Catalyst
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Facebook deploys its AI to find green energy storage solutions
One alternative is putting that excess power to work driving catalytic reactions. “There are a lot of different ways that we can store the energy,” Zack Ulissi, CMU Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, told Engadget.
Messages on the Mac may finally catch up to its iOS counterpart
Apple is reportedly preparing to give macOS' Messages app a long-overdue overhaul that provides parity with its iOS counterpart.
Apple brings code-teaching app Swift Playgrounds to the Mac
Swift Playgrounds, Apple's teach-kids*-how-to-code-app for the iPad, is now available to use on your Mac desktop. The title, which enables you to learn the basics of Swift, Apple's newest programming language, uses game-like elements to sneak code into your subconscious. You play by guiding a character, called Byte, through a series of levels, solving puzzles (with code) as you go.
Twitter's Catalyst-powered Mac app is here
Now that macOS Catalina is available, developers can use Apple's Mac Catalyst tech to deliver versions of their iPad apps for use on the desktop, and one of the most anticipated releases has been the desktop Twitter app. Originally announced this summer at WWDC 2019, it's available for free from the App Store so you can try it out. If the Twitter website doesn't get it done for you then at least this replicates most of the features you're used to on mobile devices and supports Dark Mode, but it doesn't really have power user features like a live refreshing feed. For that you'd want to rely on Tweetdeck or a third-party app. The good news is that sharing a codebase with the iOS release means this on should stick around, unlike Twitter's previous app for Macs that died in early 2018.
LA orders 25 of Proterra's electric buses
Los Angeles wants to field a completely electric fleet of buses by 2030, and it just took a large step toward making that a reality. The city's Department of Transportation (which runs the largest municipal transit in the county) has acquired 25 of Proterra's smaller 35-foot Catalyst buses, all of which should arrive in 2019. That may not sound like much, but it's a significant chunk of the DOT's 359-bus fleet. The deal promises real savings, too -- it should eliminate 7.8 million lbs. of greenhouse gas emissions per year and save $11.2 million in energy and maintenance over 12 years.
Catalyst Case for iPhone 5 / 5s provides rugged, waterproof protection
Last year I reviewed the now defunct Griffin Survivor + Catalyst iPhone case. This year, Catalyst Lifestyle is now a stand-alone company with an updated range of cases. I had the opportunity to try out the Catalyst Waterproof Stealth Black case for iPhone 5 / 5S (US$64.99). Design The Catalyst Waterproof is 13.2 mm thick, 134.3 mm tall, 67.2 mm wide (0.52" x 5.29" x 2.65"). It weighs 41 grams (1.4 Oz). It obviously adds a bit of bulk to your iPhone, but it is less bulky than the model I reviewed last year. Catalyst has got rid of the large latches that locked last year's case in place. The Catalyst Waterproof simply fits together by snapping the case front into the case itself. The case provides IP68 protection from water and dust, and will protect your iPhone in up to 5 meters (16.4 ft) of water. It's also given the 810G military standard rating for protection from shocks and drops up to 2m (6.6ft). Performance My iPhone fit snugly into the Catalyst Waterproof without a hitch. All features of my iPhone, including Touch ID worked perfectly, though it is recommended that you rescan your fingerprint with the iPhone in the case to get an exact image. In terms of operating my iPhone, the only small adjustment was having to press down on the screen a little bit harder than I normally would for it to register. Make sure you push the iPhone right down into the case to make sure there's good contact between your iPhone's screen and the case screen. As with last year's review, the Catalyst Waterproof comes with strict instructions for testing the case before submerging it in water. However, things have been simplified significantly. There's still an O-ring that is essentially the waterproof seal for the case. You need to make sure this ring is sitting properly within the case and that it is not twisted in any way. Catalyst provides full instructions on its website. Aside from that and making sure the charger port / audio jack plug is closed, you're good to go. I performed Catalyst's recommended test and found no water penetration into the case. If your iPhone was to go for an unexpected swim, the Catalyst Waterproof case will make sure not a drop gets in. In terms of protection from knocks and drops, the Catalyst Waterproof provides excellent, all round protection. If your iPhone was to take a tumble, knock or drop, you can rest assured that the case provides significant protection. Conclusion The Catalyst Waterproof's slimmer form-factor and easier operation makes it a solid option for those who want a high level of protection for their iPhone with the least amount of additional bulk. For everyday protection -- or even specific occasions where you know your iPhone will be at particular risk of damage -- the Catalyst Waterproof is definitely worth considering.
Randall Bills talks about shaping the future of MechWarrior Online
For die-hard MechWarrior fans, it must be a relief to know that the upcoming MechWarrior Online is in good hands of people connected with the board game. One pair of hands in particular belongs to Catalyst Game Labs' Randall Bills, who is deeply involved with the MechWarrior and BattleTech franchises, and he emerged to participate in a very lengthy interview about the game and his love of multi-ton mechs. Currently, Bills says that he fills two roles on the team: continuity editor and fiction content manager. In the former, he helps to inspect what the developers are working on and give them feedback and notes from his well of expert knowledge on the subject. In the latter, he's spearheading the team responsible for writing the lore behind the online game universe. So what would Bills like to see happen in MechWarrior Online? Orbital insertions ("That's a level of action and immersion that would take MechWarrior Online to a whole new level.") and physical attacks ("It shouldn't work very well and be hard to pull off... but when you do pull it off it should be a move everyone in the game talks about for some time to come."). As for what he's most excited about in the upcoming MMO, he's just glad that he'll be able to emulate the board game in a virtual environment: "To know that I can jump in a light 'Mech and do exactly what you can pull off in the board game (and just as important, what the fiction depicts for the universe) with a true melding of multiple tactics to achieve victory... that'll be a truly spectacular geek-out moment to experience." Look for our own upcoming interview with the MechWarrior Online team coming soon.
Fuel cells get stronger, potentially cheaper with graphene, ITO
As the sustainable Juggernaut of fuel cell vehicles (FCV) powers ever forward, a group of scientists are cooking up ways to make the alternative energy source more durable and even cheaper. By combining graphene -- think pencil lead -- and indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles, the team produced a catalytic material that is both stronger and more chemically active than the usual catalytic combo. Fuel cells typically use a chemical catalyst like platinum, sitting atop a base of black carbon or metal oxides, to break down oxygen and hydrogen gases, creating water in the process -- thing is, carbon is easily eroded by the resulting water, and metal oxides, while more stable, are less conductive. Using graphene -- which because of its porousness erodes less quickly -- in combination with the stable ITO and platinum nanoparticles, researchers have created what could be referred to as a super fuel cell -- a stronger, longer lasting, and potentially cheaper version of the alternative energy source. Unfortunately, without enough hydrogen filling stations, these super fuel cells won't come to anyone's rescue anytime soon.
ATI leaks out Southern Islands codenames for next-gen GPUs
Um, oops? ATI's latest Catalyst driver release has dished out some info that we imagine the company didn't want to reveal quite yet. The names of some Southern Islands have been spotted -- Cayman and Antilles appear to be the flagship chips -- suggesting a refresh to the critically acclaimed Evergreen line of GPUs may not be far off. Rumors have been swirling for a while about ATI's reputed shift to island-based nomenclature, and while hard specs are nowhere to be found, we can see that the Red Team is planning an overhaul with no less than 10 new additions to its roster. Hardly unpredictable, but good to know that ATI has something to counter NVIDIA's heart-stealing GTX 460. [Thanks, Jack]
ATI Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity 6 Edition review roundup: novel, but not for everyone
We've been fortunate enough to spend a bit of time with an Eyefinity setup before, but up until now, it's been somewhat of a hassle to get a fully functional six-screen setup into a consumer's home. Today, AMD is taking the legwork out of the equation with the introduction of the Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity 6 Edition, a standalone GPU with 2GB of GDDR5 memory and innate support for pushing a half-dozen panels at once. Outside of that, it's essentially the same card that we saw last September, and based on the cadre of reviews that we rounded up, the doubled memory bank doesn't do much to boost frame rates. What it does do, however, is enable six-screen gaming. Unfortunately (though understandably), this type of gaming scenario is only meant for a select segment of users, and many critics found the novelty wearing off exceptionally quick. In fact, it wasn't long before NeoSeeker became fed up with the bezels ruining the experience, and just about everyone agreed that you needed to sit a good half-mile away to really enjoy it. Either way, we'd encourage you to hit up Hot Hardware's collection of videos before biting the bullet, buying up an extra five LCDs and then regretting it for the rest of your Earthly life. Read - Hot Hardware Read - AnandTech Read - NeoSeeker Read - Rage3D Read - PC Perspective Read - TweakTown Read - FiringSquad Read - Tom's Hardware Read - ExtremeTech Read - Hexus
One Shots: Cruising the stars
Another day, another salvaging mission in EVE Online. Let a friend or two jump and make sure it's clear, then head on through with the rest of your group. Today's One Shots comes to us from Sered Woolahra, who sent in this great image. Sered writes: Approaching a stargate in a Catalyst, a destroyer class Gallente vessel. It is definitely a nice early ship, chock full of high-level slots for tractor beams and salvaging - just be sure you've got someone watching your back!One Shots is in need of your screenshots - from New Eden and beyond! Send them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com? Add your name, the game it's from (guild, server and description welcome too) and you're set! It couldn't be any easier unless we snapped them for you. %Gallery-9798%
Info on New ATI Drivers & WoW
For all you Radeon card users out there, it seems that the latest version of ATI's drivers, the just-released Catalyst 6.4, contain an issue that may affect WoW players. From the official notes:"World of Warcraft: Enabling CrossFire may intermittently result in the character appearing off center. Further details can be found in topic number 737-22017"So, for god's sake, people...turn off Crossfire - whatever it is - and keep yourself centered. The new drivers can be downloaded from ATI's site here.
