Android App - Calibrate Your Battery Stats The Easy Way To Improve Battery Life

Calibrate Your Battery Stats The Easy Way To Improve Battery Life

If you’re a rooted user, chances are that you flash new ROMs fairly often. What you may not know, however, is that your phone saves the battery statistics from old ROMs, and if you’ve never recalibrated your battery before, then your time away from the charger may not be as good as it could be.

This is for rooted users only.

Resetting battery stats can be an intimidating task for those who don’t spend a lot of time in recovery (or who have never even booted into recovery). Fortunately, XDA member marosige has created an app that makes battery calibration a snap.

It’s really simple (the instructions are even clearly stated within the app) – launch the app, charge your phone to 100%, unplug it, and tap the "Battery Calibration" button. The recalibration process will begin at this point, and generally takes a few days to complete. Use your phone normally and enjoy the additional battery life!

As always, check out the support thread in the XDA Forums if you have any questions.

Android App - SD Maid Cleans Up The Mess Left Behind By Old Apps

SD Maid Cleans Up The Mess Left Behind By Old Apps, Leaves Your Phone And Your SD Card Minty Fresh

We have all been there before – you’re running low on space and want to get rid of some apps. Or perhaps you just want to do your device a favor and remove old apps that you no longer use. Sure, the app is gone, but most leave behind unwanted data, taking up precious room on the /data partition, your SD card, or both. Fortunately, XDA member Dark3n has created a app to address such a situation, aptly titled SD Maid.

This app is for rooted users only.

SD Maid is a simple, yet much needed app that searches your device for anything left behind by apps that have been uninstalled. It does this by comparing the list of currently installed apps to the list of data found in /data/data and /mnt/sdcard/Android/data, which is where most Android devices store this type of information. The main exception to this rule is Samsung, which stores its data in /dbdata/databases, but SD Maid has that covered, too.

Note: While the name suggests that SD Maid only cleans up your SD card, it’s actually not true – it looks at internal storage as well. Confusing, I know.

It’s very, very easy to use. Fire it up, tap refresh, and it will show you the amount of "corpses in your basement". Tap clean all, and you’re done. Really, that’s it. It goes one step further than that, too, offering a full system cleanup, which covers log files, Dropbox cache, system cache, and tombstones, which is where the system dump goes when an app force closes.

This app is still in early development, and the creator notes that because there are so many different devices out there, it may not work 100% correctly on every single device. If you give it a shot and experience issues with it, hop over the XDA support thread and let him know about it.

Kia Naimo Electric Concept Debuts

Kia Naimo Electric Concept Debuts: 2011 Seoul Auto Show
Published Mar 31, 2011

The Kia Naimo, an electric concept car that combines high-tech and traditional Korean arts-and-crafts materials, debuted on Thursday at the 2011 Seoul Auto Show.
It is equipped with a 107-horsepower permanent magnet synchronous motor and a twin-pack battery that uses lithium-ion polymer technology.
The Naimo has a top speed of 93 mph and a driving range of 124 miles on a single charge, says Kia.

SEOUL, South Korea — The chunky-looking Kia Naimo, an electric concept car that combines high-tech and traditional Korean arts-and-crafts materials, debuted on Thursday at the 2011 Seoul Auto Show.

Kia would not confirm any production plans for the car, saying in a statement that it "explores the practicalities of introducing a zero-emissions, five-door, four-seater city car into a future niche market."

Naimo, pronounced "ne-mo," means "square shape" in Korean, said Kia in a statement. It bears a passing resemblance to the Kia Soul, but is more low-slung and substantial-looking.

Key design details include a wraparound windshield, an asymmetric sunroof, headlights that use a dot pattern and 20-inch alloy wheels. Designers skipped the conventional windshield wiper and instead use a high-intensity air jet at the base of the windshield that wipes it clean.

The Naimo is equipped with a 107-horsepower permanent magnet synchronous motor and a twin-pack battery that uses lithium-ion polymer technology. It has a top speed of 93 mph and a driving range of 124 miles on a single charge, according to the Korean automaker.

The cabin gets Korean oak door panels and floor, while Korean han-ji paper is used for the headliner.

"Naimo is a perfect balance of innovation, high-tech and Korean tradition," said Peter Schreyer, Kia Motors' chief design officer, in a statement.

Inside Line says: The Holy Grail for auto designers is being able to successfully weave cultural elements into a vehicle. Looks like the Kia Naimo is a valiant effort in that regard. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent

First Look: Kia KV7 Concept

Kia KV7 Crossover Concept - 2011 Detroit Auto Show - Motor Trend
December 27, 2010
By Andrew Peterson

Kia's Soul -- the funky box-on-wheels that hamsters love to drive -- was one of the Korean automaker's first manifestations of its new design philosophy, spearheaded by its Southern California design studio. Consider its KV7 Concept for the 2011 Detroit show a riff on the Soul aesthetic, with more room and the usual array of concept-style touches thrown into the mix.

The KV7 is adorned with cues similar to that of the 2007 Soul auto show concept, applied to a vehicle slightly smaller than a Ford Flex. It features an elongated version of the two-box Soul design and a new take on Kia's familial face.

"From the outset, we felt the [van] category was in need of an honest reassessment due to the fact that everyone seems so desperate to attach the word 'sporty' to their minivan, even though vans, at their very core, are simply a box," said Tom Kearns, chief designer at Kia Motors America. "Rather than reject the box, we chose to celebrate it, just like we did with the Soul, and the result is a straightforward, yet sophisticated vehicle that retains the functionality vans are known for and meets the changing and diverse needs of today's consumers."

Kia KV7 Concept Front Three Quarters Static
Click to view Gallery
Like the Soul concept before it, the KV7 features a rounded hood and flared fenders, but the flares flow all the way across the front fascia. The grille and headlights are similar in scope to modern Kias and look as if they were pulled from a 2011 Optima. Kia's designers shortened the grille and hid the headlights, coloring both black but surrounding the cluster with an aluminum accent.

The windshield doesn't wrap around, but the lines from the windshield to the side windows appear to flow across the A-pillar and the side windows and feature the same tapered styling. The doors are the most interesting design element, as they appear to be the same suicide style as the Soul Concept, but with an added twist: the rear passenger door is a gullwing variety.

LizaMoon Virus hits alot of websites

'LizaMoon' Mass SQL Injection Attack Escalates Out of Control - eWeek.com

A mass SQL
injection attack that initially compromised 28,000 Websites has spiraled out of
control. At the last count, more than a million sites have been compromised,
with no end in sight.
Security firm
Websense has been tracking the "LizaMoon" attack since it started March 29. The
company's malware researchers dubbed the attack LizaMoon after the first domain
that victims were redirected to. At the redirected site, users saw a warning
dialog that they had been infected with malware and a link to download a fake
antivirus.
The users are
shown a number of threats supposedly on their computer, but the fake AV,
Windows Stability Center, won't remove them until the user pays up, in a "very
traditional rogue AV scam," wrote Patrik Runald, the Websense researcher who
has been following the attack over the past few days.
The list of
redirect URLs has ballooned in the days since, as Websense updated its list
March 31 with 20 additional sites, making this one of the biggest mass-injection
attacks ever.
More than
500,000 URLs have been injected with LizaMoon, according to Runald. If all the
domains used in the attack are considered, eWEEK found about 2.9 million
results on Google Search that have been compromised.
"Google Search
results aren't always great indicators of how prevalent or widespread an attack
is as it counts each unique URL, not domain or site," Runald said. It is safe
to consider hundreds of thousands of domains have been hit, he said.
Websense
researchers are still trying to figure out how the SQL injection attack is
happening. Somehow, legitimate Websites have been compromised in a way that one
line of code has been embedded on the site. That code is a simple redirect, and
executes when the user loads the page. The bulk of the action happens on the
redirected page, where a script containing Javascript code kicks off the fake
AV scam.
Commenters
asked Websense why researchers were so convinced it was a SQL injection on
multiple Websites and not a mass cross-site-scripting attack. The researchers
said they'd been contacted by people who have seen the code in their Microsoft
SQL Server 2003 and 2005 databases. The vulnerabilities weren't within the
database software, but "most likely in the Web systems used by these sites,
such as outdated CMS and blog systems," Runald said.
Considering
the large number of sites infected, users all around the world are affected,
with victims in the United Kingdom, Kuwait, India, Australia, Turkey, Brazil,
Israel, Mexico, Taiwan and Chile, among others, according to figures from
Websense Threatseeker Network. The bulk of the victims, at 47 percent, appear
to be from the United States.
The domains
used in this attack, including the redirect URLs and the server where the
malware is hosted, are all associated with one of four IP addresses, according
to Dancho Danchev, an independent security expert.
While the 20 or so domains being used as the redirect URL rotate between two IP
addresses, Danchev has identified more than 120 India-based or Cocos Island-based
domains all pointing to one malware host server, and 50 India-based domains
going to another.
The domains
have all been registered using automatically registered accounts at Gmail,
Danchev said. The first domain on the list was registered as far back as
October 2010, and new domains have been added since LizaMoon exploded,
according to Runald.
First, the
good news: Users are hit with the Windows Stability Center scam only once, so
visiting the site repeatedly doesn't repeat the attack.
The bad news:
Not many antivirus programs seem to be able to detect the Windows Stability
Center. VirusTotal is a service that checks malware samples against 43 major
antivirus products to see which products can detect it. As of April 1, only 17 out of the 43 tested block Windows Stability
Scanner. At least, security companies are moving on this threat: It was only 13 out of 43 March 31.

BuyWithMe - 54% off at AMC Theatres®

BuyWithMe - 54% off at AMC Theatres®
Here's the Deal

Whether you prefer predictably sweet romances (No Strings Attached), edge-of-your-seat thrillers (Black Swan), or heart-pounding action movies (Drive Angry), there’s no better place to get your cinematic fix than at AMC Theatres®, the company that opened the first multiplex theatre and introduced the glorious cup holder armrest. And now you can see your fave flicks for less: $24 gets you four AMC Silver Experience™ tickets to any AMC® theatre location (up to $52 value).

Read more...
Deal Terms

Limit 1 voucher per person.
Limited quantity available, so don't delay in purchasing.
All sales are final.
Your tickets will be mailed to the address you provide at BWM checkout within 7-10 business days; all shipping and processing fees are included.
Tickets are eligible for any AMC®, but shipping is only available to RI, NH, NJ, NY, CT, MA, DC, VA, TX, WA, CA, AZ, IL, WI, PA, MD, GA.
Once you receive your tickets in the mail, they can be redeemed for admission at any AMC Theatres® location; not valid for online or kiosk purchasing, or reserved seating.
Good at any AMC®, AMC Showplace, Loews®, Cineplex Odeon, Magic Johnson, and Star theatres, excluding Canadian theatres.
Not valid for special engagements.
Valid only for movies that are two weeks out from their original release date.
Extra charges may apply for 3D, IMAX®, ETX, alternative content, and premium services and locations.
Shows and seating subject to availability.
No age restriction to redeem, but movies are subject to MPAA age restrictions, based on MPAA rating.
Movie ticket photocopies are not allowed.
Movie tickets have no cash value and are not valid for cash back.
Cannot be combined with other offers or promotions.
AMC Theatres® movie tickets do not expire.

Best Options for Convenience-Store Food - Men's Fitness

Best Options for Convenience-Store Food - Men's Fitness

Best Options for Convenience-Store Food
You can still eat smart on the go—even when your options are limited
by Brian Dalek

Any road trip leads to the unavoidable stop at the QuikTrip, 7-Eleven, or one of thousands of other convenience stores across America. If you’re not watching what you eat, that can spell trouble. Lauren Antonucci, R.D., a nutritionist and the owner/director of Nutrition Energy in New York City, suggests looking for something with protein or fiber to keep you awake, plus a drink to keep you hydrated behind the wheel. If the store doesn’t have any of those options, hit the road immediately and look for a smarter choice next time you pull over.

Breakfast Bests
No time to pack a breakfast? Antonucci suggests a protein-packed Greek yogurt like Chobani. If you need something heartier, some stores have eggwhite wrap sandwiches. “Just try to avoid the ones with sausage, cheese, and bacon,” she says.

Hydrate
Skip the fountain cappuccino, even if you think the jolt of caffeine might help you stay awake. Anything low calorie, like Propel or sparkling water, is the smarter choice. Those liquids will help keep your muscles and brain operating at their peak. “Since most of us aren’t race car drivers, we don’t need to worry about replacing calories,” Antonucci says.

Search for Fruit
Sure, it’s not Whole Foods, but sometimes you can find an apple or banana by the counter. “As long as it’s edible,” she says, “you can’t pick a better option.”

Snack Smart
Craving something sweet? Ditch the candy bar and opt for an energy bar with at least 10 grams of protein, instead. (We like the Carb Conscious bars from Supreme Protein.) Feeling more savory? Avoid crackers and go for canned nuts or a bag of low-sodium jerky instead.

Never Supersize
When you’re stuck in a car with an entire bag of chips or candy, no good can come of it, says Antonucci. In fact, studies show the longer you’re near junk food, the more likely you are to stick your hand into it. If you have to buy it, get a single-serving pack.

Vegetarian throws meal at flight attendant - Travel - News - msnbc.com

A vegetarian passenger aboard a Continental Airlines flight apparently was so disgusted by the meal she was served that she threw her tray at a flight attendant, the New York Post reports.

"She said she was a vegetarian and she didn't like what she was being served," an airline official told the newspaper. "So she threw the food tray — and the food — at the attendant."

The flight last Friday, which originated in the Dominican Republic, was bound for Newark Liberty International Airport. The woman reportedly had ordered a special meal but it was not vegetarian, the newspaper reported.

Port Authority officers met the plane at the gate when it landed in Newark at 3:58 p.m., but the flight attendant declined to press charges.

918 Spyder cutting-edge plug-in hybrid, forever changing the future of the super sports car

Just read on Porsche:
Now available for ordering, the 918 Spyder will feature cutting-edge plug-in hybrid technology and stunning performance, forever changing the future of the super sports car
ATLANTA - March 21, 2011 --- After outstanding customer response to the concept car first shown at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Porsche today announced that dealers around the world will begin taking 918 Spyder customer orders. This is a significant step toward actual production of the company's next super sports car, a Porsche that marries unique plug-in hybrid technology and outstanding performance in a visually stunning and purely Porsche package.
The 918 Spyder will feature a high revving 500-plus horsepower V8 engine assisted by two electric motors with a total of at least 218 horsepower, yet Porsche estimates it will consume only 3.0 L/100 km based on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). Official EPA fuel economy figures or estimates will be announced just before the first customer cars begin arriving in the United States near the end of 2013.

To ensure the 918 Spyder's worldwide exclusivity, Porsche will produce no more than 918 examples. Start of production at Porsche's famed factory in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen is planned for Sept. 18, 2013 (9/18), and the U.S. base manufacturer's suggested retail price is $845,000 (excluding destination and handling charges).
With its design inspired by past Porsches like the Carrera GT super sports car and the legendary 917 and highly successful RS Spyder race cars, the 918 Spyder remains faithful to the 2010 concept car. Unlike the concept car, the two-seat production version, based on a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic monocoque, will feature a manual roof system with removable panels that can be stored in the front luggage compartment.
Super high performance with very low fuel consumption and emissions
The 918 Spyder will be powered by a unique plug-in hybrid system that will include a high-revving, mid-mounted V8 engine with capacity of more than 4.0 liters and producing at least 500 horsepower. The engine will be based on the Porsche RS Spyder racing engine that demonstrated its impressive performance and efficiency through multiple Michelin Green X Challenge victories in the American Le Mans Series, the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Power will be transferred to the rear wheels via Porsche's compact, seven-speed Porsche-Doppelkupplung (PDK) double-clutch gearbox.

Two electric motors – one each on the front and rear axles – together will provide approximately 218 additional horsepower. This configuration also will offer an innovative, variable all-wheel drive system with independent control of the drive forces on both axles. Electrical energy will be stored in a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery that can be recharged from a standard household outlet. Electric-only driving range is expected to be more than 16 miles on the NEDC. Recharge time will depend on each country's electrical power network, but charging is expected to take about seven hours at 110V/10A in the United States. A quick-charge option is being evaluated to further reduce charging times.
With anticipated combined fuel consumption of just 3.0 L/100 km on the NEDC, this equates to CO2 emissions of only 70 g/km or 112 g/mile. On the other hand, the Porsche 918 Spyder will deliver super sports car performance. It is estimated that the final production version will accelerate from zero to 60 mph in about 3.1 seconds on its way to an estimated top track speed of 199 mph. It should also tackle Germany's famed Nürburgring Nordschleife in less than 7 minutes and 30 seconds, two seconds faster than the Porsche Carrera GT. Under the right conditions, the 918 Spyder will be able to drive on electric power alone at speeds up to 94 mph for limited distances.
Customers who order the 918 Spyder also have the opportunity to acquire a special-edition 911 Turbo S Coupe or Cabriolet. Also limited to no more than 918 units, the 911 Turbo S Edition 918 Spyder will have exterior and interior design elements echoing the plug-in hybrid 918 Spyder supercar's styling. It features similar exterior colors, carbon-fiber elements inside and out, enhanced leather equipment and numerous acid-green accents on items such as the brake calipers, illuminated sill plates, interior stitching and instrument cluster needles. A limited-edition badge on the glove compartment door will feature the same production number as the customer's 918 Spyder.
Worldwide 918 Spyder customers can begin ordering this special edition 911 Turbo S sports car today, and customer deliveries will start later in 2011. The U.S. base manufacturer's suggested retail prices for the Coupe and Cabriolet versions are the same as the standard 911 Turbo S models, $160,700 and $172,100 respectively, excluding destination.

About Porsche Cars North America
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga., is the exclusive importer of Porsche vehicles in the United States. It is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG and employs approximately 220 people who provide parts, service, marketing and training for some 195 dealers. From its inception in 1948, Porsche has been a leader in advancing vehicle performance, improving automotive safety and developing ever more fuel efficient technologies in its high-performance models.  At the core of this success is Porsche's proud racing heritage that dates back to its beginnings. Today, with some 30,000 motorsport wins, Porsche is recognized as the most successful marquee in sports car racing. PCNA, which imports the iconic 911 series, the Boxster and Cayman sports cars, the Cayenne SUV and Panamera Gran Turismo strives to maintain a standard of excellence, commitment and distinction synonymous with this historic brand.
Note: Photos are available to accredited journalists on the Porsche Press Database at http://press.porsche.com. Video footage is available to registered users at http://thenewsmarket.com/porsche.

Sprint, Deutsche Telekom Said to Discuss T-Mobile USA Deal

Read in BusinessWeek:

March 8 (Bloomberg) -- Deutsche Telekom AG has held talks to sell its T-Mobile USA unit to Sprint Nextel Corp. in exchange for a major stake in the combined entity, said people with knowledge of the matter.

Talks have been on and off, and a deal may not be reached, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks are private. The companies haven’t been able to agree on the valuation of T-Mobile USA, which reported a drop in profit in the fourth quarter, the people said. Sprint and Deutsche Telekom shares jumped.

A merger of Sprint and T-Mobile USA would combine the third- and fourth-largest U.S. wireless providers behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc. T-Mobile USA may be worth $15 billion to $20 billion, according to Michael Kovacocy, an analyst at Evolution Securities in London. Sprint’s market value was $13.6 billion as of yesterday’s close.

Deutsche Telekom may be disappointed in the price an acquirer is willing to offer, Kovacocy said in an interview. Even though the company may expect about $25 billion based on the unit’s earnings, buyers may want to pay less because of the customer losses, he said.

“It’s selling from a weak position in the marketplace,” said Kovacocy, who doesn’t own shares in either company. “The operations could fetch well south of $20 billion, well below what DTE would look for.”

Sprint added 22 cents, or 4.9 percent, to $4.70 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading at 4 p.m. Deutsche Telekom closed 4 percent higher at 10.01 euros in Frankfurt, the biggest increase in almost a year.

Customer Losses

A tie-up would allow Bonn-based Deutsche Telekom, Europe’s largest phone company, to keep a stake in one of its biggest markets while making it easier to finance investments for a faster next-generation network.

“In general, all options are open in the U.S. -- the sale of the whole business or of parts,” Deutsche Telekom Chief Financial Officer Timotheus Hoettges said in an e-mail today. He said the company could also find a partner, sell shares in the market or form a network agreement.

Bill White, a spokesman for Overland Park, Kansas-based Sprint, declined to comment.

Contracts protecting against a Sprint default for five years dropped to the lowest since October, according to data provider CMA. The contracts declined 36.9 basis points to 303.1 basis points. Credit-default swaps pay the buyer face value if a borrower fails to meet its obligations, less the value of the defaulted debt. The contracts decline as investor confidence improves and rise as it deteriorates.

Bonds Rise

The company’s $2.5 billion of 6.875 percent notes due in 2028 rose 4.688 cents to 93.938 cents on the dollar as of 3:52 p.m. in New York, according to Trace, the bond-price reporting system of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

T-Mobile, which accounts for about a quarter of Deutsche Telekom’s sales, has lost customers at an accelerated rate as it trailed rivals in building out a third-generation mobile network and missed out on being able to sell Apple Inc.’s iPhone. About 56,000 customers abandoned T-Mobile USA last year, while Sprint, AT&T and Verizon Wireless all boosted their counts.

Talks have included discussion of Deutsche Telekom owning about 50 percent of a combined T-Mobile USA-Sprint, one person said. Sprint had revenue of about $32.6 billion in 2010, while T-Mobile USA recorded revenue of $21.4 billion.

‘Flexibly Positioned’

T-Mobile USA is also discussing buying wireless spectrum from Clearwire Corp. as an alternative to a merger with Sprint, two people said. Deutsche Telekom’s Hoettges said last month that buying U.S. wireless spectrum from Clearwire is only one option for the German phone company. He ruled out an outright sale of T-Mobile in the U.S.

“We’re flexibly positioned,” Hoettges said today, adding that Deutsche Telekom is working on several options. “We’re not under pressure. We want the best solution.”

Susan Johnston, a Clearwire spokeswoman, didn’t return a call for comment. Sprint is the majority owner of Kirkland, Washington-based Clearwire.

Sprint is also in talks with LightSquared Inc., a wireless startup founded by billionaire Philip Falcone and backed by his Harbinger Capital Partners hedge fund, three people familiar with the talks said last month. LightSquared, which is seeking to sell 4G capacity in the U.S., may strike a deal to use Sprint’s cell sites and equipment to build out its network.

Sprint said in December it is going to spend as much as $5 billion over the coming three to five years to upgrade its network to allow it to combine the disparate spectrum bands it uses onto a single type of base station.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is advising Sprint, Morgan Stanley is working with Deutsche Telekom, and Deutsche Bank AG is advising Clearwire, the people said.