Xcode’s iOS simulator reports 2GB RAM for iPhone 6S, 4GB for iPad Pro

Developer Hamza Sood built a demo app that would display the amount of memory reported by difference iDevice simulators. Hamza Sood Apple doesn’t talk much about its SoCs beyond basic “chip X is Z percent faster than chip Y” comparisons—this is unfortunate, since Apple’s new chips are typically as fast or faster than the best high-end chips from Qualcomm and Intel when they’re released. One place where Apple has historically been stingy, though, is RAM. Even last year’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus shipped with 1GB of memory, at a time when comparable Android phones were shipping with 2 or 3GB. That may be changing for the new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus , according to some sleuthing by developer Hamza Sood . Using a custom app and the iPhone 6S simulator included with the Xcode 7.1 beta, Sood has apparently confirmed that the iPhone 6Ses will include 2GB of RAM, and the developer offers more evidence pointing to 4GB of RAM for the iPad Pro. The iPad Air 2 was the first iDevice to ship with 2GB RAM, and since the new iPad Mini 4 supports Split View multitasking we can assume that it includes at least 2GB of RAM as well (Xcode doesn’t included dedicated simulators for the iPad Mini lineup, presumably since any app running on a standard iPad will look and act the same way on an iPad Mini). This isn’t a guarantee that the new iPhones will include 2GB of RAM, but Sood’s tool running in the iPhone 6 simulator does correctly state that last year’s phone has just 1GB of RAM. It’s as close to a confirmation as we can get before we actually have hardware to test with. Read 3 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Visit site:
Xcode’s iOS simulator reports 2GB RAM for iPhone 6S, 4GB for iPad Pro

Linux 4.3 Bringing Stable Intel Skylake Support, Reworked NVIDIA Driver

An anonymous reader writes: Mr. Torvalds has released Linux 4.3-rc1 this weekend. He characterized the release as “not particularly small — pretty average in size, in fact. Everything looks fairly normal, in fact, with about 70% of the changes being drivers, 10% architecture updates, and the remaining 20% are spread out.” There are a number of new user-facing features including stabilized Intel “Skylake” processor support, initial AMD R9 Fury graphics support, SMP scheduler optimizations, file-system fixes, a reworked open-source NVIDIA driver, and many Linux hardware driver updates. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Read the original post:
Linux 4.3 Bringing Stable Intel Skylake Support, Reworked NVIDIA Driver

The second ‘StarCraft II’ expansion arrives November 10th

It’s been a long time coming, but the second StarCraft II expansion is nearly here: Blizzard has announced that Legacy of the Void will arrive on November 10th. As with both the original game ( Wings of Liberty ) and Heart of the Swarm , this latest title will focus primarily on one species. In this case, you’re reuniting the mysterious Protoss so that they can confront a dire threat and reclaim their homeworld. You’ll also get new units for all factions, and there are fresh multiplayer modes that include shared bases and objective-based co-op. It’s not really a revolution, then. However, this also represents the end of the StarCraft II story line — if you’re determined to see the conclusion to Blizzard’s five-year sci-fi saga, you’ll want to check this out. Filed under: Gaming Comments Via: Kotaku Source: Battle.net , BusinessWire Tags: activision, blizzard, gaming, legacyofthevoid, starcraft, starcraft2, starcraftii, starcraftiilegacyofthevoid, video

More:
The second ‘StarCraft II’ expansion arrives November 10th

Add-on promises to stabilize video from nearly any camera

It’s possible to stabilize your phone videos through Hyperlapse , and dedicated video editors can smooth out other shaky clips with enough time and effort. But what if you want a simple way to eliminate jitters no matter which camera you’re using? SteadXP believes it can help. It’s crowdfunding a namesake device that brings three-axis video stabilization to virtually any camera, whether it’s an action cam, a DSLR or a pro-grade cinema cam. While many of these shooters have some kind of stabilization, SteadXP’s device uses motion tracking with after-the-fact software analysis to deliver the kind of graceful, movie-like stabilization that would normally require a gimbal or steadicam . And importantly, you don’t have to settle for one take on your footage. While SteadXP doesn’t play nicely with zooms and takes some time to compute the final results, you can reframe your subject to get the intended look. It’ll even suggest different trajectories (such as one that keeps the horizon level) to achieve particular effects. If you like the concept, you might want to act quickly and score a discount. SteadXP is promising a GoPro-compatible model with a €140 pledge ($159) or a DSLR/mirrorless version with a €230 ($261) pledge, but you’ll have to pay €30 more if you miss out on these early bird offerings. You won’t have to wait too long to give the stabilizer a shot, at least. Regular shipments will start in March if all goes well, and those willing to pony up additional cash (at least €200, or $227) can participate in a beta test beginning this January. If you frequently record your outdoor adventures and would rather not make viewers feel queasy, this gadget is likely worth a closer look. Filed under: Cameras , Peripherals Comments Via: The Verge Source: Kickstarter Tags: actioncamera, crowdfunding, dslr, gopro, ImageStabilization, kickstarter, mirrorless, photography, stabilization, steadxp, video

Original post:
Add-on promises to stabilize video from nearly any camera

Honda will test self-driving cars on California streets

Honda just took a big step toward getting its self-driving car technology on to American roads. The automaker has quietly received the approval needed to test its autonomous cars on California streets, letting these robotic rides venture beyond a closed-off facility in Concord. The company is relatively late to the party — Audi, Lexus and other brands have had the state’s A-OK for a while. Still, we’re not going to knock Honda when this will eventually lead to more variety in hands-off vehicles. Filed under: Transportation Comments Via: Reuters , Ars Technica Source: California DMV Tags: acura, autonomous, california, car, honda, self-driving, self-drivingcar, transportation, vehicle

Continue reading here:
Honda will test self-driving cars on California streets

Purdue ‘HUSH’ Tool Promises 16% Battery Life Gain For Wasteful Android Phones

MojoKid writes: Researchers from Purdue University have developed a software tool for Android smartphones that purportedly slows down battery drain when handsets enter a sleep state. With the software tool installed, the researchers claim that smartphone battery life can be extended by nearly 16 percent. Called “HUSH, ” the software solution was developed in response to what the researchers say is the first large-scale study of smartphone energy drain occurring from everyday use by consumers. According to their research, apps drain 28.9 percent of battery power while the screen is turned off. HUSH dynamically identifies app background activities that it deems aren’t useful to the user experience on a per-app basis and suppresses those apps when the screen is turned off. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Visit link:
Purdue ‘HUSH’ Tool Promises 16% Battery Life Gain For Wasteful Android Phones

Huge Communities of Crayfish Are Living Right Underneath The Prairies

If you ever spend a humid night walking around the American prairie, you might run into one of these. It’s a prairie crayfish, and it and all of its friends have been living under your feet. Read more…

Read More:
Huge Communities of Crayfish Are Living Right Underneath The Prairies

Open Source Router Firmware OpenWRT 15.05 Released

aglider writes: The newest stable iteration of the famous and glorious OpenWRT has just been released in the wild for all the supported architectures. The latest version is 15.05, codenamed “Chaos Calmer” after a cocktail drink, just like all previous ones. Major changes from the official announcements: “Linux kernel updated to version 3.18. Improved Security Features. Rewritten package signing architecture based on ed25519. Added support for jails. Added support for hardened builds. Improved Networking Support. Platform and Driver Support.” For the full details you are welcome on the forums while the firmware itself and extra packages are available from the distribution servers. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Continue reading here:
Open Source Router Firmware OpenWRT 15.05 Released

The World’s First 3D-Printed Titanium Rib Cage Is a Medical Marvel

It sounds like something straight out of a comic book, but after losing his sternum and part of his rib cage to cancer, a 54-year-old Spanish man received the world’s first 3D-printed chest prosthetic made from lightweight, but incredibly strong, titanium. Read more…

Read More:
The World’s First 3D-Printed Titanium Rib Cage Is a Medical Marvel