Contract Phones Are Economical and the Best

With the ever-increasing competition between mobile phone manufacturers, the customer is being the ultimate beneficiary. Almost each day, cell phone companies are coming out with new and innovative methods to boost their sales. Offering handsets and connections on a contractual basis is one of the many strategies.

The mobile phone, once considered to be the prerogative of the rich and wealthy, is being spotted on the hands of almost all classes of consumers. The price of a mobile handset has steadily decreased over the years and this has enabled almost everybody to own a phone of his choice. While expensive handsets comprising advanced technologies are still being made, even these phones have come within the reach of customers as the companies have come up with contract deals on these cell phones. In fact, mobile companies are increasing their portfolio of handsets that are offered under contract deals. This is because the companies don't want to lose out in competition.

There are various types of cell phone deals by which you can avail a handset of your choice. You can choose a pay-as-you-go deal, a SIM-free deal or a SIM-only deal and own the phone of your choice. What deal you select would actually depend on your requirements.

Today, there are many attractive plans that cover cheap cell phones at affordable rates. Even the high-end mobiles are covered under contract deals which have resulted in these mobiles coming within the reach of the common man.

Contract deals on mobile phones have become overtly popular among all types of cell phone enthusiasts. While it is mostly beneficial to those people who can't afford a mobile phone, even a person who can afford one, is going for a contract deal. Under such deals, a handset is sold to the customer under an agreement for a specified tome limit which is usually 24, 18 or 12 months. During the contract period, the subscriber can't exit the contract and has to stick to the operator. Leading mobile phone service providers like Vodafone, Orange, Virgin etc. offer contract deals on mobiles.

The idea behind offering contract deals on mobile phones was to make the high-end mobiles available to all customers. The immense popularity of the scheme led to the inclusion of cheap cell phones in contract deals. Besides, several incentives and lucrative offers are usually announced with a contract phone deal to attract the customers. These often include free gifts like laptops, LCD TVs, cameras etc. Mobile phone companies also give their buyers other benefits like free text messages, reduced call rates, free calls, discount in monthly usage and several other things.

The internet is the best place to search for a good contract deal on cell phones. Most service providers and mobile phone companies upload the latest schemes on their website. But it's always advisable to compare the offers of multiple service providers before selecting one. The customer can bargain on the contract deal as well. In most cases companies accept the customer's demand and the latter is able to get an even better deal.

Select from a wide range of contract phones, attractive mobile phone deals, cheap handsets & economical call plans.

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More powerful supercomputers? New device could bring optical information processing

Researchers have created a new type of optical device small enough to fit millions on a computer chip that could lead to faster, more powerful information processing and supercomputers.

The "passive optical diode" is made from two tiny silicon rings measuring 10 microns in diameter, or about one-tenth the width of a human hair. Unlike other optical diodes, it does not require external assistance to transmit signals and can be readily integrated into computer chips.

The diode is capable of "nonreciprocal transmission," meaning it transmits signals in only one direction, making it capable of information processing, said Minghao Qi (pronounced Chee), an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University.

"This one-way transmission is the most fundamental part of a logic circuit, so our diodes open the door to optical information processing," said Qi, working with a team also led by Andrew Weiner, Purdue's Scifres Family Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The diodes are described in a paper to be published online Dec. 22 in the journal Science. The paper was written by graduate students Li Fan, Jian Wang, Leo Varghese, Hao Shen and Ben Niu, research associate Yi Xuan, and Weiner and Qi.

Although fiberoptic cables are instrumental in transmitting large quantities of data across oceans and continents, information processing is slowed and the data are susceptible to cyberattack when optical signals must be translated into electronic signals for use in computers, and vice versa.

"This translation requires expensive equipment," Wang said. "What you'd rather be able to do is plug the fiber directly into computers with no translation needed, and then you get a lot of bandwidth and security."

Electronic diodes constitute critical junctions in transistors and help enable integrated circuits to switch on and off and to process information. The new optical diodes are compatible with industry manufacturing processes for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductors, or CMOS, used to produce computer chips, Fan said.

"These diodes are very compact, and they have other attributes that make them attractive as a potential component for future photonic information processing chips," she said.

The new optical diodes could make for faster and more secure information processing by eliminating the need for this translation. The devices, which are nearly ready for commercialization, also could lead to faster, more powerful supercomputers by using them to connect numerous processors together.

"The major factor limiting supercomputers today is the speed and bandwidth of communication between the individual superchips in the system," Varghese said. "Our optical diode may be a component in optical interconnect systems that could eliminate such a bottleneck."

Infrared light from a laser at telecommunication wavelength goes through an optical fiber and is guided by a microstructure called a waveguide. It then passes sequentially through two silicon rings and undergoes "nonlinear interaction" while inside the tiny rings. Depending on which ring the light enters first, it will either pass in the forward direction or be dissipated in the backward direction, making for one-way transmission. The rings can be tuned by heating them using a "microheater," which changes the wavelengths at which they transmit, making it possible to handle a broad frequency range.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Purdue University. The original article was written by Emil Venere.

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

Journal Reference:

Li Fan, Jian Wang, Leo T. Varghese, Hao Shen, Ben Niu, Yi Xuan, Andrew M. Weiner, and Minghao Qi. An All-Silicon Passive Optical Diode. Science, December 22, 2011 DOI: 10.1126/science.1214383

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.

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New technique makes it easier to etch semiconductors

Creating semiconductor structures for high-end optoelectronic devices just got easier, thanks to University of Illinois researchers.

The team developed a method to chemically etch patterned arrays in the semiconductor gallium arsenide, used in solar cells, lasers, light emitting diodes (LEDs), field effect transistors (FETs), capacitors and sensors. Led by electrical and computer engineering professor Xiuling Li, the researchers describe their technique in the journal Nano Letters.

A semiconductor's physical properties can vary depending on its structure, so semiconductor wafers are etched into structures that tune their electrical and optical properties and connectivity before they are assembled into chips.

Semiconductors are commonly etched with two techniques: "Wet" etching uses a chemical solution to erode the semiconductor in all directions, while "dry" etching uses a directed beam of ions to bombard the surface, carving out a directed pattern. Such patterns are required for high-aspect-ratio nanostructures, or tiny shapes that have a large ratio of height to width. High-aspect-ratio structures are essential to many high-end optoelectronic device applications.

While silicon is the most ubiquitous material in semiconductor devices, materials in the III-V (pronounced three-five) group are more efficient in optoelectronic applications, such as solar cells or lasers.

Unfortunately, these materials can be difficult to dry etch, as the high-energy ion blasts damage the semiconductor's surface. III-V semiconductors are especially susceptible to damage.

To address this problem, Li and her group turned to metal-assisted chemical etching (MacEtch), a wet-etching approach they had previously developed for silicon. Unlike other wet methods, MacEtch works in one direction, from the top down. It is faster and less expensive than many dry etch techniques, according to Li. Her group revisited the MacEtch technique, optimizing the chemical solution and reaction conditions for the III-V semiconductor gallium arsenide (GaAs).

The process has two steps. First, a thin film of metal is patterned on the GaAs surface. Then, the semiconductor with the metal pattern is immersed in the MacEtch chemical solution. The metal catalyzes the reaction so that only the areas touching metal are etched away, and high-aspect-ratio structures are formed as the metal sinks into the wafer. When the etching is done, the metal can be cleaned from the surface without damaging it.

"It is a big deal to be able to etch GaAs this way," Li said. "The realization of high-aspect-ratio III-V nanostructure arrays by wet etching can potentially transform the fabrication of semiconductor lasers where surface grating is currently fabricated by dry etching, which is expensive and causes surface damage."

To create metal film patterns on the GaAs surface, Li's team used a patterning technique pioneered by John Rogers, the Lee J. Flory-Founder Chair and a professor of materials science and engineering at the U. of I. Their research teams joined forces to optimize the method, called soft lithography, for chemical compatibility while protecting the GaAs surface. Soft lithography is applied to the whole semiconductor wafer, as opposed to small segments, creating patterns over large areas -- without expensive optical equipment.

"The combination of soft lithography and MacEtch make the perfect combination to produce large-area, high-aspect-ratio III-V nanostructures in a low-cost fashion," said Li, who is affiliated with the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the U. of I.

Next, the researchers hope to further optimize conditions for GaAs etching and establish parameters for MacEtch of other III-V semiconductors. Then, they hope to demonstrate device fabrication, including distributed Bragg reflector lasers and photonic crystals.

"MacEtch is a universal method as long as the right condition for deferential etching with and without metal can be found," Li said.

The Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation supported this work.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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

Journal Reference:

Matt DeJarld, Jae Cheol Shin, Winston Chern, Debashis Chanda, Karthik Balasundaram, John A. Rogers, Xiuling Li. Formation of High Aspect Ratio GaAs Nanostructures with Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching. Nano Letters, 2011; 11 (12): 5259 DOI: 10.1021/nl202708d

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

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Evernote One Of The Best Applications Available For The iPhone 4S

There are thousands of great applications available for the new iPhone 4S but one of the most impressive that we have encountered is the excellent Evernote. This software has over 10 million active users and this number is increasing at a rapid rate. We take a look at this great application for the iPhone 4S and see how it can benefit you on a daily basis.

The principal behind Evernote is to connect your phone and other computer devices that you use daily. This enables you to capture data at one location and view it in another. Evernote can store a variety of different material. The program is designed as a way of keeping notes and is basically an extension of your brain. If you are sitting at work and think of an idea for a Christmas gift, type it into Evernote and then you can access this data from any device. The software is not only perfect for note taking but also for storing a variety of different material. Using your iPhone 4S camera you can capture a photograph or even record yourself an audio message. The developers at Evernote have also developed a superb desktop extension which allows you to store a web page minus all of the advertisements that you do not need. This removes the need to create web links or bookmark sites as the data is stored for you to view whenever you need it and on whichever device you choose.

Evernote for the iPhone 4S is an application that you could find yourself using on a daily basis. Filtering the numerous notes stored on this software could be daunting so it is refreshing to see an excellent search facility incorporated to help you sort your data. Tap the icon at the bottom right corner of your iPhone screen and a search bar appears. In this bar you can type a keyword or title of the note you are looking for. All of your data is then searched and you are presented with the results. This may seem a fairly basic function but Evernote takes it a step further by making text within photographs searchable. This facility really adds to the appeal of the application as it increases the scenarios when you may find the platform useful. You can snap a photograph of a wine label that you like or take a quick photograph of a business card and all of the text captured can be searched. Using the program is very straightforward with a very large icon at the bottom of the screen which you tap when you want to add a new note. You are then given options to record audio, type text or take a photograph. This simplicity is important as nobody wants a complicated process if they need to make a quick note or capture some important data.

The iPhone 4S really does boast some excellent applications that make life easier and Evernote is certainly one of these. The simple interface makes the software both appealing and easy to use while the synchronisation between multiple devices is a very attractive feature.

The iPhone 4S and the HTC Rhyme are available now.

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Things to Do When Your iPhone Is Stuck on the Apple Logo

An iPhone that freezes on the Apple logo can be a puzzling problem. It usually happens when you have just done things like updating your iOS, restoring backups from iDevices, or after installing a new app. To make your device return to its normal condition again, there are several things that you can do. You can either put the phone in the DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode, which completely restores your iPhone, or use ifunbox to detect and delete problem-causing apps.

Using the DFU Mode

This method is applicable to almost all versions of iPhone. First, using the USB cable, you need to connect your troubled Apple iPhone to iTunes. Then turn off your iPhone. Often it is not easy to turn off an iPhone that is locked up showing the Apple logo. The trick to do this is to press both the Home button and Power button for about 10 seconds. If you succeed, you will notice that the screen display goes dark. After the phone is turned off, keep pressing the Home button (while releasing the Power button) for another 10 seconds or more to bring the phone to recovery mode in iTunes. Your iPhone is now in the DFU mode, so click the available OK and Restore options to get your gadget back to normal. It takes time and patience with this method; sometimes you may have to repeat the process two to three times before you manage to obtain the desired result. If you have already tried this method but have not been successful, you will probably need to turn off your antivirus and firewall security measures and repeat the steps again.

Using ifunbox Software

The ifunbox software basically functions similarly to Windows File Explorer but is more user-friendly. The software supports iOS 4.0 and has many functions including the ability to control the iPhone/iPod file system, moving movies and music to and from iPhone and iPod, executing file search functions on iPhone, and serving as a hi-speed general purpose storage device. If you have ifunbox software, you can recover from your problem without having to restore the phone. Basically, ifunbox allows you to see the apps that you have installed on your iPhone. You simply connect your iPhone to your computer and hit the Search button to get a list of MY3G files. After the search result is displayed, delete all of the MY3G files you can find and try to restart your gadget. Hopefully, your problem will now be solved. Note that ifunbox is a light program that you don't even need to install before using it. To prevent the same thing from happening to your iPhone again, only download and install apps from trusted sources.

The iPhone stuck on Apple logo problem can be resulted by untrustworthy iPhone apps installations. Use only official apps and find out more interesting stories on Apple gadgets from our site.

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Great Apps For Android Cellphone

Navigating android market can be complicated, with unclear descriptions, doubtful user reviews, and often buggy apps. Here are a few searched best apps available you can use on your android cellphone.

Tracking:

Locale

This is a $1 app in the android market that lets you form location-based missions. For instance, you can have your android phone's Wi-Fi turn on when you arrive at home, or have the cellphone quiets itself once you arrive at your work place. The app provides a great way to automate slight tasks, affording you a few extra battery time and the discomfiture of having an exaggeratedly noisy ringtone start out in the middle of a meeting.?

Wunderlist

Wunderlist is a free?app in the android market that syncs your to-do lists in all your devices, which means you'll always have your errands with you. You'll also be sent regular emails by Wunderlist when you are close to a cut-off date, these applies to those who don't check the app often.?(It's also optimized for android tablets).

Springpad

Springpad is also a free?android app that creates reminders and notes about books you'd like to buy, movies you'd like to watch or just various events you'd like to remember. Springpad puts together your shopping lists while you quickly build checklists and examine barcodes to keep tabs of items you'll want in the future.

Entertainment:

Minecraft Pocket Edition

This is a $7 app that lets you kill time on the go; Minecraft Pocket Edition is a very wanting game to play. Even though the app doesn't include the Survival Mode that runs in the desktop version, its Create Mode allows you to mine and construct to your heart's content (optimized for android tablets).

Reckless Racing

This is a $3?app and one of the top-looking racing games offered for android cellphones, and it runs dozens of courses to pick from, some are hidden shortcuts (an added advantage if you're familiar with them). Then, after you've broaden your skills, you can compete with friends and strangers to an online multiplayer contest and check out who's really is the top reckless racer.?

StumbleUpon

StumbleUpon is another free app that allows you "channel surf" the Web to locate things that are significant to your likes. Listing the topics that interest you, StumbleUpon app will recommend sites to match your list. With Android powered devices, the app will even suggest other apps that are already installed in your android phone ?(also optimized for tablets).

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A Closer Look at the Top 5 Downloaded iPhone Apps of 2011

In a world of advancing technology, it seems as if there is an "app" for just about everything imaginable today. With over 500,000+ apps and counting it is easy to see why it is a cherished feat to be named in the top five in a league of so many. In determining what makes an app download-worthy, most consumer had one similar resonating feature: the ability to make life easier in a specific focus. The notion of the term easy varies from facilitating a process to passing time in a down period of the day. The following article will list the top 5 downloaded applications and discuss the rationale for their popularity.

Coming in at number 5, Skype is a communication application that has revolutionized the way both video and/or long distance conversations take place. Popularized by the computer platform with the same call sign, Skype first introduced the way to make video communication possible via an internet stream. While many forms of this concept have been developed in the past, the user friendly and cost effective nature of this application led its stride to the top. Extending its talents to true portable communication, Skype released its "app" version of the software which allows callers to simply use data to connect to contacts, sparing the user of minute usage via their cellular carrier. In addition, nationwide video conferencing is free of charge. Cutting costs for a common task like cellular communication is a clear indication of why this app has gained such popularity.

Number 4 is represented by a game that has gained a cult following ever since its release. Boasting the name "Angry Birds Free," this application consists of a limited number of levels from the full version that gives a user just enough action to be hooked and purchase the full version. The game consists of an arsenal of birds that carry unique combat traits, leading to the eventual demise of bovine like enemies that are housed in forts of various materials. When hurled via the user controlled slingshot, the birds wreak havoc on the surrounding structure and eventually overcome the pigs on the opposite end. Once 10 minutes are spent conquering the opponent, it is easy to see why this application has gained so much praise.

Even more addicting than the previous game, "Words With Friends," comes in at number 3. Much like the ever so popular game Scrabble, Words With Friends is an electronic board game that allows users to compete against fellow players in an attempt to create the highest scoring words using letters assigned randomly to each user. The ability to invite friends and compete with one another on a level playing field has created a craze that ignites the competitive nature of even the most cordial individuals.

When a certain song or artists describes the genre of music a listener would like to hear without selecting specific titles, Pandora radio comes to the rescue and lands the number 2 spot for 2011. The app is driven by a program that analyzes the type of music the user desires and subsequently creates a streaming playlist free of charge to the user. Whether you are planning a last minute party, or simply want some music to listen to while studying or at work; Pandora accommodates. The playlists are customizable by artist, song title, or album title and an unlimited number of stations can be created at the touch of your screen. Popularized by the computer edition of the same application, this portable version allows the invaluable aspect of mobility. An immediate fan favorite, Pandora continues to be a chart topper.

With little surprise, the year's top prize is the social networking empire known simply as Facebook. Arguably one of the most addicting programs created in the last decade, Facebook is a social networking giant that allows users to maintain connections with various individuals they have met throughout their life. The main page also allows users to keep up with postings and messages that their friends post. Once a user is truly enveloped in Facebook greatness, it is clear why they would need a real time update to what is going on in their circle of friends at all times. Facebook responded to this demand and, in turn, created the most popular application of the year. When looking back over the last decade, it is easy to see how many analysts are saying that Facebook is taking over the world - literally.

For questions regarding this article or iPhone Screen Repair or iPod Touch Screen Repair please visit our website.

I have been reviewing and blogging about the iPhone since its inception in 2007. Since that time I have actively responded to and published articles that featured key innovations and niche settings regarding the iPhone device. In response to a high demand, I later founded a internet repair company that focused on cracked iPhone and iPod Touch screens. I have continued to focus my attention to the newest innovations from the Apple company and continue to stay informed on their products, with the iPhone being my main interest.

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Milking the Galaxy

I bet that reading the title would have made your mind wander off to the 'Milky Way' galaxy in which our planet Earth is a teeny-tiny part. Well, let me bring you back to it. I am talking about the 'Galaxy' range of smartphones and how Samsung's marketing and operation teams worked together in a cohesive fashion to generate mind boggling revenues for the company.

It all started when Samsung announced the 'Galaxy S II' smartphone at 'Mobile World Congress' at Barcelona in February 2011. Samsung declared that the smartphone would be released in the world markets starting from its homeland in April and yes, true to its word, the 'Galaxy S II' has been released in almost every major world market till date and it has been a resounding success everywhere.

Almost all of you know that the smartphone has redoubtable specifications and has gained the approval and praise of almost every tech enthusiast in the world. But, if you view the whole 'Galaxy S II' exercise from the business point of view, you will get to know the real thing.

Understand that there are two technologies that are most prevalent in the market today: GSM and CDMA. While the GSM versions of the phones work on different carriers by just changing the SIM card, the CDMA versions are locked down to a specific carrier. Samsung originally released the 'Galaxy S II' bearing the model number GT-I9100 with the 'Android' operating system, a GSM version. On May 9, 2011 they announced that they had received 3 million pre-orders for the smartphone.

Samsung was very quick to foresee that it wouldn't be able to meet the huge cumulative demand from all the markets. There is a very good reason for it. The 'Galaxy S II' uses two important components manufactured by Samsung itself. The display 'Super AMOLED plus' is manufactured by Samsung and the SoC (System on Chip) i.e. Exynos 4210 is also manufactured by Samsung. So, Samsung had taken the help of Nvidia. It launched a Tegra-2 powered version (GT-I9103) of the 'Galaxy S II' and named it 'Galaxy R' also called the 'Galaxy Z' in Sweden. This European version of the 'Galaxy S II' didn't get a 'Super AMOLED plus' screen and instead settled for an 'SC-LCD' display and a reduced 5 megapixel camera instead of the 8 megapixel camera that the original came with. But it was also priced lower as compared to the 'Galaxy S II' GT-I9100 version.

In order to compete well in the relatively lesser priced smartphone section, Samsung released another version called 'Samsung Galaxy W'. This doesn't have a dual-core processor but instead settles for a single core 1.4 GHz Qualcomm processor with an 'SC-LCD' screen and a 5 megapixel camera. It was also priced lower as compared to the original 'Galaxy S II' version in order to compete well.

In many of the world markets, 4G technologies had already been in place and Samsung also saw an opportunity there. The originally released 'Galaxy S II' did not have LTE (Long Term Evolution - A 4G Technology) baked into it. So Samsung released a variant of the 'Galaxy S II' called 'Galaxy S II LTE' and 'Galaxy S II HD LTE' on August 28, 2011. While the 'Galaxy S II LTE' has a 4.5 inch Super AMOLED display, the 'Galaxy S II HD LTE' sported a 4.65 inch Super AMOLED 720p display.

Samsung saved the Canadian and the American markets for the last. In America, Carriers (Service Providers) tie up with mobile companies and sell CDMA versions at subsidized rates. Normally the contracts have duration of 2 years after which, the user gains ownership of the phone. Samsung tied up with 'Sprint', 'T-Mobile' and 'AT&T' carriers and offered 'SPH D710', 'SGH T989' and 'SGH I777' respectively. All of these are variants of the 'Galaxy S II' smartphone. The 'T-Mobile' version was released with a 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor instead of the Exynos CPU as the Exynos CPU wasn't compatible with T-Mobile's network. There are other differences between the models but they are minor. Samsung was able to bring the entire 'United States of America' under its purview with this release strategy. Currently, Samsung is also selling the 'Galaxy S II Skyrocket' for 'AT&T' (SGH-I727) which is an improvement over the original version that the carrier originally got. Similar to the strategy followed in the US, Samsung also hooked up with carriers like 'Rogers', 'Bell' and 'Telus' to cover the Canadian market. Samsung also launched a 'Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 SoC' powered 'Galaxy S II', which most people feel, might be due to a deficiency of the 'Exynos 4210' SoCs. The 'OMAP 4430' chip offers a relatively similar performance as compared to the 'Exynos 4210' chip.

The point to be noted is that, Samsung has successfully been able to penetrate all the major world markets with the myriad variants of the 'Galaxy S II' smartphone while not compromising majorly on any of the original characteristics that had made the phone such a popular device. If we consider the BCG matrix, when the 'Galaxy S II' was released in April, it was a 'STAR' and it has now become a 'CASH COW' which Samsung is looking to milk. This also reaffirms the relevancy of a popular proverb: 'Make hay while the sun shines'.

As we approach the end of another eventful year, one of the Samsung representatives has said that the world will witness the successor to the 'Galaxy S II' which, as you might have already guessed by now, is the Galaxy S III' (to be released at Mobile World Congress at Barcelona in 2012). Samsung has surely had a hell of a lot of fun with the 'Galaxy S II' this year. Hopefully it will deliver again with the 'Galaxy S III'.

Stay Tuned..!!

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Cheap Android Phone Deals - It's Time to Grab a Smartphone

Today, Android is the best operating system for mobile devices due to several reasons. Mobile manufacturing companies like HTC, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Motorola are working on this open source operating system in their products. Now Android 4.0 Ice cream sandwich is available in the market and mobiles are getting updated from Android 2.3 Gingerbread to Android 4.0. Android tool a very little time in this upgrade and it clearly shows the craze of this Operating system in the market. Cell phone manufacturing companies have clearly showed their intention in developing updated version of this feature packed OS.

Anyway, if you are already a fan of Android do not worry too much for running out of budget. Samsung Galaxy S II, Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S, Motorola Droid RAZR, Samsung Google Nexus may already have secured their places in your heart. You may be keen to have one such highly configured Smart phones for you but you may be bit worried seeing their price tag. Let me tell you, it is the best time for you to find Android phone deals as there are plenty of cheap deals going around the market each day and you may grab one such suitable deal for you.

I have seen people opting for offline cheap Android deals when there are plenty of online deals available. Online deals are always beneficial for you in all respect. You register online, pay online and get access to one amazingly cheap mobile contract. There is no retailer between you and the company. Hence, the charges are considerably less and you save money from an online deal.

Cheap Android phone deal comes with Android driven Smart phones as said earlier. Since such Smart phones come with awesome features monthly charges are always in the higher side. You have to pay bills separately for calls, texts and data usage. It is always better if you find all these under one umbrella. As for example you may be purchasing a monthly plan of 31 Pounds with Vodafone and getting 600 FREE minutes, FREE unlimited texts and access to one of the best Smart phones, Samsung Galaxy Nexus. There are plenty more offers available on your favorite network. You get less monthly rentals, free calls, free texts, less data transfer charges etc.

Finally, I can say cheap Android phone deals are prepared in such ways that you always get more than what you pay. There was a time when mobile charges were high and we used to get less by paying more. Now it is the time to cash in, we will pay less and will get more through cheap Android phone deals.

Android phones are costly but cheap Android phone deals may get you an exciting brand new phone in considerably cheap price. Find quick deals here: http://www.mobiledealsfreegifts.co.uk/android-phone-deals/

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New biometric data standard adds DNA, footmarks and enhanced fingerprint descriptions

ScienceDaily (Dec. 7, 2011) — The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published a revised biometric standard in November, 2011, that vastly expands the type and amount of information that forensic scientists can share across their international networks to identify victims or solve crimes. Biometric data is a digital or analog representation of physical attributes that can be used to uniquely identify us.

The new standard is the Data Format for the Interchange of Fingerprint, Facial & Other Biometric Information and is referenced as "ANSI/NIST-ITL 1-2011, NIST Special Publication 500-290." Earlier versions have been used throughout the UnitedStates and six continents to provide a common language and format for the exchange of biometric data and associated metadata -- information about the biometric characteristics or how it was collected. The Department of Defense, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the government of Argentina and others are already in the process of adopting the new standard.

"The additions to this version of the standard represent a great leap forward," said NIST Biometrics Standards Coordinator Brad Wing. The capabilities of the system have been greatly expanded from that of matching a fingerprint, facial image or iris sample collected directly from a live person and comparing it to samples previously stored in a database. New types of biometric data -- DNA and plantars/footprints -- were added as well as updates to existing record types.

This is the first international standard for the exchange of DNA data. DNA can be used for criminal case identification, such as in a rape case, or in a forensic setting to identify victims, such as those in a plane crash, where it is necessary to have an original DNA sample from the victim, or establish kinship by taking DNA samples from purported relatives. The standard handles both types of cases.

Another new addition is the Extended Feature Set (EFS) for forensic examiner markups that allow for marking and exchanging a very rich set of latent ridge print -- fingerprints, palmprints and footprints -- information that ensures analysts use the same terminology, references and procedures to describe details such as pores and linear discontinuities. Also new is the capability to share images of all body parts and anthropometric markups of face and iris images.

The standard now defines how to specify and share the geo-positioning coordinates of biometric sample collection. Information concerning the circumstances surrounding the collection of the biometric data can also be included. This includes pictures of items found around the crime scene and audio and video clips. Data handling logs show chain-of-custody of the biometric data for legal purposes, including the steps necessary to prepare the biometric sample for processing in a matching system.

NIST biometric research contributed heavily to the standard. In addition to part of the DNA work, the standard uses a NIST-developed compact format to exchange iris images, and the Mobile ID Best Practice Recommendations.

Researchers already are at work on new additions to the standard, including voice biometrics, traumatic injury imaging and analysis (such as bitemarks), dental forensics (used to identify persons when DNA is not readily available, such as with skeletons) and conformance testing to the standard specifications.

NIST is involved with many standards development organizations (SDO), but the Information Technology Laboratory that produced this standard is NIST's only SDO, and is certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The standard is developed according to a consensus process and this update involved almost 70 voting organizations participating in 16 working groups over a two-year period.

The new biometric standard may be found at: www.nist.gov/customcf/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=910136.

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The Internet Protocol IPv6: A universal language

ScienceDaily (Dec. 12, 2011) — We are at the dawn of the age of IPv6, the Internet protocol that will succeed version 4. With 340 undecillion available addresses, IPv6 ensures that the Internet can continue growing and offers advantages in terms of stability, flexibility, and simplicity in network administration.

We talked about the new protocol with two research groups: the Wireless Networks Group, based at the Barcelona School of Telecommunications Engineering, and Design and Evaluation of Broadband Networks and Services, based at the Castelldefels School of Telecommunications and Aerospace Engineering. Both schools are centres of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. BarcelonaTech (UPC).

The Internet is a communications network formed by millions of interconnected computers that share data and resources. All the computers on the network use the Internet protocol (IP) so that users can read a web page or send an e-mail and be sure that information is properly sent and received. The protocol assigns a numeric code (IP address) to each device on the network in order to identify it. In other words, "the IP protocol is the universal language that allows all the devices connected to the Internet to understand each other," says Xavier Hesselbach, a member of the research group on Design and Evaluation of Broadband Networks and Services.

IPv4, the first commercial version of the Internet protocol, is still widely used. It was created in the early 1980s under the direction of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the organisation in charge of developing and promoting new technological standards for use on the Internet. When IPv4 was initially deployed, the Internet consisted of a relatively small number of computers, used mainly by universities and the military. As a result, it was possible to introduce version 4 of the protocol in a single day, 1 January 1983, known as Flag Day. At the time, no one could imagine reaching the current 4 billion addresses. But with the passage of time the situation has changed completely. According to data published in 2011 by Internet World Stats, over the last decade the number of users connected to the network went from 300 million to almost 2 billion. Using a PC or laptop to access the Internet from home, or connecting via a smartphone or tablet is no longer anything out of the ordinary. And these are no longer the only devices hooked up to the Internet. Sensors that measure temperature, humidity, or a patient's vital signs, and smart tags that provide information on the origin of a product and update its price are among the devices that require an IP address to form part of the network.

As we have connected more and more devices to the Internet, the number of IP addresses available under version 4 of the protocol has diminished at a spectacular rate and they are now running out, even though in many cases various devices share the same address using a mechanism known as network address translation (NAT). On 3 February 2011, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), the organisation that oversees global IP address allocation, assigned the last block of addresses (33 million) to the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), one of five regional Internet registries, which is responsible for managing addresses for Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

The problem of IPv4 address exhaustion was first raised in 1990. The IETF recognised that there were not enough addresses to meet projected demand and that they would eventually run out. At that point, work began to develop the next version of the protocol for sending and receiving data over the Internet: version 6 or IPv6.

A business opportunity Version 6 of the Internet protocol supports a mind-boggling 340 billion billion billion billion (340 undecillion) addresses. This solves the problem of IPv4 address exhaustion; addresses no longer need to be shared, and the problems this gives rise to are avoided. There are more than enough IPv6 addresses to assign one to every computer, mobile phone, refrigerator, washing machine, car, or power point we may wish to connect to the Internet, and this connectivity makes it possible to communicate directly with these devices.

"Such a substantial number of addresses could facilitate the deployment of what has been called the Internet of Things, a network in which objects as well as users are identified," says Anna Calveras, a researcher with the Wireless Networks Group. "All the devices you can imagine could have their own networks and communicate with each other," she concludes.

This technology has countless applications. At the moment, "the focus is on applications in the context of the home, building control, smart cities, and industry," says Carles G?mez, who also works with the Wireless Networks Group. "Behind this development, there's a whole industry promoting the standardisation of mechanisms for using IPv6 in these environments. A lot of people are realising that this technology represents a business opportunity," he adds.

IPv6 has other advantages. One aspect of the protocol that the UPC scientific community is enthusiastic about is its autoconfiguration mechanism. Any device connected to the network automatically obtains a unique IP address and other parameters needed to communicate. No human intervention is required in this process. This mechanism is particularly useful when a large number of devices need to be connected to the network, as in the case of the Internet of Things.

According to Jordi Casademont, another researcher with the Wireless Networks Group, an additional advantage is that "IPv6 is designed to strengthen security and increase communications quality of service." IPv6 also makes information easier to process, an improvement that affects devices though it has no direct impact on users. According to Rafael Vidal, the researcher who coordinates the Wireless Networks Group, "one of the problems with Internet networks is that links have become very fast, but the elements through which information passes have to do so much work that in the end these elements, known as routers, can become a communication bottleneck. With version 6 of the protocol, it's possible to do more with the same router capacity. As a result, there aren't so many congestion problems and information can be transmitted more smoothly."

Adapting to the protocol Although IPv6 is an approved standard, it is being deployed at a very slow rate. For over ten years, the research community has been insisting on the need to make the transition, and many have noted that despite its availability the technology is not being widely used. One reason for this is that IPv4 and IPv6 are not compatible, which makes the transition much more complicated. Experts do not foresee any problems with the use of the Internet in the immediate future, but address exhaustion could lead to complications in some areas.

The need is most acute in countries like China, where the number of Internet users is increasing exponentially, and other Asian and African countries that have been assigned a very limited number of IP addresses.

Clearly if the transition does not take place, the Internet will not be able to grow, and there will come a day when it is no longer possible to connect new users and devices. It may even become impossible for current IPv4 users to connect to those with IPv6 addresses. But deployment is not a simple issue to resolve, and everything appears to indicate that it will not happen in a harmonised way. The various Internet actors (service providers, makers of hardware, operating systems, applications, etc) may know what their own plans are for the transition to IPv6, but at present there is no global plan.

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Early research on cellphone conversations likely overestimated crash risk, study suggests

ScienceDaily (Dec. 14, 2011) — A Wayne State University study published in the January 2012 issue of the journal Epidemiology points out that two influential early studies of cellphone use and crash risk may have overestimated the relative risk of conversation on cellphones while driving.

In this new study, Richard Young, Ph.D., professor of research in Wayne State University's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences in the School of Medicine, examined possible bias in a 1997 Canadian study and a 2005 Australian study. These earlier studies used cellphone billing records of people who had been in a crash and compared their cellphone use just before the crash to the same time period the day (or week) before -- the control window.

Young said the issue with these studies is that people may not have been driving during the entire control window period, as assumed by the earlier study investigators.

"Earlier case-crossover studies likely overestimated the relative risk for cellphone conversations while driving by implicitly assuming that driving during a control window was full time when it may have been only part time," said Young. "This false assumption makes it seem like cellphone conversation is a bigger crash risk than it really is."

In Young's new study, his research team used Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) data to track day-to-day driving of more than 400 drivers during a 100-day period. He then divided the days into pairs, with the first day representing the "control" day and the second day representing the "crash" day in the earlier studies. Overall, the team found little driving consistency in any given clock time period between the two days -- driving time on the control day was only about one-fourth of the driving time on the crash day, during any specific clock time period.

"This underestimation of the amount of driving in the control windows by nearly four times could reduce cellphone conversation time in that control period," Young said. "It makes it appear that there is less cellphone conversation in control periods than in the time just before a crash, making the relative risk estimate appear greater than it really is."

Young found that when the cellphone conversation time in the control window was adjusted for the amount of driving, the amount of cellphone usage in the control window was about the same as in the minutes before a crash. He concluded that the crash risk for cellphone conversation while driving is one-fourth of what was claimed in previous studies, or near that of normal baseline driving.

Young added that many well-controlled studies with real driving show that the primary increase in crash risk from portable electronic devices comes from tasks that require drivers to look at the device or operate it with their hands, such as texting while driving. Five other recent real-world studies concur with his conclusion that the crash risk from cellular conversations is not greater than that of driving with no conversation.

"Tasks that take a driver's eyes off the road or hands off the steering wheel are what increase crash risk," said Young. "Texting, emailing, manual dialing and so forth -- not conversation -- are what increase the risk of crashes while driving."

The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that all 50 states and the District of Columbia ban the non-emergency use of portable electronic devices for all drivers. Young said this recommendation goes beyond the data from newer studies, including his, because it would ban cellphone conversations while driving.

"Recent real-world studies show that cellphone conversations do not increase crash risk beyond that of normal driving -- it is the visual-manual tasks that take the eyes off the road and the hands off the wheel that are the real risk," said Young.

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Richard A. Young. Cell Phone Use and Crash Risk. Epidemiology, 2012; 23 (1): 116 DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0b013e31823b5efc

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The Great New HTC Rezound

The great new HTC Rezound was released in November 2011 amidst a while host of other phones making their way onto the market, but despite all these other phones trying to compete for peoples' attention, the Rezound is making its name known on the market, thanks to its ability to be somewhat different from many other of the models out there.

This is a handset that is beating many other phones, even the iPhone 4 thanks to its larger screen (four inches) and the amount of pixels it can display at any given time, but that's enough talk for now. What you need to see is how much better the Rezound is, and for that purpose I have compiled a list of the specifications and the features that HTC thought you might like.

Features And Specifications:

Height: Just over 5 inches

Depth: Just over half an inch

Width: 2.5 inches

Weight: 0.170 Kilograms

Operating System: Gingerbread (Android 2.3.4) combined with the HTC Sense 3.5

Networks: The HTC Rezound is available on LTE 700 & DMA/EVDO REV.A

Available Network Carrier: Verizon

Memory: 1 GB of RAM & 16GB Of Storage including up to 32 GB of removable storage on an SD card

Cameras: Front-facing 2 mega-pixel camera with a fixed focus and an 8 mega-pixel rear-facing camera with an auto focus feature and a dual LED flash

Connectivity: Bluetooth & Wi-Fi

These are just some of the great features and specifications that you can expect to find on the HTC Rezound, and it's clear to see even from this limited list that this is a surprisingly good and unique phone. 'How much is it going to cost?' I hear you ask well that can depend entirely on where you buy this handset but it is on average about $300 when you sign up to a 2 year contract, or about $650 if you buy it without a contract; if you think these prices are quite high then you could always wait a few months for them to settle down a bit but that will mean putting up with a phone that just is not as good for longer.

One of the major functions of this phone that hasn't been discussed yet is that it is tailored predominantly towards those who love to listen to music and the 'Beats Audio' system lets you hear the beats, rhythms and more a lot clearer than other phones do. You will also find a great pair of headphones in the box your phone arrives in and these aren't just any old pair of headphones; they are really great quality headphones that HTC have kindly decided to make available to us right away.

What with the headphones, the capacity to store up to 32 GB of date, a sleek minimalistic look and a large screen, the HTC Rezound is guaranteed to be a great addition to your life.

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 from an authorized Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile store. Click on the link below to see how you too can benefit for these amazing online rates and read the latest reviews on this and other similar phones.
http://www.cellphonedoc.com/blackberry-versus-android/

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The Truth About the 'Core'

So, do you absolutely have to have a dual-core phone to enjoy the best experience on a smartphone? The question might be a one-liner but the answer is not quite simple.

You need to take note of the fact that most of the dual-core phones that are being launched in the market right now are actually running the same operating system: Android. Is it a coincidence?? Probably Not. For knowing the reason, you need to get to know about the companies a little deeply.

Most of you opine that Apple's phones are cool. I know many of you use it for the kind of oohs and aahs that it draws from the surrounding crowd rather than truly knowing why you need it. But the kind of image that Apple has developed in the minds of consumers has a good grounding.

Apple is responsible for both the components of its smartphone and tablet devices: The 'Hardware' and the 'Software'. Yes!! Apple produces its own hardware (Though it procures individual components from other manufacturers, it is consequently responsible for its own hardware) and also software: the iOS operating system. The software isn't Open-Source. It is Proprietary and only controlled by Apple. So, Apple, in control of both the components that make up its smartphones, knows how to design its software to complement its hardware or how to design its hardware in order to complement its software. So, it is able to offer a complete package and hence you can feel that in all of its phones. Usually, you can see zero lag while operating Apple's phones as the software is optimized for the underlying hardware and that hasn't warranted a more powerful smartphone. Hence you did not find a dual-core processor in an Apple phone (until iPhone 4S) when other manufacturers were going hammer and tongs releasing dual-core smartphones. In summary, you have only 1 kind of software i.e. iOS and it only runs on one kind of hardware i.e. Apple's devices. This approach works for Apple as they have full control over the final output. They have generated, are generating, and will generate huge profits with such phones but the market reach is going to be less.

Now, take the example of Android. It is an open-source operating system and the stock-build of Android is delivered by Google. Google is only responsible for the software part. Android is an open-source operating system and manufacturers are free to customize 'Android' to suit their own phones. Samsung has its own skin called 'Touchwiz', HTC has its own skin called 'Sense' and Motorola has its own skin called 'Motoblur' and so on. These different flavors of android are not being optimized extensively for the underlying hardware. In fact, 'Froyo' (Android 2.2) and early versions of 'Gingerbread' (Android 2.3) don't even recognize the true power of dual-core smartphones. It is only the latest version: Android 2.3.5 and later releases of Android 2.3 which can actually take advantage of dual-core power being offered by the smartphones. The other build of Android: 'Honeycomb' (Android 3.0) also supports dual-core but that operating system is for tablets. The latest build of Android: 'Ice Cream Sandwich' (for both smartphones and tablets) will hopefully have plenty of dual-core optimizations.

But, there are problems for 'Android' which is actually making it compulsory for manufacturers to make dual-core smartphones:
The software is being run on low-power hardware (some low-powered smartphones) which is allowing lag to creep in.
Very few manufacturers are using the vanilla version that Google releases and developing their own versions with heavy customization which, according to most of the experts, is actually slowing down the performance of 'Android'. This is also leading to the problem of 'Fragmentation' due to which 'Android' is not presenting a consistent user-interface across all the smartphone devices.

In summary, there are several versions of the software: Various 'Android' flavors and there are several kinds of hardware: Various smartphone manufacturers. This is not to say that such phones are bad. Manufacturers are releasing their own flavors of android because they are adding extra features to make their phones unique. For example, you can find beautiful 3D transition effects in 'HTC Sense' that is unavailable in stock-builds that Google releases. In fact, such beautiful effects are even absent in the iPhone. But, it is just that with such a whole lot of varieties of hardware and software, 'Android' is not able to actually utilize the single-cores fully which is warranting manufacturers to go for dual-core smartphones.

Similar to the iOS, Microsoft's OS for mobiles: Windows Phone, also doesn't mandate a dual-core smartphone. Microsoft is not exactly responsible for the hardware on which it runs its software but it has stringent requirements for the underlying hardware and all the companies which use this OS have to adhere to the requirements. It also has designed its OS in such a way that the OS does not necessitate a dual-core smartphone for providing a high-quality end-user experience. Eventually, Windows Phone will also get dual-core processors but that will be mostly for providing extra features.

In all the mobile operating systems, 'Applications' or 'Apps' as they are being popularly called, are the core. Absence of applications is what led to the downfall of 'Web OS' which is another great operating system. Thankfully, developers are also realizing the fact and they are developing games that can actually take advantage of the dual-core power of the smartphones. So, you won't be able to play HD games on your single-core smartphones as they are being designed keeping in mind the raw power of dual-cores. Also, features such as shooting 1080p video @ 30 fps and the ability to connect smartphones to HD Televisions and play 1080p content are also only available on dual-core smartphones.

So, if you are going to use a mobile phone and do not value 'Geeky' features like those listed above, single-core smartphones will be more than enough to satisfy all your wants. If you want proof, you can check out the latest Nokia Windows Smartphone: The 'Lumia 800'. It is powered only by a single-core 1.4 Ghz Qualcomm processor but it has a very-fluid and gorgeous user interface. But, if you do buy a dual-core Android smartphone, you know that it is not going to go waste.

Stay Tuned!!!

For staying updated on the latest developments in the field of technology visit 'The GadgetCrat':

http://www.thegadgetcrat.in/

For analyses on the latest developments in technology visit 'TechBlog':

http://www.thegadgetcrat.in/techblog

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Reviewing the iPhone Game Development Kit

iPhone developers have found out that game development on iPhone can be accelerated using the Coco2d application. You may want to consider the iPhone Game Kit if you want to be faster.

The iPhone Game Kit is a higher level game development engine or framework which was built on the Coco2d and iPhone SDK. A lot of iPhone developers could make use of it as the beginning point for iPhone development of games.

You may be thinking why? The reason is usually it is very difficult for beginners to complete a moderately complicated game especially after learning few techniques or carrying out some tutorials. They will have no ideas on where and how to start and also how to make use of the knowledge they've learn. It is common for beginners that are writing programs to write programs that are bad and has an inflexible structure. This makes it difficult to extend as well as suffers from performance problems. The good news is that iPhone Game Kit has a dependable and flexible framework for beginners. The only task beginners would have to do is to fill out their own stuff and the rest will be handled by the kit. The iPhone Game Kit creator, Net Weiss is an experienced game developer with on different platforms. In other words he understands the kind of structure a good game must have. The kit has many clear codes one can use to customize, for instance, the Joystick touch control... which will contain high resolution support in the kit for the next version of iPhone 4 and iPad. The guide book can reveal to you how one can perform this in the development.

The Guide Book: The iPhone application development Game Kit offers a wonderful guide book that will teach anyone how to create games using the kit. From experience, the guide book is readable and it covers a lot of essential things. Anybody could get to know the arrangement of the kit as well as the workings of the kit after the studying the book. Numerous parts in the book describe in details the codes, part-by-part and reveals how one could complete the task bit by bit. Indeed, there are few details you have to search by yourself, but that doesn't mean that it will be difficult especially when you know what you want. Amazingly, this guide book covers the most important knowledge of Objective C. This means that starters wouldn't have a lot of difficulties in studying the codes. Additionally, this book also reveals how you can create a map using the Tiled Map Editor, also how to create sprite sheet by making use of the Sprite Sheet Maker couple with using Pixen for simple image processing. To cut the whole story short, a starter can be able to know the full story about developing iPhone games after studying the book.

The Art Works: The Outsource iPhone development kit offers a set of art files as well as menu graphics, items and sound effects. Some of these files come from the Reiner's kind sharing. This means that you could make use of them for free. This is very helpful and useful for individual in offshore iPhone development.

The Publishing Guide: When iPhone developers finish developing their games, they would have to publish the games in the App store. Also the kit will guide beginners on how to do this.

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Selling Your Used Smartphones for Extra Cash

As the economy recession takes its toll on the average citizen, it can be quite difficult to meet certain bills, particularly if you have been laid off or if your hours have been cut. You look for creative ways to ensure that you are making your payments on time; however, garage sales and re-financing your loans are not making it work. The additional expenses-perhaps textbooks for school, or your phone bills-might need a little extra help. If you are in need for some quick, no-hassle cash, you should consider selling smartphones that you haven't used in a while-your used devices just sitting in your closet, simply collecting dust.

Prior to the loss of your job, you might have continuously opted for the latest models of the smartphones around. The newest features, whether it was video chatting capabilities or a higher-pixel camera, enticed you to drop a few hundred dollars every few months on the latest upgrade. Because your old smartphones were in perfect condition and you only upgraded simply because you wanted the latest model, you have them safely tucked away, never having the chance to give them to a friend or relative in need and never having the opportunity to sell them-until now. You need the additional cash, and between the several phones you have stored away in the closet, selling smartphones can be a great way to get the quick cash that you need.

Some smartphones are definitely in high enough demand for you to sell them directly to buyers through services such as Amazon, eBay, or even Craigslist. However, other phones might be used and broken to the point where people might not necessarily want to buy it directly from you. Rather, selling smartphones to refurbishing companies is a great idea because it allows you to get rid of your devices that might be in full working condition. These companies are willing to buy these used and broken devices in order to retrieve the working parts to put together a fully functioning refurbished phone that they can resell.

Thus, if you need some quick cash, selling smartphones that would be otherwise sitting in your room somewhere to refurbishing companies can garner you the cash you need. The phones, whether broken or not, might simply be sitting there, just collecting dust. This way, you can get the few extra bucks in order to pay off some late bills or to buy the few things that you actually need. Even if you aren't tight on cash, the holiday season is quickly approaching. Selling smartphones that you won't be needing anyways can get you some money you can put towards buying your loved ones some nice presents for the holiday season.

A broken or even an extra phone is of little use to you. You cannot use a broken phone unless you invest some cash to get it fixed. And the extra phone might still work; however, you already have a working phone. So, why not take advantage of the ability to sell these devices to make some extra money?

We'll Buy Your iPhone in ANY Condition. Used or broken, sell your iPhone even if it's missing a battery and charger... we don't care. We'll give you cash for it anyway. Cash for cell phones

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The Changing World of Technology - From Party Lines to Siri

On October 14th, my new iPhone was delivered. Moving up from the iPhone 3G - getting this phone was a huge treat. In fact, with the 3G, I could never totally understand all the iPhone hype. But this 4S is fantastic. Even though I also own an iPad - I use the phone to surf the web and do lots of other things.

But the feature I love the most is Siri. I must admit, we had our problems at first because we didn't always seem to understand each other but now we are good friends. I can be in the middle of something and quickly have her write a reminder for me. She sends emails and text messages for me and even knows my name. How things have changed during my lifetime.

When I was a little girl, we lived in Washington, DC and had no air-conditioning (I am not even sure it was invented back in the 40s). For those of you who have spent a summer in DC, you will understand when I say that area can be worse than miserable at that time of year.

As a result, almost every summer, my mother packed up the kids and would go up to Cazenova, NY to visit my grandparents. My father would take leave and come up for several weeks. The year I was born, they had built a cottage on their property, so we had separate living quarters, which was an ideal situation.

One of my strongest memories of those days was my grandparents picking up their phone and asking the operator to dial a number for them. But they only reached the operator if no one else was using their shared line. And there was no such things as an actual dial feature on any of their phones.

At our house, we had a black rotary phone with a dial that clicked every time the wheel was turned. If I remember correctly, our phone number was something like MA-1212. Area codes were a long way off in the future. My parents had been given a choice of a party or private line - they elected the more expensive route and picked the private one. To call long distance, we had to dial "O" to get an operator to call the number for us.

Calling long distance was expensive - especially for those days. Twenty-five cents a minute wasn't unheard of. So we kept in touch by writing letters - calling long distance was used for such things as emergencies or very special occasions. To put it into context, the mailman also walked from house to house with a big leather pouch on his back - people either had a mail box by their front door or there was a mail slot built in the door.

My parents, who have been deceased for a number of years, would be blown away if they could see the world as it is today. My father, who died in 1987 didn't even know what a PC was. My mother lived until 1998 but during her last years she was so senile she didn't have much of an idea as to what was going on around her.

Now look at us. Little did I dream, even 5 years ago that my phone would call me Ellen. And even funnier, I find I thank her when she helps me out. How crazy is that?

As a senior citizen that has spent over two years studying this crazy online world that we are living it, I have found that it can be fun at times and frustrating beyond belief at others. The young who have grown up in the computer era have no idea of how we can struggle with just trying to understand them. My goal is to help those who are either older or non techies survive because we have to adapt. If you are interested in learning more, please visit my website at http://etsocialmedia.com/.

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Apple iPhone 5 Release Date Is October, Not September

"Historically the only time they've done this was for an iPhone release," reads that email. "So we're looking at the last two weeks of September." "I don't know why AT&T's calling for all hands on deck those weeks, but it's not for an iPhone launch," one source said.

Apple hasn't commented on when it will release a new iPhone model, or what features it will include. For now, the September - and now October - launch reports should be treated as rumors.

The iPhone 5 allegedly entered the final stage of its design phase a couple of months ago, and recently entered production phase. The device will come pre-loaded with iOS 5, and should offer a slew of improvements, such as a vastly improved notifications system, Twitter integration, better Safari and Mail apps, the new iMessage service, iCloud integration, improved multitasking, and better overall responsiveness.

According to an apparent leak from a Best Buy employee, the retailer is going to install some Apple-related fixtures at 6am in the morning of October 21. Earlier rumors mentioned that the next iPhone would launch on October 9 in New Zealand, so take all of this with a grain of salt, but historically, Apple has launched new products in that timeframe.

We have a tip given to 9to5Mac, which shows that Apple has begun to train retail store employees about iCloud and iOS 5. In general, Apple releases its new version of iOS around the same time as its next-generation iPhone. So, the thinking goes, if Apple is training employees on iOS 5, then iPhone 5 is right around the corner. Also, we have news from Bloomberg that German wireless giant Deutsche Telekom has already begun taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5, even though the company has no (public) knowledge of what the handset will be. Customers who "expressly request the successor model to the iPhone 4? will be given a coupon for the upcoming - but still unconfirmed - device.

iPhone 5 manufacturing has begun in Asia amid burning questions regarding the makeup of the long sought next generation Apple smartphone. The new iPhone's screen size, after remaining intact for four years, faces scrutiny. The rise of 4G LTE networks has Apple facing pressure from partners including AT&T and Verizon. The iPhone's trademark curves, which all but exited in the fourth generation iPhone era in favor of a boxy iPhone 4, are in demand for a return engagement from a number of users.

Screen: The 3.5 inch screen found on the first four iPhones has sharply increased in pixel density and quality over the years, but its physical dimensions have remained the same. This comes as competing Android based phones offer screens which are as large as four inches but offer lower quality resolution.

LTE: Verizon and AT&T have bet their near term futures on the rise of 4G LTE networks, which Verizon is still getting around to building and AT&T is still getting around to imagining. Apple's argument against employing LTE in the iPhone 4 is that almost no one would have been able to use it anyway. A year-plus later, a higher percentage of customers live in areas in which a 4G LTE signal is available, placing Apple on the spot when it comes to including it in the iPhone 5 or not.

Curvaceousness: When the iPhone 4 prototype leaked out early last year, many dismissed it as being an obvious fake because it was "too ugly" to be an Apple product. That was a bad sign for the product, whose boxy design suggested Apple was attempting to court the kind of tech geeks who had their other eye focused on competing Android phones. A year later, the geeks have fled for Android, while the mainstream has increasingly made it clear that they want an iPhone (they just want it to come to their preferred carrier).

Here are the reasons why iPhone 5 will be the best selling smartphone:

Marketing: Marketing is very important in building customer relationships as well as creating product awareness. This is one of Apple's many strongholds. The company, as soon as it announces about the launch of a new device, it takes to the airwaves describing the device and showcasing the finer points. As the customers get excited, the product becomes an instant hit. The iPhone 5 will enjoy the same advantage.

Device Specifications: iPhone 4, previously, enjoyed immense popularity among customers although there were other smartphones in the market which came up with better specifications showing better processor, RAM and battery than iPhone 4. The rumors that are circling the iPhone 5 suggest a 1.2 GHz dual core processor, an 8 MP dual-LED rear camera, a possible 1 GB RAM (Apple is known to upgrade its device's RAM with every release) and improved battery life.

Brand Name: Apple has considerably become a brand which creates trust and an emotional attachment. This attachment then causes the consumers to decide about the product. Lately, Apple has also become the world's most valuable brand according to a study published by global research agency Millward Brown.

Operating System: Lately, iOS 5.0 and its features were announced on June 6 at the WWDC 2011 keynote address. The new operating system comes with iCloud service and the Notification Center, as well as improvements to native apps such as Camera. Moreover, the new operating system has more than 200 new features. In fact, the operating system of Apple is a mobile operating system that was already years ahead of anything else before Android could even make its move.

Design: When it comes to the iPhone, Apple has always updated the design of their smartphone each year. Designers Michal Bonikowski and Antoine Brieux have played it safe with the design of the new iPhone. iPhone 4 and Apple's original iPad looks very similar in terms of design.

Milos Bundalo works for an IT company as Microsoft and VMware systems administrator. He loves new technology, especially Apple iPhone 5. He owns a website http://www.webestigate.com/ where you can read latest news about technology.

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New method for enhancing thermal conductivity could cool computer chips, lasers and other devices

ScienceDaily (Dec. 14, 2011) — The surprising discovery of a new way to tune and enhance thermal conductivity -- a basic property generally considered to be fixed for a given material -- gives engineers a new tool for managing thermal effects in smart phones and computers, lasers and a number of other powered devices.

The finding was made by a group of engineers headed by Deyu Li, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University, and published online in the journal Nature Nanotechnology on Dec. 11.

Li and his collaborators discovered that the thermal conductivity of a pair of thin strips of material called boron nanoribbons can be enhanced by up to 45 percent depending on the process that they used to stick the two ribbons together. Although the research was conducted with boron nanoribbons, the results are generally applicable to other thin film materials.

An entirely new way to control thermal effects

"This points at an entirely new way to control thermal effects that is likely to have a significant impact in microelectronics on the design of smart phones and computers, in optoelectronics on the design of lasers and LEDs, and in a number of other fields," said Greg Walker, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt and an expert in thermal transport who was not directly involved in the research.

According to Li, the force that holds the two nanoribbons together is a weak electrostatic attraction called the van der Waals force. (This is the same force that allows the gecko to walk up walls.)

"Traditionally, it is widely believed that the phonons that carry heat are scattered at van der Waals interfaces, which makes the ribbon bundles' thermal conductivity the same as that of each ribbon. What we discovered is in sharp contrast to this classical view. We show that phonons can cross these interfaces without being scattered, which significantly enhances the thermal conductivity," said Li. In addition, the researchers found that they could control the thermal conductivity between a high and a low value by treating the interface of the nanoribbon pairs with different solutions.

The enhancement is completely reversible

One of the remarkable aspects of the effect Li discovered is that it is reversible. For example, when the researchers wetted the interface of a pair of nanoribbons with isopropyl alcohol, pressed them together and let them dry, the thermal conductivity was the same as that of a single nanoribbon. However, when they wetted them with pure alcohol and let them dry, the thermal conductivity was enhanced. Then, when they wetted them with isopropyl alcohol again, the thermal conductivity dropped back to the original low value.

"It is very difficult to tune a fundamental materials property such as thermal conductivity and the demonstrated tunable thermal conductivity makes the research especially interesting," Walker said.

One of the first areas where this new knowledge is likely to be applied is in thermal management of microelectronic devices like computer chips. Today, billions to trillions of transistors are jammed into chips the size of a fingernail. These chips generate so much heat that one of the major factors in their design is to prevent overheating. In fact, heat management is one of the major reasons behind today's multi-core processor designs.

"A better understanding of thermal transport across interfaces is the key to achieving better thermal management of microelectronic devices," Li said.

Discovery may improve design of nanocomposites

Another area where the finding will be important is in the design of "nanocomposites" -- materials made by embedding nanostructure additives such as carbon nanotubes to a host material such as various polymers -- that are being developed for use in flexible electronic devices, structural materials for aerospace vehicles and a variety of other applications.

Collaborators on the study were post-doctoral research associate Juekan Yang, graduate students Yang Yang and Scott Waltermire from Vanderbilt; graduate students Xiaoxia Wu and Youfei Jiang, post-doctoral research associate Timothy Gutu, research assistant professor Haitao Zhang, and Associate Professor Terry T. Xu from the University of North Carolina; Professor Yunfei Chen from the Southeast University in China; Alfred A. Zinn from Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company; and Ravi Prasher from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The research was performed with financial support from the National Science Foundation, Lockheed Martin's Engineering and Technology University Research Initiatives program and the Office of Naval Research.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Vanderbilt University. The original article was written by David Salisbury.

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

Journal Reference:

Juekuan Yang, Yang Yang, Scott W. Waltermire, Xiaoxia Wu, Haitao Zhang, Timothy Gutu, Youfei Jiang, Yunfei Chen, Alfred A. Zinn, Ravi Prasher, Terry T. Xu, Deyu Li. Enhanced and switchable nanoscale thermal conduction due to van der Waals interfaces. Nature Nanotechnology, 2011; DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.216

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

Galaxy Nexus: The Next Big Thing

With more people than ever before excited about the release of a phone, the Galaxy Nexus was able to more than live up to expectations when it was released on November 17 2011. This smartphone was made by Nexus but was produced in co-operation with Google and was said to be the 'next big thing'.

Weighing at just over 135 grams it's a very sleek and small phone that operates on the much-loved Ice Cream Sandwich operating system (Android 4.0.1) that is said to be one of the better operating systems around.

After a major glitch involving the volume switch which meant people missed receiving texts and calls, Google and Samsung admitted their mistake and fixed it all as soon as they possibly could, which means that now this phone is back and it's better than ever before!

Let's take a closer look at this beauty and see how it really works:

· Weight: 135 grams which isn't very much at all and you can very rarely find a phone that weighs less.

· Height: Just over 5 inches

· Width: Just under 3 inches

· Depth: An incredible 0.35 inches (Or just under 9 millimeters) which means that it isn't big and bulky

· Memory: 1 GB and either 16 or 32 GB of RAM, there is no option for removable storage but when you have up to 32 GB of RAM then this is not really a concern!

· Display: Super AMOLED Pentile, 4.65 inch HD screen

· CPU: 1.2 GHz, Cortex-A9 dual-Core

· Cameras: Rear-facing 5 mega pixel camera with auto-focus with a video feature that takes 24 frames per second (FPS), LED flash and zero shutter lag. Front-facing: 1.3 mega-pixel camera.

· Music Files: WAV, Vorbis, MP3

· Connectivity: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi

As you can see the Galaxy Nexus from Samsung and Google is incredibly fast which means that you don't have to hang around for it to do what you have asked. What helps is not just the 1.3 GHz processor but the Ice Cream Sandwich operating system that is so much quicker than other Android operating systems which mean the Nexus is a serious bit of competition for all other phones out there.

With its long battery life and a big screen that gives the Nexus a modern look, this phone screams style and sophistication while it performs at speeds that we've hardly ever seen before in a cell phone.

Despite its speed, the Galaxy Nexus is pretty easy to use and is not as complicated as it sounds; there's a fairly easy menu to use with apps that are easy to access and of course there is always the scope for downloading more. When you think about it, it's no wonder the Nexus was called 'The next big thing'.

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 from an authorized Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile store. Click on the link below to see how you too can benefit for these amazing online rates and read the latest reviews on this and other similar phones.
http://www.cellphonedoc.com/category/verizon-androids/

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New method for enhancing thermal conductivity could cool computer chips, lasers and other devices

ScienceDaily (Dec. 14, 2011) — The surprising discovery of a new way to tune and enhance thermal conductivity -- a basic property generally considered to be fixed for a given material -- gives engineers a new tool for managing thermal effects in smart phones and computers, lasers and a number of other powered devices.

The finding was made by a group of engineers headed by Deyu Li, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University, and published online in the journal Nature Nanotechnology on Dec. 11.

Li and his collaborators discovered that the thermal conductivity of a pair of thin strips of material called boron nanoribbons can be enhanced by up to 45 percent depending on the process that they used to stick the two ribbons together. Although the research was conducted with boron nanoribbons, the results are generally applicable to other thin film materials.

An entirely new way to control thermal effects

"This points at an entirely new way to control thermal effects that is likely to have a significant impact in microelectronics on the design of smart phones and computers, in optoelectronics on the design of lasers and LEDs, and in a number of other fields," said Greg Walker, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt and an expert in thermal transport who was not directly involved in the research.

According to Li, the force that holds the two nanoribbons together is a weak electrostatic attraction called the van der Waals force. (This is the same force that allows the gecko to walk up walls.)

"Traditionally, it is widely believed that the phonons that carry heat are scattered at van der Waals interfaces, which makes the ribbon bundles' thermal conductivity the same as that of each ribbon. What we discovered is in sharp contrast to this classical view. We show that phonons can cross these interfaces without being scattered, which significantly enhances the thermal conductivity," said Li. In addition, the researchers found that they could control the thermal conductivity between a high and a low value by treating the interface of the nanoribbon pairs with different solutions.

The enhancement is completely reversible

One of the remarkable aspects of the effect Li discovered is that it is reversible. For example, when the researchers wetted the interface of a pair of nanoribbons with isopropyl alcohol, pressed them together and let them dry, the thermal conductivity was the same as that of a single nanoribbon. However, when they wetted them with pure alcohol and let them dry, the thermal conductivity was enhanced. Then, when they wetted them with isopropyl alcohol again, the thermal conductivity dropped back to the original low value.

"It is very difficult to tune a fundamental materials property such as thermal conductivity and the demonstrated tunable thermal conductivity makes the research especially interesting," Walker said.

One of the first areas where this new knowledge is likely to be applied is in thermal management of microelectronic devices like computer chips. Today, billions to trillions of transistors are jammed into chips the size of a fingernail. These chips generate so much heat that one of the major factors in their design is to prevent overheating. In fact, heat management is one of the major reasons behind today's multi-core processor designs.

"A better understanding of thermal transport across interfaces is the key to achieving better thermal management of microelectronic devices," Li said.

Discovery may improve design of nanocomposites

Another area where the finding will be important is in the design of "nanocomposites" -- materials made by embedding nanostructure additives such as carbon nanotubes to a host material such as various polymers -- that are being developed for use in flexible electronic devices, structural materials for aerospace vehicles and a variety of other applications.

Collaborators on the study were post-doctoral research associate Juekan Yang, graduate students Yang Yang and Scott Waltermire from Vanderbilt; graduate students Xiaoxia Wu and Youfei Jiang, post-doctoral research associate Timothy Gutu, research assistant professor Haitao Zhang, and Associate Professor Terry T. Xu from the University of North Carolina; Professor Yunfei Chen from the Southeast University in China; Alfred A. Zinn from Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company; and Ravi Prasher from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The research was performed with financial support from the National Science Foundation, Lockheed Martin's Engineering and Technology University Research Initiatives program and the Office of Naval Research.

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 Vanderbilt University. The original article was written by David Salisbury.

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

Journal Reference:

Juekuan Yang, Yang Yang, Scott W. Waltermire, Xiaoxia Wu, Haitao Zhang, Timothy Gutu, Youfei Jiang, Yunfei Chen, Alfred A. Zinn, Ravi Prasher, Terry T. Xu, Deyu Li. Enhanced and switchable nanoscale thermal conduction due to van der Waals interfaces. Nature Nanotechnology, 2011; DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.216

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

Find The Best Deals On Mobile Phones And Call Plans

Deciding upon the best phone and call plan can be problematic for many of us as mobile competitors proffer a diverse range of handsets and packages, all declaring they have the best offer available and the lowest rates.

As customers we are often confused as generally we don't know what is the best option for the price advertised and, although we try not to be, are easily influenced by an endless stream of advertising in publications and on TV, which often leads to selecting the most popular even though it's not necessarily the best one for our needs.

There are an abundance of websites selling mobile plans and phones and just as many offers to sort through, most have a billing structure that needs a degree in math to understand! It's often not until you receive the first bill that you realize there are hidden extras involved or it's simply not suited for your purposes.

Below are some basic guidelines that will help in your call plan selection taking into account budget and what you want from a call package.

The best way to go about choosing is to first select up to 5 that seem to fit your requirements, then take the time to evaluate each and compare it with other service providers before making any definite decision. Research is important as otherwise you'll only end up throwing away good money for no other reason than that you didn't spend time checking the options out properly.

We all want to cut down on our monthly bills and phone calls can add up considerably over the month, so if you can find a package that fits in with your calling habits the money saved will be worth the effort that goes into the search.

There are 2 main types of phone users - those who use it for texting and to chat with family or friends during off peak hours, and those who need it for business and are making calls in peak hours.

When checking out the different types of plans available you also need to be aware of the destination since prices will vary considerably between calls made locally, nationally or internationally. Those who regularly go abroad on business trips will benefit from a plan that offers great discounts on international calls.

Look online and it can seem as if there are an endless number of service providers declaring they have the best service and offers. Study their prices carefully as you don't want to be paying for a service that you don't actually need, or will never use. With prepaid plans you pay the same amount each month with unlimited free calls and text messages to the same network.

An idea of how much you are prepared to pay on Mobile Phone will give some guidance as to which plan will suit. Each provider's website has all the information for you to read through at your leisure, or better still go to a site that compares each mobile phone and call plans of various providers and then you can be sure the information you get is unbiased.

Forums and review sites are also a good source of information as they are honest opinions from people who have tested the phones themselves and can give advice and information on different kinds of call plans, such as a prepaid plan. It's all very well being impressed by a TV commercial from a leading service provider, but you need to consider if the plan is affordable for you and if there are any hidden elements to be aware of.

Michiel Van Kets writes articles about CompareMobilePlans.com.au, a premier website that helps Australians find the best Mobile Phone plan to suit their individual needs. Compare the top mobile phones and plans from Vodafone, Optus, Telstra, 3 Mobile, Crazy Johns and more at CompareMobilePlans.com.au, offering consumers an impartial, comprehensive and free mobile phone plan comparison. Find out about the Prepaid plan and Cap plan today.

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