True to its word, Jaybird’s latest wireless sport earbuds are making their debut in the first half of 2016. The company’s $200 Freedom in-ears are now available and I’ve been putting them through their paces for the past few days. This new model foll…
Manufacturing, shipping, and production delays aren’t new and even huge companies like Apple have to deal with it everytime a new product is released. So imagine if a multi-billion dollar company like Apple can barely get a handle on things, it must be even harder for smaller companies who are suddenly hit with a surge of demand they could never have imagined.
This is what happens from time to time when we see popular products on crowdfunding platforms like Indiegogo and Kickstarter shoot way past their original funding goals, twice, thrice, or even ten times over. However the folks at Indiegogo want to help these smaller companies deal with these issues and have since formed a partnership with Arrow Electronics.
The idea is that with this partnership, Indiegogo and Arrow will be able to lend a helping hand in terms of design and manufacturing to companies that might need it, and in some cases even engineers with services worth as much as $500,000. They will also get discounts on parts and software which will hopefully allow these companies to manage their finances better, and in turn allow them to deliver their products in a timely manner.
Of course not all projects will receive this support. Only projects that Arrow thinks are feasible and important will be on the receiving end. They will also receive a badge on their page to show that it is supported/backed by Arrow. It remains to be seen how effective this will be, but if you’re sick of seeing popular projects turn nasty due to delays and lack of funds, hopefully this will help deal with some of it.
Indiegogo Wants To Help Get Crowdfunded Projects Off The Ground , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Breathalyzers aren’t new, although they have evolved to the point where you could easily strap one onto your phone for a mobile portable version. However what if you wanted to measure your blood alcohol levels throughout the day for some kind of medical procedure or monitoring? Obviously blowing into the device is inefficient, and soon it looks like we won’t have to.
During the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Wearable Biosensor Challenge, a company by the name of BACtrack (who has created breathalyzers) created a wearable called the Skyn. This is basically like a wearable you wear around your wrist and through skin contact, it will be able to measure your blood alcohol content. In fact the device proved so useful that it actually won the $200,000 prize money for having the best design.
Now measuring alcohol levels over skin contact isn’t as fast compared to a breathalyzer, but because it can be worn, it will monitor the wearer continuously every 10 seconds. Plus it is relatively unobtrusive meaning that you can wear it at a bar and no one would know that you’re trying to watch how much you drink.
However like we said, it does take a while since it will take about 45 minutes for the alcohol to pass through your system and exit via sweat, so don’t think just because it reads normal after taking 5 shots of whisky that you’re good to drive! Unfortunately Skyn has yet to be submitted to the FDA for marketing approval, so don’t expect to see these available commercially just yet.
The BACtrack Skyn Is A Wearable That Measures Your Blood Alcohol , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
If you’re looking for a wearable to measure your heart rate, the best option right now seems to be a chest strap, like the Polar H7. However if the idea of wearing a device strapped to your chest all day long isn’t appealing, there are plenty of wrist-wearables that can track your heart rate as well, such as those offered by Apple, Fitbit, Jawbone, and etc.
Unfortunately for Fitbit, it seems that they have landed themselves in some legal trouble because according to a study conducted by law firm Lieff Cabraser, it seems that the study has found that Fitbit’s heart rate data is inaccurate by as much as 20bpm. This is a huge difference as it could mean that a person with a resting heart rate of 80bpm could think that they’re having a heart attack as it might read 100bpm instead even when they’re not doing anything.
However it should be noted that this study does use a rather small sampling of users – 43 to be exact, and they were only tested once meaning that for all we know, subsequent tests could yield different results. The difference in heart rate data is why the law firm is running a class action suit against the company.
It is unclear as to why there is such a huge discrepancy, or if the same results would have been found on a larger sampling with multiple testing on each subject, but for now it is speculated that the problem might simply have to do with Fitbit’s algorithms rather than the actual technology used to measure the heart rate, but what do you guys think? Any Fitbit users out there experiencing discrepancies themselves? Or do you think that they are pretty accurate as far as wrist-trackers are concerned?
Lawsuit Alleges That Fitbit’s Heart Rate Data Is Inaccurate , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
1. K-idol INFINITE’s official cheer stick | 1 |
Click the following if you want to read the graphic version of this article: [dukhoo – the Grahic News]
“OK everybody, I have to get to Star Wars.”
President Barach Obama ended his White House press briefing with such statement on December 18 last year, ahead of a special screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, hinting that he was so-called Star Wars ‘dukhoo’ (It comes from Japanese word ‘otaku’, which refers to people with obsessive interests.)
Not only President Obama, even Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was ready for Star Wars ‘dukhoo.’ Mark Zuckerberg dressed up his daughter as a Jedi to mark Star Wars.
 Source: Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook page | 1 |
Elon Musk, billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, is known as a game ‘dukhoo’. In an interview with news sharing site Reddit early last year, he revealed that he was a big fan of Bioshock, Fallout, Warcraft, and Civilization.
There are many dukhoos that took their own path and ended up with success. For example, writer J.R.R. Tolkien was a dukhoo of history and myths and became famous for writing The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno was originally an animation dukhoo. Quentin Tarantino, who was a B-movie dukhoo, created A-movies that go beyond B-movies. Military dukhoo Tom Clancy became a successful military fiction writer.
Click the following if you want to read the graphic version of this article: [dukhoo – the Grahic News]
[Intro. What is ‘dukhoo’?]
The term “dukhoo” originated from Japanese, ‘otaku (オタク)’ and is widely being used nowadays for meaning someone who is obsessed with something or someone, or specialized in something or someone in a good way.
Dukhoos are those who get delighted collecting cups that others think it is waste of time doing it so, and those who are obsessed with a particular scene of movie, and stay up all night to collect a perfect figure collection. They are also very fast at buying tickets.
What’s interesting is that these days, many celebrities come out as a ‘dukhoo’ or do so-called ‘duk-ming out’. Why did they show up all of a sudden?
Let’s hear what dukhoos around us say.
Well. Ilco is over now. Please stand up and check your goods for duk-ming out. [The term “ilco”, the shortened form of ‘ilbanin cosplay’ (ordinary person costume play), describes an otaku that is afraid of the eyes of society and instead opts to act like an ordinary person and not an otaku.]
Click the following if you want to read the graphic version of this article: [dukhoo – the Grahic News]
*Dukho dictionary*
Dukhoo: Otaku, buff, someone who is overly obsessed with someone.
Dukjil: The overall activity that dukhoo does for something or someone obsessed with. For instance, if you are a movie dukhoo, watching movies can be described as doing ‘dukjil’.
Muggle: The word comes from English novel Harry Potter. It refers to a person who is now aware of culture of dukhoo.
Duk crash: The motive for becoming a dukhoo. It is a combination of ‘dukhoo’ and ‘car crash’.
Ilco: It is the shortened form of ‘ilbanin cosplay’ (ordinary person costume play), describes an otaku that is afraid of the eyes of society and instead opts to act like an ordinary person and not an otaku.
Hyooduk: Taking a break from doing duk-jil.
Talduk: Withdrawing from being a dukhoo.
Pae-in: The dictionary defines it as a person who spoils its body by being lazy and inefficient. The recent concept of a ‘pae-in’ is a person who spends its time on the internet for 24 hours a day, expressing their interest on the net.
Here are some of confessions made by dukhoos.
△ The day I became a dukhoo…
 Play & musical dukhoos have to buy more things than you expect. The missed ones will never come back to you. | 1 |
C, play & musical dukhoo in the IT industry – I’ve been in love with plays and musicals since the day I watched musical Jekyll and Hyde in 2011. I paid a whopping $110 for a ticket, it was worth it because I was so impressed with the musical. My heart gave a flutter after so long. Immediately after the musical, I joined a fan café of actor Hong Kwang-ho, who played Jekyll in the musical, as well as the official café of Jekyll and Hyde. After two weeks, I watched the musical again and again. Since then, I’ve been doing musical dukjil.
A, comics dukhoo in the clothing industry – I’ve been a dukhoo since the 8th grade. When I bought a set of comic books for the first time with money I earned from working for a couple of months, I realized that I became a comic book dukhoo. The comic book set that I bought for the first time was a complete set of 23 books – Hoshin Engi by Ryu Fujisaki!
B, INFINITE dukhoo and university student – I believe I was born with dukhoo DNA. When I was in elementary school, I liked Sechs Kies so much that I used to buy their photos in the stationery stores. When I was in the middle school and high school, I was always a fan of one of the hottest idols at that time. I realized that I was a dukhoo when I found out that I spend most of my time watching my favorite idols and that I feel very happy by doing it. I don’t do ‘ilco’ so people around me think of me as dukhoo. That’s when I realize I am a dukhoo.
 “My favorite idol group is holding a concert in Japan? Oh, I have no choice but to follow them. | 1 |
D, Super Junior dukhoo in the education industry – I became a complete dukhoo in 2006. When I watched Eunhyuk on TV for the first time, I thought he was cute. Then I started to watch all of Super Junior’s performances on TV. When Super Junior made their comeback, I bought their CD. I cried together with them when they won #1 on a music show for the first time. While crying, I realized that I became a complete dukhoo. Since then, I’ve been Eunhyuk dukhoo for 8 years.
E, comics & indie band dukhoo in the visual design industry – When I got together with my friends and started to criticize dukhoos, I realized it. I was laughing but I was feeling guilty. My aunt was an animator, so I had hundreds of comic books in my house since I was little. I don’t remember when I became a dukhoo. It’s like I received early education.
E, game pae-in in the gaming industry – Since I was in the elementary school I’ve been going to game rooms. My mom scolded me a lot because I skipped cram school classes a lot of times and used to go to game rooms instead. Starting with Street Fighter, I mastered PC games and even online games. When I was playing World of Warcraft (WoW) a lot, I even slept less to play the game more. I was very happy.
△ Hello? I got into a duk crash. And the criminal is…!
 For those play & musical dukhoos, it’s important to collect tickets! | 1 |
C, play & musical dukhoo in the IT industry – The criminal that hit me was perhaps the charm of the performance, which makes the same performance completely different with different cast. Plays and musicals can be interpreted differently by actors. Things that impress me are different every day. Being able to give different vibes with the same story by using different directions or stage designs is very charming.
In particular, the concert that I see cannot ever be the same. Unlike movies or dramas, you can’t watch the same thing over and over, making it even more charming.
A, comics dukhoo in the clothing industry – I basically like fantasy and illusions as well as made up stories. The criminal is the comical expression that are sometimes humorous and sometimes cool. I just love two-dimensional things are expressed represented by lines and contrast.
B, INFINITE dukhoo and university student – The criminal is my idol. My favorite part is watching them shine on the stage. They dance and sing to the song with both cuteness and charisma. They behave in such a pleasant manner in TVs. They care a lot of their fans, too. You can’t help but fall in love with them when you look at them.
D, Super Junior dukhoo in the education industry – The biggest reason that I love the idol is he is trying to stick to his job and working hard. He is proud of what he does and he seems somehow desperate. Eunhyuk is gentle, kind, positive, and… (edited)
In fact, I tend to take a somewhat pessimistic view of life, but I learned how to think positively. Dukjil gives me emotional stability and pleasure. I think the ultimate reason for people doing dukjil is that they want to be happy and pleased looking at the ones they are obsessed with. Life is hell, but dukjil is flower-scented.
△ Yes, you will be surprised to know about my dukryuk (dukhoo power).
E, game pae-in in the gaming industry – As the WoW Guild, where I was a Guild Master, became famous, a video clip of my game playing was posted on game community Inven. Then there was a growing number of people who recognized me, and there were more people who would choose the same character’s job as mine. Especially after winning in a competition hosted by Inven, people even asked for my signature. This is why I happened to love playing games even more.
 Photo: A screenshot of Naver Jisikin | 1 |
A, comics dukhoo in the clothing industry – I used to run a blog while doing dukjil between 2007 and 2012. There was even a day when the number of visitors exceeded 5,000 although I wasn’t a power blogger and none of the posts were commercial but about personal things. The blog was about animation reviews. I also wrote diary and secondary novels as well. It was fun because many people would visit and communicate actively. Now that I’m working, I naturally stopped running the blog, but doing dukjil was one of the most joyful moments of my life.
The most exciting moment as a dukhoo was that I began to understand Japanese after repeating dozens of times listening to the web radio broadcast in which my favorite Japanese voice actor made appearance. When I was able to understand the language of my favorite voice actor, it was the most joyful moment as a dukhoo.
B, INFINITE dukhoo and university student – In the early days of my dukhoo life, I was very lucky because I was chosen to take pictures with the group in a waiting room. I didn’t know what to do and it was the first time to see them very close. So I prepared seven set of letters, flower bouquets, and a cake all by myself and went to the concert.
I couldn’t say a word because I was so nervous. As if they listened to my mind, my favorite member Woohyun came to me first and talked to me kindly. He read the letter, smiled at me saying that he is thankful. I vividly remember that until now. The memory stops me from ‘talduk’ and ‘hyooduk’.
C, play & musical dukhoo in the IT industry – There is a play called M. Butterfly. I really enjoyed its premiere, and I thought to myself that actor Chon Seong-woo would fit very well to character Song Liling. And I wondered how would it feel if actor Lee Seok-joon plays the role of Renee.
But a few years later, when I heard that the two actors have been cast for encore performance, I was frenzied with joy! How great it would be watching the play with the cast that I’ve only imagined. Eventually, I watched Chon Seong-woo and Lee Seok-joon’s performances and I was very happy because they were better than I had imagined.
 Dukhoos communicating through wreaths | 1 |
△ Dukhoo identity? No, I’m not a dukhoo. Rather I’m a ‘pae-in’!
E, game pae-in in the gaming industry – I’m not a dukhoo. Rather I’m a ‘pae-in’. People tend to think of a game dukhoo as a man who plays ‘miyeonsi’ (dating simulation game). I love playing role playing games (RPG). I play almost every new game that is released. Since I work in the gaming industry, I get to play most of new games.
B, INFINITE dukhoo and university student – I’m that kind of dukhoo who works hard on several fields. I’m very interested in idol groups as well as songs and their performances. I’m also an indie band dukhoo. I love cute things, too. So I collect cute set of stationery and plush toys by color.
C, play & musical dukhoo in the IT industry – I get obsessed in one particular field. Since I’m interested in musicals and plays, I happened to get interested in the fields that are related. There are many plays that are based on original novels, so I read original novels and movies.
For example, after watching the play ‘Red’, I got interested in the art works of Mark Rothko. So I went to see his exhibition. After watching the musical “A Tale of Two Cities,”, I read the original novel in two versions, the original text and the translation to the original text.
D, Super Junior dukhoo in the education industry – Eunhyuk has endless charms so it’s hard to get interested in many other fields. My friends ask me if I still love him so much. But the strange thing of doing dukjil is that you happen to discover new things magically although you have already found many.
But I’m also interested in cosmetics. I’m coduk (cosmetic dukhoo). Of course, I can’t afford buying many cosmetics like genuine coduks and I have no time to leave cosmetic reviews. If I can afford it, I could be obsessed with both fields. But fortunately, I’m not.
△ So please respect my taste. I’m making a living with this.
E, game pae-in in the gaming industry – I used to be introverted before I met the ‘Fortress’ game. But you can play anonymously in games, so I made many friends while playing games. I still hang out with people who played WoW guild with me.
Games changed my personality and changed my life. Games allow introverted people like me to enjoy communicating with others. These days, I like communicating with others and I don’t even remember the old days where I used to be introverted.
 A doll that accompanies you when you travel. | 1 |
B, INFINITE dukhoo and university student – Thanks to dukjil, I made new good dukhoo friends and foreign friends. I’m the type of person who gets vital power meeting others. It’s so fun to watch plays together and share your thoughts. I’m keeping in touch with fans in other countries including Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
In fact, I received help from my friends abroad. The memory that you gain when you do dukjil is really valuable and exciting. The biggest benefit you will get as a dukhoo is the strong bond that are created by sharing common interest. Besides you can feel refreshed by watching a short video so I think dukjil is a good thing to keep your life happy.
C, play & musical dukhoo in the IT industry – I used to be a person with dry personality. I’d never shed tears watching sad movies. But these days, I’m easily moved by little things and feel happy thanks to plays and musicals. I became very sensitive.
D, Super Junior dukhoo in the education industry – Dukjil enriched the emotional side of my life. Maybe my life would have been boring if I I did not do dukjil. When you do dukjil, you will naturally forget about boredom and stress. Dukjil is something new and exciting.
[“I don’t see any dukhoos around me..Is there a secret to find a dukhoo?]
There’s an old saying. You can hide coughing and povety, but you can’t hide dukjil. That’s right. If you observe carefully, you will know.
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Dozens of tiger sharks were caught on video attacking the carcass of a dead humpback whale off the coast of Western Australia last week.
Tour company Eco Abrolhos captured the incredible scene at Shark Bay, about 500 miles north of Perth, using a GoPro camera and a drone. The footage showed the waters turning red with blood as the sharks tore into the carcass.
The company estimated that there were 70 sharks eating the whale:
“Something to show and tell the grandchildren,” the company wrote on Facebook.
It was not clear if the sharks had killed the whale or if it was already dead from other causes.
Shark Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its namesake sharks as well as other vulnerable and endangered species, including green and loggerhead turtles and a population of 11,000 dugong, which are related to manatees. The area is also recognized for its vast seagrass beds and stromatolites.
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang said on Monday the United States had decided to “completely lift” its embargo on trade in lethal arms with the Southeast Asian country.
“Vietnam very much appreciates the U.S. decision to completely lift the ban on lethal weapon sales to Vietnam, which is the clear proof that both countries have completely normalized relation,” Quang said through a translator at a joint news conference with U.S. President Barack Obama.
Obama said the United States was fully lifting the ban but the sale of arms would depend on Vietnam’s human rights commitments.
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
The sun has finally appeared, and the TV trucks are rolling out of this ancient hot springs town on the outskirts of Sendai, Japan. This was the location over the weekend of the G7 meeting of finance ministers and central bankers which although civil has ended with a lack of consensus.
Sendai was the epicenter of one of the deadliest natural disasters in history, the Tohoku earthquake of March 11, 2011. Over 15,000 were lost, and some still remain homeless through the lengthy reconstruction period. Having lived in Sendai as an exchange student, this has been a sobering personal visit. The warmth of the city of Sendai’s welcome has contrasted with the coolness of the G7 conclave itself.
The Sendai meeting is part of the run up to the G7 leaders summit next week at Ise-Shima, the region housing the holiest of shrines in the Japanese pantheon. President Obama is also scheduled to visit Hiroshima, where human intervention resulted in the loss of an estimated 80,000 people in 1945. The healing symbolism of the first presidential visit to the site of the first nuclear bombing of a civilian population has overshadowed the underlying differences between Japan and the United States.
These remain firmly grounded in diverging economic realities. Our interest rates are moving upwards, and Japan’s are moving into negative territory. As this happens, currency adjustments are inevitable, and with these adjustments trade friction and the probable demise of the Trans Pacific Partnership, or TPP agreement. The US Treasury has already placed Japan on its currency watch list.
(Source: G7 Japan 2016/ Ministry of Finance Japan)
But there was a ray of light through the rain yesterday afternoon. The Japanese finance ministry, led by Taro Aso, announced an innovative type of disaster insurance, the Pandemic Emergency Funding Facility or PEF, and has seeded the program with $50 million. The innovation is that these monies are not intended for use as an emergency fund, but to purchase private company insurance premiums, creating an umbrella of coverage that is far greater, estimated to be $500 million.
At the host press conference, I asked Mr Aso for more information about how this would work, and he said the inspiration came from Jim Yong Kim, head of the World Bank and himself a medical doctor who is on a mission to prevent global pandemics. Mr Aso invoked divine intervention underlying the constellation of factors leading to the formation of PEF. It is obviously something he feels quite passionate about.
So far, Japan is the only country to make an announcement supporting this public-private financing initiative, but other G7 members can be expected to step up as the details are worked out. In the city of Sendai, struggling to recover after the earthquake and tsunami of five years ago, the idea of sharing the burden of the unexpected seems especially fitting. It is also very appropriate that Japan, which has learned to live with natural disasters over the centuries, is the progenitor of this (dare I say ground-breaking?) initiative.
When people ask what the central bankers and finance ministers actually accomplish at these high-level summits, and why the average person should care, PEF is as good an answer as any I have seen. During the Ebola outbreak, the lack of financing mechanisms caused serious delays. The next pandemic could occur at any time, and it is good to know that Japan is working on an issue that could effect every person on earth. Other nations should follow quickly.
After visiting the areas hard hit by the Tohoku earthquake yesterday, and seeing the burden that has been placed on its inhabitants, I wonder if PEF could be expanded even further, beyond pandemics, to cover natural disasters. Sharing the burden of events beyond our control but which have global consequences should be an essential pillar of an enlightened global financial system.
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Although long rumored for the upcoming Galaxy Note 6, other smartphone OEMs, like Vivo for example, have beaten Samsung to the 6 GB RAM punch by launching early this year. While those, of course, are commendable, Samsung might still have the last laugh. At a Mobile Solutions Forum is recently held in Shenzhen, China, the Korean OEM unveiled its latest … Continue reading
There are plenty of mobile games out there. Some are fun enough where they’re talked about for a couple of weeks, some barely get a mention, while some have such long-lasting power that long after the game has stopped updating, many players are still talking about. Monument Valley is such a game and its developers have recently released some interesting stats about the game.
According to its developers, “In January of 2015 we made the decision to be transparent with how Monument Valley has performed since its release. […] 3rd April 2016 marked the two year anniversary of Monument Valley’s release and with that we now have a lengthy window to analyse how the game’s performed and what we’ve managed to do with it post release.”
So what kind of interesting stats are we looking at? For those wondering how much the app has managed to make, you will be interested to learn that Monument Valley has earned USTwo Games a whopping $14 million since its released. Of course that’s a lot of money, but let’s not forget that there are costs involved in making the game so the actual profit might be very different.
Other interesting stats include how the game has been downloaded over 26 million times, in which over 21 million was from the times that the developers offered the game for free. The majority of gamers who paid for the game come from iOS, and the peak revenue they enjoyed was in March 2015 where it pulled $70,000. For those wondering what the fuss is about the game, you can download it via the iTunes App Store or Google Play where it will cost you $3.99.
Monument Valley Has Made $14 Million In All Time Revenue , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
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K-pop idol goods are evolving these days. Apart from official ones, fans are producing idol goods by themselves. Creating idol goods has become a culture of entertainment among fans.