Two popular apps for the iPad have received updates today, with Netflix and Gmail both sporting new UIs for iOS.
After its first attempt at the Gmail app failed due to an error launch, Google re-released the app weeks ago, with the promise of more to come. Well here it is, the first upgrade, bringing new features and interface improvements, according to Google. Users can now set a custom signature for mobile messages, as well as a vacation responder, which are both available through the gear icon at the top of the menu view. Additionally, those devices running iOS 5 will notice a new notification sound to alert users when they receive emails. Google has also added the ability to attach a canvas to emails, with scribbles supporting different colors, brush sizes, lines, erasers and spray paint. The update is available now in the App Store and will work on all devices running iOS 4+.
Users can get the new Netflix interface on their iPad with iOS 5 by upgrading to the latest version of the Netflix App, which will be available for free to download in the upcoming weeks. The new version will display twice as many titles than the previous interface and will allow users to swipe through rows of titles featuring larger artwork. Owners of the iPad will be able to stream and watch videos much easier thanks to the update, touted Netflix.
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Cells racing in tiny race track; Credit: Nature
Most "normal" people race in race cars, in marathons, or on bikes, but not these people. No, these researchers raced cells in Petri dishes.
Competing neck to neck (or, should I say, flagellum to flagellum?), cells raced across a 400-micron-long racetrack in a petri dish (see the video below). The competition, called the World Cell Race, had participants from 50 labs hailing from all over the globe, according to a blog post on Nature.
To race, the competitors sent frozen cell lines--or cultures--to designated laboratories in Boston, London, Heidelberg, Paris, San Francisco, and Singapore. About 200 thawed cells of each cell type were then placed in specially designed race tracks that were 400 microns (.4mm) long and coated with a special substance that gave the cells traction. The cells were then recorded for 24 hours by digital cameras to determine the fastest cell for each cell line.
And the winners? According to the results announced at the American Society for Cell Biology's annual meeting, some frisky little fetal mesenchymal bone marrow stem cells from Yuchun Liu at the National University of Singapore took the title for the world's fastest cells.
To give you some idea of just how small this race is, it turns out that that stem cells have a wide range of sizes depending on their age and their purpose. Some larger stem cells like mouse embryonic stem cells can be as large as 440 micrometers in diameter, according to Japanese researchers, while Mesenchymal stem cells can be as small as 10 micrometers, as noted in an article published in PSC Publishing's journal of Integrative Biology.
But this competition isn't just about the fittest cells; it's also about looking at how cells move and migrate. Not all cells have flagellum--a tail-like structure--to help them move, so cell migration is somewhat of a mystery. Cell migration can help researchers understand how organs develop, how cancers spread, and how other operations in the body function.
If you think cell racing is crazy, Théry says that other cell competitions, like cellular swimming, may be in the works. And get this: weightlifting, may be up next.
[World Cell Race, Nature, and Nature on YouTube via Gizmodo]
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Even with booming sales of its NOOK Tablet, Barnes & Noble’s has not forsaken its original tablet, the NOOK Color, brining the device its largest update to date today.
The upgrade brings Netflix, Flixster and access to NOOK Comics and PagePerfect NOOK Books to NOOK Color users. While the update is free, access to content from the video streaming services is not. The book retailer claims that users can get access to the largest collection of Marvel graphic novels thanks to the NOOK Comics app. Additionally, the PagePerfect NOOK Books, which first debuted on the NOOK Tablet, gives users a bit more control over how content is displayed on their 7-inch slate.
NOOK Color owners can either sideload the update today or wait for the OTA update that is expected to roll out later this week.
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