Mobile Phones

Faltering Facebook phone's Europe launch delayed

On 27 May 2013 |0 comments

The European launch of the "Facebook phone" has been delayed following disappointing US sales and negative feedback. The HTC handset runs Facebook's enhan

MWC: Top 10 mobile industry insights from Barcelona bash

On 04 Mar 2013 |0 comments

Mobile World Congress (MWC) has been and gone, giving the mobile community a chance to come together and show off their latest products in Barcelona, while no

Tablets

Nook tablets join Barnes & Noble's UK line-up

On 26 Sep 2012 |0 comments

US book chain Barnes & Noble plans to launch new Nook tablets alongside its e-readers in the UK later this year. They will compete against products

South Korea rules Apple and Samsung infringed patents

On 23 Aug 2012 |0 comments

A South Korean court has ruled that Apple and Samsung both infringed each other's patents on mobile devices. The court imposed a limited ban on national sal

Cameras

Olympus TG-1, toughest ever compact camera?

On 08 May 2012 |0 comments

Waterproof, crushproof, freezeproof Olympus has officially unveiled a compact camera that the manufacturer promises will deliver expert shots at up to 12 m

TIPA Names 2012 Award Winners

On 19 Apr 2012 |0 comments

The Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) has announced the winners of its annual Awards for the best photographic and imaging products of 2012. Headlin

Laptops

Google Chrome OS computers updated with faster processors

On 30 May 2012 |1 comments

Google has announced new computers running on its Chrome operating system.   The Samsung-manufactured laptop and desktop PCs include processors base

Apple's Tim Cook rejects idea of laptop-tablet hybrids

On 25 Apr 2012 |0 comments

Apple's boss has dismissed the idea of mixing laptops and tablets into a hybrid product.   Chief executive Tim Cook said the idea of combining the iPa

Other Recent Articles

Amazon signs lease on 210,000 sq ft central London offices

On 31 May 2013 | 0 Comments

Amazon has signed the lease on prime central London offices to accommodate 1,600 staff as it expands further into sectors such as book publishing and televisio

Microsoft 'U-turn' sees Start button back on Windows 8

On 31 May 2013 | 0 Comments

Microsoft has confirmed a Start button is returning to the desktop mode's taskbar of its Windows 8 operating system. The lack of the facility - which had be

Apple 1 from 1976 signed by Wozniak sells for $650,000

On 27 May 2013 | 0 Comments

An original Apple 1 computer from 1976 - one of only six still in working order - has sold at auction in Germany for more than 500,000 euros ($650,000). Th

Faltering Facebook phone's Europe launch delayed

On 27 May 2013 | 0 Comments

The European launch of the "Facebook phone" has been delayed following disappointing US sales and negative feedback. The HTC handset runs Facebook's enhan

MWC: Top 10 mobile industry insights from Barcelona bash

On 04 Mar 2013 | 0 Comments

Mobile World Congress (MWC) has been and gone, giving the mobile community a chance to come together and show off their latest products in Barcelona, while no

Burger King's Twitter account hacked

On 18 Feb 2013 | 0 Comments

Burger King's Twitter account appeared to have fallen victim to hackers on Monday as it began sending out pro-McDonald's messages and the occasional rap video

Wonga offers instant loan option on retailer websites

Posted in Feature , Tech Reviews | Monday, December 17, 2012|By Anonymous
Online loans company Wonga has begun offering "buy now, pay later" services directly on retailers' websites.
Until now, loans from Wonga, which have been highly criticised due to an annual interest rate of 4,214%, have been available only through its own site. The company has partnered with furniture firm Cotswold Company to launch its Paylater service. A spokesman for Wonga said it intended to roll out the service to other retailers soon. "Essentially, Paylater is providing an alternative to credit cards," he said. "It takes the cost of your purchase, you pay an upfront fee of 7%, then there are three payments over subsequent months that cover the outstanding costs." It means for an item that costs £100, a buyer will pay an initial fee of £7, followed by three monthly payments of £33.33. 'Legal loan shark' The interest rates on Paylater are considerably lower than on its core business - short-term "pay-day" loans. This side of Wonga's business has been highly criticised, with one MP calling the company a "legal loan shark". Stella Creasy, Labour MP for Walthamstow, also led a campaign to have the firm's advertisements taken off the websites of teams in the Football League. In May, Wonga was criticised by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) for using aggressive and misleading debt collection methods.

Nasa to test space-sleep colour-changing lights

Posted in Feature , Tech Reviews | |By Anonymous
Nasa is to test colour-changing lights on the International Space Station (ISS) as part of efforts to help astronauts on board sleep.
The US space agency will initially swap a fluorescent panel with a solid-state lighting module (SSLM) containing LEDs which produces a blue, whitish or red-coloured light depending on the time. It says the move may help combat insomnia which can make depression, sickness and mistakes more likely. The test is due to take place in 2016. News site Space.com reported that the equipment is being made by Boeing and the project has a $11.2m (£6.9m) budget. Body clock Studies on Earth suggest humans and other creatures follow what is known as a circadian rhythm - a 24-hour biological cycle involving cell regeneration, urine production and other functions critical to health. Research indicates that it is regulated by a group of cells in a portion of the brain called the hypothalamus which respond to light information sent by the eye's optic nerve, which in turn controls hormones, body temperature and other functions than influence whether people feel sleepy or wide awake. The aim of the experiment is to simulate a night-day cycle to minimise sleep disruption caused by the loss of its natural equivalent on the station. When the SSLMs are coloured blue the aim is to stimulate melanopsin - a pigment found in cells in the eye's retina which send nerve impulses to parts of the brain thought to make a person feel alert. Blue light is also believed to suppress melatonin - a hormone made by the brain's pineal gland which makes a person feel sleepy when its levels rise in their blood. By switching from blue to red light - via an intermediary white stage - this process should be reversed, encouraging a feeling of sleepiness.