Want To Be The Robot Well You Can With BERO

We love cool robots and the BERO is a cool looking robot that started off as a wired version, but soon the designers realised that Bluetooth is cool and so now the BERO is a little robot four inch high robot, that is controlled via Bluetooth! You know that you want one, don't you?

These are the main details for the Be The Robot (BERO) Bluetooth Controlled Open Source Robot;

The initial design inspiration for BERO came from the Google Bug Droid, especially after seeing a bunch of them twitching around using servos and long wires at Maker Faire.

Wanting to improve upon things, we thought that it would be great to make a 6-motor animated robotic toy based on the Google Bug Droid. We initially thought that the Google Bug Droid design was Open Source

This project is currently going through Kickstarter, there are thirty days to go and they are about at third of the way to their target.

Source [Ubergizmo]

How to install Owncloud on a Mac mini server

“One benefit of hosting a Mac mini server is you can use it many different ways,” Brian Stucki blogs for Macminicolo. “Owncloud is a great service to add to the multi-purpose list.”

“Owncloud is like running your own Dropbox service on your own machine. Don't get me wrong, I love Dropbox. But if you want your data on a server that you own, this is a good way to do it. Also, storage space is limited only by the space on the server,” Stucki reports. “We've been seeing a lot of companies pondering whether they should put their data on a server they don't own or how to get plenty of data space for their full company. And for personal use, Owncloud will do the Dropbox-like data sync with revisions, but you can also do things like stream your music, share photo galleries, and all kinds of other features. There are apps for different OS versions as well (including mobile.) If you want to demo an install of Owncloud on a server, you can do that here.”

Stucki writes, “Ok, so Owncloud is awesome. How do you install it? Glad you asked. We worked with Macminicolo customer Kolby Allen, to put together a tutorial.”

Full illustrated instructions here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Macminicolo" for the heads up.]

What Was The Final Descent To Mars Like For Curiosity

Like anything else, it's hard to assume precisely what any experience is much like unless of course you've really been through it yourself. However, landing on Mars is one thing that the majority of us will never experience which is the reason why this Space Flight 101 video is really essential for us to determine how Curiosity managed to get to Mars successfully.

Fundamental essentials particulars that Space Flight 101 supplied with the recording

This video shows the ultimate descent of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Descent Vehicle from Warmth Shield Jettison through Touchdown as taken through the Mars Descent Imager which was supplied by Malin Space Science Systems. Raw, natural images were utilised with this video. Spacecraft UTC: Start: 5:15:21 – Finish: 5:18:11 — 666 Frames. The video is playing at 4 fps, actual average rate from the MARDI Images is all about 3.88 fps.

Source [Buzz Feed]

Forums: Transfer files without iTunes, Google Voice app suggestions, iPad 3 or wait?

Found an interesting article you want to share with iMore? Have a burning question about that feature you just can't figure out? There is ALWAYS more happening just a click away in the forums. You can always head over and join in the conversation, search for answers, or lend your expertise to other members of our community. You check out some of the threads below:

• An Appropriate Name for the Upcoming Smaller iPad
• Can I backup my sms in my iPhone to pc?
• Good 3rd party Google Voice iOS apps?
• Transfer photos and videos without iTunes?
• iPad 3 or wait?

If you're not already a member of the iMore Forums, register now!

where can i buy a domo ipod touch case?

i've an ipod touch 4g. i wish to purchase a case for this. one that's domo designed and is among the hard ones not the flexible ones. will they exist if that's the case how can i acquire one?

Dev pulls MplayerX from Mac App Store over sandboxing; Latest of many Mac developers to abandon Apple app distribution

“Popular video playback application MplayerX is no longer being updated on the Mac App Store,” Electronista reports. “Citing Apple’s sandboxing rules, the developer is claiming that the step is coming only after ‘arguing with Apple over three months’ trying to make the newest version of the application function under the new Apple guidelines.”

“MplayerX features affected by the sandboxing rules include the automatic loading of subtitles for videos and the ability to play the next episode of a TV show in a folder,” Electronista reports. “Many applications will never be able to be sold on the Mac App Store due to close integration with the kernel of the OS violating the sandboxing requirement, such as most of the Rogue Amoeba line of audio enhancements, with the exception of audio-capture tool Piezo.”

Electronista reports, “The MplayerX developer isn’t alone in abandoning the Mac App Store. Codebase version control app SourceTree’s developers announced that after March 1 that they would not be updating the application because of Apple’s addition of the sandboxing requirement... Apple has implemented a more extensive system-wide security feature in conjunction with sandboxing, called Gatekeeper in OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. By default, Gatekeeper only allows applications downloaded from the Mac App Store, and apps that are digitally signed with an Apple Developer ID... At this time, and for the foreseeable future, despite no credible, persistent malware threat to OS X, all new applications and updates on the Mac App Store are expected to comply with the sandboxing requirement.

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: This is a problem because, over time, the number of Mac users who know to go outside the Mac App Store for apps will dwindle to the point of not being able to support developers whose apps offer to do things the Mac App Store does not allow. It’s a conundrum for which we see no easy fix.

Apple sets record for most valuable company in history; rendering of new iPhone

Wow, Apple's stock is reaching new highs -- 662 as I write this -- giving it a $621 billion stock market valuation. This is the highest valuation in history for any company. Some of that rise is due to the anticipation of Apple's new iPhone, which is expected to be one of the largest product launches in history. iPhone fever is running high. Certainly there have been a lot of rumors. CNET has posted a 3-D rendering that shows the supposed new phone and compares it to the recently released Samsung Galaxy S3.

Also, AppleInsider has posted some alledged photos of the new iPhone's display assembly.

Editor's desk: Training dragons

Been a busy week, so I'm going to rock the bullet points, Phil Nickinson style.

• The picture up top is from last night. I went to see the live version of Dreamworks' How to Train your Dragon, and to say it was spectacular would be to do it a disservice. They combine 20 projectors (at $100k a pop), an incredible wire rig, and several full sized, brilliantly realized animatronic dragons into something you truly have to experience to believe. Watching Toothless take off did indeed make me believe a dragon could fly. If it comes to a city near you, check it out. And if you're up for it, stick around and meet the dragons afterwards. They're state-of-the-art-of-FX, and will not fail to impress.
• Apple vs. Samsung is winding down in the U.S., but Motorola vs. Apple is picking up. While some may wish everyone involved would just cut it all out, they're big businesses and big money is involved, and until there's patent reform and much better precedent, it isn't going anywhere, any time soon. That being said, there's no way in hell I'm going to be writing about them everyday. We'll carefully pull the great stuff, like the iPhone and iPad prototypes, and highlight anything of significance, or that might have industry-wide ramifications, but otherwise we'll cherry pick the start and end points carefully.
• As promised, we're continuing to roll out iMore 2.0 features. Here's the latest -- you can now subscribe to comments and get email alerts only when someone responds to you, or when any new comment is made on a post you've subscribed too. Consider it a beta for now, but try it out and let me know what you think of it.
• So Twitter tightened the ropes on 3rd party client developers one step further this week. I've already given you my opinion, and linked to what other journalists and developers are saying. But to drive it home a little more sharply, I plan to crank up my app.net and Google+ activity from now on. Good services turn bad only when users sit by and do nothing. So I'll be doing something over at app.net as @reneritchie and Google+ as +Rene Ritchie for change, how about that?
• The iPad mini looks like it's the real deal, but while we've learned it's going to be announced on September 12 alongside the iPhone 5, we haven't heard when it's going to ship yet, other than "October" (and that was a long time ago -- schedules can and do change). We also learned it was going to be $200 to $250, but that was back before the Amazon Kindle Fire and Google Nexus 7 failed to achieve any significant traction in the market. So here's the next big question -- when exactly will the iPad mini hit store shelves and what exactly will be the price?

Best Free iPad App of the Week: Pinterest

One of the best things about using an iPad is the great apps that we can run on it. There are excellent apps for just about any purpose you can think of. Better still, there are lots of great free apps for the iPad. Our Best Free iPad App of the Week posts celebrate these apps.

This week's pick is Pinterest, which just hit the iPad App Store this week. Here's a bit of its App Store introduction:

Pinterest is where you can dream about, plan, and prepare for the
things you want to do in your life. Whether it’s vacation plans, new
gadgets, favorite recipes, fashion or the latest home decor, Pinterest
is an easy way for you to make the most of it. Quickly and easily save
and organize your inspirations with your iPhone or iPad.

- Pin your inspirations to online pinboards so you can
find them later
- Check out categories to find inspiration for your life in areas like
Design, Travel, or Food and Drink
- Follow boards that interest you to discover even more
- Create new pins with your camera

I use Pinterest on my desktop whenever I remember and spot something that's really impressive or to me on the web. I'm glad they now have an iPad app as I've tried out a couple of 3rd party efforts and never got much use out of them.

(...)
Read the rest of Best Free iPad App of the Week: Pinterest (445 words)

Apple Iphone 4s on fire in pocket

three month old Apple Iphone 4s smoke and burn in pocket. Trembling a little because video is freehand record from surveillance monitor.

Brine Shootout turns your iOS device into a Lacrosse machine

 

When you say the word "Axeman" most people think of such great guitar players as Slash, Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn. However, "Axeman" also belongs to a great sport that backs to the American Indians; Lacrosse.

While some people glue themselves to TV for the battles on the Grid Iron. Some like basketball or baseball.

My all time favorite sport is Lacrosse a.k.a Lax. I have wanted a Lacrosse game for iOS so badly, that it was one of my ideas for development. Well in my searching today, I found my game; Brine Shootout, and at my favorite price; FREE.

Its features include;

1.     Total shot control, including quick sticking, over the shoulder or ground balls.

2.     Power Shots will knock over every unlucky defender in your way.

3.     Four increasingly harder levels to get through: Backyard, High School, College and Pro.

4.     A full arsenal of un-lockable Brine gear helps you up your game-and your scores.

5.     A built-in, worldwide leaderboard lets you see how you measure up to the best (or don't).

6.     Share your score on Facebook and dare others to beat it.

Game play might just bring you back to your high school or college lacrosse days. It is entertaining and challenging with out all of the brutal hits, checks and 100 mph quick stick balls.

You need to get a certain number of goals to advance to different levels as well as unlock better equipment and venues.

It is an addictive game, and a necessary download for all LAX fans from 8-88. Get it at the iTunes app store and happy shooting.

Naval Battle Teaser Trailer From Assassins Creed III

It is not long to go now before the much anticipated Assassin's Creed III is released and just to keep those gamers on the edge, Ubisoft have launched a new teaser trailer that features a naval battle. The video is actually for the Gamescom 2012 but who is complaining here!

By now you probably already know what the story is about, but just in case here is the background to Assassin's Creed III;

Set against the backdrop of the American Revolution in the late 18th century, Assassin's Creed III introduces a new hero, Ratohnhak ton, of Native American and English heritage. Adopting the name Connor, he becomes the new voice for justice in the ancient war between the Assassins and Templars. Players become an Assassin in the war for liberty against ruthless tyranny in the most stylized and fluid combat experiences in the franchise to date. Assassin's Creed III spans the Revolutionary War, taking gamers from the vibrant, untamed frontier to bustling colonial towns and the intense, chaotic battlefields where George Washington's Continental Army clashed with the imposing British Army.

Assassin's Creed III will be ready for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in October, while PC users will need to wait until November!

Source [IGN]

Weekly Photo Contest: Shadows!

It's time to announce this week's photo contest -- Shadows! For many photos, shadows are a curse and photographers do everything in their power to avoid harsh shadows. But for other photos, it's the shadows that really make the photographs and add drama and mood to the pictures. This is what we want to see this week -- get creative with shadows!

The prize: Glif tripod mount and stand!

In addition to a thumbs up from the iMore crew and all of us yelling about how great of a photo star you are, the winner of this week's photography contest will receive a Glif tripod mount and stand!

The rules

The rules of entry are very simple. The photo must have been taken with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch (we'll check the EXIF data of the original file to verify) and any edits must have been done with an iPhone or iPad app. No Photoshop CS6! If you have external lens accessories you are more than welcome to use them. You can submit as many photos as you'd like, but remember, this is a contest, so make sure you submit your best work!

Resources

Now, before you run off to take your photo, remember that it's not technical skill alone that will claim this prize. Even if you're not the best photographer (yet!), a great eye and a great subject can still get you the win.

However, a little help can never hurt, so make sure you check out these articles from our iPhone photography series for some tips.

• How to take great looking portraits with your iPhone
• How to make your iPhone photography more striking with the "rule of thirds"
• How to make your iPhone photographs more powerful with negative space
• How to take amazing macros with your iPhone

How to submit

Submitting your photos is easy. just head over to the iMore Photography Forum and post your photos to the official contest thread. Don't forget to state which apps, if any, you used to edit your photo!

That's it! Now go out and shoot!

ENTER NOW

What is the Future of Kitchen Technology ?

The role from the kitchen within our houses has transformed significantly through the years. What was once an area simply employed for food preparation is now the hub of the house. Today, cooking is supported with a greater number of activities for example entertaining, socialising, dining, working, laundry etc. As our utilisation of the kitchen has transformed, we've got the technology that's used there has needed to adjust to meet our needs. (video)

Nobody knows exactly what the kitchen from the future may be like however with each new technological advancement the area of possibility are extended ever further. To be able to find out just what don't be surprised to determine when it comes to technology in the kitchen area home appliances for the future

Here is a short animation showing the Electrolux Heart of the house kitchen concept. It's a thought
invoking vision from the kitchen for the future - a built-in solution functioning like a dining table, cooking surface and bar all-in-one.




Via

Gmail dethrones Hotmail as the world’s largest email service

Google announced today via its official blog that Gmail now has more than 425 million active users around the world - a gargantuan feat considering its humble beginnings as a beta release in April 2004. Google's announcement today means that Gmail is now the word's largest email service, blowing past Microsoft's Hotmail for the first time. Yahoo Mail used to be the king of email services. But both Hotmail and Gmail got Yahoo Mail users deviating the course.

I can still remember using Yahoo Mail first prior to moving to both Hotmail and Gmail. Last year in July, during its 15th-year anniversary, Microsoft announced that its Hotmail users have grown to 360 million active users, becoming the then world's largest email service. Meanwhile, web analytics company comScore reportedly said that Google "has way less unique visitors and still gives the edge to Hotmail and Yahoo".

Venturebeat notes comScore's latest numbers from May where Hotmail has over 325 million unique visitors, while Gmail only has 289 million users. Andrew Lipsman, Vice President of comScore told the publication that their data was based on global unique visitors, which means that some users are left out, particularly those who access their email via mobile devices and Internet cafes.

iPhone 5 pre-orders start Sept. 12, launch Sept. 21, international launches begin October 5, sources say

“A couple of weeks ago iMore reported that Apple would be holding their iPhone 5 event on September 12, 2012,” Rene Ritchie reports for iMore, citing “sources that have provided iMore with accurate iPhone related launch dates in the past.”

“We’ve since learned that iPhone 5 pre-orders are currently planned to begin that same day, at least in the U.S.,” Ritchie reports. “Release is still planned for 9 days later, on September 21, 2012.”

Ritchie reports, “We’ve also learned that the second wave of iPhone launches, the ones in international markets, will begin in the first week of October, likely October 5.”

Read more in the full article here.

Apple wins patent that could potentially turn Apple TV into a cable box

Apple has just been granted a patent that it applied for 6 years ago that would allow them to turn the Apple TV into a cable box of sorts. This means instead of simply being able to stream content from iTunes, Netflix, and now Hulu, you'd be able to watch regular tv as well.

The US Patent and Trademark office today approved a patent that was originally filed back on October 12th, 2006. The patent describes a product simliar to what we know as today's Apple TV with one big addition - live TV and DVR capabilities.

The patent application, originally filed Oct. 12, 2006, has mock ups of screenshots with various TV programing, including CBS, ABC, FOX, and HBO. There are several screenshots depicting a Letterman segment and other popular shows. Another screenshot shows a list of recorded shows. The patent applications also has images of search and browse functions, so it seems like the new features will be fully integrated with the old system.

Even though Apple was granted the patent it doesn't necessarily mean they'll use it anytime in the near future or at all. While many of us may dream of a world without evil cable and satellite providers, whether or not that will eventually become a reality is anyone's guess.

Source: CNET

More retailers cut iPhone prices ahead of new model’s launch

“Target is offering the Verizon and AT&T flavors of the iPhone 4S for $179, while Best Buy has shaved $50 off the eight gigabyte iPhone 4, selling that model for just $49,” Ina Fried reports for AllThingsD.

“Those price drops join a promotion from Sprint, which is currently selling the iPhone 4S for $149, $50 less than its usual price,” Fried reports. “Apple stores are also quietly matching prices from these and other retailers.”

Read more in the full article here.

Deal of the Day: 44% off Case-Mate Phantom Case for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4

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Stop Apps Crashing! iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch [Prevent apps crashing]

How you can prevent applications crashes! Frequently you need to simply “restart” your idevice or must many applications running without anyone's knowledge this could cause excessive crashes! NOTE: So apparently the applications aren’t really running without anyone's knowledge … that we really thought was the situation. Regardless, from looking at applications for just two years this technique has appeared to repair or improve my application crashes problems and improve battery existence and so i hope it will help you! lol Follow me on Twitter for updates & free application notices: world wide web.twitter.com Add me for your circles on the internet+: world wide web.gplus.a subscription to obtain informed after i release new videos: youtube.com AppChat is really a weekly review show generally concentrating on application reviews. The show is located and created by Elly and video content varies from product critiques to lessons and game titles. Stop Applications Crashes! (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) Stop Applications Crashes! (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) Stop Applications Crashes! (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) My tags: appchat “stop applications crashes” “how to stop applications crashes” “prevent applications crashes” “how to prevent applications crashes” “stop iphone application crashes” “app crashes” “app crashes” “apple” “ipad” “ipod touch” “ios” “best applications” “best free applications” “app chat” “elly appchat” “Mobile Device” “Software Tutorial” “Ipod Touch”

Apple price target: $950 per share

“Today I am updating my 12-month Apple price target to $950 per share. This price target represents an expected share price appreciation of 52.8% from Apple’s closing price of $621.70 on August 10th, 2012,” Robert Paul Leitao, the founder of the Braeburn Group and author of the Posts At Eventide, writes for Seeking Alpha. “I expect share price appreciation, on average, to trail behind the rate of earnings per share growth over the next 12 months as Apple’s massive market cap influences the share price performance and as the company’s price-earnings multiple continues to contract.”

“Over the next twelve months, I anticipate reported revenue growth of roughly 50%, corresponding earnings per share growth of about 60% and the aforementioned 52.8% rise in the share price value,” Leitao writes. “I anticipate 12 months from today a price-earnings multiple of 14 times trailing 12-month earnings, suggesting a slight compression in the multiple from today’s valuation of 14.61 times trailing 12-month earnings of $42.55 per share. For the four fiscal quarters ending June 29, 2013, I expect trailing 12-month earnings of about $68 per share.”

Read more in the full article here.

Best Free iPad App of the Week: Calorie Counter and Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal HD

One of the best things about using an iPad is the great apps that we can run on it. There are excellent apps for just about any purpose you can think of. Better still, there are lots of great free apps for the iPad. Our Best Free iPad App of the Week posts celebrate these apps.

This week's pick is Calorie Counter and Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal HD - which I'm going to shorten to Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker for most of the remainder of this post. The opening lines on its App Store page create some very high expectations:

Lose weight with MyFitnessPal, the fastest and easiest to use calorie counter (now optimized for iPad!). With the largest food database of any calorie counter (over 1.2 million foods), and amazingly fast food and exercise entry, we'll help you take those extra pounds off! There is no better diet app - period.

Happily, this app absolutely lives up to that description. I've used a few similar apps on the iPhone and iPad and this is easily the best I've seen.

(...)
Read the rest of Best Free iPad App of the Week: Calorie Counter and Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal HD (575 words)