Watch a Time-Lapse of Every Storm That Hit the East Coast This Winter

Watch a Time-Lapse of Every Storm That Hit the East Coast This Winter - Watch the clouds roll serenely over the East Coast in this new time-lapse and you might almost forget how bitterly cold and snowy it was.

(Via Wired Top Stories.)

Apple to Move Production of iPhone Batteries to Automated Lines

Apple to Move Production of iPhone Batteries to Automated Lines - Apple is set to begin producing all iPhone batteries on automated production lines starting later this year, according to a report from DigiTimes. The move is being done to reduce manpower demand and to allow the company to shift its supply chain resources towards production efforts on other parts.

Apple has already automated its Mac Pro and iMac production lines. Other than materials and final assembly, manpower is not required for the rest of the manufacturing.

The move will likely help Apple with iPhone production going forward, as company supplier Pegatron will reportedly be starting production on the iPhone 6 in the second quarter of this year at its new Kunsahn, China plant. Moving the production of iPhone batteries to automated lines may also help Apple avoid manufacturing defects like ones found in a small number of iPhone 5s last year.

Apple's next-generation iPhone will likely be unveiled in the fall, and has been rumored to launch with two different models including one with a 4.7-inch display and one with a 5.7-inch display. The iPhone 6 could also feature a durable sapphire display, with other rumors pointing to a thinner chassis and bezel-free design.

(Via MacRumors : Mac News and Rumors.)

Apple's state-of-the-art, ground-breaking, game-changing... cassettes?

Apple's state-of-the-art, ground-breaking, game-changing... cassettes? - It's hard to believe, what with modern Macs abandoning even SuperDrives en masse, but way, way back in the late 1970s, programs on the original Apple II came on these. My, how far we've come. [Photo credit: Jim Abeles]

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

5 iPhone speaker amplifiers that you already own

5 iPhone speaker amplifiers that you already own - The speakers on the iPhone are fine for text tones and chirps from Angry Birds, but they don't really fit the bill for high-quality music. If you don't have your headphones handy but still want to rock out to some booming tunes, give these household ...

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

An Unexpected Discovery in the Brains of Autistic Children

An Unexpected Discovery in the Brains of Autistic Children - Nobody knows what causes autism, a condition that varies so widely in severity that some people on the spectrum achieve enviable fame and success while others require lifelong assistance due to severe problems with communication, cognition, and behavior. Scientists have found countless clues, but so far they don't quite add up. A new study adds an intriguing, unexpected, and sure-to-be controversial finding to the mix: It suggests the brains of children with autism contain small patches where the normally ordered arrangement of neurons in the cerebral cortex is disrupted.

(Via Wired Top Stories.)

NASA's stunning Visualization Explorer get updated and offers more features

NASA's stunning Visualization Explorer get updated and offers more features - We last looked at NASA's free Visualization Explorer back in 2011, and since then it's been through several versions, culminating in this latest update that makes it native to all iOS devices. It also adds iOS 7 compatibility and a redone GUI. The...

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

Tim Cook Highlights 'Magical' iPad Doo-Wop Duet Between Billy Joel and Jimmy Fallon

Tim Cook Highlights 'Magical' iPad Doo-Wop Duet Between Billy Joel and Jimmy Fallon - Last night on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Billy Joel joined the talk show host in a doo-wop video so entertaining that it was singled out by Tim Cook on Twitter.

Check this out. @jimmyfallon and @billyjoel with iPad and a cool app called Loopy HD. Magical. http://t.co/dWlZr6Lsm6

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 21, 2014

The featured iPad app is Loopy HD [Direct Link], which allows you to create music by layering loops that you record yourself. Fallon and Joel sang The Lion Sleeps Tonight, a song made popular in the 1960s by doo-wop group The Tokens. The pair sang different parts of the song in an amusing exchange that features a solo by Fallon and the always powerful vocals of Joel.

(Via MacRumors : Mac News and Rumors.)