Tag: uk

UK Researchers Develop 5D Disc to Store 360TB of Data Over 13 Billion Years

There is no end to the data that is being produced every single day all over the planet. From selfies to controversial art to international documents of utmost secrecy, to name a few -the data being produced and stored regularly is equivalent to the space on 10 milliion Blue-ray discs.

As data production continues to increase exponentially, there also arises an urgent need to find a way to store all of it. However, it looks like the University of Southampton may have just found the solution. A team of researchers at the university have developed a tiny 5-dimensional (5D) disc capable of storing 360 terabytes of data over 13.8 billion years. Yes, they like their numbers accurate.

Important texts like the Magna Carta and King James Bible have already been stored in the memory of the disc. This virtually means that the texts have a very good chance of out-living the human race.

“It is thrilling to think that we have created the technology to preserve documents and information and store it in space for future generations. This technology can secure the last evidence of our civilisation: all we’ve learnt will not be forgotten,” says Professor Peter Kazanksy, a member of the research team.

The technology had its first experimental demonstration in 2013 when a 300 kb digital copy of a text file was recorded in 5D. With the ability to withstand temperatures as high as 1,000°C, to last 13.8 billion years at 190°C and all eternity at room temperature, the disc is also called “Superman memory crystal”.

Source via

February 17, 2016
A 180 Year Old Law Makes Hoverboards Illegal In UK

In a very interesting twist of events, the Metropolitan Police (MPS) in the UK have declared riding of hoverboards in public illegal in accordance with a law issued in -brace yourself- 1835.

The law, which was passed 180 years ago and made taking a “horse, ass, sheep, mule, swine, or cattle” on pavement illegal, has now also added a two-wheeled Segways to the list.

Users can now ride hoverboards only on private property with the landowner’s permission. The MPS Specials account tweeted on Sunday, declaring the “the self-balancing scooters,” banned from public pavements and parks.

Own one of these or thinking about getting one? They're illegal to ride in public! Info here: http://t.co/We85yLAzsU pic.twitter.com/vMm0hxNAjs

— MPSSpecials (@MPSSpecials) October 11, 2015

Using them in public would contravene section 72 of the Highway Act 1835 in England and Wales and section 129(5) of the Roads Act 1984 in Scotland.

Needless to say, there was a huge backlash against the ludicrous law, reminiscent of the pre-penny farthing years in Britain. From beef to hoverboards -the list of absurd bans in the contemporary world just don’t end.

October 13, 2015
iPad Charger Explodes in UK

Tim suffered a terrible electric shock when his daughter’s iPad charger exploded in his hand. Tim Gillooley claims his eight year old girl(Chloe) could have been killed if she had been the one to reach down and unplug the device. Tim was burnt by the shock.

As reported by Mirror news, this comes a month after the family of a Chinese woman, Ma Ailun, claimed she was killed as a result of being electrocuted while chatting on her iPhone 5 as it charged. Mr Gillooley, from Warrington, bought the iPad from the Apple Store in Liverpool for his daughter.

He said: There was a huge bang and it blew me across the room. I was in shock. I was hysterically laughing for about two minutes. It was a bad shock that went down my arm. My mum was panicking and Chloe burst into tears. Nine times out of 10, Chloe would have gone to get it herself. I think it would have killed her.”

Tim noticed Chloe’s iPad had charging problems so he returned it to the Apple Store three months earlier but was told there was nothing wrong with the charger or the device. They even bought a new official charger and lightening cable to see if it would solve the problem.

He added. “We were big fans of Apple but I won’t let my daughter near her iPhone if it’s a ticking time bomb.”

Apple has asked Tim for the burnt remains of the charger to review.

[via]

August 28, 2013
Nexus 4 shows up on CarPhoneWarehouse shipping Oct 30th
Nexus 4 cant leak enough it seems, as after the LG India fiasco, the phone has appeared on UK phone retailer Carphone Warehouses website. The Nexus 4 is up for pre-order on the website and will be available Oct 30th according to the site. The Website has also listed the following specs and supposer 4.2 version of Jelly bean.

Specifications
- 4.7-inch 1,280 x 768 display
- Snapdragon S4 processor
- 8+ megapixel camera
- 8GB of storage
- no microSD card slot
- “gesture typing”
- No Sim Free price Listed
- Free on Contract
The phone was earlier leaked online, and then mentioned to being launched in India next month by LG India. We should get a lot more information in the coming week when Google announces the phone officially.
October 25, 2012
Winston Churchill Land Rover sells at auction for £129,000

A Land Rover used by legendary leader Sir Winston Churchill to transport him around the grounds of his Kent home has sold for more than double its estimate, at £129,000 .

The vehicle, which was used to drive the former Prime Minister around his Chartwell estate and presented to him on his 80th birthday, went under the hammer in Cambridgeshire.

The vehicle, which had been modified to enable him to be chauffeur-driven around his Chartwell estate in Kent, was expected to fetch up to 60,000 pounds at an auction in Cambridgeshire, the BBC News reported.

It was sold with the original logbook registering it to Churchill to a bidder who wished to remain anonymous. The previous owner had kept it in a shed in Kent since 1977.

The 1954 Series 1 Land Rover was registered as UKE 80 in the name of the “Rt Hon Sir Winston Spencer Churchill KG. OM. CH. MP. Chartwell, Westerham, Kent”. It was especially modified for him with an extra-wide passenger seat and heated footwell.

Cheffins auctioneers said the vehicle, which had 20,812 km on the clock, was the most expensive item in its auction of more than 2,000 vintage vehicles.

October 21, 2012
Motorola and Intel announce the new Droid Razr i (PR)
The Motorola and Intel mating has delivered the RAZR i , and it runs on ntel’s latest mobile chips (2GHz processor),Motorola calls it their biggest phone since the Razr.

Motorola Razr i features:
- “Edge-to-edge”4.3-inch AMOLED display
- 2,000mAh of battery a
- Kevlar coating + water repellent design
- Intel’s 2GHz processor inside
- 8-megapixel camera
- New User interface
- One second start-up to get the camera with dedicated camera butto
- NFC
- Android Beam
- Unlocked bootloader
The phone will come with Android Jelly Bean out of the box and will be available starting next month in Europe. We doubt it will hit the Indian market anytime soon, especially since Motorola started shutting shop in India.

[toggle_box title=”Press Release” width=”Width of toggle box”]

Introducing the Powerful Motorola RAZR^™ i with Intel Inside^® and an Edge-to-Edge Display

Say hello to the full-screen phone

Motorola Mobility in partnership with Intel Corporation introduced the powerful Motorola RAZR™ i with Intel Inside®: the new full-screen smartphone that fits in the palm of your hand. Its Super AMOLED Advanced 4.3-inch display spans from edge-to-edge with virtually no border – giving you more screen with less phone. RAZR i is the first smartphone that can achieve speeds of 2.0 GHz thanks to a fast Intel® Atom™ processor. Jump from a game to a text and over to a playlist, then off to browse the Web – all without stopping and on a long-lasting battery that is 40 percent more powerful than the competition1.

The power of Intel Inside means you also get an instant-launch 8-megapixel camera that can load in less than a second2. Just use the dedicated camera key so you get the shot you want. When there’s action involved, multi-shot mode lets you snap 10 pictures in less than a second. And with the illuminated sensor located on the back and High Dynamic Range (HDR) capabilities, you’ll get a great shot, even in challenging lighting conditions.

“Together with Intel, we’re redefining what people can expect from a mobile device. A camera that launches in an instant, Web pages that load blazingly fast and a device that’s the perfect balance of screen size and fit in hand,” said Jim Wicks, senior vice president, Consumer Experience Design, Motorola Mobility. “RAZR i delivers just that when you put an Intel-fast processor in a beautifully designed phone and add in extra long battery life.”

“Motorola RAZR i with Intel Inside naturally blends together the value propositions of high performance Intel Architecture and great battery life, Motorola Mobility device innovation and the Android™ platform,” said Erik Reid, general manager, Intel’s Mobile and Communications Group. “Intel’s goal is to provide compelling technology options that translate into great user benefits and experiences. RAZR i is a great proofpoint in the collaboration and we’re thrilled to be working with Motorola to bring this edge-to-edge experience enhanced with Intel Inside to people around the world.”

Powered by Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich (upgradeable to Jelly Bean), RAZR i puts the Google universe in your hand. Google Play™ gives you access to more than 600,000 apps and games, millions of books and thousands of movies. Get where you need to go with Google Maps for Android™ with free turn-by-turn directions and voice guidance. And when your hands are full, use Voice Actions for Android™ on RAZR i to compose a text, get directions, make a call, play a song…or simply Google something. RAZR i also features near field communication (NFC) technology so you can send contacts, links, maps and more directly to compatible phones with Android Beam™. Just hold the phones together and tap the screen.

Designed with premium protective materials, RAZR i is built to go everywhere. A diamond cut aircraft-grade aluminum4 frame surrounds the display, which is made of Corning® Gorilla® Glass, to deflect both scratches and scrapes. On the back, RAZR i is made DuPont™ KEVLAR® strong3. Spilled coffee? Caught in the rain? Don’t worry. RAZR i is protected with a splash-guard coating-even on the electrical boards inside.

RAZR i already has a long battery – and when you set up the SMARTACTIONS™ battery savings rule your phone will automatically adjust to squeeze more out of each charge. Whether you want to maximize your last ounce of power, or prevent your phone from ringing during a meeting, SMARTACTIONS will automatically trigger specific actions. Motorola’s exclusive Guide Me app comes preloaded with interactive, swipe-by-swipe tutorials for tons of features – no instruction manual required. Also unique to Motorola, the interactive Circles Widget allows quick access to notifications, weather, time and more.

Availability and pricing
Motorola RAZR i will be available in black beginning in October in select European and Latin American markets including the U.K., France, Germany, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico with more to be announced. A stand out white version will also be coming to select markets. Pricing and availability will vary by country, so please visit www.motorola.com/razri for the latest information.

[/toggle_box]
September 18, 2012
Google admits it did not delete Street View data

Google was ordered to delete the collected data

Google Inc said on Friday it had not kept its promise to delete all the personal data, such as emails, its Street View cars collected in Britain and other countries in 2010.

The data should have been wiped almost 18 months ago as part of a deal signed by the firm in November 2010. Google has been told to give the data to the UK’s Information Commissioner (ICO) for forensic analysis.

The ICO said it was co-ordinating its response with other European privacy bodies.

In May 2010 it was revealed that Google had scooped up about 600 gigabytes of personal data from unsecured wireless networks while gathering images and location data for Street View.

Google apologised for gathering the data and said it was a “mistake”. The blunder led to legal action, fines and investigations around the world.

In the UK, Google gave an undertaking to destroy the data it was holding and issued a statement saying it had done so in December 2010. However, said the ICO, Google had recently contacted it to report that some of the data it had gathered had not been deleted.

The company approached the ICO with the revelation to find out how it should act. In response, the ICO told Google to hand over the data immediately “so that we can subject it to forensic analysis before deciding on the necessary course of action”.

Google were fined $25,000 in April for impeding a U.S. investigation into Street View data collection.

July 27, 2012
Google Indoor Maps come to UK

Google Indoor maps was launched in the US last year mapping all the insides of malls, hotels, etc. But now Google has started to expand the reach of indoor maps, extending to more than 40 indoor venues in the UK including a mix of museums, stations, malls and airports in the main mostly in London. With building owners being able to upload their own maps, however, this should / could expand quickly. Hit the Google Lat-Lon blog for more info.

[Google Lat-Lon]

July 4, 2012
Samsung Galaxy S III goes up for pre-order in the UK

Three prominent Uk network providers Vodafone, Three and O2 have started taking pre-orders for the next Galaxy, the S3. Since the networks have already started receiving huge numbers of queries, it seems like a good idea to start pre-orders considering the devices should be available end May-early June.

Pricing also seems worthwhile as you can snag the 16GB version for £41 monthly plan on Vodafone, which has some data benefits as well. Hit the links below to find your fix.

[Vodafone UK]

[Three]

[O2]

May 11, 2012
Samsung Galaxy S Advance i9070 coming to UK April 30th (PR)

Samsung’s new addition to the Galaxy S series, the S Advance is ready to hit UK retailers the 30th of this month. Dual core chipset and Super Amoled display is what the advance bring to the table.

Check out the PR :

UK AVAILABILITY OF SAMSUNG GALAXY S ADVANCE ANNOUNCED

Latest Galaxy device set to hit shops on 30th April

26th April 2012, London, UK – Samsung Mobile UK has today announced the Galaxy S Advance will be available in the UK from 30th April. Joining Samsung’s Android-powered Galaxy portfolio, the Galaxy S Advance boasts the same sleek and stylish design of the award-winning Galaxy S II.

Simon Stanford, Vice President, UK & IRE Telecommunications & Networks Division, Samsung UK and Ireland said: “We’ve been pleased with the response we’ve had from customers, partners and media since announcing the Galaxy S Advance in January. As with many of our smartphones before it, the Galaxy S Advance features a screen which uses our Super AMOLED technology so anyone that buys one will experience unparalleled colour and vivid clarity when viewing any content on the device.”

A dual-core 1.0GHz processor and HSPA 14.4 Mbps connectivity means owners of the Galaxy S Advance can enjoy a highly responsive interface and super-fast speeds when browsing the web and downloading content, as well as smoother screen transitions and faster image processing.

Featuring Android Gingerbread and Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface, the Galaxy S Advance allows users to stay connected at all times through Samsung Hubs which offer access to music, books and games. Samsung’s own cross-platform communication service ChatON offers easy instant messaging and group chatting and allows content to be shared in multiple formats to make messaging simpler and more intuitive. Owners of the device will also benefit from its Find My Mobile feature, a lost-phone management system that enables customers to trace their missing device directly via the Internet or even delete the device’s data remotely – ensuring personal information remains safe.

The Galaxy S Advance will be available in the UK across a variety of networks including Phones 4u and Vodafone.

April 27, 2012
Nokia Lumia 900 comes to UK April 27th and India in June

Nokia will launch the white colored Nokia Lumia 900 in the Uk on the 27th of April 2012, with its release slated for India for June 2012. Popular UK retailer Phones 4u’s pre-booking page confirms the date and allows those anxious to buy the lumia 900 a change to book one.

Nokia India has other plans for the time being, currently their priority remains the PureView 808 and its launch next month along with Lumia 610 before any real news of the Nokia Lumia 900 can be expected. But, tentative dates from the company personnel suggest a June Launch.

April 11, 2012
First Intel Powered Android Phone comes to Europe : Orange Santa Clara

Mobile network carrier Orange will be the first to offer an Intel Medfield powered Android phone to Europe. Codenamed Santa Clara, the 4-inch 600 x 1024 display device will release this summer. The device has an impressive 8-megapixel camera capable of 1080p video and burst capture of up to 10 shots within a second.

The “Santa Clara” (not final name) runs on Intel’s Atom Z2460 processor, clocked at 1.6GHz. Running on Android 2.3 with a promised ICS update, from Orange. HSPA speeds of 21.1Mbps down and 5.6Mbps up, and an MHL port that also has HDMI out.

Other things for Europe include NFC and Orange voice features and gesture navigation, the talk time is touted at 8 hours of 3g and 14 days of standby, wow.

February 27, 2012
Motorola Ties up with JCB to add Extra rugged on UK Defy + (PR)

Motorola has tied up with power machine maker JCB to release the UK variant of the Defy +. The limited-edition handset comes pre-loaded with branded-applications for the construction site including a spirit-level, theodolite, decibel meter and a DIY store locator. The remaining specs are the same as we saw on the Indian version of the Defy + including 1GHz processor, 2GB internal storage and a 3.7-inch Gorilla Glass display along with a 5MP camera. In the UK its priced at a high £260, compared to the 18 K in India. You can check out our review here.

[toggle title_open=”Press Release” title_closed=”Press Release” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Motorola Mobility and JCB Announce Limited Edition Motorola DEFY™+ – Life Proof just became Work Proof

Jan. 17, 2012

BASINGTOKE, UK – January 17, 2012 – Motorola Mobility today launches a limited edition Motorola DEFY™+ handset which transforms the UK’s favourite life proof handset into a ‘work proof’ model.

The exclusive Motorola DEFY+ JCB Edition features exceptional work-orientated protection for anyone operating the demanding construction and engineering sectors, or who work in the rugged outdoors and in extremely demanding conditions thanks to its patented visco-elastic protective sleeve from JCB with re-entrant geometry.

Taking ‘work proof’ functionality one step further, the Motorola DEFY+ JCB Edition handset also offers construction site users and outdoor enthusiasts who routinely work with core technical and measuring materials a range of built-in options. It comes pre-loaded with bespoke JCB applications including: a spirit level, theodolite, decibel meter and recorder, torch, unit converter, calculator and DIY store locator. This saves the user time and effort of lugging around a boot load of individual work components, and also serves to speed up their productivity and output at the touch of a button.

For those users who will also need to communicate remotely, between multiple venues, or even on-the-go with a range of associates the handset will feature Push To Talk functionality which will allow them to operate the device as a walkie-talkie (via the cellular network) with group call and messaging functionality.

Victoria McManus, UK marketing director, Motorola Mobility said: “We’re thrilled to be working with JCB on this bespoke Motorola DEFY+ device. The unique protective sleeve will pull on JCB’s years of expertise in the construction industry to help us reach a new audience who we know are in need of a life and work proof handset.”

Motorola Mobility launched the standard Motorola DEFY+ handset in September 2011. The limited edition JCB version will also feature existing Motorola DEFY+ handset functionality such as a 1GHz processor that runs 25 percent faster. Users can make the Motorola DEFY+ JCB edition meet their own personal needs by organising and personalising their Application trays for easy and quick access to their most used tools, games and content.

It also features the Android™ 2.3 (Gingerbread) which delivers a more intuitive user interface and improvements on the features users choose most – including enhanced calendar and email features, home screen options and better battery life.

Jason Kemp, Marketing Director at Data Select, said: “The Motorola DEFY+ JCB Edition is the perfect extension of an already robust handset. Smartphone use is on the rise amongst construction audiences and this handset perfectly addresses their workday needs.”

The Motorola DEFY+ JCB Edition also includes a car charger with an extra long curly cable. It is available to purchase in all good UK retail stockists from RRP £259.99.

Motorola DEFY+

Key features and specifications of Motorola DEFY+ include:

Powered by Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and features more than 300,000 apps from Android Market™
1 GHz processor that runs 25 percent faster for efficient Web browsing and multitasking
Water resistant, scratch resistant and dust proof to withstand all that life throws users way
Features scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass
3.7-inch high-resolution touch screen display
MOTOBLUR™ lets users stay in touch with friends, providing quick access to social media accounts and live widgets directly from the homescreen
Motorola Media Link allows users to sync their media content from their desktops at home or work
Loaded with the ability to create group emails and communication
Adobe® Flash® Player 10 for uncompromised viewing of applications, content and videos
5MP camera with auto focus, flash and digital zoom
2GB internal; 2GB microSD card in box, expandable up to 32GB1
Access to Google Mobile™ Services (Google Maps™ with Navigation, Google Talk™, browsing)
1700 mAH battery for 7.1 hours of talk time and 16 days in standby2

About JCB

JCB is the world’s third largest manufacturer of construction equipment with 22 factories around the world including 11 in the UK, six in India and others in Brazil, the USA, China and Germany. The company employs more than 10,000 people worldwide and is privately owned by the Bamford family. In 2010 JCB’s earnings on an EBITDA basis were £235 million (2009 – £95 million) on sales of £2 billion.[/toggle]

January 18, 2012
Harrods will sell the Porsche Design P’9981 BlackBerry for £1,275, Blackberry for a Lakh

And you thought Blackberry phones were expensive! Meet the most expensive Blackberry phone on retail yet. The Porsche Design P’9981 Blackberry will sell in the UK exclusive through Harrods for a price of British Pound 1,275/-, that amount converted into Indian moolah is just a couple of thousand over a Lakh of rupees. Move over Vertu, expect the Indian elite to switch to this Berry as soon as it hits the Luxury Retail outlet in London.

The device is supposedly going to start selling before the British bring in their new year 2012. Traveling to London for the New Year party? Get us one of these on the way back!

December 28, 2011
iG UK : First Hydrogen refueling station opened in Swindon

While we still strive for basic electric and hybrid support from our Government. UK Govt. supports the new Hydrogen station built by a collaboration between Honda, BOC and economic development company Forward Swindon. The station can fill vehicles at both 350 bar and 700 bar, the two standard filling pressures adopted by the world’s major vehicle manufacturers. The first vehicle to use this facility is the new Honda FCX Clarity Hydrogen which gets a tankful of eco juice.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology is the ultimate transport solution; meeting environmental demands but also delivering the range and performance that customers expect. The cooperation on this project between vehicle manufacturers like Honda, infrastructure providers like BOC and the public sector can be a blueprint for future development

–Thomas Brachmann, Head of Electrical Powertrain R&D at Honda

[toggle title_open=”Press Release” title_closed=”Press Release” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Hydrogen Refuelling Station Opens at Honda in Swindon
UK’s first open access station for hydrogen-powered vehicles

September 20, 2011 – The UK’s first open access hydrogen vehicle refuelling station has been officially opened at Honda’s manufacturing facility in Swindon. Built and operated by industrial gases company BOC, a member of The Linde Group, the venture is the result of a partnership between Honda, BOC and economic development company Forward Swindon.

The new station is open to anyone developing or using hydrogen-powered vehicles. It can fill vehicles at both 350 bar and 700 bar, the two standard filling pressures adopted by the world’s major vehicle manufacturers.

Based on the grounds of Honda of the UK Manufacturing in Swindon, the station aims to encourage the development of both hydrogen-powered vehicles – such as the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell car – and the refuelling infrastructure to support them.

It also creates a strategic link half way along the M4 between London and Swansea. As a fully operational, commercial-scale station using tested technology, it is a solution that can be replicated across the country and so create the essential network necessary for the widespread uptake of hydrogen-powered transport.

Among the many innovations of the new station is that it can fill vehicles ‘back-to-back’ from a bank of hydrogen cylinders. This means that vehicles can be filled one after another without having to wait for more hydrogen to be generated.

Another feature is the design: it looks just like a conventional filling station and the time to fill a vehicle is comparable with conventional fuels. The Honda FCX Clarity, for example, takes less than five minutes. For the consumer, then, the experience should be very similar to refuelling at a normal petrol station.

Speaking at the opening of the facility, Richard Kemp-Harper, Lead Technologist for Transport and Energy at the Technology Strategy Board, said: “The change from conventional transport systems to sustainable, low carbon alternatives is one that can only be made through businesses and government working in partnership to develop innovative solutions. This new refuelling station gives a real glimpse of the role hydrogen can play in practice. It is a great example of the kind of collaboration and innovation we need.”

Mike Huggon, Managing Director of BOC in the UK and Ireland, said: “This is the first commercial-scale, open-access station in the UK. It demonstrates that we can build the infrastructure needed to establish a hydrogen-powered transport system. But even with private and public support – as we have here in Swindon – we need Government commitment to make this work across the country as a whole. We can provide the tools but the Government has to create the policy framework in which we can build the low carbon infrastructure of tomorrow.”

Ian Piper, Chief Executive of economic development company Forward Swindon, said: “I’m proud that we have been involved in such an exciting public-private partnership. Forward Swindon was the initiator of this project and brought together the funding: it’s a great example of how innovative projects can come to life in the UK, even in a recession. Swindon’s strategic location makes it the natural home for new transport technologies, and I’m confident this facility will encourage a growing interest and take up.”

Thomas Brachmann, Head of Electrical Powertrain R&D at Honda, commented: “Hydrogen fuel cell technology is the ultimate transport solution; meeting environmental demands but also delivering the range and performance that customers expect. The cooperation on this project between vehicle manufacturers like Honda, infrastructure providers like BOC and the public sector can be a blueprint for future development.”[/toggle]

September 22, 2011