Apple iPhone 7 Release Date, Price, Specs, Features, rumors, concept design, All you need to know

Apple iPhone 7 Release Date, Price, Specs, Features, rumors, design, All you need to know

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When it comes to Apple iPhone, no rumor is a rumor and no timing is too early. It is a trend that as soon as the new iOS update arrives, the wish list, for the features not included or dropped out, is rolled out by avid users and experts .  Similarly, the speculations for iPhone 7 also started with the arrival of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.  The rumors for yet to be released iPhone 7 are so rife and all over the web space that most of people are planning to buy it and want to skip the current generation Apple phone completely.

Apple iPhone7 Features:

The Cupertino Company has known to be a game changer since its early days. From Macintosh to iPod, it has been hailed as a company that does not stick to the rules and gives its users a breakthrough in terms of software, hardware and user experience.  With iPhone 7 too, Apple is expected to include some user-friendly and top-class features that will leave you asking for more!

Display

Forgot what Steve Jobs had to say about big screen size because iPhone 7 is going to be bigger. Yes, bigger than the bigger iPhone 6 Plus.  The screen size will add to the viewing pleasure as pictures are expected to be a lot crisper and videos are going to be clearer, actually larger-than-life. Learning the lesson from the clarity and screen issues of iPhone 5, Apple will try to make sure that it does not repeat the mistake twice and gives its users a screen that has superior clarity. Apart from this, rumors regarding the absence of physical home button or inclusion of TouchID sensor are also getting worked up. If this happens, this will enhance the user-friendly touch navigation for users.

Like Apple Watch, Apple could also use sapphire glass to create the display that is far more durable and resistant than Gorilla glass. This may also help the users to deal with the major concern of brokenscreens.  The new iPhone 7 could also use liquid metal for chassis that is better and durable than aluminum. Since Apple has already been using smaller quantities of the liquid metal, we won’t be surprised if it goes overboard with it.

Also, if patents filed by Apple are any criteria, expect the iPhone 7 to use face recognition method to unlock the device.

Camera:

In this digital age, when people are getting crazy over cameras and selfies, Apple will ensure that you do not have to carry a digital camera ever in your bag again. The 14megapixel front panel camera and 4megapixel front camera are enough parameters to confirm this.  Camera specs of Apple iPhones are already exceptional and thus, this will be an icing on the cake.

Processor

Processor is the backbone of any gadget. It ensures lag free and smooth performance for a phone.  When it comes to processor, Apple has always deployed the best of technology and architecture in place to give you a faster and better performance.  iPhone 7 is not going to be an exception too.  Rumors are pointing towards a quad-core A8 processor or even a better one that will take multi-tasking on Apple iPhone 7 to a new level.

Memory

iPhone 6 Plus has already given a storage options to up to 128GB that makes the microSD card slot absolutely superfluous. Expect the iPhone 7 to set even a better benchmark that most of OEMs would find difficult to beat.  It could be 256GB or even unlimited, you never know!

Projector:

According to the rumors, iPhone 7 is expected to have an in-built projector. This is not going to be the only phone to flaunt this feature as Samsung Galaxy Beam has a built-in projector that enables larger viewing experience via phone. But as we all know, Samsung follows in the footsteps on Apple and it has never been the other way around. May be, Apple would teach Samsung a lesson or two on how to incorporate a new technology! If this rumor comes true, most of users who work at corporate houses and use projectors for PowerPoint presentation would rush to buy it.

4G Connectivity:

iPhone 7 will let you enjoy unhindered Internet streaming with support for 4G connectivity currently offered by AT&T and Sprint.

Battery:

With such powerful features and specs, the battery needs to be potent enough to juice the device properly. On this front, the indication for new battery technology is pretty strong that will allow you to use iPhone 7 for extended hours on a single charge. What is new here is the battery that will be environmental-friendly and will use the organic materials. This will replace the traditional Li-On battery and is expected to get recharged faster.

Other Applications:

Rumor mills are churning out news that App Store for iPhone 7 will be flooded with several innovative applications to engage you even more.

iPhone 7 Release Date

So, when this ‘father of all iPhones’ is going to see the light of day? I am sure many of you will be wondering and looking for the answer to this million dollar question. Well, if rumors are to be believed, the iPhone 7 will be released across the world in the third quarter of the year 2015. If we look at the pattern of Apple’s product lifecycle, it also seems to be true as the company releases its devices in third quarter of every year.

However, we also note that to take on the competition and quick product cycles of Android phones, Apple may have to revise its release cycle of iPhones and change it to twice a year schedule.

iPhone 7 Price

Given its power-packed processor, innovative apps, best ever under-the-hood specs and crisper display, iPhone 7 is going to be costlier than all of its older siblings.  On an average, you may end up shelling anywhere between $649 and $849 to own this piece of technological beauty. We are completely clueless whether this pricing include a contract fee or not. However, as Android smartphone market is aggressively taking control of world mobile phone market, we can expect from the California-based company to keep the prices competitive enough to lure the larger segment as well as present an attractive buying proposition to fence sitters.

The height of speculations can go to a pretty crazy point with Apple. Also, we all know that the company always remains tight-lipped about its upcoming devices and software updates, to the level that it signs a MOU with the employees who are testing these.

Only a few devices go outside the company’s premise for real-time testing and the employees, who are chosen to do this, are kept on a tight leash but that does not stop the rumor mills and never going to curb the debate over the features of iPhone 7. Until the time, Apple announces the release date and price for the much-coveted Apple flagship, we must have to agree on the point that iPhone 7 is going to be lighter, smarter, bigger and of course an intuitive smartphone than its predecessors. Meanwhile, let us all wait to get the first glimpse of Apple iPhone 7 with bated breath!

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Walmart To Give 40% Of Workers Pay Rise To $9 Per Hour.

Walmart To Give 40% Of Workers Pay Rise To $9 Per Hour.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon has been talking of a possible raise for the company’s workers for months now. On Thursday morning, as the Bentonville, Ark.-based retail giant released its earnings, he made it official.

In a statement accompanying Walmart’s fourth quarter report, McMillon announced what he called a “bold new initiative” that’ll see 500,000 of its low-wage workers — about 40% of its 1.3 million-strong U.S. workforce –  given a pay boost well above the federal minimum wage:
Approximately 500,000 full-time and part-time associates at Walmart U.S. stores and Sam’s Clubs will receive pay raises in the first half of the current fiscal year. Current and future associates will benefit from this initiative, which ensures that Walmart hourly associates earn at least $1.75 above today’s federal minimum wage, or $9.00 per hour, in April. The following year, by Feb. 1, 2016, current associates will earn at least $10.00 per hour.

Walmart will also invest in training, hiring, scheduling, and store management, to the tune of $1 billion. McMillon said in his statement that the retailer aims to give its employees “more control over their schedules.”

The big-box chain has long been criticized for its scheduling at the store level, with workers seeking more hours — at least, those workers who have regularly protested for better pay and improved conditions over the past three years.While Thursday’s pay boost announcement is a long way off the $15 per hour its protesting employees demand, the new $9 pay makes Walmart more competitive in a retail landscape more sensitive than ever to the plight of low-wage workers.

A year ago, Gap GPS  +0.86% Inc. announced a salary hike to $10 an hour for workers across its 5 store chains. In June, Ikea followed suit with a pay boost to $10.76 an hour for its U.S. workers.

Nature's Strongest Material Found In A Sea Snail's 'Bite'.

A scanning electron microscope image of limpet teeth

The winner in the strong man competition of the natural materials world might surprise you. The teeth of the aquatic snail-like limpet may have snatched the title for strongest known natural material.

“Until now we thought that spider silk was the strongest biological material because of its super-strength and potential applications in everything from bullet-proof vests to computer electronics but now we have discovered that limpet teeth exhibit a strength that is potentially higher,” said Professor Asa Barber in a release from the University of Portsmouth, which conducted a study published this week in the Royal Society journal Interface.

Limpets carry conical, almost hat-like shells, and use their tiny teeth that contain a hard mineral known as goethite to scrape their way along the surface of shoreline rocks and remove algae that they eat when the tide is in. 

“We discovered that the fibres of goethite are just the right size to make up a resilient composite structure,” Barber said.
He says those structures could be mimicked to create stronger materials for things like Formula One racecars or the hulls of boats and planes. What makes the structure of goethite particularly compelling is that it it doesn’t grow weaker in bigger structures.

“Generally a big structure has lots of flaws and can break more easily than a smaller structure, which has fewer flaws and is stronger. The problem is that most structures have to be fairly big so they’re weaker than we would like. Limpet teeth break this rule as their strength is the same no matter what the size.”

What Apple's Hiring of Zane Lowe Signal for the Company's Music Strategy.

What Apple's Hiring of Zane Lowe Signal for the Company's Music Strategy.

Apple's hiring of BBC Radio 1 host Zane Lowe could mark a huge shift in programming strategy for Beats Music and iTunes Radio. A move away from nameless programming toward programming featuring brand-name personalities would give Apple's streaming products the mainstream appeal they need.

Lowe was short on specifics in an interview with The Guardian. "I want to be able to bring that human experience, that we all had growing up with record stores, but actually make it something you can listen to in a world where you're left to your own devices," he said. One thing that's known is Lowe will work in Los Angeles, the location of Beats Music (located in Culver City, specifically) rather than the Apple headquarters in Cupertino.

Zane Lowe Talks Decision to Leave BBC for Apple

Although vague, Lowe's statement echoed those of Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine when he discussed the streaming service's approach to delivering music to customers. "There's an ocean of music out there," Iovine said at a technology conference in February 2013, one of many expressions of disappointment with streaming services listening experience. "And there's absolutely no curation for it."

Apple is getting Lowe's name recognition, strength as a radio presenter and extensive experience interviewing musicians. His hiring could -- and probably should -- be the first step in increasing the starpower of the content for Beats Music and iTunes Radio (or whatever these services will be called in the future).

Apple Doesn't Want to Compete -- It Wants to Own the Record Business

You could be forgiven for thinking Apple could effectively rely solely on its hardware and software. Apple has a unique and powerful combination of hardware the attendant operating systems (Mac OS X and iOS) alongside its digital music services. The hardware and operating systems create a distribution system for the streaming services. Partnerships with auto manufacturers extend Apple's reach to a natural environment for audio services. Apple also has 800 million credit cards on file, although not all of them have or will be used to purchase or access music.

But Lowe's hiring helps Apple address a problem: The Beats Music approach hasn't made an impression on consumers. From the user's perspective, Beats Music's various programmers, who were chosen for their keen knowledge of specific genres, are no different than the nameless, faceless playlist curators at Spotify, Deezer, Rhapsody and other streaming services. Beats Music takes the most "human" approach of all streaming services, employing a cadre of programmers that create playlists for particular tastes. Beats Music does not hide the identities of these editors -- they are named in numerous articles and can be found on LinkedIn -- but the service does hide their identities within its application.

Indie Execs Voice Concern Over iTunes Store Changes

Apple also needs well-known personalities to help drive adoption. The precedent? SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Like Apple, SiriusXM has a powerful combination of assets; satellite technology and a distribution network of automobile manufacturers, used car sellers and original equipment manufacturers. This has allowed SiriusXM to reach consumers where they most enjoy listening to radio. Nearly 3 in 4 people surveyed prefer to listen to some form of radio in the car, according to the Edison Research/Triton Digital "The Infinite Dial 2014" report. Content is also a key. SiriusXM offers not just music channels but a range of talk radio, sports and news programming.

SiriusXM also has personalities. Big names help drive people to the service, keep them listening and keep them subscribing. The most well-known personality at SiriusXM is Howard Stern, whose current contract, which expires this year, is believed to pay $80 million a year (his previous contract paid him $100 million a year in cash and stock).

Aside from Stern, SiriusXM has a collection of radio stations built on brand names: Pearl Jam Radio, E Street Radio featuring the music of Bruce Springsteen, Underground Garage with Little Steven, the Jimmy Buffet-themed Radio Margaritaville and Tiësto's Club Life Radio. Even the stations with brand names have DJs people can become familiar with over time.

This combination of platform, distribution, content and personalities has worked wonders for SiriusXM. According to its 2014 earnings release, the company's average revenue per user, or ARPU, was $12.48 last year. It finished the year with 27.3 million subscribers (22.5 million were self-pay subscribers and 4.8 million were paid promotional subscribers for which the company receives a payment from the car manufacturer), revenues of $4.18 billion and net income of $493 million.

Exactly how Apple will utilize Lowe is mere speculation at this point. One can reasonably speculate that Lowe will do more than create playlists. He could record segments and interview artists. Yes, talking on a music streaming service. Apple's acquisition of podcast aggregator Swell is evidence the company already wants to incorporate spoken word to its on-demand streaming services. He could create a live music station that streams music 24/7. On-demand services haven't swayed from their missions of providing personalized music, but they should consider integrating live radio stations into their on-demand offerings. He could bring new programming and excitement to iTunes Radio.

Lowe could be the first of many hires. Apple seems to recognizes that big names will be required to make its streaming services successful. And if the hiring spree turns into an arms race, with companies bidding up the price for DJs and other personalities, Apple is one of just a few companies with the proper resources. Thus, taking the SiriusXM approach to hiring personalities could create great music services while crowding out smaller competitors.

The value of Stern is instructive here. Stern helped Sirius -- this was before the merger with XM Radio -- exceed its projected subscriber acquisition. By 2010, Stern was responsible for between $312 million and $390 million of SiriusXM's annual revenue, according to one estimate. That contract cost SiriusXM $500 million over 5 years, but Stern was worth it. The question now is how much top talent is worth to Apple.

Lowe could be the first hire of many. Apple apparently recognizes the value of brand names in programming, and there are numerous personalities and artist partnerships worth pursuing. If Apple is thinking big, it should consider hiring the likes of Ryan Seacrest for its music programs and Ira Glass, of "This American Life," for its podcast efforts. And if the hiring spree turns into an arms race, with companies bidding up the price for DJs and other personalities, Apple is one of a few companies with enough resources to remain standing.

Microsoft adds digital ink and search in OneNote for iPad.

Microsoft adds digital ink and search in OneNote for iPad.

Did someone declare this to be “let’s all make the iPad better with stylus support” week and not tell me? First we had Astropad, a $50 app that turns Apple’s slate into a graphics tablet, and now Microsoft is bringing of digital handwriting support to the iPad.

Microsoft announced the software update to its OneNote application that adds the new feature on Thursday, pointing out that OneNote has actually supported digital ink since 2003. I actually didn’t need the reminder: I remember using the first iterations of OneNote way back then on a convertible Windows Tablet PC with digital stylus. I said back then — and I still believe it’s true — that OneNote is one of the best pieces of software ever to come from Microsoft.

If you’re not familiar with the app, it works similarly to Evernote, helping you capture and categorize snippets of text, screenshots, photos and other data, including audio recordings. The secret sauce of OneNote, however, has long been its excellent digital ink support, completely with OCR, or optical character recognition.

This lets the app index all information to make it fully searchable, either in the app or in OneNote Online. The latest version of OneNote for iPad doesn’t yet do that for handwritten notes but does for images. This example shows a search for “strawberries” on a receipt photo, for example.

With the latest software update to OneNote, Apple iPad owners will see a Draw option in the app. Tap it and you can draw or write with your finger or a stylus; the latter is clearly recommended. You can digitally annotate any captured content in OneNote with this feature. Microsoft even added a palm rejection feature so your hand doesn’t accidentally “write” something when using a stylus.

Again, OneNote has been around for more than a decade, so it’s not new. It is, however, possibly one of the most underrated software products Microsoft has ever developed while also being one of the most useful. It’s well worth a preview from the iTunes App Store,particularly since it’s free for your iPad.

Apple in big solar power deal, market cap closes over $700 bln

Apple in big solar power deal, market cap closes over $700 bln.

Apple Inc will buy about $850 million of power from a new California solar farm to cut its energy bill, the iPhone maker said on Tuesday as its stock market value closed above $700 billion for the first time.

The First Solar Inc plant, with the capacity to power the equivalent of 60,000 homes, will be used to supply electricity for Apple's new campus in Silicon Valley, and its other offices and 52 stores in the state, Chief Executive Tim Cook said at a Goldman Sachs technology conference in San Francisco.

Cook addressed investors as Apple's stock market value closed at $710.74 billion for the first time, buoyed by record sales of big-screen iPhones and a December-quarter profit that was the largest in corporate history.

Apple was already the world's largest publicly traded company by stock value.

The plant in Monterey County, California will also power an Apple data center in Newark, California that already relies on solar power.

"We expect to have a very significant savings because we have a fixed price for the renewable energy, and there's quite a difference between that price and the price of brown energy," Cook said.

"We know in Apple that climate change is real. The time for talk is passed," he added. "The time for action is now."

First Solar, based in Tempe, Arizona, manufactures solar panels and builds solar power plants, many of which it sells to power producers.

Construction of the 2,900-acre California Flats Solar Project is expected to start in mid-2015 and finish by the end of next year, First Solar said in a statement.

Apple will receive electricity from 130 megawatts of capacity under a 25-year purchase agreement, the largest in the industry to provide clean energy to a commercial end user, First Solar said. Output of the project's remaining 150 megawatts will go to Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

Apple will not receive an equity stake in the project and will make the payments over the lifetime of the deal rather than all at once, First Solar spokesman Steve Krum said.

"The reason that they made this choice is because they saw a way to save economically," Krum said. "You won't have price volatility from other fuel sources. The fuel is free. It's competitively priced from other options they would have."

The project could not have gone forward without Apple’s participation, Krum said.

Apple already uses renewable energy to power its data centers. Last week, it said it would invest $2 billion over 10 years to convert a failed sapphire glass plant in Arizona into a data center that would be powered mostly by solar energy.

"Apple still has work to do to reduce its environmental footprint, but other Fortune 500 CEOs would be well served to make a study of Tim Cook," Greenpeace said in a statement following Tuesday's announcement.

Shares of Apple ended up 1.92 percent at $122.02. First Solar rose 3 percent in extended trade after closing up 4.77 percent at $48.54.

Obama to Seek War Power Bill From Congress, to Fight ISIS

Obama to Seek War Power Bill From Congress, to Fight ISIS. WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has informed lawmakers that the president will seek a formal authorization to fight the Islamic State that would prohibit the use of “enduring offensive ground forces” and limit engagement to three years. The approach offers what the White House hopes is a middle way on Capitol Hill for those on the right and left who remain deeply skeptical of its plans to thwart extremist groups. The request, which could come in writing as early as Wednesday morning, would open what is expected to be a monthslong debate over presidential war powers and the wisdom of committing to another unpredictable mission in the Middle East while the nation is still struggling with the consequences of two prolonged wars. Congress has not voted to give a president formal authority for a military operation since 2002 when it backed George W. Bush in his campaign to strike Iraq after his administration promoted evidence, since discredited, that Saddam Hussein’s government possessed unconventional weapons. The new request to conduct military operations would repeal that authorization. But it would leave in place the broad authority to counter terrorism that Congress granted Mr. Bush in 2001after the Sept. 11 attacks, which many Democrats now believe is being interpreted too broadly to justify military actions that were never intended. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut and a member of the Armed Services Committee, said as he left the meeting that he had “grave reservations” and that he had “yet to be convinced.” Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, echoed the concerns of many lawmakers who are worried that giving the president approval would only reward a decade of mismanagement in the Middle East. “If money or military might would change that part of the world, we’d be done a long time ago,” he said. “In West Virginia, we understand the definition of insanity.” The Obama administration has insisted that it does not need Congress’ authority to continue its military campaign. But an affirmative vote from Congress would bolster the legitimacy that the president already claims as commander in chief in the battle against the Islamic State, which is also known as ISIS or ISIL, and confer a stronger legal underpinning for his actions. Many Republicans, despite opposing Mr. Obama on almost every other issue, seem willing to give him that authority. “I have disagreements with the president’s conduct of foreign policy and what he’s done,” said Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona and a member of the Foreign Relations Committee. “But in this instance, we need an Authorization for the Use of Military Force. Our enemies and our allies need to know that we speak with one voice.” In a reflection of how strained relations between the White House and congressional Republicans remain, reaction to the president’s proposal in many corners of the Capitol on Tuesday was that of grudging acceptance. “You go to war with the president you’ve got, which would give us all pause,” said Senator Mark S. Kirk, Republican of Illinois. Asked whether he had reservations about voting to approve Mr. Obama’s request, Mr. Kirk did not hesitate. “No. I think it’s the right thing to do to take these guys out.” Administration officials refused to discuss what was in their proposal, saying it would be made public shortly. With the exception of some more libertarian-leaning lawmakers who will oppose the president because they object in principle to getting involved in another war, Mr. Obama’s biggest problems may not be with Republicans but with Democrats. After more than a decade of war and 7,000 American military lives lost in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Obama will face doubts not only from Democrats who want stricter limitations set on where he can send troops and how long his authority will last, but also from Republicans, who are dubious of the administration’s strategy for defeating the Islamic State extremist group. chief. The resolution also requests authority to wage battle beyond the fight against the Islamic State to include “associated forces.” It would contain no geographic limitations. Both are sticking points for many Democrats, who expressed concern that the president was setting the country up for another open-ended conflict. Those tensions surfaced on Tuesday as Mr. Obama’s chief of staff, Denis McDonough, visited the Capitol to present Democrats with the outlines of the language the White House plans to send to Congress. By most accounts, he faced a skeptical audience. The sharpest debate is likely to focus on the prohibition of “enduring offensive ground operations” and whether that term is so vague that it could allow Mr. Obama or a future president to launch the kind of ground war that so many lawmakers fear. Because the president would not need to go back to Congress to seek another Islamic State force authorization until 2017, the legislation would cover the next president as well. “Unless that is further defined, that might be seen as too big a statement to ultimately embrace,” said Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, the senior Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee. “Because forget about Barack Obama. There will be a new president in two years. And this authorization would go into that new presidency.” Some Democrats expressed another concern: The president’s plan does not repeal the 2001 force authorization. Many believe the Bush and Obama administrations have stretched that authorization to justify actions that Congress never intended. “The administration is making a good-faith effort to bridge the gulf between members on what the limits ought to be,” said Representative Adam B. Schiff, Democrat of California, adding that he was uncomfortable with much of what he has seen floated, especially the lack of a 2001 repeal. “If you don’t sunset that,” he said, “any sunset you put in a new authorization is pretty meaningless because any president can rely on the 2001 authority to claim they have all they need.” But regardless of what parameters Congress sets on the president, the White House has made clear that it believes it is already operating well within its constitutional authority. And its proposal indicates that the administration is planning for an extended and expanding fight. The omission of any language setting geographic boundaries appeared to anticipate the possibility of attacking the group should it gain a foothold in Lebanon or Jordan, which has fought off sporadic attacks from Islamic State fighters. It could also be used to address future threats from small bands of violent Islamist militants in Libya, Yemen and other Middle Eastern and North African countries that have “rebranded” their identities to take the Islamic State name, and benefit from its notoriety, American officials said.

Indian American researcher gets $500,000 Science Foundation award

Indian American researcher gets $500,000 Science Foundation award.

Gurpreet Singh, an Indian American assistant professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering at Kansas State University, has received a $500,000 National Science Foundation Career award for his research on nanosheets.

The prestigious award will also help Singh organize educational activities for high school students and teachers.

Singh has received the award for his research on "Scalable liquid exfoliation processing of ultrathin two-dimensional metal dichalcogenides nanosheets for energy storage devices," according to a University release.

He will use the award to develop ultrathin metal sheets that can help produce better rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors and catalysts for photoelectrochemical hydrogen production.

Singh also plans to organize hands-on educational activities, including nanotechnology-oriented summer workshops for high school science teachers and female high school students.

"I want to create excitement about the opportunities in nanotechnology and also make others aware of the challenges related to scalable manufacture and high-cost that is currently hindering introduction in practical applications," Singh said.

With his Career award, Singh will study large-scale production of ultrathin sheets - a few atoms thick and several micrometers wide - of transition metal dichalcogenides, or TMDs. Nearly 40 types of TMDs have been identified, including naturally occurring molybdenite.

Little is known about the structure of TMDs and their mechanical, electrical and electrochemical properties, Singh said.

Some of TMDs' physical and chemical properties can address energy-related concerns. For these TMDs to improve technology, they must be produced in ultrathin sheets, Singh said.

Bulk quantities of nanosheets are necessary for energy applications, including rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors and catalysts for photo-electrochemical hydrogen production.

No current method is available to cost-effectively produce atomically thin TMDs in large quantifies, Singh said. His research aims to make that possible.

"For long-term sustainability it is important to look at alternative energy production routes as well as methods for efficient energy storage and distribution," Singh said.

"This requires exploration into new materials and designs that can offer superior performance with improved efficiency and at a fraction of the cost."

Some of Singh's other research has focused on using graphene oxide to improve sodium- and lithium-ion flexible batteries and creating carbon nanotubes for better laser detectors and rechargeable batteries.

I Wanted To Retire From Cricket After 2007 World Cup: Sachin Tendulkar.

I Wanted To Retire From Cricket After 2007 World Cup: Sachin Tendulkar. Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday revealed he was so heartbroken by India's first round exit in 2007 World Cup that he thought of retiring from cricket. India, including Tendulkar, fared miserably against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the group stage of the One-Day International (ODI) World Cup, held in the West Indies. They managed only a win in the group stage, against minnows Bermuda, to crash out of the tournament. The "Master Blaster" faced severe criticism for scoring seven and a duck in the crucial matches against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, respectively. In an interview to Headlines Today, Tendulkar said he had come close to retiring from cricket in 2007 but was persuaded against it by his elder brother Ajit. His brother told him to continue playing to achieve his dream of winning the World Cup in 2011 in India. "I still remember (after) 2007 (World Cup) when I came back home, I was so depressed and so upset with the way we had performed. I actually thought of retiring then. I called my brother over, Ajit, and told him that I do not want to continue," Tendulkar said. "The game has been cruel to us and I want to stop. That was when he said, 'can you imagine in 2011 you are here at Wankhede stadium holding that beautiful trophy. That is when you should think of retiring'. That conversation really helped and it motivated me to go out and play with a purpose," the Mumbai-born cricketer said. Four years later, India managed to beat Sri Lanka in the final in Mumbai to realise Tendulkar's dream. The 41-year-old, who scored 100 international hundreds in a career spanning 24 years, admitted he was superstitious throughout the tournament, stopping himself as well as his opening partner Virender Sehwag from stepping out of the dressing room during matches. He also barred himself from watching television during the final as, "one can make out what is happening in the stadium by the crowds response". "I did cry when I went out in the middle after the victory. I did cry. This was the only time I had happy tears. Because that moment was just a priceless moment. That moment was something that you can only dream off." Giving credit to the entire team for a solid performance in the World Cup 2011, the batting maestro said: "Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, they were all fired up for the tournament," he said. The former batsman recalled how the Indian team had progressed since their disastrous 2007 World Cup campaign to becoming the World No.1 team in Tests. "We had started playing really good cricket and wanted to take that momentum into the World Cup and we finished really well," the Rajya Sabha member said. Talking about matches against Pakistan, Tendulkar admitted playing the traditional put additional pressure on the team. "It is a different atmosphere altogether. A game with Pakistan is not about pressure only on that day. In 2003, when we had to play Pakistan at Centurion, my friends had started talking about it a good 10 months ago. And they wanted us to win that match. Of course, we do not think that way." Recalling his fondest Cup memory, Tendulkar said nothing came close to that moment when he lifted the World Cup in his hands. "It was not my trophy, it was our trophy, it was the nation's trophy," he concluded.

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