mobile phones – Lifeboat News: The Blog https://lifeboat.com/blog Safeguarding Humanity Fri, 18 Jul 2025 22:06:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 ReElement Technologies uses Purdue tech in rare earth elements production critical to semiconductor manufacturing, other new-age technologies https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/reelement-technologies-uses-purdue-tech-in-rare-earth-elements-production-critical-to-semiconductor-manufacturing-other-new-age-technologies https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/reelement-technologies-uses-purdue-tech-in-rare-earth-elements-production-critical-to-semiconductor-manufacturing-other-new-age-technologies#respond Fri, 18 Jul 2025 22:06:19 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/reelement-technologies-uses-purdue-tech-in-rare-earth-elements-production-critical-to-semiconductor-manufacturing-other-new-age-technologies

Many essential products, from smartphones and magnets to electric vehicles, semiconductors and wind turbines, need rare earth metals to perform.

The rapidly growing demand for these critical products has led to increased need for domestic production of rare earth elements (REEs). However, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, the nation is still lagging globally behind countries such as China, with just over 14% of the world’s REE raw ore production and none of the world’s refining capacity. Purdue University is changing this harsh reality by using its patented rare earth technology in a partnership with Indiana-based ReElement Technologies in an effort to narrow the gap between the U.S. and the rest of the world in this critical industry.


Indy-area company builds on cutting-edge Purdue technology to help narrow the international gap in essential area.

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Google sues to disrupt BadBox 2.0 botnet infecting 10 million devices https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/google-sues-to-disrupt-badbox-2-0-botnet-infecting-10-million-devices https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/google-sues-to-disrupt-badbox-2-0-botnet-infecting-10-million-devices#respond Fri, 18 Jul 2025 11:17:03 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/google-sues-to-disrupt-badbox-2-0-botnet-infecting-10-million-devices

Google has filed a lawsuit against the anonymous operators of the Android BadBox 2.0 malware botnet, accusing them of running a global ad fraud scheme against the company’s advertising platforms.

The BadBox 2.0 malware botnet is a cybercrime operation that utilizes infected Android Open Source Project (AOSP) devices, including smart TVs, streaming boxes, and other connected devices that lack security protections, such as Google Play Protect.

These devices become infected either by threat actors purchasing low-cost AOSP devices, modifying the operating system to include the BadBox 2 malware, and then reselling them online, or by tricking users into downloading and installing malicious apps on their devices that contain the malware.

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Shedding new light on invisible forces: Hidden magnetic clues in everyday metals unlocked https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/shedding-new-light-on-invisible-forces-hidden-magnetic-clues-in-everyday-metals-unlocked https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/shedding-new-light-on-invisible-forces-hidden-magnetic-clues-in-everyday-metals-unlocked#respond Thu, 17 Jul 2025 11:07:11 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/shedding-new-light-on-invisible-forces-hidden-magnetic-clues-in-everyday-metals-unlocked

A team of scientists has developed a powerful new way to detect subtle magnetic signals in common metals like copper, gold, and aluminum—using nothing more than light and a clever technique. Their research, recently published in Nature Communications, could pave the way for advances in everything from smartphones to quantum computing.

For over a century, scientists have known that bend in a magnetic field—a phenomenon known as the Hall effect. In like iron, this effect is strong and well understood. But in ordinary, non-magnetic metals like copper or gold, the effect is much weaker.

In theory, a related phenomenon—the optical Hall effect—should help scientists visualize how electrons behave when light and magnetic fields interact. But at , this effect has remained far too subtle to detect. The scientific world knew it was there, but lacked the tools to measure it.

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Microneedle-based integrated pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluation platform for personalized medicine https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/microneedle-based-integrated-pharmacokinetic-and-pharmacodynamic-evaluation-platform-for-personalized-medicine https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/microneedle-based-integrated-pharmacokinetic-and-pharmacodynamic-evaluation-platform-for-personalized-medicine#respond Thu, 17 Jul 2025 03:03:15 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/microneedle-based-integrated-pharmacokinetic-and-pharmacodynamic-evaluation-platform-for-personalized-medicine

Precision and personalized medicine for disease management necessitates real-time, continuous monitoring of biomarkers and therapeutic drugs to adjust treatment regimens based on individual patient responses. This study introduces a wearable Microneedle-based Continuous Biomarker/Drug Monitoring (MCBM) system, designed for the simultaneous, in vivo pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluation for diabetes. Utilizing a dual-sensor microneedle and a layer-by-layer nanoenzyme immobilization strategy, the MCBM system achieves high sensitivity and specificity in measuring glucose and metformin concentrations in skin interstitial fluid (ISF). Seamless integration with a smartphone application enables real-time data analysis and feedback, fostering a pharmacologically informed approach to diabetes management. The MCBM system’s validation and in vivo trials demonstrate its precise monitoring of glucose and metformin, offering a tool for personalized treatment adjustments. Its proven biocompatibility and safety suit long-term usage. This system advances personalized diabetes care, highlighting the move towards wearables that adjust drug dosages in real-time, enhancing precision and personalized medicine.


Real-time monitoring of drugs and biomarkers is essential for personalized diabetes care. Here, the authors present a wearable microneedle sensor system enabling simultaneous in vivo monitoring of glucose and metformin in interstitial fluids for personalized medicine.

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Next-gen rod LEDs could transform smartphones and TVs with ultra-bright and color-rich displays https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/next-gen-rod-leds-could-transform-smartphones-and-tvs-with-ultra-bright-and-color-rich-displays https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/next-gen-rod-leds-could-transform-smartphones-and-tvs-with-ultra-bright-and-color-rich-displays#respond Wed, 16 Jul 2025 06:19:42 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/next-gen-rod-leds-could-transform-smartphones-and-tvs-with-ultra-bright-and-color-rich-displays

Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) School of Engineering have cracked a major challenge in display technology by inventing the world’s brightest and most energy efficient quantum rod LEDs (QRLEDs). These next-generation QRLEDs feature optimized deep green emission at the top of the color triangle, enabling displays with unprecedented color purity and a maximized color gamut.

Boasting a longer lifespan and triple the brightness of previous models, these cutting-edge light sources deliver energy-efficient, ultra-vivid visuals for smartphones, televisions, and AR/VR devices while further enhancing color performance.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been widely used in electronic products for decades. Recent advancements in have given rise to quantum dot LEDs (QLEDs) and QRLEDs. Both offer narrow emission bandwidths and high color purity, surpassing traditional LEDs. Among these, QRLEDs excel with higher light outcoupling efficiency.

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Android malware Konfety uses malformed APKs to evade detection https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/android-malware-konfety-uses-malformed-apks-to-evade-detection https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/android-malware-konfety-uses-malformed-apks-to-evade-detection#respond Wed, 16 Jul 2025 06:16:01 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/android-malware-konfety-uses-malformed-apks-to-evade-detection

A new variant of the Konfety Android malware emerged with a malformed ZIP structure along with other obfuscation methods that allow it to evade analysis and detection.

Konfety poses as a legitimate app, mimicking innocuous products available on Google Play, but features none of the promised functionality.

The capabilities of the malware include redirecting users to malicious sites, pushing unwanted app installs, and fake browser notifications.

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Terabytes of data in a tiny crystal https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/terabytes-of-data-in-a-tiny-crystal https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/terabytes-of-data-in-a-tiny-crystal#respond Wed, 16 Jul 2025 06:03:28 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/terabytes-of-data-in-a-tiny-crystal

From punch card-operated looms in the 1800s to modern cellphones, if an object has “on” and “off” states, it can be used to store information.

In a laptop computer, the ones and zeroes that make up the binary language are actually transistors either running at low or high voltage. On a compact disc, the one is a spot where a tiny indented “pit” turns to a flat “land” or vice versa, while a zero represents no change.

Historically, the size of the object cycling through those states has put a limit on the size of the storage device. But now, researchers from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering have explored a technique to make the metaphorical ones and zeroes out of crystal defects, each the size of an individual atom, for classical computer memory applications.


UChicago researchers created a ‘quantum-inspired’ revolution in microelectronics, storing classical computer memory in crystal gaps where atoms should be.

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Smartphone sensors reveal mental health patterns through daily behavior tracking https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/smartphone-sensors-reveal-mental-health-patterns-through-daily-behavior-tracking https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/smartphone-sensors-reveal-mental-health-patterns-through-daily-behavior-tracking#respond Wed, 16 Jul 2025 02:08:42 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/smartphone-sensors-reveal-mental-health-patterns-through-daily-behavior-tracking

Smartphones can help people stay healthy by monitoring their sleep, steps and heart rate, but they also can help reveal issues tied to mental health, new research shows.

In a study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers from the University of Michigan, University of Minnesota and University of Pittsburgh used smartphone sensors as silent observers of daily life. These tracked simple actions, such as how much we move, sleep or check our phones but also provided surprising insights into how our psychological well-being manifests in everyday routines.

The researchers found that many different mental disorders share similar behavior patterns, like staying home more, sleeping late and not charging phones often. Such behaviors may show someone’s level of something called the “p-factor,” which links many issues.

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Low-power, nonvolatile RF switch promises energy-efficient 6G and autonomous vehicle communications https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/low-power-nonvolatile-rf-switch-promises-energy-efficient-6g-and-autonomous-vehicle-communications https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/low-power-nonvolatile-rf-switch-promises-energy-efficient-6g-and-autonomous-vehicle-communications#respond Mon, 14 Jul 2025 02:12:27 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/low-power-nonvolatile-rf-switch-promises-energy-efficient-6g-and-autonomous-vehicle-communications

A research team affiliated with UNIST has unveiled a new semiconductor device optimized for the next-generation 6G era and autonomous driving, offering low power consumption and nonvolatile operation. This innovative device can also be integrated into variable filter circuits capable of tuning the central frequency band, paving the way for more compact and energy-efficient communication equipment.

Jointly led by Professor Myungsoo Kim of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Professor Tae-Sik Yoon of the Graduate School of Semiconductor Materials and Devices Engineering at UNIST, the team announced the development of nonvolatile radio-frequency (RF) based on vanadium oxide (VOx) for next-generation wireless communication systems. The paper is published in Advanced Science.

RF switches are essential semiconductor components in modern wireless communication systems, such as autonomous systems, smartphones, VR, and AR. They control the flow of high-frequency signals within circuits by connecting or disconnecting specific pathways, enabling reliable signal routing.

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Researchers demonstrate room-temperature lasing in photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/researchers-demonstrate-room-temperature-lasing-in-photonic-crystal-surface-emitting-laser https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/researchers-demonstrate-room-temperature-lasing-in-photonic-crystal-surface-emitting-laser#respond Mon, 14 Jul 2025 02:08:45 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/07/researchers-demonstrate-room-temperature-lasing-in-photonic-crystal-surface-emitting-laser

In a first for the field, researchers from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have reported a photopumped lasing from a buried dielectric photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser emitting at room temperature and an eye-safe wavelength. Their findings, published in IEEE Photonics Journal, improve upon current laser design and open new avenues for defense applications.

For decades, the lab of Kent Choquette, professor of electrical and computer engineering, has explored VCSELs, a type of surface-emitting laser used in common technology like smartphones, laser printers, barcode scanners, and even vehicles. But in early 2020, the Choquette lab became interested in groundbreaking research from a Japanese group that introduced a new type of laser called photonic-crystal surface-emitting lasers, or PCSELs.

PCSELs are a newer field of semiconductor lasers that use a photonic crystal layer to produce a with highly desirable characteristics such as high brightness and narrow, round spot sizes. This type of laser is useful for defense applications such as LiDAR, a remote sensing technology used in battlefield mapping, navigation, and target tracking. With funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory, Choquette’s group wanted to examine this new technology and make their own advancements in the growing field.

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