New artificial muscle promises super strength

(Credit: Warner Bros.)

We have seen robots destruct and conquer in movies, but we never thought that would come close to happening in the real world. After all, we have only seen them being built for humanly tasks such aspainting and, well, vomiting.

But researchers at the University of California (UC), Berkeley have developed a micro-sized robotic muscle, which is 1,000 times stronger than a human muscle.

A material called vanadium dioxide is used to produce the robot muscle. When it is heated to 67 degrees Celsius, the compound changes from an insulator to a conductive metal, yielding a huge amount of strength during the transition.

This lets the robot muscle throws objects 50 times heavier than itself over a distance five times its length, all within 60 milliseconds -- faster than the blink of an eye.

Heating of the robot muscle can be done either with a tiny heating pad or with an electrical current. The heating process can also be triggered optically since heat is generated when vanadium dioxide absorbs light.

Physicist Junqiao Wu, the leader of this search project, said: "With its combination of power and multi-functionality, our micro-muscle shows great potential for applications that require a high level of functionality integration in a small space."

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Apple's Big Plans For 2014

Now that the holiday’s are over and 2014 is almost here, Apple is eager to jump into the new year. Between statements made by Apple’s CEO Tim Cook as well as rumors suggesting that a larger iPad is on the way, 2014 is already looking as though it will be a huge year for the Cupertino-based tech giant.

We have a lot to look forward to in 2014, including some big plans that we think customers are going to love. I am extremely proud to stand alongside you as we put innovation to work serving humankind’s deepest values and highest aspirations. I consider myself the luckiest person in the world for the opportunity to work at this amazing company with all of you. - Tim Cook, Apple CEO

It is still many months away but the rumors surrounding a 12.9-inch iPad are piling up with the majority of them suggesting that an October 2014 launch date seems to make the most sense for Apple.

Apple’s large-size tablet will be manufactured by Quanta Computer, and was originally expected to adopt either 12.9- or 13.3-inch panels, with recent rumors indicating that 12.9-inch has a better chance to be picked. - Digitimes Report

On top of the massive iPad rumors, some sources are now saying that we could see the iPhone 6 as early as May 2014. This release date would differ from the majority of Apple’s previous releases but sources are justifying it by saying that the company sees the iPhone 6 as more of an incremental update than a completely new system.

Since the iPhone 6 is expected to be nearly the same as the 5S, a large iPad seems to be a bit more interesting for consumers as well as for analysts. The 12.9-inch iPad is reportedly set to be an alternative for laptops which means that it may be setup in a way that is similar to Microsoft’s new Surface Pro tablets.

With iPad keyboards already a popular accessory for the tablet, Apple may use the larger iPad to capitalize on consumer interest in swapping out their computers for tablets.

On top of the iPad and iPhone, reports have surfaced that Apple recently purchased a patent for a heart rate monitor. While heart rate monitors are nothing new, the patent detailed a piece of technology which could actually identify people based upon slight differences in their EKG readings. This sort of technology may not end up making it into any of Apple’s products but if it does, it will surely make a big splash in the tech industry.

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MetaPro AR is the cooler, better-looking version of Google Glass

Cool isn’t one of the words usually associated with wearable tech but Meta wants to change all that. The company is on a mission to bring the “Tony Stark” dream alive with a new pair of aviator-style augmented reality sunglasses called MetaPro.

The smart sunglasses are not only the most fashionable we have seen in the wearable tech space, but they also promise to pack a computing punch. Unlike Glass, which has been primarily notification driven until now, MetaPro aims to deliver a “holographic experience”. The smart glasses let you interact with the digital world in your field of view by using finger and gesture interaction.

Meta is currently working with developers on getting 500+ apps up and ready for the device. But users can also mirror real devices to their MetaPro glasses to use them virtually. Using a virtual iPhone on such a futuristic device seems a little backwards to me but it does give users a lot more apps to use out of the gate, so I do see its value.

MetaPro retails for just about $3,000 which is double the current price tag of Google Glass. But MetaPro offers 15 times the screen size of Glass, displays 3D instead of 2D, and  has a display for both eyes so perhaps the price is justified. But the price is also high because MetaPro isn’t just a pair of smart sunglasses; it relies on a pocket computer which you need to carry with you to offload the processing power.

Deliveries of MetaPro are expected to start June of next year, with pre-orders starting now. If you are interested in Meta’s technology but don’t have $3K just laying around, Meta is still offering their developer edition Meta.01 for $667.00.

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The big picture: LG, Samsung to unveil 105-inch Ultra HDTVs

LG

LG 105UB9 Ultra HDTV

The "next big thing" is no exaggeration when it comes to describing the latest TVs from LG and Samsung. The two electronics giants are introducing mammoth Ultra HDTVs— as in 105 inches — for the consumer market next year.

On Wednesday, LG revealed in a press release its first 2014 model television — a 105-inch (diagonal) curved Ultra HDTV. Unlike LG’s 55-inch curved OLED, this giant TV will use an LED-lit LCD panel. The extra-wide screen represents the largest consumer television ever offered.

Called the 105UB9, this behemoth boasts 11 million pixels, the highest ever for any production television. Unlike all other UHDTVs to date (3840 x 2160 resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio), this LG’s screen resolution is 5120 x 2160. Based on this number we believe the aspect ratio is actually 21.3 x 9 (2.37:1) and LG is rounding down, or maybe it is to compensate for the curve? We asked an LG spokesperson by email for clarification and will update if and when we get a response.

LG’s press release states this large curved LED LCD overcame technical the “challenge for uneven backlighting by refining its TFT (Thin Film Transistor) pixel circuit technology to prevent color leakage and ensure a superior viewing experience from virtually any angle.”

This massive display will debut to the industry on Jan. 7 at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Price and availability were not provided, though we bet it will be very expen$ive.

The styling appears different in the two photos LG provided and we have no idea of the purpose (if any) of the rectangular opening below the screen. LG did not state whether the 105U9 could be wall mounted. However, it appears the built-in stand is part of the overall design.

Samsung

Samsung 105-inch Curved UHD TV

Just hours after LG’s announcement, Samsung issued a press release stating it will be showing its own 105-inch curved widescreen LED-lit LCD at the CES.

The Samsung 105-inch Curved UHD TV adopts a new proprietary picture quality algorithm that delivers optimized color and a greater feeling of depth. Its curved Ultra HDTV screen provides more vivid images when viewed from the side than other LED LCDs and boasts 11 million pixel (5120X2160) screen resolution with a 21:9 aspect ratio.

Samsung also claims its 105-inch UHDTV is the “most curved” and the signal processing achieved with its Quadmatic Picture Engine “delivers all content in UHD-level picture quality no matter what the source is.”

No other features, pricing, model number or availability information was provided. The “screen only” photo was the only one issued by Samsung with the press release.

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New House bill seeks to ban in-flight cell phone calls

Chairman of the House transportation committee says airplanes are noisy enough without people talking away the flight on their phones.

(Credit: JetBlue)

Flights are noisy enough for at least one lawmaker without having to listen to a plane full of passengers shouting to be heard on their cell phones.

So Rep. Bill Shuster, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, introduced a bill Monday that would prohibit passengers from making in-flight cell phone calls on commercial aviation flights. The "Prohibiting In-Flight Voice Communications on Mobile Wireless Devices Act of 2013" (PDF) comes as the Federal Communications Commission considers lifting a ban on the use of cell phones and mobile broadband services on airplanes above 10,000 feet.

"Let's face it, airplane cabins are by nature noisy, crowded, and confined," Shuster (R-Pa.) said in a statement. "For the most part, passengers are looking for ways to make their flights go by as quickly and quietly as possible."

In October, the Federal Aviation Administrationlifted its ban on the use of portable electronic devices during takeoffs and landings. While FCC regulations still ban the use of cell phones for voice communications out of concern the devices might interfere with the aircraft's flight instruments, safety was not a chief concern cited by Shuster.

"For passengers, being able to use their phones and tablets to get online or send text messages is a useful in-flight option. But if passengers are going to be forced to listen to the gossip in the aisle seat, it's going to make for a very long flight," Shuster said. "For those few hours in the air with 150 other people, it's just common sense that we all keep our personal lives to ourselves and stay off the phone."

The question of whether cell phones could be used on airplanes has come up in the past at the FCC. The agency considered a similar proposal in 2004 and sought public comment, but it dropped the rule changes in 2007 after flight attendants and others lobbied against it.

The FCC is expected to take up the matter during its meeting Thursday.

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The next USB plug will finally be reversible

Work has begun on a new generation of USB that will break compatibility with existing connectors in order to improve ease of use and allow for thinner devices. The new connector, called Type-C, is an addition to the existing USB 3.1 specification and is expected to be finalized by the middle of 2014. There aren't any images available yet, but Type-C will be around the size of a Micro USB plug and, like Apple's Lightning connector, will finally be reversible — in other words, no more frustrated attempts to charge your phone with an upside-down cable.

"THIS IS THE ONLY CONNECTOR ONE WILL NEED ACROSS ALL DEVICES.”

In a press release, USB 3.0 Promoter Group chairman Brad Saunders says that Type-C will "meet evolving design trends in terms of size and usability” while allowing for future scalability in charging and data transfer. Type-C "will enable an entirely new super-thin class of devices from phones to tablets, to 2-in-1s, to laptops to desktops,” says Alex Peleg of Intel. “This new industry standards-based thin connector delivering data, power, and video is the only connector one will need across all devices.”

Since Type-C is an entirely new connector, the USB 3.0 Promoter Group will also have to include a specification for adapters and cables so that the countless USB chargers out there aren't immediately rendered obsolete. But the need for a new USB port is in many ways overdue, as recently highlighted by Apple's sleek Lightning connector and devices like the Galaxy Note 3 with its speedy but clumsy and oversized Micro USB 3 port.

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Your Future Smartwatch May Charge Wirelessly and Last Longer

Some smartwatches, such as the Pebble, can last for nearly a week without requiring a charge. But wrist-worn gadgets of the future could survive even longer. New Bluetooth advancements and technology from Broadcom promise to improve the wearable tech experience by extending battery life and maintaining a stronger connection with your smartphone.

Broadcom's newly announced BCM20736 system-on-a-chip features a design that's both energy efficient and small enough to conserve space inside wearable gadgets such as smartwatches. The SoC combines Bluetooth, an ARM processor and wireless charging into one 6.5 x 6.5mm entity, meaning you may not have to use a proprietary charger for your next smart wristlet. Broadcom claims that this tiny form factor and highly integrated design will extend battery life for future wearables, but hasn't given a specific estimate. The company is currently sampling the chip with evaluation boards.

At the same time, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group has unveiled some significant advancements that will keep your smartwatch tied even closer to your smartphone. The new Bluetooth 4.1 wireless standard will enable devices to remember a severed connection for longer periods of time. That means the watch would automatically pair with your mobile device when it's within range again, eliminating the hassle of having to whip out your smartphone to reconnect manually. Bluetooth 4.1 is set to roll out as an over-the-air update, which means you don't need to purchase a new device to see the benefits.

These enhancements serve to answer some of the minor qualms users experience with today's smartwatches. Some critics have reported that Samsung's Galaxy Gear watch can only last for about one day during mixed use, although the company recently issued an update to improve battery life. As the smartwatch transitions from a niche market into the mainstream, these types of improvements could give wearables a larger appeal.

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Touch ID on Apple’s iPhone 5s is losing accuracy over time for some users

The shine is already wearing off of Apple’s new Touch ID technology for some iPhone 5s owners. Apple unveiled its latest flagship iPhone this past September and along with it, a new embedded fingerprint scanner brought about by the company’s 2012 acquisition of mobile security firm AuthenTec for $356 million. Dubbed Touch ID, the new technology places a sapphire glass-covered fingerprint scanner in the home button of Apple’s iPhone 5s and allows users to unlock the device or authenticate App Store purchases with just the touch of a finger. The new tech is among a few main selling points for the iPhone 5s, but a new report suggests some users are already having trouble with it after less than three months on the market.

“Dr. Drang,” who is described by 5by5 as “a consulting engineer well known amongst nerds on the Internet,” recently wrote on his blog And now it’s all this that he’s having some issues with Touch ID on his iPhone.

“I’ve been using Touch ID since I got an iPhone 5s in mid-October,” Drang wrote. “Generally speaking, I like it, and I find it faster than the old swipe-and-passcode method, but I’ve felt compelled to reteach it my fingerprints twice already. I know this sounds impossible, but its recognition of my prints seems to decay with time.”

The good doctor continued, “I rescanned my fingers this weekend, and Touch ID has been amazingly fast and accurate since then. Just as it was when I first got the 5s, and just as it was a few weeks later when I rescanned my fingers for the first time. Just before each rescan, though, I was so frustrated with Touch ID I felt like throwing the phone across the room.”

Curious indeed, but one isolated issue doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem. According to John Gruber ofDaring Fireball, however, the issue isn’t exactly isolated.

“Drang is not alone — I’ve had a handful of readers ask me about this recently,” Gruber noted. “Makes me think there’s something to it. Me, personally, though, I haven’t noticed any drop-off in accuracy.”

Like Gruber, we haven’t experienced any issues with the print reader on our devices. We also haven’t seen any reports of this issue outside of the ones noted above. The iPhone 5s is still less than three months old, however, so this may be something to watch for as time progresses.

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Apple's iBeacon location-aware shopping goes live today

Apple is switching on "iBeacons" across its 254 US stores today, according to a report from the Associated Press. iBeacons, which use low-power Bluetooth transmitters to offer location-aware services to your phone, were quietly introduced along with iOS 7, and although other retailers have toyed with the idea of adding beacons to its stores, Apple's rollout today represents the first major deployment of the technology.

The Apple Store iBeacons will work in tandem with the Apple Store app. Provided you've got the app on your phone and have given Apple permission to track you, it'll attempt to offer an augmented retail experience tailored to your needs. When you walk into the store and the app will enter "in-store mode." If you're standing next to an iPhone table you might receive a message asking if you'd like to upgrade your iPhone. If you like, the app will then check your upgrade eligibility and let you know how much you can trade in your old model for. Another example given involves notifications that will automatically bring up your order number as you walk up to a clerk to pick it up.

APPLE IBEACONS KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE

The Associated Press reports that around 20 transmitters have been switched on at Apple's Fifth Avenue store in New York City, each adjusted to specific distances. Some of the transmitters are actual Bluetooth transmitters, while others are signals generated by iPads already installed at the store. Adjusting the strength of the signal allows Apple to show notifications relevant to exactly where you are standing. Such accuracy isn't easy with traditional location systems like GPS, especially indoors. It's not clear if the Apple Store application will require an update to display iBeacon information, but the transmitters are reportedly live in stores today.

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MIT Video - Double Cone and Plane

MIT Video - Double Cone and Plane
A double cone is placed on the bars of an inclined plane. Instead of rolling down the plane the cone rolls up. Although the plane slants upward, the bars diverge so that the rotational axis of the cone, which passes through the center of mass, actually moves downward.

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Global PlayStation 4 sales reach 2.1 million units

And Sony wants to make sure you know that the tally accounts for actual sales to consumers, not just shipments to retailers' stockrooms.

Sony's PlayStation 4 has hit another important milestone, some two weeks after the console launched.

Sony on Tuesday announced that global PlayStation 4 sales have reached 2.1 million units worldwide. The company was quick to point out that the tally includes actual sales to consumers and not merely shipments into the retail channel.

The PlayStation 4 hit North America on November 15 and quickly became a sales hit. Sony announced at that time that it sold 1 million PlayStation 4 units in just 24 hours to customers in the US and Canada. On November 29, the company launched the console elsewhere around the world. It's now available in 32 countries.

Although sales figures for console units mean little in the grand scheme of gaming enjoyment, they've long been a barometer of the success (or failure) of a console. That's precisely why both Sony and Microsoft have announced initial sales figures with their recent console launches.

Microsoft last month announced that its Xbox One reached 1 million units sold in 24 hours, as well. However, the Xbox One launched in 13 markets, compared to only two for Sony's PlayStation 4. Microsoft has not shared unit sales figures since last month.

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Cyber Monday Sales Reach Record as Shoppers Snub Stores for Web

Online shopping surged about 20 percent to a record on Cyber Monday as many consumers snubbed physical stores and took to the Web to buy holiday gifts.

Including shopping on personal computers and mobile devices, Internet retail sales on the Monday after Thanksgiving rose to almost $2 billion, according to researcher ComScore Inc. (SCOR) That made it the heaviest Web-spending day ever for the fourth straight year. More than $23.9 billion has been spent on the Web through PCs alone since Nov. 1, an 8.4 percent gain from the same period in 2012, the company said yesterday in a statement.

Cyber Monday marked a bright spot in a holiday shopping season that so far has lacked luster, including the first spending decline for a Black Friday weekend since 2009. While e-commerce is projected to make up only about 14 percent of total retail sales in November and December, companies such as Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) and EBay Inc. (EBAY) are luring customers with the promise of daily deals, fast shipping and the ease of leaving the minivan in the driveway. They’re also catering to consumers who are browsing products from tablets and smartphones.

“The discounts are strong, and Amazon has gained share as it typically does,” ComScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni said in an interview on CNBC. “Their growth rates are well ahead of the overall market.”

Visa, Walmart.com

Businesses across the retail industry showed increased sales on Cyber Monday. Visa Inc. (V), the world’s biggest bank-card network, said U.S. cardholders spent $7.8 billion from Thanksgiving through Dec. 2, a 30 percent increase from a year earlier. On Cyber Monday, Visa customers spent $2.6 billion, up 28 percent and the most of any day during the five-day span.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), the world’s largest retailer, said Dec. 2 was its biggest-ever online spending day, and that Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday marked the company’s highest five-day Web sales period to date. Top-selling items on Cyber Monday included an LG Electronics Inc. 50-inch television, Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPad 2 and a Fisher-Price Power Wheels truck.

“The momentum we saw on Thanksgiving carried through to Cyber Monday,” Joel Anderson, president of Walmart.com in the U.S., said yesterday in a statement.

Amazon’s Cyber Monday same-store sales jumped 46 percent, while EBay’s climbed 32 percent, according to ChannelAdvisor Corp., which provides services to sellers on both of those sites. EBay’s PayPal unit said in a statement that mobile payment volume more than doubled as of 2 p.m. New York time on Cyber Monday compared with a year earlier.

Mobile Shopping

Retailers who tailored applications and websites for smartphone and tablet users benefited from the effort. Mobile traffic accounted for 32 percent of site visits, a 45 percent gain from a year earlier, according to International Business Machines Corp. In terms of sales, mobile devices drove more than 17 percent of online purchases on Cyber Monday, IBM said.

Such devices also helped make Black Friday and Cyber Monday the two biggest sales days inNorth America in Groupon Inc.’s history, the company said in a statement yesterday. Transactions made on smartphones or tablets made up 55 percent of sales for the four-day weekend. Bookings rose 30 percent in that period, Groupon said.

Wayfair LLC, which began selling home furnishings on the Web in 2002, posted a 50 percent increase in Cyber Monday sales, marking the biggest revenue day in the company’s history. From Thanksgiving through Dec. 2, the store saw $25 million in revenue, a 56 percent rise from a year earlier.

Store Slump

Web-based retailers are reporting strong sales even as those with physical stores face a less rosy holiday shopping season. Online spending increased 15 percent to a record $1.2 billion on Black Friday, according to Reston, Virginia-based ComScore. Because of the in-store slump, total purchases fell 2.9 percent to $57.4 billion during the four days beginning with the Nov. 28 Thanksgiving holiday, according to a survey commissioned by the National Retail Federation.

“The real winners are, in fact, the consumers, who are recognizing more savings through competitive pricing and great promotions being offered in every category,” NRF Chief Executive Officer Matthew Shay said in a statement.

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Confirmed: Energy Drinks Are Bad For Your Heart

Fact: There are things in this world that, though delicious and convenient, are horrible for our bodies. Under dire circumstances, we may let ourselves indulge in a prepackaged brownie or some ramen noodles, but a new study reveals why we probably shouldn't reach for an energy drink — no matter how much we think we need the caffeine. A research team at the University of Bonn in Germany have found that energy drinks take a serious toll on our hearts.

As part of their study, researchers gave 17 subjects an energy-style drink containing 32mg per 100ml of caffeine and 400mg per 100 ml of taurine. The scientists then looked at images of the participants' hearts just one hour after they consumed the beverage. And, what they saw is kind of frightening. The contractions were so much more forceful after just one energy drink, that children, and those with certain health conditions, ought to avoid the drink altogether.

The images showed the left ventricle (responsible for pumping blood through the body) was contracting harder an hour after the energy drink was consumed than before consumption. If you think about it, your heart always pumps a bit faster when you're nervous or excited. So, it wouldn't be unlikely if the participants began with an elevated heart rate.

We already know that energy drinks contain much more caffeine than a run-of-the-mill cup of coffee or cola. But, as Dr. Jonas Dorner, a scientist on the team, points out, consuming a large amount of caffeine at once has more serious effects: "There are many side effects known to be associated with a high intake of caffeine, including rapid heart rate, palpitations, rise in blood pressure, and, in the most severe cases, seizures or sudden death." 

While the study shows that energy drinks have a short-term impact on cardiac contractility, it remains unclear "exactly how or if this greater contractility of the heart impacts daily activities or athletic performance," or how it effects those with heart disease. Regardless of the additional research needed to comment on the effects of athleticism and pre-existing heart conditions, this preliminary study might be enough to make you rethink your energy drink habits.

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Apple Said Developing Curved IPhone Screens, New Sensors

Apple Inc. is developing new iPhone designs including bigger screens with curved glass and enhanced sensors that can detect different levels of pressure, said a person familiar with the plans.

Two models planned for release in the second half of next year would feature larger displays with glass that curves downward at the edges, said the person, declining to be identified because the details aren’t public. Sensors that can distinguish heavy or light touches on the screen may be incorporated into subsequent models, the person said.

With screens of 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches, the two new models would be Apple’s largest iPhones, the person said, and would approach in size the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3 that Samsung Electronics Co. debuted in September. The South Korean maker last month released its curved-screen Galaxy Round, the latest phone in an array of sizes and price points that’s helping keep Samsung ahead of Apple in global market share.

The new Apple handsets are still in development and plans haven’t been completed, the person said, adding that the company probably would release them in the third quarter of next year.

Screen Size

Natalie Kerris, a spokeswoman for Cupertino, California-based Apple, declined to comment.

“Screen size is one of the things where Apple has to catch up to the Android camp,” Dennis Chan, an analyst at Yuanta Financial Holding Co. in Taipei, said, referring to phones using Google Inc.’s operating software. “Innovation in components has been a key for Apple since the first iPhone came out.”

Apple broke with past practice in September when it unveiled two versions of the iPhone at the same time, the iPhone 5s with more advanced features and the iPhone 5c at lower prices, as part of a strategy to appeal to broader markets.

Demand for the iPhone 5s is much higher, and iPhone 5c production has been reduced, the person said.

Revenue growth for the current quarter, Apple’s traditional holiday sales period, may be the slowest since 2008, according to data compiled by Bloomberg based on the company’s financial forecast published last month. Samsung said last month it expects this quarter’s shipment growth rate from the prior quarter to fall to a “low single digit” percentage from the “mid-10 percent range” the prior period.

Testing continues on the pressure-sensitive technology, which is unlikely to be ready for the next iPhone release and is instead planned for a later model, the person said.

Apple’s testing and development of new materials follows its history of working with suppliers to produce new technologies that can enhance device functions. The original iPhone, released in 2007, offered touchscreen technology developed with Taipei-based TPK Holding Co. that was more responsive than available at the time.

Apple said last week it will open a new plant in Arizona to make components for its devices. Merrimack, New Hampshire-based GT Advanced Technologies said Apple will prepay $578 million for furnaces to make sapphire materials used in smartphones, with the iPhone maker getting some exclusive rights.

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Get drunk without the hangover on Professor Nutt’s pill

A drug that mimics the effect of alcohol without creating a hangover is being developed by a former government adviser

A drug that mimics the effect of alcohol without creating a hangover is being developed by a former government adviser.

Prof David Nutt said the discovery would lead to a revolution in health. But he needed funding to continue his research.

He claimed the drug would do for alcohol what the e-cigarette had done for smoking.

He called on the Government to give an “explicit recommendation” in support of the drug to encourage investment. His innovation could save the NHS millions.

The drug targets the brain to give the taker feelings of pleasure similar to the effects of drinking. However, an antidote can block the sensations immediately, leaving the user free to drive or return to work.

Prof Nutt resigned from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs in 2009 after a clash over policy.

He said alcohol killed 1.5 million people a year and 10 per cent of drinkers became addicts. He predicted that side effects from drinking such as memory loss could be circumvented by the new drug.

However, he warned that investors remained wary due to the uncertainty of the Government’s position. He told the Dragon’s Den presenter Evan Davis on Radio 4’s Today programme today that he was not surprised that no one in the drinks industry wanted to fund his research.

Prof Nutt said the drug could be taken in a range of cocktails. “I’ve done the prototype experiments myself,” he said. “I’ve been inebriated and then it’s been reversed by the antagonist.

“That’s what really gave us the idea. There’s no question that you can produce a whole range of effects like alcohol by manipulating the brain.”

Emily Robinson, the deputy chief executive of the charity Alcohol Concern, questioned Prof Nutt’s call for the Coalition to support his research.

“We would urge caution on this,” she said. “We agree that alcohol is a serious burden to the country. But we would urge the Government to invest in policies that we know work, such as minimum unit pricing and advertising restrictions.

“We should focus on what is going wrong in our drinking culture rather than swapping potentially one addictive substance for another.”

Claire Fox, the director of the Institute of Ideas, an organisation that promotes discussion on public policy including drug legislation, criticised the BBC’s decision to give a platform to the professor. “It was outrageous,” she said. “Nobody else would get away with it would they?

“If someone else went on and just said: 'I am here to get investment in my company’ the BBC wouldn’t let that [happen].”

She said the broadcast was “a kind of lobbying disguised as a science item” given that Prof Nutt could benefit from the policy change.

A BBC spokesman said the subject was of interest to its audience.

“Prof David Nutt was interviewed about a drug which he claimed could mimic the sensation of alcohol without the health risks,” he said.

“He was questioned about the potential complications involved and it was made clear to listeners that his research was at the early stages because he had not yet obtained funding for the project.”

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Apple Reportedly Developing Large Curved Screen iPhones For Late 2014, Better Touchscreen Sensors

Apple is said to be working on two curved display iPhone models for the “second half of next year,” according to a source speaking to Bloomberg, with a likely release planned for the third quarter, as well as better touchscreen sensors that introduce fine pressure sensitivity for later devices to be introduced after that.

These new iPhones for 2014 would come in 4.7 and 5.5-inch flavors, according to the report, meaning that Apple would be introducing not one, but two different models at the same time, in theory. We’ve seen reports of Apple working on different models of large-screen devices in the past, including one from the Wall Street Journal that suggests it’s been working on different tests of devices with screen sizes between 4.8 and 6 inches. This is the first time we’ve really heard firm information about a possible release date for said devices, from a source as generally reliable as Bloomberg. A Japanese iOS rumor site claimed a September launch for a large-screen iPhone late in October, however, and two reliable analyst sources predict a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 bound for stores in late 2014.

Apple also introduced precedent for doing two models of new iPhone at once this year with the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, so the idea that it could do so again in the future makes some sense. But two new larger-screened devices at once does seem like a stretch – though if Apple retained an iPhone 5c as its third, budget device and added two more to the mid-tier and high-end range, that might allow it to do so without adding crazy complexity to its product lineup.

The sensor developments are potentially more interesting to those who find the current screen size of the iPhone adequate; true pressure sensitivity (currently, some crude extent of that is possible via the iPhone’s accelerometer) would make drawing and handwriting applications on the iPhone and iPad much, much better. Apple could sell the devices as professional-level artistic devices if it introduces those kinds of features, in addition to just making things better for everyday users who want to jot notes and doodle, for example, or perform minor photo touch-ups.

It’s very early days to make any kind of judgement about the likely accuracy of these claims, but the source gives it some weight. Apple’s iPhone joining the ranks of bigger-screened devices definitely makes sense as a next move for the lineup, but curved glass manufacturing also seems quite expensive at this point for Apple to be considering launching two new devices with that feature at once.

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Check out these new images of Apple Campus 2

Exterior shots of Apple's new Cupertino campus have made the rounds since the project was made public in late 2011. The most popular image shows the circular building, which has been dubbed the "spaceship" campus thanks to its UFO-like shape. A set of newly discovered renderings were spotted in Cupertino's public archives and republished by Wired.

The new drawings show off different parts of the campus including the entrance to the building, the parking garage, an outdoor lounging area for employees and more. There's also plan details for an underground auditorium, which will feature a glass pavilion as its entrance.

New plan details reveal the transformation the site will take under the stewardship of Apple. The mostly built-up location will be transformed into a parcel that is part building, part nature preserve. Lining the perimeter of the campus will be a dense stand of trees, while the interior shown below will include stands of cherry (pink), apricot (orange), olive (brown) and, of course, apple trees (yellow).

You can view additional renderings of Apple's Campus 2 on Wired's website.

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Tailor-made Moto X phones coming to all major US carriers

Motorola will let shoppers on all four big US carriers mint personalized Moto X smartphones, and for just $100.

Ending AT&T's exclusivity on custom Moto Xmodels, Motorola will offer personalized versions of its flagship smartphone soon on Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile as well. Better yet, not only does Motorola plan to bring Android 4.4 KitKatto the device in the near future, the Moto X has also dropped to $99.99 with a two-year service contract.

Sure the Moto X isn't the most powerful Androidhandset money can buy. Neither is it a big-screen mobile monster like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Nor is the Moto X equipped with a ridiculously high-capacity battery like its big brother (and only on Verizon) the Droid Maxx.

What the Moto X has going for it, however, is an extremely well-crafted physical design, plenty of innovative software abilities thanks to Motorola's parent company Google, and countless ways to create distinctive phones through the Moto Maker Web site.

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SCIENCE and RELIGION AGREE! LIFE and Man ARE from CLAY

Topflight boffins say they have discovered that life - or anyway the necessary complex precursor chemicals without which life cannot appear - probably originated in ancient "clay hydrogels".

"We propose that in early geological history clay hydrogel provided a confinement function for biomolecules and biochemical reactions," says Dan Luo of Cornell uni in the States. Luo and his colleagues believe that the ancient clay's confinement permitted early amino acids and suchlike to come together and form life, which went on in the end to evolve into highly developed organisms such as Register readers.

That won't be a huge surprise to adherents of many major world religions past and present. The Bible, for instance, has this to say on the typical mechanism for the appearance of life:

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life ... [Genesis 2:7]

The Hebrew word translated here as "dust" can also mean "clay", however. The Quran concurs, and of course any fule will kno from ancient Greek mythology that the titan Prometheus also created man out of clay. Similar stories are to be found in ancient Chinese and Egyptian belief structures, too.

Meanwhile the scientific community has also endorsed Luo and his colleagues' general gist, as the boffins' paper (pdf) outlining the role of clay in the appearance of life is published tomorrow in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports.

Interestingly, it appears that Luo and his fellow boffins weren't actually trying to probe the origins of life at all. A press release from Cornell explains that they were actually trying to find better and cheaper ways of producing complex proteins for drug manufacturing.

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Microsoft ships IE11 for Windows 7

Computerworld - Microsoft today released Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) for Windows 7, and announced it would soon start pushing it to customers as an automatic update.

Three weeks ago, Microsoft signaled that the debut of the final of IE11 was imminent when it shipped a blocking toolkit for enterprise IT departments who wanted to ban the browser from their desktops.

"We will begin automatically updating Windows 7 customers to IE11 in the weeks ahead, starting today with customers running the IE11 Developer and Release Previews," said Rob Mauceri and Sandeep Singhal, a pair of IE group program managers.

Microsoft launched IE11 on Windows 8.1 on Oct. 17.

The automatic upgrades on Windows 7 from IE10 -- which didn't reach the widely-used operating system until February -- will quickly drive up IE11's user share. From February through September, for instance, IE10's share of all copies of Internet Explorer soared from next to nothing to nearly 34% due to the forced upgrade from IE9, as well as some traction from Windows 8, before slipping for the first time last month as IE11 appeared in Windows 8.1.

That automatic upgrade may be welcomed by consumers, but analysts see it as a significant pain point in the enterprise, where change is often met with skepticism, even hostility.

"The faster pace is absolutely the biggest pain point," said Gartner analyst Michael Silver in an interview last month, talking about Microsoft's accelerated development and release tempo for Windows. "The problem with faster release cycles is that [enterprises] don't know if their apps will work with each new version. [And] IE is the biggest inhibitor to continuous upgrades"

Today, Mauceri and Singhal touted IE11's better JavaScript benchmark scores, claiming it's 29% faster than the current Chrome 30, 32% faster than Firefox 25 and 26% faster than Opera Software's Opera 17, citing the SunSpider test suite.

Ironically, Microsoft once dismissed JavaScript benchmark results as bogus. Three years ago, Dean Hachamovitch, the executive who still heads the IE team, said speed trials like SunSpider were "at best, not very useful, and at worst, misleading."

Not surprisingly, as IE's scores have improved, Microsoft's tune on the topic has changed.

IE11 for Windows 7 can be downloaded from Microsoft's website. The installer file is approximately 28MB in size.

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