It sounds incredible but the Pillars of Creation don't exist anymore

This week NASA published new astonishing high definition images
of the famous Pillars of Creation—two 4-light-year-tall columns located
in the Eagle Nebula, 7,000 light years from here, first photographed in
1995. The only problem is that the pillars don't exist—they were
destroyed more than a thousand years ago.
How can the hell can that be, you are asking? Are they a computer generated fake, then? An artist impression of some sort?
These are natural thoughts. Limited by our understanding of reality
and time, we look at objects in space as if they were mountains or the
ocean. We genuinely perceive these stellar landscapes as something that
is up there fixed, secure, rooted in our reality, the solid foundation
of our existence. Some people see the work of gods in all this seemingly
immutable show, hence the mythological names of planets,
constellations, nebulas, and galaxies. Others just see "a vast cosmic arena," in which the Earth is just a tiny speck of dust.
But our diminutive perception of time, the same that makes us think
we are the center of everything, is just an illusion. At the cosmic
scale, just like in our individual lives, things move constantly. The
architecture of the cosmos is ever changing and scientists know—since
2007, only a few years after they were observed—that these gargantuan
structures don't exist anymore.

They were destroyed, blasted by a supernova that happened 6,000 years
ago. With our telescopes, we can see the supernova advancing,
unstoppable, destroying everything it touches. From Earth, the shockwave
has not reached the Pillars of Creation yet. For our senses, they are
still there—intact.

An amazing show is coming

In one thousand years there will be a hell of a show. The shockwave
is already arriving to the Pillars of Creation and, just like they were
created, they will be destroyed once again, obliterated by the force of a
dead star. As Paul Scowen—from the School of Earth and Space
Exploration at Arizona State University in Tempe and one of the men who
led the original Hubble observations back in 1995—explains:
I'm impressed by how transitory these structures are. They are

actively being ablated away before our very eyes. The ghostly bluish
haze around the dense edges of the pillars is material getting heated up
and evaporating away into space. We have caught these pillars at a very
unique and short-lived moment in their evolution.

Rationally, I know why this happens. I know that, since the light has
to travel a vast distance, it will arrive after the event has occurred.
The further away something happens, the longer it takes to reach our
eyes. I know that when we look up to the sky we are looking at the
past—seconds, minutes, years, centuries and millennia away. The sky is
the most amazing of the time machines.
But that the fact that I understand all this doesn't matter. Every
time I think about it, I experience the same sensation. One of awe and
humility. And also of wonderment, thinking that my own existence and the
existence of the people around me, the people I loved, the people I
love, and the people I will love, can't be seen yet from the vantage
point of those pillars. If there's a spaceship around those space
coordinates using magic telescopes capable of focusing on Earth and
seeing details, they would not know of our existence unless they wait around for 7,000 thousand years. For them, right now, we don't exist yet.That's when I realize that we truly stand alone in the middle of this
huge storm that is the Universe. And every time I think about that, my
friends, that's when my mind and my heart explode.

This is a version of a story published on February 11, 2012.

Review: Samsung Galaxy S4 Is Kitchen Sink Of Smartphones

Credit: T-Mobile and Samsung

Instead of Galaxy S4, Samsung should have called its new phone the KS, for “kitchen sink,” because when designing this phone, Samsung threw in “everything but the kitchen sink.”

It has its strengths. I came away with a pretty positive first impression when I attended the press conference announcing the phone in March. And now that I’ve had a chance to use the phone in real world settings, I can say that I am impressed with the overall phone though not so dazzled with all of its “gee whiz” features.

You name it, this phone can do it.  Air Gestures let you wave your hand in front of the screen to scroll through pictures or web pages. Air View lets you hover your finger over the screen to read a message or preview a story. You can use the phone as a universal remote control and personalized TV guide and there are tons of things you can do with the camera including inserting a little picture of yourself into a photo you’re taking of others or removing someone who’s “photo bombing” you. You can animate objects in photos and you can use “drama mode” to shoot up to 100 frames in a single burst to capture moving objects.

Impressive hardware

Before focusing on all the features, lets just review the basics. This is a very impressive piece of hardware with a fast quad core processor, a stunning 5-inch high resolution  (1,920×1,080 screen, at 441 pixels per inch) screen and a microSD slot that allows you to easily expand the 16 or 32 GB of built in storage by up to 64 additional GB.  And it runs Google’s lastest “Jelly Bean” (Android 4.22) software.

Some reviewers have complained about the plastic body but I think it’s fine. Sure, the iPhone’s anodized aluminum and glass may be better and more durable, but does anyone really care what their phone is made of? I don’t once I stick a case on it.

It’s definitely among the larger phones on the market (but far from the largest) and there are those who might prefer a smaller phone. Still, it’s thin and light and even with my small hands, I was comfortable using it.  If you want details, here’s a CNET chart with all the specs on this phone compared to the Apple iPhone 5, the HTC One and the Blackberry Z10.

So, as Android phones go, this one is really nice. It’s fast, it has the latest software and it does everything a smartphone is supposed to do with relative ease. And speaking of easy, I really like its Easy Mode feature that simplifies the home screen. Samsung says that its intended for “first time smartphone owners,” but I think it will also appeal to some smartphone veterans who like simplicity and large icons.

And as per those features…

 

 

If I were to elaborate on all of the phone’s features it would take days to write this post and hours to read it. Let’s just say that there is a lot here which means there is a lot to learn if you want to take full advantage of what this phone can do.  And, at least based on my experience, not everything works out-of-the-box as advertised.  I couldn’t, for example, get the phone to pause a video by looking away from the screen.  I was able to get Air Gestures to let me scroll through web pages and flip through photos in the gallery but, aside from avoiding smudge marks on the screen, I can’t figure out why in the world anyone would want to do this. It’s actually a lot easier to just swipe the phone with your finger.

I actually liked using Air View in the message app because it allowed me to preview a message without opening it just by hovering a finger over the closed message.

Camera features

The camera modes are certainly interesting but I question whether they’ll be all that useful for all that many people.  I tried the Dual Camera feature and got a shot of myself photographing my dog Yuri but as can tell from the picture (below), it’s not a very flattering photo of me and that’s partially because I, of course, am looking at my subject and not directly into the camera when I took the picture.

My dog Yuri looks OK but I look pretty bad in this insert photo using Dual mode (Photo by Larry Magid)

Some techies will love this phone; others might like it

There are lots of great phones on the market and this is certainly one of them.  Personally, I’m not about to trade in my iPhone 5 for the Galaxy S4 because I neither need nor even want most of features.  If you’re the type of techie who loves to play around with a myriad of features, you will no doubt have fun figuring out all that you can do with this phone.  If you’re not a techie, you can still use this phone and you actually might find it easy to use if you turn on Easy Mode.

My verdict, while positive, is that it’s not for everyone. A worthy phone but — for most people — nothing to get too excited about.

As always, my advice is to try before you buy by checking out the phone and its competitors at an AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon store.

 

 

Samsung Debuts The New Galaxy S IV

1 of 11

 

« Previous     Next »     Getty Images

  + show more

Samsung Debuts The New Galaxy S IV

People interact with the Samsung Galaxy S IV, March 14, 2013 in New York City. Samsung, the world's largest handset maker, revealed their successor to the Galaxy S III. The Galaxy S IV features a five-inch 1080p screen, a 1.9GHz quad-core processor, a 13-megapixel rear camera and ships with the latest Android version, Jelly Bean.

« Previous \ Next »

via forbes.com

 

Review: Samsung Galaxy S4

via smh.com.au

Samsung's Galaxy S4 is an impressive smartphone with a multitude of features (some practical, others not so much) that put it ahead of many of its rivals, writes Ben Grubb.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed with the S4's software/hardware feature set. There are so many features in this phone it isn't funny. From including an IR blaster so that you can control your TV or DVR when you can't find your remote, to being able to switch between web browser tabs by just waving your hand, this phone actually appears to bring some real innovation to the table.
The S4 is made of polycarbonate (a very strong type of plastic) and uses the latest Gorilla Glass 3 standard to protect its 5-inch, 1080p HD screen, which is beautiful to look at. It has a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch – so if you're a geek like me who likes to try to spot pixels by getting up close and personal with a device, good luck; you'll get dizzy trying to find them on this one.

Although many have long criticised the plastic build quality of the Galaxies as being flimsy, I actually found the S4 much more comfortable to hold than other phones made of aluminum, such as the HTC One and iPhone 5.

The S4 runs Google's Android Jelly Bean operating system and offers 20 per cent more battery capacity than its predecessor, the S3, which is mainly to accommodate the extra features it has. In my testing it actually lasted more than a day, which surprised me considering most phones I've tested can't make it past one.

I must admit that at first I was a little bit overwhelmed when I looked at all the features available, and thought some would be gimmicky, but after a few days' use I actually found practical uses for some of them that could make life easier.

Air Gesture, Air View, Smart stay and Smart scroll are some of the standout innovations on the S4 that you won't find on any other brand's smartphone currently available in Australia.

When turned on, Air Gesture, which makes use of a sensor at the top of the device, allows you to answer calls just by waving your hand. It also allows you to browse through photo albums and web browser tabs by using left and right hand gestures. And that's not all – if you have a webpage open you can scroll up and down by using, you guessed it, up and down hand gestures.

The perfect scenario for this type of scrolling would be in the kitchen when you're cooking something that gets your hands dirty and you need to scroll through a recipe. The waving Air Gesture to answer a call would be of particular use while driving.

Air View is another nifty feature. It lets you preview photos in an album, for example, by hovering any one of your fingers a few centimetres above the screen.

Air View is currently available only within a select few apps, including on the pre-installed social magazine app Flipboard, where you can use it to preview headlines within topic categories.

Smart stay, which is meant to pause things like video when you look away from the screen, is also nifty but didn't work that well during my testing in low-lit environments. It did, however, begin to work much better when in a well-lit environment. To function properly it tries to pinpoint where your eyes are.

Smart scroll, which also uses your eyes, is meant to allow scrolling through content like webpages. But like Smart stay, it doesn't work as well as you might expect. Instead of scrolling when you reach the bottom of a web page, you end up having to lower your head for it to recognise your movements. You also have to stay still for it to work properly, otherwise it sometimes goes haywire and needs to recalibrate where your eyes are.

Overall, Air Gesture, Air View, Smart stay and Smart scroll really give the S4 a point of difference from other smartphones. They're the type of features that tend to wow anyone you show the device to for the first time.

But they're not the only features worth mentioning. The IR blaster, which turns the S4 into a TV or DVR remote, is sure to create a stir in the loungeroom and possibly at the pub. After just two clicks in the pre-installed WatchNow app that lets you control the blaster, I was able to start controlling all of the TVs within Fairfax Media's Sydney newsroom. I can only imagine the TV channel wars S4 users will get into in the loungeroom or at the pub with other S4 users.

Overall, the S4 is a great smartphone with so many features packed into it that will tempt users of other phones to it. If you're an Android user, this is the next phone you will want to consider upgrading to if you like the latest and greatest features. Keep in mind that you might not like the larger screen, though, if you have small hands.

If you have invested in another mobile operating system, like Apple's iOS, then you might want to stay put. But if you really want to scroll through content with your eyes and control your TV with your phone etc then maybe it's time for a switch.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Ice Cream Sandwich Roll Out Begins

It looks like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Ice Cream Sandwich update roll out has begun.

According to SamMobile, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 Android 4.0 update is currently available in select regions through Samsung Kies. It appears that the software is currently available to those who own the tablet device in Austria.

We’re unsure whether it’s available in any other regions but roll outs in other parts of Europe should be close behind and available through Samsung Kies soon.

This is fantastic news for owners of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet who have been waiting for a sign of Gingerbread ever since Samsung confirmed the software for the device.

 

The Galaxy Tab 7.7 ICS roll out has begun.

Read: Ultimate Android 4.1 Update List: Which Tablets Will Get Jelly Bean?

It has said in the past that roll outs would begin in July or August for its current Galaxy Tab line of devices and it appears that the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is first in line.

Now, for those who have the Verizon version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, there is currently no telling how long it’s going to take for Ice Cream Sandwich to arrive.

Verizon hasn’t said anything at all. All we know is that it will be coming at some point. That being said, we hope that this roll out beginning is a sign that things are moving in a good direction.

 

For those that own the Galaxy Tab Plus 7.0, Galaxy Tab 8.9 and Galaxy Tab 10.1, hang in there. Ice Cream Sandwich roll outs for those devices should be rolling out in the weeks ahead.

When though remains a mystery, a mystery that we hope Samsung solves in the near future.

 

via gottabemobile.com

 

How to Update Galaxy Tab 7.7 Wi Fi P6810 with ICS 4.0.4 Firmware

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 device can now be updated with the latest version of ICS Android 4.0.4 Firmware. Please note that this is not an official firmware version released by Samsung Electronics and is a leaked firmware which was released for select countries. Since this update doesn’t come along with any boot loaders, you can easily apply this update in your Galaxy Tab 7.7 smartphone without any issues. Applying this update won’t root the device in any manner. Also, applying this update won’t void the warranty in any manner. This all new ICS Android 4.0.4 firmware version ropes in many functionalities which almost streamlines the performance and overall battery life is increased marginally. Also issues related to the camera and other things have been addressed in this update.

Caution: This ICS 4.0.4 upgrade is only available for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Wi-Fi Only variant which has model number P6810. One can find the device model name from the path “Settings > About Tablet”.

All the data in your Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 should be backed up as there is a possibility that the data may get lost or corrupted. With the help of below steps, you can easily back up the data. Ensure that you are placing all the target backup files in your computer. Don’t use PC Suite tools to backup all your data.

SMS – Use “SMS Backup & Restore app”,
Contacts – Sync with the Gmail application,
Call Log -Call Log and Restore
Images, Songs, Videos, Files – Copy to internal / External SD Card,
APN and MMS Settings – Note down from the path “Applications > Settings > Wireless and Network > Mobile Networks > Access Point Names”

Minimum battery life should be at least 50% plus so as to make sure that your Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 device doesn’t get turned Off in the middle of firmware update. Also, from the USB Settings, you need to ensure that that the USB Debugging MODE is enabled.

Disclaimer: We should not be held responsible for any damage happened to your device due to not following of instructions though it’s very unlikely that if you follow any instructions mentioned you will be facing any issues.

So assuming that you have followed all the above mentioned instructions, you can head to the next page where we have summed up a detailed guide on how to apply this firmware update.

 

via androidadvices.com

 

Apple scores a EU-wide ban on sales of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7

A German court today upheld the injunction against the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, so the tablet is basically banned from being sold and marketed in the European Union for infringing on Apple's iPad design patents. It was just last year when Samsung was frantically trying to hide it from the IFA show floor in Berlin when it learned about the lawsuit filed against the slate, but that obviously didn't help. Samsung commented on the decision:
Samsung is disappointed with the court’s ruling. We will continue to take all available measures, including legal action, to protect our intellectual property rights and defend against Apple’s claims to ensure our products remain available to consumers throughout the European Union.
Too bad, since tablets with Super AMOLED screens and brushed aluminum backs are hard to find these days, but on the other hand Apple lost the appeal for the same EU-wide injunction against the Galaxy Tab 10.1, so the 10-incher is free to roam everywhere in Europe where there's still disposable cash or the credit cards haven't been maxed-out yet. Here Samsung didn't miss the opportunity to gloat one bit: