Mid-October 2014

Digitized Manuscripts at the Vatican Library:

The Vatican has recently made a digitized collection of manuscripts freely available online to the public. Check out the archive here, or learn more about the project here.   You can also read more about it from Phys.org.

3D Printed Body Parts:

There are lots of different applications for 3D printed objects. This article from Wired gives some real world examples of 3D Printed body parts being used in humans.

Apple Event:

Apple had another event this month, this time announcing new iPads and iMacs as well as the new Mac operating system, Yosemite. The Verge highlights “8 of the Most Important Things  to Know” regarding this product launch. If you’re on the market for a tablet and are trying to decide between Apple or Android this article from Yahoo Tech compares the iPad Air 2 with available Android tablets.

Facebook’s Safety Check Feature:

Facebook has added a new feature which allows you to let your friends know that you’re alright after a major disaster, such as an earthquake or tornado. Your safety status and messages will only be shared with your Facebook friends. Read more about it on TechCruch or watch the video from Facebook: http://vimeo.com/108971365

More Crowdsourcing:

The NY Times is crowdsourcing data for their ads from the 1960s. You can help to identify the ads on different pages, and create transcriptions of their text.  Check it out here: http://madison.nytimes.com/

1000+ Coffees:

In a world where we seem to connect more and more with people digitally rather than in real life and where lists of Facebook friends can number in the thousands one guy has decided that he is going to have coffee with each of his 1000+ Facebook friends. The Huffington Post discusses the project here, and if you’re interested you can read all about his coffee meet-ups on his tumbler: http://1000pluscoffees.tumblr.com/

September 2014

Humanoid Robots:

Have you always dreamed of having a Rosie the Robot of your own? Well, we’re not quite there yet, but the public library in Westport, CT will soon have a pair of humanoid robots tasked with helping children learn computer programing. The robots are NAO Evolution from the company Aldebaran. More details about the robots and the public library programming, set to begin on October 11th, can be found in this Wall Street Journal Article.

Net Neutrality:

Some of you have probably heard about the concept of “Net Neutrality” which in essence means that all data shared through the internet is treated equally. A more detailed explanation of the concept can be found in this video:  

Additionally, this article by Anne Flaherty of the associated press gives a good overview of why Net Neutrality is now being discussed:  5 Questions, Answers on ‘Net Neutrality’

Apple:

Apple had their annual iPhone event earlier this month where they revealed the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, along with iOS8 and their new product Apple Watch which should be released early next year. You can watch the recording of the release and explore all of the new products on Apple’s website.

The launch of some of these products however has met with some issues. Since the release of the iPhone 6 Plus there have been numerous reports that it bends when placed in a back pocket. According to Apple, however, there have only been nine official complaints. This incident is now being referred to as “bendgate” and a quick Google search for the term will yield a myriad of results. After the release of iOS8.0.1 many users were unable to make or receive calls and thus Apple pulled the software update, posting instructions on how to revert back to iOS8. An overview of these issues can be found in this article from Reuters.

Windows 10:

Product releases this month also included Windows 10 (and you didn’t miss anything, they skipped over the number 9). An overview of the new system, including features, can be found in this article from c|net which also includes a gallery of Windows 10 images.

Ello Social Media Network:

Ello is the new social media site that has been buzzing in the last few weeks. It’s being advertised as an ad-free Facebook and to use it you have to sign up for an invitation (my invitation has yet to arrive). MIT Technology Review gives an overview of this new social network here.  

New Kindle:

For those of you who attended the Tech Petting Zoo, or who might be interested in purchasing a stand-alone e-reader, Amazon has released an updated version of its basic Kindle which now includes a touch screen. This seems very similar to the 2011 Kindle Touch which was on display at at the Petting Zoo. A review of the new device from Tech Crunch can be found here.