Samsung Galaxy Tab 750 - Android tablets reach the next level [Review]

The Galaxy Tab has been the most vocal opponent of the Apple iPad, and the most shouty amongst all Android tablets! And all that noise does translate into something positive - extremely slim form factor, good build quality, brilliant display and a battery life. That actually delivers on expectations. The Galaxy Tab 750 is the best performing Android tablet we have seen till date. At Rs. 36,200, it is really testing your love for Android. If you want an Android tablet, this is the one to buy. If you want just a tablet, the Apple iPad 2 is still the one to buy.

Plus:

• Slimmer than the iPad 2
• Excellent display
• Good performance
• Battery life at par with the iPad 2

Minus:

• Android itself isn't as smooth as the Apple iOS, even now
• Proprietary charger
• No memory card slot

Price: Rs. 36,200

Specs:

10.1-inch display with 1280 x 800 resolution, 1Ghz dual core processor, 1GB RAM, 16 GB storage, 3G capability with standard SIM card, 3.2MP rear camera & 2MP video call camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, Android 3.1

Ratings:

Features: 7.5

Performance: 7

Build: 7.5

Value: 6.5

Overall: 7

By Anonymous with No comments

Tech World Mourns Loss of Dennis Ritchie, Father of C and Unix

Dennis Ritchie, the computer scientist responsible for C and Unix, has passed away at age 70. His career leaves behind an operating system and programming language that form the basis of some of the world's most widely used technologies. "You've got all these operating systems, languages and programs all building on Dennis' work," Pike concluded. "It's hard to think of a bigger legacy."

Legendary computer scientist and creator of the C programming language Dennis Ritchie has died at the age of 70, leaving behind a legacy that touches virtually every aspect of modern life.

Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie (center) being awarded the National Medal of Technology by President Bill Clinton.

                                                                       
"Dennis was well-loved by his colleagues at Bell Labs and will be greatly missed," wrote Jeong Kim, president of Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) Bell Labs, in a statement on Thursday. Ritchie was employed at Bell Labs from 1967 to 2007, though he continued afterward in a consulting role.

Calling Ritchie "one of the most respected researchers from Bell Labs," Kim went on to list many of the scientist's key accomplishments, including not just the creation of C and coinvention of the Unix operating system with colleague Ken Thompson, but also the Plan 9 and Inferno operating systems as well.

Ritchie was awarded the 2011 Japan Prize in May, adding to a long list of other awards, including also the Association for Computing Machinery Turing Award in 1983 and the U.S. Medal of Technology in 1999.

Confirmation of the exact date of Ritchie's death was not available at press time. He had reportedly been ill for some time.


'It's Hard to Think of a Bigger Legacy'

News of Ritchie's death was apparently first revealed to the world on Google+ by Rob Pike, a distinguished engineer at Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) who worked with Ritchie on numerous occasions.

"It's pretty amazing how much of an influence [Ritchie] had," Pike told TechNewsWorld. "[Steve] Jobs died last week, which was also very sad, but I think Dennis in some ways had a bigger effect on things. All those great things Jobs and his company built were based on C and things derived from C."

The Internet, too, "is basically a C shop," Pike noted. "The Linux machines that are the bedrock of the Web and other Unix variants are all written in C; browsers are all written in C or C++; Apache is written in C.

"You've got all these operating systems, languages and programs all building on Dennis' work," Pike concluded. "It's hard to think of a bigger legacy."

'People Are Still Building on It'

Indeed, "so many of the things we use today are basically programs that are written in C or languages that derived from it," agreed Brian Kernighan, professor in the department of computer science at Princeton University and coauthor with Ritchie on the classic programming tome, The C Programming Language.

Operating systems, the Internet and even the phone system are "all basically building on things that Dennis did," Kernighan told TechNewsWorld. "It's sort of invisible until you start to think about it."

In some ways "it's probably surprising that the work that was done 40 some years ago is still so central and critically important, and that people are still using and building on it," Kernighan added. At the same time, "I think it's going to stay that way for some while."

'Impossible to Overstate the Importance'

It"s "impossible to overstate the importance of the C programming language," agreed Randal Bryant, dean and university professor with the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University.

Today, "C, and its successor C++, are the two most important languages for writing programs that require high performance and close control over memory resources," Bryant told TechNewsWorld. "Most of the world's code for managing computers and networks and for processing database transactions is written in either C or C++.

"Compilers can generate machine code from C and C++ programs that is as good or better than hand-crafted assembly code," Bryant added. "In addition, C has had strong influence on more recent languages, including Java."

'A Unique Invention That Showed Real Genius'

Avi Rubin, professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins University, is one of the many who cut their proverbial programming "teeth" on Kernighan and Ritchie's book, and he expressed similar awe at the impact of Ritchie's work.

"Steve Jobs was such a high-profile person, but I'm a little sad that only the computer people are going to be aware of what we've lost now," Rubin told TechNewsWorld.

"He was the father of Unix, which is the core of Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) operating system," Rubin explained. "Without what he did, the Internet wouldn't be what it is today, servers and high-performance computing wouldn't be possible."

Furthermore, the C language "didn't have anything to model itself after -- it was a unique invention that showed real genius," Rubin pointed out. "Probably more code was written in the last 25 years in C than in any other programming language."

In short, he concluded, Ritchie was "one of key people to getting the world to where it is today."

'People Need to Know Who He Was'

Ritchie's work may be taken for granted by many, but there's been an outpouring of reaction to his death from those in the technology community.

"Dennis Ritchie was the engineer/architect whose chapel ceiling Steve Jobs painted," wrote Linux fan @cmastication on Twitter, for example.
Elsewhere, an obituary put similar sentiments into programming syntax.
Pike said he's been impressed by the strength of the tech community's response.
"He's not a household name," Pike said, "but I really think people need to know who he was."

By Anonymous with No comments

Acer's Ultrabook Muscles Into Tablet Territory

Acer's S3 ultrabook has landed. The super-slim laptop runs on an Intel Core i5 processor and weighs in at less than three pounds. Comparisons to Apple's MacBook Air may be inevitable; however, ultrabooks also take on some of the attributes of tablets, such as instant-on, long hibernation abilities and long-lasting batteries.

Acer released its Aspire S3 ultrabook in the U.S. on Monday.
The Acer Aspire S3
The device, which weighs in at less than three pounds, provides up to 50 days of standby time and supports up to six hours of continuous usage.

It has an Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) Core i5 processor, a 20 GB solid-state drive and a 320 GB hard drive.

The Aspire S3 has a "speedy resume" feature and a 13.3-inch high definition LED-backlit display.

Pricing is US$900 -- substantially lower than the $1,075 to roughly $1,600 the device was originally quoted at when announced at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin last month.

That price cut may have resulted from subsidies Acer and other OEMs were pressing Intel for earlier this year.

                                                                           
Some of the Aspire S3's Features:

As envisioned by Intel, ultrabooks are thin, very lightweight computers with laptop features.

The Acer S3 measures approximately 13 by 9 by 0.5 inches. It runs on an Intel Core i5 processor, and Acer plans to release models running on the i7 and i3, with larger-capacity solid-state drives.

The case is made from an alloy of magnesium and aluminum to keep the weight down.

There's a card reader on the left and a headphone connector on the right. All other connectors are located in the back. These include an HDMI port.

Acer's Green InstantOn technology lets the S3 resume running from sleep mode in two seconds or so. The S3's current state and the operating system are stored in the solid-state drive, and websites, emails or documents previously in use are restored from that.

After eight hours of inactivity, the Aspire S3 enters Deep Sleep mode. It resumes activity from this in six seconds. Users can change the eight-hour setting to two hours.

These energy-saving modes make for a battery life in sleep mode of up to 50 days, Acer claims.

"That 50 days' sleep time is pretty phenomenal," Charles King, principal at Pund-IT, told TechNewsWorld.

Acer's Instant Connect technology resumes Internet connections when the S3 awakes from sleep mode in 2.5 seconds -- four times times faster than conventional connections, Acer claims.

The S3 has a multi-gesture touchpad and a full-size keyboard.

Coming Soon to a Storefront Near You

The Acer S3 will be available online from Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN), Best Buy (NYSE: BBY), Walmart (NYSE: WMT), Fry's and Tiger Direct, with other retailers to be added later, Acer America spokesperson Lisa Emard told TechNewsWorld.

A quick check on Monday morning found that the Acer S3 is available on Amazon's website but not on those of Best Buy or Walmart.

"We've just begun shipping product to the U.S., so it should be available in customers' hands within the next couple of weeks," Emard explained. "The retailers will come on board soon."

Sidling Around the MacBook Air

Aspire S3 features such as the device's light weight, thin profile, extended hibernation and battery life may have observers positioning it as a possible challenger to the MacBook Air, which is slightly more expensive, starting at $1,000.

However, "I don't think the MacBook Air is the target," Pund-IT's King said.

"In essence, Intel's ultrabook strategy is around creating a platform for traditional notebooks or laptops that provides them with some of the same features that have made the iPad so popular, such as extended battery life, quick bootup and instant-on," King explained.

Where's the Money?

Pricing has been an obstacle to the chances of success for ultrabook devices -- earlier this year, OEMs, including Acer, reportedly asked Intel to subsidize the cost of the Sandy Bridge processors that ultrabooks run on.

Intel Capital, the chip giant's investment arm, had in August announced a $300 million ultrabook fund, and there was speculation that OEMs were seeking to tap that money.

Intel's silence on the issue led Acer Taiwan president Scott Lin to reportedly state that the company would either adopt a lower-end processor or reduce component specs to get its ultrabook below the $1,000 mark.

It's not clear whether Intel kicked some cash into the kitty so Acer could cut the S3's price.Intel did not respond to requests for comment by press time, and Acer's Emard declined comment.

By Anonymous with No comments

Firefox 8: The Next Major Version of Mozilla's Browser

While many Firefox users are still working with version 7, Mozilla has made a beta version of Firefox 8 available, and this version can be thought of as the next major iteration of the browser. You can download the beta now. It's the latest of several upgrades to Firefox that Mozilla has delivered since moving to a rapid release cycle in February, which came in response to machine gun-paced releases of Google Chrome. Firefox version 8, is in Mozilla's own view, the next big upgrade.

                                                                         
Among many new features, Firefox 8 lets you do Twitter searches directly from your toolbar. Firefox 8 also works more efficiently with tabs, and facility with tabs is one reason that many people favor Firefox. Another reason some people favor Firefox is that the universe of great extensions for the browser is substantial, but some recent versions of Firefox have been criticized for having problems with add-ons.

Firefox 8 warns users before they launch any extensions for the first time, and Mozilla has also confirmed that version 8 will simply work better with extensions. Mozilla has been steadily soliciting reports from users who have problems with extensions, and implementing better processes for working with extension developers.

As we noted here, Firefox 8 also promises to compete more directly with Google Chrome in performance terms. In recent years, although Mozilla stresses that beta versions of Firefox are only for testing, the beta versions have also been pretty stable. There are reports that Google Chrome may soon surpass Firefox in market share, but many users are going to move to Firefox 8.

By Anonymous with No comments

Will Google Continue Subsidizing Mozilla?

For several months now, Google's Chrome browser has been posting larger market share gains, by percentage growth, than open source rivals. In fact, many analysts predict that its market share will overtake Mozilla Firefox's next year. The successful rise of Mozilla’s Firefox browser is a legendary story in the open source community, but many people don't realize that Mozilla gets most of its revenues from Google. In fact, nearly all of Mozilla's revenues come from deals that involve feeding users into search/ad ecosystems. In November of this year, though, Mozilla's deal with Google is up for renewal. Is there a chance that it could go away?

                                                                           

While there is no question that Google still largely supports Mozilla, Mozilla is diversifying its revenue streams.
As ZDNet notes:"Mozilla faces numerous challenges—develop faster, mobile tools and revenue diversification—but the most notable point may be how the organization is stepping up its fundraising game. Mozilla has hired experts who know how to raise money online. These hires, along with the infrastructure that goes with them, could allow Mozilla to diversify its revenue base."
You can check out Mozilla's annual report here.
As it reports: "The majority of Mozilla’s revenue is generated from search functionality included in our Firefox product through all major search partners including Google, Bing, Yahoo, Yandex, Amazon, Ebay and others. Mozilla’s reported revenues also include very important individual and corporate donations and grants as well as other forms of income from our investable assets. "
Even though Google has a big stake in increasing the market share of the chrome browser, it still gets net positives out of subsidizing Mozilla, because the vast majority of Google's business is driven by its search/ad ecosystem, and the more users that get fed into it, the better.

In November, when Mozilla and Google sit down to bargain, there may be changes in terms, but bet on Google renewing its deal once again.

By Anonymous with No comments

Chrome Remote Desktop Extension Stretches Chrome OS Horizons

If you are using a Chromebook and depending on Google's Chrome OS as your operating system, it's will worth taking note of the new Chrome Remote Desktop (beta) extension. It works like standard remote control software always has but has lots of positive implications for Chrome OS, given that Chrome OS works on a cloud-centric basis and eschews many local computing practices. Using it, you can share with or get access to another comupter by providing a one-time authentication code.

                                                                             

The most important thing to note about this extension is that you can use it to remotely connect any two computers that are running the Chrome browser, whether the systems are running Windows, Linux, Mac OS, or Chrome OS. Given that Chrome OS doesn't work with local files and applications as other operating systems do, that can mean a Chrome OS user has potential access to lots of locally stored data on any remote system. For a lot of users, this will extend the flexibility of Chrome OS.

Of course, some business implementing IT strategies based on Chromebooks, because they are inexpensive and emphasize security, will also be interested in the Chrome Remote Desktop extension. It can not only allow easy remote sessions in support scenarios, but IT administrators can use it to take over employees' systems and solve problems themselves.

By Anonymous with No comments

Alien Dalvik 2.0 brings Android apps to iOS devices

Since Android is an open source operating system, it is not impossible to make other operating systems compatible with applications developed for it, and Myriad has done just that. In fact even on Android phones, applications run on a virtual machine called Dalvik that interprets Android applications that have been compiled to bytecode.

Myriad's Alien Dalvik technology allows Android applications to run on platforms they weren't created for by creating a compatibility layer that makes the devices resources available to the Android application as it expects them.

Now their 2.0 release promises to have Android applications running on "tablets, TVs automobiles and more", and most impressively on the iPad. This can effectively bridge the gap between different mobile platforms by making one alternative that is capable of working across devices. Another alternative is of course HTML5 /CSS3/JavaScript; open web technologies have been playing catch up with native technologies and for many applications they might be a better choice considering that such applications can bypass the limitations of the app stores.

For those wondering when they can get this technology on their non-Android phone and access the numerous Android applications out there, we're sorry to say it does not work that way. Alien Dalvik is a technology that device manufacturers can choose to integrate with their device in order for it to take advantage of the Android ecosystem; it does not work in running individual applications on individual phones.

Simon Wilkinson, the CEO of Myriad Group had this to say, "We have seen incredible momentum in Android adoption, but we are just scratching the surface. Digital screens such as Internet- enabled TVs and in-vehicle displays, along with other consumer devices like tablets and e-books are proliferating at an astounding rate. Consumers are driving multimedia evolution and are demanding more converged multi-screen services. With Alien Dalvik 2.0, we are creating a more flexible, consistent user experience by mobilizing content such as live sports, recorded TV shows and on-demand movies, so users can enjoy content seamlessly from one device to the next." While Myriad is yet to showcase Alien Dalvik 2.0, which they will during this year's CTIA Enterprise & Applications.

By Anonymous with No comments

Steve Jobs Life’s Worst Mistake Cost Him for $29,000,000,000!!!

Former Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs is said to be the Best CEO of last 50/100 years and he was the man who build Apple empire on the bases of his visionary dreams and endless efforts. Though he was an iconic tech personality and was the hero of many young techies, yet he had many character flaws in his personality.It was his one of the character flaws or something else on the bases of which he committed his life’s worst mistake that cost him for $29,000,000,000. What that mistake actually was? Tim Parker of Investopedia just reviews the wholwe story.

                                                                             
He estimates that Steve Jobs might be $29,000,000,000 richer had he not made one worst mistake of his life.

Actually, Steve Jobs invested $1,500 only in starting Apple. When the stock went public on Dec 12, 1980, he became the owner of 7.5 million shares at that time. Since Apple has the policy of three two-for-one stock splits, Jobs would have had 78,909,091 shares of Apple, today.

At a $400 share price today, Steve Jobs would be worth about $31.6 billion if he held all of his initial shares versus an estimated $2.2 billion in Apple stock today (at $400 with 5.426 million shares of Apple). Of course, we all know that didn’t happen. When Jobs was ousted out of Apple in 1985 he sold all but one share so he could still get the annual report. It was not until he came back in 1997 that he was rewarded additional shares in Apple.

Parker further note that Jobs most of net worth comes from the sale of Pixar to Disney, today. At present, his net assets are estimated to have a worth of $6.5 billion to $7 billion that makes him world’s110th richest person.

Again saying, If  Steve Jobs hadn’t sold any of his Apple shares in 1985 he would have worth $36 billion today, and smiling as a world’s fifth richest person on Forbes “Top Billionaire List”.

By Anonymous with No comments

“ChromoZone” -World’s First Google Retail Store Opens in London..

                                                                             

Though we are living in the age of online shopping, yet Google preferred to open a traditional physical world’s first Google Reatail Store “ChromoZone” in the premises of great London, to compete with Apple which has several  retail stores worldwide.

Interestingly, the world’s first “Google store” opened not in California but in the less glamorous setting of PC World in Tottenham Court Road at 9am.

This 285sqft  Google Store popped-up as a “shop within a shop”, only selling Google’s Chromebook laptop and a few accessories like headphones, and will run for 03 months only…. up to Christmas.

However, If Google finds this key experience quite successful and up to their satisfaction, it could follow its arched competitor Apple in opening permanent stores worldwide.

                                                                             

Notably, the opening ceremony of world’s first Google Retail Store in London was not as populated as on the launch of the first Apple Store in Regent Street. Only very few customers were even aware of this first Google shop officially known as “the Chromezone”- so no queues were monitored round the block.

Arvind Desikan, head of consumer marketing at Google UK, expressed his views on opening of world’s first Google Retail store in London:

“It is our first foray into physical retail. This is a new channel for us and it’s still very, very early days. It’s something Google is going to play with and see where it leads. We found anecdotally that when people tried the device and played with it, that made a huge difference to their understanding of what the Chromebook is all about. People will be able to go in and have a play with the devices. We want to see whether people understand what this device is all about and monitor their reaction when they try it out.”

He told that according to their research still 80% of laptop sales are done through physical retail shops.

At present, the Samsung-made Chromebook, coming with price tag of  £349 for the wi-fi only version and £399 for wi-fi and 3G, has only been available in the UK online from Amazon and PC World.

Google has planned to open its second Retail store A at Lakeside shopping centre in Essex on October 7 and more pilot shops around the world in the coming months.

A Google spokeswoman told:

“We’ve put a lot of effort into making it feel welcoming, homely and, dare I say it, ‘Googley’.”

Google, the company behind gmail, Google Earth & Google Street View, is also planning to acquire 160,000sqft of space in the Central St Giles development in Midtown, along with two large offices nearby Victoria station as well.

Google has  recently also signed a lease agreement for a seven-floor building in east London, where it will “develop” new London based technology start-ups, as part of a government-backed expansion of the “Silicon Roundabout” area.

By Anonymous with No comments

New “Cards” iOS App to Make Greeting Cards on iPhone, iPad & iPod touch!

                                                                                   
                             
Scott Forstall, in Apple’s “Lets Talk iPhone” Media Event, just unveiled a brand new iOS App “Cards” that will allow you to make your own greeting cards on iPhone, iPad & iPod touch. You have just to make a Card and Apple will do the rest; packaging & delivering the card anywhere in the world. Apple will charge $2.99 for a card shipment in US and $4.99 for a card shipment in other continents of the world. Apple will also keep you updated with your card’s arrival status through Push Notifications.

By Anonymous with No comments

Top 10 Features of Apple iOS 5: iOS 5 Features & Improvements!

Apple has added many new features to its most popular Operating System “iOS”. Apple would release iOS 5 for public on 12th October.  Here are the top 10 Apple iOS 5 features and improvements, as noted by Scott Forstall at Apple’s “Lets Talk iPhone” Media Event;

                                                                           

• New “Notifications” app to keep you updated with all new updates & notifications.
• iMessage: An app for a new messaging service between iOS users. The messages are sent on WiFi + 3G.
• “Reminders” App.
• The OS has full Twitter integration.
• New “Newsstand” app bringing latest news from all over the world.
• New Camera app button on the lockscreen.
• Game Center Improvements allow you to add photos of friends, achievement points, friend recommendations…
• Fully Tabbed browsing in Safari.
• Improved “Mail” app.
• Finally, the OS would be PC free so you can sync your iOS devices with your computer, on air.

By Anonymous with No comments

Steve Job's Top 10 Quotations to Live an Extraordinary Life!!!

We feel ourselves so unfortunate to write Steve Jobs “Late” but being tech journalists we have to fulfill our duties. So we say with deep sorrow that the legend is no more among us. Steve Jobs, former  CEO and co-founder of Apple, an iconic character , a hero of tech zones, a great spring of inspiration for young generation and a matchless  personality  of tech world have passed away…. and this happened within the release of  Apple’s  iPhone 4S. It was first time that Apple launched its iPhone in a media event without Steve Jobs’ keynote.

Steve Jobs’ was not only famous as a CEO of Apple like big tech giant but he was also loved by  millions of folks due to his “Absolutely Convincing”  & “Amazingly  Fresh” quotations which he used to deliver in his keynotes at different events. People especially like his “Mind Blowing Communication Skills” and used to count days for his next speech.

Here is a collection of Steve Jobs (Late) Top 10 quotation those inspired million of minds  worldwide.

1. “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish”

This very simple but remarkably powerful quote is taken from Steve Jobs address back in 2005 at Stanford commencement. These simple 04 diamond words acquire a mine of meanings for which we should have to use 4000 words.

2. “We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and everyone should be really excellent. Because this is our life.”

3. “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.”

4. “If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the 4.

5.“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.”

6. “Design is not just what it looks like, design is how it works.”

7. “I’m convinced that half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance”

8. “you can’t ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.”

9. “We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and everyone should be really excellent. Because this is our life.”

10. “Being the richest men in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful, that’s what matters to me”.


These top 10 quotations of a visionary legend “Steve Jobs” direct you and guide you to the way of immeasurable success and unmatchable pride.


STEVE JOBS! YOU HAVE PHYSICALLY DIED BUT YOU MENTALY LIVE IN OUR MINDS!..

By Anonymous with No comments

Spice announces dual SIM MI-350 in India

S Mobility has announced its second dual SIM Android smartphone Mi-350 in India today. The smartphone was revealed at a press event in Bhopal.

                                                                               
There is no word on the official pricing, but Mi-350 is expected to retail around INR 8,500. Spice Mi-350 features Android 2.2 and is upgradable to Android 2.3 “Gingerbread”, you will also find a 3.5 inch capacitive display (480 x 320), Qualcomm 600MHz processor, 5MP camera, 512MB RAM, and 1500 mAh battery. These are some quite decent specifications for an 8.5K smartphone from Spice that also gives you opportunity to use two SIM cards.

Spice also sells Mi-270 Dual SIM smartphone, but it hasn’t really set the market on fire. Mi-350 is likely to go on sale soon and we will let you know as soon as that happens.

PS: We have got to know that Spice Mi-350 is actually a rebranded ViewSonic V350 dual SIM phone, which was first announced back in February this year.

By Anonymous with No comments

A Few Stunning Pictures Captured by Apple New iPhone 4S’ Killer Camera!

                                                                             
Apple’s new iPhone 4S is a superb smartphone with 8 megapixels killer camera. Now you can also capture the pictures just like a professional photographer with your iPhone 4S since its quality camera is the essence of its features.
Here are a few stunning pictures for your viewing pleasure taken by iPhone 4S’ camera.

                       


              
                   

By Anonymous with No comments

Steve Jobs Authorized Biography to Debut on October 24!

We know the folks are much sad on the death of their beloved Steve Jobs- former CEO & co-founder of Apple. Also, they want to know each and every detail about Jobs’ life and persona. So Simon and Schuster decided to make an early release of their much anticipated Steve Job’s authorized biography written by a famous journalist Walter Isaacson, as reported by AllThingD. The book will now be released on 24th October instead of 21st November as announced earlier.

                                                                                   

Notably, this biographical book has been fully authorized by Steve Jobs himself. The book is consisting of more than 40 interviews with Steve Jobs and over 100 interviews with Job’s family members, friends and colleagues.

Apple fans were already waiting for this book with keen interest, but the massive increase in its demand has been noted since yesterday due to unfortunate incident of Steve Jobs death. Now the Steve Job’s Authorized Biography has been registered as 1 Bestselling book at Amazon with 40,000% increase in its selling gain.

Sources describe that the book was under the process of final touches alongside its updating to incorporate Job’s resignation as Apple’s CEO. The WSJ describes that Isaacson last interviewed Jobs four weeks ago, at which time nobody knew that Jobs would soon pass away from the world. It seems that Jobs’ last interview would be now the last chapter of his authorized biography.

By Anonymous with No comments

New Apple iPhone fails to wow investors, fans

Apple Inc's newest iPhone left Wall Street and fans wishing for more than a souped-up version of last year's device, at a time when rival smartphone makers are nipping at its heels.

At his first major product launch since being crowned CEO, Tim Cook ceded the critical iPhone presentation to another executive, and failed to generate the same level of excitement and buzz that predecessor Steve Jobs was famous for.

                                                                                   

The new iPhone 4S is identical in form to the previous model, disappointing fans who had hoped for a thinner, bigger-screened design. Apple's shares fell as much as 5 percent, before recovering with the broader market to close down 0.6 percent.

But analysts say the new device sported some new features, such as voice commands, to draw in consumers and is still going to be a big draw this holiday season, particularly as the phone is now available on Sprint's network in addition to AT&T and Verizon Wireless.

It remains to be seen whether the iPhone 4S can stem market share gains by phones running Google Inc's Android software. Samsung Electronics, notably, is growing global shipments several times faster than Apple and is now estimated at within a hair's breadth of catching up in worldwide market share.

"It's been 16 months and all you've got is an A5 processor in the existing iPhone 4," BGC Partners' analyst Colin Gillis said of the new Apple phone. "It's a mild disappointment, but they're still going to be selling millions of units."

The iPhone 4S's voice commands -- for sending messages, searching for stock prices and other applications -- caught the attention of several analysts who argued it could profoundly change the user experience.

Known as "Siri", the technology already exists on Android but experts say Apple's integration was more fluid -- a hallmark of the company.

Whether such high-tech wizardry is enough to make the iPhone 4S a must-have in consumers' eyes and set it apart from the competition, remains to be seen.

"It's not clear that Siri is sufficient to make or break a purchase decision," said John Jackson, an analyst at CCS Insight. "It's a better mousetrap. History tells us users don't use this technology in great numbers."

INTENSIFYING COMPETITION

While the iPhone 4S sports many of the features leaked in tech blogs before Tuesday, it lacked the "wow" factor that some were hoping for to sustain the popularity of the brand.

In some ways, Apple may have been a victim of past success. Product launches by Jobs, now chairman, had been some of the hottest events on the tech calendar.

The iPhone, which accounts for more than 40 percent of Apple's sales, has been a success since it came out in 2007, making Apple one of the world's top electronics companies.

Cook said Apple has made significant inroads into the corporate market, with more than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies testing or using its iPhones and iPads. The news sent shares of BlackBerry maker RIM down nearly 3 percent at one point. Google shares finished 1.3 percent higher.

The iPhone 4S will cost $199 with pre-orders starting Oct. 7. Apple also cut the price of the older iPhone 4 to $99, and said an even older "3GS" model will be available for free to customers who sign a long-term contract.

That could help Apple expand into developing markets such as Asia, Samsung's backyard. And it might allow Apple to take a bite out of a low-end market it had eschewed.

"Apple is hitting Nokia when it's vulnerable. How many billions of people in emerging markets would love to have an iPhone? These are a growing demographic," said YCMNet Advisors CEO Michael Yoshikami.

Tuesday's iPhone event took place at Apple Central -- the same venue where the iPod was introduced years ago -- versus the larger, splashier venues of more recent choice, such as downtown San Francisco's Moscone center.

The event, though as usual choreographed to a tee, lacked the oomph and pizazz of Apple events in years past and sorely missed the star power that Jobs brought to the unveilings.

Heading into the event, many on Wall Street had questioned Cook's ability to lead the company as Jobs had. In terms of stage presence, Jobs was a tough act to follow.

While it did little to alleviate concerns about whether the company would stay a creative force to be reckoned with without its founder and visionary at the helm, analysts say Tuesday's proceedings hinted at Apple's new team-based approach.

"What he did is let the team shine through," said Forrester Research analyst Frank Gillett. "What we may see is a somewhat different style, and frankly a healthy style that says: Look, this is a team that works together, there's a deep bench, it's not just one person."

Twitter users were not impressed with the phone, though.

"Please note I will be selling some 'S' stickers for $0.99 so iPhone 4 owners have a cheaper upgrade option," wrote HAL9000 on Twitter.

Tomlinsonr tweeted, "I'll have a double helping of 'meh' with a side of 'whatever'."

The latest version of the iPhone comes as the economy slows and competition intensifies. People activate more than 550,000 Android-based devices -- including tablets -- each day.

Nielsen data shows the iPhone was No. 2 in the United States with a 28 percent market share, with Android at 43 percent.

Globally, iPhone shipments rose 9.1 percent in the second quarter while Nokia's plummeted more than 30 percent, handing the top spot to Apple with a market share of 18.4 percent, according to IHS iSuppli. Samsung, whose shipments grew faster, is coming on strong with a market share of 17.8 percent.

Despite disappointment online, analysts said the phone is superior to many rival offerings.

"Voice recognition has been on Google and Blackberry devices for years, but Apple will make it much more usable," said Morgan Keegan analyst Tavis McCourt.

By Anonymous with No comments

BT to launch 300 Mbps superfast broadband

Britain's BT is to offer superfast broadband speeds at up to 300 megabits per second to both its retail customers and rivals from next spring, it said on Wednesday, in a move that will transform speeds across the country.

The British government has been urging the industry to develop faster broadband speeds in its bid to make British businesses more competitive and Communications Minister Ed Vaizey welcomed the news.

The announcement will also help BT in its competition with the cable operator Virgin Media which also offers superfast speeds.

BT made the announcement as it launched a fibre to the premises (FTTP) service offering 110 Mbps on Wednesday. It will use this same technology to deliver downstream speeds of up to 300 Mbps from next spring.

The FTTP service will be offered on a wholesale basis, which means customers to the BT Retail service and those on rival services such as Talk Talk will be able to take advantage of the new offering.

In another development, the telecoms provider said those accessing fibre via the alternative technology of fibre to the BT street cabinet (FTTC) would soon receive faster connections, with speeds set to roughly double to up to 80 Mbps from 40 Mbps.

Fibre to the premises is the most advanced service because it is solely based on optical fibre, whereas fibre to the cabinet requires copper to be used from the cabinet to the premises, reducing available speeds.

European Union Commissioner Neelie Kroes this week put forward a proposal that would reduce the profits telecoms operators make from copper-based networks, in a bid to spur investments in fibre networks.

BT is investing 2.5 billion pounds ($3.9 billion) to make fibre broadband services available to two thirds of UK premises by the end of 2015.

More than 5 million premises already have access to the fibre to the cabinet network and the company said in July that over 200,000 had signed up for the product.

"These are significant announcements and good news for the UK," Vaizey said in a statement. "High-speed broadband is essential for economic growth, which is why we want the UK to have the best superfast broadband in Europe by 2015.

"Improving the UK's broadband infrastructure will help our high-tech, digital industries grow. It will ensure the UK is an attractive place to start up and base the businesses of tomorrow."

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FACTBOX - New iPhone has similar specs to rival devices

Here's how the Apple Inc iPhone 4S stacks up to rival devices from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, HTC Corp and Motorola Mobility.

                                                                   

iPhone 4S:

Price: starts at $199 w/contract on AT&T, Verizon, Sprint

Operating System: iOS 5

Network: HSPA+ AT&T, CDMA Verizon, Sprint

Memory: Starts at 16 GB

Processor: dual-core, twice as fast as iPhone 4 processor but Apple declined to disclose actual speeds

Camera: 8 megapixel

Display: 3.5 inch

Samsung Galaxy S II:

Price: $229.99 w/contract at T-Mobile USA

Operating system: Android

Network: WiMax, HSPA

Memory: 16 GB

Processor: 1.2 Ghz dual core

Camera: 8 megapixel

Display size: 4.5 inch

Motorola Droid Bionic:

Price: at Verizon Wireless - $300 w/contract

Operating System: Android

Network: LTE/CDMA

Memory: 16 GB

Processor: 1 Ghz dual-core

Camera: 8 Megapixel

Display size: 4.3 inch

HTC Sensation 4G

Price at T-Mobile -$200 w/contract

Operating System: Android

Network: HSDPA Plus

Memory: 1 GB

Processor: 1.2GHz dual-core

Camera: 8 Megapixel

Display size: 4.3 inch

By Anonymous with No comments

India launches "world's cheapest" tablet computer

India launched what it dubbed the world's cheapest tablet computer on Wednesday, to be sold to students at the subsidised price of $35 and later in shops for about $60.

Most of India's 1.2 billion people are poor and products such as Apple Inc's iPad are beyond the reach even of many in the fast-growing middle class.

                                                                         
"The rich have access to the digital world, the poor and ordinary have been excluded. Aakash will end that digital divide," Telecoms and Education Minister Kapil Sibal said.

The government is buying the first units of the lightweight touch-screen device, called Aakash, or "sky" in Hindi, for $50 each from a British company which is assembling the web-enabled devices in India.

A pilot run of 100,000 units will be given to students for free, with the first 500 handed out at the launch to a mixed response. It supports video conferencing, has two USB ports and a three-hour battery life but some users said it was slow.

India has a reputation for creating affordable products that are easy to use and sturdy enough to handle its rugged environment -- from Tata Motors' $2,000 Nano car to generic versions of pharmaceuticals.

Two years in development, the paperback book-sized Aakash may help the government's goal of incorporating information technology in education, although critics were doubtful of its mass appeal.

Despite being a leader in software and IT services, India trails fellow BRIC nations Brazil, Russia and China in the drive to get the masses connected to the Internet and mobile phones, a report by risk analysis firm Maplecroft said this year.

The number of Internet users grew 15-fold between 2000 and 2010 in India, according to another recent report. Still, just 8 percent of Indians have access. That compares with nearly 40 percent in China.

The Aakash is aimed at university students for digital learning via a government platform that distributes electronic books and courses.

Testing included running video for two hours in temperatures of 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) to mimic a northern Indian summer, said DataWind, the small London-based company that developed the tablet with the Indian Institute of Technology.

Rajat Agrawal, executive editor of gadget reviewers BGR India, said the 660 mhz processor from U.S. company Conexant Systems was "decent" for the price, but warned the machine seemed slow and the touch screen not very agile.

"Because of the price there is a lot of excitement," he said. "People might use it initially but if it is not user friendly they will give up within a week."

After first giving them out for free, the government aims to sell them to students for $35 next year. A retail version will be sold in Indian shops for about $60.

The device uses resistive LCD displays rather than a full touch screen and connects via wireless broadband. DataWind CEO Suneet Singh said future versions would include a mobile phone connection, making it more useful in rural areas.

The launch last week of Amazon's Kindle Fire shook up the global tablet market, with its $199 price tag and slick browser a serious threat to Apple's iPad.

Like the Kindle Fire, the Aakash uses the Google Android operating system.

Some of the mainly middle-class technology department students at the event said it needed refinement but was a good option for the poor.

"It could be better," said Nikant Vohra, an electrical engineering student. "If you see it from the price only, it's okay, but we have laptops and have used iPads, so we know the difference."

Some 19 million people subscribe to mobile phones every month, making India the world's fastest growing market, but most are from the wealthier segment of the population in towns.

By Anonymous with No comments

How To Change The Mac OS X Login Background Image

The newest version of Apple’s operating system is well worth the upgrade, the log-in background image in Lion is far from attractive.

                                                                                     
When I first saw the solid dull gray background on my MacBook Air, I thought for sure that Apple would provide a default way to change it. But sadly, they don’t. However, thanks to a nifty little utility called Loginox, you can easily change the background image and even the Apple logo of your login screen.

Let me show you how easy it is to do it, plus I’ll also show you how Apple now provides a way to add contact information to your login screen, as well.

Using Loginox

After you download and install Loginox, you simply select and drop in your favorite wallpaper (see this article for some recommendations) into the “New Login image” window.

                                                                           

As pointed out on the Loginox website, the image size of the log-in screen will be automatically adjusted. “If the image ratio does not fit, the image will be cropped to a suitable size.” Also, you will need to use an image that does not obscure the buttons at the bottom of the log-in screen.

                                                                               

Now simply click the “Set new Login image” button, and then log out of your account, or switch to the Login Window. Presto, your new wallpaper background should appear.

If you do not like the results, you simply go back to Loginox and click the “Reset to default image” button to start over.

Changing Login Logo

The existing log-in logo may not be a good fit with your new wallpaper image. So again you can use Loginox to make the change for you. But you say you don’t have a different login logo? No problem, just do a Google image search for “Apple login logo”. When you find one you like, select and drag the image to your desktop.                                                                           

Your new log-in logo will probably not have a transparent background, so let’s open it up in Preview and knock out the white background.

                                                                                                                                                                                         

If you are using Preview in Lion, select the Instead Alpha tool in the toolbar, and drag your cursor from one corner of white space to the edge of the image, and release. If you’re using Snow Leopard, the Alpha tool is in the drop-down menu of the the Select button.

                                                                                       

Now select Edit>Cut to remove the white background. Save your edited image.

(Note: Lion’s Preview may require you to duplicate the image and save it in a required format.)

                                                                               

Now drop your new logo into Loginox and let it make the changes for you.

Adding Contact Information

One little feature that Apple finally put into Mac OS X is the ability to add contact information to your log-in screen of your Mac – at least in the latest Lion version. In past versions, this couldn’t be done with without a special third-party app or performing some Terminal tricks.

To add contact information in Lion, open System Preferences and select Security & Privacy.

                                                                   

Click on the lock at the bottom left, and then enable “Show a message when the screen is locked.” Now simply type your contact information. This info will appear on the log-in screen, and maybe a good Samaritan will contact you if your laptop is lost.

The developer of Loginox has three other nifty tools  (not free), for resizing images and renaming and sorting files and folders. If you like Loginox, please consider giving the developer a donation for his creative work.

By Anonymous with No comments

Burn, Erase & Fixate CDs & DVDs With InfraRecorder

Infrarecorder is a free CD/DVD burning tool for Windows 2000 through 7. It’s available as a desktop client or portable application for both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems and has been translated to over 20 languages. InfraRecorder is open source software released under the GNU General Public License version 3.

                                                                               
InfraRecorder has a very intuitive and appealing interface. Unfortunately, the screenshots on the website and the FAQ are not up to date. This article will guide you through the latest version of the tool (0.52).


What Are The Features Of InfraRecorder?

InfraRecorder is a CD/DVD burning program that supports rewritable discs, multi-session discs, and dual layer DVDs. You can use the software to burn data discs, audio discs, video discs, and mixed mode discs. The latter are discs in which different disc/data types are combined, for example multimedia and audio. With InfraRecorder you can also write images (ISO and BIN/CUE) and copy discs on the fly or by using a temporary session.

How Do I Get Started?

The screenshot below shows the start screen. You can use the tiles to start a new project, but you can also go through the > File menu, for example to open an existing project.

                                                                                     

How Do I Put Together A Project?

The interface will look familiar because it resembles the Windows Explorer. The bottom row shows the present project, i.e. the files you will burn to your disc. The top row allows you to browse files on your computer. You can drag and drop files into your project (bottom row) from either the top row or from anywhere else on your computer. You can drag and drop files from your desktop or various open folders into your project, including files located on external drives. An axis at the bottom of your project indicates how much space or time is left on your disc.

                                                                                   
How Do I Burn A Disc?

You can burn any file type, including audio files as a > Data Disc. To play audio files on a CD player that does not support mp3, you need to specifically burn an > Audio Disc. The same holds true for a > Video Disc that you want to view using a DVD player. Note that due to patent license restrictions, the installation package does not include the plug-in required to encode MP3 files. But fear not, you can download and install it separately.

Once you have dragged and dropped all files in place, find the buttons menu and click the third icon from the left to > Burn the current compilation to a physical compact disc.

Before the disc is burned, you can change a few settings, for example change the device, adjust the write speed, or select a write method. When you’re ready to burn, click > OK.

The burning process in progress is demonstrated in the screenshot below.

Conclusion

InfraRecorder is a straightforward CD/DVD burning software with some neat features. It sports a clean interface and is low on resources (13,032K while burning). Keep in mind that it does require some free hard disk space to create cache files when burning a project.

By Anonymous with No comments

Customize The Color In Windows 7′s Aero Glass With These five Tools

One of my favorite features in Windows 7 is Aero Glass. There’s something really appealing about the whole Aero look, and I love changing the look and feel of my system by changing Aero colors.

                                                                             
But Windows 7 only offers 14 pre-set Aero colors, and if I need a change I have to go to my display options and do it manually. So Aero colors are a lovely thing, but let’s admit it, they’re a bit limited. So I’ve rounded up some cool tools that will enliven your Aero colors experience, be it custom colors, colors that match wallpapers, or even the weather.

AeroTuner

AeroTuner is a portable app that helps you do one thing: customize Aero color. If you’re tired of those same old default options, use AeroTuner to create your very own Aero color.

With this little application you can choose your main color and glow color, and then start playing with color balance, blur balance and Aero stripes. You can pretty much create any look you want, and within seconds, your system will have a unique look no one else can match!

If you change your mind, simply click restore and your previous colors will return. You can also find your previous colors in the Personalize area when you right-click the desktop area.

Aura

Windows 8 is going to have a new feature that will change Aero Glass color according to wallpaper. But what if you don’t want to wait? Try Aura.

This small and portable tool can change Aero color according to either wallpaper color or active window icon color. If you’re using IE 9 (which I’m not), it should also change color according to active tabs.

What Aura essentially does is turn the task bar transparent, so it reflects the wallpaper, and the windows themselves get a color that matches the wallpaper or the active window. I’m not sure how the algorithm works, but it seems to be giving out greys a fair number of the times. Nevertheless, the general feeling is rather pleasant.

AeroBlend

AeroBlend is very similar to Aura, but in my opinion seems to work a little better. This might be due to the algorithm that it uses to calculate the colors. It is also an actual installation, and not a portable app.

As in Aura, you can choose whether it should change colors according to wallpaper, icon or content (not only IE9!), and you can control the color intensity right there from the settings window. You can also choose to check the mysterious option “Fade colos”.

I’m assuming “Fade colos” is fade colors, and some testing seem to show that this is in fact the case. When you uncheck it, the change in color is immediate. The difference, however, is almost unnoticeable.

As you can see, AeroBlend creates a pretty good match to wallpaper color, and the entire work environment becomes much more lively. Fun!

AeroWeather

One of the coolest tools I’ve found on my quest to boost my Aero color is AeroWeather. This nifty little tool changes Aero color according to either temperature or weather conditions.

To start, you’ll need to set up your location (zip code works in US only) and choose whether the colors should change according to temperature or conditions. If you choose temperature, you can decide the range according to which you’d like the color to change. When the temperature is close to the lower end, your desktop will look bluish-purplish:

When it’s close to the higher end, it will turn reddish:

There are all sorts of other colors in the middle.

AeroWeather can also dim your Aero color at night, which is a really cool feature. If you can’t see a real change, try increasing color intensity in Windows’ Personalize –> Window color.

AeroRainbow

AeroRainbow is another fun application – this time, an Aero color randomizer. This little app comes from the same developers as AeroTuner, but does something a bit different. The main feature is a constantly changing Aero color, either randomly or according to a list you can build yourself.

You can decide how often the change occurs, but the slowest setting is one change per minute, which is still a bit fast for my tastes. You can also use AeroRainbow to change your colors according to wallpaper, active window or active window icon, and choose whether this will be according to dominate color or average color.

If you create a nice color list, you can have a truly fetching desktop that never gets boring!

Bottom Line

Aero color tweakers, if you use them right, can help you create a system that is both fun and aesthetic. Just trying these tools out made me a happier person. Go ahead, indulge yourself and start playing with colors. It’s the easiest way to change your work environment so your eyes never get bored.

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