Researchers from Ghent University in Belgium and the University of Ghana have developed a new technique for making chocolate that results in it being both healthier and more flavorful. The technique differs from conventional chocolate production in that cacao beans are roasted at a lower temperature and bean pods are left unopened for five days rather than split open right away. It is expected to be particularly useful in countries where cacao beans have less natural flavor and antioxidant activity. Cacao beans/seeds are normally removed from their pods shortly after these get cut from cocoa trees. The beans then go through a fermentation process that basically involves them sweating in baskets for a number of days, which causes a series of chemical changes that break down the sugar and plant embryo and prepare them for the next stage (after drying): roasting. The beans get roasted for 10-20 minutes, bringing out the flavor but killing most of the polyphenols (antioxidants). Scientists believe that polyphenols have a significant health benefit, with links to reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, and neurological diseases. Normally in chocolate production, higher polyphenol concentration comes at the expense of taste – more polyphenol means more bitterness (which is an undesirable trait in chocolate). The technique will be particularly useful in countries around Southeast Asia and Latin America where cocoa beans produce chocolate with a less intense flavor.
With touchscreens and keyboards never far from our fingertips these days, paper notebooks might not be as essential as they once were. But there's still something pleasant, if not always convenient, about putting pen to paper. In addition to shooting handwritten notes and doodles to the cloud, when it fills up users can stick the book in the microwave to wipe its pages clean. At the bottom of each of the Rocketbook's pages is a set of seven icons, what the company calls magic buttons. Each button can be assigned to a location in the cloud, meaning that all your scribbles on that particular page will be sent directly to wherever you'd like them to go. Then just mark the relevant magic button. When you are finished writing, you fire up the Rocketbook smartphone app (iOS and Android) and hold it above each double page spread. The app then scans and processes each page and directs them to their locations as indicated by the magic buttons. Though you can write in the Rocketbook with any old pen, wielding Pilot's FriXion pens brings on another level of functionality. The ink inside these pens responds to heat by turning invisible, and because the Rocketbook is designed to be microwave-safe, nuking it for 30 seconds will erase all of its contents.
The emergence of consumer electroencephalography (EEG) devices is giving us new ways to monitor and train our brains. One such device is the Melomind, which promises to help users better manage stress. To do so, it delivers 15-minute sessions of specially designed music. The device itself comprises a wearable headset that connects to an accompanying app for Android and iOS via Bluetooth. The headset contains sensors that detect the electrical activity of the user's brain, from which the user's state of mind can be deduced. To get going, users don the headset, plug a pair of headphones into their mobile device and load the app. The audio environment reacts to the user's state of mind, becoming calmer the more relaxed they are. This use of neurofeedback is said to help the brain learn how to evoke certain states, in this case relaxation, more readily. MyBrain says that with repeated use, the sessions can train the brain like a muscle to better manage stress in the long-term. Once each session is complete, the app visualizes the users performance throughout the session itself and in the context of their historical performance.
There's a number of ways you can go about taking a selfie, such as using your smartpone and attatching it to a selfie stick. This is where Pode comes in. It is a small wireless camera that can be slapped on any surface and controlled remotely with your smartphone. The square camera measures 2 x 2 x 1 in and weighs only 1.8 oz, designed to be slipped into a pocket or backpack for easy carrying. On its backside is a micro-suction pad that according to its developers, allows it to be stuck to basically any solid surface. This backing is joined to the camera body with a hinge which allows the lens angle to be adjusted to make sure nobody's head is chopped from frame. The camera pairs with iOS and Android devices over Bluetooth and is controlled through a companion app. Users can choose from photo mode which includes the ability to take single snaps, double exposure and burst sequences, and also video mode which records 15-second clips, optimized for sharing via Instagram. Podo comes with 4 GB of storage and runs on 600 mAh battery, with the company claiming this to be good for up to two hours of video. Available in red and blue, early pledges of $79 will put you in line for one.
