Ever get that feeling you and your phone are meant for each other but something is standing between you? Just when things are good between you, the lithium-ion battery  cuts your special moments short as it abruptly expires?

We’re sure everyone would like extend their batter life just a little. So, good news: a company called California Lithium Battery has announced a new kind of smartphone battery that will triple your charge. 

The new batteries (dubbed GEN 3) use silicon rather than the standard graphite. 

Silicon has a much higher absorption rate of lithium ions, which flow from the cathode to the anode during charging, making silicon a better material to use when building high-capacity batteries. But there’s a problem: Silicon also rapidly deteriorates after just a few charge/discharge cycles, making it unsuitable for any longterm use. Argonne and Northwestern researchers proposed a way around this by inserting porous sheets of graphene

Full scale production may take up to three years but a working prototype is expected in as little as 6 months. The cost is still indeterminable. High cost could be a deal-breaker for the new technology. Are consumers willing to pay a pricey premium for extra battery life?

But who knows? With moderate use a standard iPhone can last up to a day and a half. Imagine one charge lasting you a whole week. How much more would you pay?

By: Hugo

On Friday, Jezebel posted an article to its website exposing racist tweets in the aftermath of President Obama’s re-election. In addition to screenshots of the Twitter accounts, the author also included the subjects’ real names, academic institutions and locations.

They were high schoolers. 

Did Jezebel cross the line? In traditional news articles the name of a minor is rarely printed, even if he or she is accused of a crime. While the police report is public, journalists consider the relevance of releasing the name and the harm it may do to the individual involved.

Could Jezebel have published the same story without publicly shaming minors? Or are their identities fair game because the information was posted to their public profiles? Leave your thoughts below. 

The new UMBC Cyber Scholars Program is seeking applicants. Incoming Freshman for the Fall 2013 school year, current students, and transfer students interested in careers in cybersecurity are encouraged to apply by January 15, 2013.

Starting Fall 2013, the Scholarship program will support 15-20 students annually with financial awards of $5,000-15,000 per year. The scholarship is more than a financial award; it is a scholarship program that fosters a community through common on-campus living-learning housing, events, and activities. Cyber Scholars will learn from and support one another throughout their college careers, and from core interaction with UMBC faculty and mentors.

Every Cyber scholar is assigned a faculty advisor who is pursuing cybersecurity-related research of their own. Advisors will help students find research and internship opportunities best suited to them.

To apply for the UMBC Cyber Scholars Program, visit Cybersecurity.umbc.edu/cyberscholars

Originally from Parnu, Estonia, Anastasia is a Computer Engineering major and a T-SITE Scholar. 

About Anastasia

When did you become interested in Computer Engineering? About two years ago while studying at community college. It was a long decision for me. At first I was majoring in Chemical Technology in Estonia and after a long break, I switched to Computer Engineering. I was always interested and successful in science and math. Understanding how computers operate on a very detailed level is very interesting to me.

What area of Computer Science interests you the most? It is a very large area of study. I do not have any actual experience working in this field, therefore it is hard to say. I think robotics and artificial intelligence sound pretty cool. In general, If I can use my knowledge to help someone, it already sounds interesting to me.

What is your dream job?I would like to work in a research and development laboratory to create new technologies for the world. To be a scientist is very fascinating!

About being a CS major

What courses are you taking? This semester, I am taking Computer Science 201, where we are learning about programming in Python. I like writing a program that actually works, such a satisfaction! It makes me wonder what else I can do?

What classes are you most excited about? I think the capstone design even though I am still far from it. I am looking forward to developing something complicated on my own in a small team.

Are you part of any on-campus clubs, organizations, teams, or labs? I am a T-SITE (Transfer Scholars in Information Technology and Engineering) scholar in the Center for Women in Technology community. I would also like to be a Golden Key honors society member next semester. It is very challenging and I hope I can keep up with it.

What is the best part about being a T-SITE? It is a gift! Besides the financial help, I have advising on any subject related to UMBC including academic and just student life related problems. I met new friends before I even attended my first class, and I felt like part of UMBC thanks to the CWIT community.

What advice would you give to other transfer students? Make sure that classes you are taking are transferable and the earlier you decide on the degree, the better. Make friends at UMBC and join some group before you even start your classes. Having someone as your friend who already had to do first steps into UMBC life and is familiar with the system will help you greatly with many unclear things.

What advice would you give to other females entering the field? Never get discouraged by the difficulty of classes. Be confident in yourself and your abilities. You are smart and can do it better than someone else (even if it doesn't seem like it to you right now!).

About life at UMBC

What is the best part about campus life at UMBC? I am commuting to UMBC and I spend a good part of my day on campus. I like how UMBC looks: very pleasant to walk around. Another great thing about UMBC is everything I might need is available right there. It's like a small town. I could even send priority mail right from campus.

What is your favorite spot on campus? The Women's Center is a great place to relax and have a cup of hot tea (I love hot tea!). There on a very cozy and comforatable couch you can relax and if you have any food with you from home, it is the best place to heat it up and eat it. It is quiet and just perfect. 

Where can you get the best coffee/lunch/ food or beverage of choice? I always go to the Commons. I like the selection that it has: sushi, Asian food, vegetarian food, Spanish, Italian, and of course American subs and burgers. That covers all tastes, I think. I tried most of it and I like it all.