Time for Some More Reviews!

About a year ago I reviewed a phone.  It was the only Firefox OS based phone available in the UK and hence was a little bit unusual.  Anyway, I never really looked at stats for that video until a few weeks ago and realised that quite a few people had been viewing it.

So, with that spurring me on, I've decided to start reviewing some various pieces of tech that I've started to buy recently, in the hope that it may save some people from spending money on a load of rubbish :-)

The first one is here...

This is my review of the Meizu M2 Flyme OS phone. Directly imported into the UK from China.

Phone Spec: http://www.meizu.com/en/products/m2/s...

Purchased from: Eternal Team through AliExpress (http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Origin...)

Cost: 95 GBP (inclusive of Import Duty)

Time to Delivery: 12 working days

The Wonder of Stuff now on Pure Connect

So, after the first Anniversary show last week, the big news is that the audio feed of WoS is now available through the Pure Connect service.  This means that as well as it being available on the Pure Connect Android and IOS apps, it's also available on all Pure Evoke and Flow Internet connected devices as well as the Pure Jongo range of wireless speakers.

Episode 52 - The 1st Anniversary Edition

In Episode 52 (our 1st Anniversary Edition) we talk about...

1) How Long Does It Take to Domesticate?
2) Mount Etna - There She Blows!

We also have a world first... A live PC build going on in the background!

Wonder of Stuff 52 - The 1st Anniversary Addition - Monday 7th December

The Anniversary Edition of Wonder of Stuff (Episode 52) will now be live on Google Hangouts On Air on the 7th December 2015 at 20:00.

Watch and contribute from here: https://plus.google.com/u/1/events/cgek4sb5l31oaffnqg02bv27qd8

Things that The Wonder of Stuff Didn't Cover...

As the year draws to a close, and the Wonder of Stuff celebrates it's first birthday, it's time to catch up on some of those stories that we've always intended to cover, but never had quite enough time.  So, here is a a catch up on some stories you might have missed.  Enjoy!

Space

• For 50 Years Now, the US Has Had a Nuclear Reactor Orbiting the Planet - http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2015/04/for-50-years-now-the-us-has-had-a-nuclear-reactor-orbiting-the-planet

• What was here before the solar system? - http://phys.org/news/2015-05-solar.html

• Universe Expansion Is Slowing Down - http://guardianlv.com/2015/04/universe-expansion-is-slowing-down

• Our universe may be a Matrix-like computer game designed by aliens, says NASA scientist - http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/575653/The-Matrix-Universe-Planet-Earth-NASA-Scientist

• Scientists are figuring out some weird things about a star they’ve nicknamed ‘Nasty’ - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/05/23/scientists-are-figuring-out-some-weird-things-about-a-star-theyve-nicknamed-nasty/?wprss=rss_health-science

• This lonely galaxy is all by itself near a cosmic void - http://mashable.com/2015/06/12/lonely-galaxy-photo/?utm_campaign=Mash-Prod-RSS-Feedburner-All-Partial&utm_cid=Mash-Prod-RSS-Feedburner-All-Partial&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=rss#VFlw.VlJTiqb

• The Rosetta spacecraft’s extended mission may end with a spectacular crash - http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/23/8832385/esa-rosetta-spacecraft-mission-extended-september-2016

• Dark Side of the Pluto - http://boingboing.net/2015/07/25/dark-side-of-the-pluto.html

• Scientists stumped by enormous pyramid on dwarf planet Ceres - http://www.technobuffalo.com/2015/06/30/scientists-stumped-by-enormous-pyramid-on-dwarf-planet-ceres

• "Failed Stars" Host Stunningly Bright Auroras - http://www.forbes.com/sites/bridaineparnell/2015/07/30/failed-stars-host-stunningly-bright-auroras/

• Philae lander sniffs out organic molecules on comet's surface - http://mashable.com/2015/07/30/philae-organic-molecules-comet/?utm_campaign=Mash-Prod-RSS-Feedburner-All-Partial&utm_cid=Mash-Prod-RSS-Feedburner-All-Partial&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=rss#97d1y9d2ikqE

• NASA contemplates high-flying 'windbots' for exploring gas giant - http://www.cnet.com/news/nasa-thinking-about-exploring-jupiter-with-high-flying-windbots/#ftag=CADf328eec

• The 6 Most Earth-like Alien Planets - http://www.space.com/30172-six-most-earth-like-alien-planets.html

• International Space Station Can Now Grow Edible Vegetables -- http://interestingengineering.com/international-space-station-can-now-grow-ediblevegetables

• We are not alone, says Vatican: Pope's chief astronomer says alien life exists, but it is unlikely to have been visited by Jesus - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3184769/We-not-says-Vatican-Pope-s-chief-astronomer-says-alien-life-exists-unlikely-visited-Jesus.html#ixzz3tTElXOua 

• Astronomers discover a tenth transiting "Tatooine" - http://phys.org/news/2015-08-astronomers-tenth-transiting-tatooine.html

• Astronomers Discover New Planet Less Than 20 Million Years Old - http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertszczerba/2015/08/13/astronomers-discover-new-planet-less-than-20-million-years-old/#%2Fweb%2Fsaved%2F

Science

• How Europeans evolved to have white skin, starting from around 8,000 years ago - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/how-europeans-evolved-to-have-white-skin-starting-from-around-8000-years-ago-10160120.html

• 6 Animals That Are Rapidly Evolving - http://mentalfloss.com/article/64300/6-animals-are-rapidly-evolving

• First glimpse of new concepts developing in the brain - http://www.kurzweilai.net/first-glimpse-of-new-concepts-developing-in-the-brain

• Polar Bears Seen Eating Dolphins For The First Time As Seal Habitat Melts Away - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/12/polar-bears-eat-dolphin-seal-global-warming_n_7572728.html

• Some Intriguing New Hints About What Ant Consciousness Is Really Like - http://gizmodo.com/some-intriguing-new-hints-about-what-ant-consciousness-1711031054

• DOES YOUR BLOOD TYPE REVEAL HOW YOUR BRAIN WILL AGE - http://brainmysteries.com/does-your-blood-type-reveal-how-your-brain-will-age/

• Brain scans of passengers who experienced nightmare flight offer new clues about trauma memory - http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-06-brain-scans-passengers-experienced-nightmare.html

• Shimmering, Squishy Comb Jellies Once Had Skeletons - http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/artful-amoeba/shimmering-squishy-comb-jellies-once-had-skeletons/

• Study shows tropical fish genetically adapting to cope with warmer waters - http://www.smh.com.au/environment/study-shows-tropical-fish-genetically-adapting-to-cope-with-warmer-waters-20150720-gigiph.html

• Molybdenum Is the Most Important Element You've Never Heard of - http://io9.com/molybdenum-the-most-important-element-youve-never-hear-1718443869

• Researchers show new Ice Age may begin by 2030 - http://phys.org/news/2015-07-ice-age.html

• Scientists found a creepy fanged fish in Australia that's far more common than everyone thinks - http://uk.businessinsider.com/creepy-looking-fish-found-in-australia-2015-7?r=US&IR=T

• Climate change turns up heat on bumblebees - http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/Science-Notebook/2015/0710/Climate-change-turns-up-heat-on-bumblebees-video

• Newton thwarted by the ascent of sap - https://aobblog.com/2015/07/newton-thwarted-by-the-ascent-of-sap/

• Honeybees Trained to Sniff Out Drugs - http://mentalfloss.com/article/65709/honeybees-trained-sniff-out-drugs

• Clocks 'SPEAK' to each other: The mystery of how pendulum clocks self-synchronise their ticks is solved after 350 years - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3176193/Clocks-SPEAK-Mystery-pendulum-clocks-synchronise-ticks-tocks-solved-350-years.html#ixzz3tTCAgY56 

• Tongue-rolling myth busted! It's not a single gene you inherit from your parents - http://uk.businessinsider.com/tongue-rolling-gene-is-a-myth-2015-8?r=US&IR=T

• Looks really don't run in the family! Strange new deep-sea anglerfish discovered - and it's just as grotesque as its cousins - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3187146/Looks-really-don-t-run-family-Strange-new-deep-sea-anglerfish-discovered-s-just-grotesque-cousins.html#ixzz3tTDGOQLZ 

• Natural selection, key to evolution, also can impede formation of new species - http://phys.org/news/2015-08-natural-key-evolution-impede-formation.html

Engineering & Technology

• How Google is making sure cows won’t foil its self-driving cars - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/04/07/how-google-is-making-sure-cows-wont-foil-its-self-driving-cars/

• The one-cable future of gadgets: simpler, but still confusing - http://www.engadget.com/2015/06/05/usb-c-the-future-of-gadgets-still-confusing/?ncid=rss_truncated

• Cheap, fast & pure: Breakthrough method for hydrogen fuel may revolutionize car industry - https://www.rt.com/usa/247437-hydrogen-corn-fuel-cars/

• Google Made a Chatbot That Debates the Meaning of Life - http://www.wired.com/2015/06/google-made-chatbot-debates-meaning-life/

• 5 Crazy Bridges That Push The Limit Of Design - http://wonderfulengineering.com/5-crazy-bridges-that-push-the-limit-of-design/

• Indian Airport Becomes The First In The World To Run Entirely On Solar Power - http://wonderfulengineering.com/indian-airport-becomes-the-first-in-the-world-to-run-entirely-on-solar-power/