Gadgets and Gizmos

Alleged iPhone 6 images leaked?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 14:57:00 +0000

A couple of photos spilled online by Jimmy Lin claim to show the new iPhone 6 side by side with a 5S.

Photographs purportedly of the iPhone 6 have popped up on Chinese site Weibo civility of a previous Taiwanese pop star who has demonstrated an uncanny skill for releasing early shots of Apple items.
Jimmy Lin, a Taiwanese artist and performer, took to his Weibo page to uncover two photographs purportedly of the iPhone 6 demonstrating the new telephone as more than the 5s. One photograph looks at the again of the two telephones, while alternate offers an impression of their front screens.

Lin spills a couple of claimed points of interest, specifically that the iPhone 6 games a 4.7-inch screen, that the force catch has moved to the right, and that the covering for the implicit radio wire is no more on the outside. Lin includes that the telephone offers a decent hold.

The vast majority of Lin's perceptions fall in accordance with other reputed peculiarities for Apple's next lead cell phone, most prominently the build in screen size. With different cell phones wearing bigger and bigger showcases, Apple is under weight to concoct a greater screen for the following cycle of the iPhone. With Apple losing piece of the overall industry to Samsung and other Android sellers presenting enormous estimated telephones, truly set huge is key to staying aggressive and charming shoppers who may be looking at opponent cell phones.

Lin has a history of spilling Apple pictures. He faultlessly released the iPhone 5 and the iPad Mini in front of those two discharges, as indicated by tech site Pocket-Lint. He additionally had an early shot of the iPhone 5c.

Still, the photographs ought to be brought with the typical grain of salt. Regardless of Lin's past track record, the "iPhone 6" seen in the pictures could be faked effectively enough. Thus, we'll need to keep this most recent goody in the gossip division, at any rate until the fall when Apple is relied upon to unleash its next iPhone.

[Credits: cnet]

Extreme Performance by LaCie's latest Rugged Thunderbolt Portable

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 14:20:00 +0000

*This product is available at Sastodeal.com (Only for Nepal).

Lacie's most recent Rugged Thunderbolt All-Terrain is the new stature among portable drives, as far as both configuration and execution.

The capacity gadget has two layers of packaging to ensure it against dust, water, and stuns - actually when in operation - and now has an implicit Thunderbolt link that is well covered up along its sides. In my testing, the solid-state drive (SSD) form ended up being the quickest compact drive available.
The main burden of the drive is its weighty cost: about $300 and $500 for 250gb and 500gb, individually, for the SSD form. (There's additionally a hard-drive-based form that at present strives for $220 and $300 for 1tb and 2tb, individually, that is not as quick as the SSD-based variant.) But in the event that you can bear the cost of that, and need something super-quick to alter your HD content, you'll discover the new drive second to none.

The drive accompanies two defensive layers: delicate elastic gel on the outside and tough aluminium within.

The new Rugged Thunderbolt Drive accompanies a cover that seals the inward drive's port from dust and dampness.

The Good: The Lacie Rugged Thunderbolt All-Terrain Portable Drive has to a great degree quick Thunderbolt execution, creative packaging configuration, and additionally upholds USB 3.0.

The Bad: The SSD form of the drive is pricey, and its USB 3.0 execution is not the best available.

The Bottom: Line If you need to keep your information protected from taking care of setbacks while getting the top Thunderbolt execution available, look no more distant than the Lacie Rugged Thunderbolt All-Terrain convenient drive.

Product Specification

Drive type: External Thunderbolt portable
Connector options: Thunderbolt, USB 3.0, USB 2.0
Available capacities: 250GB (SSD), 500GB (SSD), 1TB (HDD), 2TB (HDD)
Product dimensions: 3.5 x 5.5 x 1 in (89 x 140 x 24 mm)
Weight: HHD version: 12.3oz (350g) | SSD version: 8.8 oz (280 g)
Capacity of test unit: 500GB (SSD)
OSes supported: Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later, Windows 7 or later

[Credits: cnet]

How to get the Android L developer preview on your Nexus 5 or Nexus 7?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 13:08:00 +0000

You need to get alert before loading a developer preview of Android L. So get ready!

1) Well first in first, this build is not a stable one and it is not recommended for the device you rely on everyday.

2) The loading process is not an easy one as it is not straightforward.

3) You should be able to use command line tools and troubleshooting issues if something goes wrong.

Google has also mentioned warning when loading L on your device; both on download page and the first page you see after L completely boots up.

Okay, now the downloading process and the source.

Download the system image for Nexus 5 or Nexus 7 from Google's developer site which is free.

After downloading the appropriate file, you will need to use the instructions guide here in order to load it. You may find some issues during the installation process. If so you could find help on this helpful site Android Beat.

Finally after the completion of installation process, your device (for instance: Nexus 5) may take about 10 minutes to reboot and you are all ready to go.

Google Cardboard - A virtual reality with a not-so-hi-tech invention

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 05:14:00 +0000

Over the past years Virtual Reality (VR) has made exciting progress. However, developing for VR still requires expensive, specialized hardware. Thinking about how to make VR accessible to more people, a group of VR enthusiasts at Google experimented with using a smartphone to drive VR experiences.

The result is Cardboard, a no-frills enclosure that transforms a phone into a basic VR headset, and the accompanying open software toolkit that makes writing VR software as simple as building a web or mobile app.

By making it easy and inexpensive to experiment with VR, we hope to encourage developers to build the next generation of immerse digital experiences and make them available to everyone.

This is to help push the idea of developing cheaper methods of VR. It is a bit tongue in cheek, but it was meant to inspire better products at a less expensive cost.

Cardboard
Corrugated cardboard sheet, preferably E Flute (corrugated cardboard comes in a variety of thicknesses called “flutes”), available at many art supply stores and online . For best results, you should look for strong, thin cardboard (sturdy shoe box rather than moving box). Minimum size: 8.75in (22cm) by 22in (56cm), and 0.06in (1.5mm) thickness. Online sources here and here
Lenses
This is the trickiest component. Lenses that have a 40mm focal distance should work. Biconvex lenses work best because they prevent distortion around the edges. We used the Durovis OpenDive Lens Kit available here (US) and here (EU).
Magnets
One neodymium ring magnet – like this or this – and one ceramic disk magnet – like this or this. Approximate size: 0.75in (19mm) diameter and 0.12in (3mm) thickness.
Velcro
Two strips of regular strength adhesive-backed velcro. Approximate size: 0.75in (20mm) by 1.25in (30mm).
Rubber band
One rubber band, to prevent the phone from sliding out. Minimum length of 3.2in (8cm).
NFC tag (optional)
One sticker NFC tag. Program it with the URL cardboard://v1.0.0

You’ll also need a ruler, glue, and scissors, an X-acto knife, or access to a laser cutter.

Software

Code your own

Use the experimental VR Toolkit to build immersive experiences that work with Cardboard and other viewers.

We’ve created a tutorial and provided documentation to get you started. Because this SDK is experimental, it won’t receive the same level of support as core Android SDKs and libraries.
Things may change or break as we continue working, but the projects you build and feedback you provide will guide subsequent versions.

FAQ

Your questions answered

How did the Cardboard project start?
David Coz and Damien Henry at the Google Cultural Institute in Paris built a cardboard smartphone housing to prototype VR experiences as part of a 20% project. The results elicited so many oohs and ahs that they inspired a larger group to work on an experimental SDK.

Will Cardboard work with my phone?
Cardboard works with most modern Android phones. Phones need to be running Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) or above. Ideally they should support NFC too.
Here is a list of the phones we’ve tested that are compatible with Cardboard.

Can I use cardboard even if I wear glasses?
Yes. You may want to cut flaps into both sides of the viewer. There’s a fold line pre-cut into both sides of the viewer to make this easier.

What if my phone doesn’t do anything when I insert it into Cardboard?
Make sure that you have NFC turned on. Also make sure that you have the Cardboard Android app installed.

How can I test my own application without having the cardboard demo popup when I insert the phone?
The best method is to set your app to handle the NFC URL: cardboard://v.1.0.0. Alternatively, you can disable NFC in your phone’s settings.

When I try to view the Chrome VR site using Cardboard, the demo launches. How do I prevent this?
Install the Cardboard Android app and let it always handle the NFC event from the Cardboard viewer. The Cardboard app will not launch when you have another app in the foreground.
You can also disable NFC in your phone’s settings.

What are the magnets for and can I use cardboard without them?
The magnet is used for clicking inside of demos. When you pull and release the ring, your phone’s magnetometer detects changes in the magnetic field. Chrome experiments currently don’t use the magnet, but you will need it to try the Cardboard Android app.
Not all phones will be able to detect magnet pulls. You can use Cardboard without the magnet by sticking copper tape along the side of the viewer and having it come into contact with the phone screen. When you tap twice on the copper tape with your finger, the phone will react as if it had detected a magnet pull.

What does the NFC tag do and can I use the Cardboard app without NFC?
NFC is used to trigger the launch of the Cardboard Android app automatically. You can also start the Cardboard app from the Android launcher before putting your phone inside the viewer.

What does it mean that the VR Toolkit is experimental?
It means we won’t support the VR Toolkit at the same level or quality that we support core Android SDKs and libraries. And things may change or break as we continue working on it.
We are sharing it at this early stage to give developers the chance to experiment with it as we do.

Where can I get help or give feedback about Cardboard?
Please join our G+ community.

Where are the spherical videos in the VR Chrome Experiment from?
The spherical videos are provided courtesy of AirPano.

Can I use a pizza box for the cardboard?
Yes. Make sure you order an extra large.

[Credits: googledevelopers, cnet]

APPLE DECLINE PRICE ON IPOD TOUCH LNE 16GB MODEL

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 15:44:00 +0000

Apple announces price decline of iPod Touch line, cutting the cost of the music players by $100, on Thursday.

Prices changes:
Apple's $339 top-tier 64-gigabyte iPod Touch is now $299. Likewise $299 32-gigabyte version is now $249. And 16-gigabyte model is $199 from $229.

In the UK, the 64GB model's new price is £249, while the 32GB now costs £199, and 16GB costs £159.

Updates: Lowest-tier 16GB version is in parity with the 32GB and 64GB models. The 16GB device has a new rear-facing camera and has added four new colors: pink, yellow, blue and (PRODUCT) Red - part of the broader (RED) campaign that raises money to combat AIDS.

The 16GB version previously only came with a front-facing camera and was available in silver and space gray.

[Credits: cnet]

THE GLOVE THAT MAKES YOU BEETHOVEN

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 02:31:00 +0000

Do you people recall the movie called "Matrix"? The inventor (Thad Starner) of the glove says, “There’s that scene where they need to fly a helicopter and Trinity just says, “hang on” and then uploads the instructions to her brain. That’s the future of what I’m doing.”

The experiment that was started for the Georgia Tech Professor as a wearable experiment, could possibly make anyone pro at guitar, piano, Braille or even dance.
The glove is called Mobile Music Touch and what you have to do to play line Beethoven is to wear on the glove, and after a short time you will be playing Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" LIKE A PRO!

Not only you could play like a pro but effects the glove might have on those with spinal cord injuries. The Starner says, “We looked at those with fractured spines between the second and fourth vertebrae and found that using the glove actually helped them gain some sensation back in their hands.”

He also said the remarkable thing, that those who studied in the injury actually picks up skills faster if the don't think about it which in other terms is Passive Haptic Learning (PHL). He also mentioned that, if a person have ever been a dancer or played guitar the he knows s/he is better when s/he just move to the rhythm instead of thinking about what s/he is is doing.

[Credits: techcrunch]

Your personal aerial cameraman that auto-follows you

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 11:17:00 +0000

AirDog is an autonomous drone/quadcopter that follows where ever you go using GPS and movement tracking device to keep up as you get down (the slope, or whatever), at the same time recording your every moves with GoPro Camera.

The drone is very easy to use. Just strap the programmable remote to your helmet or wrist, its ready to follow you wherever you go. Takeoff and landing is completely autonomous, freeing you to focus on your performance. The AirDog has preset flight modes to ensure flawless experience in a wide variety of action sports like surfing, motocross, wakeboarding etc. It’s been dubbed “your airbone sidekick,” but with all of AirDog’s features, this is far more than just a flying companion.

The AirDog expands versatility of GoPros, the pinnacle of sports videography perfection. Active gyro stabilization guarantees that video footage is absolutely stable, remarkably smooth, and always level with the horizon.

Being weather resistant and impact resistance, it has a host of sensors onboard including GPS, accelerometers, gyroscopes and a barometer for accurate tracking, while a gyro-stabilized gimbal to ensure footages captured will be as smooth as possible.

More Images:

[Credits: airdog, engadget, mikeshouts]

Apple iMac starting from $1,099

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 08:25:00 +0000

Sick of Apple's expensive products? Well the new iMac starts at $1,099, which is good price. Generally Apple product has high-end model price, but this does not means the low-end model is low quality product.

The new low-end priced iMac comes at 21'inch screen with 1.4GHz dual core Intel Core i5 Processor along with 500 GB hard drive of storage 8 GB of memory. It has Intel HD 5000 Graphics Chips.

Order Options with: 1 TB hard drive, 1 TB Fusion drive , 256 GB of Flash Storage

In Australia, the new iMac 21-inch Model costs AU$1,349. In the UK, it's £899.

Comparing the old low-end iMac, we came to that, the old low-end iMac price had been $1,299 which could now make you able to buy the midrange iMac model, which features a 2.7GHz quad-core i5 processor.

[ Credits: cnet ]

Harley-Davidson unveils Project LiveWire - The First Electric Harley

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 17:06:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered Harley would be doing such project? Well I guess no! But the project seems amazing. A new taste to Harley Davidson's lovers, an electric taste indeed.

The new bike does have a certain style. Although, from the pictures it's hard to decide what style it actually is. It looks a touch sci-fi, as well as a touch too prissy. And, even from yesterday's teaser, it's obvious that the old Harley growl is gone, replaced by the whine of a thousand squashed squirrels.

The company, however, promises that this will be "A new sound, but the same feeling."

The mere thought of a Harley Prius does, indeed, turn the innards a little. Richer described the squashed squirrel sound like this: "Think fighter jet on an aircraft carrier. Project LiveWire's unique sound was designed to differentiate it from internal combustion and other electric motorcycles on the market."

The company prides itself on customer participation. So selected real human beings (I'm not sure if long, not-necessarily-washed hair is compulsory for enrollees) will be able to ride it, starting next week.

Matt Levatich, Harley-Davidson's president and chief operating officer said that Harley has "broadened our reach to serve an increasingly diverse society."

[via: mashable, cnet]

iPhone 5 not charging with cheap cables? Explore Why..

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 13:29:00 +0000

Recently I was facing this problem, that I could not charge my iPhone 5 (Black, ios 7.1.4). I lost my original cable so I bought a cheap one thinking it would charge my iPhone until I get the original one. But I could not charge it with the cheap cable. I did a research about it in online forums but found other people facing the same problem. After few days stumbled upon the site called "http://www.iphonehacks.com". It is my favorite site to know more about iPhone and iPhone hacks. And I came to know the cheap cable does not work instead it damages the other internal part of iPhone that could entirely damage the iPhone and make possibly unrepairable.

More information is down below:

Battery issues aren’t new to the mobile industry, and sometimes it can feel like no matter what you do, your phone just doesn’t want to charge. A new report suggests that third-party cables could be the reason your iPhone 5 won’t come back to life.

As anyone can tell you who’s been using phones for quite some time, using third-party cables and chargers can lead to bad results, but obviously you can’t stop everyone from using them. (Sometimes a third-party cable is the only one you’ve got access to, right?) Unfortunately, those third-party cables may actually be doing more damage than once originally considered.

According to mendmyi, which has been replacing batteries in previously dead-and-won’t-turn-back-on iPhones 5′s, the reason they’re not coming back on after being completely depleted is the third-party, cheaper cables, which are apparently damaging an internal component within the device. Indeed, mendmyi was seeing devices they had fixed plagued with the same issue, even after a battery replacement.

After some investigating, mendmyi was able to narrow down the issue, and found that it’s centered around a part called the U2 IC chip. This particular piece controls quite a bit, including the charge to the battery, the sleep/wake button, and regulates the charging to the power IC that ultimately charges the iPhone 5. The U2 IC is fitted to the logic board with 36 pins, and mendmyi says replacing that particular piece is quite involved.

From mendmyi:
“Charging your iPhone using a third party charger or USB lead that does not regulate this as much allows for larger variables in voltage and current, this then damages the U2 IC and can leave you with a seemingly dead iPhone 5. Another common reason for this is also charging your iPhone 5 from the cigarette lighter of your car. This does not regulate the voltage as well as the original AC adapter as the power is coming from the alternator. If you need to charge our iPhone or any electrical equipment in your car we would recommend a good quality inverter with your original charger and USB lead.”

Having a phone that won’t charge or turn on is one thing, but knowing that there’s a piece inside that’s broken and preventing it from turning on is an entirely different frustration. But, knowing is half the battle, both when it comes to the cables being used and the steps needed to fix it. Did you ever suffer from an iPhone 5 that wouldn’t turn on, or charge over 1%?

[via iphonehacks, iMore; mendmyi]

5 Phone Charging Myths

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 19:08:00 +0000

Image: Sporcle

"Don't use your phone while it's charging," "don't leave it plugged in overnight" and "always let it die completely" — these are just a few popular myths about smartphone batteries.
When it comes to battery life, there are many little rules for what you can and can't do with your smartphone. While plenty of real rules exist, there are several rumored ones you can simply ignore. Phone batteries have evolved so much over the years, becoming smarter and easier to manage. Most lithium-ion batteries, used by major retailers like Samsung and Apple, should last between three and five years, if you take proper care of it.

Here's the truth behind five major phone charging myths.

Myth 1: Using off-brand chargers destroys batteries.

The truth: Off-brand chargers, while not optimal, are fine. It's knockoffs you should avoid.
Don't go for cheap brand knockoff chargers when you can at least purchase inexpensive, off-brand chargers (as long as they're made by legitimate retailers, such as Belkin and KMS). The folks at Lifehacker ran a detailed experiment in which they pitted official chargers against knockoffs and off-brand models.
The results showed that off-brand chargers, though obviously not as good as the official thing, work just fine. Knockoffs barely even get the job done.

Myth 2: You shouldn't use your phone while it charges.

The truth: Use it all you want, as long as you're not using a sketchy third-party charger.
There are scary reasons behind this myth. People believe that using a phone while charging will make the phone explode, or electrocute the user. That actually happened to a Chinese flight attendant named Ma Ailun in July 2013, when she used her iPhone 4 while it was charging.
However, reports say it's because Ailun was using a third-party charger, not an original Apple charger.
If you're using the manufacturer-approved charger and battery, you should be fine.

Myth 3: Charging your phone overnight kills the battery.

The truth: Your phone is smarter than you think. Once it's fully juiced up, it knows to stop charging. That means the battery isn't even in use at all.
However, that doesn't mean you should be charging your phone all night, every night. You wouldn't fill a cup with water if it was already full, would you? Your battery life will last longer if you keep your phone charged between 40% and 80%.

Myth 4: You don't need to turn your phone off — ever.

The truth: Your phone may be a machine, but it still needs to take a few breaks. An Apple Genius said that in order to maximize battery life, you should turn off your phone from time to time, especially when you go to bed at night.
At the very least, Apple experts recommend turning your phone off once a week in order to preserve battery life.
Turning off your phone is important for Android devices as well. A simple reboot can help restore battery life.

Myth 5: Don't charge your phone until it's completely dead.

The truth: It's better to charge your phone every day than to do a "deep charge" from time to time.
Lithium-ion batteries, like the kind used in Samsung and Apple products fare better when they're charged. If you constantly let them drain to 0%, they become unstable. Your battery has a finite number of charge cycles, and every time it fully dies, that's another cycle out the window.

BONUS: Fact — heat will ruin a battery.

The truth: This is absolutely true. Heat and tech don't generally go hand-in-hand, and that's no different with phone batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries heat themselves, and get hotter while they're being charged. Cold weather can also have a negative impact on a phone's life, and a cold battery will die faster than usual in low temperatures.
Your phone will be safe if you keep it within its recommended temperatures; Apple says 32 degrees Fahrenheit is the lowest recommended temperature for an iPhone's environment. Samsung, on the other hand, guarantees its phones can function anywhere between -4 and 122 degrees.
Techquickie has a pretty neat video that explains some of these myths in detail.

via: Mashable

Stylish skin Desined for iphone

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:38:00 +0000

Give your iPhone a new look in seconds and protect it from abuse at the same time.

Show off your iPhone or iPod with the Face off, almost impossible to detect, clear transparent screen guard offers ultimate protection against scratches and dirt.

The Face off offers a high visible light transmission, which has minimal effect on the brightness of your iPhone or iPod display. It reduces the strain of your eyes by filtering the UV light emitted from your display.

Our printed The Face off use cast vinyl with a special patented adhesive that allows you to remove and reapply the Face off.
Wallpaper Download