HTC Evo 3D: 4G Is Finally Thrust Into the Third Dimension

Taiwanese mobile phone manufacturer HTC Corporation introduced the HTC Evo 3D was introduced on June 24, 2011. Available exclusively for the Sprint/Nextel network, the smartphone is the immediate successor to the HTC Evo 4G. Although it uses the same super-fast 4G network as its predecessor, the Evo 3D is so named because HTC added three-dimensional picture and video support on the device.

The defining trademark of the HTC Evo 3D is its touch screen. Measuring 4.3 inches diagonally, the screen uses a quarter of the display quality used by high-definition televisions, with a resolution of 960 by 540 pixels. Another notable feature of the touch screen is the ability to view images and video in 3D form without the need for stereoscopic glasses.

Another prominent trademark of the Evo 3D is its collection of cameras. Two 5-megapixel cameras are positioned at the phone's rear. Possessing autofocus and dual light-emitting diode (LED) flash, the cameras not only take pictures, but can also stream 3D videos into a 3D television set. Moreover, they accommodate an immensely high display resolution, at 2,560 by 1,920 pixels. A third, 1.3-MP camera is placed at the front of the Evo 3D for video chats and geo-tagging.

The HTC Evo 3D runs on the Android 2.3 operating system, which enables the downloading of apps from the Android Market online store. The dual-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8660 processor provides fast response for the phone, while the Adreno 220 graphics processing unit handles the phone's video capabilities. Each Evo 3D comes with 1 GB of data storage space. However, users can expand it up to 32 GB by using its microSD card slot.

Customers can download files wirelessly using the Evo 3D's Wi-Fi capabilities at any available Wi-Fi hotspot. The smartphone also comes with Bluetooth technology, which permits users to exchange music and videos with other Bluetooth-enabled devices such as personal computers or other smartphones.

Regarding sound, the Evo 3D provides a loudspeaker to eliminate the need to press the phone to the ear during calls. A 3.5-millimeter jack is included to plug in headphones and take full advantage of the SRS virtual surround sound quality. This is particularly good for listening to the built-in FM radio or the audio player, which supports MP3, Windows Media Audio (WMA), Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) and WAV files.

Each HTC Evo 3D has a standard lithium-ion battery. Maximum stand-by time and talk time is measured at around 420 hours and 7 hours 45 minutes, respectively.

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Subtle electronic effect in magnetite discovered: Long-standing puzzle in study of magnetism finally solved

ScienceDaily (Dec. 21, 2011) — A fundamental problem that has long puzzled scientists has been solved after more than 70 years. An international team of researchers has discovered a subtle electronic effect in magnetite, the most magnetic of all naturally occurring minerals. The effect causes a dramatic change to how this material conducts electricity at very low temperatures.

The discovery gives new insight into the mineral in which magnetism was discovered, and it may enable magnetite and similar materials to be exploited in new ways.

Ancient knowledge

Magnetite's properties have been known for more than 2000 years and gave rise to the original concepts of magnets and magnetism. The mineral has formed the basis for decades of research into magnetic recording and information storage materials.

The research was led by the University in collaboration with the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, where the experiments were conducted. Their results were published in Nature.

Unexplained behaviour

In 1939, Dutch scientist Evert Verwey discovered that the electrical conductivity of magnetite decreases abruptly and dramatically at low temperatures. At about 125 Kelvin, or minus 150 degrees Celsius, the metallic mineral turns into an insulator.

Despite many efforts, until now the reason for this transition has been debated and remained controversial.

X-ray experiment

The team of scientists fired an intense X-ray beam at a tiny crystal of magnetite at very low temperatures. Their results enabled them to understand a subtle rearrangement of the mineral's chemical structure. Electrons are trapped within groups of three iron atoms, where they can no longer transport an electrical current.

"We have solved a fundamental problem in understanding the original magnetic material, upon which everything we know about magnetism is built," said Professor Paul Attfield, Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions. "This vital insight into how magnetite is constructed and how it behaves will help in the development of future electronic and magnetic technologies."

The research was funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and the Leverhulme Trust.

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

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Journal References:

Mark S. Senn, Jon P. Wright, J. Paul Attfield. Charge order and three-site distortions in the Verwey structure of magnetite. Nature, 2011; DOI: 10.1038/nature10704J. Paul Attfield. Condensed-matter physics: A fresh twist on shrinking materials. Nature, 2011; 480 (7378): 465 DOI: 10.1038/480465a

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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O2 iPhone 4S Deals Finally Launched for Non Existing Customers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Arctic research funding of $67M finally announced

The federal government formally announced $67.3 million for research on Arctic climate change Thursday, though the funding has already been flowing for months and an official website has long since divulged it.

Industry Minister Christian Paradis said the money would keep ArcticNet, a Canada-wide network of mostly university-based researchers, operating through 2018.

The 145 investigators run projects looking at topics as diverse as Inuit access to post-secondary education, to how global warming is affecting marine life on the floor of the Arctic Ocean.

ArcticNet's first round of funding came in 2003, and researchers have known it would be renewed since last fall, when the federal government quietly extended its financial commitment.

The exact amount of the second round of funding was later posted to the federal government's website for the Networks of Centres of Excellence, which supports national research collaborations.

But there was still no formal announcement from the government. The Prime Minister's Office said in August that Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver would make the official announcement in the fall, even as Industry Canada was already at work planning something for that month.

"It's a matter of opportunity," said Louis Fortier, a Laval University marine biologist and ArcticNet's scientific director. "We agreed with the Industry Department that we wanted to do the announcement in the North, and in the wintertime it's impossible, so the first favourable window was in August. We had something planned for the beginning of August in Resolute Bay, but things are always complicated in the North, and this is just one more example."

In the end, Paradis made the announcement Thursday alongside Fortier at Laval University in Quebec City, where he said the funding was the single largest amount Ottawa has doled out as part of the Networks of Centres of Excellence program.

All the machinations haven't been detrimental to ArcticNet's researchers, however, several of them said.

"The research community knew, when we had our last annual scientific meeting in December, that the decision had been made," said David Hik, a University of Alberta biologist and ArcticNet project leader.

"The fact the official announcement was delayed isn't a big deal. It hasn't delayed the flow of the funds, and none of the investigators would have been adversely affected at all. Probably with the election in May, a lot of these timelines got set back."

Fortier agreed there has been no adverse effect. "This is something the 145 of them were expecting. We were confident we would get funding," he said.

He added that the federal contribution is only a part of ArcticNet's budget. The government cash has a "leveraging effect" that allows the program to raise further funds from universities, granting agencies and elsewhere, for a total over the next seven years of between $400 million and $500 million, he said.

About $2.7 million a year of that goes toward operating the Canadian Coast Guard ship Amundsen, a 98-metre-long icebreaker that Arctic researchers use every May to December to travel to the remote North to study Inuit communities and the environment. Accessibility Links

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