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Funds look a wise way to gain from UK recovery There is a feeling abroad that the good times are coming back for the UK economy Julian Knight explains how you can benefit as the economy finally seems set for steady growth

Some hard-pressed customers have handed over their home for less than half of it s market value Homeowners at risk from rogue operators Kate Hughes: Dirty tricks are being employed to maximise sale commissions Citizens Advice says consumers need a responsible credit market Call for banks to meet payday loan demand News that "almost half" of customers who take out a payday loan are happy with t he experience has sparked calls for mainstream lenders to step into the breach a nd offer better products for customers. Dmitry Argarkov, a Russian man who was sent an unsolicited letter offering him a credit card, has turned the tables, however, arguably striking a blow for lende rs everywhere. Perfect time to cash in on credit card price war Providers are desperate for your business, and that is great news When the Heseltine family were moving home in 1973, people could look forward to decades of house price rises Alarms should ring if offered high returns by unregulated schemes Tread carefully before new rules come in in 2014 Pensions Minister Steve Webb has defended proposed curbs on pensions for people living abroad

Millions missing out on pension scheme Figures announcing millionth worker automatically enrolled into a workplace pens ion also revealed swathes of working population have been left behind. Bank of mum and dad: Almost half of the parents helping their children to buy th eir first property are using cash savings Low savings rates make help harder for parents Returns from cash savings are crushing parents' hopes of helping their children Some 42 per cent pensioners say they were forced to sell in order to settle debt s Retired renters pay the price for selling up Retirees turning their back on the housing market in the pursuit of ready cash t o settle debts are paying the price in accommodation costs, the latest figures s uggest.

Is this the end for packaged accounts? Making a splash: But find out how much you have to pay towards any travel-relate d claim Banks are having a rethink, and consumers may benefit. By Chiara Cavaglieri and Julian Knight The drugs giant has been embroiled in a scandal but its shares have only wavered a little The heady days aren't over for drugs groups Genetics, stem cells and consistent dividends can offset the problems of expiri ng patents Housing in south London; George Osborne is concerned his initiative may push up prices Property experts fear Help to Buy 'bubble' Osborne's 130bn scheme to boost lending slated as smart politics but 'epic econo mic fail' Car cover is down as measures to stop fraud claims take effect

Motoring and home insurance is getting cheaper The cost of a year's car insurance has plummeted by a record 3 per cent. The world's media camped outside St Mary's Hospital, waiting for the royal baby' s arrival Providing a nest egg is kids' stuff With foresight and regular investment you could give your baby a financial flyi ng start in life Maybe investors should consider commercial rather than residential property? Shares or property what's best?

It's your choice because both bricks and mortar and stocks are on the up, says Julian Knight You can get a free copy of the latest Spot the Dog report from www.bestinvest.co .uk/dogs More than 13bn left rotting in so-called 'dog' funds Simon Read: Investors' cash in underperformers is rocketing, says financial body . Investors may be too exposed to commercial property, such as shopping centres Investors favour UK property Investors have become more bullish about bricks and mortar as the outlook for pr operty has improved across the country. Tom Petty performs at last month's Isle of Wight Festival Watch out for the Petty thieves at festivals This weekend's Lovebox festival will shine the spotlight on the risks that music ians and DJs take when performing in front of tens of thousands.

Sparkling: Diamonds could be the investors

best friend

As gold loses its shine, this most precious of stones may become an attractive alternative

Stepping off the housing ladder needn t be a backward move With house prices soaring, more people are choosing to rent

Consumer Rights: We think plastic is fantastic, even if we don t understand it Around a fifth of Britain s debit and credit-card holders don t know the difference between them Paying interest only means paying only the interest on the capital you borrowed but not paying anything towards reducing that capital One in 20 families are forced to 'rely' on payday loans Simon Read: Fast action is needed to stop more people falling victim to the rogu e payday lenders. Your Money

Doing financial planning now can alleviate the danger of still being in debt in retirement Avoiding a financial mess in old age As one in four over-50s fear losing their home, Chiara Cavaglieri shows how to plan successfully for a worry-free future Mark Carney's predictions may change faster than he could imagine in the UK with its economic weather Mark Carney's economic forecast could be under the weather Julian Knight: The Bank of England Governor's predictions may prove less reliabl e than the Met Office It is estimated that thefts are costing popular charities 15m a year in lost dona tions

Why charities aren't bagging a fortune from your donations Kate Hughes reveals the worrying truth about the erosion of giving to good cause s When the Heseltine family were moving home in 1973, people could look forward to decades of house price rises Home truth is your house may not be much of a pension Julian Knight: People may be disappointed if they bank on the equity value of pr operty to finance retirement Communications is one of the two main industries dealt with by the Ombudsman ser vice Can the EU really deliver power to the people? Neasa MacErlean asks whether the new consumer directive has a sting in its tail

Are you covered for accidental damage? Summertime and the thieving is far too easy Make sure you're fully insured: winter is not the only dangerous season Flamethrowers: The Dragons' Den entrepreneurs invest in viable models Is it time to put yourself on the side of the angels in this innovative take on crowdfunding?

Justin Welby wants credit unions to provide an alternative to payday lenders but he says it will take a decade Payday loans need regulation, not just divine intervention Julian Knight: As the Archbishop of Canterbury says, credit unions aren't yet re ady to step into the breach Mothers make up 97 per cent of single-parent families All change on maintenance for separated families Neasa MacErlean: Couples will be encouraged to set up their own arrangements

Keep out payday lenders! Council bans payday loan ads from billboards and bus shelters

Disabled forced to use credit cards and loans Disabled using high-cost credit after 28bn of financial support withdrawn Santander may not be the only bank to take flight from these accounts Packaged bank accounts - a marketing triumph Julian Knight: Clever move could open the way for general current account charge s The price of gas and electricity has risen by 46 per cent in five years For low earners the inflation rate is well above 2.9% Savvy Money: Essentials such as energy and food are going up faster than prices generally, while wages stagnate Our experts warn that rookie investors should keep their nerve if the market dro ps First-time investors have to take the leap If you're fed up with paltry savings returns, then look at equities. Rob Griffi n offers some tips. Adverts such as this one are commonplace during daytime television PPI complaints soar Financial Ombudsman was deluged by 179 per cent more complaints in the last thr ee months compared to the same period last year

School summer holidays: Keep kids active and stay in pocket Some ideas to keep costs down Splashing out abroad may cost unwary holidaymakers more than they think How to ensure holiday costs are plain sailing Simon Read: A trip can be spoiled if you discover you've been ripped off. But a little planning can cut risk

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Homeowners at risk from rogue operators Dirty tricks are being employed to maximise sale commissions

Boom in buy-to-let mortgages could lead to unsustainable house price bubble

Retired renters pay the price for selling up

Low savings rates make help harder for parents

Mortgage help sparks boom

and fears of another crash

Property experts fear Help to Buy 'bubble'

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Simon Read: How to avoid being caught out if the property bubble bursts Such uncertainties have been a feature of the mortgage market for several years

Funds look a wise way to gain from UK recovery

Julian Knight: Mark Carney's economic forecast could be under the weather

Avoiding a financial mess in old age

Consumer rights: Bankruptcy is not necessarily the best way to clear your debts

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Plastic people: How credit cards changed our relationship with money The first credit card hit Britain 50 years ago and it kick-started a revolution that made money and credit more accessible than ever

Call for banks to meet payday loan demand

Julian Knight: Payday loans need regulation, not just divine intervention

Disabled forced to turn to high-cost credit

Simon Read: Archbishop's payday plan isn't' a solution to debt misery

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby rows back on war on Wonga: Loan sharks are worse

Archbishop of Canterbury confesses: Church s Wonga investments are 'very embarrass ing', says Welby

Simon Read: Improving economy? Not when we're haunted by debt

Families are forced to 'rely' on payday loans

Card fees to be introduced for British customers following EU rule change Insurance Insurance RSS Feed - click to grab the feed

New Aviva chief slashes dividend as he continues drive to overhaul insurer

Insurance: Summertime and the thieving is far too easy

Car and home cover is getting cheaper

Simon Read: The latest Equitable Life failure is unbelievable

Mis-sold payment protection insurance is chief villain as complaints to Financi al Ombudsman soar

Money alert: Flood insurance

Low cover is no cover in brokers' rogue trick

Charity insurance deal could boost good causes

Simon Read: Think hard before spending on mobile phone covers

Thousands uninsured by ghost car brokers Tax Tax RSS Feed - click to grab the feed

'Very modest' house purchases now hit with high-level stamp duty One in four homebuyers now made to pay at least 7,500 to Treasury

Corporate avoidance

undermining

tax system

Consumer Rights: Last call to renew your tax credits ahead of Wednesday's deadl ine

Hopes of G8 tax avoidance breakthrough fading fast as Bermuda refuses to sign u p to new rules

'David Cameron must intervene': Watchdog accuses search giant Google of failing to pay its fair share of tax

Margaret Hodge calls for company tax secrets to be exposed

Margaret Hodge:

Companies have to pay their share. Tax is a moral issue

Google tax policy is 'just capitalism'

'A bad day for tax cheats': EU to crack down on those seeking to escape heavy b ills

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Muslims stand in the prayer hall during Friday prayers in Baitul Futuh Mosque in south London. Channel 4 will broadcast the call to prayer live during Ramadan.

Questioned: Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe Lord Freud: 'Food from a food bank is by definition a free good and there's almo st infinite demand'

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logoUPrivacy and cookiesSubscribeRegisterLog inAccessibility links Skip to articleSkip to navigationAdvertisement Telegraph.co.uk Thursday 15 August 2013 HomeNewsWorldSportFinanceCommentBlogsCultureTravelLifeWomenFashionTechDating Off ers Jobs Technology NewsTechnology CompaniesTechnology ReviewsVideo GamesTechnol ogy VideoMobile PhonesMobile App Reviews HomeTechnologyTechnology NewsSmart glass may mean it is curtains for window blinds A "smart" window that can block out sunlight or heat at the flick of a switch ma y make blinds and curtains redundant. A dual-band electrochromic material has been developed by linking tin-doped indi um oxide nanocrystals to an amorphous niobium oxide matrix. These transparent fi lms are capable of blocking solar radiation in a controlled fashion, allowing da ylight and solar heat to be selectively and dynamically modulated through window s. A dual-band electrochromic material has been developed by linking tin-doped indi

um oxide nanocrystals to an amorphous niobium oxide matrix. These transparent fi lms are capable of blocking solar radiation in a controlled fashion, allowing da ylight and solar heat to be selectively and dynamically modulated through window s. Photo: ANNA LLORDES/LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LAB Richard Gray By Richard Gray, Science Correspondent 6:31AM BST 15 Aug 2013 Comments5 Comments Scientists have created a material that can selectively block out visible light or heat when an electric voltage is applied across it. By mixing the tiny crystals of the material with glass, they were able to create window panes that could block light from passing through it. Depending on the voltage they applied, the glass could be completely transparent , could block out only heat, only visible light or both. It means the dimmable windows could not only be used instead curtains or blinds but also to help control the temperature of buildings during the summer. The researchers achieved this by combining nanocrystals of tin-doped indium oxid e into niobium oxide glass, which is often used to make optical glasses. Related Articles 'Smart' window breakthough 22 Aug 2004 Miracle material: the graphene revolution 10 Jun 2013 Graphene paint could power future homes 03 May 2013 Sponsored Keeping the UK at the forefront of mobile Dr Anna Llordes, who led the research at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laborato ry in California, said: "The resulting material demonstrates a previously unreal ised optical switching behaviour that will enable the dynamic control of solar r adiation transmittance through windows. "These transparent films can block near-infrared and visible light selectively a nd independently by varying the applied electrochemical voltage over a range of 2.5 volts." The reason why the glass has the ability to block out both heat, in the form of infrared radiation, and visible light is because the indium tin oxide nanocrysta ls and the niobium oxide glass both respond differently when an electric current is applied across them. They are what is known as electrochromic. When a small negative charge is applie d to the glass, it causes the indium tin oxide nanocrystals to absorb infrared l ight. If that charge is made more negative then the niobium oxide absorbs visible ligh t. This means that a window can be tuned to simply dim or to block out light altoge ther. The researchers also found that combining the two materials into a single glass caused the niobium oxide to block out five times as much light as it would by it self.

Dr Delia Milliron, the principal investigator on the project, said they hoped to improve the amount of infrared light that can be blocked. She believes the cost could be brought down to produce glass that is just 10 to 15 per cent more expensive than a standard window. "Integrating our active glass with a solid electrolyte and a transparent counter electrode, suitable for a real window prototype, is the subject of our current research," she said. Share 50 Facebook 13 Twitter 37 Email LinkedIn 0

Technology News News Science Science News Technology Richard Gray In Technology Galaxy S4: Samsung launches new smartphone that takes the fight to Apple Galaxy S4 in pictures In Technology News Met's tweets over London Are these the most self-obsessed models on social media? Check me out Subscribe to the weekly Tech Briefing email Sam the cat may have nine lives, but he only has one expression - worried - tha nks to his unusual markings. He has two black marks on his forehead resembling e yebrows. His owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, rescued Sam the stray cat fr om New York and set-up an online profile dedicated to him and his 'eyebrows'. Sa m now has more than 24,000 followers on picture sharing site Instagram with his anxious expression earning him world wide fame... Meet Sam, the worried cat Flickr creative commons Wonderful archive photos Share 50 Facebook 13 Twitter 37 LinkedIn 0 More from The Telegraph

The hidden iPad features that may change your life 12 Aug 2013Telegraph Technolog y The death of driveway DIY? 06 Aug 2013Cars and Motoring What type of woman uses a Mooncup? Do you even know what one is? 09 Aug 2013Teleg raph Why is AVG trying to force me to pay for anti-virus protection? 04 Aug 2013Telegr aph Technology How to identify if someone is lying: do they say 'I'? 05 Aug 2013Telegraph Scienc e Jeff Howell: how can I insulate beneath the floor space? 13 Aug 2013Telegraph Pro perty More from the web Thinking of Buying a Nokia Lumia 925? Read This First 17 May 2013Nokia Range Rover Sport Blasts Through Pikes Peak - Breaks Record Times 25 Jul 2013You Tube John Lewis to sell WorldPay Mpos readers 31 Dec 1969Retail Times Moving up to a DSLR camera: take professional pin-sharp images 12 Jul 2013Guardia n How just 5 a day has grown to over 275,000 over 25 years 01 Jun 2013Hargreaves Lans down Ten iPhone Apps Worth Paying For 31 Dec 1969Dummies.com Advertisement Ads by Google See The Northern Lights View Our Selection of Aurora Breaks Request a Tailor-Made Quote Online. Discover-The-World.co.uk/Aurora Quality Blinds & Curtains Extra 10% Off Use Code EB277 Today. 3 Year Guarantee. Free Samples. www.englishblinds.co.uk Naga Magnetic Glassboards Beautiful Glass Notice Boards From Just 23.95 With Free Delivery www.scribbleonline.co.uk telegraphuk DISQUS... 5 comments Add a comment Comment with a Telegraph account Login | Register with the Telegraph Alternatively... Comment with one of your accounts Showing 5 comments Order by popular now best rating newest first oldest first Real-time updating is enabled. (Pause) 0 new comment was just posted. ShowEmail logo Follow with email RSS logo Follow with RSS Commenter's avatar McKenzie 24 seconds ago Hmmm - I think I'll pimp my ride! Comment like count Recommended by 0 person Recommend Report .

Commenter's avatar Mia Person 33 minutes ago Whatever happened to the "spray-on" glass we were promised 3 years ago ? Comment like count Recommended by 0 person Recommend Report . Commenter's avatar 5antiago 45 minutes ago Awesome. I saw something like this (I think blocking light only, not heat as we ll) on Grand Designs, it looked very smart Comment like count Recommended by 0 person Recommend Report . Commenter's avatar How_delightful 53 minutes ago What happened to reactolite glass? Did nobody find a way to reverse the effect ( so it goes dark NATURALLY when an internal light is switched on)? Also; does double or triple glazing with an external reflective coating not stop heat penetration like it used to? Research is fine; but lets be pragmatic. Comment like count Recommended by 0 person Recommend Report . Commenter's avatar 5antiago 44 minutes ago Why would anyone want reactolite windows? Comment like count Recommended by 1 person Recommend Report . . blog comments powered by Disqus Advertisement AdChoicesAdChoices Promotions Loading Megatrends to change the worldMegatrends to change the worldWhich future technol ogies will have the biggest impact on business and society? ViewFinancing a classic carFinancing a classic carFind out how to invest in a cl assic car like the Ferrari Dino. ViewColour and contrast in the City of CultureColour and contrast in the City of CultureMust-see attractions and events in Londonderry, UK City of Culture 2013. ViewMaking the most of the Monaco lifestyleMaking the most of the Monaco lifesty

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Previews Xbox PlayStation Nintendo Contact Us Privacy and Cookies Advertising Fantasy Football Tickets Announcements Reader Prints Follow Us Apps Epaper Expat Promotions Subscriber Syndication Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2013 Terms and Conditions Today's News Archive Style Book Weather Forecast Sky News journalists this afternoon paid tribute to cameraman and colleague Mick Deane who was shot and killed in Egypt this morning while covering clashes betw een security forces and pro-Morsi protesters in the Cairo district of Rabaa. The 61-year-old had worked for Sky for 15 years, based in Washington and then Je rusalem. He is said to have died minutes after reaching hospital. John Ryley, the Head of Sky News, described Mr Deane as the very best of camerame n, a brilliant journalist and an inspiring mentor to many at Sky . Tim Marshall, the network s foreign affairs editor, described the cameraman as a fr iend, brave as a lion but what a heart what a human being . He was also humorous and wise . On Twitter those who had worked alongside Mr Deane paid tribute to his dedicatio n and professionalism. Sky correspondent Niall Paterson said the cameraman was tr uly one of the very best men you could meet . Former colleague Neal Mann, now based at the Wall Street Journal, said: Mick Dean e was one of the nicest people I've ever worked with on the ground. Really helpe d me in my career, a great guy & brilliant cameraman. Sunday Times Washington bureau chief Toby Harnden said: Gutted to learn of death of Sky cameraman Mick Deane in Egypt. Spent happy times with him on road in US. Wonderful guy, true professional. Mr Deane was the second media worker reported killed today. Earlier, Gulf News c onfirmed that its Egypt correspondent Habiba Abdel Aziz had been killed by snipe r fire in Cairo. Habiba Ahmed Abd Elaziz, a 26-year-old staff reporter of XPRESS , a sister publication of Gulf News, was shot dead in Cairo on Wednesday morning .

Family members said she was shot at the Rabaa Al Adawiya Square in Cairo. She wa s not on any official assignment and had gone to her home country on annual leav e. After graduating with a Journalism degree from the American University of Sha rjah she joined Gulf News on September 11, 2011, as an intern working as a commu nity journalist for the Readers Desk. She covered the police and court beats for XPRESS, sister paper of Gulf News. Her younger sister, Arwa Ramadan, who lives in Sharjah, said the journalist was in the mosque at Rabaa Al Adawiya Square this morning. My mom [in Sharjah] spoke to her close to Fajr [early morning prayers], but when she called again a 12 noo n, there was no response. She called again, and somebody picked up the phone and told her Habiba was dead. My dad, who is in Egypt right now, confirmed it later . XPRESS deputy editor Mazhar Farooqui said the entire team is in a state of shock . It s hard to believe she s gone. She was passionate about her work and had a promi sing career ahead. A third journalist, Reuters photojournalist Asmaa Waguih, was also reported to h ave suffered a gunshot wound to the leg.

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