NASA and CAE team-up to help China improve air traffic management

#NASA

Image Credits: REUTERS

NASA has signed an agreement with the Chinese Aeronautical Establishment (CAE) to cooperate on research that will help China’s airports improve their management of air traffic, the U.S. space agency said late on Wednesday. China is the world’s fastest growing aviation market but passengers often have to cope with long flight delays. Its aviation authorities routinely name and shame airports for poor management, slapping them with penalties such as bans on new flights.

The memorandum of understanding will see the two agencies use data from Chinese airports to identify potential efficiencies in air traffic management, with a view to improve air transportation automation for U.S. and Chinese aviation operations in the country. NASA said the agreement’s details were discussed during NASA administrator Charles Bolden’s visit in August, when he met with the CAE and the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

“China is expected to see a substantial increase in air travel in the near future,” Bolden said. “Our ability to work closely together will help to improve predictability of ground delays so air carriers can better plan departures to increase efficiencies. That will have a positive impact on U.S. carriers operating in China and the global aviation community.” In July, the official news agency Xinhua said China plans to invest as much as 50 billion yuan ($7.49 billion)to develop its air traffic management system.

Reuters

Apple tracks everyone you contact on iMessage, may share logs with law enforcement

Apple CEO Tim Cook was recently embroiled in a bitter battle with the FBI over anencrypted iPhone. He showed how user privacy is at the helm of the company culture. But, if a new report is to be believed than the iMessage isn’t as secure as you may have thought.

According to The Intercept, Apple may not know what your messages read, but it does know who you are talking to. When a user contacts anyone through Apple messages app, the app pings the server to find out if the recipient has an iMessage account. The report adds that Apple takes a note of the IP address along with the date and time. This could help with providing information on the user’s location.

The information is then stored for 30 days before it is deleted. “This log also includes the date and time when you entered a number, along with your IP address — which could, contrary to a 2013 Apple claim that “we do not store data related to customers’ location,” identify a customer’s location,” the report reads.

“Phone companies routinely hand over metadata about calls to law enforcement in response to pen register warrants. But it’s noteworthy that Apple is able to provide information on iMessage contacts under such warrants given that Apple and others have positioned the messaging platform as a particularly secure alternative to regular texting,” further adds the report.

On contacting Apple, the company told the news site that such details are offered only upon valid subpoena or court order. The statement reads, “In some cases, we are able to provide data from server logs that are generated from customers accessing certain apps on their devices. We work closely with law enforcement to help them understand what we can provide and make clear these query logs don’t contain the contents of conversations or prove that any communication actually took place.”

The Intercept gets the information from a leaked document titled ‘iMessage FAQ for Law Enforcement’, which states its for official purpose only and designated to Florida Law Enforcement Sources. And, it is said that Apple could provide this information to law enforcement when asked by the court.

Huawei Honor 8 first impressions: A contender for the mid-range smartphone crown

In what appears to be an industry trend this year, smartphone manufacturers seem to be slapping dual-cameras on the backs of their flagship and mid-range smartphones. This is by no means is a gimmick and surely improves the quality of the images captured, depending on the way in which the dual-camera system is utilized.

And it is so much of a trend this year that even Apple has decided to add a dual-camera system on the back of its iPhone 7 Plus. With that said, Huawei has been the pioneer of the dual-camera system on smartphones and this began with the Honor 6 Plus.

Huawei at an event announced that it would be bringing its Honor 8 smartphone to India soon.

I got a chance to have a quick look at this remake of the Honor 6 Plus and these are my first impressions.

Design and build

The Huawei Honor 8 is a big revamp and a big step ahead for the company’s Honor brand. It features an aluminium frame that is sandwiched on both sides by Corning’s Gorilla Glass. Huawei states that there is a very detailed process involved in making the glass with a 2.5D effect that sits on both the front and the back of the device. This results in a seamless design no matter how you hold the Honor 8.

Below the 2.5D Gorilla Glass on the front lies the 5.2-inch Full HD display. Sitting right above it is an 8MP camera for selfies and a well-hidden notifications LED that is tucked into the receiver cavity.

Flipping the phone on its back reveals two 12MP cameras stacked side-by-side. One is a monochrome sensor while the other is an RGB unit which is similar to the stuff you would find on the recently announced Huawei P9 flagship. The two camera modules work in a manner similar to the P9 as well. Also located on the back is a fingerprint reader. As on recent smartphones this one can be pressed down and custom functions can be assigned to the same.

Coming to the sides, the left side of the frame features a SIM tray that can accept up to two nano-SIMS or one nano SIM along with a microSD card. On the right we have the volume rocker and the power/unlock button located on the top half.

The top features a secondary mic and an IR blaster while the bottom features a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB Type-C port and a speaker grille.

All-in-all the design looks impressive and feels solid.

Display

The Huawei Honor 8 features a 5.2-inch display that neither feels too big nor too small considering its good screen-to-body ratio. It features an LTPS display at Full HD resolution and this delivers a pixel density of 423 PPI, which is pretty good for mid-range device.

Hardware

The Huawei Honor 8 features a HiSilicon-designed Kirin 950 chipset. The chipset is paired with the Mali-T880 MP4 GPU and 4GB of RAM. The device features 32GB of internal storage which can be further expanded up to 256GB via the hybrid SIM tray.

The HiSilicon chipset has been manufactured using the 16nm process, which translates to better battery life for consumers.

Performance and OS

The Honor 8 features Android 6.0 Marshmallow as the base with version 4.1 of Huawei’s Emotion UI keeping things refreshed. During my short hands-on with the device, I did not notice any lag or stutter and apps opened and closed without delay. While users may not notice anything new, Huawei’s Emotion UI is known to take good advantage of the underlying hardware in its smartphones. So I’m hoping that an in-depth review of the same will reveal more.

Camera

With the Honor 8, it was expected that the company would take things further with the camera. And Huawei seems to have done just that with not one but two 12MP cameras at the rear. Add to this the laser assisted focus system and a contrast-based focus detection system, and you get a killer combination that locks focus accurately every single time. There are also plenty of shooting modes, including a Pro mode for capturing photos and recording videos. With the right pricing and a dual camera setup, could this be the one to take the mighty OnePlus 3 head on? Well, that would require some in-depth testing, so don’t forget to check out my full review of the Honor 8’s camera.

Battery and connectivity

The Honor 8 packs in a non-removable 3,000mAh battery. With a capacity that matches that of flagship smartphones. Combined with a 16nm chipset, we have some high expectations from the Honor 8. In terms of connectivity, the smartphone packs in pretty much everything under the sun. You get 4G bands, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (dual band), Bluetooth v4.2, GPS, NFC and an infrared port as well.

Conclusion

During my short hands on with the Huawei Honor 8 I must say that I was impressed. Impressed by the smartphone’s build quality, hardware and the cameras (for now) which makes for a pretty strong contender in the mid-range space. The mid-range space for most international brands is now threatened by lower priced flagships like the OnePlus 3, the Xiaomi Mi 5/5s and even Lenovo’s Z2 Plus that offer high-end chipsets for a really low price tag. But Huawei, with its dual-camera setup, does seem to have something special here. I just hope that the company prices it right.

Huawei Honor 8 first impressions: A contender for the mid-range smartphone crown

In what appears to be an industry trend this year, smartphone manufacturers seem to be slapping dual-cameras on the backs of their flagship and mid-range smartphones. This is by no means is a gimmick and surely improves the quality of the images captured, depending on the way in which the dual-camera system is utilized.

And it is so much of a trend this year that even Apple has decided to add a dual-camera system on the back of its iPhone 7 Plus. With that said, Huawei has been the pioneer of the dual-camera system on smartphones and this began with the Honor 6 Plus.

Huawei at an event announced that it would be bringing its Honor 8 smartphone to India soon.

I got a chance to have a quick look at this remake of the Honor 6 Plus and these are my first impressions.

Design and build

The Huawei Honor 8 is a big revamp and a big step ahead for the company’s Honor brand. It features an aluminium frame that is sandwiched on both sides by Corning’s Gorilla Glass. Huawei states that there is a very detailed process involved in making the glass with a 2.5D effect that sits on both the front and the back of the device. This results in a seamless design no matter how you hold the Honor 8.

Below the 2.5D Gorilla Glass on the front lies the 5.2-inch Full HD display. Sitting right above it is an 8MP camera for selfies and a well-hidden notifications LED that is tucked into the receiver cavity.

Flipping the phone on its back reveals two 12MP cameras stacked side-by-side. One is a monochrome sensor while the other is an RGB unit which is similar to the stuff you would find on the recently announced Huawei P9 flagship. The two camera modules work in a manner similar to the P9 as well. Also located on the back is a fingerprint reader. As on recent smartphones this one can be pressed down and custom functions can be assigned to the same.

Coming to the sides, the left side of the frame features a SIM tray that can accept up to two nano-SIMS or one nano SIM along with a microSD card. On the right we have the volume rocker and the power/unlock button located on the top half.

The top features a secondary mic and an IR blaster while the bottom features a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB Type-C port and a speaker grille.

All-in-all the design looks impressive and feels solid.

Display

The Huawei Honor 8 features a 5.2-inch display that neither feels too big nor too small considering its good screen-to-body ratio. It features an LTPS display at Full HD resolution and this delivers a pixel density of 423 PPI, which is pretty good for mid-range device.

Hardware

The Huawei Honor 8 features a HiSilicon-designed Kirin 950 chipset. The chipset is paired with the Mali-T880 MP4 GPU and 4GB of RAM. The device features 32GB of internal storage which can be further expanded up to 256GB via the hybrid SIM tray.

The HiSilicon chipset has been manufactured using the 16nm process, which translates to better battery life for consumers.

Performance and OS

The Honor 8 features Android 6.0 Marshmallow as the base with version 4.1 of Huawei’s Emotion UI keeping things refreshed. During my short hands-on with the device, I did not notice any lag or stutter and apps opened and closed without delay. While users may not notice anything new, Huawei’s Emotion UI is known to take good advantage of the underlying hardware in its smartphones. So I’m hoping that an in-depth review of the same will reveal more.

Camera

With the Honor 8, it was expected that the company would take things further with the camera. And Huawei seems to have done just that with not one but two 12MP cameras at the rear. Add to this the laser assisted focus system and a contrast-based focus detection system, and you get a killer combination that locks focus accurately every single time. There are also plenty of shooting modes, including a Pro mode for capturing photos and recording videos. With the right pricing and a dual camera setup, could this be the one to take the mighty OnePlus 3 head on? Well, that would require some in-depth testing, so don’t forget to check out my full review of the Honor 8’s camera.

Battery and connectivity

The Honor 8 packs in a non-removable 3,000mAh battery. With a capacity that matches that of flagship smartphones. Combined with a 16nm chipset, we have some high expectations from the Honor 8. In terms of connectivity, the smartphone packs in pretty much everything under the sun. You get 4G bands, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (dual band), Bluetooth v4.2, GPS, NFC and an infrared port as well.

Conclusion

During my short hands on with the Huawei Honor 8 I must say that I was impressed. Impressed by the smartphone’s build quality, hardware and the cameras (for now) which makes for a pretty strong contender in the mid-range space. The mid-range space for most international brands is now threatened by lower priced flagships like the OnePlus 3, the Xiaomi Mi 5/5s and even Lenovo’s Z2 Plus that offer high-end chipsets for a really low price tag. But Huawei, with its dual-camera setup, does seem to have something special here. I just hope that the company prices it right.

UX, UI, IA? 7 Confusing Digital Design Terms Defined

1. UX (User Experience Design)

This buzzword is everywhere, but what is it? User experience is how people use your website or app and if it enables them to do what they need to do without confusion. By doing user research, creating wireframesand prototypes, and conducting usability tests, UX design focuses on making the product easy to use and providing users with the best experience possible. If your website or app is difficult to use, users will probably be frustrated and move on to something else. If they have a great experience, they’re more likely to come back and tell their friends how great your app is.

Find a UX design pro to help make your mobile or web experience exceptional.

2. UI (User Interface Design)

Another big buzzword these days, user interface focuses on the tools people use to interact with your website or mobile app. UI designers stylize and visually enhance wireframes that UX designers have created. Buttons, menus, and slider bars are just a few of the key components that enable you to accomplish tasks on a website or app. For example, the interface of an iPhone enables you to send a text by tapping the green “Send” button or open a new Safari window by tapping the “+” symbol. While the interface of an iPhone is different from an Android’s, both interfaces aim to enable you to interact with them easily, accomplish tasks seamlessly, and have a positive user experience.

Browse UI designers who can help make your app or website even better.

3. IA (Information Architecture)

Information architecture involves the way a website is structured and how the content is organized. Like building architects, information architects for the digital space create a blueprint for a website or app by categorizing everything that needs to go into it. They use flowcharts and diagrams to structure content in a way that will make it accessible to users and easy to navigate.

4. IxD (Interaction Design)


Interaction design focuses on the interaction between the user and the product. It looks at navigation components from a stylistic and functionality standpoint and builds a bridge between UI and UX. Designers consider how a product behaves when a person interacts with it. For example, when you hover over a button, it changes color. Because interaction design involves how things animate, designers may have front-end development skills such as JavaScript or jQuery. The types of interactions that are possible will continue to evolve as technology continues to evolve.

5. Visual Design

Another murky term in the design world, visual design typically involves bringing products and digital assets to life, from concept to execution. Visual designers translate a company’s visual language to create functional, consistent, and beautiful products for mobile devices and the web, as well as marketing materials. Their focus is on the digital space—not print. They often collaborate with copywriters to ensure the copy and design work together to form a great finished product that’s on brand and engaging to users.

6. Product Design

In the digital world, product design involves the design of an app or a feature, such as the ability to search within an app. It can also refer to the design of a physical product like a piece of furniture in the industrial design field.

7. UCD (User-Centered Design)

The philosophy of user-centered design came out of the University of California San Diego research lab in the 1980s. It’s the guiding principle in the tech world today and puts people at the center of the design process. Understanding the users’ needs and getting their feedback is essential to designing products real people can use and enjoy with relative ease (and without having to read a manual)