Google has altered its Terms of Service to allow it to plaster users' names, photos and lots of other info all over relevant ads, a move that has privacy advocates up in arms, there are opt-out provisions, but essentially Google wants "to turn their users into unpaid pitchmen for advertisers, The new rules apply only to users over

Google has announced changes to its Terms of Service that will take effect today Nov. 13

In short, users' profile names and photos will be served up together with content such as reviews they share, ads they +1 (the Google+ counterpart to a Facebook Like), comments they post, or who and what they follow.

Only people users choose to share content with will see their profile names and photos.

Users can exclude the use of their profile names and photos with ads by turning off the "Shared Endorsements" setting.

Google will honor previous indications that users do not want their +1s to appear in ads.

Users under 18 will not be affected by the ToS change.

Users can also use Google's Ads Settings tool to manage the ads they see.

Just Like Sponsored Stories?

The changes seem to bring Google's efforts close to Facebook's Sponsored Stories, a feature that led to a class-action lawsuit, which cost the company US$20 million to settle.

"Basically, both Google and Facebook want to turn their users into unpaid pitchmen for advertisers,

The difference is that Google is offering consumers an opt-out and is excluding minors, while Facebook Sponsored Stories includes 13-to-17-year-olds,

The Fraley suit was filed over Facebook's not offering users the chance to opt out.

Google "is being more risk-averse or kid-friendly by just not using under-18s,

Still, as long as it is repurposing users' content as an ad accompanied by a good opt-out, "they're really just riding Facebook's coattails.

The Importance of Being Sensitive

It could be argued that Google is being exceptionally sensitive to users' concerns about privacy. After all, its ToS explicitly state that when users upload or otherwise submit content to its services, they give Google and those it works with "a worldwide licence to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works, communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content."

Those rights are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting and improving Google's services and developing new ones.

The license will continue even if Google stops using its services.

All Your Data Are Belong to Us

Google's ToS changes follow Facebook's announcement on Thursday that it's getting rid of a setting that controls whether people can find someone's Timeline through searching by name.

Facebook has positioned the move as the final bit of an effort it began last year.

In September, Facebook unveiled a Statement of Rights and Responsibilities derived from the Facebook Principles.

The SRR lets Facebook use members' names, profile pictures, content and information in connection with ads or content it serves or enhances, without compensation. Users under 18 must represent that one parent or guardian has agreed to the SRR.

Taken together, the two companies' moves appear troubling.

"The FTC needs to continue probing the ways online companies invade our privacy,

Disney Research Team Generate Electricity Through Paper

Devices with e-paper displays like the Kindle use a very low amount of power. A team at Disney Research has developed a flat, flexible power generator that can be incorporated into sheets of paper, plastic or other common materials.
The team were able to lay materials like Teflon between sheets of other conductive materials so that when rubbed, the materials generate an electric current that can power an electronic device like a Kindle, with low-power requirements.

Though the fundamental principles of operation remain the same, it’s possible to build paper generators that respond to a number of different gestures, such as tapping, touching, rubbing or sliding,” Interaction Group director Ivan Poupyrev said in a release. “We can imagine any number of ways to use this to add sights, sounds and other interactivity to books and other printed materials inexpensively and without having to worry about power sources.”

These devices are quick to put together and can be built in less than five minutes. A normal printer can be filled with conductive ink so then it can print out the sheets of conductive material. They only generate very low amounts of power, so they are so suitable for low-power devices.

“It’s very simple, it’s flexible and it’s printable using conventional printers,” team member Mustafa Karagozler said. “It’s a technology with potential applications we’ve only begun to explore.”

Have you ever opened a time-capsule? Lifting the lid on memories from times past is like a secret door into an unknown time, where you can live the experiences of those who were kind enough to share them. Thanks to the new app Recmember Me, you can send your very own digital time-capsule to whoever you want and a date that you want them to receive it.

The Spanish creators behind this innovative app have designed a collection of templates, which allow you to add photos and descriptions of emotions from your unique life moments. These can then be sent from the app by email and received on the date that you choose or shared via Facebook and Twitter. It is also possible to send videos up to one and a half minutes long.

The app is free to download and available for both iPhones and Android from version 4.0 and onwards but so far there is no version for the iPad.

The design of the app is very simple and straightforward to use, with a section that allows you retrace your memories on a geographical memory map. Eleven of the twenty-two templates are free and those that you have to pay for cost around a dollar.

It is possible to buy a premium version of the app for $1.99 a month. This will get you an advert free Recmember Me as well as a bigger range of templates. It is worth noting that you can only send videos to the future if you purchase this premium version.

According to the press release “recmembers” can be sent for the next 100 years, with the creators saying: We don’t know whether there will still email, but what we can say is that “recmember me” always try to stay current on the most widely used media.”

“We’ll adapt to new electronic forms of communication, so ensuring proper delivery of memory.”

So the next time you experience a life changing moment, don’t keep it to yourself, share it with the future.

iPhone 5 Tips & Tricks From Apple Itself

Apple has launched a set of new guides called Tips and Tricks in a bid to help users discover all the lesser known new features that are packed into iOS7 and the new iPhones 5S and 5C.

The pages inform users about the models that are currently available, so that’s the iPhone 4S, 5S and 5C. Some of the tips are covering old ground, things which most people have to grips with anyway thanks to media coverage.

Where these pages really become useful is when revealing features that users have either overlooked or not delved into the operating system enough to discover them.

The guide helps users make better use of Siri, for example by teaching it how to correctly pronounce your name or identify relationships in your contacts list (parents etc).

Face Time is a handy feature of iOS7 that could potentially save users money. The guides explain how to make audio-only Face Time calls.

Other features explained are being able to see time stamps on text messages and access the Spotlight search field by using swiping motions. There are tips for use of the iTunes Radio and detailed instructions on navigating the new menus.

These tips and tricks are ideal if you are one of those people that doesn’t like reading the users’ manual

SOURCE: http://mashable.com/2013/10/07/apple-iphone-tips-and-tricks-guides/

Scientists have unveiled cube-shaped robots at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), that are able to flip, jump and assemble themselves into various shapes.

These small robots have been named M-Blocks. They have no external parts but operate through an internal flywheel mechanism and it is magnets that cause them to stick together.

The scientists took inspiration from the Terminator films and envisaged the M-Blocks self-assembling like the “liquid steel” androids from the films.

More practically, researchers think that large numbers of the robot cubes could be used to make temporary repairs to bridges or buildings or even self-assembly, re-configurable scaffolding.

The advantages of modular robots is that they are able adapt to any task and terrain.

John Romanishin, one of the research scientists from the MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory said:  “We want hundreds of cubes, scattered randomly across the floor, to be able to identify each other, coalesce, and autonomously transform into a chair, or a ladder, or a desk, like in the movie transformer.

It is hoped that over time algorithms can be loaded directly on the blocks instead of controlling them by computer instructions sent over wireless radio. This future advancement will make them entirely autonomous and capable of adapting to different environments.

The scientists hope the blocks will even be able to work out how to carry out specific tasks in combat in emergency situations.

Parallels Desktop 9

It is never easy to make a choice between two very comparable products, is it?  Parallels Desktop 9 and VMware Fusion 6  have just appeared with a week of each other, both have support for Windows 8.1 and the imminent OS X 10.9 Mavericks and both claim enhanced features and improved speed. The big question is which one do you choose?   Well, here at jonesarena.blogspot.com we like you arm with all the information you need to make an informed decision.  So here is a rundown of what you need to know about Parallels 9 and a smidgen of info about Fusion 6

Both Parallels and Fusion perform the same basic functions.  Each runs Windows operating system as a “virtual machine,” (for the less informed among you, this means that a version of Windows can exist on your Mac entirely in software window) A disk file is a “virtual” hard disk for your Windows system, and an OS X window is its virtual monitor. The virtual machine is tightly integrated with your OS X system.

You can run Windows applications, (or if you like, the complete Windows desktop), on your OS X desktop and drag and drop files, text and images between Windows and OS X.  You can use all your peripherals inside Windows.  Both pieces of software here provide integration between OS X and Windows. For example, by default, both set up Windows so that when you type Command C or Command V to copy and paste, which are the standard keystrokes on the Mac, Windows acts as if you typed Ctrl C and Ctrl V, the standard copy/paste keystrokes in Windows. It is impossible to make keyboard settings like these match perfectly between OS X and Windows, and Parallels and Windows provide slightly different defaults, but you can modify the default settings to suit your requirements.  However, for the standard user, things are set out rather well.

Parallels starts as soon as you launch it and run its New Virtual Machine wizard. You get a six ways to create a virtual machine, either by downloading free operating system like Chrome OS from Google, or Ubuntu Linux or letting the wizard download and install the free Windows 8.1 Preview. You can also create a virtual version of your current OS X system, giving you a clean, fresh copy of Lion or Mountain Lion.

Other available options let you install an operating system from a DVD or a downloaded disk-image file, or create a virtual version of an existing Windows PC by transferring its contents across a network. (This migration option requires you to reactivate Windows with a new activation key that you’ll need to buy from Microsoft. Also, it is a lengthy process)  Before you get too excited about Parallels’ ability to open Metro-style Windows 8 apps in a window and the provision for a Windows 7-style start menu, bear in mind that Parallels just uses Stardock’s Start8 and Modern Mix utilities, which you can buy and install in any Windows 8 setup.

Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion are by a long way the best software for running Windows under OS X. For beginners, Parallels is easier to use and install and sets itself up by default for the tightest possible integration, but advanced users may prefer Fusion. Parallels does have a broader feature set, but Fusion has a less intrusive style.

Now you are armed, the decision is yours to make.

Samsung launches world's first smartphone with curved screen

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Wednesday launched the world's first smartphone with a curved display, a variant of the Galaxy Note which moves the Asian giant a step closer to achieving wearable devices with flexible -and even unbreakable - screens.

Curved displays are on the frontlines of Samsung's innovation war with rivals such as Apple Inc and LG Electronics Inc, as the South Korean firm seeks to expand its lead in the slowing market for high-end smartphones.

"It's a step forward for having unbreakable gadgets and flexible devices eventually. But for now, the new phone is more of a symbolic product," said Hana Daetoo Securities analyst Nam Dae-jong, adding that Samsung did not yet have capacity for large-scale production of curved touch-screens for the new Galaxy Round.

The Galaxy Round is Samsung's attempt to gauge consumer appetite for curved phones although its lack of other eye-catching features means it is unlikely to be a hit, he said.

"I don't think it'll be massively compelling enough for gadget buyers as ... the curved display doesn't come with many unique features," he said.

The Galaxy Round's 5.7-inch (14.4-centimetre) display has a slight horizontal curve and weighs less than the Galaxy Note 3, allowing a more comfortable grip than other flat-screen models on the market, Samsung said in a statement.

Its key features include a tilt function which allows users to check information such as missed calls and battery life, even when the home screen is off. Users can also scroll through media files by pressing the screen's right or left, the company said.

The phone initially would be available only in South Korea and no decision had been made about releasing it in other markets.

DESIGN CHALLENGES

Curved displays open up possibilities for bendable designs that could eventually transform the high-end smartphone market, where growth has slowed amid competition from low-end producers.

Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch released last month has a flat screen, but the company is hoping to have the technology to make more attractive and wearable devices in what is shaping as a key battleground for consumer electronics companies.

Technology firms have yet to figure out how to cheaply mass produce the parts and come up with display panels that can be thin and heat-resistant. Batteries also have to take new forms to support flexible screens that can be rolled out, attached to uneven surfaces or even stretched. The battery in the Galaxy Round is not curved, Samsung said.

Competition is heating up with Samsung's cross-town rival LG Electronics planning to introduce a smartphone with a vertically curved display in the first week of November

Its components affiliate, LG Chem Ltd, said on Tuesday it had started commercial production of a curved battery for use in the device.

The firm also said it has developed a battery in cable form, suitable for wearable devices, and expected to start commercial production within the next couple of years.

Technology analysts and media reports say Apple is working on a smartwatch, potentially with a curved screen, but there has been no word from the California-based company about its plans.

Samsung's new curved-screen phone, available through South Korea's biggest mobile carrier SK Telecom Co Ltd, costs 1.089 million won ($1,000).

($1 = 1073.7750 Korean won)

Facebook Building A $120-Million Company Town

One thing that stood out, naturally, was the hype about just how fun it is to work at the Google campus. Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?


In the future, if you want such an experience but don’t want to give Google a go (let’s just assume you can actually make it), you might want to turn to Zuckerberg and his Facebook building project. The social networking giant has announced plans to build a company town, costing a whopping $120 million. The Facebook company town is going to be built in Menlo Park, California, within walking distance to the existing offices.

The building project is meant to provide housing for Facebook employeed. Anton Menlo is the housing community’s name, and it covers 630,000 square feet. Aside from housing units, the company town is going to include all the amenities that one would want within the neighborhood. From laundry shops to pet care to bars to yoghurt shops – name it, the town will have it.

This kind of setup is not unknown when it comes to the tech giants of today. After all, they want to create an atmosphere that is conducive to creativity – and getting the most out of their employees. The idea is to take away the hassle of mundane things and have people focus on work.

Now if you lean towards conspiracy theories and are thinking that this is a bribe to entice employees not to leave the company, a spokesperson from Facebook has said that that is not the case. While that may very well be the case, the new Facebook housing community is sure to make people want to stay.

LG introduces flexible battery and mass produces flexible displays

Well that certainly didn't take very long, the ''flexible'' displays of LG's upcoming Z model and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Active or Galaxy Round (or whatever their flexible screened device will be called when it is announced this week) won't make much of a difference until the internal components of smartphones get a bit of the flexy treatment too. Otherwise all we get is a more resilient screen.

Well, that is all set to change with LG Chem announcing that they have developed flexible cable batteries capable of powering smartphones. The company's ''stacking and folding'' technology can also be used to fit smartphones, but it is not yet clear if they will use curved batteries, which they have also produced, or the folding or cable batteries in their next gen devices.

The degree of flexibility of the assembled smartphone will of course be directly related to the flexibility of the internal components, the battery being the largest and least flexible of them once the display is taken out of the equation. LG has also announced it has started mass producing thefirst fully flexible smartphone display. LG Chem's batteries are apparently also capable of being used in smartwatches or smart glasses. The cable batteries can be tied in knots and don't heat up, meaning there are a lot of great wearable applications of the technology in the future for LG. In the meantime though, we can look forward to more hard-wearing screens until both flexible screens and the new batteries appear in devices in the coming years.

BlackBerry boasts that its operating system has the ability to run Android apps, although the current version of BlackBerry 10 only works with apps from Android 2.3 Gingerbread and earlier. BlackBerry users are about to get a whole lot more apps to choose from, however, because the company on Thursday announced that BlackBerry 10.2 will finally add support for Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, which will give BlackBerry users access to apps that are more recent than the builds most Android devices are running. A beta release of the new BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and Plug-in for Android Development Tools was made available to developers, but BlackBerry 10.2 isn’t expected to arrive on devices until later this month. BlackBerry previously announced that the update will also bring support for standard Unicode emojis, multiple alarms, level 1 notifications, reminder timers and more.

BlackBerry OS 10.2 tentative release

BlackBerry 10.2 has landed with the arrival of the BlackBerry Z30, the company's new 5-inch handset. You can expect BB 10.2 to roll out to other BB10 devices in October, bringing a run of new features and tweaks to your BlackBerry user interface.

Here we're quickly running through the new os features that will be coming to your handset, making day-to-day use better,  There are some noticeable improvement in performance on the Z30 over the Z10, but we can't say how much is down to software and how much down to hardware until we have a fully updated Z10 later in the month.

New look

First up, although much of BB10.2 is the same as 10.1, there's been a change to some of the backgrounds to make them black rather than white, for example in the system settings menu.

This gives the icons more punch, and setting a Z30 with BB10.2 alongside a Z10 with BB10.1, the new software makes the old look very dated.

It's perhaps strange then that this change doesn't apply to all the native BlackBerry apps: head into the settings of BlackBerry Hub, for example, and it looks the same as before with the white background and blue top bar.

Many smartphone manufacturers are now following the trend of using dark backgrounds because it doesn't need as much power as lighter ones, therefore prolonging battery life, although it is really just a change in colour scheme that gives everything a lift here.

The 10.2 update is a big one for BlackBerry users, there have been a number of 10.1 updates, but beyond custom notifications, changes have been rather minor. The 10.2 update offers a large range of interface and feature improvements, alongside performance improvements.

The main news that existing BlackBerry Z10, Q10 and Q5 owners will be gnashing at the bit for, is that as part of the Z30 launch BlackBerry dropped the bombshell that they can expect a BlackBerry 10.2 update mid-October, adding “Subject to carrier approvals” and it's likely to include regional rollouts too.

BBM has been enhanced in an interesting and ubiquitous way, now when a BBM message lands it doesn't matter what app you're using, you'll get a preview of the message. You're also able to instantly reply to that message from within whatever that app may be. This preview system extends to the lockscreen, so with a couple of taps you can preview messages and notifications while the phone is locked. 

BlackBerry has also taken the chance to apply some heavy spit and polish to the already decent interface. This covers all manner of areas such as refinement of the copy/past selector, refinement of many general interface elements with better buttons and sliders, and new quick settings on the Home Screen.

It's human nature to talk about the weather, it's a universal and it effects us all, which is why everyone will be glad the default BB10 Weather App has been given a slick new coat of paint. It's not the only one either, app updates extend to the Clock App, which has only just received multiple alarms. There's a new dedicated Evernote app, which spins its functionality out of the Remember app. Talking of which, the Remember app itself has received various improvement and now has a much needed search option.

A trick of BlackBerry 10 not talked about enough, is its ability to run Android apps. Until now the Android Player has been limited to supporting Android 2.3, which is starting to cause issues. With BB10.2 the Android Player has had a complete overhaul, reciving a much needed performance boost and support for Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, opening up a whole boatload of fresh up-to-date apps.

It's an extensive collection of updates and goes further than what's listed here with tweaks affecting almost every part. On top of this little lot is a new file sharing screen, WiFi Direct connections, updated NFC Tags, better screenshot system, quick-sharing for photos, basic photo editing, new keyboard sounds, reject caller texts, tweaked browser interface and better start-up guides. 3G think this is an impressive update, BlackBerry just needs to convince the world it should be buying its phones once more.

When BlackBerry introduced the Z30 a couple weeks back they also noted that “BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2 is expected to be available for the BlackBerry Z10, BlackBerry Q10 and BlackBerry Q5 smartphones beginning mid-October.’

Blackberry OS 10.2. Leaks For All Devices (Q5/Q10/Z10/Z30)

Carriers have refused this release and we’ll have to wait another week for the gold release.

Now that the Z30 has been released and that we’re getting closer to an official launch of OS 10.2 on all devices, we’re starting to see leaks which can be installed on any BlackBerry 10 device, but this leaks are unofficial

WARNING: I recommend you do a hard reset after having restored your data. To do a hard reset, just press and hold “Volume Up” and “Volume Down” at the same time until you see the BlackBerry logo appear on your screen (the screen will first go dark first).

Here are the links:

Z10 STL100-1

Z10 STL100-2/3/4

Q10 SQN-X & Q5 SQR-X 

Z30 STA-X 

Android Runtime for BlackBerry 10 Devices

So, with a title like that you're probably wondering what exactly an 'Unlocked Android Runtime' is. Well, the Android runtime on BlackBerry 10 has certain limitations placed on it by BlackBerry so that they can control what things can and cannot be done within the Android environment. In the past, folks who sideloaded had to make use of debug tokens in order to get Android sideloads running better but no more. 

With this version of the Android runtime, the limitations have been removed and apps that previously worked better with a debug token no longer need them. Long story short, this will improve how your Android apps run and it reduces some of the hassle involved with sideloading Android apps onto your BlackBerry 10 device. The file itself consists of two .bar files, which you'll need to sideload using your preferred method.

Like all things, you do this at your own risk. Although it's been tested by various folks before release, it is in no way official and we're not responsible for what happens with your device should you decide to load it. As for supported devices, all BlackBerry 10.2 devices are supported here including all your STL100-1 users.

Download anyway

Microsoft taps Samsung and Huawei for dual-boot Windows Phone options

Just as they have apparently tapped HTC for the dual-boot option for Android phones with Windows Phone 8, it’s become apparent today that Microsoft may have asked Samsung and Huawei to do the same. Microsoft was tipped this past week to have suggested HTC make a selection of devices that boot to Windows Phone 8 as well as their basic Android mobile OS to increase the likelihood that a user would find Windows Phone appealing. If Microsoft does indeed get their way with the likes of HTC and Samsung as well, we may see Windows Phone 8.1 working on the HTC One Max and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Active.

Of course that’s all guesswork, as it’s just a tip from Eldar Murtazin for the Samsung / Huawei move and a suggestion from Bloomberg that HTC got the call. It’s suggested that each of these companies has been contacted well after Microsoft’s announcement that they’d acquired Nokia’s Phone hardware business.

“If Microsoft decided very simple – if our partners do not buy Windows Phone / RT for the money, do not pay for the license, we will let you give them these operating systems are free. But for free, knowing that the products are not in demand, they will not buy them, that is, it does not solve the problem.

Another thing, if they pay a little bit, to offset the cost of development and offer the use of Windows as the second option on the devices. That is, do not let a single Windows-based device, and do the same device that the company is going to release on Android, but the option to add a second Windows.” – Murtazin (translated from Russian)

Critics have already taken to Twitter suggesting that a dual-boot option on some of today’s top Android devices would only serve to draw in Windows Phone users to subsequently flip them over to the Google-made mobile OS. Microsoft’s making of Nokia phones in the near future, meanwhile, will have no Android to be found.

Talks with HTC specifically circle around a recent relatively poor quarterly earnings report where the company’s value was revealed to have dropped 90 percent since the year 2011. HTC had a loss of 6.3 percent during its third financial quarter here in 2013.

Microsoft awards over $100,000 to expert for repairing browser bug

Microsoft Corp said on Tuesday it is paying a well-known hacking expert more than $100,000 for finding security holes in its ssoftware, one of the largest such bounties awarded to date by a high-tech company.

The software maker also released a much anticipated update to Internet Explorer, which it said fixes a bug that made users of the world's most popular browser vulnerable to remote attack.

James Forshaw, who heads vulnerability research at London-based security consulting firm Context Information Security, won Microsoft's first $100,000 bounty for identifying a new "exploitation technique" in Windows, which will allow it to develop defenses against an entire class of attacks, the software maker said on Tuesday.

Forshaw earned another $9,400 for identifying security bugs in a preview release of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 11 browser, Katie Moussouris, senior security strategist with Microsoft Security Response Center, said in a blog.

Microsoft unveiled the reward programs four months ago to bolster efforts to prevent sophisticated attackers from subverting new security technologies in its software, which runs on the vast majority of the world's personal computers.

Forshaw has been credited with identifying several dozen software security bugs. He was awarded a large bounty from Hewlett-Packard Co for identifying a way to "pwn," or take ownership of, Oracle Corp's Java software in a high-profile contest known as Pwn2Own (pronounced "pown to own").

Microsoft also released an automatic update to Internet Explorer on Tuesday afternoon to fix a security bug that it first disclosed last month.

Researchers say hackers initially exploited that flaw to launch attacks on companies in Asia in an operation that the cybersecurity firm FireEye has dubbed DeputyDog.

Marc Maiffret, chief technology officer of the cybersecurity firm BeyondTrust, said the vulnerability was later more broadly used after Microsoft's disclosure of the issue brought it to the attention of cyber criminals.

He is advising computer users to immediately install the update to Internet Explorer, if they do not have their PCs already set to automatically download updates.

"Any time they patch something that has already been used (to launch attacks) in the wild, then it is critical to apply the patch," Maiffret said.

That vulnerability in Internet Explorer was known as a "zero-day" because Microsoft, the targeted software maker, had zero days notice to fix the hole when the initial attacks exploiting the bug were discovered.

In an active, underground market for "zero day" vulnerabilities, criminal groups and governments sometimes pay $1 million or more to hackers who identify such bugs.

How to Avoid Excessive Phone Charges When Traveling in Europe

If you've been stung by roaming charges in the past when using a U.S. cellphone abroad and you've recently heard about new, supposedly fair roaming caps in Europe, beware: It's not what it seems.

As of July 2013, European-carrier SIM card roaming rates are capped in Europe at 0.45 euros, or about US$0.60, per megabyte for data and 0.24 euros, or about $0.32, for one minute of voice.

You'd think that should mean that if you buy a SIM card in one EU country for use in an unlocked phone, you would get the same super-duper voice and data rates as you travel around Europe.

The truth? Well, yes, you do get the same rates. However, they're not good rates. These new EU capped rates are the "rack rates" -- to use a hospitality industry term. They are the inflated standard retail prices, not the discounted price you get if you negotiate or watch for offers.

Think of it like an airline increasing its time-tabled flight times to make on-time records look pretty. It ain't real.

Watch Out

The EU bureaucrats are lauding it around like these new rates are some kind of gift from God. They're not, and here are the numbers: At those prices it still will cost 614 euros, or a shocking $814 per gigabyte of data -- not including taxes -- if you take advantage of this supposed EU gift.

In other words, official EU roaming rates are still a ripoff. Here's how to obtain the best voice and data prices when in Europe.

Step 1: Understand the Market

Despite the 1957 Treaty of Rome creating the EEC, or European Economic Community -- later renamed the EU -- that was supposed to usher in a unified common market across Europe, it didn't do that when it came to many things, including cellphone deals.

Each country has differing phone companies and consequently schemes. Even pan-European outfits, like Vodafone and Orange, have separate entities that set their own discounted prices.

Step 2: Look for Local Deals in Each Country

Perform an Internet search for website landing-page deals before you go, or use free hotel or cafe WiFi when on the ground. Look for prepay rates rather than any kind of contract.

Don't bother trying to order anything on the Internet in some countries, like France -- many operators' websites don't take foreign cards. Again, welcome to the EU.

Aggregator stores with fair prices include Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U in the UK, and The Phone House in eight countries. Major pan-European carriers with their own stores include Orange and Vodafone.

Country-specific carriers include T-Mobile, EE and O2 in the UK; SFR in France; Hutchison 3 in the UK.

Tip: Reckon on paying Pounds 10, or about $15, for a T-Mobile SIM card with 1 GB of data and 100 local minutes that lasts 30 days in the UK.

Step 3: Purchase a Country-Specific SIM Card

This doesn't have to be an onerous exercise because all major phone companies have a brick-and-mortar presence on the best shopping streets. So, combine a pleasant morning perusing a city center and drinking a street-side coffee while waiting for your number to come up in the usually long lines at the phone shop.

Tip: Bring your passport for identity verification, and you'll likely need cash if you don't have a non-swipe, chip-and-PIN-enabled, European-style credit card.

Step 4: Get the Clerk to Set Up Your Device

See the SIM card functioning in your phone or tablet before you leave the store. Some stores, despite the branding, aren't company-owned, and you'll have no redress if there's a problem. Indeed, even if they are company-owned, management can be ruthless, so reckon once you've walked out, that's your lot.

Tip: Some hole-in-the wall outlets, despite major-label branding, are open to haggling.

A Few Warnings

Things to watch out for include how long the credit lasts; how long the SIM card lasts if you don't use it and want to on a return visit; and whether all usual services are included. For example, Orange France charges extra for Web-client e-mail on its Mobicarte SIM card, yet Web-browser e-mail is included.

If you buy a bucket of service, find out how long it takes for services to become provisioned and start, so you don't snort up available credit at full rates. Often you'll get a confirmation text -- assuming it isn't lunchtime. Keep the phone turned off until then.

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Researchers from the University of Illinois have developed a thermometer that is so thin it is being labeled as a tattoo thermometer patch. The thermometer bonds with the skin and is only 5- microns thick, which is approximately half the width of a human hair.

Thermometer As An Indicator

While the thermometer is designed to detect the temperature of the skin, the fact that it can detect temperature changes around the area of skin where it is placed means that the tattoo thermometer can track heat flow. This information can indicate the way heat is moving around the blood system as well as how blood cells are contracting and relaxing. This in turn indicates cardiovascular activity.

Precise Readings

The ultra-thin thermometer is a spectacularly thin rubber sheet that’s been perforated to allow the skin to behave normally. On the top of the rubber sheet are tiny gold wires and silicone membranes that will read and convey the information from the skins temperature. The tattoo thermometer is so precise that it can measure temperature to within a thousandth of a degree centigrade.

With a simple tweak, the thermometer can be transformed in to a heater that is able to heat the skin to the same precision as it uses to measure the heat. By warming the skin and blood to optimal temperatures, nutrients and prescription drugs may be absorbed more easily.

The Future

Researchers are already excited about the information that could be gained from the tiny tattoo thermometer. The lightweight, easy to use thermometer means that a person’s temperature may be monitored over an extended period of time in everyday life without any discomfort or inconvenience for the user. By watching the trends in temperature, people may be able to catch health problems earlier than before.

The tiny patches can also be produced with a larger surface area to cover other parts of the body. Eventually researches would like to use the tattoo thermometers in a completely wireless way on internal organs as well external to give people a clearer picture of how their body is working.

Orbital Sciences Are Second Private Firm To Resupply The ISS

More than four years after winning a contract, alongside SpaceX, to resupply the International Space Station, Orbital Sciences has finally docked its Cygnus capsule with the space outpost. The achievement makes it the second private outfit to have run a resupply mission to the station, with Elon Musk beating them to the goal last October.

Achieving the rendezvous with the International Space Station did not go without a hitch, however. As a data format bug delayed the planned September 22nd docking until a software fix was applied. The unmanned Cygnus spacecraft was berthed to the ISS at 8:45 a.m. EDT after successfully demonstrating the final manoeuvres for NASA as part of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program. The spacecraft, which is roughly the size of a commercial delivery truck, had to demonstrate that it can autonomously approach the station from below and complete a series of scheduled approaches and retreats. Eventually it came to a rest 10 meters from the station and then astronaut Luca Parmitano manoeuvred the robotic arm to bring it the rest of the way into the ISS. Then the craft’s bounteous hatch was opened to reach 1,300 pounds worth of supplies by the six man crew of the ISS. The cargo includes clothing, food and student experiments.  In 30 days’ time, the cargo vessel will detach and head for a destructive re-entry over the Pacific Ocean back here on earth.

Having successfully performed the final demonstration mission, Orbital Sciences is expected to fly the first of its eight contracted NASA cargo missions (worth $1.9 billion) in December. In parallel news the SpaceX Company was initially expected to make the flight, but the development of recent upgrades to its rocket pushed the California company’s schedule into 2014. SpaceX completed its demonstration flights for NASA last year, and has already completed two of its 12 contracted cargo flights to the ISS (worth $1.6 billion).

Brush Your Teeth In 6 Seconds With The 3D Printed Toothbrush

I remember when I was younger the dentist telling me that to keep my teeth in tip-top condition, I needed to brush my teeth for 3 minutes, twice a day. I don’t know if you’ve ever actually timed yourself brushing your teeth.


The Blizzident custom 3D printed toothbrush looks a little strange but promises to clean your teeth in just 6 seconds. So what would you choose, 3 minutes or 6 seconds?

It is actually custom-made and involves you having a 3D scan or impression of your teeth. If your dentist takes an impression, then it needs to be scanned into a 3D file. This is then sent to Blizzident, which 3D prints your own unique toothbrush.

You place the 3D printed toothbrush into your mouth and make biting and chewing motions. Lots of soft bristles are angled so as to thoroughly clean teeth and gums. The way the bristles are angled and the fact that it is a perfect fit for your mouth, mean it is able to clean properly but more efficiently.

The downside to this is cost. Whereas you can pick up a normal toothbrush very cheaply, the Blizzident’s more complex manufacturing process means it costs you $299. It is recommended that after one year you replace the custom toothbrush, which then costs another $159. Plus don’t forget you need to pay for that 3D scan. Rather alot of money for keeping your teeth white, especially when the same result can be achieved with a cheaper alternative.

Blizzident has promised to share clinical studies on the efficiency of the product, which will certainly be interesting. But as for me, I’ll be using to my good old fashioned toothbrush, for 3 minutes twice a day of course!