Now, charge your phone powered by a hot cup of coffee or a cold beer

Researchers have developed a mobile phone charger that can be powered by either a cold beer or a hot coffee.

The Epiphany One Puck, which doubles as a drinks coaster, connects to a phone with a USB cable. It has two sides, one red, one blue, the Daily Mail reported.

Owners use the red side as a drinks coaster to place a hot drink on it, and the blue side as for a cooling drink such as a beer.

It uses something called a Stirling engine to turn heat into energy.

US company Epiphany Labs, based in New Castle, Pennsylvania, has built a working prototype and hopes to have it on the market early in 2014.

The company is still vague on just how long it takes for the device to charge up a phone because there are a lot of variables at play, including how hot or cold the source is.

Any source of heat that can fit on the Puck will work.

It works best with something that’s very warm like a steaming cup of tea or coffee, or very cold like a well chilled beer or soft drink.

Epiphany is aiming to raise 63,000 pounds on fund raising website Kickstarter to turn the prototype into a gadget that can be mass-manufactured.

By Feb 8, more than 25,000 pounds had been raised, and early birds can still get in for a 62-pound pledge price.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/now-charge-your-phone-powered-by-a-hot-cup-of-coffee-or-a-cold-beer/1073078/

Light bulb shining after an incredible 130 years

While most modern light bulbs barely last a year, a bulb in UK is still glowing after an amazing 130 years, making it one of the oldest in the world.

The bulb, dating from 1883, was clearly built to last with six internal filaments which wobble when in use.

It continued to give good service throughout two world wars, shining well into the new millennium, the ‘Daily Mail’ reported.

The bulb first belonged to the late Florence Crook who once took it to school to dazzle her classmates. It then passed down to her son Kenneth, in Morecambe, Lancshire and is still in use by his widow Beth, 79, at their home.

“It’s a real talking point. There is no substitute for craftsmanship. The new eco bulbs take all week to warm up and hardly give off any light,” Beth told the ‘Daily Express’.

The bulb, marked EDISWAN, has the number 200-32:B.56 on the glass. The UK’s previously oldest working bulb surfaced after 113 years continuous use in Margate, Kent, in 2008.

Ediswan was a collaboration between the British Physicist Sir Joseph Swan and US scientist Thomas Alva Edison, both of whom are independently credited with the invention of the light bulb in 1879.

Swan’s break through was to use a vacuum which meant there was very little oxygen inside the bulb so the filament to glow white-hot without catching fire.

It rolled of the production line as Queen Victoria was beginning her 64th year on the throne and William Gladstone was the UK Prime Minister, the report said.

According to the Guinness Book of Records the world’s oldest light bulb in continuous use has been burning for 109 years and holds pride of place in Fire Station 6, in Livermore, northern California.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/light-bulb-shining-after-an-incredible-130-years/1073013/0

Intex launches 4.5-inch AQUA Wonder smartphone at Rs 9,990

Intex Aqua Wonder is the latest entrant in the sub-Rs 10,000 smartphone market.

Aqua Wonder is a 3G-enabled dual-SIM device powered by 1GHz processor, 512 MB RAM and runs on Android’s Jelly Bean OS.

The 4.5-inch capactive IPS display offers a resolution of 960×540 pixels. Aqua Wonder has an 8MP rear view camera and 1.3MP front camera for video calling.

The device has 1.93 GB internal memory which is expandable up to 32 GB. Intex claims that Aqua Wonder’s 1800 mAH battery gives a talktime of 3.5 hours and a standby time of upto 72 hours.

Aqua Wonder comes with popular apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Google Maps, YouTube, Nimbuzz, Skype, Google+.

As introductory offer, Intex has bundled the Aqua Wonder with 4GB microSD card, phone pouch and screen guard at no additional cost.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/intex-launches-4.5inch-aqua-wonder-smartphone-at-rs-9990/1072630/

MapmyIndia launches Lx340 Navigator at Rs 8,990

Digital maps and GPS provider MapmyIndia has added another product — Lx340 Navigator – to its navigation devices portfolio. Lx340 Navigator has a 4.3-inch display for seamless navigation.

MapmyIndia says Lx340 Navigator has comprehensive and detailed pre-installed maps which provide for door-to-door navigation in 39 cities and connectivity 5,79,000 towns and villages across India. Built-in maps mean no more recurring charges and no dependence on internet or mobile network for navigation.

The device’s Don’t Panic software features instant route calculation and re-routing to help users find routes available to reach their destination. It has visual and audible alerts for lane guidance, over-speeding and road signs.

Shivalik Prasad, Executive Director, MapmyIndia, says, “With Lx340, we’re making available to all car owners in India, a powerful and premium GPS navigation and entertainment experience, at a very affordable and attractive price point. We’re excited to further accelerate the strong proliferation of in-car GPS navigation systems in India and power every car in India with a MapmyIndia product in the coming time, and will continue to innovate and invent new products and technologies to deliver the best navigation and driving experience to Indians.”

Specs:

*SiRF V GPS chipset with Windows CE 6.0 OS

*Matte-black finish,

*Dimensions: 118x82x12.5mm, Net weight: 124 g

*In-built 2GB storage with expandable SD card slot up to 8GB (for movies, music, photos)

*950mAH battery

*4.3-inch (10.9 cm) LCD touchscreen display with 480 x 272 pixels resolution

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mapmyindia-launches-lx340-navigator-at-rs-8990/1072634/

Dell launches Inspiron 15z for Rs 41,990

Dell launched a new laptop, Inspiron 15z, for Rs 41,990. The ultrabook comes with a 15.6-inch LED display with a resolution of 1366×768 pixels. The aluminium chassis is 2.1 cm thick and the laptop weighs 2.17 kg. Another model, which is 2.3 cm thick and weighs 2.46 kg, comes with a touchscreen.

Inspiron 15z runs Windows 8 and comes with a 1-MP web camera.

The laptop has Intel’s third generation Core-series processor and Nvidia GeForce GT630M 2GB graphics card and 500 GB storage (HDD), but users can also opt for faster solid state drives (up to 256GB). The keyboard has backlighting and is water resistant. The touchpad is optimised for Windows 8.

Connectivity options on the Dell Inspiron 15z are Intel WiDi, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0, ethernet, HDMI and a slot for various memory cards. It has Skullcandy speakers.

Shishir Singh, Director, Product Marketing, Dell India said, “We at Dell always strive to come up with something innovative which addresses all the needs of our consumers. The Inspiron 15z combines upscale style and features in a sleek and glamorous design with best-in-class technology.”

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dell-launches-inspiron-15z-for-rs-41990/1072635/

Apple store gives ‘porn-laced’ Twitter Vine app ‘adult rating’

Twitter’s new video sharing app Vine has been given adult rating on Apple’s store.

Vine has had its age rating increased to 17+ on Apple”s store, the highest option.

The software had previously been rated suitable for 12-year-olds.

The move comes in the wake of complaints that some of its six-second segments were pornographic.

According to the BBC, Vine is not yet available for Android, but Google Play rates its 500px app as having a “high maturity” content rating, while Tumblr is marked as “low maturity”.

The app had previously made headlines after one of its Editor”s Pick showed a couple engaged in a sexual act.

Shortly after the clip”s selection it entered the app”s “popular now” list, signalling it was one of the product”s most viewed videos.

Twitter later apologised, blaming “human error”.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/apple-store-gives-pornlaced-twitter-vine-app-adult-rating/1070742/

Lenovo launches two Windows 8 laptops – Ideapad Y500 & Z500

Lenovo has launched two Windows 8 laptops called the IdeaPad Y500 and Z500. Both laptops have third-generation Intel processors and their high-end models come with graphic cards.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 comes with an UltraBay that lets users add an extra graphics card, hard disk drive or an additional fan for cooling. The 15.6-inch laptop has a carbon fibre cover, and a backlit keyboard with a touchpad. Users should face no problems typing in dark rooms as the keyboard has backlighting. The IdeaPad Y500 costs Rs 64,290.

Lenovo claims IdeaPad Z500 is among the slimmest laptops available in market. It is also a 15.6-inch device, but has less powerful hardware when compared to the Y500. It costs Rs 48,990.

The key specifications for both laptops are as follows.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y500

Up to third generation Intel® Core i7 processor

Up to NVIDIA® GeForce GT 650M 2GB DDR5 graphics

Up to 16GB DDR3 memory, up to 1TB HDD storage

Up to 750GB interchangeable HDD storage bay

Bluetooth, 802.11n Wi-Fi connectivity

USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and 6in1 card reader

Always-on USB port – lets you recharge a mobile device even when the notebook is powered off and unplugged

Interchangeable DVD reader

JBL speakers and Dolby Home Theater v4

Lenovo IdeaPad Z500

Up to third generation Intel Core i7 processor

Up to NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M 2GB graphics

15.6″ Backlit LED HD display (1366×768), 16:9 widescreen

Up to 8GB DDR3 memory, up to 1TB HDD storage

Bluetooth & 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity

Intelligent Touchpad optimised for Windows 8, with easy scroll, zoom and rotate functions

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/lenovo-launches-two-windows-8-laptops—ideapad-y500—z500/1069696/0

HCL launches ME Y3 at Rs 11,999

HCL Infosystems has launched three tablets – V1, Y3 and U2 – under its ME series at affordable prices. These tablets are seven-inch devices aimed at youth segment.

HCL ME Y3 – priced at Rs 11,999 – leads the pack with features like dual-SIM standby, 2G and 3G calling. Y3 sports a 1Ghz processor, a built-in 3D GPU, a healthy 1GB RAM and runs on Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS. The tablet comes with an internal memory of 4GB expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. The seven-inch capacitive screen of Y3 has a resolution of 1024×600 pixel and a 3.2-megapixel camera rests on the rear panel. A VGA camera is placed on the front panel for video calling. Other connectivity option include the standard Bluetooth and WiFi.

HCL ME V1, which comes with similar specifications, is priced at Rs 7,999. It has a SIM-slot for 2G connectivity , however, 3G usage can only be done through a USB dongle. Its built-in proximity sensor puts the screen into standby mode during calls. The Android tablet doesn’t have Google Play Store application so users will have to use a browser for downloading apps. V1 supports HD playback and has a screen resolution of 800×400 pixel. User can click photos with its 2-megapixel rear camera that has an LED flash and the 0.3-meagpixel front camera. It has a 3200mAh Li-Polymer battery.

The third and the cheapest of the three tablets launched is the HCL ME U2 priced at Rs 5,999. U2 has Google Play Store app unlike Y3 and V1.

Some of the apps that comes pre-loaded with the new range of HCL ME tablets are Big-Flix, Cleartrip, LinkedIn, NimBuzz, Twitter and Facebook.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hcl-launches-me-y3-at-rs-11999/1069700/0

New Facebook app allows tracking users’ location ‘even when phone not being used’

Social networking giant Facebook will release a new mobile app that will allow a user’s location to be tracked even when the phone is not being used.

The location app is designed to allow Facebook users to find friends in the area.

It will run even if the program isn’t open on a user’s handset.

Facebook already has a mobile “Find Friends” app, which allows users to let others know where they are by “checking in” at a bar, a library etc, the Telegraph reports.

According to a report by Bloomberg, the app, which is set to be launch in mid-March according to the Bloomberg report, could then prove useful to the social networking site in the way they target advertising based on the places their users visit.

Earlier, Facebook updated its internal search engine to allow members to search more easily through their friends” profiles.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/new-facebook-app-allows-tracking-users-location-even-when-phone-no…/1070210/

 

Portronics launches portable speaker for Rs 3,499

Portronics has launched Pebble, a portable touch-based Bluetooth speaker.

The device has a range of 10 metres and supports all Bluetooth devices like mobile phones, music players, etc.

The device also has a microphone, which means users can receive calls using Pebble.

The device has a touch panel for controls. It supports microSD cards, and can play MP3 or WMA audio formats.

It also has an aux-in port, which lets you connect pretty much every device with a 3.5 mm audio jack. The company says the device also supports voice commands.

It weighs just 137 grams, which is very portable for a speaker. It costs Rs 3,499.

Portronics says the device is loud enough for a conference room or a large living room.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/portronics-launches-portable-speaker-for-rs-3499/1068408/