Hell or high waters

Nokia just did the unthinkable: The company, such a reliable Windows Phone partner that Microsoft is acquiring most of it , has unveiled an Android phone, the Nokia X. But if you look closely, you can see why. The Nokia X, launching today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, isn't just your run-of-the-mill Android handset. The device, the first of several Android products from Nokia, is a budget model (just 89 euros or about $120) that runs a highly modified version of Android. See also: 25 Best Free Android Apps Similar to what Amazon has done with its Kindle Fire tablets, Nokia has taken out all the "Googleness" from Android and replaced it with its own services as well as Microsoft's. It's even designed the icons to look like what you might find on one of Nokia's Lumia phones. "Nokia X is a new affordable smartphone family from Nokia," explains Jussi Nevanlinna, vice president of marketing for Nokia's phones. "X stands for 'crossover' between Microsoft … [Read more...] about Hell Freezes Over: Nokia Unveils an Android Phone, the Nokia X

If you’ve heard of fusion energy, you’ve probably heard of tokamaks. These doughnut-shaped devices are meant to cage ionized gases called plasmas in magnetic fields while heating them to the outlandish temperatures needed for hydrogen nuclei to fuse. Tokamaks are the workhorses of fusion—solid, symmetrical, and relatively straightforward to engineer—but progress with them has been plodding. Now, tokamaks’ rebellious cousin is stepping out of the shadows. In a gleaming research lab in Germany’s northeastern corner, researchers are preparing to switch on a fusion device called a stellarator, the largest ever built. The €1 billion machine, known as Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X), appears now as a 16-meter-wide ring of gleaming metal bristling with devices of all shapes and sizes, innumerable cables trailing off to unknown destinations, and technicians tinkering with it here and there. It looks a bit like Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon, towed in for repairs after a run-in with the Imperial fleet. … [Read more...] about The bizarre reactor that might save nuclear fusion

Legislators in both houses of Congress agree that science at the Department of Energy (DOE) should get a slight boost—0.9%—next year. But how they get to that number is quite another story. This week the full Senate is expected to approve a $5.4 billion budget for DOE’s Office of Science that would eliminate support for an international fusion project in France and trim domestic fusion research. The cuts allow legislators to give relatively healthy boosts to the office's five other research programs within an overall tight budget. To reach the same total, the spending panel in the House of Representatives has proposed continuing to fund ITER and fusion but cutting biological and environmental research and holding the other programs to tiny increases. For years, observers have been warning that the U.S. commitment to ITER, the gargantuan fusion experiment under construction in Cadarache, France, has been squeezing other DOE basic research programs. That tension shows through … [Read more...] about Same bottom line hides sharp disagreement in Congress over energy research

It’s been a busy week for the iPhone 13 rumor mill. From improved storage to an in-screen fingerprint scanner, Apple’s next device looks set to finally bring something truly new to the smartphone table. Typically, Apple’s flagship devices pack a few performance and camera upgrades over their predecessors, without pushing the boat out in terms of new features or groundbreaking tech. Not since the iPhone X has Apple really shaken up the design of its iPhones, and while we’re big fans of the iPhone 12 family, we’re excited to learn of some potentially market-leading bells and whistles on its upcoming range of smartphones. Below, we’ve rounded up all the latest leaks and rumors surrounding the iPhone 13. It’s worth taking each revelation with a pinch of salt, but we’ll find out exactly what to expect when Apple officially launches the device in September 2021. Want the full picture on the iPhone 13 ? Here’s everything we know so far 1. 1TB of storage A … [Read more...] about 5 things we’ve learned about the iPhone 13 this week

First teased back in August , Hewlett-Packard's new smartwatch was finally unveiled on Friday, and it looks pretty good. Crafted through a partnership between HP and fashion designer Michael Bastian, the MB Chronowing looks exactly like a traditional watch, but also delivers email, stock market updates, calendar information, sports updates and text notifications. See also: Microsoft officially announces wearable after early app release The water-resistant device is available with three interchangeable straps (leather, rubber and nylon), has a battery life of up to seven days and is controlled via an app that is accessed through iOS or Android devices. "As a men's designer, I'm very interested in all of the recent developments in the 'tech wearables' category — particularly smartwatches," said Bastian, in a statement on Gilt's website. "With the early devices I've seen, the design and feel of the watch takes a backseat to the technology… I really felt there was a need … [Read more...] about HP and Gilt Groupe unveil fashion-focused smartwatch