iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 will have liquid cooling feature

The race to decisively nail the title of world’s coolest smartphone just got hotter, with both Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung Electronics (NASDAQ:SSNLF) reportedly evaluating the use of liquid cooling technology for their next generation of smartphones.

The technology is already in use in some laptops, where ultra-thin heat pipes are used to carry heat away from processors and wireless chip. Heat pipes contain a liquid that turns into a vapour when it comes into contact with a hot interface. The vapour then travels along the heat pipe to the cold interface, condensing back into a liquid, and releasing the latent heat.

But let’s leave the technical details for the engineers. What matters to me - and you – is that that niggling heat that we have all felt emanating from our smartphones, sometimes even after just casual use, could be a thing of the past – as soon as the fourth quarter of the year.

If you, like me, find it irritating that metallic phones heat up more, and more often, than their plastic counterparts, then this news should come as a breeze of cool air in stark summers. Most probably, Apple’s iPhone 6 will feature this technology, as will the Galaxy S5, the next iteration of Samsung’s Galaxy line of smartphones.And this news actually comes in the nick of time. Traditionally, smartphones such as the iPhone have used a graphite-plus-foil insulating method to keep the heat within the device, but with apps getting more and more demanding of processors, and processors getting more powerful, this method is no longer efficient enough to keep the heat from filtering out, as we all know very well.

And with 4G fast becoming a common transmission specification for smartphones, the heat problem was only expected to become worse. Now, however, Apple and Samsung seem to be evaluating a cool solution for that.

According to a new report by DigiTimes, “smartphone players such as Apple, Samsung Electronics and High Tech Computer have started showing interest in adopting ultra-thin heat pipes for their smartphones and are expected to release heat pipe-adopted models in the fourth quarter, at the earliest, according to sources from cooling module player.”

DigiTimes says heat pipe cooled smartphone models could be released by the fourth quarter at the earliest.

In fact, even if the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 sport this technology, they won’t be the world’s first mass market liquid-cooled smartphones. That title belongs to the NEC Medias X-06E, which will be made available on Japanese carrier, NTT DoCoMo.

“Currently there are already several cooling module players including Japan-based Furukawa Electric, Taiwan-based Chaun-Choung Technology, Auras and TaiSol Electronics, are developing 0.6mm heat pipes; however, because the heat pipes only have a yield rate of 30 per cent, these players are working aggressively over improving their production currently,” says DigiTimes.

Additionally, Apple is said have a few alternatives on the drawing board too. One involves a reinvented “Ionic Wind Generator” cooling system. A second idea was revealed last November by Patently Apple in its report titled “Apple Invents a New Streamlined Cooling System for iPhone.”

Apple’s most recent invention on the matter surfaced in May 2013 which discussed “diamond-like carbon coatings” to help keep battery-powered devices cooler.
Either way, we know that Apple, Samsung, HTC and NEC (and no doubt numerous others) will have coller smartphones for us soon, hopefully by the end of this year.

Read More

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom and Note III Leaked

The month of June marks a milestone for Samsung as it releases a string of new Galaxy devices. Earlier this month, leaked photos of the S4 Zoom and the Note III was gone Viral. What is new this time? 

 Shortly before the unexpected online appearance, the South Korean mobile manufacturer unveiled another variant of their latest handset, a waterproof version of the company’s flagship smartphone. This may be a smart move for the company considering its shares experienced a minimal drop after numerous negative reports on the Galaxy S4. 

The name says it all – Galaxy S4 Zoom’s main attraction is its camera. The mobile phone’s snapper is rumored to have a 16-megapixel camera at the back with 10x optical zoom. Compared to the flagship’s camera, S4 Zoom promises to offer sharper images leaving the former behind with only 13 megapixels. However, it is still not known if the device will have the same eye-tracking features. According to O2’s Galaxy S4 page, the flagship is capable of blending images to make continuous photos. In addition, it can capture sounds and pictures simultaneously with the Sound and Shot feature. 

The unofficial photo of the S4 Zoom model that surfaced on the Internet was first released by SamMobile. Days later, TechTastic uploaded a couple of shots of the actual device.

Built around the idea of taking pictures, the device will be Samsung’s first camera-focused Android smartphone. The leaked photo revealed a huge lens on the back, an unlikely feature for most Galaxy handsets. It also has a dedicated camera key on the right specifically situated below the lock and volume keys.  

Galaxy S4 Zoom

Donning a 4.3-inch display, it is smaller diagonally compared to the flagship’s 5-inch super AMOLED touch screen finished with a Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

Reported to be already in its finishing touches. The S4 Zoom is equipped with a 1.6 GHz Dual-core processor, a sufficient power to run Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and Samsung’s signature TouchWiz user interference. 

What’s new with the Note III?

From the success of Note 2, the teased Samsung Galaxy Note III is said to be the hope of the next generation phablets.

In terms of hardware appearance, the leaked prototype doesn’t give much excitement. It boasts of a huge 5.66-inch super AMOLED display with curved corners that go along with the high resolution screen. To distinctly identify it, the prototype’s thin bezel spells the difference between the Note III from the Galaxy Mega 6.3. 

It has a wider touch screen display, which was reported to flaunt the same pixel structure of the display of other devices. However, the Note III will definitely lag behind the S4 Zoom in terms of camera. On a brighter side, the phablet will still deliver crisp and sharp images with its 13-megapixel rear camera. 

Other features include an S-Pen which is present in most Note lineups. If the initial features are true, it will be one of the fastest and most powerful tablet out there running the latest Android operating system. This will operate seamlessly with Exynos Octa-core or the Snapdragon 800. 

The S4 Zoom and the Note III are expected to be officially unveiled by Samsung at IFA (Consumers Electronic Unlimited) on September 6-11, 2013 in Berlin. It is the world’s leading trade event in terms of consumer electronics. If these rumors will come into being, these devices are going to be real monsters once it hits the shelves later this year.

What do you think of Samsung’s upcoming lineup?

Read More

Samsung announces breakthrough in 5G that can download in a speed of 1GB/sec

Samsung has developed 'ultra-high speed' fifth-generation technology that could allow users to download an entire Movie in a second, the electronics giant has said.The South Korean firm has successfully tested new equipment which it hopes will transmit data several hundred times faster than existing 4G networks.

It claims subscribers could use the technology to download high-quality digital films 'practically without limitation' and watch 3D movies or stream high-definition programmes in real-time.

Samsung believes its new transceiver is the world’s first device capable of providing 'ubiquitous' 5G broadband - and hopes to bring the service to customers by 2020.It announced the development after conducting a test where data was transmitted at speeds of more than one gigabit per second over a distance of up to two kilometres.

Customers using 4G services - currently provided in the UK by EE - access average speeds of between eight and 12 megabits per second (Mbps).

'The new technology sits at the core of 5G mobile communications system and will provide data transmission up to several hundred times faster than current 4G networks,' Samsung said in a blog post.The company believes the equipment could provide a solution to recent surges in wireless internet usage.

It added: 'Samsung’s new technology will allow users to transmit massive data files including high-quality digital movies practically without limitation.

'As a result, subscribers will be able to enjoy a wide range of services such as 3D movies and games, real-time streaming of ultra high-definition (UHD) content, and remote medical services.'

In the blog post, Samsung claims its technology uses high-frequency wavebands which were previously deemed unsuitable for mobile networks.

It said: 'The implementation of a high-speed 5G cellular network requires a broad band of frequencies, much like an increased water flow requires a wider pipe.

'While it was a recognised option, it has been long believed that the millimetre-wave bands had limitations in transmitting data over long distances due to its unfavourable propagation characteristics.

'However, Samsung’s new adaptive array transceiver technology has proved itself as a successful solution.

'It transmits data in the millimetre-wave band at a frequency of 28 GHz at a speed of up to 1.056 Gbps to a distance of up to two kilometers.'

Read More

iPhone 6 rumours: Flexible screen, July launch, 5 colours, 3 sizes, plus a low-cost model

Gadget Lovers are eagerly waiting for yet another Launch of smart phone after Galaxy Launched Samsung Galaxy SIV and that is iPhone 6.Rumours about Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6 (or the iPhone 5S) are getting hotter even as the ‘older’ iPhone 5 celebrates its six-month anniversary.Bloggers and analysts are salivating at the new specs being drip-fed by ‘informed sources’, with rumours flying thick and fast about the iPhone 6’s transparent screen, anti-crash elements, and GPS ability to track you down to even the washroom.  

      Now, with Samsung busy packaging and shipping the Galaxy S4 for its April 27 availability across the world, more details have surfaced online about the upcoming iPhone 6. If even half of these and the others released earlier turn out to be true, Apple will have a winner on its hands – and ours too. Here we are presenting some specification based on rumors.

Transparnt Screen 

Flexible screen

 The first among the most recent rumours about the upcoming iPhone points to it sporting a flexible screen. This is not so much of a rumour as this has been confirmed by Apple’s recent patent wins, and the speculation is limited to whether or not the upcoming edition of iPhone will sport such a display. Apple’s patent application generally relates to electronic devices that may have portions that are capable of being flexed. Apple’s patent application for the advanced iDevice flex display features covers a lot of ground including both flex screen designs and flexible components to make these designs work.

One such component is a unique flex battery design. Apple’s patent filing also enlightens us with the fact that bending a future flexible centric iDevice may also allow users to open a specific application, control a game function and so much more.

Possible design of Flexible screen

In the end, the patent filing provides an overview of the whole future flexible device concept that could eventually cover wearable computers, the iPhone, iPad and even aspects of a MacBook.

The patent applications also suggest that flexible electronic devices may be more resistant to damage during impact events such as drops because the flexible device may bend or deform while absorbing the impact. Deformation of this type may increase the duration of an impact, thereby reducing the impulse received by other components of the flexible device.

Five colours

In addition to the display going flexible, Apple is rumoured to, for the first time, ditch the black or white only options, and have three coloured options, meaning the iPhone 6 could finally be the one that comes in a total of five coloured options.

Recently, Japanese website Macotakara released news regarding iPhone 5S. It stated that iPhone 5S will have five different colour options, including the usual white and black.

The blog did not mention the additional colours that the iPhone will be sporting – so that’s up for further speculation. We’re thinking red and blue should be the options, along with perhaps purple or maybe yellow… what do you think?

Three sizes

This is one rumour that is increasingly catching online denizens’ fancy – the iPhone 6 is rumoured t come in three sizes a la McDonald’s – small, regular and large. Or, the iPhone 6 Mini, the iPhone 6, and the iPhone 6 XL.

According to a Business Insider report, analyst Brian White of Topeka Capital claims that Apple is looking to release a new iPhone with multiple screen sizes this year – add the iPhone 6 Mini to it, and you have three sizes.

“After our meeting with a tech-supply chain company, we walked away with the view that Apple will release the iPhone 5S in at least two screen sizes this summer and possibly three,” says White.

“Essentially, we believe Apple is coming around to the fact that one size per iPhone release does not work for everyone and offering consumers an option has the potential to expand the company’s market share,” adds White.

So Apple may finally be coming around to acknowledge that one size doesn’t fit all, after all.

Different Price-Points

And while at acknowledging things, it is perhaps only fair that the Cupertino-based tech giant acknowledges that not everyone who aspires for an iPhone may be able to shell out Dh2,500 and upwards for it. According to rumours, Apple will be launching a no-frills version of the iPhone 6 a few weeks after it unveils the upcoming handy candy for those who want the iPhone but can’t afford the current price-tag.

This fits in with the multi-coloured and multi-sized rumours, in that the iPhone Mini may sport different colours and will be cheaper – aimed at students and a generally younger (read: shallow-pocketed) audience. The suggested price-point for the less expensive (still can’t call it ‘cheap’): ($300) or ($350).

“We believe this price-point is reassuring for investors that Apple wants to expand its market reach with consumers in developing countries such as China. However, the company will also manage its margin profile and brand accordingly,” White is reported to have said.

Are you kidding us – this price-point should be enough to spike Apple’s market share high enough to reach just under the moon, we think. Bring it on, then.

Launch Date

June, July, August… we’ve heard all three rumours, and still can’t make up our mind on which one to go for. A June launch with availability in July does sound logical – Apple wouldn’t want the Galaxy S4 to have a free hand in the market.

Marcotakara’s report predicts Apple will announce the iPhone 5S launch in July and that shipping will start from August. If Apple can keep the rumour-mill going with an ‘imminent’ launch, then even this might not be a bad strategy.

Either way, we’ll have the iPhone 6 (or iPhone 5S) out within the next three months. Can you wait?

Read More

First robotic cervical surgery proves successful in US

A surgeon at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has performed a groundbreaking robotic laparoscopic procedure on a 35-year-old pregnant patient of Galveston, whose cervix was too short to sustain a pregnancy.

Dr. Sami Kilic, chief of minimally invasive gynecology and research at UTMB, is the first surgeon in the world reported to have used robotically assisted, ultrasound-guided laparoscopic surgery to successfully tighten a pregnant patient’s incompetent cervix.Kilic performed the surgery in December 2011 at UTMB’s John Sealy Hospital.

When performed traditionally, abdominal cerclage surgery requires a large incision and a long period of recovery.Kilic’s new procedure left the patient with only three tiny abdominal scars.

“The recovery was amazing. Two days later I was able to sit on the floor at home and play with my toddler,” new mum Leonora Orejuela said.Stitches to the cervix during surgery must be precise; a suture placed a hair’s breadth the wrong way can puncture either the amniotic sac or a major blood vessel in the mother.

With the dual visualization screen of the da Vinci Si robotic surgical system, Kilic was able to view a real-time ultrasound image on one screen and the operative field via scope camera on another screen, side by side, at the same time he performed the surgery.

This two-screen system offers unsurpassed visualisation in a laparoscopic surgical situation.

Kilic is an international pioneer in gynecologic robotic surgical techniques and training protocols who was hired by UTMB five years ago to spearhead a state-of-the-art robotic surgery training programme.

Orejuela, the patient, was discharged home the next day after a one-night stay in the hospital.

Orejuela proceeded to have an otherwise uncomplicated pregnancy, going into labor at 36 weeks.

She delivered a healthy baby girl, Lucia Munoz, 6 pounds, 11.5 ounces, by Caesarean section.

The procedure is published online in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology

Read More