Device That Will Charge Your Cellphone In 30 Seconds

18 year old student Eesha Khare has invented a cellphone charger that is capable of charging a mobile phone in around 30 seconds, the student won a Young Scientist Award and also $50,000 in prize money which she will use when she goes to Harvard in the fall.

The device is a supercapacitor that is capable of charging a mobile phone battery in around 20 to 30 seconds, and the technology could also be used for other devices such as charging automobile batteries.

“I developed a new supercapacitor, which is basically an energy storage device which can hold a lot of energy in a small amount of volume,” she told KPIX 5. The technology may also be able to speed up charging of automobile batteries, she said.

It certainly sounds very impressive, and could have an impact on the way we charge our devices in the future, it will be interesting to see how the technology is developed further.

Japan`s 543ppi Smartphone Display

A new smartphone display, which is possibly one of the highest resolution displays for handsets.

This new smartphone display from Japan Display measures 5.4 inches anf it comes with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels, with 543 pixels per inch.

This new smartphone display is is a TFT LCD display and it comes with a 1500:1 contrast ratio and a 160 degree viewing angle, we could possibly see this new display launch in a Sony Xperia device first.

Japan Display is a collaboration between Sony, Toshiba and Hitachi, so it looks like Sony who are the major smartphone player out of the three could be the first to use this display.

The company also announced a new 6.2 inch display for smartphones that also comes with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels, although this one has a lower density of pixels at 473 pixels per inch.

As yet there are no details on when we will see the first smartphones with this new WQHD display launch, we suspect we may have to wait until next year.

iPad mini with Retina Display vs. iPad mini

Gizmag compares the features and specs of the new iPad mini with Retina Display (left) and the original (non-Retina) iPad mini

If you already own an iPad mini, is it worth upgrading to the new model with Retina Display? Or maybe you're considering buying your first iPad mini, and are wondering if it's worth saving a few bucks on last year's model? Let Gizmag help, as we plop the first two generations of the iPad mini into our magical comparison machine, and see what happens.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Release date

The Retina Display iPad mini launches sometime in November. The original model hit stores last November, and is sticking around for another year.

Size

Nothing shocking here. Though it is worth noting that the Retina iPad mini is a little thicker. That's the same thing that happened to the full-sized iPad when it got a Retina Display.

Weight

Not a great start for the Retina model, as it's also a bit heavier compared to the original iPad mini. Seven percent heavier, to be exact.

Build

Same aluminum build in both models.

Colors

The Retina iPad mini gets the same Space Gray color from the iPhone 5s, and Apple updated the original model with the new hue as well. If you bought a first-generation iPad mini before the new models were announced, then you might have the "black & slate" color instead.

Display

Same 7.9-inch display size for the new model, but the big news is its shift to a Retina Display. It has four times the pixels of the original model, making for a much denser screen. Expect razor-sharp text and crisp, clear images.

Processor

Performance should be another huge upgrade in the Retina iPad mini. Its 64-bit A7 chip is two generations ahead of the old A5 (originally found in 2011's iPad 2) in the non-Retina iPad mini.

RAM

We don't yet know how much RAM the Retina iPad mini has, but we'd bet on 1 GB. The mere 512 MB found in the 1st-gen version just barely cuts it. Backgrounded apps and browser tabs will need to refresh more often than they do on devices with more RAM.

Storage

The first mini was originally available in 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB models, but now that it's sticking around for a second year, it's only sold in a 16 GB flavor.

Cameras

Same resolution in the cameras this time around, but Apple did boast of some upgraded sensors in the new batch of iPads.

Battery

Above are the watt hours for the batteries. If you're more concerned with uptimes, then Apple is estimating that the Retina version will last the same ten hours (while surfing the web on Wi-Fi).

Wireless

Both models are sold in both Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi with LTE versions. The cellular models cost an extra US$130 over their Wi-Fi only counterparts with the same amount of storage.

Software

Both iPad minis run the new iOS 7, with the App Store's stacked selection of tablet apps.

Starting prices

Apple actually jacked the Retina model's price up by $70, hitting the $400 price point for 16 GB Wi-Fi only. It then shoots all the way up to $830 for a 128 GB cellular model.

On announcing the new iPad mini, Apple also dropped the first-generation model's price down to $300.

Wrap-up

If the Retina iPad mini had stayed at $330, this would have been a no-brainer. Not only does it have a much sharper screen, but its performance will be head and shoulders above last year's model.

But at $400, the Retina mini is now inching closer to Apple's new full-sized iPad, the iPad Air. With that added to the non-Retina model's price drop, we can see some customers preferring to save a few bucks and live with the lower-resolution screen.

On the flip side, the new iPad mini's specs are pretty much toe-to-toe with the iPad Air, so you're getting a much more powerful tablet than you did last year. It even has a sharper display than the iPad Air, owing to the same amount of pixels scrunched onto the smaller screen.

For more on the new iPads, you can see how the Retina iPad mini compares to the iPad Air, and you can also check out the iPad Air vs. the older 9.7-inch iPads.

iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5c vs. iPhone 4s

If you're shopping for a new iPhone, Apple gives you not just one, but three options to choose from. Do you splurge on the flagship iPhone 5s, with its cutting-edge fingerprint sensor? Do you save a few bucks, and get the colorful and capable iPhone 5c? Or maybe you sign a two-year contract and get the aging iPhone 4s for "free?" Let Gizmag help you decide, as we compare the features and specs of the three iPhones available in 2013-2014.

Size

The iPhones 5s and 5c are almost the same size, though the 5c is 18 percent thicker. The older iPhone 4s is seven percent shorter than the two newer models.

All three iPhones, though, are much smaller than most of the Android phones you'll see on your local store's shelf. The iPhones 5s and 5c may look big next to the 4s, but just check out the 5s next to the huge Galaxy Note 3 to get some perspective.

Weight

The iPhone 5s is the lightest of the bunch. If you've ever used an iPhone 5(which has been sent packing for the Shady Pines retirement home for iPhones), then the 5s is the exact same size and weight.

Build

Believe it or not, all three phones are made of different build materials. We have the aluminum iPhone 5s (again just like the retired iPhone 5), the"unapologetically plastic" iPhone 5c, and the iPhone 4s, with its two plates of glass sandwiched around a stainless steel band.

Colors

Apple focused more on color in its 2013 iPhones, especially with the pastel-like iPhone 5c.

Display

All of the iPhones' displays are small compared to their high-end Android competition, but the 4s' screen is positively puny. All three have very sharp (326 pixels per inch) Retina Displays, so nothing to worry about on that front.

Fingerprint sensor

The Touch ID fingerprint sensor is the iPhone 5s' killer feature. If you like to protect your phone's data with a passcode, Touch ID lets you do that without, well, having to actually enter a passcode. Hold your finger on the home button for a second or two, and – Eureka! – the gates will open. Any fingerprint that isn't on your trusted list will need that passcode to get in.

Cameras

Don't be fooled by the megapixel counts listed above: each camera gets better as you move from right to left. The iPhone 5s' shooter is improved in low-light photography, and adds a burst mode that automatically chooses the sharpest shot.

Camera flash

The iPhone 5s' camera also sports a second LED for its flash ("True Tone"), which supposedly leads to more accurate skin tones when conducting flash photography. In our experience, the most obvious difference was that it saturated subjects a bit more than single-LED flashes do.

Slow-motion video

Another selling feature for the iPhone 5s' camera is its new slow-motion video feature. It's great for capturing action shots of your kids, pets, or fleeing purse-snatchers. You'll need a third-party app to record slow-mo on the older iPhones.

Processor

This is another category where the above specs don't tell the full story. The iPhone 5s is by far the fastest of the three, though the 5c is also a very zippy phone. The 4s seemed fast when it hit store shelves two years ago, but it's going to be a little laggy compared to the other two.

Motion coprocessor

The iPhone 5s has a new M7 chip, which is dedicated to processing motion sensor data. Sound geeky? Well, all you need to know is that it lets you use fitness apps and accessories (like the Nike Fuelband, Jawbone Up, or Fitbit Flex) without sucking the life out of your iPhone's battery, assuming they all update their software for the M7.

On a side note, the M7 chip is also likely paving the road for a future Apple smartwatch.

Storage

If you want to max out your storage with a hearty 64 GB, then the iPhone 5s is your only option. For most customers, though, 16 GB or 32 GB should suffice. The mere 8 GB found in today's iPhone 4s might get a little tight if you store lots of pictures, music, videos, and games.

RAM

Apple often manages to eke out some of the best performance in any smartphone (at least with its latest model) without relying on tons of RAM.

4G LTE

The two newer models support speedy 4G LTE mobile data speeds.

The old iPhone 4s maxes out at HSPA+ speeds for GSM carriers (like AT&T or T-Mobile in the US), which are faster than 3G, but slower than LTE. If you're on a CDMA carrier (like Verizon or Sprint in the US), then the 4s only supports slower 3G.

Battery

If the above capacities don't mean anything to you, have no fear. The iPhone 5s should have the longest battery life, though the 5c should be very close. The 4s lags behind, but still has pretty solid uptimes.

Software

All three iPhones run the new iOS 7, with its fresh flat design and parallax transition animations. All three iPhones, of course, tap into the well-stocked App Store as well.

Voice control

When the iPhone 4s launched two years ago, it was the only Apple device that included the Siri virtual assistant (summoned with a long-press of the home button). Today all three iPhones have Siri, and its accompanying voice dictation.

Release cycle

The iPhone 5s just hit store shelves. The iPhone 5c did too, but its guts are almost identical to 2012's iPhone 5. The 4s, as we mentioned, originally launched in late 2011.

Starting prices (on-contract)

There still isn't a truly budget iPhone option, but you can save a few bucks on the 4s. Just remember that the up-front price you pay is a mere drop in the ocean compared to the thousands you'll spend over the course of a two-year contract.

Note that the above (and below) prices are in US dollars.

Starting prices (off-contract)

If you don't like to be tied down, you can always pay full price to get your iPhone with no strings attached. Just be prepared to pay the pretty pennies listed above.

Wrap-up

In years past, the newest iPhone was almost always the best choice. And while the iPhone 5s is still the best of this crop, the iPhone 5c still gives a strong showing. If you don't care about the fingerprint sensor, slow-motion video, or improved camera, then maybe the candy-coated colors of the iPhone 5c will be the best fit for you.

The 4s, meanwhile, is merely hanging around so Apple can have a free on-contract option. Just remember that it lags far behind its siblings, and it only shaves US$100 off the price of the much better iPhone 5c.

If you're leaning towards the flagship model, then maybe perusing our iPhone 5s review will help you to make up your mind, eh?