Increasing consumer usage of mobile devices creates a need to combine mobile and PC customer data.

As consumers’ mobile device use continues to exponentially increase, the necessity of combining mobile and PC customer data grows by the day. A whopping 60 percent of time Americans spend on the internet is done so via mobile devices. Furthermore, 52 percent of connected time is spent in apps instead of in traditional web browsers.

With this trend almost certain to continue, it’s time to find a simple solution for combining mobile and PC data. Gathering cookie data from the PC side of things – along with mobile data from app measurement companies – is simple enough. The challenge lies in combining these datasets into one individual customer profile.

For now, the solution is device graphs, which “match” one user’s devices by using data like login info and Wi-Fi IPs. By combining these separate datasets into one, companies can compile a much more complete picture of their customers’ online tendencies.

With mobile data use continually on the rise, the demand for solutions grows in another area: How do we keep consumers’ devices charged up? After all, nobody’s buying anything or perusing any apps if their device is dead. Yet again, it seems that charging station kiosks are the answer to this ever-growing problem. Charging kiosks provide a great solution for dead phones while you are on the go, lets face it.. this generation is always on the go!

Summer 2015 is shaping up to be one hot summer full of Music Festivals in the USA. It’s no surprise that summer is the perfect time for music festivals and summer 2015 is going to be no exception. Bands, event coordinators, venues and music lovers are readying themselves for one hot summer. Here are some of the top music festivals you won’t want to miss:

IHEARTRADIO COUNTRY 2015- May 2

The country music of the iHeartRadio app will come to life onstage in Austin with an extraordinary lineup of the hottest names in country music including Tim McGraw, Brantley Gilbert, Rascal Flatts and Brad Paisley, with more to be announced, and will be hosted by iHeartMedia’s nationally-syndicated Country music personality Bobby Bones.

NEW ORLEANS JAZZ FESTIVAL 2015- April 24-May3

The New Orleans Jazz Fest is said to be the most diverse festival in the country and has been attracting the biggest music acts in the world from all genres year after year for decades. It’s one of the first and consistently one of the best music festivals in the country.

SUNSET MUSIC FESTIVAL 2015- May 23-24

Sunset Music Festival has announced the lineup for its Memorial Day Weekend event, set to take place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Tiesto and Skrillex will be co-headliners on Saturday, while Armin van Buuren will headline on Sunday. Joining them will be Flosstradamus, Porter Robinson, Showtek, and many more.

ELECTRIC FOREST 2015- June 25-28

Now in its fifth year, Electric Forest has become one of the most popular summer music festivals in the United States! This year’s festival is scheduled in Rothbury, Michigan, along Lake Michigan on Double JJ Ranch. Walking amongst the enchanted forest reveals all sorts of tucked-away magic. From surprise performances, dance parties, garden sculptures, bars, all the way to extravagant lights illuminating the Sherwood Forest. With everything the festival has to offer, it definitely stands out from your average music festival.

Naturally it’s easy to recognize that here are plenty of festivals throughout the summer to suit anyone’s taste in music, but it’s important to remember a few things. A fantastic event means you’ll want to share all of the extraordinary moments with your friends using your mobile device, but what happens when the battery runs low in the middle of the festival? Ideally the venue will have a cell phone charging station such as this one from Veloxity as a solution. These stations can accommodate 98% of all smartphones to ensure that no matter what happens at the festival, you’ll always stay connected.

Many conferences in the technology sector are implementing dress codes for exhibitors to get rid of the “booth babe” trend.

It’s a widely known fact that the technology industry lacks racial and gender diversity. The majority of the workforce is white males, and the Gamergate scandal was a major detriment to the advancement of gender equality in the industry.

Another prominent example of the technology sector’s heavily male-slanted workforce is the popularity of “booth babes.” Booth babes are scantily clad women who reel in conference attendees using rather blatant sexuality, a trend that has rightfully raised questions about the demeaning nature of treating women as sexual props.

Now, RSA Conference – one of the biggest security conferences in the nation – has implemented a dress code for exhibitors. The goal? Eliminating booth babes from exhibitions. RSA Conference Vice President Sandra Toms said the decision was based on a desire for “everyone to feel like they can comfortably enjoy all of the sessions and activities that this year’s show has to offer.”

The slang moniker “booth babe” was coined in the 1980’s and refers to a female trade show model. These models are dressed provocatively and typically asked to pose for photographs with convention goers. Since late 1990s, the practice of employing them has been strongly criticized by many people.

Promoting equality in any industry starts at the top, and it’s a great sign to see major conferences stepping up to combat sexism in the technology sector. Here’s hoping that many more exhibitions and conferences follow suit.

Many event planners and companies are replacing booth babes with cell phone charging stations. A mobile charging station will bring in just as many attendees as a booth babe, but without the moral conundrum. Everyone is naturally attracted to LCD lighted things without trying your eyes will find themselves looking over at a charging kiosks LCD lit charging ports wondering what it is. Soon you will find yourself asking for a photo next to a cell phone charging kiosks rather than a “booth babe”.

The Apple Watch has created a lot of buzz in the tech scene for the past few months and consumers are finally getting a chance to buy a piece of the landmark product. Customers can now pre-order the pricey watch exclusively on the online Apple Store. Prices range from $349 for the sport model to $17,000 for the luxury model.

According to CNN Money, the watches are scheduled to begin shipping on April 24th but due to high demand there is a back-order of up to 6 weeks. Consumers who are hesitant to pull the trigger on an online purchase can schedule an appointment at Apple retail stores to give the watch a test run.

The Apple watch comes in three primary models including a sport and luxury version. The sport model is designed with different material and comes with a more basic band. On the other spectrum, we have the luxury model, the Apple Edition. The Edition is designed with 18-karat gold on both the face and band.

Apple claims that the watch has an 18 hour battery life based on normal run time. As for total talk time, the watch should have up to 3 hours of battery life. The Apple Watch charges on a special wireless dock that takes 1.5 hours to reach 80% battery life and 2.5 hours to reach 100% battery life. Veloxity will soon introduce wireless charging capabilities on cell phone charging stations that will charge the Apple Watch even faster.

The Apple Watch comes with a plethora of features and capabilities. The digital touch screen allows for users to pick up phone calls, read text messages, check emails,track workouts and do pretty much anything a your iPhone can do. Does this mean you don’t need your iPhone anymore? Absolutely not – Apple ensured that it would not cannibalize on its own iPhone sales by requiring that the Apple Watch only works in conjunction with an iPhone.

Additional features include a heart-rate monitor and an accelerometer that can calculate how many steps you take and translate that to calories expended. Siri will also be included in the Apple Watch so consumers can continue to ask silly questions. Perhaps the most impressive feature the Apple Watch will have is the ability for users to time travel.

Stay tuned for an upcoming hands-on review on the Apple Watch.

*** Update June 2017***

According to Dan Reisigner of fortune magazine “for all of 2016, Canalys estimates Apple sold 11.9 million Apple Watch units, giving it 49% market share on the year”.  https://fortune.com/2017/02/08/apple-watch-2016-sales/

The Environmental Protection Agency is funding a grant to wirelessly track hotel guests’ shower times.

Thanks to a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, researchers at the University of Tulsa are creating devices that fit onto hotel shower fixtures. These gadgets will transmit each guest’s water-usage data to a centralized computer.

One thought that may be crossing your mind: “Does this mean the hotel will be charging me for my water bill?” Somewhat surprisingly, the answer (for now) is no. The stated goal of the project is to make hotel guests consider shortening their showers from the eight-plus minute average. In recent years there was been an a lack of water and just having people be more cautious of how long they are in a hotel shower will help the environment.

The new technology will allow guests to track their own daily water usage with a handy smartphone app. The idea, of course, being that people will become more conscious of their water use. At present, that’s not likely data that your average person is particularly aware of on a daily basis.

While it’s not one of the stated end goals of the project, one has to assume that a water-usage fee for hotel guests will likely follow. After all, one surefire way of making people aware of something is to make it affect their wallets.

EPA is not the first to fund research into a device that monitor’s shower length. Green Starts Here offers the ShowerSaver, a monitoring device for use in the shower that provides the user with real-time information on shower duration and water consumption.  So, it’s not just Big Brother who wants in on intimate time, eh?

Will guests voluntarily take shorter showers if made aware of the water impact they are having? The jury is still out but it will be fascinating to find out their reaction.

Seeing as guests will be accessing their water-usage data through smartphone apps, add one more battery-draining activity to our mobile to-do lists. Perhaps these same hotels should also consider a cell phone charging station in the lobby.

Lil Wayne went hard with a steamy poolside performance at Red Bull Guest House in Miami Beach on Saturday, March 28th.

Saturday was unbelievable. The sun and the stars were out big time. Star athletes, to be specific. New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman played table tennis. San Francisco 49ers running back Reggie Bush chilled. Pro snowboarder Louie Vito and Lolo Jones, the track and field and bobsled Olympian, bonded by the pool. And there was some serious music.

The poolside showcase, was put together by Lil Wayne‘s Young Money label, included DJ sets by Roots drummer Questlove and producer Mannie Fresh.

As in past years, the four-day takeover had artist interviews streamed on Red Bull Music Academy Radio and the Traktor Cookery School, an event by DJ technology brand Traktor that pairs famous DJs with chefs who prepare food poolside. The IMS documentary film series, which will include film-related Q&As, made it’s debut.

In an unprecedented and totally dope move during the hot weekend, Lil Wayne, under the name “liltunechi,” Instagrammed a pic of himself hanging out with some pals and enjoying a Red Bull Yellow Edition.

Red Bull Guest House filled South Beach for the third year in a row this month. Miami was totally bouncing with pool parties, labels showcases during Winter Music Conference and Ultra Music Festival, and a cell phone charging station kept the partiers totally charged up.

The next time you are at a museum, it’s probably a good idea to just leave your cell phone charged elsewhere.

There are several reasons why people are asked not to take photographs using their cameras or cell phones in museums. The primary concern is preservation of the art, as flash photography can cause significant damage to works of art, especially when it occurs in high volume.

Psychological Science says that tiny camera you’re using to meticulously document your art viewing experience is actually impairing your art memory, not preserving it. Go figure. The study, conducted by Fairfield University’s psychological scientist Linda Henkel, claims that museum goers have worse memories for objects and specific object details when they used a camera to record paintings, archeological relics or historical artifacts on display. It’s a phenomenon Henkel calls the “photo-taking impairment effect,” or as we like to call it, the “it’s not real unless I post it on Instagram” condition.

All psychology aside, here are some reasons that museums would prefer you keep your cell phone charged elsewhere:

  1. Copyright – museum owners and private owners wish to control the distribution of their art
  2. Museum experience – professional artists and owners urge that taking photos gets in the way of appreciating the art and dilutes the experience. Also, patrons looking to get the “money shot” may sometimes get in peoples way, spoiling the museum experience for others
  3. Crowd control – people intent on taking pictures pay little attention to their surroundings, thus causing rowdy crowds and potential injuries to the patrons and to the art.
  4. Harming the art – Taking into consideration that some artwork is hundreds of years old. as absurd as it may sound, old artwork cannot stand up to the exposure to blinding bursts of light, hundreds of times a day
  5. Distraction — People may use their cell phones to make calls or they forget to silence their phones before entering the museum and their phone ringing can disturb people enjoying the art.

So, the next time you visit a museum, enjoy the art and avoid photo taking. In fact, give your cell phone a good charge! Just ask someone at the museum if they have cell phone charging stations.

Total retail sales data for January was unimpressive, but this mixed bag has some silver linings.

Each month, the Census Bureau compiles its Advance Monthly Retail Sales report. On the surface, January’s data looks rather underwhelming. Total retail sales for the month increased by an estimated 2.8 percent compared to data from January 2014.

Over the last two years, retail sales in America have grown at a rate right around 3 percent – a low growth rate to begin with. When you add in a 1-2 percent inflation rate, January’s data looks even worse. However, there are silver linings within the data, which point to a less-gloomy future.

The biggest factor in the uninspiring sales data is the steep decline in sales for gas stations. Gasoline prices in January were the lowest in years, reflecting a whopping 24 percent decrease in sales from last year. A drop that precipitous – in such a major industry – is bound to throw a load of negative noise into the overall data set.

One type of retail that showed high gains in January is health and personal care stores, at more than 5 percent. Another is grocery stores, with a 4 percent gain. Those growth rates are on the high end for these two sectors, and the increase in purchasing by retail chains should soon reflect that.

As these sectors power up, Veloxity is ready and able to pitch in an additional jolt of electricity with our mobile charging stations.

Your cell phone should be charged up because it’s National Battery Day!  A day when devices that require batteries get some love. Whether you charge your phone plugged into the wall, a portable charger, a car charger, a charging case, or at a charging kiosk your phone battery is important to your daily life.

While the origins of this holiday are a bit unclear, February 18 does happen to be the birthday of Alessandro Volta, the Italian physicist and inventor who is credited with the idea of the electric battery. Over the years, battery companies have taken advantage of this holiday to offer giveaways and sales on their products.

Some history. Alessandro Volta invented the voltaic pile in 1800 thereby producing the first practical method of generating electricity. “The voltaic pile was made by alternating plates of zinc and copper that had pieces of cardboard soaked in brine between them. The metallic conducting arc was used to carry the electricity over a greater distance. Alessandro Volta’s voltaic pile was the modern world’s first “wet cell battery”.  This first “battery” produced a reliable, steady current of electricity.”

Batteries come in all different shapes, sizes and power capacities. There are tiny watch or hearing aid batteries to large car batteries. Batteries to power up cell phones, tablets, games and personal electronics of all sizes. GE even has new postage stamp size wireless battery free RFID explosives detector. Don’t you have one?

People, places and things are so reliant on batteries that there’s even the Portable Rechargeable Battery Association (PRBA). This nonprofit trade association is comprised of five major rechargeable battery manufacturers – Energizer, Panasonic Battery Corporation (Panasonic), SAFT America, SANYO Energy (U.S.A.) Corporation and Varta Batteries. This powerful pact broad focuses on a range of issues impacting manufacturers and users of large format lithium ion batteries and nickel metal hydride batteries.

National Battery Day is also as a safety reminder to make a yearly check of all the batteries in your devices. One of the Rayovac pages for National Battery Day reminds consumers that they should never mix used and new batteries in a device. In a message to it’s franchise owners, Batteries Plus, the nation’s largest battery retailer, said: “Seeing that the average household has over 21 battery powered devices, we thought what better day to remind customers to check their batteries in these devices and make sure they’re powered up.”

Retailers are supercharged for battery deals too; just check online or in stores.

Here at Veloxity, it’s National Battery Day everyday. Our cell phone charging stations give power to batteries so they can power up devices anywhere.

 

While the winter snow storm Juno wasn’t quite as impactful as predicted, it still unplugged customers from retailers.

Winter Storm Juno wielded winds in excess of 70 miles per hour. It dropped up to three feet of snow along the coast. Still, the storm wasn’t quite the apocalyptic doomsday predicted by many meteorologists.

Make no mistake though – Juno still had a major impact on many retailers in the Northeast. In Boston, retail business was essentially shut down completely. On the day of the storm, sales were down 99 percent over the same day in 2014. Meanwhile, New York City saw retail spending drop 64 percent.

All told, the storm had a negative impact of up to $1 billion. Many retailers had to close up shop entirely for a couple days – a revenue loss that no one is really ever truly prepared for. For much of America, crippling winter storms are an annual matter of when, not if.

However, there’s some good news just around the corner. According to a Raymond James spokesman, retailers tend to get a significant sales boost in the aftermath of a major storm. Once retailers and customers get shoveled out, there is a flurry of shopping with cold cash.

A Veloxity charging station will always be safe from the cold and ready to supercharge any device. No hot chocolate required.

With their Super Bowl commercial, Mophie imagines an ‘all-powerless’ God, whose cell phone battery has died.

It’s a big enough crisis when one of us mortal souls loses battery life. But what would happen if God’s phone ran out of juice? That’s the premise for Mophie’s 2015 Super Bowl spot, which resembles a big-budget Hollywood disaster film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuVsf_hE7gM&feature=youtu.be

Gravity is failing. Priests are stealing electronics in plain view of cops, as hundreds of fish fall from the sky instead of rain. Dogs are walking humans. The cause for this bizarre end-times scenario? God forgot to plug in his smartphone! (“Gosh darn it,” says God, when he realizes his battery is in the red.)

The spot is clearly a big hit, as it has nearly four million YouTube views, with a user-approval rating over 90 percent. The spot’s tagline asks, “When your phone dies, God knows what can happen?” Even with a battery-boosted case, everyone’s phone dies eventually.

Here at Veloxity, we have a simple solution to that: A mobile charging station on every street corner. Just think of how many crises would be averted!

We’d also like to offer God a free charging station, so that the scene depicted in this ad never comes to fruition. We just need to work out the delivery details first.

For those of you who are not God, feel free to contact Veloxity for more information on how to keep your cell phone battery from running out of power.

Powerful new battery technology debuted at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas.

As usual, there was an ocean of tech gadgets, gizmo’s, and innovation as the world’s leading companies fought to display the “next big thing”. This year, everything from Mercedes Benz’s self-driving autonomous prototype to LG’s massive 77-inch 4k flexible OLED television filled the convention center. Here are some top picks for the best new battery technology debuted at CES 2015:

  1. Ampl SmartBackpack

This is no ordinary backpack, neither is this battery-powered backpack the first of its kind. In the past we have seen the word “smart” displayed on products such as watched and even water bottles, without any intelligence in sight. But Ampl has really stepped up their game this time. The black with green, accents Ampl SmartBackpack has a built in 5,000mAh battery and allows for swappable backup batteries at the same time. The built in 5,000mAh battery is enough to charge an iPhone 6 two and half times without a sweat. With 7 USB outlets, the SmartBackpack ensures that all of your gadgets stay charged. Starting at $299, the Ampl SmartBackpack is one hell of a cell phone charging device.

  1. Mophie Juice Packs (for iPhone 6 & 6 Plus)

Having recently been released, the iPhone 6 & 6 Plus are still waiting for the gadgets and accessories that the iPhone 5 is compatible with. Well, the wait might be over. Mophie unveiled their new battery packs for the iPhone 6 & 6 Plus. Although this is nothing new, Mophie is promising up to 120% extra juice per charge for the 6 and 60% for the 6 Plus. For those who require extra battery to get through the day, the wait is finally over (if you have an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. The stylish, though bulky juice pack allows for users to use their iPhones for well over 2 days without needing a charge and the case prevents scratches and scuffs to your shiny new iPhone. The iPhone 6 model will cost $99.95 while the iPhone 6 Plus model will cost $119.95.

  1. Inductive Wireless Charging for the BMW i8

The biggest surprise at CES 2015 was not from a tech company at all; but from BMW, an automobile manufacturer who has been pushing boundaries in car tech with products such as the BMW i8, a hybrid sports car, and BMW i3, an electric luxury compact. The BMW i8, BMW’s hybrid sports car offering consists of a conventional engine and electric motors powered by a battery pack. Currently, the only way to charge the battery pack is to use the engine as a turbine to charge the batteries or to plug the car into a conventional outlet. But now, BMW has unveiled a new way to charge the hybrid i8 in a way only cell phones have been able to do so: wirelessly. At CES 2015, BMW unveiled its Inductive Wireless Charging technology. Instead of plugging the car into an outlet to charge the batteries, an i8 owner will now be able to drive onto an inductive wireless charging mat which will charge the batteries of the car. BMW claims that the wireless mat can charge the car at almost the same rate as a conventional outlet. This is an interesting feat from a company that has been pushing the envelope in hybrid technology.

Regardless of the new battery technology exhibited at CES 2015, devices will still need to get charged up. The Veloxity team hopes to attend CES next year and provide a cell phone charging station lounge to help attendees stay supercharged on the trade show floor.

The stakes in the casino business are extremely high. Building and operating even a small casino can cost well in to the tens of millions of dollars, and large ones over a hundred million. While there are millions to be made in the business, recent bankruptcies such as Trump’s Taj Mahal show there is also millions to be lost. With that, the gaming industry is looking for any way at all to make its business more efficient, more secure, more adaptable, and ultimately more profitable in the future. Here are some of the latest technology trends for casinos:

Cashless Transactions

One of the most fundamental changes in the casino industry will be less focus on “cash in hand.” Ticket voucher systems such as IGT’s EZ Pay are already being used for slot machines and video poker, where the guests’ winnings can be distributed onto the ticket, then inserted into another machine, rather than paid out in coins. Theoretically, there’s no reason this simple card couldn’t be linked to a debit account, serve as a room key, or even be used to make purchases at the resort. Without cash in hand, it’s must easier for consumers to lose track of their spending. Furthermore, with voucher systems, casinos can collect data and analyze the purchasing behavior of its guests.

High-tech Gaming Systems

Another huge step for the casino industry has been capital investment into state of the art electronic slot machines and gaming systems. A widespread proposal for the industry is having a universally configurable machine that downloads gaming software. These systems would remove the need to take out and shuffle the machines or replace them with new ones, thus saving money in the long run. One day the machine can be configured for blackjack, the next day it could be poker.

Facial Recognition and Smart Security

One of the more profound changes in casino operation will take place behind the scenes, as digital facial recognition technology gets more and more advanced. Cameras in many casinos are already programmed to catch the faces of well-known cheaters, but as the technology gets better it will recognize everyone from criminals to regular gamblers. While these systems increase security, they could also provide yet another pool of marketing and behavioral data for the casino to analyze.

Phone Charging Stations with Lockers

Lastly, a new technology has recently been making its way into many well-known casinos aimed at keeping guests there longer. Almost everyone in todays society has a smartphone filled with apps and a big data plan to operate it all, but what happens when the battery dies? Many guests have reported anxiety related to low or dead battery which can lead to cutting plans short. To counteract this many casinos have been installing strategically placed cell phone charging kiosks aimed at helping guests relieve the stress caused by a dead battery. Charging stations, such as Veloxity’s, come with individual lockers so guests can continue gambling while their phone is charging.

Fast charge technology for phones is evolving at a rapid rate and making standby time practically irrelevant.

Thanks to the smart geeks at Oppo, Samsung, and Motorola, cell phone owners might not have to angina from dreaded dead battery anxiety.

Oppo is one of the first manufacturers in the fast charge technology for phones race. . Being a fairly new manufacturer in the United States, Oppo entered the market with the Find 7 & 7A, a high end flagship device with top tier specifications and most importantly, the ability to charge 90% of the phones 3,000 mAh battery in 45 minutes with Oppo’s VOOC Rapid Charge charger. After observing Oppo’s success with Find 7 and its rapid charge technology, other manufacturers followed suit. Samsung, a giant in the mobile phone market now offers similar fast charge capabilities in their Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S5 smartphones. Both phones come with bespoke charging ports to allow for the fast charge capabilities. The Note 4’s fast charge capability allows the phones battery to charge from 0-50% in 30 minutes.

Another power player is Qualcomm. In modern smartphones, Qualcomm supplies the processors for manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, HTC, and many others. Having recently released Qualcomm Fast Charge 2.0, the company claims that their latest generation of Quick Charge can charge your phone 75% faster than previous generations and interoperate with existing USB charging solutions. In order to take advantage of Fast Charge 2.0, your phone must contain the compatible Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

It’s always a very frustrating experience seeing your phone’s battery percentage meter drop below 20 percent. Of course this only happens when you need your device the most. Battery charging technology hasn’t seen much attention in last couple of decades. In fact, the technology pales in comparison to the devices they power.

Fast charge technology is making some good noise on the market. However, there are some drawbacks to using fast charge compatible devices regularly. The first of which is the charging apparatus itself. For example, Oppo required its users to use the compatible VOOC charger in order to access its Rapid Charge abilities. The same can be said for Samsung users as well. Samsung also has its own charger unique for its products which allows for Fast Charging of the device. Another concern mobile users are having is the lifespan of the battery after continuous usage of fast chargers. Batteries have been known to deplete and lose their ability to carry power after repeated use of rapid charging. Despite this fear, manufacturers ensure that the batteries in their phones will not deplete as long as the phone is charged using genuine chargers. A long-term test of this new technology will show of this claim is true.

To play it safe (and secure), Veloxity cell phone charging kiosks remain the best bet for universal charging.

Cell phone charging stations are popping up everywhere. In fact, some of London’s iconic telephone booths are being re-purposed as cell phone charging stations.

London’s world-famous red telephone booths are an aesthetic staple of the city. However, with mobile-phone use constantly increasing, traditional pay phones are fast becoming a thing of the past. The solution? Convert them to solar-powered mobile charging stations.

Based on an idea by graduates of the London School of Economics, the “solarbox” made its debut recently, in London’s main shopping district. The solarbox is powered by a solar panel, and provides free charging services, offset financially by advertisements inside the booth.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said that “in our modern world, where hardly any Londoner is complete without a raft of personal gizmos in hand, it’s about time our iconic boxes were updated for the 21st century.” Don’t be surprised if other cities start looking to London for inspiration.

Smartphone battery life is a major problem these days, and charging stations are increasingly looking like the answer. It’s easy to imagine a not-distant future with solar charging booths on every street corner, along with charging kiosks plugged into standard outlets in malls, schools, and conference rooms around the world.

London is one of the largest cities in the world which attracts millions of tourists each year. A tourists worst nightmare is having a dead cell phone! They won’t be able to take photos, look up places to eat, use a translation app ( if they speak a different language) all these things are important parts of travel that now revolve around your cell phone in 2017. With the transition from pay phone to charging station people will have less phone battery anxiety and be able to enjoy their travels more!

Talk about turning lemons into lemonade! By updating the phone booths to reflect advances in technology, London ensures that they remain culturally relevant for years to come. Who knows, maybe one day the next generation will be telling their kids about the city’s famous green charging stations?

The question we have all been waiting to get answered:

When does the iPhone 6 come out?

Rumors suggest that in just a few weeks Apple will unveil their flagship smartphone. To satisfy curiosity we have compiled the most credible rumors for the upcoming Apple iPhone 6.

Release Date

It has been a long time since Apple last released a smartphone into the market so the wait for iPhone 6 been long awaited. Several sources report that Apple will hold a press event on Sept. 9th to introduce some of what Eddy Cue has been bragging about a few months ago at the Code conference. If they don’t show off the phone here – you can expect the iPhone 6 to be launched by sometime near Sept. 19th.

Display Size

Apple has been known to do things outside the box. When the iPhone 5s and 5c came out, most consumers expected the screen size would have been larger. Experts now say Apple must increase their screen size in order to compete with the likes of Samsung, HTC, LG and Motorola who have adopted larger screen displays. Rumors have it that the iPhone will come in two different models, one having a 4.7” display screen and the other 5.5”. Some sources say sapphire crystal screen integration is likely after Apple has reportedly bought $578M worth of sapphire and built a sapphire glass plant in Arizona at the end of last year.

Design

Over the last decade Apple has shown their capabilities of pushing the boundaries with how thin and light they can make their luxury electronics. Many reports have indicated the iPhone 6 will be thinner than the current iPhone 5 (7.6mm) and potentially just as the thin as the iTouch (6.1mm). At the current moment, they are shifting from a 0.6mm LED backlight to a 0.4mm. This gives a lot more room for their engineers to work with especially when talking about the new camera focus patent recently granted by USPTO. This patent lets Apple use what is a called a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) which can essentially be less expensive, smaller in size and potentially lead to a new industry standard.

Hardware / Operating System

Historically, hardware and operating systems has been something Apple has taken very seriously. There has been a tip that the 5.5” iPhone 6 model (if there is one) will feature a 125GB of storage space while the 4.7” will feature a 32GB or 64GB. This means the 16GB option will all be done with. In terms of audio, everyone will now expect an upgrade due to the recent Beats acquisition even if it’s just headphones in the box. As for the processor, the new A8 chip, unsurprisingly, will be the backbone of the new iPhone 6. Last but not least is the software – which Apple already announced at WWDC 2014. The iOS 8 is scheduled for release sometime in autumn which aligns with the time iPhone 6 is given the nod the launch. The new OS will likely carry some improvements to Siri, the notification menu and closer in sync with OS X Yosemite.

For continuous updates on when the iPhone 6 will come out and new rumors follow @VeloxityOne

“Staying connected” is often used in relation to business – employees, through smartphones and other mobile devices can stay connected to the office and with clients, virtually 24/7. The thing is, staying connected is just as important in all aspects of everyday life, from communicating with friends through texting and social media, to making sure the babysitter can find you in an emergency. Being able to reach someone – whether it’s for work or personal reasons – is as ubiquitous as breathing.

Ask any teenager and they’ll say if they don’t have their phone in their hands at all times, they’re in a near state of panic. It makes us feel disconnected from the rest of the world; that we are only living in the space we occupy at that moment. Having a cell phone gives us real-time insight to where and what our friends and family are doing even when we are not by their side. It’s almost as though we have an obsession with what is going on around us the second it happens. This includes communicating with parents and friends where you are “right now” and also connecting with the people closest to us when they need us most. According to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, about 15% of the population will suffer from clinical depression at some time during their lifetime. A comforting text message, phone call, Face Time, or supporting social media comment from a friend can make an unimaginable, positive difference.

The ability to stay connected with their children has given parents new peace as well as frustration. When parents can’t get in touch with their children it causes a new found restlessness because they should be able to reach them at all times. That’s the beauty of a cell phone, right? Instead, concerned mothers are losing sleep because their calls and text messages go unanswered. Some parents even take advantage of the tracking feature on their child’s cell phone so they know where they are at all times. According to VB News, 65% of parents snoop on their kids’ smartphones and 29% track their location. Although this may seem invasive, it’s a good way to ensure that your child is not in danger, or at the very least is where they say they are. With a cell phone, there is really no excuse to not keep parents informed when plans change on the fly.

Relationships with our friends and family are dependent on anywhere, anytime electronic communication. Mobile devices are the only way some people can stay connected with those who live far away from home. They make it possible for a young adult who came to America by themselves for school to tell their parents across the world the second they got their first good grade. Mobile devices close the physical gap we have between us and the people we care about. Long distance relationships are also easier with the use of technology because you can send your partner a video of where you are or what you’re doing and make them feel like they are right there with you. Mobile devices give us the freedom to venture away from our comfort zone because we know we can stay connected 24/7 to the people and places we are most familiar with.

Along with staying connected to your family and friends today we also need to be connected through our apps. Apps like Snapchat allow us to get real time updates of peoples days even if we really weren’t asking for it. Snapchat allows people to use geotags( locational tags) to show where they are. 16-24 year olds are also big into social media and always want to be up to speed with what is going on in the social media world. They need a charged phone to be able to keep up and these apps drain battery quickly so millennials are always on a search for a phone charger.

So, herein lies the problem. When your cell phone dies and you do not have your charger with you, all you want to do is stop what you’re doing and go home. Chances are slim to none you will find someone you’re with who has the same charger as you, with so many options today – iPhone, Android, Windows – there’s a 2% chance that the universe will be in your favor in desperate times. Smartphones have not only become a privilege, but a deep-seeded, lifeblood necessity. Every single part of society has evolved over the years because of this technology and its obvious role in our lives, our relationships, our jobs and our sanity. Keep your mobile device charged, continue your adventure, be in a good mood, and stay connected. -The Veloxity Team

Content updated on April 21st, 2015.

Since the beginning of media mass consumption, frequent flyers have grown more and more comfortable with enjoying personal electronic devices in-flight, despite warnings and existing rules against their use. This has led airline carriers to re-examine their current operating policies. As a result, the FAA has gone ahead and reduced regulations for cell phone use on planes. This regulation lift also stands for tablets, laptops, e-readers, as well as other electronic devices. Finally, the wait is over!… Or is it?

Most carriers are expected to complete this transition by 2013 year-end. The FAA released a statement saying that “many carriers will prove to the FAA that their planes allow passengers to safely use their devices in airplane mode, gate-to-gate, by the end of the year”. Michael Huerta, FAA’s administrator, has spearheaded this initiative, working to allow passengers to use mobile devices (in airplane mode, of course) from takeoff to landing. But were passengers doing this already?

Anyone familiar with the “airplane mode” feature knows that it functions to prevent any interference between the mobile device and the aircraft’s communication signals. Currently, the FAA only allows the use of phones, tablets, and other electronic devices when the plane is flying under an altitude of 10,000 feet (#Below10KFT) which doesn’t make sense seeing as most commercial aircraft’s fly between 20 and 40 thousand feet. That said, I don’t know about you but I’ve used my phone above 15,000 feet in the air on multiple occasions.

With the new rules, connecting mobile devices to carrier-provided WiFi as well as in-flight cellular calls and texts will remain prohibited below 10,000 feet. Flyers are not permitted to restart their devices until after the initial 10,000 foot ascent- at which point, the captain would give the go signal. After the new regulations pass, passengers will be able to watch videos, listen to music, use apps, surf the web from gate to gate as long as their devices are in airplane mode.

Before an airline can employ the new PED (Portable Electronic Device) rules, it must go to the FAA. This means that airlines have to pass standardized prerequisites enacted by the FAA. Carriers will be evaluated based on their fleets and operating policies.

JetBlue was first to pounce on this opportunity to get FAA approval. Delta, American, United, and US Airways weren’t too far behind. However, there still are some aircraft within each carrier that remain under study in the approval process. So before you book your next flight, we would recommend double checking to see if the airline and aircraft have been FAA approved for you to use your smartphone gate to gate. Or maybe just do it anyway 😉

Here are frequently asked questions about mobile devices during in-flight use.