect more surprises." The entire article is an interesting read.
Climate change, not humans, responsible for mammoth extinction, new DNA study concludes:
It has been argued that early humans hunted mammoths into extinction, but a new DNA study reveals climate change to be the primary factor. By analyzing the genetic diversity of close to 300 specimens, Dr. Love Dalen and his team concluded that the woolly species had its decline starting back when the Ice Age was at its peak, the climate so cold that the grass they fed on became scarce. The Ice Age paving the way for a warmer world further accelerated this decline, the researchers add.
Newborns can recall words heard in the womb:
Should you watch your mouth with your unborn child around? Probably! According to latest findings by the University of Helsinki, fetuses of moms-to-be in their third trimester exposed to gibberish (variations of "tatata") were able to distinguish them after being born. Playing the same sounds to the new-born babies showed a pattern of enhanced brain activity when they heard the word, and a 'mismatch response' on hearing an alternate variant of "tatata", indicating recollection of the words in-utero.
In other news:
- Newly discovered underground aquifers in Kenya has enough reserves to supply the nation for 70 years.
- Naturally occurring gears found in planthopper insects; used in conjunction with their hind legs during high-speed jumps.
- ISRO to kick-off Mars mission Mangalyaan in November.
- Microsoft to announce Surface 2 tablet at an event on September 23.
- Android Jelly Bean now on 45% of all Android devices.
- FTC to start inquiry into Facebook privacy policy change.
- Twitter files for IPO; outs redesigned Android beta app complete with Hamburger navigation sidemenu.
- Microsoft Outlook.com adds IMAP support.
- Google Keep to get extended Drive integration.
- Dell shareholders approve Michael Dell's $25 billion buyout; company to go private.
- Google announces new Chromebooks with Intel Haswell processors in partnership with HP, Toshiba and Acer.
- Samsung Exynos 5 octa-core processor (used in International version of Galaxy S4 among others) to become truly octa-core in the upcoming months.
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