There are some reasons why people want to take part in a clinical trial. They may want to play an active role in the effort of helping themselves and other people with the same condition, make a contribution to medical research and gain exclusive access to a new treatment. Not everyone is allowed to participate, each clinical trial has a guideline that describes people who can participate and who can’t. It is important for researchers to put a firm restriction in place to allow them gain an accurate result. There are several types of clinical trials:

• Treatment trials: They test the effectiveness and safety of new experimental treatments.

• Prevention trials: They examine ways to prevent a type illness on healthy people or relapse on people who previously have the same illness.

• Diagnostic trials: They seek more reliable ways to diagnose a specific disease.

• Screening trials: They seek to detect certain health disorders or diseases.

• Quality-of-life trials: They seek for better ways to improve the quality-of-life on people with illness.

All clinical trials undergo different phases, based on the number of participants:

• Phase I: An experimental treatment or drug is tested on a small group of participants (less than 100). The goal of this phase is to identify side effects, to determine an effective dosage and to evaluate safety factors.

• Phase II: An experimental treatment or drug is tested on a larger group of participants (100 to 300). The goal of this phase is to further evaluate safety factors and to assess effectiveness.

• Phase III: An experimental treatment or drug is tested on a large group of participants (1000 to 3000). The goal is to gain more insight on the effectiveness and possible side effects. At this stage, researchers also compare the new treatment or drug with previous ones that have passed the trials. The collected information can also be used to further assess safety factors.

• Phase IV: This phase involves studies that delineate additional information such as optimal use, benefits and risks. Although the medication is not yet approved, it is already considered as scientifically safe for targeted uses. It continues to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and safety of the drug. In fact, it may allow researchers to improve the medication, for example, researchers can test new methods for administering the drug.

Risks and benefits

Clinical trials offer some benefits to participants, some of them are:

• You have an access to a new drug or treatment before it is available to the public.

• You get to play an active role in improving health care for your specific condition.

• You get high quality and intensive medical care during a trial.

• You get a personal satisfaction as you are making an important contribution to an important medical research that can eventually help millions of people.

Unfortunately, things may not work so well:

• You may receive a placebo or sham treatment instead and don’t get a real benefit of the medication. A trial should include a placebo or sham treatment to allow researchers accurately measure the effectiveness level. If you get a placebo, there is a risk that your condition will get worse.

• A new medication or treatment may have a harmful side effect.

• Trial protocols can be time-consuming and more involved than you’re willing to endure.

• A possibility that the trial is a fraud. Although you’re paid after each session, there could be clinical research misconduct. Researchers can falsify data during the proposal, processing, design, recording, supervision, reviews, analysis, and reporting steps.

Before joining a clinical trial, you should make sure that you have the option of leaving the trial.

Among students, clinical trials are often considered as fast and easy way to earn money. In fact some particularly reckless participants can bring up close to $30,000 each year by taking part in a few clinical trials. The participant is asked to sign a consent form and to pass inclusion criteria. In the clinical research center, he is required to undergo some preliminary tests such as exercise tests, breathing tests, electrocardiogram and vital signs examinations. Those tests can be repeated during and after the clinical trials.

The participants must make a number of visits in a month. The pay for each visit depends on the type of trial the participants are enrolled in, the stage of the drug or treatment development, and the projected risks. A participant may get between $50 and $500 in a session. The trial can last for weeks, months or even years. To ensure data accuracy, participants are expected to comply with the guidelines.

How to find clinical trials?

You can visit www.clinicaltrials.gov to find a clinical trial performed by trusted organizations. The database can be searched by sponsor, drug intervention type, location and disease type. If you want to participate in a clinical trial you should learn more about it and feel comfortable asking the staffs. For example, ask about what care you should expect during the trial and what consequences you should face.

Like any other flying object, kites can inspire a child’s imagination, a society’s beliefs, and a community’s religion. Isn’t the flying dragon of China one of the strongest cores of Chinese beliefs? Aren’t the legends of Phoenix’s, Unicorns, and even UFOs used as inspirations to some cults and religions? Obviously, there is more to the kite than what meets the eye. It is quite hard to cover the numerous kite symbolisms all over the globe in one article, but here are a few interesting facts that you can share to friends (and wow them with your knowledge!).

For Fun

Of course, kites are known as toys to children and the children at heart. The interesting part about that is some are content with keeping the kite airborne while some gamble using kites! In Japan, there is a small community in Osaka that celebrates kites by gambling over who can stay airborne the longest. In China, many individuals ride kites and soar over the countryside for fun. That’s like paragliding minus the navigation bar and plus the kite line!

For Religion

A small community in Southern Philippines worships anything that has the ability to fly. Allah, the god of indigenous Filipinos, was said to have the ability to take the form of a flying creature. In China, the great dragon is a symbol of power and majesty. They strongly believe that this legendary dragon is China’s leader and deserves utmost respect. Thus, don’t be surprised to find dragon-shaped kites in China during their kite festivals. A small religious cult in Indonesia makes use of kites to send messages to their deity which is stationed at the moon. So, if you want to experience flying a kite at night, why not visit that humble community near down under?

For Science

Since the 5th century BC, man has wondered how the kite can be used to its full advantage. From meteorological, aerodynamic, and astronomical research to rescue and military operations, the kite has had its share of scientific experience. In Ancient China, the kite served as a means to send signals and messages. In Japan, kites were often used to warn people about tsunamis, incoming storms from the sea, and approaching bush fires near villages. Of course, everybody knows how Benjamin Franklin attempted to test the possibility that lightning is made up of electricity using a kite. The use of kites for science only ceased upon the arrival of airplanes and stealths that can soar airspace unnoticed.

Superstitions

The use of kites also entails some superstitions. Many Filipinos believe that flying kites may cause a disaster to the person flying the kite or to his immediate family or community. In Hungary, a kite whose navigator cannot be found is said to be a sign of good harvest. Some Americans also believe that flying kites during a sunny day can help you achieve your wish if you fly your kite long enough.

Truly, there is more to kites than mere flying. However, we should never expect that everybody can accept the beliefs, views, and superstitions of others when it comes to kites. The best thing you can do is to appreciate the kite and enjoy the simple pleasure of making it fly. No theological debates or religious clashes needed. After all, isn’t kite-flying a universal form of entertainment?

Mankind usually celebrates the things he loves or is fond of doing through festivals. Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that the kite, a well-favored toy all over the globe, is celebrated in numerous kite festivals around the world. Read on to know more about kite celebrations; who knows, a kite festival may be celebrated near your place and you can join the fun!

Events during Kite Festivals

• Kite flying

Of course, kite flying will not be absent in any kite festival. Some festivals invite a lot of people to join in a massive kite flying event, although there are festivals such as the one celebrated in Clarkfield, Philippines which invites expert kite flyers from all over the world to do some magnificent kite stunts with their stunning kites.

• Kite decoration

Another common contest celebrated in kite festivals is the decoration of blank kites. The audience usually casts a vote once the decorated kites are airborne.

• Kite races

Some festivals in Asia such as those in Malaysia and Singapore include kite races; the contest is about how high your kite you can go without getting tangled with other kite lines. Of course, that’s the easy part. The challenge is to dodge thousands of kite lines in this kite festival frenzy!

Celebrations in Asia

Asia is probably the continent with the largest number of kite festivals and other kite-related celebrations. Of course, can you blame the birthplace of this famous toy for commemorating it once too often? A must see is the Yokkaichi Giant Kite Festival in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. Watch mammoth kites as they soar up the sky in multitudes. Also, you don’t want to miss the numerous “patang” (kite) festivals held in India. Thousands of small, but multi-colored kites decorate the sky during these festive events.

Celebrations in Europe

Although Europe might be a little late when it comes to being acquainted with kite technology (Asian countries started using the kite 3000 years ago, but Europe only made use of it during the 16th century), there are a lot of kite festivals in Europe that are organized by kite enthusiasts. The Bristol International Kite Festival is a large kite event that is flocked by participants from all over the globe. The Weymouth and Barmouth Kite Festivals are also some of the other kite celebrations in Europe. France, Spain, Italy, and Germany hold numerous local kite celebrations every year, so you don’t have to fly to the U. K. if you want to join a kite festival.

Celebrations in Oceania

The states in Oceania are the luckiest when it comes to their kite celebrations. The steady blowing wind from the Pacific can keep any kite airborne for long periods of time. That is the likely reason why Australia is one of the most visited countries because of its numerous successful kite festivals. A few examples of these festivals are the Sydney and Perth Kite Festivals. New Zealand also has a few kite festivals, but these celebrations require participants to use locally-made kites.

Kite flying is an activity that is appreciated by both the young and old. Of course, childhood memories often include a parent and child building a kite together and testing out their creation in the field. This experience is often successful in building strong family relationships and dreams of any child inspiring a young individual to dream and make his or her dream happen. However, is everybody knowledgeable about the humble beginnings of the kite? It may be a mere toy to some or an inspiration to others, but undoubtedly, the kite’s history is something all of us should try to be familiar with so we can tell our children something more about this favorite childhood toy.

Asian Beginnings

Kites were believed to have been used in Ancient China almost 3,000 years ago. Light materials such as paper, bamboo sticks, and silk strings were abundant in China so many inventors found a means to make a light object (called “kite” in the future) fly. It is believed that the Chinese philosophers Lu Ban and Mozi are the actual inventors of the first kite flown in 5 BC. From then on, kites have served numerous purposes in measuring distances, observing the wind, making signals, communicating during military operations, and even sending messages in rescue missions. The flat Chinese kites, aside from serving practical uses, were also pleasing sights to the eye with their intricate decorations. Other Asian countries known to have used the kite during those times were India and Indonesia.

Arrival in Europe

Marco Polo, in one of his numerous trips to Cathay (Ancient China) in the 13th century, discovered this interesting man-made flying machine. He told stories about this flying machine to Europeans when he went back, but it was only during the 16th and 17th centuries when traders from Japan and Malaysia brought kites into the continent. Primarily regarded as a toy, the Europeans began to consider the kite as a good tool for astronomical scientific (and military) research in the 18th century.

Evolution of Use

Since the 5th BC, the use of the kite has evolved from being a simple toy to an instrument used for numerous purposes. For instance, legend tells that Benjamin Franklin used a kite to prove that lightning is electricity. The golden age of flying kites, sometime between 1860 and 1910, was a time when the kite was used for scientific purposes. Kites were used in the fields of aeronautics, meteorology, wireless communications, as well as manned “power kites”. As technology further developed, airplanes and satellites replaced the use of kites.

At Present

At present, kites are no longer used during military operations and scientific research. However, kites can still be found in abundance in numerous toy stores all over the globe. Although kites may have been one of the most advanced telecommunication and aerial navigation equipment, it now serves its basic use for recreational purposes. However, in this time when pollution, expensive equipment, and costly fuel are impeding technological progress, we may expect some researchers to turn back to this basic flying equipment. Who knows how the kite can further evolve; after all, flying a man-made object was once an impossible feat, right?

Kites are an ever-fascinating toy for children, but did you know that even adults find lots of enjoyment by making kite-flying a hobby? A newbie kite flyer might be more concerned with making the kite and finding the means to fly it, but the professional kite-flyer is preoccupied with the more technical aspects of kite flying. Of course, any kite flyer should know about the different types of kites. You have the standard flat kite, eddy kite, box kite, delta kite, and bow kite. However, did you know that there are more advanced types of kites categorized according to purpose? Here are a few types of kites you should acquaint yourself with to become a professional kite flyer.

For Play

Most people are familiar with the standard-type kites made of light materials such as polyester. These kites are made of basic materials such as a plastic frame, polyester fabric, and a sturdy nylon kite line. These types of kites are cheap and are expected to last for only a short time. You have the option to buy kites with blank polyester fabrics so you and your children or friends can personalize the kite with your own designs. Of course, you will also find an abundance of beautifully decorated kites if you prefer to merely enjoy the kite and not to make it or personalize its designs. Such types of kites are the polystyrene kites, paper kites, and transparent kites.

For Sport

Kites made for sports are more expensive and difficult to produce. Sport kites are recommended to be bought rather than made, as kite flying as a sport often entails a certain amount of risk to the kite flyer. In the case of man-lifting kites, it is expected that the kite is sturdy enough and well-made to support the weight of the person it will carry. Stunt kites, waters, kites, and kytoons all need to qualify a certain standard before they can be considered safe for sports use. If you know what is best for you, better buy your sports kites rather than make them.

For Research

Kites for research and sports have a thin line of distinction. Some sports kites are used in research and vice-versa. Therefore, the kite types included in this category are not surprisingly used in sports activities as well. Take, for instance, the fighter kite. Extreme sports enthusiasts might find fighter kites enjoyable to navigate, while a few researchers would be very interested to study it in aerodynamic experiments. Inflatable single-line kites and Rogallo parawing kites are also worthy to be observed in astronomical, meteorological, and aerodynamic research. Hybrid and multi-purpose kites can also be designed in researches that would later on be manufactured as sports kites.

Whatever type of kite you prefer to fly, it is important to remember that certain kites can be made at home while some should be bought. Certain standards need to be followed in order to ensure the safety of the kite flyer. Study these different kite types; from there, you will find the right type of kite that would suit your needs and preferences.

The flying part is not the only enjoyable thing when playing with kites. Making them is also a very enjoyable process. The first thing you have to do is to decide with your parent or friend what type of kite to make; is it an eddy kite, a bow kite, a simple flat kite, or an intricate box kite? The next thing to do is to plan out the dimensions of the kite. How big will it be and how do you propose to build it? Of course, the next step is choosing and buying your materials. The last important thing to do is to build the kite using these materials and then apply your designs. The big question is, “What materials and designs work best for kites?” Read on to know more about choosing the right kite materials and designs.

Kite Body

The body of the kite may either be made of plastic (polyester), paper, or silk. Depending on the type of kite you want to make, better be sure that the body of the kite is durable enough if the kite you want to build is quite heavy (i.e. box-type kites). Box-type kites are better built with silk or plastic bodies. The part of the kite which is easiest to design is the kite body. You have the option to buy printed materials or choose plain ones then personalize them with paint, colored glue, or any other decorative material. Bold and multiple colors are attractive to look at on kites, so opt for them rather than the pastel or light colors.

Frame

The frame of the kite can either be made using bamboo sticks, hard-plastic straws, thin metal wires, or even fiberglass. Bamboo sticks and fiberglass are the most recommended materials to be used for your kite frame because of their durability and flexibility. To secure your kite frames together, you may opt to use tape, chicken wire, glue, or even staples. However, staples and tape will only work well on light kites. On heavy kites such as box-type kites, better stick to using chicken wire or glue. Better yet, use a combination of both to make sure that your kite will not collapse while it is airborne. Since the frame of the kite is not often seen from afar, you may opt to leave the frame as it is, without any decoration. However, for people who want to go all-out with their creative talents, try to use accent colors such as metals, white, or black to add interest to your kite design.

Kite Tail/Kite Line

Many materials can be used as a kite line. You may choose from cotton, hemp, rayon, nylon, polyester, and even silk. You don’t have to worry about the strength of your kite line as long as it is sold as a kite line. Do not substitute this with any other available rope, as you risk losing your kite when it is airborne. The kite tail or kite line is often neglected when it comes to kite designs, but these things also contribute to the beauty of the kite. Use a transparent line for multi-colored kites, striped lines for simple designs, and even shining lines for intricately-designed kites such as dragon kites.

1. Windows Tablet PCs, which are fairly expensive, big and heavy. They have poor battery life, need a stylus and draw little interest from the consumers.

2. Android tablets, with an OS (Android 2.2) that isn’t intended for tablets. As the result, consumers get tablets that are less than reasonable (based on Apple’s standards). In essence, Amdroid tablets can be considered as scaled-up smartphones, which are bizarre in Apple’s view.

In his competitor classification, Cook didn’t include Android 3.0 (Honeycomb). He argued that there is still little information on its specs and how it will compare with iOS 4.2. Cook said that his company will immediately assess the new Android OS after it comes out. He claimed that Apple has a significant first mover advantage and it will not sit still when dealing with the competitors. He said that Apple is highly confident with its current position; the incredible user experience with iTunes and App Store along with a huge number of third-party apps is a huge advantage that even Google and Android can’t match.

One difference between iOS and Android is clear, iOS users can more easily update their devices. At this moment, more than half of iOS users use the latest version, iOS 4.2.1, while only 0.4% of Android users use, Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). It may not be fair to compare iOS 4.2.1 with Android 2.3, because the latest Android version is only available in Google Nexus S. The more commonly used, Android 2.2 is currently used by 52% users, which is nearly comparable with the latest iOS version.

Android seems to have a problem with how updates are delivered. Apple is currently using the top-down model, which allows a more uniform way of distributing updates to users. Android, on the other hand, as an open platform, allow device manufacturers to customize and tweak the stock Android codes. It could mean a long delay of weeks, or even months. Those changes also mean that many Android devices are no longer compatible with stock Android version, which prohibit users from making a quick update.

Obviously, Apple users can almost instantly download the latest iOS version, the moment it is released. The Gingerbread and Honeycomb may promise a bigger shift, but there is little sense of bragging about the latest development if Google is unable to provide a way to deliver them quickly to current Android users. All in all, this could be a good enough reason for Google to improve its delivery strategy. Setting Android up as an open platform and ceding control to device manufacturers and carrier, with their own business goals, seem to hold everyone back. Especially if you consider the fact that 35% of users are still using the Android 2.1 (Éclair) and in many cases they can’t upgrade to Froyo.

In fact, recently, a T-mobile source leaked a conspiracy theory about how Samsung deliberately delays its customized Froyo release in an attempt to sell more Éclair devices. This accusation could be true when we consider the fact that Samsung may finally be distributing the Froyo update for its Galaxy S on March 2011. Gingerbread uses a different distribution method, the Nexus S Smartphone is delivered directly to the consumers via Best Bay on early December 2010. This is a Google’s attempt to regain control of its software updates. Previously, Google launched Nexus One through the T-Mobile and it had a disappointing sales.

Eventually, Google still needs to relinquish some control of its platform to encourage more people adopt the mobile OS. Luckily, some manufacturers, including Motorola, announced the development of upcoming Android 2.3-devices.

In this increasingly crowded market, the latest iteration of Motorola Milestone has come out, offering attractive features like advanced social networking app and pull-up keyboard. But, are these features strong enough to shine in the highly competitive market or will this gadget just become another forgettable item in the Android crowd?

Design

It is common for Android handsets to use dark plastic finish, Milestone 2 has a big touchscreen display on the front and simple plastic on the back. If you put it on the shelf along with other touchscreen phones, it certainly won’t stand out. Even so, you may appreciate many of its little touches.

For starters, the beveled edge make holding the gadget easier and you may like the material used for its back. You may find the velte, suede-like feels nice to the touch. The ports are located on the sides and top of the devices and can be used for charger/USB and headphones connection, while the speaker is located on the back.

When the device is held vertically, you’ll see that the keyboard can slide out on the left-hand side easily and get a nice click when it is fully extended. The keyboard is firm enough that you won’t accidentally slide it in again. Users will certainly welcome the four-way cursor, which replace the directional button in the first Milestone. You can instantly whizz the cursor on text boxes when making edits, while the Back button can make things even easier. The backlit keyboard also ensures that you can still use the phone in the dark. You will immediately wish for another shift key at the right-hand side, as using the left shift key is a bit cumbersome in some cases. The keyboard is not a perfect solution for a mobile QWERT keyboard, even so with a few days of exercise you still can use it effectively and quickly.

The keys are comfortable to your touch, but can be too tiny for most adult males. Those little buttons have small raised bumps that can tell you that you’re touching a key. On the back, you’ll get a 5-Mp camera and flash. You’ll also find a volume control that is located on the same place like the previous Milestone. Size-wise, it is 12cm long and 6cm wide. It weighs 169g and is quite thin at almost 14mm.

Features

The device is a huge improvement over the previous Milestone. The new phone is currently powered with a zippy 1GHz processor (overclocked from 550 MHz) and a 5-Mp camera (with flash) that can create 720p videos. It has an internal option to act as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, by connecting to up to 5 other Wi-Fi capable devices to utilize the 3G broadband access.

The phone uses a 8Gb internal storage and can be supplemented with a MicroSD memory car. It has a 3.7” display with 480 x 854 pixels resolution. The milestone 2 is currently using the Android 2.2, the most up to date version for non-Google smartphone manufacturers. Android 2.3 is currently still used by Nexus S.

You shouldn’t have any problems getting the phone work on most countries as it supports all GSM frequencies and support the latest 3G standards. The MOTOBLUR app can allow you get a single unified interface for popular social networking sites, like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter and also your favored e-mail provider.

Unfortunately, MOTOBLUR can be your worst experience with Milestone 2. First of all, it demands users to set up a MOTOBLUR account just after you turn on the phone for the first time and there is no option to set it up later. If you often use Android apps for Facebook, Twitter and so on, you may not see the point of having a native app with limited feature. Worse, if you try MOTOBLUR, the app is noticeably slower in delivering and receiving messages than most stand-alone client apps.

Performance

Design- and feature-wise, you may consider that this gadget is just another run of the mill smartphone. You won’t find breakthrough features that are currently available in high-end phones like HTC Desire HD. Even so, the actual design is quite attractive and some people will love the physical keyboard and the svelte form factor.

Although it is powered by a fast 1GHz processor and more than enough RAM, you’ll experience sluggishness at times. Occasionally, the in-screen features performance simply didn’t measure up to phones with similar CPU and RAM, like HTC’s and Samsung’s devices. So, perhaps the problem is not on the hardware, instead the phone interface may have some optimization issues.

Some early users and reviewers find some issues with the touchscreen display. Although the device can be considered as a high-end model, you don’t get a smooth experience when navigating the interface. Occasionally, you need to tap the screen a few times to achieve the desired result. Some people may consider this glitch as tolerable, even so, Apple users will find the phone as insensitive and unpolished.

Battery life is definitely a mixed bag. Some reported that with standard charge, the battery can only last for one day. But you can significantly improve the battery life by turning off most MOTOBLUR widgets and turning the sync down to minimal. With this minimal effort, you can get a full two days of battery life.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, Milestone is still a solid Android smartphone with features that can satisfy most users. It has decent performance, acceptable specs and solid design. Of course, you’ll find some quirks here and there, but many people won’t consider them as deal breakers. In the end, we can’t completely recommend potential phone buyers go out and grab this device from the shelves due to one glaring fact, it is already obsolete!

The phone market is now full with better phones, for example HTC Desire HD and Samsung Galaxy S. You may also need to delay your buying decision to wait for the launch of Motorola Atrix 4G handset, which will be available on AT&T and Orange.

LG, Samsung, HTC and other manufacturers have demonstrated their new flagships at CES a few weeks ago and a batch of newer devices will also be released in the upcoming Mobile World Congress. So why settle for a mediocre device like the Milestone 2, which is obviously 2010-ish phone.

iPad 2 is the upcoming iteration of the current Apple’s tablet. Some believe that the new tablet will be dubbed as “iPad HD”, though there is still no confirmation from Apple. If the longstanding Apple development strategy is still applied this year, the new tablet will have some evolutionary upgrades and also aesthetic improvements.

Leaks are coming in from different sources and can give us a rough estimation about iPad 2’s likely new features. First of all, an accessory manufacturer from China published an alleged specification and even the iPad 2 mockup. If it is true, the new iPad will have rounded edges like the iPod Touch, a case that is less than 0.4-inches thick and two cameras.

The iPad 2 may also sport a much larger resolution. It may not hit the 300 dpi limit needed for “Retina Display” technology, nevertheless the possible 2048 X 1536 resolution would quadruple the iPad’s pixel count and reaches 260 dpi. This speculation arises from a close examination on the Apple’s iBooks 1.2. Observers revealed that the app comes in four different dimensions. Two smaller versions are intended for the iPad and the iPhone while the third version is intended for Retina Display technology found in iPhone 4. The last version will support a device called as “iPadx2”, with a resolution that doubles the current iPad’s graphic size.

If you have a 22” monitor with a 1920×1080 resolution, it could be hard to believe that someone can squeeze it to 10” and increase the resolution to 2048×1536. Currently, a 2048×1536 display that small is used for medical imaging and costs about $5000. Apple is currently selling a 2560×1440 iMac, but the display is a whopping 27”. Obviously, it is a little unlikely that Apple will include a medical-grade resolution into a tablet. However, Apple supporters argue that there is a possibility that the iPad 2 is able to use this resolution. Apple was the first to use a 3-5” display with 960X640 resolution in the iPhone 4 and the “miracle” might be repeated again with the iPad 2.

Certainly, many people have discussed about the possibility of Retina Display inclusion in the iPad 2. Kevin Rose, the founder of Digg has also said that his source in Apple revealed that the iPad 2 won’t use Retina Display, it will only use a display with higher dpi. The higher resolution will surely necessitates a more powerful hardware. Some rumors suggested that Apple is planning to use a customized edition of its A4 processor, which can double the processing power. The new A4 processor may include acceleration for video codecs, which allow better video conferencing experience with FaceTime app. It may mean that HDMI support that is currently available on Apple TV will also be present on the next iPhone and iPad. References inside the iOS 4.3 SDK indicate that Apple could be moving to a more powerful GPU as well. The PowerEVR SGX543 may replace the PowerEVR545 GPU, which can result in 25% higher polygons count while supporting the OpenCL technology.

Another rumor said that Apple may go to a multiple-core solution with the SGX543MP2, which combines two SGX543 cores in a single package, which will quadruple the current A4 capability in video and graphics tasks.

The digital newspaper market and digital magazine market is beginning to take shape. With such a resolution, Apple is in a better position compared to other e-book readers and tablets. With a pixel density that is close to 300dpi, iPad 2 is well suited when it comes to reading magazines and newspaper. They can appear nearly as real as the actual paper if this technology is used properly. For some people, the Kindle’s simplicity and Android’s open platform won’t be as interesting.

Renewed interest on PDF

Some hackers recently begin to focus their efforts on PDF format once again. In some conferences they demonstrated their vicious takedown of this technology. It is a common knowledge that PDF is so insecure that many evil hackers can embed a malicious code that it is hard for common users to detect. These codes can sneak in their tentacles into unpatched holes, take control of your computer and send all of your secrets to the evil coders. PDF technology is more than a decade old and we need to see a major revamp of the architecture from the bottom up.

Baseband manipulation

Baseband is a phone component that is used to send and receive broadcast signals. Unfortunately, if your cellphone is using a GSM network, it’s relatively easy to manipulate the baseband with a few evil tricks. Hackers may easily do this by faking up base stations that allow them to snoop on your text messages and conversations. Another way is by sending malicious codes to your smartphone which can tell your phone’s OS to send classified data and turn your device into a zombie. So the next time you’re making a call, there could be a third person that taps on your conversation. Obviously, this trick may bring to mind, espionage efforts between nations and industrial communities.

More attacks on bank cards

A researcher from Cambridge University recently revealed that it is possible to break into the ATM card system and Smart credit card in UK, relatively easily. Although the banking industry in United Kingdoms has claimed that their systems are impervious to external attacks, it has been proven over and over again that these system can be broken and cause many people lose their hard-earned money.

Defeating GSM channel flipping

If the baseband manipulation can’t freak you out, then there is another way for hacker to snoop on you. Researches have revealed that standard encryption methods used to protect your data and private conversations can be quickly defeated using certain consumer-grade hardware. Often, GSM network providers claim that their frequency flipping technique is enough to deter even the most sophisticated spies. Someone may be able to grab a chunk of data, but when the signal flips to a different channel, the hacker’s effort is over. However, some researchers can circumvent this security technique only by using a cheap $50 phone. The tapped signal is injected to the phone and it can follow the signal to whatever channel it goes.

Disrupting infrastructure

Our vital infrastructures are getting more integrated to the network. Researchers have often walked us through many ways that can disrupt the supposedly dependable infrastructure. For example, energy grids can be controlled due to its remote control and automation features.

Advanced gaming console jailbreaking

Gaming console is increasingly considered as a standard home appliance, along with computers, TV and home theatres. PlayStation 3 is among the most commonly used consoles along with Xbox 360 and Wii. Of course, PS3 can be fun, but is it only exists to entertain you? Are there other possible uses of the console? Can we install an OS on it and turn it into a computer? A group called fail0verflow showed that it is easy to retrieve codes needed to unlock your PS3 and force it to do your bidding. The series of numbers needed to unlock the console is already present inside the console themselves. It is possible to modify it and make the console programmable. Unfortunately, Sony has sued the group allegedly for distributing methods and tools that can allow PS3 piracy.

Preventing DDOS attacks

Dan Bernstein is the legend of cryptography, he developed some of the most secure system known to man. He recently revealed that DNSSEC, the oft-touted system for system security actually can be transformed into an excellent DoS attack tool. He also has a mindblowing proposition for a highly-advanced system for transporting data over the Internet that make DoS attacks nearly impossible. His system is based on specialized encryption tools, called CurveCP and DNSCurve, that can already be implemented on the Web today. Moreover, the system is lightning fast compared to the current architecture.

Open Ocean Mapping

You may already use open mapping services on the internet, for example the Open Street map where hackers and common users can add their own data and make it easier for everyone to navigate places around the world. But what about ocean navigation? Maps for this purpose is already available commercially and often are very expensive. The Open Sea Chart, is a group that has an aim to make it easier for everyone to get ocean map for free. This project may one day help individual fisherman around the world.