LIFE

Google Is Waging War on Apps That Attack and Steal From Your Phone

Google made sweeping changes late last month to its policies for developers on Play, the official store for apps that run on Android, Google’s smartphone operating system.

The changes, which among other things affect how ads are displayed and permissions sought, are meant to make Android safer so users can download and use apps with confidence. Developers have until later this month to make the changes. Those that run afoul of the new rules after the deadline will find their apps deleted.Read more here.

TECHNOLOGY

Why Big Tech Companies Are Going After Smart Watches

After two years of seeing smaller companies dabble with smart watches, the big tech companies have decided it’s time to enter the market.

Samsung and Qualcomm both unveiled their first connected watches this week, Sony recently updated its SmartWatch product and Google and Apple are both rumored to be prepping their own releases in the next year or so.

The smartphone war is heating up, but what exactly are these companies fighting for?
Read more here.

ENVIRONMENT

Germany Breaks World Solar Power Generation, Leaving U.S. in the Dust

Germany’s not a very sunny place, yet yet it leads the world in solar power, showing that you don’t have to be in the middle of the Sahara desert to generate lots of clean power from the sun. In July 2013, it set a new world record, producing 5.1 terawatt-hours, a mindbogglingly big number that leaves the U.S. far behind with its 0.764 TWh record for May 2013 (we don’t have data more recent than that). The only thing that comes close is other solar record by Germany, and Germany’s world wind power record of 5 TWh in January earlier this year.
Read more here.

HEALTH

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Eggplant Over Rice [Vegan]

Eggplant is a wonderful vegetable to use for grilling because it soaks up the flavors of a marinade like nobody’s business. If you have a great marinade you want to really show off, eggplant is an ideal platform. And that’s just what this recipe does — a wonderfully sweet and spicy sauce, with just a bit of smokiness from paprika and cumin, is grilled into the eggplant. Served over steamed rice, this is an incredibly simple and oh-so-delicious meal.

Folks differ on whether or not the chewiness of the skin is acceptable. Personally I don’t mind it but others in the house disagree. If you want a soft texture all around on the eggplant, cut off the skin after grilling the slices, and cube just the “meat” of the eggplant.Read more here.