Dr Ceder has already used the method to design a metal oxide which gives batteries a longer life.

ECONOMIST: MONITOR

British Aerospace is one company making some headway towards this with the method it uses to design fighter aircraft.

ECONOMIST: Manufacturing technology

It's a little better than the design method used on the Droid DNA, where the power button is completely flush and quite difficult to press, though the buttons here still gave us trouble from time to time.

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