Mobile phones may have more germs than toilet seats: study

Cellphones carry up to 10 times more bacteria than most toilet seats, a new study has revealed.

Experts said the reason is that phones are often passed between people which spreads the germs around - but they are never cleaned which means the diseases keep on building up.

Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona, said during his ongoing experiments he has found that bugs get onto a phone because it is so close to our hands and mouths.

When somebody lets a friend or a stranger use their mobile their bacteria easily gets onto the device too.

Professor Gerba added that because mobiles are electronic some people are reticent about cleaning them, the Daily Mail reported.

While toilets tend to get cleaned frequently, because people associate the bathroom with germs, cellphones and other commonly handled objects - like remote controls - are often left out of the cleaning routine.

Nokia 700 preview: First look

Good stuff coming from Nokia lately but there’s always room for more. We like to be surprised and the Nokia 700 does just that. Instead of quietly falling in line behind the obvious leader, the 1GHz Symbian Belle powered Nokia 701,

the Nokia 700 puts on its best suit and goes it alone. A cute little smartphone ready for big things.

Just don’t let the size fool you. The slim Nokia 700 is no lesser smartphone than the Nokia 701 that we recently enjoyed in a preview. With a 1GHz processor and Symbian Belle, it’s got both its media and communication bases covered.

You need to hold the Nokia 700 in your hand to appreciate how small it really is. It looks like a toy compared to, say, the Galaxy S II all the while packing some of the best Nokia has to offer. The revamped Symbian Belle shows its friendlier side on a 3.2” ClearBlack AMOLED touchscreen. NFC pairing is the icing on the cake in the connectivity department featuring quad-band GSM and penta-band 3G support. Source: gsmarena.com

Sonim XP3300 Force is the world's toughest phone

Sonim Technologies, which is known for manufacturing world’s most rugged, water-submersible mobile phones has launched the world’s toughest phone, Sonim XP3300 Force. With the launch of this handset, Sonim has secured its entry into the Guinness Book of World Records.

The phone was tested in the presence of independent judges from the Guinness World Record by dropping it from a height of 25 metres. This handset beats the world record of 3.25 metres set by the JCB Toughphone in 2008.

Bob Plaschke, CEO, Sonim Technologies, said, “We wanted to stamp Sonim’s name on the world record, confirming that the Sonim XP3300 Force is the toughest phone in the world. Most phones are drop tested to a metre, which just isn’t enough in extreme environments such as the construction sites, oil rigs or in the forest.”

This phone can withstand tough conditions like industrial and construction areas. It is dust and water resistant handset as well. It can remain under water at a depth of 2 mts for 1 hour without any damage.

This macho handset weighs 185gms and is 25mm thick. It features 2-megapixel camera with LED flash, Java enabled OS (supports apps like Opera Mini), GPS, Noise cancellation, and a 23mm speaker. The handset has a 3.5mm jack and a 1750 mAh battery that gives a talk time of over 20 hours. The handset is available in two colors, yellow and black.

Bundled with such unique features Sonim XP3300 Force comes with a price tag of USD 525 (Rs23,000 approx.).

Motorola’s ‘James Bond’ Atrix

The  Motorola Atrix is the mobile phone for every aspiring James Bond – it is the first smartphone to use biometric fingerprint technology to enhance security.

UK gadget fans can get the new Motorola Atrix. Users’ prints are stored the first time they use the phone, then used to open it with a swipe of the finger.

Prints can be wiped from the device and replaced if the user wants to give away or sell the phone. This is the ultimate smartphone for gadget fans.

‘It is packed full of tech wizardry and features that any aspiring spy would be proud of,’ said Nicola Shenton, head of device portfolio at Orange UK. The phone is free with a 24-month Orange contract.

The device also features a faster processor to enable web pages to be opened quicker than most other phones.

Jeremy Marks, from security experts Spymaster, said: ‘This type of technology offers consumers a new level of security, surpassing anything we have seen before on a smartphone.’

Creepiest Mobile Phone Ever

A group of Japanese scientists have created a doll-like mobile phone they say is designed to make you feel closer to the person you’re talking to. No, this is not a joke…

Believe it or not, this strange-looking mobile is endorsed by Japanese mobile phone operator NTT DoCoMo who calls it a “revolutionary telecom medium” and hopes to put it into production in the next five years.

Before you ask, I don’t know where the keys or touchscreen are, but keep in mind this is just a design prototype, and many more features could be added before it actually goes into production. via Geek.com

Amazing Russian Wooden Gadgets

These days when people going to be more green such devices gain popularity. Russian author of wooden mice writes: “Wood, as the cover material for everyday appliances is almost not used nowadays. Plastics are cheaper, easier to produce, faster – they suit well for mass production. Real wood is still can be found from exclusive furniture producers (regular furniture is made from plywood or laminated sheets). Saw wood industry is also mainly oriented for the construction works, thus the wooden material is available on market is of worse quality. Technologies of producing beautiful things from wood suffered greatly. They are almost, not almost, just forgotten. Just some time ago people could make from wood the things that look like a miracle for a modern person. For example those Russian wooden clocks of the 19th century.

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