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Tuesday 26 February 2013

A Plane You Can Park in the Garage:Video





Steen Strand and Kirk Hawkins, founders of ICON Aircraft, describe the features of their groundbreaking A5 light-sport aircraft. They show video demonstrating the personal aircraft handles more like a Jet Ski than a Cessna.

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Kirk and Steen speak to design's power to unleash new markets. They tell the story of how ICON Aircraft set out to maximize the vast potential of the FAA's regulatory changes by creating, for the first time, a recreational powersport for flying.

They discuss the challenges in the development of the ICON A5, an airplane that makes flying more accessible, safer, and more enticing than ever before. - IDEO Know How Talks

Before graduating from Stanford Business School in 2005 and founding ICON, Kirk Hawkins flew F-16s in the U.S. Air Force and 767s for American Airlines. Prior to the USAF, he worked in both aviation and aerospace engineering most of his early career.

After earning his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University, he was the Director of Engineering at an aerospace contractor before returning for his Masters in Engineering from Stanford University in 1995, specializing in manufacturing.

Steen Strand is a seasoned sports product entrepreneur with 14 years of hands-on operational startup experience. Strand's expertise is in product design, marketing and brand building. Early in his career he worked at IDEO, one of the world's leading design consultancies before founding Freebord, a skateboard company with a global subculture of fanatical riders.

He later served as COO and Director of Product at Secara, a funded healthcare startup. Steen received his MS in Product Design from Stanford University, where he periodically instructs courses in Product Design. Steen's designs have been featured in numerous TV shows, websites and magazines, including Time, Forbes, Newsweek and Wired.

World's first manned flight with an electric multicopter

On October 21st, 2011, Thomas Senkel of e-volo made the first manned flight with an electric multicopter, the so called volocopter VC1, at an airstrip in the southwest of Germany. The flight lasted 90 seconds, after which the constructor and test pilot stated: "The flight characteristics are good natured. Without any steering input it would just hover there on the spot". This could be the future of aviation, piloting a device as easy as a car.

The Mycestro 3D wearable mouse




While we now have scroll-wheels, wireless connections and touch-surfaces, the basic form factor of the computer mouse remains remarkably similar to the box-with-a-button first demonstrated by Douglas C. Engelbart back in 1968. This doesn't mean there haven't been attempts to shake-up mouse design though, and the latest to cross our desk is the Mycestro 3D mouse – a thumb-activated, wireless mouse that attaches to your index finger.
The traditional mouse has its limitations when it comes to certain human-computer interface scenarios we find ourselves in these days: the cramped train commute, crowded coffee shop, and not forgetting the airplane fold down table that was the original inspiration for the Mycestro design.
The founder of Ohio-based Innovative Developments LLC Nick Mastandrea has been working on the design for around two years. The current prototype uses 3D space recognition to control your computer without any requirement for dedicated mouse space or a touch pad on your device.
The Mycestro is the size of a Bluetooth earpiece and designed to be worn on the index finger. It uses a combination of sensors and algorithms to collect finger movement information and a touch sensitive panel located on the side of the finger closest to the thumb. Like removing your hand from the mouse, the Mycestro is inactive until you touch and hold anywhere on its side panel, which means you can type or make a coffee without having to remove it. Once the cursor becomes active, finger movements combined with the active thumb press direct it to the desired location, whilst further thumb motions on the touch panel button sections provide a full range of mouse clicks and scroll functionality. The 3D mouse also enables users to personalize programmable gesture commands in addition to the usual mouse functions, such as a flick or swipe movements.
The Innovative Developments LLC team hopes to have the first products available for delive...
The Mycestro uses Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy (BLE) Protocol to give it a range of 30 ft (9.1 m). It's compatible with Bluetooth Smart Ready devices including iPads, MacBooks, and any PC with a compatible BLE dongle. According to its creators, Android devices should be on-line by the end of the year. The current version has two interchangeable clip sizes to cater for different digits an it's charged via USB, with one charge said to provide eight hours of battery life depending on usage.
A Kickstarter campaign is underway to raise funds for tooling and a preproduction prototype run. The Innovative Developments LLC team hopes to have the first products available for delivery around October 2013. Kickstarter prices range from US $79 for a white version, and US$ 99 for a choice of colors.


13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display Review


When Apple released the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display last June, it started at US$2,200. When the 13-inch model arrived last October, it rang up at only $1,800. Progress, I suppose – but still a pretty penny. Now, however, Apple has dropped the prices on all Retina MBPs, and the entry level is now $1,500. With its more affordable price tag, perhaps you’re eyeing its gorgeous 2,560 x 1,600 screen. Is it worth it? Read on, as we review the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display.
For this review, we handled the entry-level (128 GB, 2.5 GHz) model. Apple recently upgraded the 256 GB model with a slightly-faster 2.6 GHz chip, but otherwise the two machines are identical.

Hardware and design

The MacBook Pro with Retina Display runs Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion
In terms of size and weight, the MacBook Pro with Retina Display (rMBP) splits the difference between the (still on the market) non-Retina MacBook Pro (MBP) and the svelte MacBook Air.
The Retina MBP is over 20 percent thinner and 21 percent lighter than the non-Retina MBP. On the other hand, it’s 21 percent heavier and 10 percent thicker than the MacBook Air. It’s really more than 10 percent thicker than the Air, but we’re comparing the uniformly-thick Retina Pro to the tapered Air's thickest point.
The 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (top) is thicker than the 13-inch MacBook Air (bottom) - bu...
The 13-inch rMBP feels great in hand, and comfortable on the lap. If you’re accustomed to using a MacBook Air, you’ll notice a difference. A bit heavier, but closer than you might expect.
Its secret is that – like the MacBook Air – it loses the old optical drive, and adds a speedy solid-state drive (SSD). So if you aren’t ready to bail on CDs and DVDs just yet, you’ll want to avoid the rMBP for now (or invest in an external DVD drive).
The Retina Pro’s design is mostly familiar. It looks a lot like a thinner version of the (non-Retina) MacBook Pro. That, however, is a good thing: same responsive (backlit) keyboard, multitouch glass trackpad, and unibody aluminum build.
The rMBP's design isn't a radical departure from previous MacBooks
One subtle difference is a thinner black bezel surrounding the screen. In fact, the laptop’s entire surface is slightly smaller than both the Air and its Pro predecessor. Shedding some excess millimeters around the keyboard and trackpad gives it a more focused appearance – and a smaller footprint in a backpack.
On its sides, the rMPB has two USB 3 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, an HDMI port, a headphone jack, and an SDXC card slot. The computer charges with a MagSafe 2 port, which uses the new T-shaped connector (the older L-shaped chargers require an adapter).

Display

This is the difference between the Retina MacBook Pro's 2560 x 1600 display and the MacBoo...
So, great: it looks like a thinner MacBook Pro without an optical drive. But what about that Retina Display? That’s what you came for. All 4,096,000 pixels of it.
It doesn’t disappoint. Though the Retina MacBook Pro has fewer pixels-per-inch than the 3rd and 4th generation iPads, it doesn’t show. In fact, it looks noticeably sharper than the iPad. This is because a laptop’s screen typically sits about 8-10 inches farther away from your eyes than a tablet’s does. The rMBP’s perceived sharpness is, right now, about as good as it gets.
On the Retina MacBook Pro, high-res photos reveal levels of detail you aren’t accustomed to seeing. Text is razor-sharp, allowing more sophisticated fonts to pop in ways that they can’t on other displays. Colors are vivid, and appear accurate under default settings.
The magnified section is the exact level of detail you'd see in this screen
There is one downside. Software that hasn’t been optimized for Retina Displays doesn’t look so hot. The Mac App Store’s Twitter app is a great example: it looks like garbage, with fuzzy text and pixelated images. Fortunately, most other prominent apps have shifted to Retina graphics.
Make no mistake. For all of the rMBP’s great qualities – its thinner, more compact build; its high-end performance; its great battery life – the Retina Display is the reason to buy it.

Performance

Apple's excellent keyboard hasn't changed from previous MacBooks
Performance-wise, the MacBook Pro with Retina Display offers similar results to its non-Retina cousin – with the added benefit of a zippy SSD.
On a technical level, the entry-level rMBP rocks a dual core 2.5 GHz (with Turbo boost to 3.1 GHz) Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000.
... and on an experience level? Most apps open instantly (a bounce or two in the dock at most). Processor-intensive tasks like high-res content-aware fill in Photoshop complete in a few seconds. All but the very heaviest power users will find plenty of punch here.
If you need more power, the updated 256 GB 13-inch Retina MBP (with 2.6 GHz Intel Core i5) is about 3 percent faster than this entry-level model. Apple also offers built-to-order models with a 3 GHz Intel Core i7 for the most extreme power-hungry users.

Battery life

Our mixed-use battery test yielded six and a half hours of uptime
Apple estimates that the Retina MacBook Pro’s battery will provide “up to seven hours of wireless web” use. Does it live up to the company’s promises?
My highly-unscientific testing conditions included web browsing, writing, reading, and Photoshopping high-resolution images. Brightness ranged between 50 percent and 75 percent.
Under this hodge-podge of light and heavy conditions, the rMBP lasted six and a half hours.
My use was – on average – a bit more intense than Apple’s “web use” estimate, so I’d say the seven-hour claim for web use is sound ... and perhaps even slightly understated.

Wrap-up

The MacBook Pro with Retina Display is slightly more compact than other MacBooks
The MacBook Pro with Retina Display hasn’t quite dipped into the consumer laptop price range. The MacBook Air’s flag is still firmly planted in that territory.
But it is inching closer. For $300 more than the 13-inch Air, the entry-level rMBP gives you better performance, the same outstanding battery life, and – oh, yes – that utterly breathtaking display. The tradeoff is some extra weight and a slightly thicker build.
Someday soon, more affordable MacBooks (and other laptops) will sport similar displays. One rumor even suggests that the MacBook Air will join that club later this year. If you can wait a year or two, you’ll get a similar machine for cheaper. But that will always be the case with any tech product.
The MacBook Pro with Retina Display is still a bit too expensive to recommend for everyone. But if your needs lean a little toward power use – and you appreciate a cutting-edge display – then you may find it to be worth an extra $300 over a MacBook Air (or an extra $400 over the non-Retina MacBook Pro). If nothing else, your eyeballs will love you for it.

Marussia and CarDesign.ru reveal concepts for new car for President Putin


It appears that Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn’t like his car. Tired of seeing Russian officials being carted about in Mercedes and BMWs, Mr. Putin ordered that a Russian domestic limousine be designed to replace them. Unfortunately, according to the Moscow Times, Mr. Putin apparently didn’t much care for the Zil-4112P that Russian car maker Zil came up with, and told them to have another go. Seeing a chance to get in on the action, car rivals GAZ and Marussia Motors are jumping into the game with Marussia and CarDesign.ru teaming up for a public competition to find “A car for the President.”
During the Cold War, Soviet luxury cars were nothing to write home about – except to express disbelief. The limousines that chauffeured the likes of Brezhnev and Kosygin were massive, ugly creations with gearboxes like coal scuttles, the turning radius of a container ship and huge engines that, paradoxically, provided hardly any power.
Two decades after the fall of communism, CarDesign.ru with Marussia Motors are using their “A car for the President” competition to put those days behind them with a call for a completely different model, and have released images of the entrants’ concepts
Concept by Gerardo Delgado (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
For those who are used to competition concepts showing cars that defy gravity, violate the laws of physics or are simply impossible to get into, the proposals for the Russian President’s future runabout do seem a bit on the conservative side, with many of them looking like tweaked Cadillacs and Bentleys. This isn’t surprising, since the competition rules are very specific about the basics of the cars. They have to fall into three classes – limousine, minivan or SUV – they must be front engined, rear-wheel drive, fit inside a specific set of dimensions and “stand on a par with competitors from Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, etc.”
The rules also recommend starting with current Russian models and going on from there. Given this and the fact that the target demographic are heads of state who have their offices in the Kremlin, it's small wonder that they look more like something for going to a summit meeting rather than tearing up the track on the weekend.
According to CarDesign.ru, the competition received 40 entries from students and professionals and over 80 amateur entries with some from abroad. The winner of “A car for the President” will receive cash prizes plus a chance to work on developing the actual cars. The concepts are currently being reviewed by a jury of car experts and Marussia Motors.
The results will be announced May 1.

Accidentally Extraordinary headphones feature capacitive touch controls in the cable


Due mainly to the influence of the iPhone and iPod, a good many headphones have a playback/call control unit of some sort bulging out from the audio cable. Though undeniably useful, this can add some unwelcome weight (particularly with earbuds), but more often the housing just gets in the way or adds its own thump to the music as it bangs against your upturned collar. California-based Accidentally Extraordinary is looking to change all that, with a pair of elegant studio headphones featuring a capacitive touch control interface on the surface of the cable itself.
"I was just about to go to sleep while listening to music and I started getting annoyed that my headphone buttons located on the right cable kept getting in the way," founder and CEO of Accidentally Extraordinary (AE) Kunal Dalal told us. "Long story short, I thought about how easy it could be to wrap flexible touch electrodes directly on the cable of the headphone, get rid of this remote/mic housing and create a sleek, asymmetrical look to earbuds and headphones."
Development started in September last year and, with a few prototypes under his belt, Dalal took his idea to the Eureka Park section of CES 2013. Four days later, Dalal walked away from the Vegas Convention Center with an address book full of useful contacts and some very positive feedback from both the press and public.
The AE design centers on nano-carbon graphene touch sensors that are printed directly onto...
The AE design centers on nano-carbon graphene touch sensors that are printed directly onto the surface of the cable using graphene-based Vor-ink. In much the same way as existing in-cable controls, this flexible and durable touch strip will allow users to play/pause or skip tracks with a tap/double tap, but will also change volume with a swipe of the finger.
The design features swipe-to-turn-on and lock functionality, though the strip won't be accidentally activated by inanimate objects. While the prototype images show the red touch section flanked by slightly bumpy metal strips, the whole interface will be flush with the rest of the cable in the production models.
Users will also be able to customize touch commands and gestures using a smartphone/tablet app (in a similar way to the Jay One Plus headphones). AE has confirmed that a built-in microphone is planned for inclusion some time in the near future.
"We are looking to address the limits placed on us by the different operating systems," said Dalal when asked about device compatibility. "Our original prototypes controlled volume internally so, regardless of the device, users would be able to control their volume via touch. While we are still exploring that option, the additional power requirements will determine the feasibility of that route. This option may be available in a high-end model geared specifically to the audiophile crowd, powered internally to work across all devices – including your old record player or Walkman."
At this stage in development, the headband and earcups are made from a strong and abrasion-resistant thermoplastic polymer called Delrin, which has been found to lend some crispness to the audio. Foam ear cushions are covered in a soft synthetic fabric and there's a foam cushion on the underside of the headband (not pictured). Dalal says that the design team is currently experimenting with memory foam for the cushions to give users an improved, snug fit.
For the audio side of the development equation, AE is working with an experienced (but as yet unnamed) California-based audio company. At the time of writing, all we can tell you is that the current prototypes use closed acoustics, low impedance (~32 Ohms @ 1 kHz), and high-quality dynamic drivers.
To get this technology into the hands of consumers, AE has launched on Kickstarter. An early bird special of US$160 will get you one of the first 200 off the production line. After that, you'll need to part with at least $200. The campaign closes on March 23 and the product launch has been penciled in for June/July, with delivery to backers scheduled to start in August.
While failure to reach the funding target won't mean the end of the AE project, it will likely result in significant delays in bringing this product to market.
Kickstarter backers are being offered a set of non-capacitive earbuds that sport a soft bu...
AE is also working on some earphones with a capacitive touch strip built into the cable, but they won't be ready for a public debut at the close of the funding campaign. As an exclusive Kickstarter special $60 pledge level, however, backers can get a taste of things to come with a set of non-capacitive earbuds that sport the same red section along the audio cable, but this is a soft button that can be used to control playback and answer calls on iOS, Windows and Android smartphones (in addition to offering volume control for the latter).

SD college tests fingerprint purchasing technology

<(by Amber Hunt, YahooNews) RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - Two [stores] on South Dakota’s School of Mines and Technology campus are performing one of the world’s first experiments in Biocryptology - a mix of biometrics (using physical traits for identification) and cryptology (the study of encoding private information). Students at the Rapid City school can buy a bag of potato chips with a machine that non-intrusively detects their hemoglobin to make sure the transaction is legitimate. Researchers figure their technology would provide a critical safeguard against a morbid scenario sometimes found in spy movies in which a thief removes someone else’s finger to fool the scanner.

 On a recent Friday, mechanical engineering major Bernard Keeler handed a Red Bull to a cashier in the Miner’s Shack campus shop, typed his birthdate into a pay pad and swiped his finger. Within seconds, the machine had identified his print and checked that blood was pulsing beneath it, allowing him to make the buy. Afterward, Keeler proudly showed off the receipt he was sent via email on his smartphone. Fingerprint technology isn’t new, nor is the general concept of using biometrics as a way to pay for goods. But it’s the extra layer of protection – that deeper check to ensure the finger has a pulse – that researchers say sets this technology apart from already-existing digital fingerprint scans, which are used mostly for criminal background checks. Al Maas, president of Nexus USA – a subsidiary of Spanish-based Hanscan Indentity Management, which patented the technology – acknowledged South Dakota might seem an unlikely locale to test it, but to him, it was a perfect fit. “I said, if it flies here in the conservative Midwest, it’s going to go anywhere,” Maas said. Maas grew up near Madison, S.D., and wanted his home state to be the technology’s guinea pig.image699
 He convinced Hanscan owner Klaas Zwart that the 2,400-student Mines campus should be used as the starter location. The students all major in mechanical engineering or hard sciences, which means they’re naturally technologically inclined, said Joseph Wright, the school’s associate vice president for research-economic development. ”South Dakota is a place where people take risks. We’re very entrepreneurial,” Wright said. After Maas and Zwart introduced the idea to students this winter, about 50 stepped forward to take part in the pilot. ”I really wanted to be part of what’s new and see if I could help improve what they already have,” said Phillip Clemen, 19, a mechanical engineering student. Robert Siciliano, a security expert with McAfee, Inc., minimized potential privacy concerns. ”We are hell bent on privacy issues here in the U.S. We get all up in arms when someone talks about scanning us or recording our information, but then we’ll throw up everything about us on Facebook and give up all of our personal information for 10 percent off at a shoe store for instant credit,” he said. Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union, said fingerprint technology on its own raises security issues, but he called “liveness detection” a step in the right direction. ”Any security measure can be defeated; it’s a question of making it harder,” he said. The key to keeping biometric identification from becoming Big Brother-like is to make it voluntary and ensure that the information scanned is used exactly as promised, Stanley said. Brian Wiles, a Miles mechanical engineering major, said it’s exciting to be beta testing technology that could soon be worldwide. ”There was some hesitation, but the fact that it’s the first in the world – that’s the whole point of this school,” said Wiles, 22. “We’re innovators.” - See more at: http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/daily-news-article/sd-college-tests-fingerprint-purchasing-technology/#sthash.634fL1aO.dpuf

New York’s Technology Future: Is It a Bubble or a Lasting Boom?


Amid the hullabaloo about New York’s growing innovation scene lurks a big question about the future. “Is New York’s rise in technology a combination of the mayor’s exuberant personality, things that are happening organically, and the overall growth of tech?” asked Steven Rosenbaum, CEO of Magnify.net. “Or is there a fundamental shift happening?”
Last Thursday during the many Social Media Week events happening across the city, he moderated a panel that included local entrepreneurs, representatives of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration, and a pioneering venture capitalist who offered a few opinions on the matter. Rosenbaum’s company Magnify.net is a provider of cloud-based video curation service. He is also entrepreneur-at-large with the New York City Economic Development Corp. (NYCEDC).
Joining him in the discussion were Scott Anderson, chief strategy officer with the Control Group; Matthew Burnett, CEO of Maker’s Row; Alan Patricof, managing director with Greycroft Partners; Ann Li, managing director and executive vice president with the NYCEDC; and Jonathan Bowles, executive director with the Center for an Urban Future think-tank.
Rosenbaum wondered if a landmark IPO or other exit by a startup in New York could give the city real bragging rights in its rivalry with Boston over which region follows Silicon Valley in the list of top tech hubs.
New York to some extent is still waiting for a big win among its startups, according to Anderson of Control Group, a technology innovation strategy company, but he also cast doubt on the necessity of achieving such a milestone. “That doesn’t mean business isn’t happening or people aren’t making money,” he said. “Hanging our hats on that big win is a mistake.”
Matthew Burnett, CEO of Maker’s Row, listens to fellow panelists discuss the city's prospects.
Maker’s Row co-founder Burnett told Xconomy after the panel it is getting easier for some startups in the city to reach customers thanks to such e-commerce platforms as Etsy and Fab.com. “They are creating opportunities for entrepreneurs to create their own goods and run their own businesses,” he says. Maker’s Row is an online marketplace that connects small and midsize businesses with American manufacturers. Burnett previously founded fashion accessory company The Brooklyn Bakery. “[Fab.com] helped me be able to pay rent for so long as an entrepreneur,” he says.
The growth of the local startup community, according Greycroft’s Patricof, is not likely to halt anytime soon. “New York is like a meteor at the moment,” he said. “The momentum has been started; you can’t stop it now. This train is moving.” An early player in the private investment world, he was a founder and chairman of New York magazine and founded private equity firm Apax Partners, now based in London, prior to forming Greycroft.
Patricof said investments in the past focused largely on technology semiconductors and

FIFA licenses third goal-line technology project


Zurich
Goal-line technology system Cairos was licensed by FIFA on Monday as the third candidate for use at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Cairos, a German system using magnetic field technology, joins Hawk-Eye and GoalRef as officially approved projects.
“The Cairos GLT System met all of the demands placed on it,” the company said in a statement.
Germany's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer looks at a ball that hit the bar to bounce over the line during the World Cup. AP
Germany’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer looks at a ball that hit the bar to bounce over the line during the World Cup. AP
Testing was done at two German stadiums in December, one week after Hawk-Eye and GoalRef were installed at two stadiums at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan. The systems were never needed for any decisive calls at the seven-team tournament.
FIFA’s rule-making panel approved goal-line technology for use in competitive matches last July after President Sepp Blatter insisted it must be installed at the World Cup.
Last week, FIFA invited bidders to compete for the World Cup and 2013 Confederations Cup contract.

FIFA said it aims to choose the winner in April. A fourth system has also completed testing and could join the race.

Cairos, which began developing its system in 2000, resumes its longstanding rivalry with Hawk-Eye, a British camera-based system successfully used in tennis and cricket.
Both were evaluated — and rejected — by FIFA when goal-line technology was first considered several years ago.
Blatter was originally opposed to giving technological aids for referees, but he changed his mind after seeing England’s Frank Lampard have a clear goal disallowed against Germany in a 2010 World Cup second-round match.
Germany and England will compete again for the World Cup contract.
GoalRef also uses magnetic fields and is a collaboration of companies from Germany and Denmark. The fourth contender is also German, but FIFA has said it will not identify that candidate before it is given a license.

LG's Demonstration of Wireless Ultra HD Transmission Technology


LG Demos Wireless Ultra HD Transmission Technology

MWC 2013


 The folks over at LG have decided to light up MWC this year with more than just their fair share of smartphone announcements, having demonstrated what is touted to be the first wireless Ultra HD transmission technology in the world. In a nutshell, it enables users to watch smartphone content on Ultra HD TVs, although you can more or less say that such technology is overkill at the present moment, considering smartphones themselves have recently “migrated” to Full HD displays for flagships recently, and to tote an Ultra HD movie file on your smartphone would certainly take up oodles of space, don’t you think so?
I guess the reason behind parading this technology is very simple – because LG can. The possibilities down the road will definitely be an enticing one, as this next generation mobile feature will allow users to view games and other kinds of smartphone content on Ultra HD TVs in real time, all without the need for a normal cable, helping you live out the wireless lifestyle.
LG claims that their Wireless Ultra HD Transmission system will also consume less than half the power of other similar transmission technologies, and this is made possible courtesy of the smartphone’s CPU that works in tandem with other hardware resources.
LG
 LG Corporation is a South Korean conglomerate that is based in Seoul. LG operates a number of subsidiaries including LG Electronics, LG Display, LG Telecom, and LG Chem. The conglomerate specializes in developing electronics, telecom products, and chemicals. LG Corp. was founded in 1947 by Koo In-Hwoi. Koo first established Lak-Hui Chemical Industrial Corp. in 1947. Today, Lak-Hui (pronounced lucky) is known as LG Chem. The company then expanded its business and created Goldstar Co. Ltd, now known as LG Electronics Inc. Both companies merged and formed Lucky-Goldstar, which was eventually renamed “LG” 

Top 20 video games in UK chart


Crysis 3:
Crysis 3: battling its way through the urban jungle

UK top 20 video games chart, week ending 23 February 2013

Position
Game (age rating)
Platform
(share%)
 
Weeks
in chart
1 (–)Crysis 3 (16+)Xbox 360 (57)
PS3 (23)
PC (9)


1
2 (–)Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (18+)PS3 (61)
Xbox 360 (39)

1
3 (3)Fifa 13 (3+)Xbox 360 (49)
PS3 (31)
Wii (5)
VITA (3)


22
4 (4)Call Of Duty: Black Ops II (18+)Xbox 360 (59)
PS3 (38)
PC (2)
Wii U (1)


15
5 (1)Aliens: Colonial Marines (18+)Xbox 360 (57)
PS3 (39)
PC (2)


2
6 (2)Dead Space 3 (18+)Xbox 360 (60)
PS3 (36)
PC (4)

3
7 (5)Far Cry 3 (18+)Xbox 360 (55)
PS3 (38)
PC (7)


13
8 (7)Need For Speed Most Wanted (7+)PS3 (44)
Xbox 360 (43)
VITA (12)
PC (1)


17
9 (6)Assassin's Creed III (18+)Xbox 360 (51)
PS3 (41)
Wii U (4)

17
10 (11)Hitman Absolution (18+)PS3 (49)
Xbox 360 (49)
PC (1)

14
11 (8)Just Dance 4 (3+)Wii (79)
Xbox 360 (19)
Wii U (2)
PS3 (1)


21
12 (12)The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (15+)Xbox 360 (78)
PS3 (15)
PC (7)


62
13 (9)Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed(7+)Xbox 360 (29)
Wii U (25)
3DS (21)
PS3 (18)


12
14 (13)Skylanders Giants (7+)Wii (40)
Xbox 360 (29)
PS3 (14)
3DS (6)


19
15 (15)Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (7+)Xbox 360 (31)
Wii (20)
DS (16)
PS3 (14)



33
16 (10)Halo 4 (16+)Xbox 360 (100)15
17 (16)Lego The Lord of the Rings (12+)Xbox 360 (36)
Wii (18)
PS3 (17)
DS (14)


14
18 (20)Grand Theft Auto Iv (18+)Xbox 360 (62)
PS3 (37)

43
19 (–)The Sims 3 (12+)PC (87)
Xbox 360 (5)
3DS (5)

48
20 (–)Forza Motorsport 4 (3+)Xbox 360 (100)31
UKIE Games Charts © compiled by GfK Chart-Track