Google to introduce 4K video format that uses less bandwidth

Google has begun collaborating with hardware manufacturers to introduce a new video format that will allow you to play 4K content from YouTube on your TVs, smartphone and PCs while it consumes half the bandwidth needed by current high-definition videos. PCWorld reports VP9 format allows for videos to be shown at 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution. Television makers that plan to back the new format include LG, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Samsung, Philips, Sharp and Panasonic. Nvidia and Qualcomm also plan to create new graphics chips and processors to support VP9.

“Starting in 2014, you’ll see products from major mobile, PC and TV partners that are using a new, more efficient video format called VP9 that gives you HD quality at half the bandwidth,” Francisco Varela, global director of platform partnerships at Google, wrote in an email to PCWorld.

Connect with aging parents through Lively

Lively: Creating new avenues of connection between older adults and their families. from Lively Inc. on Vimeo.

If you live apart from your aging mom and dad but want to keep track of their activities, then Lively will help you do just that. The sensor-based device is designed to be placed on objects around your parent’s home (such as fridge, front door, etc.) so you can check on their daily activities without taking away their independence. The sensors are designed transmit activity messages daily to its main hub and you will receive activity reports regularly in your email, through a smartphone app, or through the company’s website.

Curate recipes on your iPad with Zest

If you want to consolidate the recipes you get from different sites and even get a step-by-step guide, the Zest app for the iPad might be worth your time. The app lets you search and import recipes from different recipe sites and organize these according to tags, ingredients or categories. It collects the photos from the sites you took them from but you can also add your own photos of the dish once you’ve done preparing them.

You can even edit the recipes to swap ingredients or add or take out any specific items. Zest will walk you through the entire cooking process, complete with a built-in timer that tells you when to flip or rotate a dish. You can even share the recipes with other people. The app is currently up for free download here.

Mozilla to unveil Metro-style Firefox app for Windows 8 on March 18

Mozilla has pushed back the release of its Firefox app for Windows 8 to March 18. The Metro-style app will be publically released alongside Firefox 28. If you still think that’s a long wait. You can still test the Aurora version of the app.

Source: The Next Web