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If you're into tech, you'll have doubtlessly heard about Google's latest game-changing technology, Glass. The augmented reality headset could revolutionize how people interact with the world, blending digital internet services with their surroundings through a sleek optical headset. New features are being hinted at with each passing day, and according to CNET, one of the most exciting – and potentially intrusive – features of Glass is the ability for users to take pictures simply by winking.

The technology, known informally as Winky, enables users with knowledge of computer programming to adjust Glass' source code to snap pictures with a wink of their eye. The source code for Google Glass has been released by software engineer Mike DiGiovanni, and since the current Explorer of Glass is primarily aimed at developers, the technology could easily be adapted as a core feature of Google's augmented reality system and forever change the way people take photographs.

However, some tech experts have voiced concerns about Winky, claiming unscrupulous users could violate people's privacy without them ever knowing. This is the latest in a series of incidents that highlight the vulnerabilities of Glass, as The Guardian reports hackers recently discovered that the headset lacks an authentication system. This means if users lose their headset, or have it stolen, their personal data could be at risk.

In addition, the discovery of root access in Glass – the ability to assume administrator control of the system through a desktop machine – could allow criminals to remotely monitor everything a user does on their Android smartphone.

Although it's unlikely that these vulnerabilities won't be patched before launch, the discovery of easily overlooked security holes could force Google to reassess how users interact with Glass.

It'll be a while before you can get your hands on Google Glass, but in the meantime, why not sell your cell phone at USell.com and upgrade to a more powerful smartphone?

Missing an important call can be incredibly frustrating. Sure, you can always respond to a voicemail – if the caller leaves one, that is, but most of the time, it's better to catch that important call when it happens. To help users avoid missing calls, a new prototype smartphone developed by researchers at a university in Canada boasts an innovative design feature that makes the phone curl up when someone calls, reports CNET.

The MorePhone, developed by scientists at the Human Media Lab at Queen's University, is made from a responsive and flexible material featuring shape memory alloy wires. When someone places a call, the phone curls up, like bending a playing card between your fingers. Depending on the type of message being received, such as a phone call, text message or other notification, the phone's memory alloys can make the phone curl in different directions, enabling users to easily distinguish between calls and texts.

"Users are familiar with hearing their phone ring or feeling it vibrate in silent mode," Roel Vertegaal, director of the Human Media Lab, told the news source. "One of the problems with current silent forms of notification is that users often miss notifications when not holding their phone. With MorePhone, they can leave their smartphone on the table and observe visual shape changes when someone is trying to contact them."

Vertegaal and his team of researchers aren't the only ones working to make a better smartphone. According to SlashGear, a team of scientists at the University of Bristol and DFKI Saarbrücken at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence are working to create a new type of mobile device that they call a "Morphee." These new handsets are made from interlocking triangular parts that can change shape depending on what the user is doing. For example, if a smartphone game is launched, the Morphee can fold and adjust its shape to be better grasped in two hands.

Although it may be some time before these radical designs hit the market, there's never been a better time to sell your cell phone at USell.com and upgrade to a new mobile device.

For smartphone users, personal assistants like Apple's Siri have proven a mixed blessing. After working out some initial bugs, the iPhone's personal assistant has become increasingly useful with each iteration. California-based search giant Google recently got in on the action with the launch of its Now platform on iOS devices, and some say Now will soon surpass Siri as the personal assistant of choice for discerning users. However, that hasn't stopped Intel and Samsung from throwing an undisclosed amount of cash at Expect Labs, a software engineering startup based in San Francisco, to facilitate the development of its personal assistant software platform, reports CNET.

Officials within Intel and Samsung's venture capital divisions confirmed that an investment in Expect Labs had been made by both companies, but declined to comment on precisely how much was spent. The funds will be used to further develop the startup's proprietary software platform, known as the Anticipatory Computing Engine, a system that gleans useful information by scanning users' data and proactively providing them with relevant suggestions before they ask for it.

Samsung is pinning its hopes on Expect Labs in a major way, and seems set to adopt Expect Labs' technology across a range of devices, not just smartphones.

"Through this partnership, Samsung Venture Investment Corporation expects to empower Expect Labs to enable new types of intelligent, voice-driven and context-aware behavior across a wide range of devices including smartphones, tablets and smart TVs," read a statement from the company, as quoted by the news source.

It seems that machine algorithms that adapt based on user behavior are becoming the bleeding edge of smartphone development, as many of Silicon Valley's tech giants attempt to position themselves to capitalize on users' increasing demand for instantaneous information. Although it'll be a while before the "Star Trek" computer envisioned by Sergey Brin and Larry Page of Google will be sitting in your pocket, there's never been a better time to sell your cell phone and upgrade to one of the most advanced handsets in the world.

Last year, Google attempted to once again redefine the search landscape by launching its personal assistant service Now. Although early adopters of the system reported several bugs upon its official launch, Now has grown to become an increasingly useful way to navigate the almost endless stream of information users are presented with every day. While Google Now was previously limited to owners of handsets running Android 4.1, codenamed Jelly Bean, the California-based search giant recently launched Now on iOS devices.

The central premise of Google Now is to provide users with information that's relevant to them before they even request it. For example, by analyzing the kind of information users search for over time, Now creates a highly unique profile that offers useful data through a user-friendly dashboard. Frequent fliers can see potential delays and airport congestion before leaving the house, while commuters are warned of traffic jams ahead of time, enabling them to use Now to find alternative routes to work. Google Now also uses geolocation data to provide users with highly specific recommendations for everything from the best places to eat in their area to trending news stories.

Real-time information is just one of Now's strengths. Sports fans can get instantaneous updates on their favorite teams' progress, or track shipments through UPS and FedEx, for example. Another unique feature of Now is the ability to ask relatively ambiguous questions and receive detailed information. Asking Now whether they need an umbrella this weekend presents users with detailed weather forecasts based on their location, and asking the system for recommendations for a good restaurant yields curated results from websites such as Yelp.com.

Google Now is available for the iPhone and iPad, so if you're ready to leverage the power of Google's search algorithms to make your life a whole lot easier, sell your cell phone at USell.com and take advantage of this revolutionary service.

The iPhone is one of the handiest and most versatile devices ever developed, but Apple plans to make its flagship product even more useful, if two new patents are to be believed. According to CNET, Apple has filed a patent with the U.S. Trade and Patent Office that would enable users to locate and remotely start their car using their iPhone.

In the patent, which was published earlier this week, diagrams indicate that the functionality would use the iPhone's Bluetooth connectivity to remotely locate and start the vehicle, in combination with a wireless network operated by the parking garage in which the car is located. After identifying the owner's vehicle, the system would then display a map enabling drivers to find their car quickly and efficiently.

In a separate patent, Apple seems set to tackle the problem of misplacing your car keys. According to TechCrunch, Apple also has plans to develop an integrated system that will function as a remote unlocking device, security measure and parental control system rolled into one. Once again, the functionality would utilize Bluetooth connectivity, but the patent details potential plans to introduce proximity unlocking based on users' distance from the vehicle, and even a PIN authentication system to enable basic car functions, like starting the engine.

Although apps that perform similar functions are already available, Apple's designs seem to indicate a greater level of control. For instance, users may be able to set their car's speed limit using their iPhone, or only permit the car to be started between certain hours, serving as another layer of vehicle security.

Whether either of these patents will ever become real products remains to be seen, but there's no arguing that the iPhone is becoming the indispensable gadget of the 21st century. If you're still not convinced, or are thinking "Where can I sell my cell phone?", visit USell.com and upgrade to Apple's iconic handset today.

Apple's plans for its "virtual assistant" Siri are certainly ambitious. Last year, the California-based computing giant announced the launch of Siri Eyes-Free, a mobile solution that aims to allow iPhone users to fully integrate their smartphone into their car's dashboard. However, 10 months later, very few of the leading automobile manufacturers have implemented Eyes-Free into their vehicles, reports Wired.

Although the premise of Siri Eyes-Free will be attractive to many drivers – such as the ability to communicate via text messages, choose iTunes songs and search the web without using their eyes or hands – actually integrating it into most cars has proven a considerable challenge. Some of the leading automobile manufacturers, such as Ford, Toyota and Jaguar/Land Rover, did not comment on their plans to implement Siri Eyes-Free into future vehicles.

However, some car companies either have already begun or plan to offer Eyes-Free to customers. According to Apple Insider, the new Chevrolet Sonic boasts full Siri Eyes-Free integration, enabling drivers to interact with their smartphones by pressing a button mounted on the vehicle's steering wheel. In addition, Honda is currently beta testing the feature, and expects to offer Siri Eyes-Free in its vehicles starting this summer.

As compelling an idea as Siri Eyes-Free is, the problem is not a lack of interest on behalf of consumers, but rather a complication with in-car electronics integration planning.

"A car that launches in the 2014 model year was [designed] up to five years ago," Sara LeBlanc, program manager at GM, told Wired. "If it's a new vehicle, they might be able to set up the [software] so it knows when to use Siri and when to use the [embedded] voice [recognition]. If it's already in production, then it's even more complicated."

Never experienced Siri firsthand? Then maybe it's time to sell your cell phone at USell.com and upgrade to Apple's iconic iPhone.