When it comes to preventing damage to your smartphone, there are a number of different options that offer varying levels of protection. If you are a Lumia 1520 owner, you may be looking for something that shields your device without adding much weight or bulk to the already monstrous monolith of a phone.

If that is your goal, you may want to consider the BodyGuardz UltraTough clear full body skin for the Lumia 1520.

Apple has released a new beta of iOS 8.3 to developers and AppleSeed testers. It is available for download over the air, or through the Apple Developer Center.

This is the fourth beta of iOS 8.3 for developers, and the second Apple Seed testers. Apple started the invitation-only Apple Seed beta for iOS 8.3 just under two weeks ago.

Developers can also download the latest beta of Xcode 6.3, build 6D554n, which contains a pre-release version of the next update to Apple’s Swift programming language, version 1.2. This build also contains the SDK for iOS 8.3 beta 4.

Source: Apple Developer Center

Apple may be taking a slightly different approach to selling the Apple Watch in store than they have with any of their previous devices.

Apple is reportedly training its employees to focus on building relationships with customers and making fashion recommendations to get them the right Apple Watch. Apple employees will be going through training that will give them various examples of interactions with customers to help them decide which Apple Watch and band would be best for them.

Through building a relationship with the customer and better understanding their use of the device, their style and fashion needs it will make the selection process easier. Employees are being instructed to make comments like “the white strap looks great on you” and “you seem to have a fun style. I think the Pink Sport band would match your style perfectly.” Apple will also offer various guidelines for making the selection, per 9to5Mac:

• Make comments about why you think an option is a good choice rather than discussing why an option may not be a good choice.
• Explain how earlier customers made decisions between models.
• Use other accessories [already] on a customer as examples for which model would look best.
• If the customer is with another person, make sure to get the opinion of that person on which model should be purchased.
• Don’t focus on price as a reason to recommend an option because many customers may be willing to spend more for a model that makes them feel good.

Apple wants to take the focus away from the core functionality of the watch, as well as the price point, and focus on how it adds to their current style. Understanding why, and for whom, the watch is being purchased for will also help employees in the decision process. Beginning April 10 Apple will begin allowing customers to try the Apple Watch on in-store, giving people a chance to check it out before placing an order.

The focus on style isn’t terribly surprising — we’ve seen Apple Watch appear on the cover of several fashion magazines over the past few months with little emphasis on the functionality of the smartwatch. The practical differences between the various models of Apple Watch — from the $349 Apple Watch Sport to the mid-tier steel Apple Watch to the range-topping $10,000+ Apple Watch Edition — are minor. The software’s the same, the display and battery life are different between the two sizes but otherwise the same across the line, and aside from a more durable display covering and a change in the material of the casing, the physical differences are nil. Why you’d choose one Apple Watch over another is a matter of pricing and how much you’re willing to spend — and Apple’s apparently hoping that flattering your personal style will get you open your wallet a bit wider.

Source: 9to5Mac

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 owners will be happy to know AT&T has pushed out the Lollipop update.

Following the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 earlier today, the Galaxy Note 3 on AT&T has also begun receiving its Lollipop update. The update, which is just over 1GB in size, will bring the phone up to Android 5.0.

Build number LRX21V.N900AUCUE0C1 has only just started rolling out, so you may not see the update notification just yet. Over the next few days the update should hit your phone, but if you want to check for an update now you can easily. To check for an update, open your devices settings menu go to the ‘General’ tab, then scroll to system update and tap on update now.

Discuss the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 3 update in the forums

Recent advancements in Lithium Sulfur and Lithium metal anodes pave the way for smaller, safer batteries with higher capacities.

Back at the start of the year in our Smartphone Futurology series, we discussed the technology behind the battery in smartphones and what’s to come in the future. This article is a quick update to that piece, looking at some of the recent developments in batteries based on Lithium chemistry — like the ones powering the vast majority of smartphones.

We’ll take a closer look at what reduces your phone’s battery life over time, and how high-capacity technologies like Lithium Sulfur batteries and Lithium metal anodes are closer than ever to becoming practical. Join us after the break.

Read More: The latest breakthroughs in phone battery technology

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Why your battery’s capacity decreases over time

Image credit: Joint Center for Energy Storage Research

A group led by the Joint Centre for Energy Storage Research in the US managed to gather evidence on the processes behind the deterioration of lithium batteries over time^[1]. In my original article, I mentioned the dendritic (branching like a tree) growths on lithium metal anodes over time reducing battery capacity.

The team developed a new method using STEM (scanning transmission electron microscopy – a method for analysing incredibly small structures) to observe these deposits in a lithium polymer battery over time.

The anode of a lithium battery is what determines the total capacity, and these growths disrupt how efficiently the anode is able to store lithium ions and thus reduce the battery’s capacity. It’s also been shown that these dendritic growths of lithium metal can be dangerous and cause internal failures which lead to the battery ballooning, or even worse, exploding^[2].

With these breakthrough abilities to observe such processes, the team have been able to determine the factors which control these growths which will help researchers in the field to improve the longevity and safety of commercial lithium based batteries.

Improvements in Lithium-Sulfur

Image credit: University of California

There has been a dramatic increase in number of published papers on lithium sulphur technology, and as explained previously the technology is viewed as the next iteration in lithium battery technology, replacing the widely adopted lithium polymer cells. To recap:

Lithium-sulfur is an extremely attractive replacement for current technologies as it’s just as easy to produce, has a higher charging capacity. Better still, it doesn’t require highly volatile solvents which drastically reduce the risk of fire from shorting and punctures.

More on Lithium-sulfur and other future battery technologies

Recently, a group from the University of California have solved one of the issues surrounding lithium-sulphur chemistry, publishing a paper on it last month^[3].

As issues with the longevity of Li-S batteries are solved, the technology moves further towards being a practical reality.

During the chemical reactions that occur in the charge and discharge processes, polysulfide chains are formed. These chains must flow through the electrolyte intact and this is where the issue lies, the polysulfide can sometimes dissolve into the solution^{[4, 5]} and greatly impacts battery longevity.

The group developed a method of coating these polysulfides into nanospheres using a thin layer of silicon dioxide (essentially glass), which keeps the polysulfide away from the electrolyte while being able to move easily through it between the electrodes. With issues like these being constantly solved by numerous hard working research groups, the future of lithium-sulfur batteries being in our phones edges closer every single day.

Lithium Metal Anodes coming to fruition

Image credit: SolidEnergy Systems

If you remember from the battery futurology article, I mentioned how being able to use lithium metal as the anode is the “holy grail” of anode materials due to the extra capacity they bring.

SolidEnergy Systems Corp. have been showing off their “anodeless” lithium battery, which essentially replaces the normal graphite and composite anodes with a thin lithium metal anode. They claim they double the energy density compared to a graphite anode and 50% compared to a silicon composite anode.

The latest ‘anodeless’ batteries claim to double the energy density of what’s in your phone right now.

The above image which SolidEnergy have published helps show the drastic reduction in size, though I should mention it’s slightly misleading. Both the Xiaomi and Samsung batteries are designed to be replaceable, so would have an additional plastic shell and additional electronics such as a charging circuit or even (in some Samsung batteries) an NFC antenna.

However, having said that, you can see the substantial size difference between the iPhone’s 1.8 Ah internal battery and the 2.0 Ah SolidEnergy battery pack in the BBC’s news report.

What it all means

With several manufacturers’ flagship phones — including Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and Apple’s iPhone 6 — pushing towards thinner designs, the need for denser batteries is becoming even greater. Cramming more battery power into a smaller area also opens up the possibility of getting several days of use out of larger “phablet” style handsets, while providing more juice for the power-hungry processors of the future.

We’re looking at a future where it’ll be easier than ever to avoid the dreaded dead smartphone battery.

And when it comes to lithium-sulfur batteries, the reduced risk of fire from shorting out or puncturing should make our devices safer to use, and less dangerous (and costly) to for manufacturers to transport.

Combine this with recent progress towards faster charging and the growth of wireless charging in recent years, and we’re looking at a future where it’ll be easier than ever to avoid a dead smartphone battery.

So when will we start seeing these new technologies becoming available? SolidEnergy estimates its “anodeless” solution will hit the market in 2016, and we’re looking at a similar timetable for Li-S batteries as well, given the recent developments around this technology. That’s not to say they’ll be shipping in actual mobile devices in the next year — nevertheless, the revolution in battery technology we’ve all been waiting for can’t be far away.

More Futurology: Read about the future of smartphone tech

References

Google will expand its Google Fiber service to include Salt Lake City, offering residents access to its TV service and Internet speeds of up to 1Gbps.

Google Fiber is already live in Provo, Utah, but there’s no word on when service will begin in Salt Lake City.

Recent advancements in Lithium Sulfur and Lithium metal anodes pave the way for smaller, safer batteries with higher capacities.

Back at the start of the year in our Smartphone Futurology series, we discussed the technology behind the battery in smartphones and what’s to come in the future. This article is a quick update to that piece, looking at some of the recent developments in batteries based on Lithium chemistry — like the ones powering the vast majority of smartphones.

We’ll take a closer look at what reduces your phone’s battery life over time, and how high-capacity technologies like Lithium Sulfur batteries and Lithium metal anodes are closer than ever to becoming practical. Join us after the break.

Recent advancements in Lithium Sulfur and Lithium metal anodes pave the way for smaller, safer batteries with higher capacities.

Back at the start of the year in our Smartphone Futurology series, we discussed the technology behind the battery in smartphones and what’s to come in the future. This article is a quick update to that piece, looking at some of the recent developments in batteries based on Lithium chemistry — like the ones powering the vast majority of smartphones.

We’ll take a closer look at what reduces your phone’s battery life over time, and how high-capacity technologies like Lithium Sulfur batteries and Lithium metal anodes are closer than ever to becoming practical. Join us after the break.

Recent advancements in Lithium Sulfur and Lithium metal anodes pave the way for smaller, safer batteries with higher capacities.

Back at the start of the year in our Smartphone Futurology series, we discussed the technology behind the battery in smartphones and what’s to come in the future. This article is a quick update to that piece, looking at some of the recent developments in batteries based on Lithium chemistry — like the ones powering the vast majority of smartphones.

We’ll take a closer look at what reduces your phone’s battery life over time, and how high-capacity technologies like Lithium Sulfur batteries and Lithium metal anodes are closer than ever to becoming practical. Join us after the break.

Three UK owner Hutchison Whampoa has agreed to purchase O2 UK from Telefónica for £10.25 billion.

Talks between Hutchison Whampoa and Telefonica began in January of this year. Now this is all but a done deal, with approval needed from British regulators, which is expected to take up to a year.

From O2:

Hutchison Whampoa has today agreed definitive terms to acquire O2 in the UK from Telefónica. The deal agreed is the result of a period of exclusive discussions between the two companies. Closing of the deal is subject to regulatory approvals, but would bring together two respected mobile businesses in the UK.

Together, Three and O2 have the largest number of subscribers in the UK, followed by rivals Vodafone and EE. O2 currently has around 22 million subscribers, while Three has around 8 million.

Source: O2, Telefónica