FAA green

Agency expects airlines to begin letting you use your electronic devices -- in airplane mode -- from departure to arrival by the end of the year.

(Credit: American Airlines)

Airline passengers will soon be able to use their mobile devices during an entire flight from takeoff to landing.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta announced the new ruling Thursday. Implementation will vary among airlines, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. But many carriers are expected to allow passengers to be able to use their devices -- in airplane mode -- from departure to arrival by the end of the year.

In its press release, the agency outlined some of the specific details and conditions:

Passengers will eventually be able to read e-books, play games, and watch videos on their devices during all phases of flight, with very limited exceptions. Electronic items, books, and magazines, must be held or put in the seat back pocket during the actual takeoff and landing roll. Cell phones should be in airplane mode or with cellular service disabled -- i.e., no signal bars displayed -- and cannot be used for voice communications based on FCC regulations that prohibit any airborne calls using cell phones. If your air carrier provides Wi-Fi service during flight, you may use those services. You can also continue to use short-range Bluetooth accessories, like wireless keyboards.

The FAA has also published an FAQ with answers to common questions.

The prohibition against using cell phones for voice calls remains in effect because that matter is in the domain of the Federal Communications Commission.

Bans on using electronic devices on airlines have been in effect largely because of concerns that they could interfere with an aircraft's radio communications. But such concerns have largely been dispelled.

See also: Gadgets, airplanes, and you: What's up with the FAA rules

Commissioned by the FAA to investigate the issue, the Aviation Rulemaking Committee found that 'most commercial airplanes can tolerate radio interference signals' from portable devices. In its report, the committee advised the FAA to issue new procedures to airlines to confirm that their planes can handle the interference. If so, the airlines are then free to let passengers use their devices at all altitudes.

In some cases of low visibility, passengers may be told to turn off their devices during landing.

'We believe today's decision honors both our commitment to safety and consumer's increasing desire to use their electronic devices during all phases of their flights,' Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. 'These guidelines reflect input from passengers, pilots, manufacturers, and flight attendants, and I look forward to seeing airlines implement these much anticipated guidelines in the near future.'

Delta is one airline already prepped to take advantage of the new ruling. The company said it will allow its passengers to use their portable electronic devices below 10,000 feet as soon as Friday. The airline added that it's completed tolerance testing on its aircraft and has submitted a plan to the FAA for approval.

'More than 570 mainline domestic aircraft stand ready to allow customer use of e-readers, tablets, and smartphones, all in airplane mode, during taxi, takeoff, and landing on domestic flights,' Delta said in a press release. 'Delta Connection's more than 550 regional aircraft will be ready by the end of the year. In-flight Wi-Fi will continue to be available for customers above 10,000 feet.'

FAA greenlights gadget use during entire flight

The agency expects airlines to begin letting you use your electronic devices -- in airplane mode -- from departure to arrival by the end of the year.

(Credit: American Airlines)

Airline passengers will soon be able to use their mobile devices during an entire flight from takeoff to landing.

Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Huerta announced the new ruling on Thursday. Implementation will vary among airlines, according to the FAA. But many carriers are expected to allow passengers to be able to use their devices -- in airplane mode -- from departure to arrival by the end of the year.

In its press release, the agency outlined some of the specific details and conditions:

Passengers will eventually be able to read e-books, play games, and watch videos on their devices during all phases of flight, with very limited exceptions. Electronic items, books, and magazines, must be held or put in the seat back pocket during the actual takeoff and landing roll. Cell phones should be in airplane mode or with cellular service disabled -- i.e., no signal bars displayed -- and cannot be used for voice communications based on FCC regulations that prohibit any airborne calls using cell phones. If your air carrier provides Wi-Fi service during flight, you may use those services. You can also continue to use short-range Bluetooth accessories, like wireless keyboards.

The prohibition against using cell phones for voice calls remains in effect because that issue is in the domain of the Federal Communications Commission.

'We believe today's decision honors both our commitment to safety and consumer's increasing desire to use their electronic devices during all phases of their flights,' Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. 'These guidelines reflect input from passengers, pilots, manufacturers, and flight attendants, and I look forward to seeing airlines implement these much anticipated guidelines in the near future.'

'Gadget

Swedish Pirate Party MEP Amelia Andersdotter. File photo Epaminondas Koutsoukis/Piratpartiet/Flikr

Published: 30 Oct 2013 17:45 GMT+01:00Updated: 30 Oct 2013 17:45 GMT+01:00

Three million Swedes had their medical journals on an unsafe database for eight months, which has outraged IT security observers and shows how modern technology can be at unnecessary odds with patient confidentiality, warned Sweden's Pirate Party.

'I'm personally very surprised when people are surprised that databases leak,' Swedish Pirate Party MEP Amelia Andersdotter told The Local via email. 'That's what they do. Things you want to keep secret should not be on the internet, which was built to distribute information, not to store it.'

Andersdotter has asked for her medical journals to be removed from Uppsala and Skåne Counties' databases, and said she wished the counties would ask patients whether they approved of their files being stored on computers with internet access.

'Firewall or no firewall,' Andersdotter elaborated.

She said that her own request to have her data removed was denied, because the case reviewers said her medical information did not contain information of a sensitive nature.

'So now I've taken them to an administrative court (förvaltningsrätten),' Andersdotter said.

Andersdotter further said that Swedish state agencies' drive to be modern and up-to-date did not necessarily sit well with the demands of classified and sensitive information.

'I feel like the Social Affairs Ministry's obsession with gadgets could potentially put patient confidentiality at risk,' she said, adding that immigration to Sweden meant medical authorities here may not have properly thought about how sensitive it is for some foreign-born patients to have private information a few clicks away from anyone who wouldn't mind a peek.

'We have many patients in Sweden who come from countries where normally you don't want intelligence services to be able to map out family members' health,' she said. 'Who's thinking about them?'

Latest Dyson gadget promises to clean hard floors AND suck up...

Uses a wet wipe on a pad on the bottom to clean away stains There is a separate vacuum which sucks up all the crumbs Dyson is one of the UK's few modern day manufacturing success stories

By Sean Poulter

PUBLISHED: 14:51 EST, 29 October 2013 | UPDATED: 15:32 EST, 29 October 2013

British design experts have added a revolutionary new weapon to the armoury of time-starved families who are fed up with the daily chore of cleaning.

The 'Dyson Hard' is effectively a cross between an old style mop and a powerful vacuum cleaner.

The hi-tech device uses a wet wipe on a pad on the bottom to clean away stains on hard floors, removing dried on kitchen spills such as tea bag drips.

Separately, there is a vacuum which sucks up all the toast crumbs at the same time.

Arguably, the new £249.99 device is the biggest innovation since Sir James Dyson first launched his bagless vacuum cleaners 20 years ago.

Importantly, it taps in to the growing desire among householders for cordless machines, which are not tied up in a cats cradle of cables.

The Dyson Hard also serves as an alternative to plug-in steam mops, which have become enormously popular for cleaning hard floors in the last two years.

Again, the new device has the advantage that it is more convenient. There are no power cables, no water tank to fill or delay while it heats up.

Sir James said: 'Good technology should make everyday tasks quicker and easier.

'Dyson's high-speed motor technology has enabled Dyson engineers to develop a cordless machine capable of vacuuming dirt and wiping away stains simultaneously. One machine doing two jobs, in one action.'

The company will sell packs of wet wipes, which are wrapped around the base and clamped in place. These will be either standard versions or ones specifically for wood floors.

The machine is compatible with packs of wipes available from other manufacturers.

The cleaner head of the machine, also known as the DC56, can be removed to add a crevice and combination tool for cleaning hard to reach places.

The fact it is cordless means that it is also useful for cleaning the car or worktops.

The cleaner is powered by the Dyson digital motor V2, which is one third of the size of conventional motors, yet spins at 104,000rpm.

While this is backed up by a powerful lithium-ion battery, which delivers 15 minutes of fade free performance. For stubborn dirt, there is a boost setting for six minutes of high intensity cleaning.

The machine's body is made from ABS Polycarbonate, which is the same material found in riot shields, while the lightweight reinforced wand is aluminium.

The DC56 was slammed into obstacles from a number of different angles 39,154 times to ensure it was robust and durable. It was also subjected a tumble test with the machine spending over an hour in a rig simulating the effects of a giant cement mixer.

Dyson has become one of the UK's few modern day manufacturing success stories, with massive sales around the world. While its machines are now made in Malaysia it invests nearly £1.5 million a week into research and development, mainly in this country.

The company employs hundreds of engineers and scientists at its Research and Development headquarters in Wiltshire and will recruit 250 more this year, including many recent graduates.

The 'Dyson Hard' will first go on sale in Tesco from tomorrow(thrs) under an exclusive deal before becoming more widely available.

Google's top

Posted: 10/28/2013 05:07:22 PM PDT

Updated: 10/29/2013 11:51:21 AM PDT

TREASURE ISLAND -- Is Google ( GOOG) building a seafaring server farm? An oceangoing educational facility? Or how about a floating showroom for the wearable gadget known as Glass?

Speculation is rampant about the top-secret, four-story structure that's been erected atop a huge barge, now sitting next to a pier at Treasure Island in the middle of San Francisco Bay. Neither Google nor the mysterious company listed as the barge's owner have said a peep in public since the tech news site CNET linked the hush-hush project to the Internet search giant last week.

But

a regional environmental official told this newspaper Monday that attorneys approached his agency several months ago to inquire about permits they'll need if they want to park the floating structure on a long-term basis. Executive director Larry Goldzband of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission said the attorneys represented either Google or an affiliated company, and they referred in general terms to 'using the vessel as a tool to teach about technology.'

The Google representatives mentioned Fort Mason as a possible site to moor the barge for an extended time, said Goldzband, who told them to come back when they were ready to provide more specifics.

Meanwhile, a second massive, mystery barge has been moored in a Maine harbor since earlier this month, according to the Portland Press Herald. The barge in Maine has a similar four-story structure and is registered to the same company that owns the barge at Treasure Island.

U.S. Coast Guard records, in fact, show at least four big barges are owned by that company, By and Large, LLC, which has at least circumstantial links with Google.

Initial news reports have centered on the possibility that Google is building floating data centers, which might use seawater for cooling -- since stacks of servers create a lot of heat -- and produce its own power from ocean wave movement. Google obtained a patent for just such an idea back in 2009.

The tech giant is known for pursuing wild ideas, from self-driving cars to radio-equipped balloons for delivering Internet service to undeveloped regions. And experts have speculated Google could deploy floating computer centers to remote areas, or perhaps use them as backup facilities in case of an earthquake on land.

But San Francisco television station KPIX reported that unnamed sources said Google wants to use the barge as an outlandish, floating 'marketing center' or retail store, where the company could show off cutting-edge gadgets like the wearable Google Glass.

Goldzband's account raises a third possibility -- that Google is building some kind of oceangoing technology classroom -- although either a high-tech data center or marketing venue could incorporate science-related 'teaching' into its activities. Google didn't respond to requests for comment.

The structure appears to have been assembled from modular units that resemble shipping containers, stacked in a cube except for one unit that sits at an angle to the others. The building is topped by 12 slender masts or antennae.

As first reported by CNET last week, the four-story facility was constructed quietly over the last year -- first inside a large hangar on Treasure Island, surrounded by security fences, and later moved to the 250-foot barge moored to a pier at the former Navy base.

Treasure Island records show the hanger is leased to By and Large. But CNET's sleuthing determined the primary contact for the lease is an agent for the CBRE commercial real estate firm, assigned full-time to working with Google.

By and Large representatives couldn't be reached for comment. But CNET reported another tantalizing detail: A yacht that reportedly belongs to Google CEO Larry Page was spotted last week at the same Treasure Island pier.

Mercury News research director Leigh Poitinger contributed to this report. Contact Brandon Bailey at 408-920-5022; follow him at Twitter.com/BrandonBailey.

Is your gadget making you sick?

Put down your PC -- it could make you sick.

New York Magazine has put together a list of gadget-related illnesses, and once you read it, you'll never look at a computer virus the same way again. One the site highlights: a Mayo Clinic report that smartphone and tablet use can cause sleep deprivation due to their bright lights, which inhibit the body from entering sleep correctly.

Then there's nomophobia, which 66 percent of people apparently suffer from. For those afflicted, the thought of even a prosaic bathroom trip sans smartphone can cause separation anxiety, with symptoms like trembling, sweating, and nausea. does that sound like you?

Next! A wristband that monitors nearly everything you do. The Airo wristband from Airo Health launched yesterday and, according to engadget.com, claims to track your heart rate, workout intensity, sleep patterns and nutritional intake. I'm still waiting for the one that will measure how many words you utter a day. I know a few people who should slice that in half.

Finally! A common sense media study found that 38 percent of children under 2 years old use mobile media to watch videos and play games. Smartphones are like a built in babysitter for parents. Mashable.com said that children under 8 are using these gadgets for an average of 15 minutes per day. Whereas baby boomers either refuse to embrace them or attend Apple's how-to classes, rather than asking their tech savvy kids for help ... I'm looking at you, mom!

You've had your megabyte. See you later techies!

Diana Falzone is a FoxNews.com contributor and the advice columnist for My Wingman Diana on Military.com. Her work has been published in the textbook 'Sexuality Education,' distributed in universities across North America. You can follow her on Twitter @dianafalzone.

Mobilize Your Written Notes With the Equil JOT Smartpen

The smartpen has always presented convenience as its big asset - write normally, then instantly transfer all your notes to the digital domain. But the reality of getting your notes into the computer, and the special paper often required to do so, isn't as rosy. Also, most smartpens only sync to desktop or laptop PCs, an approach out of step with the mobile present.

The Equil JOT is a different kind of smartpen. It doesn't use special paper, but instead relies on a combination of ultrasonic and infrared rays to pinpoint the pen's position on paper of your choosing, then sends that information straight to a mobile app on your iOS device. Using this technique, the pen can be used on any type or size of paper: a standard sheet, an A4 notebook, or even a cocktail napkin. And you get your hand-inked notes in digital form on your iPhone or iPad as soon as they've been written via Equil's accompanying note-taking or sketching apps. You can then share your notes via email, Dropbox, or other apps.

There's a tradeoff with JOT's hardware design though. Instead of all the tech being embedded in the pen, making it the only piece of hardware required, you also need to place a small rectangular receiver at the top edge of the paper you're using. It's a lot like the Wacom Inkling, and it's meant to be clipped at the top of whatever pad you're most comfortable scribbling on. So, it's more than just a pen. It's a pen and a clip-on receiver.

However, this means the pen is actually pen-sized and comfortable to hold. It's triangular, and a combination of white and translucent white plastic with a single button on one edge. The receiver makes a light buzzing sound while it's in use, not unlike (but certainly not as loud as) one of those ultrasonic bug zappers.

When it's time to wrap up, the receiver and the pen slot into a compact triangular carrying case and charging station, enclosed with a soft, magnetic cover reminiscent of like Apple's Smart Covers for the iPads. The case is small enough that it's easy to carry in a purse or backpack, but also uniquely shaped, so that when you're digging around in the depths of said bag, your hands can find it quickly. The case charges both halves of the device at once via a single micro USB connection.

Equil JOT is $150 and available today.

Revealed...top 30 gadgets every man wants to have

From games consoles to power tools, men just seem to be lost without their gadgets.

Now experts have compiled a definitive list of 30 male gizmo must-haves.

And it is not just the latest electrical devices men cannot live without. The trusty bottle opener and penknife are right up there with the Nintendo Wii and the laptop.

Younger men go for games while the over-50s choose garden gadgets and eReaders. The league, put together by questioning viewers of Channel 5's Gadget Show, found those over 40 favour grooming and comfort above games. Men entering their fifth decade named the heated loo seat and nose trimmer as their favourite electrical toys.

Teenagers are dependent on iPods, smartphones and Nintendo Wii games consoles. As men enter their 20s, they become reliant on a gaming chair to fight zombies, with hair clippers and mini fridge the new essentials. The 30-plus set cannot cope without power tools, head torches and sat-nav systems.

Those who had reached 50 went for metal detectors, sit-on lawn mowers and leaf blowers, according to the poll of 4,000 viewers.

The list was prepared for the Gadget Show's annual festive event held at London's Earl's Court from November 1 to November 3.

Presenter Jason Bradbury said: 'I love this list. I can totally relate to it, especially the craving for power tools.'

New gadget cools drinks fast

(KTVI) - A new gadget could spell the end of ice cubes. It's the opposite of a microwave and can chill your drink in seconds.

Take a look at the 'V-TEX'. The gadget can cool wine bottles and fizzy drinks from room temperature to just under 40 degrees in 45 seconds.

The V-Tex' uses a cooling vortex to chill the drinks, spinning the beverage around. There's no word on when this new invention will hit the market.

From Berg, A DIY Kit That Connects Your Gadget To The Internet Of Things

Over the last two years, product and design consultancy Berg London has been bringing smiles to our lips with button-cute devices like the Little Printer and its Twitter-connected cuckoo clock, #Flock. Now, Berg wants to do more than just give us adorable, cloud-connected gadgets; it wants to empower us to create them ourselves.

'From our experience making the Little Printer, we realized that hardware projects can be prone to failure in a way that software isn't,' says Berg's director of consulting, Mark Cridge. The internet of Things might very well be the future--Cridge is quick to note that over 30% of design and technology Kickstarter projects to receive funding over half a million dollars are connected devices--but making hardware that talks to the cloud is still far from easy. Today, Berg London announced its solution to the problem: Berg Cloud, an initiative to make the tech and software incubated with the Little Printer available to everyone.

Berg Cloud is a three-part kit for developers, prototypers, and muckers-about alike that makes connecting your custom hardware to the cloud a cinch. The first part is the Berg Cloud Devshield, which plugs into Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and mbed single-board microcontrollers, assigning a unique device key to the type of device you've made and what it does. The Devshield then communicates with the Berg Cloud Bridge, a device that plugs into your router via Ethernet and sets up a secure, low-bandwidth network between your Berg-powered hardware and the Berg Cloud itself.

As for the Berg Cloud, it's the decentralized brain that brings your hardware to life. Through it, you can snatch all sorts of APIs that can be used in coordination with your hardware to give it access to Twitter, email, weather, or more. In addition, it allows you to manage multiple devices remotely, while also providing analytic, inspection, and debugging tools.

If you're wondering what you can do with a Berg Cloud Devkit, look no further than #Flock, Berg London's tweeting cuckoo clock. A proof of concept for what would become the Berg Cloud Devkit, the clock brought a different animatronic bird to life every time you got a Twitter reply, a new follower, or a retweet.

But Berg Cloud can do far more than just tweet. Cridge tells us that it's been designed to allow you to bring any device to life that you might want to connect to the cloud or be managed from afar. You could use Berg Cloud to create an alarm clock that rings only when Game of Thrones is on, a recipe box that automatically fills itself with the latest recipes on Serious Eats, a radio that tailors Spotify tracks according to the type of weather outside, or more. The Berg Cloud Devkit will be available starting October 31 from Bergcloud.com. Each Berg Cloud Devkit costs $129 and comes with one Berg Cloud Bridge and two Devshields. Additional Devshields will be available for $32. Sounds like a hardware prototyper's dream.

This Tiny Gadget Can Turn Virtually Anything Into a Musical Instrument

It seems like every other day we read about some far-out, new technology that makes us scratch our heads and say, 'What the heck?' In this series, we'll take a look at all types of crazy new gadgets, apps and other technologies -- and the entrepreneurs dreaming them up.

Music and technology have been comfortable bedfellows since before someone strummed the first electric guitar. But creating your own instruments -- electronic or otherwise -- can be a difficult proposition, and not one easily undertaken by someone without training.

That is exactly the problem British creative agency Dentaku decided to tackle when it created the Ototo, a pocket-sized circuit board designed to be a 'musical invention kit.' Translation: this thing can turn virtually any object into a musical instrument.

Simple enough that anyone can use it, the Ototo lets even the most musically or mechanically inept create a musical instrument out of just about anything -- no coding or soldering involved. It consists of a small control board about the size of a cassette tape that has a speaker and 12 triangular touch inputs which come pre-programmed so you can use them like piano keys.

Even more fun can be had when you use the included set of wires with alligator clips on the ends to connect the Ototo to any object that's even slightly conductive, letting you turn pots and pans, aluminum foil, a chocolate bar or even a plant into a musical instrument. Other accessories act like wah-wah pedals, letting you add even more variety to the sounds you can make.

The platform is also fully-hackable and compatible with the Arduino open-source electronic prototyping platform, so if you're more mechanically or electronically inclined, the possibilities are nearly endless. The sounds created by the Ototo are reminiscent of old-school Moog synthesizers, with a fun, futuristic feeling that's only heightened when you realize you can even turn a pencil drawing into something that plays music.

When it was time for the designers at Dentaku to seek funding for the Ototo, they decided to skip the now-ubiquitous Kickstarter crowd-sourcing method in favor of applying for traditional arts grants. A British arts program called Near Now found their idea intriguing enough to work with, and offered to fund it. Near Now focuses on arts and technology in everyday life, and Ototo is an example of interactive art that promotes design and digital literacy. Near Now Director Mat Trivett explains in Wired that they are 'excited at the potential of Ototo as both an accessible tool to learn the basics of physical computing and interaction design and as an advanced tool for artistic expression, all whilst making awesome musical projects.'

Pricing and an official release date haven't been determined yet, but budding composers and music producers who are interested in more information can sign up for the Ototo mailing list.

What crazy apps and gadgets have you come across lately? Let us know by emailing us at FarOutTech@entrepreneur.com or by telling us in the comments below.

This Tiny Gadget Can Turn Virtually Anything Into a Musical Instrument

It seems like every other day we read about some far-out, new technology that makes us scratch our heads and say, 'What the heck?' In this series, we'll take a look at all types of crazy new gadgets, apps and other technologies -- and the entrepreneurs dreaming them up.

Music and technology have been comfortable bedfellows since before someone strummed the first electric guitar. But creating your own instruments -- electronic or otherwise -- can be a difficult proposition, and not one easily undertaken by someone without training.

That is exactly the problem British creative agency Dentaku decided to tackle when it created the Ototo, a pocket-sized circuit board designed to be a 'musical invention kit.' Translation: this thing can turn virtually any object into a musical instrument.

Simple enough that anyone can use it, the Ototo lets even the most musically or mechanically inept create a musical instrument out of just about anything -- no coding or soldering involved. It consists of a small control board about the size of a cassette tape that has a speaker and 12 triangular touch inputs which come pre-programmed so you can use them like piano keys.

Even more fun can be had when you use the included set of wires with alligator clips on the ends to connect the Ototo to any object that's even slightly conductive, letting you turn pots and pans, aluminum foil, a chocolate bar or even a plant into a musical instrument. Other accessories act like wah-wah pedals, letting you add even more variety to the sounds you can make.

The platform is also fully-hackable and compatible with the Arduino open-source electronic prototyping platform, so if you're more mechanically or electronically inclined, the possibilities are nearly endless. The sounds created by the Ototo are reminiscent of old-school Moog synthesizers, with a fun, futuristic feeling that's only heightened when you realize you can even turn a pencil drawing into something that plays music.

When it was time for the designers at Dentaku to seek funding for the Ototo, they decided to skip the now-ubiquitous Kickstarter crowd-sourcing method in favor of applying for traditional arts grants. A British arts program called Near Now found their idea intriguing enough to work with, and offered to fund it. Near Now focuses on arts and technology in everyday life, and Ototo is an example of interactive art that promotes design and digital literacy. Near Now Director Mat Trivett explains in Wired that they are 'excited at the potential of Ototo as both an accessible tool to learn the basics of physical computing and interaction design and as an advanced tool for artistic expression, all whilst making awesome musical projects.'

Pricing and an official release date haven't been determined yet, but budding composers and music producers who are interested in more information can sign up for the Ototo mailing list.

What crazy apps and gadgets have you come across lately? Let us know by emailing us at FarOutTech@entrepreneur.com or by telling us in the comments below.

V

SAY goodbye to ice cubes after the invention of a new gadget that can chill drinks in a matter of seconds by spinning them at high speed.

WHILE you were sleeping Apple CEO Tim Cook took to the stage in the US to shake up the tech industry once again. Here's how it all went down.

THE battleground has been set. It's all out war in the tablet space. Apple, Nokia and Microsoft are releasing new tablets this week which is good news for you. But who will reign supreme?

Have You Ever Gotten Sick from Using a Gadget?

There are lots of diseases and health issues for humans to worry about in general, and yet we tend to create more of them as time goes on. Lead poisoning, cancer from tanning beds, lots of stuff from smoking. And now that we're addicted to gadgets it was only a matter of time before the health effects starting showing.

You may have heard some of these before, but New York Magazine rounded up a list of gadget-related ailments. And it's pretty grim. Terrible posture, severely burned thighs, nomophobia (no-mobile-phone phobia), and scrotal hyperthermia are plaguing us! I have pretty consistent neck pain on one side and I definitely think it's related to hunching in front of the computer all day. Do you have any technology-related ailments? Diagnose yourself below.

Image credit: Shutterstock/Pablo Calvog

Making The Perfect Gadget

Smartphone. Tablet. Laptop. Maybe an e-reader, gaming device, and camera chucked in there too. Chances are, a lot of you carting around a lot of electronics on a daily basis, and most of it has a battery. Here's how to make the perfect gadget bag, one that not only carries your crap, but keeps it perpetually perked up too.

A bag: Obviously. I've trialled this with a Timbuk2 messenger bag (amazingly good satchel-style bags for carrying tonnes of stuff around, if you're looking for one), and a Victorinox backpack that has an equally loyal following. To be honest, though, this will work with any decently-sized bag that has at least a few pockets to stash stuff in.

A battery: At the heart of the charging system is a decent-capacity battery which, crucially, supports pass-through charging. That means that the battery can take power going in from the wall, and pass it straight on without making it first go through the battery. For my purposes, I used the a 12000mAh Anker portable battery, which is famously cheap and reliable, if not the prettiest thing to look at.

It's good for charging both tablets and smartphones - about one or two extra charges in the case of the former, and normally around five or six for the latter.

The battery means that with just one wall charger, you can juice up two devices whether you're using mains power, or on the go, without having to carry extra plugs or cables or move anything around. That's the secret to this bag.

Cables: The exact make-up of the cables depends on what gadgets you're planning on charging, obviously, but whatever you're using, make sure that the cables you get are for exclusive use on this project - you don't want to be ripping them out of the bag all the time.

Wall charger: In the interests of slim design, I'd recommend this wall charger: not only does it fold down pretty small, but it also has non-movable live pins, which should help the longevity in the bag. This is the charger that'll be permanently attached to your battery block.

Duct tape/sewing kit: because you'll need something to patch up the holes you'll be cutting in your bag.

Now, rather than just bunging everything in a front pocket, we're going to integrate all the bits and bobs of our charging system as far as possible.

First up, you need to decide where you're going to put that battery. Normally, some kind of smallish front pouch where it won't slide around too much is the best.

Then, think about where you're going to want to store your different gadgets when they're charging. This is important because of the next step - cable routing. Look at the design of your bag, where the power source is, and where your gadgets are going to live. Look at how the lining is constructed, where you're going to be able to cut without stitching, and so on.

Once you've worked out exactly where you're going to feed the cable through, it's time to start cutting. You only need a small hole, enough to get the smaller end of a Micro USB cable through. The neatest way to cut is to pinch a tiny bit of fabric where you want to cut, and use a pair of scissors to make a tiny incision about half a centremetre apart, then cut the leftover fabric out.

To stop the hole from fraying and generally looking a bit terrible, you've got two choices: sewing, for the more elegant, and duct tape, for the lazier among us. If you're sewing, you'll want to be using a whip stitch to go around the edges of the hole, stopping the fraying,

If you're using duct tape, get two bits of duct tape, both about twice the size of the hole. Cut a tiny hole in the centre of both pieces, and feed them onto the cable, with the stick sides facing each other. Push the cable and one piece of tape through the hole, then stick the two pieces of tape together. The end result should be that the hole in the fabric is now covered on both sides by duct tape that's sticking to itself, and fraying is prevented.

Once you've got the holes all sealed up and the cable threaded, you're pretty much done. You should have a battery tucked away, hopefully with the charging cable attached and easy to get to, so that juicing up your assortment of gadgets at the end of the day is just a matter of sticking the plug into the wall, switching the battery on, and putting your feet up.

This week, we're expanding minds and dispensing some of Gizmodo UK's favourite tips, with a 'how to' theme week, in association with O2 Guru TV. Bookmark this page for all related features.

Let's face it - you're going to struggle with most smartphones' battery lives, but one thing you shouldn't have to struggle with is using them as your day-to-day camera. The Nokia 1020′s 41MP PureView camera can leave more room in your bag for charging cables as you can certainly leave your DSLR at home, as O2 Guru TV shows in their video below.

Irish company create gadget that could detect early signs of cancer

Device could enable doctors to detect cancer

An Irish company are developing a device that could enable doctors to detect cancer in its early stages.

Microelectronic Circuits Centre Ireland (MCCI) are creating a small hand held gadget which will be radiation-free, making it safer for patients than X-ray and MRI scans.

MCCI director Mark Barry said he believes the development could be huge in the battle against the disease.

He told the Irish Mirror: 'We would see this as being very beneficial for the curing of cancer. Usually, if a doctor has suspicions a patient may have a tumor they send them for an X-ray.

'As everybody knows, sometimes small tumors are missed by conventional methods.

'So we are confident that this could pick up traces of cancer and small tumors much earlier than the other methods.

'This in turn will lead to a larger number of people being diagnosed earlier and cured.

'The potential is huge. We are still in the early stages of development but we're working with a number of companies and hopefully a firm will get involved and take this into the next stage.'

MCCI is a national hub of creativity and innovation hosted by the Tyndall National Institute in Cork in collaboration with University of Limerick

Smartphone gadget lets you smell notifications

www.scentee.com

A new smartphone accessory will make it so your nose knows when you get a new text.

Scentee, which is made by a Japanese company with the same name, plugs into your phone and releases a chosen scent when you get a notification. That means that every time someone comments on your Facebook post or sends you an email, you could get a whiff of lavender or coconut or coffee.

RELATED: SEE IT: 'LIVING WALLET' RUNS AWAY TO HELP YOU SAVE

The round, white gadget plugs into the headphone socket and contains an LED light that can be customized using the free Scentee app. You can also schedule the scent emission to match your alarm clock for a fragrant wakeup call.

The scent cartridges come in traditional fragrances like rose, jasmine and apple, as well as more unusual smells like curry and corn soup. According to Scentee's website, each cartridge lasts for about 100 puffs.

RELATED: 'FLYING TRAY' LAUNCHED AT LONDON SUSHI RESTAURANT

A special ' hana yakiniku' ('yakiniku' meaning grilled meat or barbecue and 'hana' meaning nose) variety that releases the smells of short ribs, sizzling beef tongue and buttered potatoes, is set to be released on Nov. 15.

The gadget costs about $35 on Amazon and each cartridge goes for $5, according to Engadget. Scentee even said it plans on making the product available to Americans, which is often not the case when it comes to peculiar Japanese products.

vtaylor@nydailynews.com

On a mobile device? Watch the video here.

Don't Be Silly. Lock Down and Encrypt Your Smartphone

Your smartphone is your most portable computer. It's also a treasure trove of personal information. You wouldn't leave your laptop unlocked in public, so why leave your phone unprotected? Lock up that data and encrypt it.

Social media, budgeting and finance apps, photos, address book, and email - they're all filled with details about you and the people you know. Yet for some reason a third of smartphone users in the U.S. still don't bother setting up password security on their phones. It's a shame because using a four-digit pin or a pattern lock is one of the easiest ways to keep thieves out of your phone. Trust us, the person that finds your phone in the back of a cab or swipes it from your open bag while you're on the bus isn't a criminal mastermind. On the other hand, they will be able to figure out from your emails when you'll be on vacation and what time you leave for work.

FCC officials said that in 2012 smartphone theft increased from 8 percent to 42 percent in New York City over a 10 year period. The agency suggested a system where you call your carrier to brick your phone as soon as its stolen to reduce identity theft. But most people who lose their smartphones spend at least some time retracing their steps in the hopes of, you know, finding it. In fact, having your carrier enable such a scorched earth protocol kind of renders tracking services like Apple's 'Find My iPhone,' obsolete.

If your phone does fall into the hands of the smarter-than-average thief, encrypting the contents will add an extra level of security that could mean the difference between a minor inconvenience and dealing with various agencies trying to restore your identity. Android's encryption feature requires a passcode entered into the phone every time it's powered back on. It can also protect any SD cards you use with your Android phone. To turn on encryption, navigate to Settings > Security. The only downside is that whenever you do turn on your phone with encryption, it'll take an hour to decipher all your information.

With iOS, just having a passcode turned on on your phone encrypts your information. But if you're looking for the even more protection, you can have your phone delete all its content if the passcode is entered incorrectly 10 times in a row. Head to Settings > General > Passcode Lock. Scroll to the bottom and turn on Erase Data. Note that once your phone is erased, you'll no longer be able to use Find My Phone to track its location. But if your personal information is more precious than a piece of hardware (which it should be), this is a great way to protect your identity.

Roberto is a Wired Staff Writer for Gadget Lab covering cord-cutting, e-readers, home technology, and all the gadgets that fit in your backpack. Got a tip? Send him an email at: roberto_baldwin [at] wired.com.

Read more by Roberto Baldwin

Follow @strngwys on Twitter.

This Week's Apple Rumors, Ranked From Dumbest to Most Plausible

Each week, there are dozens of Apple rumors, reports, and patent filings that hint at what's coming out of Cupertino next. Some are legit, but most are totally bogus. This week, much of what we've been hearing for the past few months was either validated or debunked at Apple's October media event. But of course, we're always wondering what's next out of Cupertino. So we've parsed the week's rumors, ranking them in order from 'utterly ridiculous' to 'duh, of course.' First up...

DON'T COUNT ON IT: 65-inch Apple Television Coming in 2014 We've been hearing the whispers for years now, but still no Apple television has emerged from the shadows. Advanced Research analyst Masahiko Ishino says it's on the way though: According to his sources, Apple is deciding on specifications of the 4K set. He said it would feature a 'frameless' design, be available in 55- and 65-inch models, and fall in the $1,500 to $2,500 price range. It certainly seems like Apple will be getting into the 4K game now that its Mac Pro, out in December, is 4K capable. But it seems more likely to us - for now at least - that Apple may go the 4K Thunderbolt display route before it ventures into TV land.

ASK AGAIN LATER: Apple Patent Uses Human Recognition to Personalize Content A patent application published Thursday describes how Apple could use our increasingly powerful mobile devices to sense a person's physical features and customize content using that information. This would potentially aid in the privacy of content consumption, while making it simpler and safer. Basically, the concept assigns profiles and privileges to the different types of people that enter a room, or stand in front of a display - it would recognize a child versus an adult versus an elderly person, for example. If you, an adult, are watching an R-rated movie and it detects that a child has walked in the room, it would automatically halt movie playback until the child leaves, for example. You could also log in to devices using this tech. The idea certainly seems feasible, but such technology could be implemented a number of ways, and may still be a few years off (if Apple did decide to use this technology in the first place).

ASK AGAIN LATER: Apple Working on iPad Keyboards It didn't surface at Apple's media event this week, but Apple has reportedly been thinking about creating its own iPad keyboard. The report stresses that the only thing glimpsed thus far have been prototypes. iPad and tablet-specific keyboards are fairly popular accessories for those looking to do more than just casual word-processing on their mobile machines. If Apple made its own, while not a novel idea, it would certainly be a moneymaking one. Perhaps we'll see Apple-made iPad keyboards by the time the holidays roll around...or maybe Apple will just continue to let third-party manufacturers control that realm.

SIGNS POINT TO YES: iPad Mini Supplies to Be 'Ridiculously' Constrained That pixel-packed Retina display comes at a price. Every time Apple has released a new Retina display product, supplies have been tight during launch time. The new iPad mini with Retina display will reportedly be no exception. IHS analyst Rhoda Alexander says Retina iPad mini numbers will be ' ridiculously tight ' when it's set to debut this November.

Comcast Rolls Out Quasi

Fans of Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, The Wire, and Girls can finally get their HBO fix without being forced to subscribe to 15 different versions of MTV and other wallet sucking basic cable networks. And it's coming from an unlikely source: Comcast.

As originally reported by DSL Reports, Comcast is offering an Internet-HBO bundle without access to other basic cable channels. The Internet Plus offer brings together 25Mbps Internet access, Limited Basic TV, Comcast's VOD service XFINITY Streampix, and everyone's favorite network to bittorrent, HBO. The price is $40 to $50 a month for the first 12 months depending on your geographic location. Then of course it shoots up to $70 to $80 a month.

The bundle finally frees HBO and HBO GO from the large number of obligatory channels that many c cord cutters and cable subscribers never wanted in the first place. And while the $70 to $80 post-introductory offer may seem steep, it sets a precedent that other cable and satellite providers may start offering.

In fact, depending on your market, it might actually be a good deal. In San Francisco, the introductory offer of $26/month for 25Mbps jumps up to $45 after six months. After 12 months that internet access could jump $65/month depending on where you live.

So Internet Plus might be a good deal if you're a Comcast customer. And if you're primarily interested in what happens in Westeros (as opposed to storage-unit bidding shows), it's definitely a good deal.

Roberto is a Wired Staff Writer for Gadget Lab covering cord-cutting, e-readers, home technology, and all the gadgets that fit in your backpack. Got a tip? Send him an email at: roberto_baldwin [at] wired.com.

Read more by Roberto Baldwin

Follow @strngwys on Twitter.

How to Use Mavericks' New Tools to Boost Your Battery Life

If there's one major point of emphasis for Apple's new desktop operating system, it's battery life. According to Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering, if you were to take the newest MacBook Air and install Mavericks, you'd get an hour longer to browse the web - even if you don't take any other battery-saving actions. In my personal experience with a 2011 Macbook Air, I saw similar gains. By itself, that's reason enough to install Mavericks. But along with that automatic battery savings, Mavericks includes a powerful suite of tools that can extend your laptop's life even longer.

Apple's approach to power consumption is simple: If you're not working on a process right this moment, OS X drops it into the background and has the CPU more or less ignore it. Sure, your screen uses a lot of battery, but you can't really turn that off. You can, however, re-arrange CPU processes so the processor is idle for longer. That means cycle-hogging processes like Spotlight and Time Machine now work in the background.

Nap time

Apple's new suite of energy saving settings, App Nap - not to be confused with Power Nap - doesn't really have an interface. Which is fine! The whole idea behind App Nap is that it runs in the background, looking for apps that fit certain criteria like whether they're maximized or currently downloading or playing media.

That doesn't mean App Nap can't benefit from some occasional monitoring. The venerable app, Activity Monitor, has a new tab labeled 'Energy' that lets you do just that. It lists your currently running programs and daemons, their energy usage, and whether the application is App Nappin'. If you see an app that has a disproportionate energy impact, kill it, and consider uninstalling it. For instance, I didn't realize that Spotifree, an adblocker plugin for Spotify, was treating my CPU like an all-you-can-eat buffet. I uninstalled it, naturally.

If there's a program that you don't want to sleep in the background, here's how you shut App Nap off on an app-by-app basis.

The status quo

Of course, most people aren't going to be dipping into the Activity Monitor on a regular basis. That's why Apple's put a Sparknotes version up in your status bar. It essentially lists the top two or three apps from the aforementioned Activity Monitor Energy tab. However, it's possible to see 'No Apps Using Significant Energy,' which means, hey, your computer is chilling at the moment.

While this information will be useful on an individual level, third party developers will also be increasingly aware of just how much energy their apps use ... because they'll hear it from end-users.

Consider Safari

While you might not want to switch from trusty Chrome or philosophically pure software like Firefox, getting the longest battery life on your Mac means you should consider using Safari 7. Apple has added a ton of features to the latest version of the desktop browser, and most of them work in service of getting you additional minutes on your battery. For instance, each Safari 7 tab now runs its own process (as Chrome has done for years), and Apple dedicates resources to the tab that's visible and cuts them from tabs in the background. Sometimes web apps can harbor memory leaks in a background tab, especially in Chrome, which is most likely the biggest non-media power hog on your machine. But if you're not actively using the app, Safari will throttle it.

Apple's had a long-running beef with Adobe's Flash, but the reason isn't corporate politics. It's because Flash kills batteries dead. Safari 7 includes a nifty program that ends up being half adblocker and half power saver. It's called Safari Power Saver, naturally. It prevents browser plug-ins - Flash mainly, but also programs like Java and Silverlight - from autoplaying, especially if the media is in the margins of the page. Most of these autoplay videos are annoying ads, but if you really want to view it, mousing over and clicking starts the video. In fact, if there are sites that you browse regularly that load obnoxious plug-ins, Safari features a menu that lets you set plug-in permissions on a website-by-website basis.

While many software updates promise improved battery life, few actually deliver. Most of the time when we talk about improved battery life, we're referring to hardware, like Intel's Haswell chips which can keep laptops powered for 12-hour stretches. But even if you're not using the latest and greatest Mac, Mavericks will genuinely improve your computer's battery life.