Thursday, 16 August 2012

New 'Carbonised' batteries could charge in seconds

We all love using our shiny gadgets as much as possible, from tweeting on the bus to catching up on Breaking Bad in your lunch our. But do you know what we don't love quite as much? Charging them.

Yes, waiting all night hours for that big power-hungry iPad of yours to fill up could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to new developments in battery technology. The discovery could mean batterys which charge in minutes or even seconds, not hours.

Gizmodo explains the problem with standard lithium-ion batterie

The way current li-ion batteries are made, they have conductors feeding the charge-holding particles held within the cell. The problem is that the charge is deposited from the outside in, as the charge-holding section in the middle isn’t directly exposed to any current.

The solution discovered is to instead coat and permeate the entire battery in conductive materials, interwoven with conductors, so that the whole thing can start charging at the same time. This is achieved by placing the batteries in a graphite solution, so that carbon can soak deep into the battery cell.

The results are astounding. Scientists undertaking the research have claimed that recharge time has been cut by 30 times, and in some cases as much as 120 times! That would mean you could charge your phone in seconds, but it would also be a huge leap forward for electric cars, which typically take hours to recharge.

According to Giz, the only downside to these new batteries is a slight increase in size and weight. But I'm sure you all have huge gadget-muscles from carrying around that obese iPad 3 anyway, don't you?

FROM GIZMODO

 

Wednesday, 15 August 2012

Skrillex done on piano sounds amazing. [VIDEO]

Bangarang aside, I find Skrillex music pretty sucky. That is partly why I was so surprised to find out that his music actually sounds really really good when played on a piano. So here you are, bask in the glory of the music and wonder why all dubstep can't just die and come back like this.

From Reddit

 

Celebrity Big Brother 2012 launches in style!

 

TV's favourite reality orgasm returned to screens tonight, and bosses at Channel 5 have pulled out all the stops to ensure this is the most dramatic and explosive lineup the show has potentially ever seen. With 'zelebrities' ranging from cheating sex pests and bitchy models to uber-camp comedians and soap stars, Celebrity Big Brother has succeeded in delivering a great mix of housemates. There is a good spread of ages, and a range of personalities which are sure to clash.

Corrie's Bet Lynch enters the house
The night started extremely well, with Coronation Street start Julie Goodyear as the first to enter the house. After a barnstorming march down the catwalk, and a quick chat with Brian Downling (who is growing less annoying by the day), a dazed Julie entered the house to a chorus of cheers.

But she wasn't alone for long. Following close behind her was another fan favourite - Cheryl Fergison, perhaps best known for her part of Heather Trott in Eastenders. After another huge round of cheers from a surprisingly postiive audience, Cheryl was in the house. It was then that Big Brother delivered the night's twist to the two soap stars - they would be directed into soap-style 'meltdowns' through an earpiece by Big Bro. Hardly original, but the tried and tested twist eventually provided the most entertaining moments of the evening.

Mike 'The Situation' flashing his abs
And for a while, it looked like the celebs would keep rolling, with Jersey Shore's 'The Situation' entering next. 'Situation' is actually very famous over in the US of A, and thus is one of the shows biggest ever coups. But it was there that the A, B and C listers stopped rolling in, as a tirade of ex-models, cheaters, page 3 girls, So-Solid Crew members, random Princes and would-be olympians descended upon the house.

But do you know what? It doesn't matter that the aren't exactly famous, this series looks fantastic. There are plenty of young'uns to cop off in the jacuzzi, while the more mature housemates such as Samantha Brick should prove suitably controversial. And for a first episode, it was brilliant. Cheryl and Julie's staged argument was absolutely golden TV, and the eclectic mix of personalities will no doubt have me glued to the screen for another 3 weeks.

So basically Big Brother and Channel 5, well done once again. It seems as if this new broadcaster is finally figuring out what is needed for a successful series, and it has proven with BB13 that it can sustain interesting tasks the whole way through the series.

Check out the full lineup after the break:

Celebrity Big Brother 2012: Liveblog!

It's just a few hours now until we see the start of Celebrity Big Brother, and with names like Cheryl Ferguson, Coleen Nolan, Martin Kemp, Julian Clary and that TOP Secret celeb, it's sure to be firecracker of a series. Will we get Dog the Bounty Hunter? Will Rhian go topless? Find out all the gossip from the live show by following our EXCLUSIVE Liveblog right here!

The Liveblog:

 

Monday, 13 August 2012

Big Brother 2012: The Liveblog!

So another series of Big Brother has come to an end, and to be honest we are sort of sad to see it go. This years edition has brought us tears, laughter, and bitching. Lots and lots of bitching. Like a lot.

Anyway, tonight Deana, Adam, Luke A, Luke S and Sara will battle it out for 50k. And we are going to be live blogging it all the way. So follow below for all our action from the finale, and come back here afterwards for the full write-up, and at 12pm for our full rumour roundup of Celebrity Big Brother 2012!

Here is the Liveblog!

 

Thursday, 9 August 2012

Pulse releases web app newsreader

iOS News Reader Pulse Makes Its Way To The Mac Via New HTML5 Web App
A big, beautiful tiled interface makes choosing an article a joy.
Well, as promised Pulse have lifted the covers on their 'big announcement', and while the news of a flashy web app won't excite most people, what Pulse has managed to create is actually a very polished reading experience, and one that will make users of unsupported tablets very happy. 

Wednesday, 8 August 2012

Samsung patents a 'smelly phone'

Oh Samsung, how we love/hate you. Sure, you are copying our iPhone and iPads, but without you we would not be able to create terrifying photoshops like this.

Yes, for some inexplicable reason, Samsung has decided that it's not enough to copy Apple, but to basically just go batshit crazy in the patent department.

The result is this odd perfume-packing phone, which has a scent refilling station built into the charging dock. So, when you set the phone down to charge the battery, it also "charges" the aromatic sponge in the body. It's also notable that this isn't a passive scented strip or a spraying mechanism. Instead the "absorbant material" is heated, either by the battery directly or by circuitry triggered as part of an alert.

Do you like the idea of a smelly phone?