iOS 9 update: The biggest changes and what's new for iPhone This post originally appeared at LinkedIn. Follow the author here. I don’t know anyone who couldn’t use a little boost in their energy and self-control. Researchers at the University of Nottingham recently published findings from their exploration of 83 separate studies on energy and self-control. What they found will change the way you start your day. The researchers found that self-control and energy are not only intricately linked but also finite, daily resources that tire much like a muscle. This exhaustion of self-control kills your productivity, and it makes the morning hours, when self-control is highest, the most important hours of the day. But the trick isn’t just to spend your morning hours working; it’s to do the right things in the morning that will make your energy and self-control last as long as possible. The Nottingham research has led me to uncover ways we can break bad habits in the morning and maximize our energy and self-control throughout the day. Start with exercise
Whitney Houston 'hologram' to tour next year - BBC News Image copyright Getty Images A 3D moving image of the late singer Whitney Houston is being developed by a US entertainment firm. It is working with the Houston estate and hopes to tour the product in 2016. Hologram US has patented a "high-tech version" of Pepper's Ghost, an illusion that dates back to the 16th century. It can cost "millions of dollars" to develop an image of a deceased star. The company told the BBC that members of the public often enquire about being turned into a 3D moving image too. "I'm not sure if any have pursued it... for most people the cost is forbidding," said head of marketing Owen Phillips. The traditional Pepper's Ghost illusion involves foil and glass, to which Hologram USA has added a patented blend of computer generated images (CGI), moving parts and audio material. In its stable of so-called "holograms" are classic acts such as Patsy Cline, Frank Sinatra and Liberace. However boring celebrities need not apply. "I look forward to the partnership."
BBC says Micro Bit rollout will be delayed - BBC News The BBC's Micro Bit computer, due to be given to one million schoolchildren in October, has been delayed, the corporation has acknowledged. An issue with its power supply meant it would now be sent out "after Christmas", said a spokesman. The tiny computer has been designed to boost interest in coding. The problem had "affected a small number of devices", the spokesman said, but the priority was making sure it was as robust and reliable as possible. "We're expecting to start sending them out to teachers before Christmas and to children early in the new year," said a BBC spokesman "As a result of our rigorous testing process, we've decided to make some minor revisions to the device - getting it right for children and teachers before we manufacture one million units is our priority." The Micro Bit was unveiled in March and since then has added features including a built-in motion sensor. Up to one million Year 7 pupils (aged 11 and 12) will be given the Micro Bit.
MI5 boss warns of technology terror risk - BBC News Advances in technology are allowing terrorists to communicate "out of the reach of authorities" the head of MI5, Andrew Parker has told the BBC. In the first live interview by a serving MI5 boss he told Today that security services could potentially no longer obtain crucial information. He said internet companies had an "ethical responsibility" to alert agencies to potential threats. But MI5 was not about "browsing the lives" of the public, he added. Ministers are currently preparing legislation on the powers for carrying out electronic surveillance. But Mr Parker said what should be included in new legislation was a matter "for parliament to decide". "It is completely for ministers to propose, and parliament to decide. He said online data encryption was creating a situation where the police and intelligence agencies "can no longer obtain under proper legal warrant the communication of people they believe to be terrorists". But he said: "We can't monitor them all the time."
How Machine Vision Is About to Change the Fashion World In the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada, the notorious fashion editor Miranda Priestly sizes up people at a glance by analyzing their clothes, who designed them, and what year they date from. Priestly’s character is famously inspired by Anna Wintour, the long standing editor-in-chief of Vogue, herself a style icon. –> But if a human can recognize and date fashion styles with little more than a glance, why not a machine? Chen and co begin by training their machine vision algorithm to identify an individual’s body pose in an image and then to divide the body into nine regions—the upper and lower arms and legs, and the torso. Comparing fashion styles then boils down to the relatively simple mathematical process of comparing these 72-dimension vectors. Next, they assemble two databases of photographs. Fashion week is a significant event in New York. To find out, Chen co use their machine vision algorithm to identify these trends and see how they influence street chic.
How 'smart fashion' could transform the mobile workforce The future of wearables could be in 'smart clothes' that blend fashion with tech Picture this: A customer service representative is helping an irate customer on the phone and becoming flustered and frustrated. Rather than hearing about the incident after the interaction has escalated, customer service managers are able to step in and offer assistance because they have access to the rep’s vital signs and health signals. Or, imagine one of your fleet drivers becoming tired and falling asleep at the wheel and a fleet manager having the ability to talk him through getting to a rest area safely, thanks to having access to his health signals. All of this, and more, is possible, thanks to wearable technology and smart clothes. The rise of wearable rechnology Wearable technology is nothing new, but its applications to the enterprise and customer service are just now being realised in a major way. As reported for RealBusiness by Shane Schutte, lead researcher Dr. Smart clothes as a tool for business
Future of Food Experience by Koz Susani Design Design Duo Koz Susani have been working on bringing a new food concept to life that would transform the culture of eating altogether. “Just add Water” is a set of appliances which connect to an app that answers the tells you what to eat for dinner, and then makes it for you. Taking into consideration basic facts from your day, like if you exercised or perhaps if you are recovering from a cold, it calculates the perfect meal. “Flavor pills,” tiny water-soluble pods filled with organic spices and nutritional supplements, get added to one of the appliances along with fresh produce and some water. Using sensors and a microprocessor, the appliance cooks the food for exactly the right amount of time and at exactly the right temperature. “The ingredients and condiments are perfectly dosed, and the recipe is ‘contained’ inside the flavor pills,” explains Marco Susani from Koz Susani Design, the firm that created the new system. www.kozsusanidesign.com Via www.fastcoexist.com
Burberry turns to Snapchat before runway to debut London Fashion Week show The first look at Burberry’s latest collection won’t be seen on the runway. Instead, the fashions will be previewed on Snapchat in what the designer is calling “the first ever" Snapchat fashion show. The luxury brand famous for its trench coats will give fans an inside look at its newest styles on its Snapchat account Saturday. It’s a big play for Burberry to get the young adults and teenagers who dominate Snapchat to interact more with the brand. Snapchat has had a big digital presence during this week’s New York Fashion Week. The National Football League, Univision and Live Nation have also struck agreements with Snapchat to help promote their events. Burberry’s announcement included a rare statement from Snapchat Chief Executive Evan Spiegel, whose style preference is usually fashionable kicks, black jeans and a V-neck shirt. “Burberry is an iconic brand, and it's a thrill for us to give our community the first look at their new collection,” Spiegel said.
Prosthetic Hand Lets Paralysed Man 'Feel' A prosthetic hand wired directly to the brain has allowed a paralysed man to "feel". It is the first time a person has been able to feel physical sensations through a prosthetic device. The technology is so advanced the 28-year-old man could even identify which mechanical finger was being gently touched. The system was designed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is part of the US Department of Defense. Programme manager Justin Sanchez said: "We've completed the circuit. Video: Aug: 3D-Printing Prosthetics "Prosthetic limbs that can be controlled by thoughts are showing great promise, but without feedback from signals travelling back to the brain it can be difficult to achieve the level of control needed to perform precise movements. "By wiring a sense of touch from a mechanical hand directly into the brain, this work shows the potential for seamless bio-technological restoration of near-natural function." Video: Swipe: Robots And Prosthetics