The Galaxy S5's Camera Can Refocus After Taking A Picture.

Samsung has never been a leader when it comes to smartphone cameras but with the Galaxy S5, it's taken a step forward.
It has nothing to do with megapixels—instead it's all about that weird-sounding feature called "phase-detect" autofocus, which allows the camera to focus in just .3 seconds. Samsung claims that's the fastest in the world, and it could seriously change how you use the camera.
We've tested basically every smartphone camera, and it's astounding how quickly their quality has been improving over the years. Low-light quality has never been better, and in recent years, the megapixel counts have been soaring, without seeing any of the corresponding loss in image quality you'd expect.
One thing we haven't heard a lot of—but you can expect to now—is claims about how fast a camera is. Think about how important speed is. If your buddy slips and falls embarrassingly, you want to be able to whip out your camera and snap the picture as quickly as possible, before the shock leaves their faces and they've got time to recover. You want to get the hilarious agony of the moment.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 has a higher resolution camera 16 megapixel camera, but what's really important, is that as far as we can tell (tell us if we're wrong!), it's the first camera on a smartphone to use phase-detect autofocus. Traditionally, digital cameras that don't have a mirrorbox—IE, point-and-shoots and mirrorless cameras—use contrast detection autofocus. In this method, the contrast between nearby pixels is measured, and the camera's lens is adjusted until this contrast is maximized. This system has a lot of drawbacks: It's coarse, it's slow, and more importantly in situations where there's not a lot of contrast (or light) in a scene to begin with, it doesn't work very well.
Phase detection autofocus was commonly used on SLR cameras with mirrors, but it's only recently started trickling into mirroless cameras over the last couple of years, as part of the "hybrid" systems that enable shooters like the Sony A6000to focus crazy fast. The contrast detect autofocus gets you close, but the fine adjustment is performed by phase detection which compares the actual light received by the sensors, rather than just the contrast.
In the real-world, you can't underestimate the important of shooting with a fast AF system. It's one of the most important features we test when we're reviewing cameras. You're probably familiar with the experience of a camera that "hunts" for focus—moving in and out of clarity until it settles on the best spot You've also probably noticed the frustration that occurs when you've got an autofocus hunts and then settles on a spot that's totally wrong, as if it just gave up. The new phase detection will help remedy some of this frustration.
Or rather itshouldhelp, assuming it works properly. We'll have to wait and see how well this new phase detection works on the camera when we've had the chance to test it out in real life.

Original Story Found On Gizmodo

Robot cops rule! Humanoids take over streets of Kinshasa to tackle traffic chaos

How do you solve the problem of choking road traffic in one of the world's bustling megacities? You bring in the robot cops.
In Kinshasa, the sprawling capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, two humanoid robots have been installed in high-traffic areas to regulate the flow of vehicles and help drivers and pedestrians traverse the roads safely.
Read this: The daily grind of commuting in Africa's economic hubs
The goal is to ease the traffic woes of commuters and cut the number of road accidents in the center of Kinshasa, a city of some 10 million people.
"It is an innovation about road safety," Vale Manga Wilma, president of the DRC's National Commission for Road Safety (Commission Nationale de Prevention Routiere), told CNN.
"The traffic is a big problem in the rush hours," he explained. "With the robots' policemen intelligence, the road safety in Kinshasa becomes very easy."
Read this: Megacity's ambitious plans
Standing eight feet tall, the robot traffic wardens are on duty 24 hours a day, their towering -- even scarecrow-like -- mass visible from afar. They are powered by solar panels and are equipped with rotating chests and surveillance cameras that record the flow of vehicles.
The humanoids, which are installed on Kinshasa's busy Triomphal and Lumumba intersections, are built of aluminum and stainless steel to endure the city's year-round hot climate.
Featuring green and red lights, Kinshasa's robot cops are designed to merge some of the functions of human officers and traffic lights. The anthropomorphic robots can raise or bend their arms to stop passing vehicles or let others pass, and are also programmed to speak, indicating to pedestrians when they can cross the roadManga Wilma said that this is a DRC-made technology, designed and built by a team of local engineers called WITECH ONG.
READ MORE: Africa's 'new cities' - Urban future or utopian fantasies?
READ MORE: Africa's giant infrastructure projects

Nokia Unveils Two New Androids.

Nokia is officially launching its very first Android devices, known as the X and the X+, on stage at its annual Mobile World Congress press conference. We were all taken aback by the second ( and third) device (since only one leaked), but either way it's still incredible to see Nokia take this particular approach. The X will have a 4-inch, 840 x 480 IPS screen, 512MB RAM, 4GB of storage expandable storage via microSD slot and 3-megapixel camera, while the X+ sports the same specs but more RAM (768 MB) and an included 4GB microSD card. You won't be getting Google's apps or Play store, however as both handsets will be based on the forked AOSP Android OS. Nokia says that'll have the advantages of the Android ecosystem, but with a "differentiated experience." So far,Here Maps, MixRadio, Skype and Outlook are being featured on the Nokia Store.You can access the Nokia and third party stores using the devices, but not Google Play, obviously. We've heard SwiftKey will be available on the Nokia X range, as will BBM, which is also coming to Windows Phone sometime "this summer."
The new devices are featuring a ported version of FastLane for Asha devices, to give a similar experience as its other budget handsets. When you swipe across it, it'll bring up a sort of notification bar showing recently used apps, missed calls and texts and other activities. During the demo, Elop showed both the Nokia Store also Yandex, where he pulled down Aero Express, a Russian-flavored app. The X will be available immediately in growth markets (ie, not the US) and run 89 euros. The X+, meanwhile, will run 99 euros but won't arrive until sometime in Q2 this year.

Whatsapp Is Down, It's Not Just You. (UPDATED)

I thought it was just me but apparently it's a worldwide problem. It's been down for a few hours now causing mass hysteria (jk). So to avoid any confusion and MTN Customer Care calls they tweeted about it to let us know they were working on it( who knows? Maybe it's just Zuck messing with it) I'll update on it if anything comes up.

UPDATE: It's back, no questions answred, or explanations given.

No Cards? No Cash? You Can Still Get Cool Stuff. With Your Smartphone!

The aroma of rich coffee wafts through the air as Xolile Malindi leans behind the counter of House of Machines, a hip café in the heart of Cape Town. Opposite him, a young customer approaches the bar, taking his wallet out to pay for his double espresso made of organic Arabica beans.
"Have you ever heard of this program called the SnapScan?" Malindi, who is the coffee shop's day manager, asks quickly. "You pay with your phone," he continues. "A lot of places are using it in Cape Town -- it's quite amazing."
House of Machines is just one of dozens of stores here where customers can find SnapScan, an award-winning new digital mobile payment method developed in South Africa. The smartphone app, which is free to download, allows buyers to pay for goods using their phone, without having to worry about carrying cash or credit cards.
How it works
Each SnapScan-connected store has a unique code that is linked to their bank account.
When customers want to pay, they can scan the code with their SnapScan smartphone app, which then brings up the store where they are making the purchase.
"All you do is you type in the amount and punch in the PIN and press send and it's gone -- it's all done," explains Malindi. "You've got your secret code (four-digit PIN), so if your phone goes missing for example, you don't have to worry about people using your phone," he adds.
The transaction is complete with SnapScan charging the customer's debit or credit card for the amount they are paying -- similar to a normal card payment.
Cutting-edge
Using your phone to pay for goods and services is nothing new in Africa, a continent where there are more than 720 mobile phones. Services such as M-Pesa, the revolutionary Kenyan mobile payment system that allows people to bypass banks and pay bills, withdraw salaries and transfer cash electronically, have transformed the way people and business operateMeanwhile, Africa's smartphone market is expected to double over the following four years -- at the moment, South Africa is reportedly the biggest smartphone market in sub-Saharan Africa, with a 19% penetration.
And as smartphones increase, the paying methods are also becoming smarter.
"If you look at mobile payments specifically, Africa is actually one of the leaders in this space," says Kobus Ehlers, co-founder of the SnapScan app. "SnapScan was developed in South Africa for the African market, so we try to find really local and relevant solutions and I think it's going to get a massive uptake," he adds.
"Technology in general is going to get a massive uptake in Africa as we don't have those legacy systems," continues Ehlers. "People aren't used to using credit cards for example, they can skip right ahead and start using cutting-edge payment technology."
Cashless society
Right now, SnapScan is only available at formal merchants but the hope is that the e-currency could flow from the phones of customers to the accounts of informal merchants too. It can even be used to send remittances.
Ehlers says that the hope of a cashless society is possible for Africa.
"Quite a large portion of people have access to a smartphone and by leveraging that technology we can provide payments that were previously impossible," he says. "That really is an empowering thing for most people in Africa who haven't got access to formal infrastructure to provide those services."
John Campbell heads up the Beyond Payments division of Standard Bank, which partners with innovators such as SnapScan to create banking solutions. He says that lack of traditional infrastructure often leads to creative solutions.
"In other territories where that infrastructure was not available, that infrastructure has been leapfrogged by the use of mobile," explains Campbell. "M-Pesa in Kenya is a good example of that, where money goes straight to your mobile -- your mobile number almost becomes your account number, that's effectively what happens."Back in the House of Machines, Malindi keeps on introducing the new payment method to his customers.
"It's way better as opposed to using your credit card or cash," he says, adding that he was surprised to find out that SnapScan was a tech company that started in South Africa.
"I thought it's one of the things that we get from overseas," says Malindi. "When I found out this is African-launched I was 'wow, here we go Africa, here we come, we're rocking the world!'"

Exactly Why Facebook Wants To Buy Whatsapp

Facebook has entered into an agreement to purchase WhatsApp, the massively popular messaging client, for $16 billion in cash and stock. A document filed with the SECtoday confirms the huge purchase.
As was the case with Instagram, the company says WhatsApp will continue to operate independently after the acquisition — separate from Facebook Messenger — but claims the deal "accelerates Facebook’s ability to bring connectivity and utility to the world." Facebook is also throwing in an extra $3 billion in restricted stock units that will go to WhatsApp’s employees; those will vest over a period of four years after the acquisition is finalized.
More than 450 million monthly users
In a press releaseannouncing the monumental buyout, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, "WhatsApp is on a path to connect 1 billion people. The services that reach that milestone are all incredibly valuable." He also shared news of the deal on his personal Facebook page, saying, "WhatsApp will complement our existing chat and messaging services to provide new tools for our community." Over 450 million people use WhatsApp each month, according to statistics in the press release, with 70 percent of those users active on a given day. WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum will join Facebook’s board of directors as part of the deal, but his team will remain stationed in Mountain View, California.
"Doing this will give WhatsApp the flexibility to grow and expand, while giving me, Brian, and the rest of our team more time to focus on building a communications service that’s as fast, affordable and personal as possible," he said in a blog post. According to Kuam, users don't need to worry about ads "interrupting your communication." "There would have been no partnership between our two companies if we had to compromise on the core principles that will always define our company, our vision and our product," he said.

The World's Largest Solar Plant Is Killing Birds: Strange

The world's largest solar plant is awesome—unless you're a bird like the one in this image published by the corporation BrightSource Energy. This bird flew over the plantand was killed by its deadly heat levels, which can reach 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (537C). Apparently, this was expected.
The Wall Street Journaland a Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System monthly compliance report (PDF)already pointed out that this was going to be one of the side-effects of the $2.2 billion 5-square-mile solar farm and its three 40-story-high towers southwest of Las Vegas.
When its 350,000 mirrors converge on the water boilers sitting atop the towers, they effectively turn into a gigantic death ray. Anything that goes through the concentrated light beams will be killed.
The California Energy Commission says that the loss of wildlife—and other severe environmental problems associated to it—is acceptable because "the benefits the project will provide override those impacts." According to them, the plant will be producing enough electricity to power 140,000 homes when running at maximum power with a reduced carbon footprint. Environmentalists claim that the benefits may not be that clear.
To add salt to the injury, biologists say that the birds may be confusing the sea of mirrors with a lake, which is attracting them to the deadly mirage.
The images of the birds come from a monthly compliance report.Eleven birds were found injured or dead during that period.

HTC To Release Their Next Flagship Phone Soon.

The HTC One was one of our favorite smartphones of 2013, so naturally we're incredibly curious to see its inevitable successor, codenamed M8. According to an invite that just landed in our mailbox, we'll likely get that opportunity on March 25th at a launch event taking place simultaneously in New York and London( but of course we won't). While the invite doesn't call out the phone by name, this falls in line with HTC Chairperson Cher Wang's promise that we'd see invitations for this specific event before February 24th. We aren't in the dark about what it'll look like, if prior leaks prove accurate, but there's still no word on its official name; we just hope it isn't called the HTC One Two

Twitter bios: Don't be a 'rock star guru'

If you're a "zombie aficionado," a "Web marketing guru" or a "social media evangelist," you may be doing Twitter wrong.
The 160-character Twitter bio, your introduction to the site's nearly 250 million active users, has been called a "postmodern art form" by The New York Times.
But for most of us, it's a bit simpler than that. It's a digital calling card, a way to sum up our very essence within Twitter's 160-character limit and, presumably, tell people why they might want to follow us.
So how did there end up being so many self-proclaimed ninjas, mavens, rock stars, gurus and experts on the site?
Those terms, often delivered in a series of short, punchy sentences, have become copycat cliches in the Twitter age. And as Josh Schultz sees it, they're worthy of parody.
"I'd noticed that a lot of Twitter bios tended to be pretty samey," said Schultz, a Web developer and creator of the Twitter Bio Generator. "When that occurred to me, I crawled the bios of all my Twitter acquaintances and saw that ... yep ... some patterns were used a lot."
His generator is a jokey tool that mashes together a bunch of overused words and phrases, creating bios that will look impressively familiar to most Twitter users: "Professional zombie geek." "Unapologetic Internet maven." "Social media evangelist." "Coffee guru."
It's no accident that a lot of the phrases come off as blatantly self-promotional.
"This was early Twitter days, when it seemed like half the folks using the service were self-described 'social media experts,' " Schultz said. "Plenty of the rest of us were of the opinion that those folks might benefit from taking themselves a bit less seriously. So if the generator came across as poking a little fun at them, I'd be OK with that."
Schultz isn't the only one who thought that overdone bio style needed a little skewering. This month, digital media marketing publication Digiday worked up a similar, if significantly more profane, version called "What the F--- is my Twitter Bio?". (Fair warning: Lots of profanity. As if the name didn't give that away.)The idea was meant to be a way for people to realize the ridiculous lengths others -- and, alas, themselves -- go to to craft their Twitter bio as neatly and perfectly as a Wes Andersen movie," Digiday staffer Jack Marshall said in a blog post.
Digiday's combination of about 300 words and phrases renders bios largely similar to Schultz's generator: "Bluetooth pundit." "Tech warlock." "Interwebz scholar." Some tweak another bio that's become commonplace: A series of factual information followed by a final zinger to show that you're a serious person -- just not *that* serious.
If users don't like the result, they can click a reliably foul-mouthed link to try again.
Some of the results also play on Twitter users' seemingly limitless fondness for bacon and booze in their bios.
So, if being a bacon buff or beer trailblazer won't necessarily make for a great bio, what will? Schultz says just be yourself.
"It's an honest reflection of what you're going to be tweeting about," he said. "For some people, that will be the sort of straightforward list thing the Twitter Bio Generator pokes a little fun at. For others, it'll be something more abstract or poetic. Maybe they're more abstract or poetic people, harder to pin down."
Writing for Mashable, a CNN content partner, Amy-Mae Elliott offered a few suggestions of her own.
-- Your bio is searchable, so make sure it includes keywords about what you tweet about.
-- Avoid those generator-style cliches.
-- Double-check your spelling and grammar.-- Look at other bios and imitate the style of the ones you like.
"Most importantly," she wrote, "use your bio to let people know what you're going to bring to their Twitter streams -- how following you is going to enrich

Nokia's Android May Be Released Before The End Of The Month.

If you're eager to get an officially sanctioned glimpse at Nokia's rumored Android cellphone, you may not have to wait long. Sources speaking to theWall Street Journal claimthat Nokia will unveil the low-end handset, currently nicknamed Normandy, at Mobile World Congress later this month. The tipsters haven't shed new light on the hardware itself, but they support beliefs that the device's customized interface will revolve around Microsoft and Nokia services while stripping out Google content. If the leak is accurate, Microsoft may be in an awkward position once it closes its acquisition of Nokia's phone business-- it might have to sell a phone using the very platform it has been trying to destroy.

With an Android search update, you can tell your phone to 'call Mom'

One of Siri's cleverer tricks is its support for terms of endearment -- you can tell an iPhone to "call Mom" rather than saying your mother's name every time. Today, that handy shortcut is reaching Android through a Google search update.

You can now rely on shorthand when using the search app to call or text family members. If you haven't already established the appropriate relationship in your contacts, Android will ask you to clear things up. The feature is already live, so you can test it out right away -- we're sure your folks would be glad to hear from you.

IS IT GAME OVER FOR NINTENDO?

Nearly 30 years ago, Nintendo essentially gave the video game industry a new life, and a second chance. In 1985, when the original Nintendo Entertainment System debuted at the North American International Toy Fair, no one even wanted to think about video games after the great crash that saw revenues fall from $3.2 billion in 1983 to just $100 million in 1985.
Fast forward to 2013. The industry has "leveled up," so to speak, to $93 billion in 2013 — and according to research from Gartner, that figure could reach $111 billion by 2015. The question now is whether Nintendo will still be a part of it.
The company, which was founded in 1889 as a playing card maker, has had to reinvent itself over the years. It may need to do so again as it faces declining sales of its Wii U video game console.
Last month, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced that the company had revised its full-year consolidated financial forecast for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014. Its new outlook was not good: Nintendo cut its forecast for its Wii U's annual sales by more than two thirds, from 9 million to 2.8 million, and also halved the projection for game sales to just 19 million units. The Wii U, which came out in November 2012, is far from the hit that was the original Wii, which
came out in 2006 and has sold more than 100 million units worldwide.

5 Valentine's Day gifts your tech-savvy sweetheart will love

If your beloved thinks candy and flowers are passé, then express your commitment this Valentine's Day by giving them one of these gadgets. (After all, everyone loves new toys!) To stick with the lovey-dovey theme, everything listed below is available in a Valentine's Day color scheme. And since it's the thought that counts, gifting your loved one a new device in red (or pink or white) will let her or him know you put some thought into it.
Canon A2600,$130
Help your sweetheart capture your memories together with a new digital camera. The Canon A2600 (pictured above), available in red among other colors, is a 16-megapixel subcompact camera that takes good photos indoors and out. Its flash and HD-resolution video also performs well during those candlelight moments, and the wide-angle lens can be helpful when you need to snap a group photo at the end of a Valentine's Day double-date.
See ourdigital camera buying guide and Ratingsfor more information on this camera and others.
Apple iPhone 5c (16GB), $0-$100, depending on carrier and contract
Who wouldn't want a new phone for Valentine's Day? The Apple iPhone 5c in pink (well, in any color) is a CR recommended product and features the dynamic, intuitive iOS operating system and Siri, the built-in voice-controlled personal digital assistant. While its MP3 player is the best we've seen in a phone, and its 8-megapixel camera is nothing to sneeze at either: It's among the best phone cameras for video and photos we've seen in a while. And don't forget that the front-facing camera is great for chatting up your loved one when you're apart.
For more on smart phones, check ourcell-phone buying guide and Ratings.
Pebble Smartwatch, $150
Wearable technology is the buzziest thing in personal electronics this year: Help your loved one stay ahead of the trend by giving them a Pebble smart watch. Available in seven colors, including red, the Pebble lets the wearer create custom watch faces, customize notifications, and run a variety of apps (including fitness apps). The watch vibrates quietly to alert you of new updates, such as texts, e-mails, and Facebook messages. And it's waterproof, so you don't have to worry about your sweetheart's tears of joy causing it any damage.
Find the right piece ofwearable techfor your loved one.
Google Chromecast,$35
This tiny piece of tech is a great way to show your TV-junkie lovebird that you care. The wireless stick plugs into the back of your TV's HDMI port for easy video-streaming from Netflix, Hulu Plus, and HBO Go, among others. Since it's controlled by your smart phone or tablet, you'll never misplace the remote again. Test it by hosting a night of binge watching your favorite shows and chowing down on popcorn together. (Mix some red and pink M&Ms into the popcorn!)
Check our ratings onstreaming media players and serviceson this and other top-rated products.
iLuv iHP613 Sweet Cotton,$20
You really can't pass up a gadget branded iLuv for Valentine's Day. For the low cost, these on-ear cans deliver good sound quality, and won't make you oblivious to the world around you (that is, if the doorbell rings, you'll still hear it). Their inline volume and phone controls are compatible with iPhones and other smart phones, so you can seamlessly switch from answering the call from your beloved to listening to your Valentine's Day playlist-which, by the way, should definitely include Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" and Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love."

'Flappy Bird' flies again: Play the game online

"Flappy Bird" fans, have no fear -- your favorite app has found a new nest.
Gamers cried fowl when the creator of the highly addictive mobile app "Flappy Bird" plucked the game from the App Store and Google Play, saying his creation "ruin[ed] [my] simple life."
Buttoucanplay at this game -- there are alternatives scattered like bird seed all over the Internet.
A variety of websites now host the popular game online (most likely without permission from the original designer). "Flappy Bird" still flies at sites like F lappybirds.com,  FlappyBird.com, Flappybird.io ... the list goes on and on.
"Don't worry we are not going anywhere," F lappybirds.com reads. "Play Flappy Bird online for free! No longer available in the app store."
But if you're looking for a mobile gaming experience, you're out of luck unless you're willing to lay out more than $100,000.
An iPhone 4s loaded with "Flappy Bird" is listed on eBay for $134,295. That makes the iPhone 5s with the game for $99,999 look cheap.
The game was downloaded more than 50 million times on App Store alone. In an interview with The Verge website, creator Nguyen Ha Dong said "Flappy Bird" was making $50,000 a day in advertising revenue.
On Twitter he didn't address allegations that the number of downloads had been inflated, but denied suggestions he was withdrawing the game because it breached another game maker's copyright.
"It is not anything related to legal issues. I just cannot keep it anymore," he wrote.

Glyph: Watching Videos Directly With Your Brain.

Forget about the big screen, the small screen and even the second screen.
A headset due to be released this year promises to beam movies, video games or even video calls directly into your eyeballs.
Yes. The Glyph headset, from Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Avegant, will create visuals that don't need a screen -- just your retinas and your brain.
If that conjures up exciting images of living like "Star Trek's" Geordi La Forge or Cyclops from "The X Men," you're not alone.
A Kickstarter campaign was launched last month and set out to raise $250,000 to bankroll the project. It blew past that mark with ease and, with half a month left, was on the verge of breaking the $1 million mark Wednesday.
"We knew we had something really cool and that we'd do well on Kickstarter, but nobody thought we'd hit our goal in less than four hours," said Edward Tang, Avegant's CEO. "It's like ordering flowers for your girlfriend and they show up with a whole truck full of flowers."
The technology that powers the Glyph centers around a set of 2 million microscopic mirrors -- 1 million per eye -- that reflect visuals, including 3-D, into the user's eye.
Unlike some entries into the emerging wearable tech field, the Glyph won't be limited to a set of specially designed apps. Tang said the headset, which donors can receive for a $499 "donation" to the campaign, is designed to plug into just about anything you own that has a screen -- be it a smartphone, laptop, television or gaming console.
Users would play the video content on their mobile or entertainment device but watch it on the Glyph instead of their device's screen. The Glyph has a battery life of about three hours, Tang said.
"I think Google Glass is really interesting ... (but) I think it's a couple years away," he said. "If you ask people what they're doing with their devices today, they're streaming Netflix, they're playing video games and they're listening to music. We created a device that really focused on those aspects."The startup also wanted to avoid the "Glasshole" effect. Google promises Glass will be stylish when it's released to the public, but the look of early test versions has been distracting to some and downright jarring to others.
Glyph, on the other hand, looks like a pair of headphones sitting on the user's head when not in use. In fact, it doubles as a pair of high-end headphones with noise canceling that compares with some of the leading brands on the market, according to Avegant. To add visuals, the user flips down the band over their head, making it an eyepiece.
The company has opened the headset to outside developers, who they hope will find unexpected uses for its features, which include head-tracking technology.
"By giving developers this brand new tool box, they start to think of amazing applications that we couldn't in our wildest dreams come up with," Tang said.
But, wait. Mom always said not to sit too close to the TV set. And we all know that bleary-eyed feeling we get from staring at a smartphone or tablet for too long. Won't this be worse?
Quite the opposite, Tang said.
He said eye fatigue comes from staring at the artificial, pixelated light from our screens. Remove the screen, remove the problem.
"We agree with the moms of the world," he said. "What we're doing is mimicking the actual light around you ... . It's the kind of light that your eyes have been conditioned to see, have evolved to see."
It's all so magically futuristic sounding. Which raises an obvious question: Is Glyph all hype?
Folks who have taken an early look don't think so. At January's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Glyph was one of 40 products chosen for the Editor's Choice Award. More than 3,200 exhibitors attended the show"What I could tell was that the projected image, just like my last time with Avegant's virtual retinal display tech, was exceedingly bright and vivid, lacking any sense of pixelation," CNET's Scott Stein wrote from CES. "A deep-sea 3-D movie looked like it was projected in a tiny little movie theater in front of my eyes."
David Pierce wrote for The Verge: " 'Life of Pi' displayed perfectly in 3-D without any tweaking, and I played 'Call of Duty: Ghosts' right off a PlayStation 3. All you need to do is to tune the glasses ? you focus each eye individually, then set the two eyeholes the right distance apart so they create a single picture. From then on, content just works."

What happens when cars talk to each other

Forget Google's autonomous car. To really save lives on the road, vehicles will have to talk to each other.

Known as V2V or vehicle-to-vehicle communications, such technology would allow cars to warn each other of their presence. One car could alert another that, "Hey, my idiot driver isn't going to stop for the red light, look out!" or "My owner has just hit something ahead of you, stop!"

Of course, the dialogue will be conducted wirelessly and with much less flair in binary code, but the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration hopes you get the idea when it publishes recommendations in the coming weeks for new V2V equipment to be installed in all cars. NHSTA will stop short of any official regulations, but the auto industry has been anxious--even, I would say, chomping at the bit -- to get such rules established.

To see how such V2V technology will work, last month Ford gave me a demonstration of the technologies involved on a closed course. I sat in the front passenger seat of a specially tricked out 2014 Ford Taurus. On board was a V2V wireless communications system, warning lights, and some more additional safety systems. But unlike autonomous vehicles, it did not require built-in cameras or radar. The demonstration relied on the wireless communication with other similarly equipped vehicles and standard GPS location data.

Although the drive seemed engineered to scare the pants off me, it actually proved how much safer V2V cars can be, preventing accidents and saving lives. For example, accordion crashes, when a suddenly stopped vehicle on the highway causes a chain reaction of rear-end collisions, are quite common but can be prevented -- if other cars know a vehicle is stopped ahead.

My test driver demonstrated how the driver can be warned in enough time to break safely in a variety of circumstances. Even when we couldn't see the car that was stopping, it would warn our vehicle of the danger. When coupled with active driving systems, such as collision prevention, it could even bring a car automatically to a halt.

Although they didn't demonstrate it -- thank goodness -- such collision avoidance warnings will work even around blind curves and hills, situations in which drivers now have little chance of preventing a collision. And not all the cars need to be outfitted with V2V chips and radios to make a difference. As long as one of the vehicles stopped ahead has it, your vehicle will at least receive a warning.

In another demonstration of how such systems can prevent a nasty crash, an SUV ahead of us drove along the road, blocking our view of anything ahead of it. Unbeknownst to us, a car in front of the SUV suddenly stopped and instead of braking, the SUV--intentionally--swerved to avoid it, leaving us suddenly staring at the stopped car's brake lights. It made me instinctively brace myself for impact, but the warning system and braking brought us to a halt.

V2V can even help with lane changes. How many times have you checked the lane next to you and signaled, only to have someone doing 90 mph zip by in the passing lane? My stunt, er, test driver demonstrated how V2V signals can warn you of such dangers even when you can't see them coming.

At a T-intersection a truck was strategically placed to block our right-hand view of oncoming traffic. As we edged out into the intersection, another Ford test driver barreled down the road toward us. An audible alarm and red flashing lights swept from left to right above the dash, tipping us off to the impending danger and allowing us to stop safely before we could even see the other car.

So is V2V the ultimate panacea for preventing accidents?

Not quite. Especially in its early implementations, the V2V systems will not automatically take control of vehicles. It's true that when coupled with collision prevention systems, V2V technology can prevent accidents if the car is traveling less than roughly 35 mph. However, allowing V2V warnings to trigger automatic systems in some situations could introduce new dangers. The reason that the Taurus only warned us at the T-intersection rather than stopping us is that a false positive alert could cause another car to hit us from behind or make it impossible to avoid a vehicle coming from the other direction.

Furthermore, V2V systems will be most effective when every car has one. You won't receive warnings from older cars, for example, and since the average age of a car these days in the U.S. is over 11 years, it will take years after the technology is introduced for it to reach a critical mass.

The V2V systems are relatively modest in terms of their abilities, as well. The standards that have been proposed, often referred to as Dedicated Short-Range Communications or DSRC, will only allow communication at distances reaching 900 to 1,500 feet. (It typically uses a form of W-Fi in the 5.9 GHz range at 75 MHz.) So in order to get other important information, such as traffic congestion miles ahead, cars will have to rely on cellular communications relayed from other vehicles.

And yes, there are security and privacy concerns that need to be dealt with. However, the Ford engineers pointed out that some basic security settings will prevent someone from, say, sitting on the side of the road and sending false V2V warnings to drivers.

Perhaps more important, all of this technology -- and more -- is available today. A Safety Pilot test involving 3,000 connected cars was conducted in Ann Arbor, MI, in 2012, for example. Drivers and automakers involved with the project were both positive about the results. So much so, that car makers are eager to get the technology into cars.

And after the demonstrations I've witnessed, so am I.

Galaxy S5 coming February 24?

Are you excited about the Samsung Galaxy S5? Samsung has just dropped a big hint that we could see the device for real at Mobile World Congress later this month.

"Mark your calendars!" shouted a Samsung Mobile tweet late on February 3, coupled with an image inviting us to the first Unpacked event of 2014 on February 24.

Mark your calendars! #UNPACKED pic.twitter.com/Pqc3gV7Y43
- Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) February 4, 2014

The event will take place in Barcelona at 8:00p.m. local time, making it the evening of Mobile World Congress' first day. The invitation names the get-together as Unpacked 5. Samsung adds that this is episode one of its 2014 Unpacked events elsewhere on the invite, so there is a very good chance the number 5 is a reference to the Galaxy S5.

Samsung uses its Unpacked events to reveal high-end hardware. Last year, it held two, at which we were introduced to the Galaxy S4 and the Galaxy Note 3. Samsung updated its tablet range at CES, and the Note 3 is still a very new device, so the Galaxy S5 the only truly high-profile release we're expecting any time soon.

While the Galaxy S5 seems almost guaranteed for February 24, will it be joined by any other new products? Possibly, as we've been hearing rumors of the all-metal Galaxy F, plus talk of the Galaxy Gear 2 coming sooner rather than later. The Unpacked event may only play host to the Galaxy S5 (and perhaps the Gear 2, if it's coming), with Samsung leaving less high profile announcements for the show floor, or to be revealed in press releases during the days leading up to MWC's opening.

Samsung is the second major manufacturer to announce an MWC event - Nokia was the first, and it'll be showing its new devices earlier on February 24 - and with less than three weeks to go, we don't have long to wait before all is revealed.

This new tech can detect your mood

(CNN) -  A long distance drive can be lonely with only a radio for company, and if the driver is stressed or tired it becomes dangerous.

A car that could understand those feelings might prevent an accident, using emotional data to flag warning signs. Sensors could nest in the steering wheel and door handles to pick up electric signals from the skin. Meanwhile a camera mounted on the windshield could analyze facial expressions.

Alternatively, if the driver exhibits stress, the vehicle's coordinated sensors could soften the light and music, or broaden the headlight beams to compensate for loss of vision. A distressed state could be broadcast as a warning to other motorists by changing the color of the vehicle's conductive paint.

This empathic vehicle is the goal of AutoEmotive, a research project from the Affective Computing group at MIT's media lab, who are focused on exploring the potential of emotional connections with machines. 'AutoEmotive' is their latest and most integrated project, following successful efforts to make interfaces of everything from bras to mirrors.

Researchers believe the concept is destined for the mainstream, and have fielded interest from manufacturers. "We have already tested most of these sensors", says Javier Rivera, MIT researcher and project leader. "The hardware required could easily be built into cars. Most cars have cameras anyway; you just have more to capture the physiology. It could be done unobtrusively."

Read: Embracing big brother: How facial recognition could help fight crime

Not time like the present

But we don't have to wait for emotion sensors. They are flooding into a new market, using a growing range of mood metrics to suit diverse applications. Voice recognition app Beyond Verbal can tell you if you flirt too much in just 20 seconds. A sweater that detects skin stimulation to color code your feelings is available for pre-order.

The fastest-developing method is facial recognition, led by Affectiva, a start-up that spun off from MIT's Affective Computing group three years ago. In that time, the company has amassed a database of over a billion facial expressions, which it uses to train algorithms to recognize and classify basic emotions such as happiness or anger, with over 90% accuracy.

Their flagship technology, Affdex, has been swiftly adopted by advertisers, who use it to test reactions to their campaigns, and modify them accordingly. Market research partners Millward Brown have standardized its use for Fortune 500 clients including PepsiCo and Unilever.

"In the past this technology was confined to laboratories because of high cost and slow turnaround," explains Nick Langeveld, Chief Executive Officer of Affectiva. "We've cracked those issues; the cost is very low as the service is over the web, and it can be turned around almost immediately after the data is collected."

Competitor Emotient also specializes in face recognition, but its primary target is the retail sector. Their software is on trial in stores, pinpointing 44 facial movements to monitor emotional reactions of staff and shoppers, as well as demographic information including age and gender. From customer satisfaction to employee morale, the benefits to business are obvious, and Emotient claim major retail partners plan to make the system permanent.

Read: Bionic fashion: Wearable tech that will turn man into machine by 2015

Medical applications

It is also time to bring these tools into clinical practice, believes Dr. Erik Viirre, a San Diego neurophysiologist. "While so many medications list suicide risk as a possible side effect I think we have to use biosensors, and there is a big push within psychiatry to bring them in. Thought disorders could be picked up much quicker and used to determine treatment."

Viirre has studied headaches extensively and found that contributing factors build up days before they strike, including mood. He argues a multi-sensor approach combining brain scans, genetic tests and emotion sensing could dramatically improve treatment.

But emotion sensors are currently limited in their capacity to differentiate nuanced expression, says Tadas Baltrušaitis of the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, who has published research on the subject.

"It is easy to train a computer to recognize basic emotions, such as fear or anger. It is more difficult to recognize more complex emotional states, that might also be culturally dependent, such as confusion, interest and concentration."

Read: Diana Eng melds high tech with high fashion

But there is scope for rapid progress: "The field is relatively new, and only recently has it been possible to recognize emotions in real world environments with a degree of accuracy. The approaches are getting better every year, leading to more subtle expressions being recognizable by machines."

Baltrušaitis adds that combined sensors -- as with 'AutoEmotive' -- that pick up signals from skin, pulse, face, voice and more, could be key to progress.

Buyers beware

In this post-NSA climate, companies are keen to head off privacy concerns. Affectiva and Emotient are vehement that all their data has been gathered with permission from the subjects, while the latter defend their use of recognition software in stores by saying it does not record personal details.

But the technology is prone to abuse, according to futurist and information systems expert Chris Dancy. "I think variations are already being used in places like airports and we would never know", he says. "I can't imagine a system to take value readings of my mind for a remote company being used for good. It's a dark path."

Producers claim they strictly control the use of their sensors, but facial recognition technology is proliferating. UK supermarket Tesco could face legal action for introducing it in stores without permission, while San Diego police have been quietly issued with a phone-based version.

Read: Google Glass adds style, prescription lenses

Ironically, Dancy -- a leading proponent of the Quantified Self movement -- is pursuing many of the same insights into emotion as advertisers, but by alternative means and for personal goals. He keeps himself connected to sensors measuring pulse, REM sleep, blood sugar and more, which he cross-references against environmental input to see how the two correlate, using the results to give him understanding and influence over his mind state.

'Moodhacking' has become a popular practice among the technologically curious, and has given rise to successful applications. Members of London's Quantified Self Chapter created tools such as Mood Scope and Mappiness that help the user match their mental state to external events. Hackers and makers will have an even more powerful tool in March, when the crowd-funded OpenBCI device makes EEG brainwaves available to anyone with a computer for a bargain price.

For all the grassroots hostility towards corporate use of emotion sensors, there may be convergence. Affectiva are keen to market to Quantified Self demographics and an Affdex app for android is imminent. As the machine learning develops, and different industries combine to join the dots, we can all expect to be sharing a lot more.

Your Facebook life in 62 seconds

(CNN) -  If you're on Facebook, a new video about your life went live online Tuesday.

Yes, you. And you, and you and you.

With the help of an automated tool, Facebook has created short, personalized video highlights for "hundreds of millions" of its users. The 62-second clip notes the year you joined Facebook, then shows a handful of your most-liked posts and a seemingly random selection of your photos -- all set to instrumental music.

To see yours, go to Facebook/lookback and admire, or cringe.

Facebook posted the clips, titled "A Look Back," without fanfare Tuesday to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the social network, which was founded by Mark Zuckerberg and four classmates at Harvard University on February 4, 2004.

"People often ask if I always knew that Facebook would become what it is today. No way," wrote Zuckerberg, the company's CEO, in a Facebook post Tuesday.

"I remember getting pizza with my friends one night in college shortly after opening Facebook. I told them I was excited to help connect our school community, but one day someone needed to connect the whole world."

10 years of Facebook in one graphic

The videos are available to everyone who uses Facebook in English, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Turkish, Indonesian and Brazilian Portuguese, a Facebook spokesperson told CNN.

Depending on how much content you have shared and how long you have been on Facebook, you will either see the personalized video, a collection of photos or a simple thank-you card, the spokesperson said.

Facebook said users will be able to share the video on their pages after 12 noon ET on Tuesday. The videos will only be available for about a month unless you share them on your Timeline. Only you will be able to view your video if you don't share it.

If the clip contains posts you'd prefer to keep private, you can edit them via an "Edit Your Movie" button, the spokesperson said.

"It's been amazing to see how all of you have used our tools to build a real community. You've shared the happy moments and the painful ones," Zuckerberg said.

Facebook has created personalized slideshows for users, but this project marks the first time the company has made customized videos. A small team at Facebook spent the last few months crafting the videos and ensuring the company had the resources to render them for most of the network's 1.2 billion users.

9 ways Facebook changed how we talk

(CNN) -  "I'm gonna tag you in this hideous photo and then unfriend you if you don't stop oversharing and poking me."

If you said this to someone 10 years ago, they'd look at you like you were speaking Klingon. Nowadays, you just sound like an active user of social media.

This is how much Facebook has changed how we talk. In the decade since its birth in February 2004, the social network has introduced numerous terms and phrases to the language of modern life.

Most are common words that Facebook refitted with new meanings. Some have stuck, while others have been forgotten. A few have even been recognized by dictionaries as official pieces of the 21st century lexicon.

Here are nine of the most memorable.

Friend 

Until Facebook came along, nobody used the word "friend" as a verb. Now it's not uncommon to ask a new acquaintance to spell their name so you can friend them on Facebook.

Everyone likes to feel popular. That's why some Facebookers, especially in the site's early days, hoarded friends like poker chips (never mind that most of these "friends" were rarely seen co-workers, distant relatives or vaguely remembered classmates from junior high). Nobody really has 583 "friends."

Facebook's "friend" also was the precursor to Twitter's "follower," which makes a user's social contacts sound like members of a cult.

Facebook giveth, and Facebook taketh away. Are you tired of your uncle's political rants? Unfriend him!

By adding an "unfriend" option, Facebook created new shorthand for aborting a friendship or an acquaintance. It's a lot easier to say, "I unfriended Bob" than "I'm not going to be friends with Bob anymore because he annoys me with his daily musings about his toenails."

Unfriending someone is considered a more drastic step than simply tweaking your Facebook settings to block or minimize their posts.

The term was officially welcomed to the digital-age vernacular by the New Oxford English Dictionary, which named "unfriend" its Word of the Year for 2009.

Status update

Years ago, "status" was a measure of someone's social or professional standing. Then Facebook began asking users to post updates on their thoughts or activities, and "updating your status" suddenly meant more than just moving to a better neighborhood.

To prompt updates, Facebook first asked users, "What are you doing right now?" When that produced too many mundane reports -- "Sally is eating toast!" -- Facebook changed the update question in 2009 to the broader, "What's on your mind?"

Like

Few things have sparked more debate on Facebook than the "Like" button, which debuted in 2009 and soon spread to partner sites. Suddenly, with a quick click you could endorse your friends' updates, jokes and cute-kid pictures.

Cynics, lamenting what they saw as Facebook's forced cheerfulness, unsuccessfully asked for a "Dislike" button.

Instagram, Pinterest and other social networks also adopted the Like model for favoring posts, although they used a heart symbol instead of a Like thumb. (You Like me right now! You Like me!)

All this made "Like" a noun as well as a verb, as users began collecting Likes as a measure of engagement and popularity. As in, "I can't believe my cute picture of Fluffy in her Easter bonnet got only three Likes."

5 ways Facebook changed our lives, for better or worse

Poke

The weird Poke feature was sort of a thing in Facebook's early days. Nobody knew what it was for, exactly -- even Mark Zuckerberg once said of the Poke, "We thought it would be cool to have a feature without any specific purpose."

Some saw it as a flirty invitation to an online chat or real-world hookup. But the obvious sexual innuendo made it awkward to use in conversation. "I poked Aunt Betty" just sounds all kind of wrong.

Amazingly, the Poke function is still active on Facebook. But nobody uses it anymore unless they're being ironic.

Share (and overshare)

Sharing used to be something we did in school when there weren't enough textbooks to go around. Then came Facebook, and everyone -- not just the generous -- became sharers. Or over-sharers. Soon it wasn't enough to just experience a memorable moment in our daily lives: We had to share it with everyone, RIGHT NOW!

Share buttons popped up all over the Web. Share this! Tweet this! Pin this! Snap this! Sooo much sharing.

The word "share" has always implied a selfless, charitable act. But the more we share our every move and thought on social media, the more self-centered we can tend to sound.

Not me, of course. Other people.

Wall

For years, Facebook encouraged visitors to a friend's profile to "write on their Wall." It sounded sort of illicit, like an invitation to scribble graffiti.

The idea of a digital "wall" seemed odd at a time when other social networks were promoting pages. Maybe that's why it never really caught on. In 2011, Facebook replaced the Wall with the current Timeline format, which displays updates chronologically.

It's complicated

This ambiguous answer to Facebook's "What's your relationship status?" could apply to almost any romantic entanglement between "single" and "married" and is more interesting than either. It's become a common response to the "How's your love life?" question and even inspired a 2009 romantic comedy with Meryl Streep.

Tag

Tag, you're it! No, you're it! What was once just a child's game is now a way to get people to notice your posts, or to embarrass them by flagging them in unflattering photos. Come to think of it, maybe Tag is the new Poke.

Apple iWatch could be solar powered

While we have yet to see smartphones with solar-charging batteries, Apple may already be working on sunlight-powered panels for wearable devices. A new report suggests that the company is exploring new technologies, including solar charging, to create a longer lasting battery for its purported iWatch.

According to The New York Times, Apple is considering outfitting the long-rumored smartwatch's screen with a solar charging layer. This would charge the battery when the gadget is worn in sunlight, although the Times' report notes that this could be years away from becoming a reality.

RELATED: Apple iWatch Rumors: Features, Specs and Release Date

Apple has also been testing wireless charging tech that doesn't involve absorbing power from the sun. The method would involve wireless magnetic induction, which is similar to the cable-free charging available on Nokia's newer Windows Phone 8 smartphones. Another potential charging solution could involve powering the watch through movement. For instance, swinging your arm could trigger a tiny charging station that would generate power and push it to the watch while you're walking, the Times reports.

In addition to wireless or solar charging, Apple's rumored iWatch is expected to feature a curved glass screen. Previous rumors have indicated that the device could run the full version of iOS and feature a slap bracelet design as outlined in one of Apple's patents, although the company has yet to confirm any information.

The Times' report surfaces just as talk of a solar-powered iPhone has hit the Web. Seeking Alpha recently wrote that Apple is likely to implement a sapphire glass screen embedded with solar cells on its next iPhone in an effort to increase battery life.

Jesse Eisenberg cast as Lex Luthor in 'Superman-Batman'

NEW YORK –  Warner Bros. has announced that Jesse Eisenberg will play Lex Luthor in the studio's planned Superman-Batman film.




The casting of the 30-year-old Eisenberg was met with a wave of surprise on social media Friday. Eisenberg is a widely respected actor but isn't known for the kind of villainous gravitas that Gene Hackman brought to the role.

The Superman-Batman film is to be directed by Zac Snyder and many also questioned the choice of Ben Affleck for Batman. Reprising the role of Superman is Henry Cavill.

Snyder says Eisenberg allows the film to take Luthor in "some new and unexpected directions."

Jeremy Irons was also cast as Alfred, Bruce Wayne's loyal guardian. Alfred was played by Michael Caine in the "Dark Knight" trilogy.

The film is set to open in May 2016.
Do you think he can do better than Gene Hackman?? Cuz I don't think so.
























































































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Samsung: Galaxy S5 may scan your eyes

Samsung's Galaxy S5, the next generation of its flagship smartphone, will be released by April and may include innovative eye-scanning technology.

An executive for the Korean tech giant confirmed to Bloomberg that the phone will hit stores this year on roughly the same time table as previous iterations of the device, which has emerged as the chief rival to Apple's iPhone.

The Galaxy S4 was announced last March and released in April.

Lee Young Hee, executive vice president for Samsung's mobile business, also told the news service that a new version of the company's Galaxy Gear smartwatch will be released at the same time as the new phone.

"We've been announcing our first flagship model in the first half of each year, around March and April, and we are still targeting for release around that time," Lee said. "When we release our S5 device, you can also expect a Gear successor with more advanced functions, and the bulky design will also be improved."

Speaking at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Lee wouldn't say whether the eye scanner -- presumably an effort to one-up Apple's iPhone 5S with its fingerprint security feature -- is a sure thing.

"Many people are fanatical about iris recognition technology," she said. "We are studying the possibility but can't really say whether we will have it or not on the S5."

She did say the S5 will look and feel significantly different than its predecessor, which some felt wasn't different enough from the Galaxy S3.

"When we moved to S4 from S3, it's partly true that consumers couldn't really feel much difference between the two products from the physical perspective, so the market reaction wasn't as big," she said. "For the S5, we will go back to the basics. Mostly, it's about the display and the feel of the cover."

In November, Samsung released the Galaxy Round, with a curved, 5.7-inch screen. That release was only in South Korea, and analysts have speculated the company isn't done with curved-screen technology on its phones. At CES this week, Samsung rolled out a massive, 105-inch television with a curved screen.

'123456' tops list of worst passwords

Perhaps you chuckled at the irony of making your password "password." Or you thought it was the right place to express affection for your favorite primate by choosing "monkey."




   



More likely, you were lazy and wanted something easy to remember, like "123456."

If you're using any of these passwords, change them.

Those are some of the most common passwords, according to a new list released by security company Splash Data. The group comes up with the top 25 list based on lists of passwords that were stolen and posted publicly in the previous year.

This year, the most common password is "123456," which unseated last year's No. 1, "password."

In addition to strings of digits in numerical order and simple words and letters like "qwerty" and "admin," there are a few phrases on the list. The sweet and common "iloveyou" is beloved by hackers, as is "letmein," "trustno1" and "password1."

A string of high-profile breaches in the past year may serve as a wake-up call to the consumers who use these passwords. Many perhaps assume they would never be the target of hackers, so there's no reason to enact strict, or even common-sense, security measures.

This year's list was clearly skewed by the large number of Adobe passwords included in the round-up, as indicated by the presence of "adobe123" and "photoshop" on the list at number 10 and 15 respectively. Adobe experienced a sizable security breach in 2013 that affected 38 million users.

We can deduce that choosing a password named after the product for which it's used is a bad idea. Also avoid using your own name or other obvious words someone who knows you could guess (the name of your husband, child, cat).

To beef up your defenses, immediately change any of your own passwords that show up on the list. Combine random words instead of using common phrases, and if you include numbers or symbols, don't just substitute 3s for your Es. If you're ready to take your security to the next level, don't use the same password for all sites.

Facebook Brings A New, And Better Messager App.

It might be time to slide over that Facebook app on the homescreen of your smartphone -- to make room for another Facebook app
Paper a news-consumption app akin to existing options like Flipboard, Feedly and Zite, will be released for the iPhone in the United States on February 3, with other versions presumably to follow.


The idea is to present longer-form Facebook content in a more attractive, magazine-style way that will encourage users to linger over posts, stories and images.
"Paper makes storytelling more beautiful with an immersive design and fullscreen, distraction-free layouts," the company said in a post on the site. "We've also made it easier to craft and share beautiful stories of your own."
The first section of the new app will be your Facebook News Feed. It won't have all the functions of the native Facebook app, but it will present your friends' posts, along with stories from other news categories, in a slicker, prettier package.
According to Facebook, the News Feed section will feature a new design for photos and video and the ability to read longer written posts.
Users can then customize the app by adding more than a dozen other topics, "from photography and sports to food, science and design." Facebook promises "a rich mix of content from emerging voices and well-known publications."
There will be no buttons to push. Instead, users will be able to flip through stories and other posts by tilting the phone in various ways and swiping with their fingers.
When posting your own stories, Paper will let you look at a preview before sharing.
Paper will be the first release from Facebook Creative Labs, which is devoted exclusively to developing new mobile apps for the site.In the early days of its 2012 public stock offering, Facebook was knocked by some for not having fully realized how to make money off of the rapidly growing mobile market. But that appears to have turned around in a big way, and Paper could give the company another mobile platform on which to advertise.
On Wednesday, Facebook reported that 945 million of its 1.2 billion users visited the site via a smartphone or tablet in the last few months and that mobile represented 53% of the site's advertising revenue -- up from 23% last year and zero in 2011.

The Hipsters Are Taking Over, I Just Noticed.

They're everywhere you look,looking 'dapper' even on popular platform game Subway Surfers.

A couple of years ago, you would have had to actualy leave your house to see 1...or 12 depending on where you went, not any more, now they're in your phones (even the guard chasing you dresses like them).

This is a realy serious issue, and it should be treated as such. I'm not usualy one to judge, but i think we should learn from Justin Bieber's 100,000 haters and do something drastic about it, before one of those well dressed bad influences grows a brain and does something, we're all going to regret.

If you don't already have it, this is the download link.