O2 Offers iPhone 4S 32GB Deals on O2

This may well seem like belated news to the average consumer but surprisingly the latest iPhone 4S has not been available to new customers on the O2 network since it initial release back in October of this year, the operator decided to keep its iPhone 4S stocks in-house for their existing customers only.

This meant that unless customers were already signed up with an O2 contract deal or on their pay as you go service then they could not buy the new iPhone 4S on the network, this has thankfully now changed as of last week when O2 deals were made available for the 16GB edition of the latest iPhone.

Now for some more good news, the larger 32GB edition of the iPhone 4S has also now been made available to new customers on the O2 network, there is now a large range of O2 contract offers for the 32GB model which start from as little as £21.50 per month.

This is the cheapest line rental charge available for the iPhone 4S 32GB on O2 but also the cheapest overall deal when you take into account the overall expenditure over the minimum 24 month contract term, the upfront cost of the phone is £399.99 which when added to the line rental cost equates to £915.99.

This is slightly cheaper than the next best deal offered by the Orange network with a £20 line rental fee and £449.99 for the price of the phone which works out to £929.99 over the 24 month contract, however there are bigger benefits to be had when you look at the inclusive volumes offered by these two deals.

The Orange deal only includes 50 minutes of calls, 50 text messages and 100MB of inclusive data to use each month, this would not be enough for an average user and they would end up paying far more once they exceed these small amounts.

The O2 deal for the iPhone 4S 32GB is far more generous with 100 minutes of calls, 500 text messages and a good 500MB of internet access which more than covers an average users data usage over the course of a month.

It is now widely expected that the white edition of the new iPhone 4S 32GB model will also now be offered on the O2 network over the coming days and even the new, larger 64GB edition for those that need extra room for storing files, music, pictures, videos and new applications.

If you would like to take a look at the latest iPhone 4S deals or those of the White iPhone 4S then please head over to our mobile phones price comparison website: Phones Limited.

View the original article here

Can You Recycle Your Cell Phone?

Did you know that the pollution rate increases at five percent every year? Did you know that is partially due to the 500 million cell phones every year that are not recycled with a growing 130 million per year?

Recycling your phone for one thing is tax deductible. Whether it still works and can be donated to someone who needs it, or it can be sent in to be recycled, your one cell phone can help drastically. All of the metals that are combined to make up the cell phone pollute the air, soil and water and are killing off plants and animals at a rapid rate.

Think about it, the battery, the charger, the accessories and all the pieces of the phone whether it is metal glass or plastic can be recycled. Each different piece can be separated into their own special pile and melted down with a bunch of other pieces of its kind. The phones sometimes can be refurbished and reused by those in need but if they can't then they can go through the recycling process of melting down and reusing in new products. All useable material is disposed of in a non harmful way to the environment.

The environment suffers from all of the e-waste that we put in it. So many people are storing up old electronics that just sit in their closets and drawers that will one day throw them out. When that happens the entire earth is going to suffer from it. If everyone threw away their electronics all at once as it all exists right now then we would completely destroy the earth.
Cell phones can even be taken apart and certain parts can be used to make new cell phones. Other materials will still be recycled even if some of the parts of a cell phone are used while others are not useable. The hazardous waste will not be sent to solid waste landfills or incinerators.

The workers are protected too. They are given equipment and mandatory protective gear to shield them from any harmful waste that might come in contact with their body and lungs. These companies are careful of their workers as well.

Your cell phone can be picked up from your house, delivered by you or you can even send it in the mail. Find a recycling plant in your area that can help you pitch in and do your part to save the earth.

View the original article here

Kilobots are leaving the nest: Swarm of tiny, collaborative robots will be made available to researchers, educators, and enthusiasts

The Kilobots are coming. Computer scientists and engineers at Harvard University have developed and licensed technology that will make it easy to test collective algorithms on hundreds, or even thousands, of tiny robots.

Called Kilobots, the quarter-sized bug-like devices scuttle around on three toothpick-like legs, interacting and coordinating their own behavior as a team. A June 2011 Harvard Technical Report demonstrated a collective of 25 machines implementing swarming behaviors such as foraging, formation control, and synchronization.

Once up and running, the machines are fully autonomous, meaning there is no need for a human to control their actions.

The communicative critters were created by members of the Self-Organizing Systems Research Group led by Radhika Nagpal, the Thomas D. Cabot Associate Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and a Core Faculty Member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard. Her team also includes Michael Rubenstein, a postdoctoral fellow at SEAS; and Christian Ahler, a fellow of SEAS and the Wyss Institute.

Thanks to a technology licensing deal with the K-Team Corporation, a Swiss manufacturer of high-quality mobile robots, researchers and robotics enthusiasts alike can now take command of their own swarm.

One key to achieving high-value applications for multi-robot systems in the future is the development of sophisticated algorithms that can coordinate the actions of tens to thousands of robots.

"The Kilobot will provide researchers with an important new tool for understanding how to design and build large, distributed, functional systems," says Michael Mitzenmacher, Area Dean for Computer Science at SEAS.

"Plus," he adds, "tiny robots are really cool!"

The name "Kilobot" does not refer to anything nefarious; rather, it describes the researchers' goal of quickly and inexpensively creating a collective of a thousand bots.

Inspired by nature, such swarms resemble social insects, such as ants and bees, that can efficiently search for and find food sources in large, complex environments, collectively transport large objects, and coordinate the building of nests and other structures.

Due to reasons of time, cost, and simplicity, the algorithms being developed today in research labs are only validated in computer simulation or using a few dozen robots at most.

In contrast, the design by Nagpal's team allows a single user to easily oversee the operation of a large Kilobot collective, including programming, powering on, and charging all robots, all of which would be difficult (if not impossible) using existing robotic systems.

So, what can you do with a thousand tiny little bots?

Robot swarms might one day tunnel through rubble to find survivors, monitor the environment and remove contaminants, and self-assemble to form support structures in collapsed buildings.

They could also be deployed to autonomously perform construction in dangerous environments, to assist with pollination of crops, or to conduct search and rescue operations.

For now, the Kilobots are designed to provide scientists with a physical testbed for advancing the understanding of collective behavior and realizing its potential to deliver solutions for a wide range of challenges.

Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation and the Wyss Institute.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

Smartphone Addiction: What's The Cure?

Smartphone addiction can be considered by many as an over reaction to what many people enjoy using on an everyday basis. But for others it can be considered a problem for many reasons.

With smartphones now capable of not only organizing one's life but also replacing the need for a camera, diary, notepad, calculator and effectively replacing other forms of communication and ways to keep oneself entertained the smartphone has everything covered in a way that has never before been available. The newer generations are having the availability of such a powerful device from a very young age, something that was never available for the previous generations. So in time it may become a much bigger issue than research currently suggests.

What Are The Signs?

An addiction can be spotted at the most basic level for friends or family that continually text and use the smartphone in someone's company for extended periods while being incapable of putting it away, thus having irrational fears of losing or being without it can be the beginning of signs that yourself or someone you know is becoming addicted.

Being able to recognise that there's a problem is the first step to recovery. Therefore, it may already be apparent if a partner is spending each and every day when together glued to their phone checking their social network status or always keeping their inbox refreshed just in case that nothing is missed.

So what are the indicators that should be checked for?

- Checking an inbox repeatedly, within a short period of time.

- Withdrawal symptoms when not capable of using or having access to the smartphone.

- Sleeping patterns changing - becoming more sporadic and dependent on the addiction.

- Texting whilst in conversation with friends and family - Including the reduced number of social gatherings and meeting with friends, in order to compensate the habit.

- Unable to leave home without the smartphone.

- Checking the phone constantly, even though there has been no texts or emails but to view status updates and other notifications.

These are not all specifically focussed with smartphone addiction but by showing signs of many of the above may help identify if there is already a problem or possibly a problem that could be developing.

So What's The Cure?

As previously stated being able to recognise and admit there is a problem can greatly help establish what now must be done to help remove the addiction. But there is no outright cure, instead there are techniques that can reduce the time devoted to it's use and to help realise ways to improve, is a great way to make a start.

To begin try making small changes at a time. For example, if you have friends or family that live close by try communicating face to face as much as possible. As this can help reduce the need for using the phone and can help slowly reduce the amount of time spent each day. This will include when talking to people, try to focus and keep yourself engaged in the conversation so there is never an urge to reach for the phone. Try explain to people your goals and get them involved to keep your mind of it.

Also, try establishing areas that is a smartphone free-zone. For example the bedroom and the bathroom, two places we spend a large part of our day and by removing these areas will again greatly reduce the amount of time each day accumulated to quickly check for updates and texts. Try switching the phone off at night also, being able to sleep at least 8 hours a day is vital and being 'connected' is not worth reducing this.

We all know the benefits that smartphones have in our lives, whether helping organise our day to day activities, helping pass mindless hours on public transport or even help save money by having the ability to have cheap calls to Thailand, Brazil or anywhere else in the world, it must be remembered that everything is acceptable in moderation. Therefore by taking small steps to help reduce the overall time spent and making distractions the addiction may be realised and being able to recognise of how little importance of checking up on social networks, texts and emails really have in your life will hopefully be realised.

Harvey McEwan writes to offer information and advice on a variety of areas, from technology to holiday destinations. Read through Harvey's other articles here to find out more.

View the original article here

New switch could improve electronics

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have invented a new type of electronic switch that performs electronic logic functions within a single molecule. The incorporation of such single-molecule elements could enable smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient electronics.

The research findings, supported by a $1 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation, were published online in the Nov. 14 issue of Nano Letters.

"This new switch is superior to existing single-molecule concepts," said Hrvoje Petek, principal investigator and professor of physics and chemistry in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and codirector of the Petersen Institute for NanoScience and Engineering (PINSE) at Pitt. "We are learning how to reduce electronic circuit elements to single molecules for a new generation of enhanced and more sustainable technologies."

The switch was discovered by experimenting with the rotation of a triangular cluster of three metal atoms held together by a nitrogen atom, which is enclosed entirely within a cage made up entirely of carbon atoms. Petek and his team found that the metal clusters encapsulated within a hollow carbon cage could rotate between several structures under the stimulation of electrons. This rotation changes the molecule's ability to conduct an electric current, thereby switching among multiple logic states without changing the spherical shape of the carbon cage. Petek says this concept also protects the molecule so it can function without influence from outside chemicals.

Because of their constant spherical shape, the prototype molecular switches can be integrated as atom-like building blocks the size of one nanometer (100,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair) into massively parallel computing architectures.

The prototype was demonstrated using an Sc3N@C80 molecule sandwiched between two electrodes consisting of an atomically flat copper oxide substrate and an atomically sharp tungsten tip. By applying a voltage pulse, the equilateral triangle-shaped Sc3N could be rotated predictably among six logic states.

The research was led by Petek in collaboration with chemists at the Leibnitz Institute for Solid State Research in Dresden, Germany, and theoreticians at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, People's Republic of China. The experiments were performed by postdoctoral researcher Tian Huang and research assistant professor Min Feng, both in Pitt's Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Pittsburgh.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Tian Huang, Jin Zhao, Min Feng, Alexey A. Popov, Shangfeng Yang, Lothar Dunsch, Hrvoje Petek. A Molecular Switch Based on Current-Driven Rotation of an Encapsulated Cluster within a Fullerene Cage. Nano Letters, 2011; 111123145903006 DOI: 10.1021/nl2028409

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

Big success with tiny crystals

A little piece of iron wire is magnetic -- just like a huge iron rod. When it comes to material properties, size usually does not matter. Surprisingly, researchers from Austria and India have now discovered that some materials show very unusual behavior, when they are studied in the form of tiny crystals. This could now lead to new materials with tailor-made electronic and magnetic properties.

Different Size Changes Material Properties

Material properties such as electrical conductivity, magnetic properties or the melting point do not depend on an object's size and shape. "In India, however, an experiment recently showed that special manganese oxides -- so called manganites -- exhibit completely different properties, when their size is reduced to tiny grains," Karsten Held explains.

A team of scientists from the Vienna University of Technology (Austria) and the University of Calcutta (India) investigated this phenomenon -- and the new effect could be explained in computer simulations. In a crossover from large crystals to smaller crystals, the distribution of the electrons changes, and so does their energy. This, in turn, changes the electrical and magnetic properties of the crystal. "The phenomenon of quantum entanglement plays a very important role here," says Professor Karsten Held. "We cannot think of the electrons as classical particles, moving independently of each other, on well-separated paths. The electrons can only be described collectively." By changing their size, the properties of the manganite-crystals can now be harnessed. Larger crystals are insulators, and they are not magnetic. Tiny crystal pieces on the other hand turn out to be metallic ferromagnets.

Important for Industrial Applications

Phase transitions, at which important material properties change, play a major role in technological applications: "When data is read from a hard-drive with a reading head, a transition between a conducting and a non-conducting state is used," Karsten Held explains. Similar effects can be seen in manganite crystals: "We knew that magnetic properties of manganites depend on the temperature and the magnetic field," says Tanusri Saha-Dasgupta, a material scientist at the Univeristy of Calcutta. "But now we know that these transitions can also be controlled by altering the size of the crystals." By changing the granular size of the crystals, the scientists can influence the critical temperature and magnetic field strength, at which the phase transition takes place. For technological applications, this opens up exciting new possibilities.

Huge Computational Effort

The manganite crystals studied by the Austro-Indian research team are only some three to fifteen billionths of a meter wide -- but still they consist of hundreds or thousands of atoms. Simulating their behavior on a computer is therefore still a great challenge. "The quantum mechanical equations we are dealing with here can only be solved with extremely powerful computer clusters," says PhD-student Angelo Valli. "Fortunately, the computer cluster VSC at the Vienna University of Technology provides us with remarkable computing power."

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Vienna University of Technology, TU Vienna, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Das et al. Size Control of Charge-Orbital Order in Half-Doped Manganite La0.5Ca0.5MnO3. Phys. Rev. Lett., 107, 197202 (2011)

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

Best Sellers In Unlocked Phones

Cell phones are a must have for all in the present era dominated by rapid advancements in communication and internet. In this article we compare five best selling unlocked cell phones available.

BlackBerry 8520

BlackBerry 8520 phone comes with Bluetooth, WiFi international version and 2 Mega Pixel camera. This phone from the BlackBerry curve smart phones series comes with built in GPS and Maps features. Fast 3G access is available making live streaming a fast and pleasant experience and featured applications available with the BlackBerry 8250 phones are AP mobile, BitBop and Buzzd. The series come in a choice of six attractive colors and the phone supports 802.11 b/g WiFi access.

LG CU920

CU920 Quadband phones from LG come with built in 2 Mega Pixel camera, MP3 player and with touch screen. This mobile phone is well suited for viewing all your favorite shows and they are all accessible via AT & T mobile services. The pictures on the screen are crystal clear with a very high resolution. Pictures, videos, games and HTML web access are all available. Bluetooth is also available and the phone comes with US warranty. The LG CU920 phone is available in an attractive black color.

Palm Pixi Plus

Palm Pixi plus phones comes with GSM and built in 2 Mega Pixel camera with geo-tagging feature. The touch screen display feature comes with 256k colors and proximity sensor is available for auto turn off. The phone operates on Palm webOS and has built in blue tooth feature. Both HTML browsers and WAP2.0 web based support are available with the Palm Pixi plus phones. At&T navigator supported GPS feature is available and the phone comes with US warranty in an attractive black color.

Storm2 9550

Storm2 9550 from BlackBerry comes with enhanced media features like a display resolution of 480*360 and 65,00 colors making the viewing experience on the screen of the phone a spectacular one. Extra memory is included with the phone by addition of a 2MB memory card. Global roaming facility is available through quadband GSM and 3G technologies. Wi-Fi facility with easy access to wireless hot spots is also available with the phone. Advanced sure type and sure press technology is available with all storm2 9550 phones which allow easy text typing and store your typing related habits. This phone is available in black color.

Bold 9780

Bold 9780 series of phones from BlackBerry has unique features like exceptional battery life, 3G network support and offer bright screen resolution. The battery is long lasting and it is detachable providing you a lot of time between charges even for the busy business man. WiFi facility is available with the phone allowing for easy access to the internet to shop online, check email and switching between the carrier network and home network is easy. Music and video can be easily shared by making use of the microSD card. The phone is available in black color.

Roberto Sedycias works as an IT consultant for ecommUS

View the original article here

Apple iPhone Rules the Mobile World

The launch of Apple iPhone has changed the way people use mobile phones. While previously mobile phones were only used for calling up people and sending and receiving texts, now Apple has come up with mobiles that are mini computers in themselves. They are equipped with every application or program that would help in communications as well as in work.

The development of technology has advanced to such an extent that mobile phones are becoming incorporated with remarkable features. With a number of applications and systems, these iPhones have given the world a simplified view of surroundings along with easy access with assistance of the buttons on their phone sets. Not only for business but also for pleasure usage, Apple iPhones are considered the best phones as they help in communication that is required on daily basis and allow the running of programs that help in staying connected.

With a big screen that allows a better view of applications and more compelling media experiences, iPhones are certainly going to rule the world. It is not only a phone but a laptop replacement too that is needed for the basic work carried out most of the time when users are on the road. Whether it is working on your emails, web pages, web forms, creating and editing documents, spreadsheets and even presentations, this device has everything to help you work. Along with the high-resolution camera and video making facilities that help in creation of beautiful images and audio and video facilities, these phones are ruling the world and becoming the joy and pride of every owner.

When it was launched in the early 2007, iPhone was all about the web and messaging without any apps and even then it sold like hot cakes. However, considering the way this industry developed and the quick advancement has made it an all in one product, it is now a mini portable computer that can do everything for you with just a click.

The adaptation of VoIP technology that is being used in iPhones helps the businessmen to deal with the upcoming events very effectively. With various options of communications, these phones enable users to stay in touch with their colleagues very easily using apps and programs that are very simple to operate.

Customized according to the needs of various companies, Apple has made its iPhone to facilitate the users and introduced features that were previously unthought-of in mobile phones. By helping businesses keep records of the ongoing happening in a smart way with use of various technologies, iPhone has become the ideal device for communication when it comes to mobile.

Along with it, the applications that are offered on these devices are simply great. From young kids to adults and even women, all are avid fans of applications that are entertaining and helpful. All these factors have made this phone the talk of the day and the sale of iPhones is a record in itself as each model of this device is received very enthusiastically and admired by the businessmen as well as the individuals.

Roses Mark is a professional iPhone Application Developer. To date he has made numerous iPhone application and published several articles on social media.

View the original article here

Orange San Francisco: Version 1 Vs Version 2

The original Orange San Francisco was launched in 2010, and hailed as a welcome budget option for those in the UK who wanted a smartphone, but didnt want to spend a fortune. For its £99 price tag (on Pay As You Go), the San Francisco was many people's first choice when it came to choosing an Android smartphone. Modders liked it because you could remove all the Orange branding and run your own software over the top. Developers liked it because it was a cheap way to get a dummy phone to test the Android apps they were working on. And first time smartphone buyers liked it because it was a cheap way to get your first Android phone.

With the announcement of the San Francisco 2, Orange want to keep this segment of the market. Their Director of Products and Devices has said

"The Orange San Francisco II is a fitting successor to the award-winning first model, and offers the latest developments in data, voice and design. We are delighted to be following up on the success of the award winning original with such a full-featured product we expect it to be really popular with consumers in the run up to Christmas"

So what has changed between the original San Francisco and this new update?

1) Hardware

Both versions of the San Francisco are exclusively available on Orange. The manufacturer behind them both is ZTE, with the original San Francisco also known as the ZTE Blade.

In looks, there isn't too much to tell the San Fran 2 apart from the original. More or less in the same in width and length, the only real improvement for the San Fran 2 is its depth. At over a millimetre skinner than the original, ZTE have given Orange a phone that has been manufactured with precision to fit the latest hardware technology into a slimmer chassis. The second version is also 10 grams heavier than the original.

This extra weight is definitely the result of newer, better hardware being packed into the San Fran 2. It sports a decent 800 MHz processor, far beating the 600 MHz processor of the original. Although smartphones have now reached dual core levels, 800 MHz is still pretty good for a budget offering.

Next on the list of improvements is the camera. The original San Francisco sported an average 3MP camera. This has been booted up to 5MP on the newer model, and now comes with an LED flash. There is now also a forwards-facing camera on the front, so you can make video calls on it.

Aside from the few points above, there is little difference between version 1 and version 2 of the San Francisco. The new one still has a 3.5 inch capacitive touchscreen, and still has touch sensitive buttons along the bottom of the screen. The bulk of the differences come from the software.

2) Software

Smartphone technology moves quickly, and in the space of a year Android 2.3 has become the Android platform of choice for the most up to date samrtphones. Thankfully, the San Francisco sports this exact version of Android, a vast improvement on the version that came with the original. The original San Francisco ran Android 2.1 (or Eclair, as it is also known), a version of Android that is around 2 years old and definitely ready to be forgotten.

Along with Android 2.3, the San Fran 2 sports a suite of software improvements that make the new version a better prospect than the original. The first one is an integrated Application Manager. The App manager allows you to control the apps that are running on the phone. If an app is selfishly hogging all your 800 MHz of processing power, you can nip it in the bud right away to make the San Fran 2 start working smoothly once again.

It is of course possible to use a task manager on the original San Francisco, but is wasnt available straight out of the box. Its smaller processor means that you are far more likely to need an App manager for the original!

Orange have also added Signal Boost technology to the San Francisco 2. The original lacked this functionality, which is a shame because it really is powerful stuff. Using UMA, it allows the phone to use your Wi-Fi connection in order to boost the signal used for phone calls and text messages. This means that, provided you have Wi-Fi in your house, you can guarantee good signal for calls and texts when you're in your own home.

Not content with UMA technology, Orange have also peppered the San Fran 2 with HD Voice technology. This uses a different sound band to encode more data with the voice call, making it sound crisper and clearer. Phone calls will never be the same again.

With this whole set of features to make the San Fran 2 stand out from the original, is there any software that has remained the same?

The San Fran 2 still has all the Orange apps that came with the original, which will please some and frustrate others. Of course, it will be possible to root the San Fran 2 in the same way that you could purge the original of its Orange-branded software. But for those who like it, you'll still get Orange Wednesday apps and a contacts back up app.

The Price

Price is all-important for Orange if they are hoping to maintain the success of their San Francisco brand, despite its substantial upgrade to both hardware and software.

And the good news is that this updated Orange San Francisco 2 is available on Pay As You Go for £99, or on Pay monthly for £10.50 a month. It looks like Orange got it right this time!

The San Francisco 2 is available on a Pay Monthly Orange Contract as well as Pay As You Go.

View the original article here

'Graphene earns its stripes': New nanoscale electronic state discovered on graphene sheets

Researchers from the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) have discovered electronic stripes, called 'charge density waves', on the surface of the graphene sheets that make up a graphitic superconductor. This is the first time these stripes have been seen on graphene, and the finding is likely to have profound implications for the exploitation of this recently discovered material, which scientists believe will play a key role in the future of nanotechnology. The discovery is reported in Nature Communications, 29th November.

Graphene is a material made up of a single sheet of carbon atoms just one atom thick, and is found in the marks made by a graphite pencil. Graphene has remarkable physical properties and therefore has great technological potential, for example, in transparent electrodes for flat screen TVs, in fast energy-efficient transistors, and in ultra-strong composite materials. Scientists are now devoting huge efforts to understand and control the properties of this material.

The LCN team donated extra electrons to a graphene surface by sliding calcium metal atoms underneath it. One would normally expect these additional electrons to spread out evenly on the graphene surface, just as oil spreads out on water. But by using an instrument known as a scanning tunneling microscope, which can image individual atoms, the researchers have found that the extra electrons arrange themselves spontaneously into nanometer-scale stripes. This unexpected behavior demonstrates that the electrons can have a life of their own which is not connected directly to the underlying atoms. The results inspire many new directions for both science and technology. For example, they suggest a new method for manipulating and encoding information, where binary zeros and ones correspond to stripes running from north to south and running from east to west respectively.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University College London - UCL, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

K.C. Rahnejat, C.A. Howard, N.E. Shuttleworth, S.R. Schofield, K. Iwaya, C.F. Hirjibehedin, Ch. Renner, G. Aeppli, M. Ellerby. Charge density waves in the graphene sheets of the superconductor CaC6. Nature Communications, 2011; 2: 558 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1574

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

GPS Cell Phone Tracker for Tracking Apps

When you think of GPS, what usually comes to mind? Most likely, you think about getting directions to your destination, finding the shortest routes, avoiding closed roads and escaping gridlock traffic. GPS, or Global Positioning System, is a satellite-based system that provides location and time information globally.

However, GPS can be used for much more. A cell phone tracker can be used to track various phone apps to always stay on top of the latest happenings of the most important people in your life and even those that aren't so important. The tracker not only lets you keep track of family and friends, but you can know exactly where they are, when they get there and you can do it all in real-time, so there's no delay.

With applications such as People Finder, Loopt and Find My Friends becoming increasingly popular, people are essentially obsessed with what others are doing, where they're doing it at and when they're doing it. GPS essentially determines their location and help you stay in the loop by keeping you current of their coming and going. On the reverse side, you can also keep others aware of where you are and what you're up to with a cell phone tracker.

GPS cell phone trackers can not only be used to keep tabs on your loved ones, but can also be a great safety measure. A concerned parent wants to know where the kids are, what they're up to and who they're with; they need to make sure they're where they say are and aren't getting into any trouble. If a loved one is on a trip, you want to know that they are safe. A cell phone tracker is the perfect solution for all these scenarios.

Have a roving eyed partner? You might want to keep an eye on him or her. Have an employee who says they couldn't come in because they're sick, but you have a sneaking suspicion they're at the baseball game? Yes, a mobile tracking will be quite useful for those situations as well. The tracking apps are great for finding information you normally wouldn't be able to access and gather on your own. Let your phone do the work for you.

A mobile tracking is a great means of keeping track of loved ones and to always know what's going on with them. It can be a matter of safety and even spying on people. The possibilities are endless.

You will always be able to find what you're looking for with the Cell Phone Tracker.

View the original article here

Changing Your iPhone Color Yourself? 3 Tips To Tip The Scales Toward Your Success

Yes, the most beautiful red, yellow, and especially electric blue colors are available for the iPhone 4 and 4S (among other colors). Yes, you can mix and match colors. Parts are readily available for anyone to buy. No, your chances of successfully getting the parts installed without damaging your iPhone are slim. However, if you must do it yourself, you'll find the following tips will help you up the odds of your success.

TIP #1:

If you get cold feet, but you already have the parts, find help. Find a reputable repair (brick and mortar) iPhone shop (a shop which just fixes iPhones, iPods, and iPads) and ask how much it would cost to install your parts. Be aware that all parts are not made equal. The possibility exist that your parts won't fit correctly, or may have a finger print on the screen which can't be removed (this would have been put there in China on the assembly line). BEFORE you let the shop change the parts for you, ask the tech to examine them and see if they think your parts will work.

TIP #2:

You probably believe you can watch a video on You Tube and you'll be able to change the parts on your own. Don't watch just one video. Find six and watch them all. Re-watch the best video over and over before you start on your phone. THEN, watch that video in segments as you actually spread your iPhone pieces all over the table.

TIP #3:

Determine right now, to have the lightest touch you have ever had in your life while fixing anything. The iPhone 4 is delicate, and it is really easy to rip a ribbon from its' connection or to simply knock a resister off its' connection. As you remove the mother board (logic board in Apple speak) don't put your hand on the three tiny (really tiny) resisters which just sort of hang out the back edge of the mother board because it isn't hard to knock one or more off.

You're reading this and thinking, "this guy just doesn't want people saving money doing their own repairs." That's not true. This is true: There is no such thing as Apple Certification for iPhone, iPod or iPad repair. iPhone shops repair iPhones, iPods and iPads which are owned by certified Apple technicians (who are certified to fix Apple computers), all the time. Ask any shop that specializes in iPhone repair, and they'll tell you it is true. It takes time and critical practice to get good at repairing these tiny devices.

By all means, if your goal is to be good or great at repairing them, start today with your own phone. Just take a deep breath, work slowly and lightly and remember where each of the 18 screws goes, because if you get the screws wrong, your iPhone won't work.

What should you do next?

We'll gladly answer any question you have about any Apple device. It is our pleasure to answer it for you, for free and without any obligation of any kind. We have done thousands of repairs. We are a family run business with two locations in Southern California. You can contact Kort, Julie or Scott Linden at http://www.itechrepairplus.com/

Thanks for reading this - Scott R. Linden

View the original article here

Best Mobile Phones Offers On Christmas - For A Sparking Christmas

Christmas is finally at your doorsteps once again. The festivities of this most awaited festival get doubled with numerous deals and offers available in the markets. People aim to make most of these offers and deals while buying exceptional gifts for their near and dear ones. cheap phones, in today's times are considered to be one of the most appreciated Christmas gifts. The latest handset, glittering in the lights of Christmas is sure to open a new world of enjoyment and entertainment in the life of your loved ones.

Christmas is the most appropriate time of the year for the potential buyers to select their preferred phones without worrying about the price tags attached to them. We at contractmobiletariff.co.uk present our customers with some of the best phone offers on Christmas. At our website your shopping experience will be thrilling and delightful. We also offer several attractive gifts such as iPods, laptops, LCD Tv, ipad, mobile accessories, free texts, gaming consoles, discounted line rentals, free talk times and many more. Apart from these gifts we also offer our customers with a variety of discounts, deals and cash back offers.

The arena of mobile telephony has exalted to higher standards and new dimensions. With our best mobile phones offers on Christmas, the potential buyers can easily afford some of the latest handsets by well-known market players such as Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, LG, HTC, Sony Ericsson and Blackberry. You can also go for reasonable contract phone deals that allow you to choose from the latest releases without worrying about their prices. You can also visit our catalogues to get an exact idea of different kinds of handsets and the contract mobile phone deals associated with them.

We help our customers in getting hold of high-end technology mobile phones at the most lucrative prices with the help of our best mobile phones offers on Christmas. These lucrative offers are available on almost all the leading brands. We assist you in comparing different mobile phones in terms of prices, looks, features, performance, technology, functionalities and compatibility so that you get the nest product for yourself as well as your near and dear ones. We also deal with sim free mobile phones, contract deals and pay as you go mobile so that we can cater to all kinds of users and budgets. We well understand the UK market trends and hence will make all possible efforts to add to your celebrations this Christmas.

About Author
carlodanie is a well-known writer and an expert in the mobile industry. Dealing in various types of writings like articles, blogs, Press releases and more, he has an expertise in the language. You can find updates and other information on various mobile phone offers at contract mobile tariff website.

View the original article here

International SIM Card - 6 Key Attributes to Look for While Buying One

International SIM Card also referred to as Travel SIM Card provides seamless connectivity across the globe thus enabling the traveler to make and receive international and local calls from almost all countries. It mostly works on the GSM platform and automatically connects to the GSM operator of the country of travel. For example, if you are traveling to the USA, your phone is most likely to connect to AT&T or T-Mobile which are the largest GSM networks in the USA.

International SIM Cards reduce your cost of roaming by as much as 90% depending on the provider you use. These cards also allow you to receive free incoming calls in many countries. Several providers also provide enhanced features like voicemail, data services and more.

There are many companies which provide International SIM Cards and you can buy one of them online. Here below, I am listing 6 key attributes that you should look for while buying one.

1. Calling rates: Calling rates to make local and international calls should be checked in detail, particularly for the country of travel. Many a times, a connection charge is also applicable. Also, check if the billing is done on per minute basis or per second basis.

2. Incoming charges: Incoming is not always free and you should check for the list of countries where you would receive calls for free without any charges. Many a times, a connection charge also applies on incoming call which is worth paying attention to.

3. Recharge options (adding credit to your account): If you choose to go for a Prepaid account, you should check the recharging options. It may not be possible at all the times for you to connect to the internet and recharge. A good provider should provide you the facility to add credit to your account by using phone menu options.

4. Customer Service: How will you be assisted in case of any problem in your country of travel? Will you be able to speak to the Customer Service in your choice of language? A good provider should provide you with local access numbers for different countries which you can dial and speak to the customer service in your choice of language.

5. Expiry terms: You should check the conditions relating to the expiry of your account. What if you have not used your phone for 3 months? Will your SIM Card and talk-time expire?

6. Price: Always buy talk-time along with SIM Card. It usually costs less than buying them separately.

P. Priya invites you to read more about International SIM Cards at http://www.hireasim.com/
Please drop a line at http://www.hireasim.com/contact.php for any specific questions you might have regarding International SIM Cards. Thanks

View the original article here

New Blackberry Bold 9900 White Edition Lands on T-Mobile Deals

The latest colour scheme for the new Blackberry Bold 9900 has now been released on a small range of T-Mobile deals, the recently introduced white edition of the Blackberry Bold 9900 replicates the advanced features and technology found in the original black model but packs them into a new white casing.

Originally launched on Vodafone, Orange and O2 contract deals the Blackberry Bold 9900 in white can now be connected to the T-Mobile network, there are only currently two deals available for the phone on T-Mobile as this is still an exclusive model to the Phones4U Group who are dictating how they sell the phone.

These two deals are on the 'T-Mobile 20 and 25' tariffs and both include Blackberry services for email and instant messaging, the cheaper of the two is offered at £25.53 line rental per month but does require an upfront price of £179.00 for the handset.

Included in this deal are 300 minutes of calls, 300 text messages and 500MB of internet access to use each and every month, this is extended with the second deal which costs £30.64 per month and allocates double the amount of minutes at 600, 500 text messages and the same 500MB of inclusive data but with a discounted upfront cost of £49.00.

These two deals for the new white Blackberry Bold 9900 are not the cheapest available, these are offered by Vodafone for a free phone at £31 per month and the cheapest of all is from O2 at £21.50 per month with a £69.00 upfront cost equating to £585.00 over the minimum term contract period of 24 months.

This latest Blackberry Bold 9900 in white and black colour schemes is the most advanced smart phone from the Bold series to be released so far, powered by a 1.2GHz processor and offering both a touch screen and physical qwerty keypad it is the ultimate in messaging devices.

On the reverse of the phone is a 5 mega pixel camera which can capture video at 720p HD quality and uniquely the Bold 9900 can play back video at the same resolution, for internet usage there is built-in Wi-Fi and 3.5G support for fast connections plus GPS with Blackberry Maps for satellite navigation.

The Blackberry 9900 also features the latest operating system; BBOS7 which is also found in other new models such as the Blackberry Curve 9360, Curve 9380, Torch 9810 and Torch 9860, this has further improved on previous editions with faster and smoother handling of operations as well as extra support for multiple file formats.

It is not currently known just how long the Phones4U Group have the exclusive launch period for this new Blackberry phone but once it has finished other independent retailers and the UK networks will be able to offer the phone which will expand the number of deals available on the T-Mobile network.

If you would like to see the latest deals for the new White Blackberry 9900 or check out Blackberry 9900 deals for the black edition then please feel free to visit our website: Phones Limited.

View the original article here

iPhone Repair: When Is It NOT Worth Fixing?

iPhones are reliable devices. However, we use them a lot. Buttons wear out. Charging and earphone jacks get messed up. Speakers and mics just quit. Software issues happen. Some phones like to swim in funny places (and not so funny places). Obviously, broken glass in the most common problem. Here's a simple guide to when NOT to repair:

Few repair places specialize in Apple devices (other than the Apple Store) and they are unlikely to bother with crushed devices or devices which have been swimming (alone, or in your pocket). Few repair shops are willing to take a look at your device without charging for their opinion.

If you find a reputable brick and mortar repair shop which specializes in Apple devices, and is willing to open it up and give you an estimate for free, go there, you have nothing to lose. If you can't find such a shop, please follow the guide below.

2G:

The 2G is the first iPhone and they are getting old. They are the best built of the iPhones. However, they are difficult to repair, and the parts are expensive. Virtually any repair will cost more than the phone is worth. Older Apple devices can become valuable. An early Apple computer recently sold for $250,000 at auction. If you can, just keep the 2G and move on, SIRI is waiting!

3G and 3GS:

These two are relatively easy to repair, parts are cheap, and they are still viable as phones (the 3GS is still in production as of this writing). However, if you have a 3G which needs more than one repair, you may want to sell it for parts at an online auction, or Craigslist. If you have a 3GS that needs more than two repairs, the same advise holds true.

Generation 4 and 4S:

The 4 and the 4S are likely to have very long lives. This is because the technology is reaching a point of maximum practical viability. The introduction of SIRI (which can be loaded on a 4) is the true beginning of all of us talking to all devices. The iPhone 4 and 4S can go from looking like junk to looking like new in an hour and at a cost which is roughly equal to 1/3 the cash value of the phone.

iPod generation 1, 2, 3, 4:

The first generation is not worth repairing. (keep it as an antique). The gen 2, 3, and 4 can be worth repairing. However, the Generation 4 device is among the most difficult of all Apple devices to repair. Here's the rub: If you 1,000 songs on it, you have a lot of money invested, so yes, if it is repairable, repair it.

iPad 1 and 2:

Many people have a crush on the iPad. However, a crushed iPad is worth just about zero and is just about impossible to bring back to life. If the glass is cracked, it is a reasonable repair, and should be done. If it is crushed because a car ran over it, you're done.

Swimmers:

If your Apple device has been submerged, find a shop which charges nothing if they cannot save it. Otherwise, the odds are against you. Yes, the device should go into Minute Rice right away, but it needs to be opened or you're kidding yourself, so find a shop, and they'll get it in rice for 24 to 48 hours before they try to revive it. Also, be aware that is common for a wet device which is resurrected to work for weeks or months and then fail.

No matter how badly damaged your iPhone, iPad or iPod, consider its' value. Even crushed or submerged, it probably is still worth something to someone, so put it up for sale and turn it to cash, even if it can't be repaired. Be honest about the condition and say it is just for parts.

What should you do next?

Please, ask questions. We'll answer any question you have about any Apple device. It is our pleasure to answer it for you, for free and without any obligation of any kind. We have done thousands of repairs. We are a family run business with two locations in Southern California. You can contact Kort, Julie or Scott Linden at: http://www.itechrepairplus.com/ Thanks for reading this - Scott R. Linden

View the original article here

iPhone Repair: The Way to Replace a Verizon iPhone Screen

There are many tools needed to perform this repair. You may want a flathead, Phillips, and petalobe screwdrivers. You are going to also need to have a plastic and metal soft pry tools

Step One.

You are going to need to have to make use of the phi lips or the petalobe screwdriver (depends upon the model of the iPhone) to get rid of the two screws situated on the bottom of the iPhone. They're next to the charging port and speakers.

Step Two.

As soon as the screws are removed, you're ready to take the back cover off the iPhone. Simply slide the cover up and lift it out of the telephone. Ensure not to press down on the glass cover due to the fact it could simply break.

Step Three.

The subsequent step would be to remove the battery from the iPhone housing. In order to do this, you are going to must take away the screw holding the battery terminal in location. When this really is carried out, you can eliminate the terminal from the logic board and lift the battery out of the housing. Use the clear tab plus a plastic pry tool to help lift the battery out.

Step Four.

The subsequent step demands you to remove the two screws that hold the charging port flex cable in place together with the metal tab on best of it.

Step Five.

Subsequent, you may must get rid of all of the screws holding the black metal cover and 1 screw from a metal clip that's subsequent to it. These metal clips be sure that the connections don't come of the motherboard from vibration or dropage. As soon as the screws are removed, take the metal covers off the motherboard.

Step Six.

Next, take away all of the flex cable connectors from the logic board. The following connectors will need to be removed; digitizer screen, camera, antenna, charging dock, volume button, energy button, headphone jack.

Step Seven.

Soon after the connectors are removed, you may must get rid of the rest of the screws inside the iPhone. 3 of these screws call for the flat head screwdriver to get rid of. Also, among the screws is situated in the corner underneath a black sticker exactly where the camera was located.

Step Eight.

As soon as all the screws are removed, you might be now ready to remove the motherboard. Lift the board out of the housing by lifting the back finish very first and making sure that you clear all of the flex cables with out damaging them inside the method.

Step Nine.

The subsequent move is to take the speakerphone and antenna assembly out of the iPhone.

Step Ten.

Subsequent, remove the vibration module by making use of your dull blade and sliding it underneath the motor. Attempt to keep the adhesive intact.

Step Eleven.

You'll find ten more screws which you will must handle. The 4 screws located in the four corners of the iPhone will need to be removed. The six wider screws with washers situated on the sides of the housing will have to be lightly loosened.

Step Twelve.

Lastly, we can now begin to get rid of the screen from the iPhone. Use your dull blade to separate the screen from the aluminum housing and start off from the bottom of the screen close to the home button. Do this until the screen is out of the iPhone.

Step Thirteen.

You are going to need to eliminate the metal grill along with the plastic camera holder from the old screen assembly to ensure that you'll be able to use it again with your replacement screen.

So that you can reassemble the iPhone, just follow these methods inside the reverse order. Please use our detailed repair videos which have detailed instructions and tips. If this seems like a difficult repair to perform, please pay a visit to our iPhone repair section for our skilled iPhone repair service.

iRepair Solutions is a proud contributing article writer and produces articles on several subject areas which includes how to deal with iPhone repair and has more information at http://www.irepairsolutions.net/.

View the original article here

A Slew of Extra Powerful Apps Baked Into Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

Android is not just an operating system that runs underneath a user interface. It is also a suite of well-integrated apps that make it possible for users to use the various hardware capabilities of their Android smartphones and Android tablets.

In the latest version recently released--Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich--Google has further fortified not just the operating system but also the apps that come along with it. In this post, you will get an overview of some of the most important apps that Google drastically revamped in Android 4.0.

Better Web Browsing

For faster browsing, Android 4.0 includes a tabbed browser, which offers you quick previews of Web pages and allows you to swiftly switch from one open tab to another.

The browser can save up to 16 tabs and you can remove unused tabs with a simple flick gesture. Plus, it can also automatically sync Chrome bookmarks on your desktop with your Android phone. No need to install additional apps to sync your bookmarks on your device.

By default, the new browser in Android 4.0 opens mobile versions of Web pages. But, it also gives you the option to switch to the full desktop versions of the same Web pages.

The browser also now includes the option for saving Web pages for offline reading, as well as accessibility features, a history of most visited pages, and an incognito mode for private browsing.

Next-level Gmail

The new Gmail in Android 4.0 displays two-line previews of each email--so you'll get a quick preview of what each email contains.

The new Gmail app also includes an action bar below each message. The action bar provides quick access to the most common actions that you perform on your messages. The app allows you to swiftly browse through your emails by swiping from left to right.

Another interesting feature is Gmail's offline search. The new Gmail app allows you to search within emails within the last 30 days without your having to go online.

Easier Calendar App

The new Calendar app features a simpler and more readable design, which makes it easy for you to follow your everyday schedules.

It also features pinch-to-zoom functions, which allows you to display more details or just the overview of each day just by pinching the screen with your thumb and forefinger.

Photo Snapping and Editing Made Better

Android 4.0 features a drastically revamped Camera app that has zero shutter lag, which allows you to capture precious moments faster.

Users can also now enjoy panoramic photo shooting. Such camera mode allows you to sweep the camera in one smooth motion to capture a subject in panorama mode.

The new Photos app in Android 4.0 also makes photo sharing much easier. Just click on a photo and choose where to share it--either on Facebook, Google+, or Twitter.

The Camera app now includes built-in photo editing tools never before seen in any previous build of Android. So, with Android 4.0, you can now directly edit, crop, or filter your photos right on your Android phone or Android tablet.

The Gallery app has also been given a total makeover. It has been redesigned to display big pictures, with labels rendered in the Roboto font. The layout this time is more magazine-like. Photos are also automatically sorted not just by album but also by geo-location or by custom tags.

Other cool new features in the Camera app are Continuous Focus, Zoom While Recording, Time Lapse, and Video Snapshots--all of which make your Android phone's camera more powerful than ever.

People App Centered on People

The heavily redesigned People app now, more than ever, places stronger emphasis on improved communication, interaction, and faster sharing of information.

The People app goes beyond a mere list of contacts. The People app now shows a wider range of information about your contacts--phone numbers, addresses, social networking sites that they hang out in, and much more

Just like the photos in the Gallery, your contacts are now shown in the People app in a magazine-style layout. Each contact's page displays a high-quality photo of the contact and the contact's most recent social networking updates.

The People app also supports voice mail retrieval much better, and also provides a non-offensive way to reject incoming calls from your contacts.

With this new and heavily improved suite of apps in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, one can be sure that using an Android smartphone or an Android tablet with Android 4.0 will be nothing less than pleasurable and convenient.

Eager to know more about Android smartphones and Android tablets? Or, perhaps, you already own one and want to know what else that intelligent device can do to make your life just a little bit short of paradise? Get some TidBits of Android reviews and news at AndroidTidBits.com

View the original article here

Free Cell Phone Number Tracker

Many people do not realize that there are ways to track a cell phone. A cell phone tracker can come in handy in many situations, and the service can usually be found for free. All one must do is search the web for an internet or phone application that can be used to track cell phone numbers using GPS.

It is very simple, really. Phones are required to emit a signal that can be located on GPS whenever they make a 911 call. However, most mobile today are designed so that this GPS signal is constantly being emitted. This means that your phone, or nearly any other cell phone, can be tracked using GPS and the right application.

There are many cases in which a mobile tracker might be useful. If you lose your phone, or leave it somewhere and you don't know where because you have been so many places in one day, you can track the phone by the number for free and know where to go pick up your phone. If your phone is stolen, you can track the phone to its location and notify the authorities.

However, there are many other uses for a free mobile tracker. You can use the cell phone number tracker to keep tabs on your children, for example. If you want to see if they are where they said they would be, just type in their number into the application and see where they are located at that point in time. You could potentially also use this to keep track of where your spouse is. For example, if your spouse says they are working late, you can track their cell phone to see if they are really at the office or not. This can be a huge help in determining if your spouse is being faithful. In addition, you can use the application to track your friends and see where they are hanging out. You might be able to surprise them by showing up when you are least expected.

Overall, a free mobile tracker has many uses, and should not be ignored. You should locate a free cell phone number tracker well in advance of needing one so that you are familiar with the site and how it works. Some sites require you to register phone numbers and respond to an SMS message in order to make sure that you have permission to track the phone. This prevents privacy violation issues.

You will always be able to find what you're looking for with the Cell Phone Tracker.

View the original article here

Efficiency metrics for energy storage devices need standardization

Solving the mystery of prematurely dead cell phone and laptop batteries may prove to be a vital step toward creating a sustainable energy grid according to Drexel researcher Dr. Yury Gogotsi. In a piece published in the November 18 edition of Science, Gogotsi, who is the head of the A.J. Drexel Nanotechnology Institute, calls for a new, standardized gauge of performance measurement for energy storage devices that are as small as those used in cell phones to as large as those used in the national energy grid.

Gogotsi is one of the featured experts, along with Bill Gates, tapped by Science to address problems that must be solved en route to the widespread use of renewable energy. His piece, co-authored with Dr. Patrice Simon of the Université Paul Sabatier in Toulouse, France, is entitled "True Performance Metrics in Electrochemical Energy Storage."

"A dramatic expansion of research in the area of electrochemical energy storage has occurred over the past due to an ever increasing variety of handheld electronic devices that we all use," Gogotsi said. "This has expanded use of electrical energy in transportation, and the need to store renewable energy efficiently at the grid level. This process has been accompanied by the chase for glory with the arrival of new materials and technologies that leads to unrealistic expectations for batteries and supercapacitors and may hurt the entire energy storage field."

The main type of energy storage device addressed in the article is the supercapacitor. Supercapacators, which are built from relatively inexpensive natural materials such as carbon, aluminum and polymers, are found in devices, ranging from mobile phones and laptop batteries to trams, buses and solar cells. While supercapacitors tend to store less energy compared to standard lithium-ion batteries, they have the ability to charge and discharge energy more quickly than batteries and can be recharged a near infinite number of times, and operate in a wider temperature range with a high efficiency.

Typically, the performance of both, batteries and supercapacitors, is presented using Ragone plots, graphs that show a relation between the energy density and the power density. For example, a Rangone plot for the battery used in an electric car shows both how far it can travel on a single charge -energy density- and how fast the car can travel -power density. An ideal energy storage device is expected to store plenty of energy and do it quickly.

The issue that Gogotsi and Simon bring to light is the idea that current metrics for grading energy storage devices, including the Ragone plot, may not provide a complete picture of the devices' capability. According to the researchers, other metrics, such as a device's cycle lifetime, energy efficiency, self-discharge, temperature range of operation and cost, must also be reported.

"This paper calls upon the community of scientists and engineers who work on supercapacitors to present data on material performance using metrics beyond the traditional Ragone plot," Simon said. "Although such plots are useful for comparing fully packaged commercial devices, they might predict unrealistic performance for packaged cells from extrapolation of small amounts of materials."

Gogotsi and Simon have a longtime research collaboration, investigating materials for supercapacitors. Their joint work has received global coverage and various awards and distinctions. Funding for the collaboration between Gogotsi and Simon is sponsored by the Partner University Fund (PUF) which supports innovative and sustainable partnerships between French and US institutions of research and higher education.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Drexel University.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Y. Gogotsi, P. Simon. True Performance Metrics in Electrochemical Energy Storage. Science, 2011; 334 (6058): 917 DOI: 10.1126/science.1213003

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

The Samsung Epic 4G

When the Samsung Epic was released on August 31st, it was proclaimed to be one of the fastest phones in history and that's quite a thing to say. With its vast memory and Gingerbread operating system, this phone is clearly one of the greatest handsets around and is one you should be proud to own.

This is one of the best phones I have ever come across and I could talk all day about it; but you need to see for yourself how good it is and that's why I've decided to let you have a look at a list of the Samsung Epic's specifications.

Features and Specifications

· Length: 4.6 inches; Width: 2.5 inches; Depth 0.6 inches.

· The battery power lets you have 300 hours of standby time and 6 hours of continuous talk time.

· Built-in Gingerbread operating system (Android 2.3)

· 1GHz processing speed

· Hummingbird Application Processor

· Front-facing and rear-facing camera; the rear-facing camera consists of 5 Mega Pixels and takes clear shots even on the sunniest of days.

· Downloadable content including wallpapers and more

· Compatible with most types of music files

· 16 GB in-built memory and 1 GB of RAM

· 'Swype' technology which makes texting so much easier

· Bluetooth enabled

· Wi-Fi enabled

· Capable of playing movies without much buffering

If you are looking for a phone that stands out from the crowd then the Samsung Epic is for you; I have never had the pleasure of seeing a phone work as quickly as this one does and you aren't left waiting for apps and menus to load as you often are with other newer phones.

Despite the fact that there is not a slot for an SD card, you will find that 16GB of memory and 1GB of RAM sufficient to keep you going for a very long time and you will have no need to worry about fitting a boat load of music, pictures and more onto the system.

This phone is incredibly thin and it means you don't have to put up with its bulk and sheer size as you have to with many of the newer phones out on the market at the moment. Big can be beautiful but when it comes to your handset it can also be rather inconvenient and easy to get in the way. The Samsung Epic may work faster than other phones and it may be able to do so much more, but it is not big and bulky, it is a humble smaller phone that will work wonders for you every single time you use it.

Stop settling for less and get your hands on the Samsung Epic, it's the fastest handset around and promises to make using it so much easier.

Hi I'm Mark Francis I hope that you found this article helpful. If you have any comments or questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

PS. Don't forget that it's always cheaper for you to get your phone online than going directly to your local Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile store. Click on the link below to view a quick video explaining how you too can benefit.

http://www.cellphonedoc.com/

View the original article here

Some smartphone models more vulnerable to attack

New research from North Carolina State University shows that some smartphones specifically designed to support the Android mobile platform have incorporated additional features that can be used by hackers to bypass Android's security features, making them more vulnerable to attack. Android has the largest share of the smartphone market in the U.S.

"Some of these pre-loaded applications, or features, are designed to make the smartphones more user-friendly, such as features that notify you of missed calls or text messages," says Dr. Xuxian Jiang, an assistant professor of computer science at NC State and co-author of a paper describing the research. "The problem is that these pre-loaded apps are built on top of the existing Android architecture in such a way as to create potential 'backdoors' that can be used to give third-parties direct access to personal information or other phone features."

In essence, these pre-loaded apps can be easily tricked by hackers. For example, these "backdoors" can be used to record your phone calls, send text messages to premium numbers that will charge your account or even completely wipe out all of your settings.

The researchers have tested eight different smartphone models, including two "reference implementations" that were loaded only with Google's baseline Android software. "Google's reference implementations and the Motorola Droid were basically clean," Jiang says. "No real problems there."

However, five other models did not fare as well. HTC's Legend, EVO 4G and Wildfire S, Motorola's Droid X and Samsung's Epic 4G all had significant vulnerabilities -- with the EVO 4G displaying the most vulnerabilities.

The researchers notified manufacturers of the vulnerabilities as soon as they were discovered, earlier this year.

"If you have one of these phones, your best bet to protect yourself moving forward is to make sure you accept security updates from your vendor," Jiang says. "And avoid installing any apps that you don't trust completely."

Researchers now plan to test these vulnerabilities in other smartphone models and determine whether third-party firmware has similar vulnerabilities.

The paper, "Systematic Detection of Capability Leaks in Stock Android Smartphones," will be presented Feb. 7, 2012, at the 19th Network and Distributed System Security Symposium in San Diego, Calif. The paper was co-authored by Jiang and NC State Ph.D. students Michael Grace, Yajin Zhou and Zhi Wang. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Army Research Office.

The full paper, with technical details, is available here.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by North Carolina State University.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

View the original article here

How To Do a Free Reverse Cell Phone Number Lookup Search!

Are you looking to track a telephone or cell phone number down using a reverse phone lookup for free? Then read on to know how you can do that!

Reverse phone number lookup service on the internet is the most demanded service by people nowadays. One would want to run a reverse cell phone number lookup for various reasons, it may be that you want to get details about someone who concerns you, for example someone that keeps harassing you by annoying calls, or you may need to trace a phone number of a person for business purposes. Whatever reason you may have that requires you to do phone number search, the good news is that you can do such lookup online without the need to touch any phone book and waste your time and even get no results in the end. Reverse phone lookup may refer to reverse landline telephone number lookup, or reverse cell phone number lookup, now is it possible to run free reverse lookups that would reveal the name and address in search results in both cases?

Running a free reverse phone lookup for landline phone numbers!

There are some methods to reverse lookup landline numbers, but to do a free reverse cell phone number lookup of a number with name and address you may do it differently.

1) Use a telephone or reverse phone directory

The most prevalent method for doing that would be to run a reverse lookup of the number using the public listings of telephone companies

2) Google that landline number!

Google used to offer a phonebook lookup service but unfortunately this service has been discontinued recently. However, Google search can still reverse lookup a land line number. One way would be that Google will find the page for you If that number is published on any website on the internet. So you can track the number down easily if the owner of it has listed it on his own website.

3) Use free reverse phone number lookup websites

You may use various websites which offer free reverse phone number lookup for landlines, Some websites offering that service are "White pages", "Yellow pages", " Phonelookup". These websites allow you to do free reverse lookups which include the name and address of searched numbers in the results.

Running a free reverse phone lookup for cell phone numbers!

Can you make a a free cell phone number lookup to reveal name and address? The answer is 'NO', even if you read on various websites on the internet that you can do that but the truth is you cannot do it free. Yes you can certainly do a reverse cell phone lookup with these websites and they would reveal you some other information such as the cellular company name and city name of the subscriber, but to reveal the name and address then you will need to pay a little fee, some fee ranges from paying for a single reverse lookup on a single number, and other fee type would be as a subscription fees so you can use the service for unlimited searches/lookups.

Which reverse cell phone number lookup service offering cell phone and landline lookups

Be aware that there are so may reverse lookup websites on the internet offering this kind of service, but there are some important considerations when trying any service such as how accurate their database is, how often it is updated, how much information they provide on a requested lookup, how much fees they charge and can still deliver the best results, and how user feedbacks are on that specific service.

To read more information on how to do a free reverse lookup, visit this free cell phone number lookup website, or you may visit this free reverse cell phone lookup services website which includes a comparison list of the most popular reverse lookup services you may use to find owner's information of any landline, cell phone or even unlisted numbers.

View the original article here

The iPhone 4S Achieves Superb Sales For October But Android May Dominate November

In October we saw the launch of the eagerly awaited iPhone 4S. This new dual core handset offers users a host of great features including the impressive Siri voice recognition system. We take a look at how sales of this model have compared against Android, the current market leader.

Apple increased their market share in the UK in October to 27.9% thanks to the launch of this exciting new model. In that month alone Apple handsets accounted for 42.8% of UK sales for all mobile platforms. This figure eclipses the 35% share achieved by Android, the current market leader and nearest rivals to the Apple brand. Data research company Kantar Worldpanel Comtech released the figures which also illustrate that a massive 44.8% of the UK public currently own a smartphone. Dominic Summeno, a spokesperson for the company commented "The October launch of the hugely anticipated iPhone 4S has catapulted Apple into second place among operating systems based on the last 12 weeks of sales. However, if you just look at the month of October, Apple took a whopping 42.8% share of all smartphone sales, giving it a significant lead over Android". Another figure that has emerged is that of all of the new iPhone 4S purchases 75% were by people who had previously owned an iPhone. This illustrates that the company have established tremendous brand loyalty and this bodes well for future handset releases such as the anticipated iPhone 5 in 2012.

Although October was a huge month for Apple and the iPhone 4S we can expect November to be a much more balanced month with several manufacturers choosing to release key Android handsets in this period. Samsung look likely to achieve great success with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The previous flagship model released by the company, the Galaxy S2, proved an international success and quickly became the best selling handset of 2011. The improved specification of the Galaxy Nexus should see this model quickly become one of the leading phones available. HTC have also impressed with their efforts over the past month. With the Sensation XL and XE models the company have not only developed two superb smartphones but also ones which offer audio facilities that surpass all of their rivals thanks to the incorporation of Beats Audio technology. With a huge proportion of the UK public using their phone as a portable audio player we can also expect these two models to be challenging the market leaders.

The iPhone 4S has been a massive success since its release. The UK figures for October surpass what industry experts predicted but we should see Android fight back over the next two months thanks to the excellent releases from Samsung and HTC.

The iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus are available now

View the original article here

Why SIM Only Contracts Are The Way To Go

No matter how much certain people have tried to avoid the fact that times are changing a huge percentage of the western population now own a mobile phone. They have many different functions which to some are great but to others who just want to stick a simple phone or the one that came with their last one not the latest there is something new giving them the option to do so and be rewarded by way of saving on their outlay each month. This is by choosing SIM only contracts instead.

The great savings you can make are down to being able to use your existing mobile or purchasing another that is better suited to your budget and needs.

If you have a mobile that is able to accept cards from different networks you have the ability to swap the contract as much as would with a credit card if the offer became more appealing at the time. The reason for this is not being held to a lengthy contract as you would if you were to include the phone in the deal.

It has been said that the customer is right and of course by setting those standards they are showing that without keeping the customer happy they will not keep them, therefore cannot make a profit. Everyone wants to make more and the way to do so is offering more choice to people from all walks of life. Try out this method for 30 days and if you are not happy either terminate or swap to another without obligation. If all is well keep it rolling or extend if you so wish.

You can request a contract that lasts longer for convenience and you will be rewarded by companies who are sure to definitely have your custom over the time you have agreed to keep to the agreement for.

It is becoming a scary place out there and when you have children or someone vulnerable that goes out without you from time to time you want to be able to reach them and for them to phone home should they be late. What you need to avoid though is them running up bills that cost more than a monthly shop for a family of four. You can cap your limit at a certain amount to be sure there are no nasty surprises keeping every bill under a certain level.

If you like to have more than one number for example one for business and another for personal use you can change over the cards as required and ensure you are not disturbed by either work while at home or the other way around and never again forget to take the right phone or too many handsets with you.

Because so many people are now offering the service of getting SIM cards yet using a phone you already have or outside the usual choice range the difficult part can be choosing the best for your needs. The easiest way is to think of whether you like to text, talk or browse more and what allowances are most valuable to you. With this in mind you can use the internet to look for most cost effective deal from one site saving you hours of looking around.

Check out our article to learn more about SIM Only Contracts and their benefits. You can also get information and compare sim only deals with ease by using our site:- http://www.bestsimonlydeals.com/

View the original article here

iPhone Repairs and iPad Repair

There are countless ways that an iPhone or an iPad can get damaged and while these are great devices that have become practically ubiquitous for anyone who uses them, they are also very prone to damage and it is very important to have the number of iPhone or iPad repairs handy. Here are some common ways that they can get damaged.

In the pocket

This is a classic way for the iPhone to get damaged. The problem is that the iPhone is constantly being carried on us and that therefore means that it's easy for it to get destroyed. It may be in your pocket, but that doesn't mean that it's free from damage. If you have your iPhone in your pocket and you walk into the corner of a table then this will mean that you're likely to crack the screen and need iPhone screen replacement.

Drinks

Drinks are not friends of electrical appliances or computers or digital devices and are probably responsible for a very large proportion of broken iPhones and iPads as well as laptops and things. For iPhones it's all too easy to fumble the phone into a hot cup of coffee or a pint of beer, while for iPads that are often left casually on coffee tables due to their ease of use are prone to having drinks spilled all of them. In either case the device may just be repairable if it properly dried out.

Dropped

iPhones are dropped perhaps more commonly than iPads and that's because they are constantly being carried. People also have an unhealthy tendency to use iPhones in difficult situations. For instance people will hold the phone with one hand while trying to find the camera button and pose for photographs, or they will get it out in the middle of a rock concert to write a text. This then results in the phone getting dropped which can either shake up the internal mechanisms or shatter the screen. In any case you are going to need replacements.

iPads get dropped less often but it still happens and because they are so easy to use it's easy to forget just how valuable they are and how easy it is to break them as well. There's more screen, so sadly there's more to break.

Thrown

You might be questioning why anyone would ever throw an iPhone, and of course this isn't something that anyone does on purpose but it can happen and people accidentally throw their iPhones often when they are playing games that use the motion controls. Games like golf often require you to swing the phone and this can then sometimes mean that you end up just launching it as it slides from your grip. Don't play this game unless you have a good grip on the device.

Software

It's easy to forget that iPhones or iPads are essentially computers, and like the best technology they tend to disappear in your hands. However there's still a lot that can go wrong and if you clog up the device or don't use it wisely you can cause software problems that stop them from working.

iPad Repairs are always necessary to make sure that it is repaired and working properly. iPhone Repairs are also necessary, as you use your phone constantly.

View the original article here

Cell Phones With the Senior Citizen in Mind

There are many cell phones being offered that have senior citizens in mind. These phones have large keypads, bright screens that are easy to read and are hearing aid and TTY compatible. For those who want the simplest operation possible there are phones that do not include more complicated options such as texting. If you are comfortable with technology and would like texting, camera functions, etc. there are phones that will provide these as well. In addition there are many cell phone plans that are affordable yet provide a reasonable amount of minutes.

There are even some Pay-As-You-Go plans that allow flexibility to meet changing needs. With the growing number of senior citizens mobile providers will continue to expand the products and services available. The internet is a great place to find out about these products and services but with the number of dealers offering cell phones and plans it can be a bit intimidating, so it may be wise to start your search by going to the websites of the main providers, such as Verizon or AT&T and go from there. It is also advisable to check the websites of cell phone providers from time to time to see about new cell phones and plan options being offered.

Some seniors might be more comfortable on the computer than using a cell phone. In that case there is text to phone, which allows a senior citizen to send a text message to any cell phone. This is a very handy method to keep in touch with friends and family that are comfortable using the text function of their cell phones. Many companies offer this service at no charge and the best way to find out more about this is to visit any search engine, such as Google and type text to phone in the search field. One website we looked at, txt2day.com, was very easy to use and sent the text message promptly. When you use the txt2day service be sure that you enter the complete phone number, including area code and be sure not to use spaces or dashes in-between the numbers. They allow 140 characters, which should be more than enough for the type of message most people wish to send. Another free site, textem.net allows 155 characters and is also very user friendly. Neither txt2day nor textem seemed to set a limit on free text messages and when checking for other free texting sites you want to be sure that they are not just offering a few free text messages before asking you to sign up and charge for them. If money is not too much of an issue and you would rather sign up for a low cost texting service one that we looked at is ipipi ( http://www.ipipi.com ). They offered testing as low as 10 cents per text. If you are going to sign up for a texting service you may want to shop around and if so Google ask and ask.com would be good places to go to get information about low cost texting service.

Timothy Johnson
There are many great cell phones and inexpensive cell phone plans for seniors. Learn about these products and services by visiting the following site.
http://cellphones4seniorsrwise.com/

View the original article here

O2 iPhone 4S Deals Finally Launched for Non Existing Customers

The brand new iPhone 4S has now been on sale since the early part of October 2011 but one mobile network has been missing from the portfolio of deals on offer for this latest iPhone.

Up until today, consumers have been able to order iPhone 4S deals on Orange, Vodafone, T-Mobile and 3 Mobile but the O2 network took a very different decision with their limited stocks of this latest Apple phone, instead of offering deals to everyone as with the other networks they decided to only offer the new iPhone 4S to their existing customers as an upgrade.

This has been the case since the launch of the iPhone 4S with many disgruntled and mystified consumers unable to understand why they could not order a brand new iPhone on the O2 network, well the day has now come where this has all changed and surprisingly it is not offered directly from the operator.

An independent mobile phones retailer is the first to break cover with new O2 deals for the iPhone 4S, although not as competitive when it comes to owning the phone free of charge with a contract deal there are some lower line rental options that do compete well with the other networks.

One in particular is on the O2 100 tariff which for £21.50 per month provides 100 minutes of calls, 500 text messages and 500MB of internet access every month and demands an upfront fee for the iPhone 4S of £299.99, equated of the minimum term contract period of 24 months this totals £815.99 making it the third cheapest deal available for the latest iPhone.

For those not wanting to pay an upfront price for the latest Apple phone there is an O2 contract deal with a line rental charge of £47 per month with 1200 minutes of calls, unlimited SMS and the same 500MB of data on offer but total this deal up over the 24 months and the consumer is looking at spending a staggering £1128, that is a whole £312.01 more expensive.

That said, the lower line rental deal may not be suitable for some users as the lower 100 minutes of calls offered may be exceeded before the end of the month, when choosing a deal for the new iPhone 4S consumers need to try to match their usage requirements as closely as possible to negate any extra charges for exceeding their allocated calls, text and data volumes.

It is also expected that the white edition of the iPhone 4S as well as the 32GB and 64GB models will also soon be offered on the O2 network as the independent retailers start to collate their deals.

To see the new O2 iPhone 4S deals or to take a look at the recently discounted iPhone 4 deals please feel free to browse our website: Phones Limited.

View the original article here

The Motorola Atrix 2 Review

It can often be difficult to keep track of so many new electronic gadgets that crop up on the market every year especially when their capabilities don't change that much. This can be said about the new Motorola Atrix 2. It's predecessor, the Motorola Atrix 4G, was released 10 months earlier. Is it time already for an Atrix 2? Does this make the first Atrix already obsolete? Does the new Atrix 2 live up to the Atrix name though? Is it a marginal refresh or update or an entirely new powerful smart phone?

First, you can rest assured that the Moto Atrix 4G, released in Febraury 2011, is not obsolete. If you own a Atrix 4G and have been satisfied with using it, there's no need to discard it and buy an Atrix 2 The essential functions are still the same. There are some differences in the design of the device, for example the Atrix 4G has a 4 inch screen and the new Atrix 2 has an upgraded 4.3 inch screen which is exactly what all the top smart phones have today. The Atrix 2 capabilities are still the same. However, as with any new product that's introduced, the Atrix 2 does feature a few weaks over the Atrix 4G. The viewing screen appears to have less glare from sunlight over the original smaller screen.

Because social networking communication channels such as Twitter and Facebook have become part of our daily lives, the Atrix 2 includes an application known as Social Location. While it was possible to make use of these social networks with the earlier 4G, because of increased usage of these social network sites, the new version has a more centralized location with Social Location for easier accessibility.

Before you ditch your Moto Atrix 4G and run out to buy the Moto Atrix 2, realize that some of the features in the new design doesn't necessarily mean "better." The camera in the Atrix 2 can take wonderful pictures in normal sunlight. However, the quality of the pictures are poor if the sun is too bright.

Another advantage found in the Atrix 2 is that battery life is an hour longer for the Atrx 4G's five hours and 10 minutes. As users of such products, we are always hoping for a product that will offer close to eternal battery power. But should an hour longer make you buy a new version?

Todd loves new smart phones and you can view all the new Galaxy Nexus covers and Atrix 2 cases at his site.

View the original article here