The new LG 4k streaming technology is still under development at the moment but the video after the jump shows the potential of the new technology and how it could influence smartphone and game design in the future. Watch the video after the jump to learn more about the LG 4k Streaming technology and see it in action.

Storage containers for leftovers and other foods are usually designed to be cheap and disposable. But it turns out there’s a better way. Silicone once again makes our lives easier with these reusable, sealable storage bags that are safe to microwave, boil, or steam.

So instead of having to transfer last night’s meatloaf into a microwave-safe container before reheating, you can simply store it in one of these silicone bags and then jam the entire thing in your magical hotbox for a piping hot lunch. They’re also great for cooking, since the self-standing bags ensure liquids don’t spill, but are still easy to pour once they’re hot. At $20 per bag they’re definitely more expensive than a box of Ziplocs, but with proper care they should easily last for thousands of meals.

[Solutions via Coolest Gadgets]

Mophie’s new JuicePack Air has an even more powerful battery than the Helium, its last charging case for the iPhone 5. This time around, you’re getting a 1700 mAh battery, as opposed to a 1500.

The Helium is $80, but the new Air is $100, so basically you’re paying $20 for 200 mAh more. With the latter, you’re supposed to get an extra eight hours of internet browsing or eight hours of talk time on your phone, total. The Helium boosts your usage time by more like six hours, according to our own tests. The case is also thinner than the Helium, in spite of the bigger battery. Looks like some people might be making a swap for the Air, considering the older case hasn’t even been out for more than a few weeks. [Mophie]

Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? [Holds up one finger.] This.
Mitch: Your finger?
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don’t mean shit.
Mitch: But, what is the “one thing?”
Curly: [Smiles] That’s what *you* have to find out.

For startups, a lot has been discussed about how to play the market: mobile first, web second. Many startups present themselves as mobile-first operations. Larger companies like Facebook are now saying they are a mobile company – not surprising since their mobile DAUs for the first time surpassed the desktop web DAUs.

These discussions about whether to be mobile or web first mimic discussions that take place about companies in the retail space: Should we open stores in BRIC countries, Europe or Latin America? And then should the store look like those at home or built locally to fit the culture?

But what exactly is it about the mobile market that changes the rules of the game and why might this be the best thing for startups?

Mind Share – Being First With A Differentiated Product

The size of the screen, the pattern of time availability and our “location” in the real world lead to a more single-task orientation than when confronted with the desktop web. One does one task at a time on the phone, and it tends to capture undivided attention for that short time span. Accordingly, the device aligns itself to bursts of one-task activities – there is less time (and room if you consider the screen size) for distractions.

I want to get somewhere and I need directions, and I don’t want to easily get distracted with news or a game. It’s lunch time; I want to eat and want to know which restaurant I should pick, so I pull up reviews – I don’t want to easily get lost in my email at that time. If I am responding to an email, it is going to be short and I am not going to switch to another app until I am done (I might on the desktop). I have downtime waiting in line, so I cut ropes, slash fruits or crush pigs with my nimble fingers. I am in bed, and I want to catch my news quickly. It is all about making decisions quickly. Mind share enables that.

This has led to an inherent difference from the web – the “one-thing” mobile app ecosystem versus the “many-thing” web. You have to look no further than the growth of the app economy where four out of every five minutes on a phone are being spent on an app. Or consider Apple’s recent announcement of 40 billion downloads, half of which were in 2012 alone.

On web, mobile or any business, companies always work hard to differentiate with that one thing with which they want to capture the user’s imagination. When you capture imagination, you get attention, and when you get attention, you get engagement, which leads to loyalty. Whether it is on mobile, web or consoles, everything else must be built and extended to protect that one thing – Gmail, Google+ and YouTube are all examples of Google protecting search. Facebook Camera and Poke are efforts to protect photo sharing on Facebook.

But what has changed with mobile is that no (large) company has been able to pull off a “fast follow” to unseat the incumbent startup who has mind share with that one differentiated thing. Some just chose to acquire the mobile startup instead – Twitter bought Tweetie and Zynga bought Words with Friends, for example.

The best thing that can happen to a startup in the mobile space today is a big company copying it.

It became evident with Facebook’s recent attempt to Poke a hole in Snapchat’s market share. Or Facebook pursuing Instagram; Twitter or Yahoo/Flickr adding filters to pursue Instagram users; Facebook (killed Places after one year of launch) or Yelp chasing Foursquare with checkins; or Apple’s iMessage and the continuing growth of WhatsApp. With almost 263 million monthly active users, Rovio comes very close to the 311 million MAU for all of Zynga. Furthermore, now we are starting to see startups that had the first-mover advantage grow even further when a larger company tried to do the same “one thing.” The barrier of entry is that mind share.

It was and is still very different in the “many-thing,” non-mobile world. We saw Myspace come from behind and dethrone Friendster and then Facebook come from behind to remove Myspace. Gmail followed fast and took on Hotmail and Yahoo Mail successfully. Internet Explorer decimated Netscape and now Firefox and Chrome are giving IE a run for its money on the desktop. Microsoft persisted with Xbox and is a leading console now. RedBox, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video are nipping away successfully at Netflix.

Before, every startup when raising capital was invariably asked the dreaded questions, “What if Microsoft or Google built this?” and more recently, “What if Facebook built this?” Now in mobile, if that is the question your startup is asked, you are in luck because it implies that you are first to market with a differentiated product. And if a “fast-follow” attempt happens, it will probably validate your product further, highlight your effort and help you gather even more mind share leading to further market share. Believe it or not, the best thing that can happen to a startup in the mobile space today is a big company copying it.

The first-to-market differentiation, that one thing, is of paramount importance, though. It was filters for Instagram, ephemerality of photos with Snapchat (the complete opposite of Instagram and Facebook), cross-platform free messaging with WhatsApp, Checkins for Foursquare or user experience with Tweetie. As Curly says, you have to find out that one thing first.

It is hard to build a consumer service, or any good business, anywhere and in any industry, but if you are first with that one thing right on mobile, a larger company being interested in what you do might be the one best thing to happen to your startup.

[Image: Jack Palance in City Slickers]

Disruption comes in all shapes and sizes, and benefits people of all shapes and sizes. When you think about global entrepreneurs solving hard problems, you might not think about creating hardware products that aim to save the lives of premature babies.

A company called Embrace, based in India, is doing just that. It sounds lofty, altruistic and extremely difficult. That’s mostly because it is, and Embrace is making a difference in the face of uphill battles that they see as completely solvable and surmountable. According to WHO, 15 million babies are born premature throughout the world, and 1 million die annually from preterm birth complications.

Breaking down the walls of personal healthcare sounds like something that goes on in an MIT lab, but it’s happening in the city of Bangalore. Embrace has developed an innovative, low-cost infant warmer that allows families to take their newborns home and care for them in a safe and affordable way. Most of the time, these babies have to stay in hospitals, which can be extremely expensive, away from the parents. Since premature babies cannot properly regulate their own temperatures, these devices help keep them warm in the privacy of their own home. Embrace’s infant warmer costs a fraction of the price of existing solutions and functions without a continuous supply of electricity.

For reference, Embrace has taken this device built by GE, and made it cheaper, mobile and more personal:

The result? These items are completely conceived of and designed and manufactured by Embrace:

This product requires no in-depth training to use, no electricity and no maintenance. It just works, as field tests have proved before launching its latest version.

The most interesting thing that I gleaned from talking to one of its co-founders, Rahul Panicker, is that its number one competitor, in theory, is GE. It happens that GE is a global partner for Embrace when it comes to distributing their product. For the for-profit arm of Embrace, this is a fantastic position to be in, business wise. After two years, grabbing funding from Khosla Impact and Capricorn Investment Group doesn’t hurt either.

Embrace started as a team project at Stanford and has evolved into its current iteration in Bangalore, drawing employees and volunteers from all over the world who are focused on creating change and disrupting emerging markets. I spoke to some marketing interns that had come from Palo Alto and Mountain View specifically to work on this problem. As the team walked through some of its design concepts, it felt like this would be the product that Apple would create if it were in the healthcare space…there’s that much attention to detail here.

Even though there is no medical device standard in India, the team has adopted the European standards, which is a forward thinking move to make its products available everywhere they are needed. The team sees huge opportunities for Embrace products in Africa, Ghana and Latin America with at least pockets from 30 countries total requesting the product to be launched in their back yard.

Until that expansion comes, which it most certainly sounds like it will, Embrace is focused on making a big difference where it is. The feedback that they’ve received and business they’ve gotten, mostly from word of mouth between families, is important lessons and feedback learned as a tiny group of people try to tackle huge markets like healthcare.

Since I’m on the Geeks On A Plane trip with Dave McClure, I’ve been bouncing some ideas off of him as far as what stories would be interesting for you, as readers, to read and learn something from. On Embrace, McClure says that their story is a perfect example of “India lifting India up and not relying on anyone else.” That’s pretty powerful.

You can participate by donating money to Embrace’s non-profit arm or just sharing their story with friends. This company has made a product for hospitals that cost $250 and products for home that cost $80. I walked away impressed and inspired, and I of course asked McClure if he’s invested in the company yet. His answer was “not yet,” which certainly doesn’t sound like a “not interested.”

• Allows operation of radio when in holster or on belt clip
• Submersible
• Combination speaker and microphone
• Intrinsically safe for hazardous environments

The Standard CMP460 is a remote speaker/microphone designed to be used with most Standard handheld VHF radios, including the following models: HX280S, HX370S, HX370SAS, HX471X, HX500S-Li, HX751, HX851, and HX760SBTK. It allows communication while the radio is in a holster or clipped to the user’s belt. The speaker/mic can be positioned close to the operator’s ear to allow contant monitoring of the radio’s receiver. The unit is intrinsically safe for use in hazardous environments.

• 100% brand new,specifically designed for your Phone
• Made of durable high-grade TPU material
• Precise cut-outs allows easy access to all buttons, controls and ports without having to remove the skin
• Provides ultimate protection from scratches and its perfect mold keeps the phone trim and trendy
• Unique stlylish and trendy design

Shenit TPU Silicone Case with Cut-outs for Apple iPad Mini 7.9 inch S shape provides the robust protection of a hard case, and the form-fitting flexibility of a soft case. Carefully crafted for a precise fit, this case features full body protection in a slim, bulk-free fashionably-aware package that enhances your phone’s aesthetics. Delivering everyday protection against impact, scratches, dirt, dust, and everyday hazards. Full access to all controls and a simple way to give your handheld a comp

The US government and Gulf Coast states are reportedly considering offering BP Plc a deal under which the company will pay $16bn to settle civil suits stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.

The deal would cover the company’s potential penalties under the Clean Water Act and payments under the natural resources damage assessment, the Wall Street Journal said, citing sources familiar with the discussions. It was unclear if the deal had been formally offered to BP; both the company and the US Justice Department declined to comment.

A settlement could avert a bruising court battle over the worst ever US offshore oil spill. which is slated to start on Monday in New Orleans, although the trial may begin as the terms of the deal are hammered out. A settlement would also put a solid number on BP’s costs under the Clean Water Act, estimations of which range from $4.5bn to $17.5bn, as well as potential natural resources damage assessments to the states under the Oil Pollution Act.

BP has so far spent or committed $37bn on clean-up, restoration, payouts, settlements and fines. That includes an estimated $8.5bn deal with most plaintiffs and a record $4.5bn in penalties, and a guilty plea to 14 criminal counts to resolve charges from the Justice Department and civil claims from the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

BP has said it will settle if offered “reasonable terms”, but also that it is prepared to go to trial if it deemed such demands to be “excessive and not based on reality”.

Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius is expected to make contact with the grieving family of Reeva Steenkamp, the girlfriend he admits shooting dead at his home, his uncle said on Saturday.

The athlete, who is accused of murder, spent eight nights in a police cell in Pretoria before being released on bail of 1m rand ( 74,000) on Friday. He was driven to the luxury home of his uncle, Arnold Pistorius, who said the athlete wanted to reach out to the Steenkamps.

“We don’t want to put him under pressure but while we were in the car, that is what he said,” Arnold told the eNews Channel Africa (eNCA). “The family of Reeva is in his mind all the time and he knows his purpose would be to be part of the family in future.”

It is not clear whether the Steenkamp family, who cremated their daughter last week, are ready for such a gesture. The late model’s father, Barry Steenkamp, told South Africa’s Beeld newspaper that Pistorius would have to “live with his conscience” if he was lying about how he had killed her.

The athlete would “suffer” alone if his claims that he mistook her for a burglar were false, he said. The warning came as what appeared to be Pistorius’s first public comment on the case turned out to be the work of a hacker. “Thank-you to every person that has prayed for both families, Osca”, said a message on his brother Carl’s Twitter account. A spokeswoman for Pistorius said: “The tweet is not from Oscar or Carl. We can confirm that Carl’s Twitter account has been hacked during this very tragic time. We are busy cancelling all the social media sites for both Oscar’s brother and his sister.”

The London Paralympic gold medallist, staying with his family at his uncle’s house in the exclusive Pretoria suburb of Waterkloof, was visited by parole officers and a counsellor on Saturday. Under his bail conditions he cannot drink alcohol, return to his own home or leave the country and must report to a police station twice a week.

Karyn Maughan, a legal journalist at eNCA who has been following the case, said: “I strongly suspect his legal team will bring a challenge to the bail conditions. There was a degree of shock from both the defence and the prosecution that the magistrate added eight or nine conditions that hadn’t been sought.”

The condition that Pistorius be subjected to random alcohol and drug tests had caused particular disquiet, Maughan added. She also said that, according to his coach, Pistorius was due to see a psychiatrist on Tuesday. “Apparently he’s not sleeping.”

The 26-year-old faces months of anxiety and detailed preparation before his next court appearance on 4 June. His agent, Peet van Zyl, played down reports that Pistorius could be training again soon. “Oscar’s got far more important things to worry about than training and that’s why I’ve cancelled all his meetings locally and internationally,” he said.

Pistorius was pursued to his uncle’s home on Friday by the media, who then set up camp outside. Big-money bids are said to be coming in for his story. “Everybody wants to interview him,” van Zyl added. “We’re not going to do any interviews at this time. We’ll sit down with the lawyers and make a decision.”

The double amputee does not face the future alone. At the heart of “Team Pistorius” is his family which, it became clear in court, is deeply religious and close-knit. When the magistrate ruled that Pistorius would be released, they shed tears and embraced in a circle, heads bowed in silent prayer.

Pistorius’s father Henke and brother Carl sat behind him during the four-day bail hearing, occasionally reaching forward to place a consoling hand on the shoulder or back of the trembling, sobbing star. Carl could also be seen typing on a laptop or iPhone, tweeting commentary such as: “How does the prosecution lie with a straight face?”

Carl gave a comforting hug to his sister, Aimee, another fixture in court, when she wept at Friday’s decision. Aimee’s most recent tweet, on 19 February, says: “Reeva’s family in my thoughts today.”

But it is uncle Arnold who has emerged as the family’s de facto spokesman, talking to journalists in the courtroom and, on Friday, maintaining his composure and dignity as he addressed a massive media contingent. Arnold released another statement on Saturday after the athlete’s first night out of custody. “This constitutes a moment of relief under these otherwise very grave circumstances,” he said. “We are extremely thankful that Oscar is now home.”

The family was coming to terms with the reality of Steenkamp’s death and Pistorius’s part in it, he added. “What happened has changed our lives irrevocably. As a family it drew us closer together, supporting and encouraging each other, praying for Oscar whom we love and who remains our son, brother and nephew. We have all been deeply affected by what transpired.

“We are acutely aware of the fact that this is only the beginning of a long road to prove that, as we know, Oscar never intended to harm Reeva, let alone cause her death.”

He added: “We realise that the law must run its course, and we would not have it any other way.”

The statement was released through Vuma Reputation Management, a Johannesburg-based firm that specialises in brand-building and crisis communications for clients such as mining firm Anglo American Platinum, Colgate and First National Bank. It has begun the long process of trying to rehabilitate Pistorius’s public image by overhauling his website.

Oscarpistorius.com now has black borders, a statement about “the recent tragic events” and photos of Pistorius in action, smiling with children and posing on the front of the New York Times magazine. It says messages of support are being received “in the thousands”.

Vuma’s four-strong team has taken over day-to-day public relations from former Sun editor Stuart Higgins, who was in court on Tuesday handing out photocopies of Pistorius’s affidavit to journalists, but then flew back to Britain and took a backseat role.