Recycling mobile phones has been in the news lately. You may not realize it, but there are a host of precious metals in that tiny handset that keeps you connected on-the-go. Gold and silver are just two elements that manufactures put into that magic box you speak into.

Recovering these metals is called “urban mining”, and it’s becoming more profitable as the prices of metals reach near-record prices. Recovered materials are reused in new electronic parts and gold and silver is melted down to be sold as ingots for jewelers and precious metals investors. Gold is often used in cell phone circuit boards because gold conducts electricity better than copper. But even copper is reaching record prices as developing countries expand their electronic infrastructures.

Recycling mobile phones produces more gold ton for ton over the average goldmine. A ton of gold ore contains on average 5 grams (0.18 ounce) of gold, while a ton of used mobile phones contain 150 grams (5.3 ounces) of gold. Urban miners don’t get to use explosives but they have the ability to make a hefty profit with gold selling for around $890 an ounce.

Copper, tin, silver and iridium are also recycled from mobile phones. A ton of cell phones contain 100 kg (220 lb) of copper and 3 kg (6.6 lb) of silver. Urban miners are able to dig-up these elements without having to worry about claim-jumpers, and the hazards of eating pork and beans with each meal.

Via Mobilecrunch

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Very Rare Golden Crystal GUCCI G600 Cell Mobile Phone from www.globwon.com The Phone does not work in the USA & Canada This is a Limited Edition! Be cool to have it! For more details or items,please view our company web: www.globwon.com

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Nokia, the world’s biggest cell phone manufacturer, revealed three new handset models today. The new models were designed to compete in the very active market of mid-priced phones. This market is highly competitive.

Nokia will begin shipping the new models in the third-quarter of this year. The new mid-priced phones include the Nokia 6600 Fold, the Nokia 6600 Slide and the Nokia 3600 Slide. These models will sell for between 175 euros ($273) and 275 euros, excluding taxes and subsidies.

Nokia controls around 39% of the world’s mobile phone market. The company has recently made great sales progress in emerging markets with sales of its low-priced phones.

Via Mobilecrunch

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Apple and Immersion met twice last week to discuss the possibility of incorporating haptic technology into future versions of the iPhone. How do we know? Well, we don’t, duh, but what else can be gleamed from the purported meetings? Immersion and Samsung worked together to bring haptic to the Sprint Instinct. As the great comedian Louis […]

Apple and Immersion met twice last week to discuss the possibility of incorporating haptic technology into future versions of the iPhone. How do we know? Well, we don’t, duh, but what else can be gleamed from the purported meetings? Immersion and Samsung worked together to bring haptic to the Sprint Instinct.

As the great comedian Louis CK once ranted, not everyone is enthralled with the lack of physical buttons on the iPhone. Tacking on haptic is the solution those people, myself included, will have to accept.

I am truly sorry for writing so many iPhone posts.

via AppleInsider

Via [crunchgear]

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Is it a single serving pod espresso brewer or Jar Jar Binks in effigy? You decide. Jay Brewer runs SingleServeEspresso.com — the #1 resource for all things single, serving, and espresso — and he forwarded this along. Adorable, right? Right?

Is it a single serving pod espresso brewer or Jar Jar Binks in effigy? You decide.

Jay Brewer runs SingleServeEspresso.com — the #1 resource for all things single, serving, and espresso — and he forwarded this along. Cute, right? Right?

Via [crunchgear]

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Things are looking good for a now probable iMac refresh this coming week, with MacRumors’ retail sources confirming that new iMac part numbers have shown up in their systems. Delivery should hit about Monday or Tuesday and fall in line with the current pricing ($1199, $1499 and $1799). And according to MacRumors, the Penryn processor switchout doesn’t make a whole lot of gain for desktop units (reduced power consumption there is just meh), so the storage increase and speed bump should be the reason why you’d want to grab this over an older model. [MacRumors]

Via [Gizmodo]

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