September 2013 -

iOS 7 What is New?

Glimpse Team on September 26, 2013

After years of continuous development and updates, Apple comes with its most advanced and functional mobile operating system in the entire world — the new iOS 7. Although the iOS 5 and iOS 6 represented some of the greatest developments from Apple; the new iOS 7 promises a higher number of features and options, which make it the most valuable foundation for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

Compared to the other operating systems developed by Apple, iOS 7 constitutes a great change in terms of features, availability, functionality and appearance, as it makes the iPhone 5 the best possible smartphone in existence. The iOS 7 combines some the old features of iOS 6 with some new and novel ones, which make using Apple devices more pleasant and entertaining. IOS 7 supports numerous Apple devices, including fifth-generation iPod Touch, iPad, iPad mini, iPhone 4, 4S, Sand 5S, and this new operating system is easier-to-use compared to previous versions.

iOS 7 provides Apple device users a new and improved appearance, which is totally different from the other operating systems developed previously. The design concept is more visually bright and attractive and it does not include the common textures anymore – a more muted 2d look is apparent. However, you can easily observe the basic design items and techniques present in this new operating system, including the faux-glass reflections on icons and many surfaces covered in green. The icons of the applications have also changed and appear visually different, as most of the old icons were replaced with new ones, creating an engaging and very functional design for Apple devices.

There are many iOS 6 applications which were completely replaced, while some of them remained for the new iOS 7. But whether they were replaced or not, the iOS 7 offers all the applications a better look and a more modern design, which does not include beveled color contrasts as the older Apple operating systems do. The main point regarding iOS 7 applications is that they have similar functionality and they work the same way as iOS 6 did. Even though there is a very observable similarity between these two operating systems, most iPhone and iPad users were delighted by the new look of the iOS 7 icons and applications.

The Application Store of the new iOS 7 and the old iOS 6 are pretty much alike, but iOS 7 is better organized and the applications are actually updated by themselves. As we mentioned before, the iOS 7 is based more on simplicity and less on initial visual luxury (perhaps), so the overall aspect of the Application Store is a little more simple, but still extremely professional, as well. This make it easier for users to use Apple devices which include the iOS 7. There are many features which were improved at a great deal in case of the iOS 7, as most of them got a more simple and effective design, which offers more advantages and ease of usage. Compared to other smartphones, Apple iOS 7 devices include a ‘Search’ box in the calendar, along with numerous other additional features which make using it more efficient.

Most of the ‘most used’ applications are now a slide away, on the home screen a slide upwards with the finger reveals the main apps such as the sleep mode, plane mode, bluetooth and more.

The maps application has changed with the new iOS 7 and completely different from the iOS 6. First of all, apart from having a better overall design, the directions do not look like road signs anymore and they have a very simple and good-looking aspect: no luxurious text, no complicated directions, only simple and very effective design for users. But there is also a very important details regarding the iOS 7 developed by Apple: it provides certain indications and directions and it can identify any location on the map accurately within a few seconds.

When it comes to the external functions of iOS 7, the users can enjoy very high quality photos and smart groupings of photos, which allow them to see all their shots in ‘Years’, ‘Collections’ and ‘Moments’, three groupings that improve the overall performance of iOS 7 and the user experience, as well. Additionally, there are many new music features included, which allow the users to create playlists based on their mood, listen to radio, and add all the songs they like to their personal collection, along with a very good-looking Game Center with a great number of opportunities and options.

iOS 7 provides security and safety for all the Apple device users, which include built-in security and they help the overall performance of the device, keeping it safe from any spyware or harmful external factors. According to the Apple developers, iOS 7 is meant to take care of your privacy and therefore the data from your iPhone, iPad or iPod is constantly protected. The most appropriate example in this regard are some of the applications: if another device requests data (such as the location) of your device, it is necessary to receive your permission first. Most smartphones do not provide this useful feature to the users and this is why their privacy is always endangered.

If we refer to the battery life of the new iOS 7, we can easily say that it does not include really any performance enhancements and it is rather similar to the iOS 6. Although it was supposed to involve some improvements, the battery of the iOS 7 is actually less durable compared to the iOS 6 and thereby this operating system has a few inconveniences, as well. Analyzing completely all these aspects and taking into account all the features and updates, we can say that iOS 7 represents a great improvement from Apple, because it offers a better user experience and people are able to store all their activities using a few taps on the device screen. The public opinion regarding this aspect is very positive and the iOS 7 is becoming more and more popular by the day, as the advantages of using this operating system are many and the satisfaction users obtained is higher than ever before.

Implications of the Modernist Cuisine Movement

Glimpse Team on September 11, 2013

The modernist cuisine movement started in the turn of the 21st century. It was first coined as molecular gastronomy in 1992 by the late Oxford Physicist Nicholas Kurti. It is a sub-discipline of food science, which seeks to learn more about the physical and chemical transformations of ingredients through investigations, explanations and finding practical usage. Modernist cuisine movement focuses on the evolution of cooking as well as artistic, social and technical factors that affect culinary and gastronomic phenomena. Molecular gastronomy became a sense of modernized cooking practiced by scientists and food professionals. Other terms that are used for this movement are techno-emotional cuisine, culinary physics and experimental cuisine.

The modernist cuisine movement is identified today as close to the works of Ferran Adria, a Catalan chef, at the elBulli restaurant. The evolution of the movement battles a formal doctrine and focuses on independent development and communal participation.

Some of the implications of having this food science sub-discipline are discussed in a book by Nathan Myhrvold called the Modernist Cuisine. The different principles demonstrated in the book are as follows:

1. Viewing cuisine as creative art. This entails a dialogue between the chef and the diner which makes food the primary medium allowing them to communicate. All sensory factors that are present during the dining experience contribute to the dialogue.

2. All culinary conventions, rules and traditions should be understood. However, these factors must not become a hindrance to development and creation of creative, new dishes.

3. Breaking culinary rules is powerful when done through creative means. Creating new and inspired dishes engage diners and let them live through and feel the dining experience.

4. Create food that defies the expectations of the diner. It is best to engage them to the work and make them lose their explicit or implicit expectations – make them intellectually engaged with the work. An example would be manipulating a dish that has familiar flavors but with unfamiliar forms.

5. Not only surprise could be obtained when presenting cuisine. There can be a burst of emotions, feelings, thoughts and reactions from the diners. A modernist chef does not only focus on the flavor and texture, but puts emphasis on the variety of emotional and intellectual responses that their clients would go through from the food.

6. Acknowledge ideas from other chefs. Do not just borrow ideas and inspirations without acknowledging from whom you got them. A part of the chef’s role in the modernist cuisine movement is having creativity, inventiveness and novelty with their work.

7. Ingredients from food science are powerful tools. They help in producing the dishes which would be impossible to create without them. These are emulsifiers, enzymes, hydrocolloids and others.

8. Resources from science and technology could also be used to produce and enable culinary inventions deviating from the traditional ones.

9. Using first-rate ingredients are part of the collection. They are the foundation of the cuisine, such as expensive ingredients like caviar or truffles.

The movement inspired a new craft for modernist chefs. The modernist cuisine movement was a project to elucidate culinary precision by investigating on phenomena involving cuisine and incorporate artistic values to experimental cooking.

The Hottest Places on Earth

Glimpse Team on September 11, 2013

When people start planning about their holiday escapades, all that runs through their minds is a series of the most exotic, refreshing and cool sceneries on earth. After the following review of the hottest places on earth you might be prompted to venture into finding out how the people of these places manage to put up with the extreme heat. There is one thing that is common in all this places: their beautiful landscape. Some of them even have a very rich historical background.

Badlands in Australia

This comes as a no surprise. Australia is known to be the driest continent that supports human life. The better part of it is a desert. Things get to the extreme during the dry period as there is not even a single cloud to hold back the scorching sun. The highest temperature that has been recorded here is 156.7 degrees Fahrenheit in the year 2003. Only a few people, who have adapted to these hot conditions, live in this place.

The Land of Dallol in Ethiopia

Dallol is a town found in the Afar Depression. No other place in the history of mankind has ever recorded a higher average annual temperature than Dallol. It held this record for seven consecutive years from 1960 to 1966. The town is on record for having recorded 94 degrees Fahrenheit as its minimum average annual temperature for the above stated period. The unbearable conditions can also be attributed to the fact that there are volcanically active mountains in the region. The heat does not seem to die down in this place. Despite all this, Dallol used to be a flourishing mining center with plenty of people working in the mines. This land is also blessed with hydrothermal deposits which are common in such like places. Consequently, there are very few people here especially in the volcanically active areas.

Flaming Mountains, China

The name alone is enough to drive home the message. Situated in Tian Shan Mountain range, the temperatures of this place are simply unbearable. The place earned its name due to the striking gullies that made it get extremely hot. This was a very long time ago and the gullies have since been reduced to red sandstone that look like a bright flame. The hot nature of the place can also be linked to the mountains found here, as they are undeniably very hot. According to a reading taken in 2008, the place recorded a historical 152.2 degrees Fahrenheit that was not recorded anywhere else that particular year. There is no human settlement in this area as it would be very difficult for them to survive for long.

Tirat Zvi, Israel

Tirat Zvi is found in the Beit She’m valley in the ancient Israel. The place has a lot of significant religious importance to the natives of this land. Despite the fact that this place is found near River Jordan, it does not prevent the scorching temperatures from reigning superior. This is so especially during the summer season. However, the natives of the place counter the scorching effects by swimming in the pools of water that are found in plenty here. Each household has a canopy shed to cover them when they can no longer find comfort in the pools. June 1942 was a historic year for this place as it recorded 129 degrees Fahrenheit unheard of anywhere in the history of Asia.

Death Valley, United States

This place puts the North American continent on the map as one of the hottest places on earth. It is located in California in the Mojave Desert. There is no other place on earth that has ever recorded direct temperatures as high as the one this place recorded in 2012. The reading was as high as 134 degrees. This valley has the capacity to support life since kit foxes and rodents are seen having their round of enjoyment at night when the temperatures are low. As expected, no human population is settled here since the conditions are not inviting and are unfriendly for future stay.

Timbuktu, Mali

Talk of the Trans Saharan Trade and Timbuktu is sure to feature as one of the crucial trade routes. As time goes by, the Sahara desert seems to be casting its spell over this historic land that is known to contain the world’s best collection of manuscripts. The place has a steady human population since the conditions have not reached the climax to warrant their take off.

Wait till You see These Buildings…

Glimpse Team on September 9, 2013

In recent times, even architects have realized the importance of space-conscious and environment friendly designs and initiatives. When it comes to futuristic buildings, the structure alone does not tell the whole story. Such buildings are not only visually appealing, but also offer some key solutions to problems that lie ahead.

In the last few years, many buildings have been constructed with high-rise rooftop forests, water harvesting from the clouds, and charging stations for electric cars. All these buildings give us an idea about what the future holds. At least for a moment, they tell us what we can expect or anticipate from the future. Let us tell you about 6 most futuristic buildings in the world.

Tjuvholmen Icon Building, Oslo

This Arts & Culture center was designed by Renzo Piano. The building was opened in 2012 right beside an unused harbor just South West of Oslo’s City Center. In this building, three different sections are linked with bridges. These include a museum, culture center and office space. Canals have been formed from reclaimed land. You can even see a sculpture park sloping towards the sea.

This entire project has been designed and developed along a new promenade beginning from Aker Brygge and ending on the sea at a beautiful floating dock. Thus, the building provides uninterrupted visual contact with water. If you take an aerial route to view this building, it looks like a docked spaceship. The roof looks curved, dipping down to meet parklands.

Museum of Old And New Art, Tasmania, Australia

Unlike other such buildings in the world, this one tried to hide from plain sight. In order to design and construct this building, Art Collector and Entrepreneur, David Walsh hired Melbourne Architect, Nonda Katsalidis. The building has been constructed as a three-level structure in the cliffs around Berriedale peninsula close to Hobart.

A major section of the building was constructed underground to preserve to historical Roy Grounds Modernist Houses’ on this property. Moreover, David Walsh wanted a museum that could sneak up on visitors instead of broadcasting its presence. Subterranean areas in this museum have no windows. The visitors have to descend a staircase and work their way towards the surface. The theme of the museum seems based on avant-garde art, most of which concerns with death and sex.

Palazzo Lombardia, Milan

This office tower gave a completely eco-friendly and cool’ look to Milan’s Garibaldi-Repubblica district in 2011. This building has been designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. It stands tall at 525 feet and connects light-filled offices with outdoor areas.

This is one of the largest public spaces in the world. The roof of the building has been covered with transparent pillows’ made from a fluorine-based plastic called ETFE film. The building also includes other eco-friendly features like active climate walls, green roof, two layers of separated glass, rotating vertical blades for shade and geothermal heating system.

Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas

This museum was opened for the public in December 2012. It is a huge 180,000 square foot museum. The architecture was designed by Pritzker Prize winner, Thom Mayne. Since his firm, Morphosis Architects, aims to create a beautiful urban environment for futuristic buildings, it adheres to all kinds of green principles.

Some features in this building include a 54-foot continuous-flow escalator in a tube-like glass structure, landscaping including a roofscape with drought-tolerant species and Leap Frog Forest’ with glowing amphibians.

Galaxy Soho Building, Beijing

China has always been famous for speedy and bold construction work. Hence, no one was surprised when this cool building arrived in 2012 in Beijing. The Galaxy Soho building has been designed by British-Iraqi architect, Zaha Hadid. In fact, she was the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize. This building provides an 18-story office space, with retail and entertainment complex.

It consists of various bridges, platforms and four-domed structures crafted from stone, aluminium, stainless steel and glass. The building has been inspired by nature and creates a harmonious effect on visitors.

The Crystal, London

This one is a dynamic, low-rise building made from glass. It was unveiled in 2012. Since then, it has been considered to be one of the greenest buildings in the world. It has been constructed in the heart of London’s Green Enterprise District, the Royal Victoria Docks. As the name suggests, The Crystal has been inspired by crystalline forms. It includes innovative and futuristic measures like solar heating, black water treatment, charging stations for electric cars and rainwater harvesting.

There are many other futuristic buildings in the world. However, these 6 have been the most popular and coolest’. There’s no doubt that we will see many more such buildings in the coming years.

Stem Cell Research Pioneering Tissue Replacement and New Organs

Glimpse Team on September 9, 2013

Stem cells are basically undifferentiated biological cells which are capable of differentiating into specialized cells and division through mitosis—to produce multiple new stem cells. They act as power packed repair systems for our body and are used for replenishing damaged adult tissues.

Read on for valuable insights into how stem cell research is being used to pioneer new organs (even a heart) and tissue replacement –in more ways than one.

Synthetic universal tissues with Stem Cells

According to research reports, embryonic stem cells are capable of being spun into viable polymer threads. This technique is being used for weaving flexible synthetic tissues which are capable of adapting to all kinds of transplant environments. This approach is an extremely positive step for the replacement and production of artificially created organs. These artificial organs are capable of weaving stem cells into universal synthetic tissues, which give humans a new lease of life.

Techniques for shaping living stem cells into synthetic tissues

The techniques for shaping living human cells into custom-made tissues are many. They include the processes which are based on inkjet printers and those which require air pressure to pull human cell solutions into long threads. These techniques are helpful in weaving networks of threads, which contain live brain cells– without leading to their breakdown or damage.

Similar techniques can be employed for creating threads associated with embryonic stem cells. One of the most popular techniques is electro-spraying, which uses two stainless steel needles, to combine a stream of biodegradable and viscous polymers with suspensions of embryonic stem cells. Voltage is applied to the needle to charge the polymer cells and this accelerates an “earthed” copper ring—located a short distance away. Single thin threads are produced by this technique.

Creation of new organ structures

Blood flow networks in bio-scaffolds boast of fat, blood, and bone marrow. Stem cell research is now being used to create three dimensional, rejection free organ structures.

With stem cell research pioneering new organs, more novel approaches are coming to the forefront. Explanted microcirculatory beds (EMBs) containing capillary beds, efferent vein, afferent artery and parenchymal tissues are being used to preserve EMB viability and function in bioreactors. This rapidly evolving field of stem cell biology is being seeded with multipotent adult progenitor cells (MAPCs), bone marrow and adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). These are three distinct populations connected with stem cell research.

Way Forward

Synthetic tissue and scaffolds structures are moving towards fully functional artificial organs. Progenitor cells and stem cells are acting as repair systems for the body and are being widely used for replenishing adult tissues. They have the potential of differentiating/developing into all types of specialized cells – endoderm, ectoderm and mesoderm and maintaining the normal turnover of the regenerative parts of the human system. These organs include intestinal tissues, blood or skin.

With further advancements in stem cell research, practitioners are now looking towards proven and tested methods of pioneering new organs –including a new heart. This advance has managed to clear away some major hurdles linked with bioengineered replacement organs.