onsdag 9 januari 2013
Vizio unveils premium 42 and 54-inch 5.1 home theater sound bars
Vizio has proven to be a very popular company in the HDTV market. Vizio pretty much came out of nowhere a few years ago and quickly took over the market thinks to its TVs that were priced well and offered high-end features. TVs aren’t all Vizio has in its product line, the company also has Read The Full Story
ATOMS are iPhone-controlled, DIY toy kits
If you're into do-it-yourself toys -- and really, who isn't? -- you're probably very happy that the recent Kickstarter for ATOMS was a resounding success. The tiny building tools can turn practically anything into a working gadget or toy, complete with iOS compatibility via Bluetooth.
There are 13 different ATOMS modules that perform functions like sensing light, detecting motion, providing power to moving parts and even exploding into multiple pieces. The blocks can interconnect with existing Lego structures, or be used in all-new creations.
When the toys begin shipping in June 2013, they will come in different bundled configurations. The most interesting of these is the iOS Control Set, which gives you everything you need to build a remote control vehicle, fully controllable via your iPhone or iPad.ATOMS are iPhone-controlled, DIY toy kits originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
There are 13 different ATOMS modules that perform functions like sensing light, detecting motion, providing power to moving parts and even exploding into multiple pieces. The blocks can interconnect with existing Lego structures, or be used in all-new creations.
When the toys begin shipping in June 2013, they will come in different bundled configurations. The most interesting of these is the iOS Control Set, which gives you everything you need to build a remote control vehicle, fully controllable via your iPhone or iPad.ATOMS are iPhone-controlled, DIY toy kits originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Another BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha lands on eBay
Less than a week ago we saw not one, but�two BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha units sell for nearly $1,000 on eBay. Now there is another listing for a Dev Alpha (we're unsure if it's an A or B - or if the auction is even legit for that matter) that is running up over $2,000 -- which is crazy. Aside from the fact that it is illegal (and totally unethical) to sell one of these devices, shelling out that much for a developer unit that doesn't even have the full OS is pretty nutty (but that's just my opinion). Regardless, the auction has another day to go so if you're totally off your rocker and want to pay an insane amount of money for something you don't really need (just wait�another 3 weeks for BlackBerry 10!) then hit up the link below to check it out. Thanks Jacob! Check out the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha on eBay� CrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. Another BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha lands on eBay
Video: Hands-on With NVIDIA?s Grid Gaming System on a Nexus 7 [CES 2013]
Outside of NVIDIA’s Project Shield gaming system and the Tegra 4, their other CES announcement of Grid Cloud Gaming might be equally as impressive. With their new Grid servers, NVIDIA is taking PC-quality gaming and pushing it to any screen in the world, including mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. � These Grid servers have [...]
Sony One-touch NFC remote mirroring Hands-on
Remotes only have a few select uses for our TVs these days, even with smart TVs, but the folks from Sony are changing how we use and perceive our remotes. At CES Sony announced a few new remotes that pack more than just some batteries inside, instead we have NFC support for easy mirror mode Read The Full Story
Manufacturers Need You to Buy an Ultra-High-Def 4K TV. Save Your Money
Every TV manufacturer that could haul itself to the home of gambling, sand and lost weekends wants you, needs you, to buy a 4K in the near future. The 3-D HDTV didn't pan out and now it's up to 4K ...
tisdag 8 januari 2013
GreatCall Debuts New Urgent Care App
GreatCall, which markets Jitterbug phones, today announced a revised application that provides customers with quick access to medical professionals. The app used to be called Live Nurse, but is now called Urgent Care and offers more services that it did before. For example, it can be used to contact a certified nurse at any time to consult about potential health issues. The app also provides access to medical dictionaries and a symptom checker tool. Calling a nurse costs $3.99 each time a call is made, but the nurse can escalate the call to a doctor if needed. The doctor can provide an assessment and/or diagnosis directly over the phone. The service is available in English and Spanish. The iPhone app itself is free to download.
Contacts for my different emails are getting all mixed up
I have 4 different gmail accounts. 1 personal and 3 for different organizations that I volunteer for. They all have different contact lists. ...
Apple rumored to release cheaper iPhone in 2013
This certainly isn’t the first time we’ve heard of such a rumor, but it’s back and ready to get people to speculate yet again. The Wall Street Journal is claiming that 2013 is the year of a cheaper iPhone, which will sport a less-expensive body, perhaps being made out of tough plastic instead of a Read The Full Story
BlackBerry 10 Experience Forum kicks off in February starting with Toronto
Over he past few months we've seen BlackBerry employees traveling the world to show and tell folks about BlackBerry 10. Now, with the launch event happening on January 30th, there are no signs of that slowing down. In fact, all of that was just the beginning really especially for those in the Enterprise sector. The BlackBerry 10 Experience Forum kicks off in February starting in Toronto and will cater to those looking to know more about how BlackBerry 10 can fit into their business portfolio. read moreCrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. BlackBerry 10 Experience Forum kicks off in February starting with Toronto
BlackBerry 10 Experience Forum kicks off in February starting with Toronto
Over he past few months we've seen BlackBerry employees traveling the world to show and tell folks about BlackBerry 10. Now, with the launch event happening on January 30th, there are no signs of that slowing down. In fact, all of that was just the beginning really especially for those in the Enterprise sector. The BlackBerry 10 Experience Forum kicks off in February starting in Toronto and will cater to those looking to know more about how BlackBerry 10 can fit into their business portfolio. read moreCrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. BlackBerry 10 Experience Forum kicks off in February starting with Toronto
Netflix announces ?Super HD? and 3D streaming for select ISPs
Netflix (NFLX) on Tuesday announced new enhanced streaming options for users on select ISPs. Following a series of rumors that suggested as much, Netflix has confirmed the availability of “Super HD” streaming ? which is simply Netflix’s branding for 1080p content ? and 3D video streaming. Both services are available immediately with a huge caveat: only Netflix subscribers with Cablevision or Google Fiber Internet service have access to the new content. For those lucky subscribers, Super HD and 3D content is accessible using a number of devices including�the Wii U, compatible Roku players, the Apple TV, Windows 8 PCs and select smart TVs and Blu-ray players.�Netflix’s full press release follows below. Netflix “Open Connect” Delivery Network Gains Widespread Global Acceptance
Burglar breaks into Microsoft, steals only Apple products
A buddy of mine sent me this link from Google+ user Joshua Anderson. It's a clipping from the Palo Alto Daily Post about a break-in that occurred on Microsoft's Mountain View campus early this month.
Despite Microsoft's offices being presumably filled with the best MS tech on the planet, the thieves instead chose to steal only five Apple iPads that were in the office. As the paper notes, no Microsoft products were stolen.
Who knew that even burglars could have good taste?Burglar breaks into Microsoft, steals only Apple products originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Despite Microsoft's offices being presumably filled with the best MS tech on the planet, the thieves instead chose to steal only five Apple iPads that were in the office. As the paper notes, no Microsoft products were stolen.
Who knew that even burglars could have good taste?Burglar breaks into Microsoft, steals only Apple products originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
CES 2013: Fitbug launches the Orb, for tracking sleep and activity via iOS
Photo: Engadget
Whatever you do, don't confuse the Fitbug with its similarly titled competitor, the Fitbit -- we accidentally did so at this week's CES Unveiled event, and the company's rep gave us a stern correction. In our defense, it's easy to mix the two up: They obviously sound similar, and they perform similar tasks, both tracking health and calorie consumption via a Bluetooth app. But Fitbug's new Orb unit hopes to do even more than the popular Fitbit -- not only will it track calories burned through the pedometer, but it will also measure sleep (presumably by noting when you're laying down and going inactive).
The Fitbug will hook up with any iOS device, and can deliver data through a continuous stream, set data to be kicked out at certain times or follow your directions through a Push mode. The unit can be worn around the wrist, clipped on or connected to a necklace attachment. The Orb is available now from Fitbug directly, for a price of £45 (or US$73).
The company has also introduced a line of Bluetooth enabled scales this week called the Fitbug Wow, that will also track your progress and share it across to a series of iPhone apps. That information can also be browsed through on the website, to mingle up with whatever data you've collected from the Orb. The scales will be out in March, and can be bought for either £70 or £100 ($114 or $163, respectively), depending on whether you buy the packaged Air activity tracker as well.
Engadget has a gallery of each device here.
There are already a number of solutions out there for activity tracking like this, but Fitbug is throwing its hat into the arena with a passion. We'll have to wait and see, as the year goes on, if one of these solutions can fight its way up to the top.
CES 2013: Fitbug launches the Orb, for tracking sleep and activity via iOS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 07 Jan 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Whatever you do, don't confuse the Fitbug with its similarly titled competitor, the Fitbit -- we accidentally did so at this week's CES Unveiled event, and the company's rep gave us a stern correction. In our defense, it's easy to mix the two up: They obviously sound similar, and they perform similar tasks, both tracking health and calorie consumption via a Bluetooth app. But Fitbug's new Orb unit hopes to do even more than the popular Fitbit -- not only will it track calories burned through the pedometer, but it will also measure sleep (presumably by noting when you're laying down and going inactive).
The Fitbug will hook up with any iOS device, and can deliver data through a continuous stream, set data to be kicked out at certain times or follow your directions through a Push mode. The unit can be worn around the wrist, clipped on or connected to a necklace attachment. The Orb is available now from Fitbug directly, for a price of £45 (or US$73).
The company has also introduced a line of Bluetooth enabled scales this week called the Fitbug Wow, that will also track your progress and share it across to a series of iPhone apps. That information can also be browsed through on the website, to mingle up with whatever data you've collected from the Orb. The scales will be out in March, and can be bought for either £70 or £100 ($114 or $163, respectively), depending on whether you buy the packaged Air activity tracker as well.
Engadget has a gallery of each device here.
There are already a number of solutions out there for activity tracking like this, but Fitbug is throwing its hat into the arena with a passion. We'll have to wait and see, as the year goes on, if one of these solutions can fight its way up to the top.
CES 2013: Fitbug launches the Orb, for tracking sleep and activity via iOS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 07 Jan 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Hot Chocolate Tastes Better in Orange Cups, Study Says
Like hot chocolate? According to a new study, you'll like it even more if you drink it from an orange mug.
More About: Newsy, study, videos, Watercooler
More About: Newsy, study, videos, Watercooler
Polaroid iM1836 Android interchangeable lens camera hands-on
Polaroid may not be the first name you think of when you imagine cutting-edge cameras, but the new Polaroid iM1836 joins a rarified club of Android-based snappers. Pairing Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with an interchangeable lens system of Polaroid’s own devising, the iM1836 shoots up to 18-megapixel stills and up to 1080p Full HD video, Read The Full Story
Canada's first NFC print ad appears in Connected magazine
NFC�is still not as widely used as it could be, but things are definitely coming along and being introduced to the general public. RIM has kicked things up a bit by putting an NFC ad in Rogers Connected magazine. The ad, when tapped with an NFC-enabled device, allows users instant access to a holiday gift offer, free BlackBerry apps, information on the new�BlackBerry 10�devices and download of�CIBC's�mobile payment app. The ad is the first of its kind in Canada and looks to pave the way for many more. Check out the video above to see it in action. Source:�NFCWorld� CrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. Canada's first NFC print ad appears in Connected magazine
Ibitz Uses Your Child?s Physical Activity To Power Games, Earn TV Privileges
LAS VEGAS -- What if your child had to walk 5,000 steps in a day before she was allowed to watch cartoons? What if an hour-long bike ride could earn your child an hour of video games -- and a few new levels in that game -- on his Nexus 7?
That's the idea behind ibitz, a new fitness tracker that not only keeps track of how active your child is, but lets him or her earn access to new levels in a favorite video game, or time in front of the television based on how active they've been during the day.
Available for both children and adults, the ibitz tracker snaps on your shoe and keeps track of your physical activity throughout the day. The device syncs with Bluetooth 4.0 devices such as… Continue reading...
More About: App, CES, CES 2013, fitness
That's the idea behind ibitz, a new fitness tracker that not only keeps track of how active your child is, but lets him or her earn access to new levels in a favorite video game, or time in front of the television based on how active they've been during the day.
Available for both children and adults, the ibitz tracker snaps on your shoe and keeps track of your physical activity throughout the day. The device syncs with Bluetooth 4.0 devices such as… Continue reading...
More About: App, CES, CES 2013, fitness
måndag 7 januari 2013
Samsung: 3-5 years for mainstream Ultra HD TV
Samsung’s S9000-series Ultra HD TVs�are two things: impressive and not cheap.�We caught up with Samsung’s Joe Stinziano, EVP of Samsung America, to talk about the new set, some of the design and hardware decisions behind it, and – perhaps most importantly for the mass market – when we can expect to see 4K multimedia and Read The Full Story
CES Is the World?s Greatest Hardware Show Stuck in a Software Era
CES is a temple to hardware, which makes it easy to lose sight of what really matters: The software that runs on it. As that becomes ever more true, it raises the question of what role the Consumer Electronics Show ...
Avatron's Air Login hits the App Store, free for local use
Last month, TUAW blogger Erica Sadun did a writeup of a preview edition of Avatron's Air Login remote computer access app. Erica and I were both beta testers for the app, which is used to control any number of Macs from your favorite iOS device. Air Login (free, universal) is now live on the App Store.
As Erica noted in her previous writeup, Air Connect (free) is installed on the Macs you wish to control. Those Macs must be running OS X Lion or Mountain Lion. Air Login is loaded on your iOS device(s), and can be used at no cost on your local network to control your Macs. If you want true remote access over a mobile connection, Avatron offers an in-app purchase to Air Login Anywhere at a cost of $4.99 for 90 days or $14.99 for a year.
Dave Howell of Avatron noted that before the company began work on Air Login, they took a look at all of the other remote access apps out there -- apps like LogMeIn and GoToMyPC -- to see what was good and bad about those apps. Avatron did a wonderful job of enabling touch control of a remote Mac. There's a button to show all open Mac apps and quickly switch to the one you want to use, and once you're in that Mac app, its menu bar appears at the top of your iOS device screen.
Remote control with Air Login, even over a mobile connection, is fast and definitely optimized for use on a small screen. Erica's sneak peek ended with the words "The thoughtfulness of the features, the care in the design and the overall understanding of how people want and need to do work convince me that this is a product worth watching out for. It's on its way and it's going to kick ass."
I agree wholeheartedly with that statement.
Avatron's Air Login hits the App Store, free for local use originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 06 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
As Erica noted in her previous writeup, Air Connect (free) is installed on the Macs you wish to control. Those Macs must be running OS X Lion or Mountain Lion. Air Login is loaded on your iOS device(s), and can be used at no cost on your local network to control your Macs. If you want true remote access over a mobile connection, Avatron offers an in-app purchase to Air Login Anywhere at a cost of $4.99 for 90 days or $14.99 for a year.
Dave Howell of Avatron noted that before the company began work on Air Login, they took a look at all of the other remote access apps out there -- apps like LogMeIn and GoToMyPC -- to see what was good and bad about those apps. Avatron did a wonderful job of enabling touch control of a remote Mac. There's a button to show all open Mac apps and quickly switch to the one you want to use, and once you're in that Mac app, its menu bar appears at the top of your iOS device screen.
Remote control with Air Login, even over a mobile connection, is fast and definitely optimized for use on a small screen. Erica's sneak peek ended with the words "The thoughtfulness of the features, the care in the design and the overall understanding of how people want and need to do work convince me that this is a product worth watching out for. It's on its way and it's going to kick ass."
I agree wholeheartedly with that statement.
Avatron's Air Login hits the App Store, free for local use originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 06 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
'IMAGiNE' leader sentenced to five years in prison for sharing pirated films
Jeramiah Perkins, leader of the once extremely popular IMAGiNE movie piracy group, has been sentenced to five years of jailtime, the harshest sentence yet seen for a copyright crime.In 2011, the P2P top group stopped distributing new CAM and TS releases, and the P2P world began speculating that maybe they had been caught. This proved true as rumor has it a rival P2P group sold them out to the MPAA which then turned to the authorities. The group had released hundreds of films, many of which were recorded in movie theaters by members of the group.Other members of the group have already received sentences ranging from 23 months to 48 months, alongside fines.Perkins, the sysop for the group, got it worse. After his jailtime, which will undoubtedly be nowhere near 5 years being he is a non-violent offender, Perkins will have three years of supervised release including a ban of "any electronic device with the capability or reproducing and distributing copies of copyrighted materials." Yes, this means no computer access for three years after his jail sentence.Wrote United States Attorney Neil MacBride: "The nature and circumstances of defendant Perkins' offense are serious, as he both organized and led the IMAGiNE Group ? one of the largest and most effective organized copyright crime groups on the Internet."In their case against IMAGiNE, prosecutors claimed that the group was responsible for 40 percent of all line audio piracy in the world for an almost 2 year period.Permalink | Comments
Email Account Setup
:bb:I am trying to recover the email accounts that I had set up on my Torch 9800. Had 3 and one was my att.blackberry.net account. I have gone into...
Canon Debuts New Powershot Series That Paves The Way For Compact Cameras
Canon unveiled a host of new Powershot cameras at CES 2012, including the diminutive new Powershot N, a camera with lots of personality packed into an extremely small frame. The new Powershot N is a small device with instant sharing capabilities, which seems designed to turn the compact camera into an Instagram-style shooter.
Fleksy predictive text beta software for Android wanted to write this post for us, will be demonstrated at CES 2013
If touchscreen typing worked flawlessly, we wouldn't have Bluetooth keyboards to avoid it, or special software around to make it a little easier. Syntellia is one company working on a solution in the latter category -- a predictive text engine called Fleksy -- that makes some pretty bold claims. Apparently, the technology means you can type accurately "without even looking at the screen," producing perfect prose regardless of if you "miss every single letter." Fleksy is already available on iOS, but Syntellia is showing off the beta of its psychic software for Android at CES 2013 (watch out Swiftkey!). We hope to put it through its paces on the show floor, but if you feel like you're missing out, head to the source link below where you can register for beta access yourself.Continue reading Fleksy predictive text beta software for Android wanted to write this post for us, will be demonstrated at CES 2013Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, MobileCommentsSource: Fleksy (Syntellia)
Break in at Microsoft?s research office sees only iPads stolen
According to a report in a Palo Alto newspaper, a break in took place at Microsoft?s office in Mountain View and the only things that were taken from the property were iPads. The Break in supposedly happened over the Christmas period at one of Microsoft?s research offices and the thief got away with two iPad 2 models, two iPad third generation models and one of the latest iPad 4th generation models. Apparently no Microsoft products were stolen in the burglary. Police Sgt Sean Thompson said there are no suspects and no sign of forced entry. The iPads were taken from three offices in Microsoft Building 5 on the campus at 1075 La Avenida Street, according to Thompson, the theft was reported on Wednesday. Thompson said, all employees have access to the building through their electronic key cards. The company told police it was closed for two days on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Thompson said he assumes Microsoft has some sort of video surveillance and will be reviewing who entered and exited the building during the time frame of the theft. So far police do not have any suspect information. Now before you to start to laugh, there could be a really simple explanation for all this. Maybe the offices didn't have any Microsoft Surface?s or Laptops lying around. Maybe the only things available in those particular offices were Apple?s products. Ok, it?s a long shot I agree, go on, laugh if you want! Source: macgasm
Check Out ?CES Unveiled? 2013
The CES drink louge
Click here to view this gallery.
LAS VEGAS -- International CES doesn't officially start until Tuesday, but the action is already heating up at "CES Unveiled." Companies including Lenovo and Parrot were on-site to show off their gear to eager reporters and industry movers and shakers.
Our on-the-ground team took photos of some of the most exciting tech at this pre-CES press event, so browse through the photos to see what we saw.
Press Day for CES is Monday with lots of announcements of new products, and the big CES keynotes, conferences and exhibits kick off on Jan. 8, so stay tuned to Mashable to see the news as it unfolds.
SEE ALSO: How to Follow CES 2013 Online
What part of CES Unveiled would you most like to… Continue reading...
More About: CES, CES 2013, CES Unveiled
Click here to view this gallery.
LAS VEGAS -- International CES doesn't officially start until Tuesday, but the action is already heating up at "CES Unveiled." Companies including Lenovo and Parrot were on-site to show off their gear to eager reporters and industry movers and shakers.
Our on-the-ground team took photos of some of the most exciting tech at this pre-CES press event, so browse through the photos to see what we saw.
Press Day for CES is Monday with lots of announcements of new products, and the big CES keynotes, conferences and exhibits kick off on Jan. 8, so stay tuned to Mashable to see the news as it unfolds.
SEE ALSO: How to Follow CES 2013 Online
What part of CES Unveiled would you most like to… Continue reading...
More About: CES, CES 2013, CES Unveiled
HP unveils new Pavilion TouchSmart Sleekbook for Windows 8
HP isn’t wasting any time here at CES and have already announced a slew of new monitors, desktop PCs, as well as a few notebooks. Today they’ve also added two awesome new Sleekbooks to their growing lineup. HP has just announced the all new HP Pavilion TouchSmart Sleekbook geared for Windows 8, as well as Read The Full Story
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Posted via BlackBerryForums.com Mobile
Posted via BlackBerryForums.com Mobile
söndag 6 januari 2013
Wired?s Non-Stop CES Live Blog: Filtering the Noise From the Signal
The epic gathering of geeks known as CES is upon us. The Wired crew joining the annual onslaught of press conferences and schmoozing required to fondle all those awesome gadgets is doing something a little different this year. Rather than ...
The cost of Google?s antitrust victory: Its Motorola patents are now worth even less than before
Google’s (GOOG) decision to buy Motorola really isn’t looking too hot right now. The Wall Street Journal reports that Motorola’s patent portfolio took a significant hit to its value this week after the Federal Trade Commission�concluded�its investigation into whether Google allegedly abused the patents�it obtained when it finalized its acquisition of the electronics manufacturer last year. According to the Journal, one of the concessions Google made to the FTC to avoid litigation involved “agreeing to an FTC consent order restricting the use of many of its best patents as weapons,” which significantly diminishes the company’s ability to pursue aggressive patent lawsuits against rivals. Google, of course, primarily acquired Motorola for the value of its patent portfolio�and the company has admitted
Lenovo Erazer X700 PC hands-on: beastly gaming in a sharp tower
This week the folks at Lenovo have brought forth a beast: the Lenovo Erazer X700 takes on the gaming universe with a hammer-like appearance. This machine is taking on everything Lenovo knows about making the casing and surrounds a set of innards that includes dual-graphics support for NVIDIA GeForce or AMD Radeon HD GPUs, 3rd Read The Full Story
Library of Congress Has Now Archived 170 Billion Tweets
The Library of Congress is just weeks away from finishing the first stage of building a Twitter archive, but there are still technological challenges ahead.
More About: Library of Congress, Twitter
More About: Library of Congress, Twitter
Facebook Adds Voice Messaging to Android/iOS Apps
Facebook today announced new versions of its Android and iOS messenger applications will soon offer a significant new feature: the ability to leave voice messages. In addition to taking photos or sending instant messages, the Facebook Messenger app can be used to record and send short voice messages to other Facebook users. The messages are sent via the mobile device user's data plan. Facebook is also beta testing VoIP-based, phone-to-phone calling within Facebook Messenger, though the beta is limited to customers in Canada. Facebook hasn't said if it will enable VoIP via Facebook Messenger in the U.S. The updated apps will be available for download from the Google Play Store and iTunes beginning later today. Both are free.
iBook Lessons: Childrens picture books
iBook Lessons is a continuing series about ebook writing and publishing.
I recently had occasion to give advice regarding an author considering the move from traditional books to ebooks. Normally, in these cases, I recommend starting with Amazon. It offers the simplest tools for publishing manuscripts with a minimum of effort.
In this case, the material was a children's picture book. And because of that, I suggested going with the iBookstore instead. The iBooks Author software, available freely from Apple, provides a much better match to picture book layout and interaction than standard document-to-EPUB conversion tools.
For picture books, which typically run 32 pages in length, the layout is just as important as the content.
iBooks Author offers fixed page layout, so you can be sure that the page you design and the page the reader sees are essentially the same. This makes it the best match for many cookbooks, textbooks, and of course, picture books. Best of all, it's pretty easy to pick up for anyone with some technological mastery.
As an alternative, advanced design tools like Adobe InDesign enable you to create fixed layout using traditional EPUB 3, but the software is expensive and the technological demands are higher. (Link is to a PDF describing the process of converting childrens books to EPUB 3 using InDesign.)
The advantage to EPUB is a potentially wider audience, but you do so subject to the whims of the rendering platform without the guarantees of page fidelity that Apple brings to the table with iBooks. There's no implied contract of performance. As Smashwords CEO Mark Coker points out, "Any time you add complexity to a book, you create opportunities for incompatibility or limit the number of supported platforms."
One of the challenges of a fixed format book is that it limits the platform on which it can be read. With iBooks Author, you limit your audience to iPad owners. The expanded iBooks format is only available for tablet reading.
The unfortunate side of choosing fixed layout is that you lose out on many services that exist to transform manuscripts to EPUB formats. Sites like Smashwords, Lulu, and FastPencil offer simple-to-use book conversion and publishing options. You upload a manuscript, choose a template, and publish. They are a perfect match for casual writers without a tech background. That kind of automated conversion just doesn't seem to exist for fixed layout projects.
Coker explained that fixed layout isn't an easy path, even for a constantly evolving service. "We're looking to the future to see how we can add other formats," he said. Smashwords currently supports EPUB 2, but is exploring additional formats including EPUB 3 and other fixed layout solutions like iBooks.
"Just within the last week, we introduced a new feature called Smashwords Direct," he said. "The service allows authors and publishers to upload their own professionally formatted EPUB files." Prior to the Direct service, Smashwords limited their uploads to Microsoft Word documents. "This is the first time we've allowed a format other than just Word docs. We see this as the first step, a foundational element for supporting other file formats."
Coker expressed interest in distributing books in iBooks format to Apple as well. "We're taking it one step at a time. Our Direct service is in beta. We're going to work on working out the kinks for the first generation then look to the future to see how we can add the other formats."
Coker could not offer a timeline due to the exploratory nature of the initiative.
In the end, the best bet for the picture book situation is probably to give iBooks Author a try. There are many excellent books and websites that guide you through the process and teach you how to use the app.
Have experience using conversion bureaus? Share your stories in the comments.iBook Lessons: Childrens picture books originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 04 Jan 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
I recently had occasion to give advice regarding an author considering the move from traditional books to ebooks. Normally, in these cases, I recommend starting with Amazon. It offers the simplest tools for publishing manuscripts with a minimum of effort.
In this case, the material was a children's picture book. And because of that, I suggested going with the iBookstore instead. The iBooks Author software, available freely from Apple, provides a much better match to picture book layout and interaction than standard document-to-EPUB conversion tools.
For picture books, which typically run 32 pages in length, the layout is just as important as the content.
iBooks Author offers fixed page layout, so you can be sure that the page you design and the page the reader sees are essentially the same. This makes it the best match for many cookbooks, textbooks, and of course, picture books. Best of all, it's pretty easy to pick up for anyone with some technological mastery.
As an alternative, advanced design tools like Adobe InDesign enable you to create fixed layout using traditional EPUB 3, but the software is expensive and the technological demands are higher. (Link is to a PDF describing the process of converting childrens books to EPUB 3 using InDesign.)
The advantage to EPUB is a potentially wider audience, but you do so subject to the whims of the rendering platform without the guarantees of page fidelity that Apple brings to the table with iBooks. There's no implied contract of performance. As Smashwords CEO Mark Coker points out, "Any time you add complexity to a book, you create opportunities for incompatibility or limit the number of supported platforms."
One of the challenges of a fixed format book is that it limits the platform on which it can be read. With iBooks Author, you limit your audience to iPad owners. The expanded iBooks format is only available for tablet reading.
The unfortunate side of choosing fixed layout is that you lose out on many services that exist to transform manuscripts to EPUB formats. Sites like Smashwords, Lulu, and FastPencil offer simple-to-use book conversion and publishing options. You upload a manuscript, choose a template, and publish. They are a perfect match for casual writers without a tech background. That kind of automated conversion just doesn't seem to exist for fixed layout projects.
Coker explained that fixed layout isn't an easy path, even for a constantly evolving service. "We're looking to the future to see how we can add other formats," he said. Smashwords currently supports EPUB 2, but is exploring additional formats including EPUB 3 and other fixed layout solutions like iBooks.
"Just within the last week, we introduced a new feature called Smashwords Direct," he said. "The service allows authors and publishers to upload their own professionally formatted EPUB files." Prior to the Direct service, Smashwords limited their uploads to Microsoft Word documents. "This is the first time we've allowed a format other than just Word docs. We see this as the first step, a foundational element for supporting other file formats."
Coker expressed interest in distributing books in iBooks format to Apple as well. "We're taking it one step at a time. Our Direct service is in beta. We're going to work on working out the kinks for the first generation then look to the future to see how we can add the other formats."
Coker could not offer a timeline due to the exploratory nature of the initiative.
In the end, the best bet for the picture book situation is probably to give iBooks Author a try. There are many excellent books and websites that guide you through the process and teach you how to use the app.
Have experience using conversion bureaus? Share your stories in the comments.iBook Lessons: Childrens picture books originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 04 Jan 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Who to follow on Twitter: Apple edition
Welcome back to our series on Who To Follow, and this time we're listing our favorite Apple-tinged Twitter users. Encompassing our favorite news sites, writers and iOS tinkerers, there should be something there for most Apple fans, whether you're looking for Mac news, app developments, or (sometimes) a vague glimpse of what to expect from the Cupertino-based team in the future. Shameful omissions should be sent directly to the author -- or you can just let us know in the comments below.Continue reading Who to follow on Twitter: Apple editionFiled under: Cellphones, Laptops, Tablets, AppleComments
Best Buy not happy with Walmart's holiday iPhone 5 deal
The Wall Street Journal is reporting this morning that Best Buy and several other retailers are quite unhappy with a Walmart advertising campaign that claims that the discount store chain has lower prices than the stores targeted in their ads.
This came to a head over the holidays, when Walmart ran ads on Facebook showing an advertised price for an iPhone 5 of just US$127. At the time, Best Buy was selling the same iPhone 5 configuration with a two-year contract for $149.99. The result? Best Buy had to drop prices to meet its price-match guarantee, and lost about $65,000 in profits on the first day the Walmart promotion ran.
Best Buy also alleges that Walmart didn't have sufficient iPhones on hand for customers. Walmart replied to the allegations, saying that they were "98 percent in stock at stores that carried the devices." The company declined to tell the WSJ how many iPhone 5s it had in stores during the promotion.
Another complaint by Best Buy notes that a holiday Walmart ad claimed a Dell laptop was $251 more at Best Buy, when the two laptops compared were actually different models. Best Buy general counsel Keith Nelsen, writing to the Florida attorney general's office, said, "That would be like comparing a Toyota to a Lexus."
Whether attorneys general in a number of states decide to follow up on the allegations is unknown.
[via MacRumors]Best Buy not happy with Walmart's holiday iPhone 5 deal originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
This came to a head over the holidays, when Walmart ran ads on Facebook showing an advertised price for an iPhone 5 of just US$127. At the time, Best Buy was selling the same iPhone 5 configuration with a two-year contract for $149.99. The result? Best Buy had to drop prices to meet its price-match guarantee, and lost about $65,000 in profits on the first day the Walmart promotion ran.
Best Buy also alleges that Walmart didn't have sufficient iPhones on hand for customers. Walmart replied to the allegations, saying that they were "98 percent in stock at stores that carried the devices." The company declined to tell the WSJ how many iPhone 5s it had in stores during the promotion.
Another complaint by Best Buy notes that a holiday Walmart ad claimed a Dell laptop was $251 more at Best Buy, when the two laptops compared were actually different models. Best Buy general counsel Keith Nelsen, writing to the Florida attorney general's office, said, "That would be like comparing a Toyota to a Lexus."
Whether attorneys general in a number of states decide to follow up on the allegations is unknown.
[via MacRumors]Best Buy not happy with Walmart's holiday iPhone 5 deal originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Huawei, Nokia, Samsung, and ZTE Hit with Patent Suit
InterDigital today filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission against Huawei, Nokia, Samsung, and ZTE. InterDigital alleges that the companies are violating its 3G and 4G technology patents, and is asking the ITC to block the offending products. In particular, the patents cover WCDMA, cdma2000, LTE, and Wi-Fi technology as used in the infringing companies' phones, laptop dongles, hotspots, laptops, and tablets. InterDigital filed similar litigation with the U.S. District Court of Delaware. There, it is seeking a permanent injunction against the companies, as well as compensatory damages. Earlier this week, InterDigital announced that Research In Motion agreed to license its LTE 4G patents.
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lördag 5 januari 2013
Library of Congress tweet collection tops 170 billion
Back in 2010, we learned that the Library of Congress had struck a deal with the fine folks over at Twitter to archive every public tweet ever made. In order for this to be accomplished, the Library of Congress first had to go back to 2006 and, starting with the first tweet ever sent using Read The Full Story
Harman unveiling new JBL speaker docks at CES 2013
While CES 2013 might be the year for even more smartphones and Windows 8 computers, we can’t help but predict that there will also be a lot of speaker docks on display as well. Case in point: Harman will be there with a slew of new iOS speaker docks, including models with Bluetooth and Apple’s Read The Full Story
The Real Reason Your Eyesight Stinks
Captchaism: It's like Astigmatism, but less decipherable.
More About: captcha, comics, humor, vision
More About: captcha, comics, humor, vision
SuperTooth Disco Twin and HD-Voice Bluetooth speakers go big for CES 2013
SuperTooth has announced a pair of new Bluetooth speakers. The models include the Disco Twin and the HD-Voice with the former being a pair of speakers offering left/right stereo and the latter being an in-car hands-free model. Both models are set to debut during CES 2013, however we have yet to see a firm release Read The Full Story
G-Form takes iPhone case drop testing to a new height: over 100,000 feet
In the past we've seen some videos from G-Form showing their iPhone and iPad cases taking some incredible falls and surviving, but nothing beats this test. The company took one of their new XTREME cases for iPhone ($39.99) that will be introduced at CES next week, popped an iPod touch (fifth generation) into it, and attached it to a weather balloon which also carried a GPS tracking device and a sports action camera. The iPod touch in the iPhone 5 case is dangling below a yellow G-Form case carrying the "instrument package" in the image above.
When the G-Form XTREME case and iPod touch reached an altitude of above 100,000 feet, the electronics package was released. Two of the cameras used during the drop shut down due to extremely low temperatures, estimated at -60°F. The devices were picked up unharmed about 41 miles from their launch site, fittingly near Area 51 in the Nevada desert.
The cool thing about the new case is that it's much thinner than many competing cases. Like previous G-Form XTREME cases, the new line uses the company's Reactive Protection Technology as an inner core, adds a polycarbonate external shell, and features a third layer of TPE to absorb shocks. The new case is available for order on the G-Form site at this time.
G-Form takes iPhone case drop testing to a new height: over 100,000 feet originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 03 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
When the G-Form XTREME case and iPod touch reached an altitude of above 100,000 feet, the electronics package was released. Two of the cameras used during the drop shut down due to extremely low temperatures, estimated at -60°F. The devices were picked up unharmed about 41 miles from their launch site, fittingly near Area 51 in the Nevada desert.
The cool thing about the new case is that it's much thinner than many competing cases. Like previous G-Form XTREME cases, the new line uses the company's Reactive Protection Technology as an inner core, adds a polycarbonate external shell, and features a third layer of TPE to absorb shocks. The new case is available for order on the G-Form site at this time.
G-Form takes iPhone case drop testing to a new height: over 100,000 feet originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 03 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Latest OS 9300 v6.0.0.749 / 6.0.0.3159 (All Languages)
Software For BlackBerry� Curve; 9300 smartphone BlackBerry Handheld Software v6.0.0.3159 (All Languages)
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iRobot to unveil new cleaning robots at CES 2013
Out of the many head-turners that will show up at the pool this summer, one new gadget will certainly catch the eye of any geek getting his tan on. iRobot will be unveiling the Mirra 530 pool-cleaning robot at CES next week, along with the Looj 330 gutter-cleaning robot, both of which provide the same Read The Full Story
US Department of Defense signs three-year, $617 million Windows 8 licensing deal
Despite some launch hiccups with Windows 8 and its related devices, Microsoft has received a smashing bit of news in the form of a new $617 million licensing agreement that will bring the fledgeling OS to 75 percent of US DoD personnel. The deal also includes Office 2013 and Sharepoint 2013 Enterprise, and will let users access the software "from any location, and any supported device, while taking advantage of enhanced security," according to Redmond. Microsoft added that the agreement was "the most comprehensive" it's ever signed with the sprawling government arm, which plans to use the software for a wide range of priorities from cybersecurity to mobility. Meanwhile, the software giant is working to achieve the coveted, though highly unwieldy-sounding "Army Golden Master and Air Force Standard Desktop Configuration" compliance for Windows 8 -- which we imagine is a good thing, and hope to never have to type out again. To reconnoiter further, check the sources below.Filed under: Software, MicrosoftCommentsSource: US Department of Defense, Microsoft
BlackBerry Z10 parts appear online once again
*UPDATE* - QWERTY "X10" middle frame also appeared on their site. If you fancy looking at some of the things that make a device tick, ETradeSupply has a new video posted up showing off some BlackBerry Z10 parts. No surprise really, given the fact the whole device has pretty much leaked at this point including the same parts previously but it does reconfirm a few things in case you weren't yet convinced. Things such as the existence of a 4.3" inch display, front-facing camera and of course that LED notification light. Oddly enough, it seems they have parts from more than one device in their hands, which could translate to them having pre-production models mixed with final versions or they possibly have parts from multiple variations of the L-Series devices. Alas, even they don't seem to know at this point what they have other than to say that they know they're different. Source: ETradeSupply via: BBIN CrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. BlackBerry Z10 parts appear online once again
Cruise Control App Matches Music With Your Running Pace
The right playlist can make or break your workout.
We've all been that person fiddling with our iPhone or other music player while on the treadmill. It might be worth the temporary lack of focus to change the song to something faster to pick up our pace, but it is still a hassle.
A new app for iOS called Cruise Control bumps up the speed of your music or slows it down based on how fast you're moving. You can set your target pace in the app, and your music will adjust to that desired pace.
SEE ALSO: Half of Consumers Use Smartphones While Working Out [INFOGRAPHIC]
There are four ways to use the app. First, you can just launch it and start running. Your music will adjust to yo… Continue reading...
More About: App, exercise, Music, running
We've all been that person fiddling with our iPhone or other music player while on the treadmill. It might be worth the temporary lack of focus to change the song to something faster to pick up our pace, but it is still a hassle.
A new app for iOS called Cruise Control bumps up the speed of your music or slows it down based on how fast you're moving. You can set your target pace in the app, and your music will adjust to that desired pace.
SEE ALSO: Half of Consumers Use Smartphones While Working Out [INFOGRAPHIC]
There are four ways to use the app. First, you can just launch it and start running. Your music will adjust to yo… Continue reading...
More About: App, exercise, Music, running
fredag 4 januari 2013
'Do Not Disturb' Bug to Resolve Automatically Jan 7
Apple today indicated via its support forums that a bug currently keeping the iPhone's Do Not Disturb feature on indefinitely will resolve itself January 7. Until then, Apple said the feature will need to be turned on/off manually.
Keep an Eye on These Web Design Trends in 2013
Brian Casel is a Web designer and the founder of Restaurant Engine, a web design service made for restaurants. Connect with Brian on Twitter @CasJam.
As we roll into 2013, our world of web design and development is changing more rapidly than ever before.
For web creators everywhere, living and working on the bleeding edge of design innovation is as exciting as ever.
To kick off the new year, now seems like a good time to highlight the important trends and developments in the world of design and dev during 2013. Without further ado, here's what you need to know about web design for the year to come.
The Craft
Let's start with trends in the way we will create websites.
Resp… Continue reading...
More About: content marketing, contributor, design, dev, features, Predictions 2013, responsive design, Tech, web design
As we roll into 2013, our world of web design and development is changing more rapidly than ever before.
For web creators everywhere, living and working on the bleeding edge of design innovation is as exciting as ever.
To kick off the new year, now seems like a good time to highlight the important trends and developments in the world of design and dev during 2013. Without further ado, here's what you need to know about web design for the year to come.
The Craft
Let's start with trends in the way we will create websites.
Resp… Continue reading...
More About: content marketing, contributor, design, dev, features, Predictions 2013, responsive design, Tech, web design
S Mobility Limited unveils new Stellar Virtuoso and Stellar Pad Android devices
S Mobility Limited is the largest mobile Internet company in India. The company has announced new products for its Stellar range of Android-powered smartphones and tablets. The new smartphone is a dual-sim device that runs the Android 4.0 operating system and is called the Stellar Virtuoso. The company claims that the Stellar Virtuoso is the Read The Full Story
Microsoft acquires home automation startup eyed by Apple
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Microsoft has beaten Apple to the punch in acquiring id8 Group R2 Studios, a startup specializing in home automation technology. Started by Sling Media founder Blake Krikorian in 2011, the company was being eyed for acquisition by Apple, Microsoft and Google according to reports that surfaced last month. Terms of the deal haven't been disclosed.
The news comes on the heels of reports this week indicating that Apple is keen to explore the realm of home automation technology. Last year, it began selling the Nest smart thermostat and Philips Hue app-controlled lightbulbs through its online and retail stores.
There's little info on exactly what Microsoft intends to have R2 Studios work on, but indications are that the company will be involved with the next Xbox game console in some capacity. Before the acquisition, R2 had released one product, an Android app for communicating with Crestron home automation systems.
[Via Apple Insider]Microsoft acquires home automation startup eyed by Apple originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
The news comes on the heels of reports this week indicating that Apple is keen to explore the realm of home automation technology. Last year, it began selling the Nest smart thermostat and Philips Hue app-controlled lightbulbs through its online and retail stores.
There's little info on exactly what Microsoft intends to have R2 Studios work on, but indications are that the company will be involved with the next Xbox game console in some capacity. Before the acquisition, R2 had released one product, an Android app for communicating with Crestron home automation systems.
[Via Apple Insider]Microsoft acquires home automation startup eyed by Apple originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Harman bringing trio of JBL speakers and pair of AV receivers to CES
Harman has joined several other companies in jumping the CES gun, announcing five new products it's bringing to the show. First up is the JBL Charge, a hardy Bluetooth speaker which promises an impressive 12 hours of tunes on a single charge. If you are willing to sacrifice some of that play time, you can siphon power from the internal battery to other kit via the speaker's USB port. Expected to start shipping in Q1 2013, you should be able to pick one up for around $149. Joining JBL's OnBeat range are the Mini and Rumble speaker docks, which are both compatible with Apple's Lightning connector. The Mini is a fairly standard dock which will play and charge for up five hours on battery power, and should be available this coming March for around $149. The Rumble, however, is a little more equipped, with both Lightning and Bluetooth streaming options, as well as a 4.5-inch, "down-firing subwoofer" for bass junkies. That extra muscle is reflected in the price, though, which is likely to be $399 when it hits stores next spring. A couple of new Kardon-branded A/V receivers from Harman are also coming along to CES -- the AVR 2700 and 3700. Both have multi-zone functionality, are stacked with wireless features including internet radio, AirPlay and DLNA connectivity, and can be controlled using iOS and Android apps. The AVR 2700 has eight HDMI ports and 4K video scaling for when you get round to buying that UHDTV, as well as 7.1-channel audio (at 100 watts per channel). The AVR 3700 adds WiFi connectivity, and has 7.2 channels (at 125 watts per channel) for adding a second woofer to your setup. When they become available to purchase in Q1 2013, expect wallet damage to the tune of $799 for the 2700, or $999 for the 3700. You can get a closer look at all the Harman products in the press shots below (complete with unnecessary reflection), and if you're into PRs, there are a whole bunch awaiting you after the break. Gallery: JBL speaker and Harman Kardon A/V receiver press shotsContinue reading Harman bringing trio of JBL speakers and pair of AV receivers to CESFiled under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals, Wireless, HDComments
GameStick announces support for XBMC and DLNA
This morning, the team behind GameStick have announced support for XBMC and DLNA, two of the most sought after features in a product like this. While the company is shipping the GameStick as a dedicated gaming console, they have made sure that users will have the ability to hack the devices and install optional firmware. Read The Full Story
Google?s rumored ?X Phone? could be an ?attack on Samsung?
If Samsung (005930) really does plan to move away from Android, then it makes sense for Google (GOOG) to move Android away from Samsung. Over at Unwired View, Brian S. Hall writes that the “X Phone” that Google and Motorola are reportedly working on is much more of a shot across Samsung’s bow than the iPhone’s. Hall reasons that Google’s intention to create a phone with Motorola signals that the company wants to exert more direct influence over its Nexus smartphone brand since Google would have “complete control over the development, distribution and marketing” of any device produced with a company that it owns. Google’s reasons for wanting to produce its own in-house Android phone with Motorola also boil down
Unique Martian rock found in the Sahara desert
A rock from the Red Planet was discovered in the Sahara desert, and has been under study for the last year. The results from the study show that it is different from other Martian rocks that have been discovered, in that it contains more water and is older than the majority of other discoveries. The Read The Full Story
What Couples Fight About Most: the Remote
Everybody knows that the biggest thing couples fight about is money, right? Wrong. Okay, so they fight most about who's doing what work around the house. Nope, that's not it either.
It's the remote.
According to 60 Minutes and Vanity Fair, 36% of couples fight over the TV remote control, arguing about which show they'll be watching next.
It's not just an educated guess, either. The poll sampled 1,100 adults, and it found that many of the disputes had to do with one of the members of the couple wanting to watch sports, and the other wanting to watch anything but sports.
We're curious about the demographics that participated in this poll. Were they a bunch of people who call the… Continue reading...
More About: Couples fight, polls, Video
It's the remote.
According to 60 Minutes and Vanity Fair, 36% of couples fight over the TV remote control, arguing about which show they'll be watching next.
It's not just an educated guess, either. The poll sampled 1,100 adults, and it found that many of the disputes had to do with one of the members of the couple wanting to watch sports, and the other wanting to watch anything but sports.
We're curious about the demographics that participated in this poll. Were they a bunch of people who call the… Continue reading...
More About: Couples fight, polls, Video
Alcatel prepping One Touch Scribe HD phone with quad-core MediaTek chipset
If you remember the MediaTek MT6589 that we recently took for a spin, you might recall that it holds the curious designation as containing the world's first quad-core Cortex A7 1GHz+ CPU. Interestingly, we've just learned that this snappy, efficient chip will be included in Alcatel's upcoming One Touch Scribe HD smartphone. Alongside that announcement, the company has confirmed to us that it'll soon debut the One Touch Idol Ultra, which counts as its thinnest smartphone to date, along with a modular tablet that's dubbed the One Touch Evo7 HD. Not to stop there, Alcatel also promises that a mobile hotspot known as the One Touch Link W800. Other details remain elusive, but we're hopeful that we'll learn more in a few days time.Continue reading Alcatel prepping One Touch Scribe HD phone with quad-core MediaTek chipsetFiled under: Cellphones, Tablets, MobileCommentsVia: CNET
Canonical announces its Ubuntu smartphone OS, aims for complete convergence of computing
Back on January 22nd, 2012, when Thorsten Heins took over as President and CEO of Research In Motion, many folks were eager to hear his thoughts on the future of BlackBerry. After the initial breaking in period where he outlined all the upcoming changes, he started to talk more about 'mobile computing' and the 'convergence' of technologies such as smartphones, laptops and desktop computers and how a next generation computing platform was the ultimate goal for Research In Motion. As it turns out, he wasn't the only one thinking of these things. read moreCrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. Canonical announces its Ubuntu smartphone OS, aims for complete convergence of computing
NASA May Give the Moon a Smaller Moon of Its Own
One of 2012?s oddest and most interesting ideas in space exploration may be getting a renewed lease on life in 2013. According to New Scientist, NASA is "mulling over" a proposal from researchers at the Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) to give the moon a moon of its own.
In this proposal, NASA would snag an asteroid from deeper in space and tow it back to the moon, where it would take up orbit around the Earth?s only natural satellite. It may sound far-fetched, but NASA is considering funding the idea in its next round of budgeting.
The full study was first published last April. KISS researchers envision a slow, steady spacecraft powered by solar ions -- a sort of spacefari… Continue reading...
More About: asteroid mining, moon, NASA, space
In this proposal, NASA would snag an asteroid from deeper in space and tow it back to the moon, where it would take up orbit around the Earth?s only natural satellite. It may sound far-fetched, but NASA is considering funding the idea in its next round of budgeting.
The full study was first published last April. KISS researchers envision a slow, steady spacecraft powered by solar ions -- a sort of spacefari… Continue reading...
More About: asteroid mining, moon, NASA, space
torsdag 3 januari 2013
RIM Licenses 4G Patents from InterDigital
Research In Motion today amended a licensing agreement it has with InterDigital to include 4G technologies moving forward. The two companies added LTE and LTE-Advanced to the agreement, and extended it by several years. None of RIM's BlackBerry 7 smartphones include LTE 4G. RIM is prepared to reveal its first BlackBerry 10 devices, which are expected to support 4G mobile broadband, later this month. Terms of the extended agreement with InterDigital were not disclosed.
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Google Settles FTC Antitrust Case, Makes Minor Changes to Search and Ads
Google has settled a 19-month long antitrust investigation with the Federal Trade Commission by voluntarily agreeing to make several minor changes to its patent policy and search operations, the two parties announced Thursday.
Google has agreed not to scrape content from rival websites and then pass it off as its own content in search -- something the company allegedly did with reviews on Yelp. Now, it will give websites the option to opt out of having their content featured on Google's specialized search results pages like the travel and shopping sections.
The company has also agreed to give marketers more control over their ad campaigns through Google AdWords by getting rid of restr… Continue reading...
More About: FTC, Google
Google has agreed not to scrape content from rival websites and then pass it off as its own content in search -- something the company allegedly did with reviews on Yelp. Now, it will give websites the option to opt out of having their content featured on Google's specialized search results pages like the travel and shopping sections.
The company has also agreed to give marketers more control over their ad campaigns through Google AdWords by getting rid of restr… Continue reading...
More About: FTC, Google
iOS 6 Do Not Disturb goes on bender, takes New Years off
Proving once again that even the latest, greatest iOS time-based feature can fail in the face of simple change, tons of reports are flying around the internet that Do Not Disturb -- the feature that lets you mute Notification Center alerts during specified, usually nighttime, periods -- stopped working at some point between 2012 and 2013. Manually flipping Do Not Disturb from off to on again seems to fix the problem for some people, rebooting for others, though that might be small comfort when the Game Center trumpet goes off at 4am after you've been out old lang syne-ing until the wee hours, or when it won't turn back on and you miss that important call. Apple has struggled with alarms and other time-based functions during transitional periods before, and it seems they still haven't figured out a way to fix whatever's causing the problems. I have almost all my alerts turned off all the time anyway, so I didn't notice the problem, but if you did, let me know what happened, and if you found a fix that worked for you. Happy New Ye---BAPADABAAAAAAAAH! Sigh. Update: Apple has released a knowledge base article saying the bug will fix itself on January 7.
ASUS partners with Leap Motion to bring gesture control to PCs
Leap Motion has been working hard the past several months to get its gesture control technology in the hands of developers. It’s doing a great job so far, and it looks like all that hard work will pay off, because the company just partnered up with ASUS to bring the Kinect-like technology to the desktop. Read The Full Story
rumor watch: Leak: BlackBerry Messenger Will Feature FaceTime-Like Video
While RIM's stock is taking a beating, the leaks leading up to the BlackBerry 10 operating system and devices launch are on par with Apple and Microsoft.
Insert Coin: Engadget Is Looking For Some Cool Crowdfunded Projects
Our brothers and sisters over at Engadget are holding their first red hot, super exciting conference called Expand in SF in March. The event will feature all the boring, old commercial hardware you could imagine including the latest from all the hardware greats but, more important, they're also reaching out to a contingent dear to my heart: crowdfunded gadgets.
Cute quotient overload: eyes-on with the Street Fighter x Sanrio Fightstick for Xbox 360
Thought the holidays were over? So did we. Imagine our surprise, then, when we returned to the office to find one last, special package lying in wait: Mad Catz Street Fighter x Sanrio Arcade Fightstick Pro. As ridiculous explosions of cute go, this one takes the sugoku kawaii cake -- even the box is a Hello Kitty collector's wet dream. Obvious overall otaku appeal aside, Xbox 360 gamers interested in the Fightstick Pro will find an eight button "authentic Japanese-style Sanwa Denshi" layout, switches for button lock / unlock and three joystick configuration settings (d-pad, left or right analog stick), turbo functionality, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack upfront and a storage compartment housing the 13-foot long USB cable around back. Really though, no amount of English words will do this kitsch item justice. So check out the gallery below for a photo tour of this adorable collision of anime worlds. Gallery: Street Fighter x Sanrio Fightstick for Xbox 360 eyes-onFiled under: GamingComments
Biggest iPhone, iPad, and Apple podcasts of 2012
We do a lot of podcasts, both at iMore and at the Mobile Nations network in general. Any given week, we're putting out 5 or more hours of audio and video. Multiply that by the course of year, add in some trade show coverage, cross-overs, and appearances on other networks, and you get the idea. In 2012 we took it up yet another notch. We added more shows, stretched a little beyond mobile, and ramped up a lot of our production efforts. To see which ones you liked the most, we once again turned to analytics and counted all the plays. Here are your favorite podcasts of the 2012! 5. Ad hoc 2: Skyfall Take a bunch of Apple and tech geeks who also happen to enjoy a shaken -- not stirred! -- Bond flick, put them in front of mics, hit the record button, and what do you get? Another impromptu episode of Her Majesty's secret podcast, that's what. Join Georgia, Dieter Bohn, Serenity Caldwell, Guy English, Dave Wiskus, and me to talk some Skyfall. From Aston Martins to ass-kickings, cinematography to sex, meta to misogyny, gadgets to gaffs, we're nerding out over, and nitpicking, Bond. James Bond. type="audio/mpeg"> Subscribe via RSS Subscribe via iTunes Download Directly 4. ZEN and TECH 44: Parenting boundaries and consequences Georgia and Rene begin their special sub-series on parenting in the information age, and on the benefits of establishing boundaries and teaching children the importance of consequences. This is ZEN and TECH! Our podcast feed: Audio | Video Download Directly: Audio | Video Subscribe via iTunes: Audio | Video 3. Iterate 32: The future of Apple design Marc, Dave, and Rene talk Scott Forstall's departure from Apple and Jonathan Ive's new roll as head of Human Interface, and what it means for OS X and iOS, and for Apple's influence on interface design in general. Also, some talk on Apple TV, iPad 4, and what comes next. type="audio/mpeg"> Our podcast feed Download Directly Subscribe via iTunes 2. Debug 1: Loren Brichter of Letterpress Guy and Rene talk to Loren Brichter of Atebits about working on the iPhone at Apple, Tweetie at Twitter, and now Letterpress on his own. OpenGL, Game Center API, in-app purchases, iOS 7 feature requests, and other assorted nerdery follows. type="audio/mpeg"> Subscribe via RSS Subscribe via iTunes Download Directly 2. 1. The iMore show 300 Rene, Georgia, and Seth briefly look back at 300 episodes of Phone different, iPhone Live, TiPb Live, iPad Live, TiPb TV, and iPhone & iPad Live, then discuss the past and future of iOS, and how iOS 6 stacks up to the competition. This is the iMore show! Subscribe via iTunes: Audio | Video Subscribe via RSS: Audio | Video Download directly: Audio | Video Bonus: MacBreak Weekly 322: First Nerd Problem Apple introduces the iPad Mini and updates their line of computers. With Leo Laporte, Andy Ihnatko, Don Don McAllister, and yours truly. (My first episode as a regularly which is both an honor and a lot of fun.) Subscribe or download: TWiT.tv
onsdag 2 januari 2013
In Praise Of Dangerous Toys
When I was growing up, my dad taught me that potassium nitrate, sulphur, and charcoal made gunpowder. He told me that you could add iron to the mix to get a red flame and that acids wouldn't eat through your test tube. Then he sent me into the basement to make whatever I wanted while he read the paper.
Typical American without a landline: A 27-year old Latino living in Columbus, Ohio
The statistical study compiled by NHIS about�landline and mobile phone usage in American households is a pretty fascinating read. The number of U.S. adults with a mobile phone but no landline rose to 34% in the first half of 2012. That percentage is ticking up roughly two points every six months ? a fairly rapid clip. The number of adults with a landline but no mobile phone plunged below 8% according to the study, which was picked up by GigaOm. These numbers may explain why some of the pollsters using landline-only calls in the last election ran off the rails so spectacularly. So many Americans can no longer be reached via a landline phone that polling methods simply must be
Alcatel Brings QWERTY To AT&T GoPhone
AT&T recently started selling the Alcatel 871a - a basic phone with a QWERTY keyboard - through indirect channels such as Best Buy for $40. The phone sports a 2-megapixel camera, memory card slot, music player, Bluetooth, and 3G data. PCD is managing the phone's U.S. distribution for Alcatel. The phone is part of AT&T's GoPhone prepaid lineup, although it is not yet for sale through AT&T directly.
FCC Approves ZTE Grand X for T-Mobile USA
The FCC today approved a version of ZTE's Grand X Android phone that appears to be designed for T-Mobile USA. In addition to sporting a T-Mobile logo on the back, the phone supports the WCDMA 1700 (AWS) network used by T-Mobile USA. ZTE has promoted the fact that its Grand X phones come with a recent and unaltered version of Android. The Grand X has a 4.3-inch IPS LCD display with qHD (960x540 pixel) resolution and a 5-megapixel camera. Other features include a 1-GHz dual-core processor, memory card slot, and removable battery. T-Mobile has not announced the phone and it's not clear when it might launch.
Acer and Asus Bid Farewell to the Netbook
A new report reveals that Acer and Asus will stop making netbooks, marking another sign that the tablet rise is no fad.
First introduced in late 2007 as a smaller and cheaper alternative to the notebook, the netbook had, at one point, been expected to top 139 million units in 2010, with models from big names like Samsung, HP, Dell, Acer, Asus and Toshiba among others.
However, the subsequent release of the iPad and other tablet computers appears to have taken its toll on the netbook. Acer and Asus (with the Eee PC) are the last of the vendors that have discontinued their netbook models, according to Digitimes.
The source added that "the netbook market will officially end after the t… Continue reading...
More About: Acer, Asus, netbooks
First introduced in late 2007 as a smaller and cheaper alternative to the notebook, the netbook had, at one point, been expected to top 139 million units in 2010, with models from big names like Samsung, HP, Dell, Acer, Asus and Toshiba among others.
However, the subsequent release of the iPad and other tablet computers appears to have taken its toll on the netbook. Acer and Asus (with the Eee PC) are the last of the vendors that have discontinued their netbook models, according to Digitimes.
The source added that "the netbook market will officially end after the t… Continue reading...
More About: Acer, Asus, netbooks
?Tumblr? Now More Popular Google Search Than ?Blog?
?Tumblr? has surpassed ?blog? as one of the most searched terms on Google.
Tumblr overtook blog in December for the first time since the microblog network was started in February 2007, tweeted Laura Olin, Outbound social media director.
We've reached the point where more people search for "Tumblr" than for "blog": bit.ly/VAo2go, twitter.com/lauraolin/stat?— laura olin (@lauraolin) January 2, 2013
According to Google's search stats, the word ?blog? has been on a decline since May 2009, which is around the same time Twitter became the third highest ranked social network according to visits. (Tumblr was not ranked in the top 25 at this time.)
The decline of the traditional b… Continue reading...
More About: blog, Google, google search, tumblr
Tumblr overtook blog in December for the first time since the microblog network was started in February 2007, tweeted Laura Olin, Outbound social media director.
We've reached the point where more people search for "Tumblr" than for "blog": bit.ly/VAo2go, twitter.com/lauraolin/stat?— laura olin (@lauraolin) January 2, 2013
According to Google's search stats, the word ?blog? has been on a decline since May 2009, which is around the same time Twitter became the third highest ranked social network according to visits. (Tumblr was not ranked in the top 25 at this time.)
The decline of the traditional b… Continue reading...
More About: blog, Google, google search, tumblr
Im a Muslim & Im Proud Islamic BBM Group
As-salamu alaykum Brothers & Sisters
welcome to my islamic muslim group
Hadiths-Duas-Quotes-Islamic Pics-Etc Etc
My Group Barcode Inserted To...
welcome to my islamic muslim group
Hadiths-Duas-Quotes-Islamic Pics-Etc Etc
My Group Barcode Inserted To...
Samsung ships one millionth Galaxy Note II in South Korea
Samsung has announced today that they have reached a significant sales milestone in their home nation.The company has sold 1 million Galaxy Note II devices in Korea in three months, with sales ever accelerating.Globally, the company has sold 5 million Note II and says sales momentum may lead them to 10 million sales by the end of January.The Galaxy Note II is arguably the best phone to own right now, as its specs and feature set are mostly unrivaled. The phone is also popular for its large 5.5-inch screen, a huge boost over the iPhone and even over its own more popular brother, the Galaxy S III.Permalink | Comments
BlackBerry Born Again - A rock song for Team BlackBerry
Over the years, plenty of music videos and songs have popped up that are dedicated to BlackBerry and all the awesome features that come with it. From Ping Me Baby to the smooth jam session by Phil and Friends, to the recent No Sleep Till BlackBerry 10 by Lil E, just about every genre has been covered. Today we are sharing a rock song by Josef's Coat called "BlackBerry Born Again".� First you take a peek, and it's lookin sleek, but then it's starts to flow, like you wouldn't know. These are the things I seek, welcome to the show. This song was actually written and performed by Joe Jerde of BlackBerryOS.com, who is the man behind Josef's Coat. Let us know in the comments what you think! Source: BBOS CrackBerry.com's feed sponsored by ShopCrackBerry.com. BlackBerry Born Again - A rock song for Team BlackBerry
Microsoft?s 2012
A lot of companies had a big year ? Apple released the highly anticipated iPad mini and iPhone 5, Samsung found a smashing success in the Galaxy S III, Nintendo launched the Wii U, while Google delivered Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and released a number of impressive Nexus devices. Despite all of that, Microsoft arguably Read The Full Story
SlashGear?s Top Tech in Automotive 2012
This year the automotive world really stepped it up when it comes to technological breakthroughs, especially when it came to connecting to drivers’ personal mobile devices. What we’ve seen was everything from integration of mobile chipsets into automobile systems to wireless connectivity to smartphones from many of the top car and truck brands across the Read The Full Story
tisdag 1 januari 2013
iTunes offering a big $6.99 sale on some music bestsellers
Just in time for the new year, Apple is offering a big iTunes sale on some of the best-selling albums of 2012. Over on iTunes, you can grab some great (like Macklemore's The Heist and the new Mumford and Sons) and/or popular albums (like Justin Bieber, Ke$ha and One Direction) for just US$6.99 each.
That's a solid deal on some great tunes (and some not-so-great, but to each their own, right?). The deal runs through January 3, so grab 'em quick. If you want even more music to listen to in 2013, iTunes is also offering a big number of other popular albums for just a dollar more. And of course, once you buy these tracks, Apple will let you download them on whatever devices you'd like, so there's no better way to spruce up your music library and get it all ready for another year.iTunes offering a big $6.99 sale on some music bestsellers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 31 Dec 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
That's a solid deal on some great tunes (and some not-so-great, but to each their own, right?). The deal runs through January 3, so grab 'em quick. If you want even more music to listen to in 2013, iTunes is also offering a big number of other popular albums for just a dollar more. And of course, once you buy these tracks, Apple will let you download them on whatever devices you'd like, so there's no better way to spruce up your music library and get it all ready for another year.iTunes offering a big $6.99 sale on some music bestsellers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 31 Dec 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
NASA?s Curiosity Mars rover will deliver a ?special message? in Times Square tonight
NASA’s Curiosity rover has already reached a few milestones, including being the first ever to check in using Foursquare on another planet. Tonight, however, the Mars rover will make an appearance at tonight’s New Year’s celebrations in New York City’s Time Square, where millions will watch the ball drop. The rover is planning to deliver Read The Full Story
Shocker: Samsung introducing new HDTV at CES, albeit with 'unprecedented new shape'
How do you break the silence on one of the slowest news days of the year? Well, if you're Samsung, you tease the obvious. The Korean company has been counting down the days till CES with mini-previews of upcoming HD products -- first hinting at a refurbished Smart Hub on Christmas and today confirming that a new Smart TV will indeed be unveiled next week. But not just any TV; Samsung Tomorrow is drumming up anticipation for "an unprecedented new TV shape" to be unveiled in Vegas. From the photo, it looks like a monitor in the portrait form factor, -- and a transparent one, at that -- but we won't have to hold our horses too long before we learn more. In the meantime, you can check out the video below the break.Continue reading Shocker: Samsung introducing new HDTV at CES, albeit with 'unprecedented new shape'Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, SamsungCommentsSource: Samsung Tomorrow, Samsung Tomorrow (2)
Nexus 7 32GB Available as eBay Daily Deal for $229
Today’s daily deals are up over at eBay, one of which is a 32GB Nexus 7 for $229. At that price, it’s $20 less than you’ll find it from the Google Play store, but to make the deal even sweeter, shipping is also free. Pretty solid price – hope you have some holiday cash still [...]
The biggest iPhone, iPad, and Apple editorials of 2012
Neither the world, nor the web, lives by news alone. 2012 had more than its fair share of new apps and devices, of major triumphs and tragedies, but to go along with all the facts and specs, to counterpoint the news, iMore published a slew of views and opinions, reviews and comparisons. So, once again, we fired up the analytics, ordered everything by popularity, and put this togther. And here they are, your favorite editorials of 2012! 5. The future of Siri and Apple's services Now, Apple has started hiring people away from Amazon to help with the service and, in the wake of a management re-ogranization, Siri has been given to Apple's "fixer", senior vice-president Eddy Cue to help set, or reset, its course going forward. Because Siri is only as useful as its weakest server and slowest response, and both those things are going to need some serious attention. The future of Siri and Apple's services No skin in the Game Center 4. Best free iPhone apps We love paying for great apps, because it ensures we'll get more great apps, but when you don't know what you want, when you're new and just want to try stuff out, when you're looking for a fling instead of a relationship, nothing beats great free apps. Leanna put together an amazing collection of apps, and Simon of games, and you guys couldn't get enough of them. Best free iPhone apps Best free iPhone games Best free iPad apps Best free iPad games 3. The 16:9 iPhone A few days ago rumors began to focus on the idea that Apple was moving to a 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5 (or whatever Apple ends up calling iPhone 5,1). I went through the mental exercise of mocking up, and breaking down, the various 4-inch iPhone options to try and figure out how Apple would get there. Now, however, the rumors are coalesced around one specific option -- one I initially thought had fewer advantages, and was hence less likely -- a 16:9 aspect ratio, 1136 x 640 display. The 16:9 iPhone Going big: The 5-inch iPhone 2. Higher hanging fruit Once all the low-hanging fruit has been picked, what do you go after next? We took a look at iOS 5 and what it lacked compared to competing operating system, and it proved remarkably popular. Given the direction Apple went with iOS 6, much of it still applies for iOS 7. Interestingly, many of the newly rebooted operating systems lacked -- and some still lack -- all the features of their predecessors. And because they rebooted, Apple's iOS, once the new smartphone operating system on the block, is now one of the oldest. That doesn't mean Apple can and should replicate each and every feature of their competitors. I'd argue many of the ones listed below shouldn't be copied, perhaps shouldn't even be re-imagined with an iOS twist. But they should be considered. Apple is famous for saying "no" more than they say "yes", but they're just as famous for the arduous design and prototyping process they go through to get there. Higher hanging fruit Apple's multi-billion dollar balancing act 1. iOS 6 review Our biggest non-news story of the year was Apple's big mobile software release of the year. At almost 16,000 words, we dove deep, and you loved every bit of it. (And several of our other reviews as well.) iOS 6 is a software update divided against itself. Apple claims over 200 new user-facing features, which is the same if not more than previous versions of iOS. Many of these are good and solid, reducing the friction and increasing the functionality of iOS, and delightfully so. But a lot of it them are also about Apple and the future of their platform. iOS 6 review iPhone 5 review iPad 4 review iPad mini review
Open webOS working on Nexus 7 tablet
Even though HP killed the official project last year, fans of the webOS mobile operating system have been continuing on through the Open webOS project.Earlier this year the OS was ported to the Galaxy Nexus and now the webOS Ports team has made it available on the popular Nexus 7 tablet.Of course, the port is an alpha version and missing key features, Wi-Fi and the browser work fine, which is mainly what consumers use their tablets for anyway.The team says the port took minimal effort, as the dev got it to run in a week over his winter break from college.Permalink | Comments
Rock Your New Year?s Eve Party With This Playlist
Across the world tonight, people will be celebrating the end of 2012 and the start of a new year. No matter what you're doing to welcome 2013, you're going to need a killer New Year's Eve playlist to count down to midnight. If you don't have the soundtrack for your New Year's Eve party compiled yet -- or if you want to make sure you've remembered all the best party songs -- we've got you covered.
In honor of the past 365 days, we've put together a Spotify playlist of some of 2012's top hits, as well as tracks that we think are perfect for ringing in a new year. What would you add to the list? Let us know by tweeting your selection to @MashableHQ or leaving your track in the comments below… Continue reading...
More About: community, music monday, New Year, new years eve, playlist, spotify
In honor of the past 365 days, we've put together a Spotify playlist of some of 2012's top hits, as well as tracks that we think are perfect for ringing in a new year. What would you add to the list? Let us know by tweeting your selection to @MashableHQ or leaving your track in the comments below… Continue reading...
More About: community, music monday, New Year, new years eve, playlist, spotify
Velocity Micro unveils three new NoteMagix Ultrabooks for $800 and up
Velocity Micro is refreshing its NoteMagix line of laptops with three 14-inch Ultrabooks: the U430, U450 and U470. These models aren't the thinnest machines in their category -- the aluminum design tips in at four pounds -- but all three have enough room for a DVD drive. All three models also feature a 14-inch display with a resolution of 1,366 x 768 -- and, notably, none of them come with bloatware. Other specs include a 1.3-MP webcam, integrated Intel HD 4000 Graphics and a rated battery life of six hours. The $800 NoteMagix U430 is the entry-level model, with a Core i3 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive spinning at 5,400 RPM. The $900 U450 steps up to a Core i5 processor and a 120GB SSD, while the $1,100 U470 runs a Core i7 chip with 240GB of solid-state storage. The Ultrabooks are available now through Velocity Micro's site -- check out the source link for a closer look.Filed under: LaptopsCommentsSource: Velocity Micro
TUAW's Best of 2012 Personal Picks: Mike Wehner
I buy a lot of stuff I probably don't need. But while that leaves my bank account bare for long stretches of time, it also means it's easy for me to pick out items that truly stand out from the rest. This is my first personal pick list for TUAW, having joined the team just a couple of months ago, but I have several items that I just can't get through a day without, so let's begin!
iPhone 5 (starting at $199 with contract)
I have a nasty secret to share with you all: I really, really wanted Apple to reveal an all-new iPhone at the end of 2011. So much so that I started to buy into all the loosely-sourced rumors that the iPhone 5 would debut before 2012, complete with the new, larger screen that I wanted so badly. When the iPhone 4S was announced, I was impressed with its functionality, but still a bit disappointed that my iPhone 4 wouldn't be replaced by a larger device. So I did the unthinkable: I purchased the Galaxy S III as soon as it became available. When the phone of my dreams -- the iPhone 5 -- finally became a reality, I simply couldn't stop myself from returning to the iPhone pool, and I'm glad I did.
The iPhone 5 is the finest smartphone I've ever owned, and despite being dwarfed by Samsung's best offering in terms of screen size, the fit and finish of Apple's newest iPhone just can't be topped. Of course, if you're on this site already, you probably don't need me to tell you that the iPhone 5 is the cream of the crop, but when it comes to my own purchases in 2012, it's the last thing I'd be willing to part with.
Mid 2012 13" MacBook Air (starting at $1199)
I've wanted a MacBook Air for a while now, but in 2012 I finally got the chance to own one myself. If you've never used one, it's difficult to explain just how much faster things move on a notebook without a disc-based storage drive. You click and it happens instantly. There's really no going back. But that's only one of the reasons why I adore the Air so much and the rest of the list includes what you might expect from an Apple product, like the notebook's extremely sturdy construction, remarkably thin design, and impressive battery life.
Targus Backup Batter for iPad ($60)
There are few things that upset me more than having a gadget die when on a trip or in any other situation where I can't immediately recharge it. The Targus Backup Battery for iPad has pulled its weight for me on many occasions, and during long flights it has become an inseparable part of my carry-on gear. The company has a few different backup battery offerings, including ones marketed specifically at smartphone users, but the iPad version is all you'll really need. You can recharge just about anything with it, and I've gotten several full charges for my iPhone 5 out of a single fully-charged Targus unit. Simply outstanding.
Fellowes Designer Suites Laptop Arm ($130)
As someone who spends his workdays from the comfort (and endless clutter) of a home office, finding organization and productivity solutions isn't as easy as it was when I worked in an actual office. I can't just call and IT or maintenance guy anymore; I have to find what works through trial and error. With my acquisition of a new 2012 MacBook Air earlier in the year, I started looking at various laptop stands and other options that would allow me to use it as an easily-accessible 3rd (or 4th) screen. The Fellowes Laptop Arm is exactly what I needed, and its simple design and sturdy construction are commendable. Add extra touches like a cord organizer and foam grips that don't scratch my new aluminum notebook, and it simply can't be beat.
Antec Bias Lighting kit ($13)
I get headaches. I get headaches a lot. So, when I get a skull-splitting pain in my brain after sitting at my desk for 10 hours, it's pretty clear that my eyes -- and their torrid relationship with my LCD monitors -- are to blame. To give my peepers a bit of relief, I decided to try out bias lighting. For those of you unacquainted with the concept, bias lighting is the idea that by lighting the wall behind your monitor, your eyes will be less likely to cry foul when staring at them for hours on end.
Antec's Bias Lighting kit consists of 6 reasonably bright LEDs on a long adhesive strip. The strip is powered via a USB port, so it's always on when your computer is up and running. I have three of these strips currently in use: One on the back of each of my 24" ASUS monitors, and a third running along the back of my desk, just for good measure. I still get the occasional eye-strain pain after particularly lengthy writing sessions, but I can safely say that my intake of Excedrin has dropped considerably since installing them. If you get computer-related headaches, it's easily worth the price to see if bias lighting works for you.
Munitio Nines earphones ($169)
Munitio makes high-quality earbuds that you probably won't find at your local discount electronics outlet. The company's "Nines" line is its top-tier offering, and they're totally worth it. I had my Nines for about six months now, and they've gone everywhere with me. In fact, they've even gone some places where other earbuds would have met their demise, including my washing machine, a glass of Sprite, and my cat's jaws. I won't explain how each of those events occurred, but the important part is that they are just as loud and clear as the day I got them. They might be the last pair of earbuds you ever buy.
iPhone and iPad apps
I use every single one of these almost every day: Angry Birds Star Wars, Amazing Breaker, Bad Piggies, Flick Home Run, TwitchTV, Puffin Web Browser, Starbucks, Letterpress, and TurboScan.TUAW's Best of 2012 Personal Picks: Mike Wehner originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 28 Dec 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
iPhone 5 (starting at $199 with contract)
I have a nasty secret to share with you all: I really, really wanted Apple to reveal an all-new iPhone at the end of 2011. So much so that I started to buy into all the loosely-sourced rumors that the iPhone 5 would debut before 2012, complete with the new, larger screen that I wanted so badly. When the iPhone 4S was announced, I was impressed with its functionality, but still a bit disappointed that my iPhone 4 wouldn't be replaced by a larger device. So I did the unthinkable: I purchased the Galaxy S III as soon as it became available. When the phone of my dreams -- the iPhone 5 -- finally became a reality, I simply couldn't stop myself from returning to the iPhone pool, and I'm glad I did.
The iPhone 5 is the finest smartphone I've ever owned, and despite being dwarfed by Samsung's best offering in terms of screen size, the fit and finish of Apple's newest iPhone just can't be topped. Of course, if you're on this site already, you probably don't need me to tell you that the iPhone 5 is the cream of the crop, but when it comes to my own purchases in 2012, it's the last thing I'd be willing to part with.
Mid 2012 13" MacBook Air (starting at $1199)
I've wanted a MacBook Air for a while now, but in 2012 I finally got the chance to own one myself. If you've never used one, it's difficult to explain just how much faster things move on a notebook without a disc-based storage drive. You click and it happens instantly. There's really no going back. But that's only one of the reasons why I adore the Air so much and the rest of the list includes what you might expect from an Apple product, like the notebook's extremely sturdy construction, remarkably thin design, and impressive battery life.
Targus Backup Batter for iPad ($60)
There are few things that upset me more than having a gadget die when on a trip or in any other situation where I can't immediately recharge it. The Targus Backup Battery for iPad has pulled its weight for me on many occasions, and during long flights it has become an inseparable part of my carry-on gear. The company has a few different backup battery offerings, including ones marketed specifically at smartphone users, but the iPad version is all you'll really need. You can recharge just about anything with it, and I've gotten several full charges for my iPhone 5 out of a single fully-charged Targus unit. Simply outstanding.
Fellowes Designer Suites Laptop Arm ($130)
As someone who spends his workdays from the comfort (and endless clutter) of a home office, finding organization and productivity solutions isn't as easy as it was when I worked in an actual office. I can't just call and IT or maintenance guy anymore; I have to find what works through trial and error. With my acquisition of a new 2012 MacBook Air earlier in the year, I started looking at various laptop stands and other options that would allow me to use it as an easily-accessible 3rd (or 4th) screen. The Fellowes Laptop Arm is exactly what I needed, and its simple design and sturdy construction are commendable. Add extra touches like a cord organizer and foam grips that don't scratch my new aluminum notebook, and it simply can't be beat.
Antec Bias Lighting kit ($13)
I get headaches. I get headaches a lot. So, when I get a skull-splitting pain in my brain after sitting at my desk for 10 hours, it's pretty clear that my eyes -- and their torrid relationship with my LCD monitors -- are to blame. To give my peepers a bit of relief, I decided to try out bias lighting. For those of you unacquainted with the concept, bias lighting is the idea that by lighting the wall behind your monitor, your eyes will be less likely to cry foul when staring at them for hours on end.
Antec's Bias Lighting kit consists of 6 reasonably bright LEDs on a long adhesive strip. The strip is powered via a USB port, so it's always on when your computer is up and running. I have three of these strips currently in use: One on the back of each of my 24" ASUS monitors, and a third running along the back of my desk, just for good measure. I still get the occasional eye-strain pain after particularly lengthy writing sessions, but I can safely say that my intake of Excedrin has dropped considerably since installing them. If you get computer-related headaches, it's easily worth the price to see if bias lighting works for you.
Munitio Nines earphones ($169)
Munitio makes high-quality earbuds that you probably won't find at your local discount electronics outlet. The company's "Nines" line is its top-tier offering, and they're totally worth it. I had my Nines for about six months now, and they've gone everywhere with me. In fact, they've even gone some places where other earbuds would have met their demise, including my washing machine, a glass of Sprite, and my cat's jaws. I won't explain how each of those events occurred, but the important part is that they are just as loud and clear as the day I got them. They might be the last pair of earbuds you ever buy.
iPhone and iPad apps
I use every single one of these almost every day: Angry Birds Star Wars, Amazing Breaker, Bad Piggies, Flick Home Run, TwitchTV, Puffin Web Browser, Starbucks, Letterpress, and TurboScan.TUAW's Best of 2012 Personal Picks: Mike Wehner originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 28 Dec 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments
The biggest iPhone, iPad, and Apple editorials of 2012
Neither the world, nor the web, lives by news alone. 2012 had more than its fair share of new apps and devices, of major triumphs and tragedies, but to go along with all the facts and specs, to counterpoint the news, iMore published a slew of views and opinions, reviews and comparisons. So, once again, we fired up the analytics, ordered everything by popularity, and put this togther. And here they are, your favorite editorials of 2012! 5. The future of Siri and Apple's services Now, Apple has started hiring people away from Amazon to help with the service and, in the wake of a management re-ogranization, Siri has been given to Apple's "fixer", senior vice-president Eddy Cue to help set, or reset, its course going forward. Because Siri is only as useful as its weakest server and slowest response, and both those things are going to need some serious attention. The future of Siri and Apple's services No skin in the Game Center 4. Best free iPhone apps We love paying for great apps, because it ensures we'll get more great apps, but when you don't know what you want, when you're new and just want to try stuff out, when you're looking for a fling instead of a relationship, nothing beats great free apps. Leanna put together an amazing collection of apps, and Simon of games, and you guys couldn't get enough of them. Best free iPhone apps Best free iPhone games Best free iPad apps Best free iPad games 3. The 16:9 iPhone A few days ago rumors began to focus on the idea that Apple was moving to a 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5 (or whatever Apple ends up calling iPhone 5,1). I went through the mental exercise of mocking up, and breaking down, the various 4-inch iPhone options to try and figure out how Apple would get there. Now, however, the rumors are coalesced around one specific option -- one I initially thought had fewer advantages, and was hence less likely -- a 16:9 aspect ratio, 1136 x 640 display. The 16:9 iPhone Going big: The 5-inch iPhone 2. Higher hanging fruit Once all the low-hanging fruit has been picked, what do you go after next? We took a look at iOS 5 and what it lacked compared to competing operating system, and it proved remarkably popular. Given the direction Apple went with iOS 6, much of it still applies for iOS 7. Interestingly, many of the newly rebooted operating systems lacked -- and some still lack -- all the features of their predecessors. And because they rebooted, Apple's iOS, once the new smartphone operating system on the block, is now one of the oldest. That doesn't mean Apple can and should replicate each and every feature of their competitors. I'd argue many of the ones listed below shouldn't be copied, perhaps shouldn't even be re-imagined with an iOS twist. But they should be considered. Apple is famous for saying "no" more than they say "yes", but they're just as famous for the arduous design and prototyping process they go through to get there. Higher hanging fruit Apple's multi-billion dollar balancing act 1. iOS 6 review Our biggest non-news story of the year was Apple's big mobile software release of the year. At almost 16,000 words, we dove deep, and you loved every bit of it. (And several of our other reviews as well.) iOS 6 is a software update divided against itself. Apple claims over 200 new user-facing features, which is the same if not more than previous versions of iOS. Many of these are good and solid, reducing the friction and increasing the functionality of iOS, and delightfully so. But a lot of it them are also about Apple and the future of their platform. iOS 6 review iPhone 5 review iPad 4 review iPad mini review
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