The more we depend on mobile devices the more we rely upon one little technology. Batteries. Have you ever reached for your smartphone to look something up or to get directions and discovered that it has died? Well, in a few years, that might be something you don’t need to worry about.

A Better Battery on the Way?

Fortunately, a better battery might soon be on the way, thanks to the work of a team of engineers at Chicago’s Northwestern University. A recent story reports that researchers at this Big 10 university are trying to produce a battery that lasts longer and can recharge itself in just minutes. Smartphone users across the country should be grateful.

What they are working on is a new lithium-ion battery that has more then 10 times the life of present batteries. Additionally, after a year of operation, which the researchers estimate to be about 150 charges, these new lithium-ion batteries would continue to be 5 times more effective then today’s lithium-ion batteries.

A Charged Battery for a Week

Ultimately, this new cell phone battery could stay charged for a whole week, even with all the apps we use daily. And the charging time? Below 15 minutes. Which will sure make our lives easier, but more than that, this new battery technology could lead to smaller and more efficient batteries for electric cars.  This could consequently, have a dramatic impact on our reliance on fossil fuels.

Batteries Powering Technological Change

While this new battery technology will have a massive impact on many aspects of our life, it will not be offered to the general public for three to five years, says Northwestern researchers. Batteries tend to be over looked when we think of advanced technologies, but the more we rely on mobile devices the more important they become.  Breakthroughs in battery technology may in reality hold the key to an even greater technological revolution.

Google is the household name with regards to searching the Web. However, it might not be the greatest search engine out there. Microsoft introduced Bing, a competitor, in 2009 and it shouldn’t be dismissed. Although many Internet users still use Google as their primary search engine, Bing has many features that make for a robust searching experience.

Taking Another Look at Bing

When searching on Bing you can get more information about your search results then you do from Google. There is a navigation panel on the left that includes related searches; this can help you refine your search if you didn’t get the information you were seeking. Additionally there is a “search history” navigation panel to help you easily navigate to past pages if needed. This feature can be toggled off and on.

Bing Goes Beyond Search Results

Bing also brings more than just search results. Say users search for websites about pop star Lady Gaga. Bing will also bring up Lady Gaga’s most recent videos. For users hunting for a flight out of town, Bing beats Google easily. The search engine utilizes something it calls Farecast Technology in its Bing Travel site. This allows users quickly locate the most affordable airfare to specific destinations.

Bing Video Search Shines

When you are searching for videos, Bing is ahead of the game. Users can specify their desired length, size, and resolution. One other impressive feature is that simply by hovering over a video, you can enjoy a preview of it.

These are some reasons why computer users should not ignore Bing. While Google is a household name, it’s not the only search engine available.

Cloud computing is very popular these days. The cloud is essentially a group of remote servers where people can store and access their information. People can store music, powerful programs, and important files in the cloud. As information kept in the cloud isn’t stored on personal computers this saves tons of computer memory. The outcome of this is that people gain access to more data without having to waste space on their computer, which could slow it down.

Not All Clouds are the Same

However, not all clouds are the same. There is the public cloud, the one with which we are most accustomed. But then there’s the hybrid cloud as well. As its name indicates, the hybrid cloud is a combination of two different types of clouds, the public cloud and a private cloud.

For an organization to provide a hybrid cloud, they store a client’s most sensitive data on their in-house private cloud, and data that requires less defense on a public cloud. For instance, archived files and large software programs.

The Hybrid Cloud Approach Makes Sense

This frees up space on the in-house servers while ensuring that certain information is highly protected. The hybrid cloud is a good method to provide businesses with high security cloud services while decreasing costs and saving space.

It’s little wonder, then, that a great number of organizations today are moving toward a hybrid cloud approach. There is way too much data floating around today for small enterprises to properly store. At the same time, businesses in the present competitive environment don’t want to reveal company secrets and sensitive consumer data to either their competition or hackers. The hybrid cloud could allow businesses to accomplish both feats.