Cool World

'Kung Fu Panda 2' to Open Taormina Film Festival

2011-03-26T21:39:00.002+05:30

The Italian premiere of the film, featuring a voice cast led by Jack Black and Angelina Jolie, continues the festival's trend of launching high-profile projects.

ROME – The Taormina Film Festival announced Friday that the animated film Kung Fu Panda 2 in 3D will be the opening film at this year’s edition of the 57-year-old event.

The Italian premiere of the film -- directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and including the voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan and Seth Rogen -- continues Taormina’s trend of serving as a launching pad for high-profile films. In 2010, the Sicily festival premiered with Toy Story 3 in 3D, and previous editions have hosted Transformers and Mission Impossible II.

As with the other blockbusters to appear in Taormina, Kung Fu Panda 2 will screen in the festival’s centerpiece venue, the ancient and picturesque Teatro Antico.

This year’s edition of the festival runs June 11-18.

Taormina’s artistic director is Deborah Young, The Hollywood Reporter’s chief international critic.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 SWOT analysis of Team India and Australia

2011-03-24T12:53:00.000+05:30

With Sachin Tendulkar planning to quit after this World Cup, the bar is set much higher for the Indian players. Team India stands as one of the favorites alongside a formidable Sri Lanka, a strong South Africa, T20 Champions England and the reigning ODI champions Australia.

So here at Cric City we have done a SWOT analysis on the selection of Indian squad for the upcoming cricket fiesta.

The players selected by BCCI are: MS Dhoni (Captain), V Sehwag (Vice-captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, R Ashwin, Piyush Chawla.

Cricket experts say that bowlers win you test matches while batsmen win you ODI?s. If this is indeed true then India stands a bright chance for they have a splendid batting line up. Sachin ,Sehwag ,Gambhir take up the first three slots while ,Dhoni and Pathan will be at six and seven respectively. Num 4 and 5 slots will be a tossup between Kohli,Yuvraj and Raina. The bowling side has 3 spinners and 4 seamers. The bowling department may not look that strong with Nehra and Munaf there but considering Patel?s recent form he also becomes a force to reckon with. The spin attack led by Bhajji looks good and also the part timers have proved their worth.

Strengths:

Balanced Team: The team is a perfect combination of both experienced as well youth. Though the bowling department looks a little weak, presence of Zaheer and Harbhajan should exude confidence to others in the team. After a long time Indian tail has started wagging which was evident in the last Series as well as the warm up match against Australia.

Home Conditions: Since the World Cup is being played in the subcontinent, the Indian cricket team can expect the maximum crowd support. The Indian stadiums will be expecting a crowd of about 50,000.

Weakness:

Consistency: Off late team India has not being able to perform consistently. A lot of the games show that individual performers have saved the game. If the team India aims to win the WC then they have to perform collectively and every player have to play to their fullest.

Brittle Middle Order: Yuvaraj and Raina are not in good form and have been picked mainly based on their past performance. It is an altogether a different issue that both of them are game changers but their current forms are the weak links.

Absence of a genuine Allrounder: For the past 4 years selectors have been trying to groom one genuine allrounder , but with little sucesss. The fifth bowler slot is absent which makes the team to rely on bowlers like Yuvaraj and company.

Opportunities:

Spinning Subcontinent Pitches: The pitches in the subcontinent are very favorable for spinners and India has opted for 3 spinners. Its part-timers are also spinners. Both Ashwin and Chawla have a chance to shine in their 1st WC and aid Bhajji in the sub-continent conditions. With spinners, India would be restricting the opposition at the same time will be an attacking team.

Virat Kohli: The young star has been in brilliant touch and was India's highest run-getter in 2010 so this is the big chance for him to stand out and fix his place in the team's middle order.

Sachin Swansong: The only accolade missing in Tendulkar's illustrious career. The entire country wants it for him and also the entire team wants to win the cup for him. This should act as an extra motivation for everyone in the team.

Threats:

Injuries: A lot of Indian players have just come back after injuries. Though fully fit their fitness would still be suspect and they would be short of match practice.

Weird Saturn Radio Signals Puzzle Astronomers

2011-03-24T12:51:00.002+05:30

Weird Saturn Radio Signals Puzzle Astronomers

Saturn is sending astronomers mixed signals — radio signals, that is.

NASA's Cassini spacecraft recently found that the natural radio wave signals coming from the giant planet differ in the northern and southern hemispheres, a split that can affect how scientists measure the length of a Saturn day. But the weirdness doesn't stop there, researchers say.

The signal variations — which are controlled by the planet's rotation — also change dramatically over time, apparently in sync with the Saturnian seasons.

Color Brings Social, Multi-Lens Shooting to iPhone, Android Phones

2011-03-24T12:50:00.002+05:30

Color, a revolutionary new iPhone and Android application from Bill Nguyen, the creator of the La La music service, is poised to change the way you view mobile photo sharing and social networking.

The free app, which is set to hit the Apple App Store and Android Market tomorrow, lets people in close proximity to one another gain real-time access to photos, video, and text messages, simultaneouly, from multiple smartphones. Color aims to make photo sharing easy by eliminating the need for multi-step signups, and emailing or uploading images and videos.

12 new features in Mozilla Firefox 4

2011-03-22T18:11:00.000+05:30

Users running Firefox 3.5 or 3.6 can download the latest version by selecting "Check for updates" from the Help menu. While users running Firefox 4 RC, need not download anything as Mozilla deems that build identical to the final. 12 new features in Mozilla Firefox 4

D-day is here for Mozilla Firefox 4, almost 8 months after its first beta release. The launch comes eight days after Microsoft IE 9's official launch. Firefox 4 was originally scheduled to launch in November 2010. Damon Sicore, Mozilla's senior director of platform engineering, said in a message on a company forum, “Today's triage session concluded with all systems go for a Firefox 4 launch on March 22.”

http://www.mozilla.com/products/download.html?product=firefox-4.0rc2&os=win&lang=en-US

Where is Internet Explorer 9 for Windows XP?

2011-03-18T17:26:00.000+05:30

With Microsoft's recent success in selling 10 million Kinect, one would think Microsoft truly understands what the users are asking for. But, that's not the case (unfortunately). Microsoft is now claiming 2.3 million downloads for Internet Explorer 9 within the first 24 hours. A great milestone indeed. But there is no independent verification.

The browser has received great feedback from the community. Internet Explorer has the capability to support "Do Not Track" feature. This feature transmits a header to the website indicating if the user agrees to have their online activities tracked.
The FTC has supported some kind of "do not track" in an effort to protect consumer privacy against increasingly automated and expansive information-gathering by marketing organizations. As outlined by a speech delivered earlier this month by David C. Vladeck, director of the Federal trade commission Bureau of Consumer Protection, "the FTC has envisioned Do Not Track as a one-stop-shop where consumers can exercise a choice not to be tracked, and where marketers would have to respect their choice."

"Microsoft would not put IE9 hardware acceleration features in the present version of its browser, IE8, or back port IE9 to older PCs running Windows XP."
So this means that over fifty percent of the computers, according to StatCounter – will be unable to run Microsoft's latest browser (IE9), but Windows 7 users are on the rise. Windows 7 debuted just over a year ago and has grabbed nearly a fifth of all computers on the Web in that time.

Samsung Shows Off Bluetooth 3D Glasses

2011-03-18T07:29:00.002+05:30

Although 1950 is considered as the age of 3D movie decade. That was age when the 3D glasses was invented. Wearing the 3D glasses we would feel that we are a part of a film .They make the movie ortelevision show you're watching look like a 3-D scene that's happening right in front of you. With objects flying off the screen and careening in your direction, and creepy characters reaching out to grab you.

Now time has changed it is age of new inventions

Samsung introduces its new Bluetooth enabled 3D glasses. This 3D glasses use Bluetooth instead of infrared signals to sync with the 3D TV, meaning the glasses don't need to have line-of-sight with the TV. With conventional, infrared glasses, the signal can be disrupted by obstructions between the glasses and the TV or emitter, disabling the shutters. Bluetooth solves this problem by using radio instead of infrared transmissions. Because of the new technology, the glasses will only work with 2011 and later Samsung 3D HDTVs; older models that use infrared technology can't use the new glasses.

Instead of conventional glasses, the new models use a thin headband to which the lenses are attached. The entire product weighs less than 1 ounce, and can be tossed on a cylinder-shaped induction charger to recharge its batteries without physically plugging it into anything. The optional charger can charge up to 4 pairs of glasses at once, just by having them stacked around the cylinder.

Samsung has not yet announced pricing or availability for the new 3D glasses, but they're expected to be included with Samsung's newest 3D HDTVs.

Samsung Galaxy Player 4 and Galaxy Player 5 announced for US

2011-03-17T19:56:00.002+05:30

Samsung has announced the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Player 4 and Samsung Galaxy Player 5 for the US market. Both Samsung player were unveiled at MWC last month as Samsung Galaxy S WiFi 4.0and the Samsung Galaxy S WiFi 5.0.

Samsung Galaxy Player 4 and 5 runs on Google Android 2.2 Froyo OS (upgradeable to 3.2 Gingerbread) and are powered by 1GHz processor. Samsung Galaxy Player 4 and 5 features 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, 3.2MP autofocus camera, front facing VGA camera, Qik video calling support and microSD card slot.

The main difference between both models are the screen size, Galaxy 4 has a 4-inch Super Clear LCD and 5-inch WVGA TFT-LCD for Galaxy Player 5.

Samsung Galaxy Player Price

Samsung Galaxy Player 4 and Galaxy Player 5 price is not revealed yet.

Dum Maaro Dum Songs out now!!!

2011-03-17T19:13:00.000+05:30

Mit Jaaye Ghum (Dum Maaro Dum)  Anushka Manchanda
Te Amo (Duet) Sunidhi Chauhan, Ash King
Jiyein Kyun Papon
Jaana Hai  Zubin Garg
Thyan Thyan  Abhishek Bachchan, Ayush Pkuhan, Earl
Te Amo (Female) Sunidhi Chauhan
Te Amo (Reprise)  Sunidhi Chauhan
Te Amo (Remix)  Remix: Kiron Kamath

12 little known facts about twitter

2011-03-17T07:04:00.000+05:30

Five years ago on March 21, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey fired off the first tweet officially giving life to the micro-messaging service.

Here are some facts about the San Francisco-based startup:

* Dorsey's first tweet, sent on March 21, 2006, read: "just setting up my twttr" .

* Pop star Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) has the most Twitter followers with 8.78 million followed by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) with 8.13 million, Britney Spears (@britneyspears) with 7.12 million, Barack Obama (@barackobama) with 6.97 million and Kim Kardashian (@kimkardashian) with 6.73 million.

* Actor Charlie Sheen (@charliesheen) was the fastest to one million followers, picking them up in just 24 hours.

* The hashtag (#) feature on Twitter which groups tweets by subject debuted in August 2007, proposed by a user

* In October 2009, Google and Microsoft began integrating tweets into their search products.

* Twitter has "370-plus" employees and is adding workers almost weekly

* Twitter is based in San Francisco, with additional employees in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington.

* Twitter was incorporated in April 2007; it was co-founded by Biz Stone, Evan Williams and Jack Dorsey -- @biz, @ev and @jack.

* The initial Twitter logo was created byTwitter co-founder Biz Stone, a former graphic designer.

* Twitter chief executive Dick Costolo is a former improvisational comedian.

* Twitter has more than 200 million registered users sending more than 140 million tweets a day.

* Last year, Twitter users sent 25 billion tweets and the company added more than 100 million new registered accounts.

Aurora

2011-03-14T19:15:00.000+05:30

The sun unleashed a powerful Class X1.5 solar flare on March 9, 2011, a solar storm that could supercharge Earth's auroras. The flare was recorded by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and other spacecraft. Here, it
appears in white at the upper right of the sun as seen by the Solar Dynamics Observatory.

NASA space physicist James Spann took this stunning picture on March 1, 2011 from Poker Flat, Alaska,

where he was attending a scientific conference to study auroras

ALAM ARA

2011-03-14T19:13:00.000+05:30

Today is the 80th Anniversary of "Alam Ara{Hindi: आलमआरा} {Urdu: عالم آراء} (The Light of the World; 1931)" the first Indian film with sound.... Directed by Ardeshir Irani

Radiation leak confirmed, rescue efforts begin

2011-03-12T19:17:00.001+05:30

Japan scrambled on Saturday to avert a disastrous meltdown at a nuclear plant damaged when a massive earthquake and tsunami struck the northeast coast, killing at least 1,300 people.

Jiji news agency said there had been an explosion at the stricken 40-year-old Daichi 1 reactor and TV footage showed vapour rising from the plant, which lies 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo.

Live updates from Yahoo! India. Refresh this page for the latest.

5.53pm: Indian foreign minister S M Krishna sends his condolences to Japan. Ministry of external affairs sets up special cell to monitor developments.

5.45pm: Summary of what World Nuclear News is saying: The plant has six reactors, three of which were in operation when the quake struck on Friday. All three shut down at once, as they are designed to, and automatically began removing residual heat with the help of emergency diesel generators. The generators stopped functioning after about an hour, possibly because of flooding caused by the tsunami. Plant owners Tokyo Electric Power Company immediately notified the government of an emergency. Work at the site is now centered on connecting portable power modules to replace the malfunctioning diesels..

5.36pm: World Nuclear News puts out status update on radiation leaks. Its website crashes, but is restores soon.

5.28pm: Aftershocks continue in Japan, while attention is focused on nuclear reactors. Texas researchers put out a map which tracks tremors in near real time.

4.33pm: Map from The New York Times, offering interactive information on earthquake and tsunami damage.

4.30pm: Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says serious damage to Fukushima nuclear reactor container unlikely.

4.26pm: 2.15 lakh tsunami-affected people now in emergency shelters.

4.22pm: Tsunami waves reach Africa, northern Chile. No damage reported.

4.20pm: Experts are downplaying risks from the explosion. Reuters quotes Ian Hore-Lacy, of the World Nuclear Association, as saying. "It is obviously a hydrogen explosion due to hydrogen igniting. If the hydrogen has ignited, then it is gone, it poses no further threat."

4.05pm: There are over 1,000 people unaccounted for -- either dead or missing, according to Japan's Kyodo News agency.

4.04pm: All 81 aboard tsunami-swept ship rescued: Japanese team airlifts everyone on board to safety, CNN-IBN reports, quoting Jiji Press.

4.02pm: Sony, Toyota, Nissan and Honda are among firms to have closed plants due to the massive quake, reports BBC.

3.50pm: As officials and relavant agencies struggle to come to grips with the explosion at Fukushima: a) authorities have extended the evacuation area at the neighboring Fukushima; b) to a ten kilometer radius.

3.48pm: Blast the the plant may have been caused by a hydrogen explosion, say reports

3.47pm: BBC's nuclear expert Walt Patterson, an associate fellow with Chatham House, said the presence of caesium, one of the elements released when overheating of a nuclear plant causes core damage, does not pose any significant threat to public health. Meanwhile, as engineers try to establish if Fukushima is in meltdown, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has re-declared a state of emergency at the plant, and at the neighboring Fukushima.

3.40pm: Official claims that the radiation levels at Fukushima-Daiichi was not serious is meeting with considerable speculation. The BBC in a report pointed out that officials have been less than honest with their "reassurances" in the past.

3.23pm: Japan's Meteorological Agency officials have told people living on the Pacific Coast to remain alert although there's slim chance of a 10m or higher tsunami now.

3.17pm: Aftershocks continue. The USGS reports the latest one, magnitude 5.4, is just 25 km (15.5 miles) off the east coast of Honshu.

3.16pm: BBC reports, Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency is investigating the explosion at the Fukushima-Daiichi plant.

2.59pm: Video of the explosion

Japan's Earthquake and Tsunami: How They Happened

2011-03-12T19:11:00.001+05:30

The 8.9-magnitude earthquake that struck coastal Japan on Friday, devastating large swaths of the coast and spawning a powerful tsunami, was caused by the Pacific tectonic plate thrusting underneath the country, and forcing the seabed and ocean water upward.

Japan sits on or near the boundary of four tectonic plates: the Pacific, North American, Eurasian and Filipino plates.* These massive slabs of earth's crust are endlessly creeping, slipping, locking up and then jolting again. In fact, the Pacific plate has been inching its way under the North American plate at a rate of 80 to 100 mm a year, said John Bellini, a U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist.

As these plates butt into each other, pressure builds and builds. Then, very unpredictably, that pressure releases. The release of such tension causes earthquakes, and the sudden lifting of the seabed triggers the tsunami.

"Japan is one of the most seismically active areas in the world," Bellini said. "Plates aren't constantly moving at a smooth rate. Some areas will be creeping slightly, but it's not always enough to relieve all the stress. The stress builds up over time -- over years, decades and centuries, and then at some point it overcomes the lock between two parts of the crust. When that happens, you have an earthquake."

Friday's biggest quake occurred 80 miles offshore and 15.2 miles underwater in a subduction zone called the Japan Trench, part of that plate boundary. For more than a minute, the crust ruptured, stretching 180 miles long.

The resulting earthquake was about 1,400 times stronger than the 6.9 magnitude Kobe earthquake that killed more than 5,000 people and injured 26,000 in 1995, said Emily So, a USGS research civil engineer. The shaking was so great that it was felt as far away as Tokyo, which is 230 miles from the quake's epicenter.

In fact, the earthquake generated roughly the amount of energy that the U.S. consumes in a year, said David Wald, as seismologist with the National Earthquake Information Center at USGS.

Japan sits in the "Ring of Fire," an arc that stretches along the basin of the Pacific Ocean, and is home to 90 percent of the world's earthquakes and more than 75 percent of the world's volcanoes.

"Bear in mind that this area is prone to earthquakes, but this is one of the largest they've had," So said. "We will be expecting aftershocks, maybe for days, months and years."

Displacement of the fault by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake two days ago triggered aftershocks, including, in this case, the big earthquake. And since this morning's quake, the area has had 100 magnitude 5 aftershocks, nearly 20 magnitude-6 aftershocks and one magnitude 7 aftershock.

"Twenty magnitude 6 earthquakes is a remarkable number, but expected for an earthquake of this size," Wald said.

The upward thrusting of the seafloor contained enough energy to displace an enormous amount of water, churning up huge waves that swept across swaths of the Japan coast and tore across the open ocean at the speed of a jet plane.

"Out in the open ocean, the waves can be hundreds or even thousands of miles long," said Bruce Parker, a Stevens Institute of Technology Professor, and author of the book, "The Power of the Sea." "The deeper the water, the longer the wavelength, and as soon as the water gets shallower, the wave gets shorter and higher."

They move as fast as 400 miles per hour, he added. Tsunamis are tracked using sensors out in the ocean, such as Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) buoys, which track pressure and movement and send information by satellite back to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Unlike a normal surfing wave, which curls over from the top, but is quiet underneath, a tsunami moves from top to bottom toward the shore, bulldozing everything in its path. As it moves toward the land, it shortens in length, but rises in height. "It's only when it gets into shallow water that it steepens and lifts up, and that's when it turns into a tsunami,"

Earthquake in Japan: Widespread tsunami warning issued

2011-03-11T18:18:00.002+05:30

A tsunami warning has been issued for the entire Pacific basin except mainland United States and Canada following a huge earthquake that hit Japan on Friday, the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

The warning includes Hawaii and extends from Mexico down to South American countries on the Pacific, the center said.

Among the countries for which a tsunami warning is in effect are: Russia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru.

Australia and New Zealand, which had been on an initial warning list, were later removed. The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre confirmed there was no tsunami threat.

Indonesia, which bore the brunt of a huge tsunami in 2004 when 170,000 people were killed in its Aceh province, said it expected tsunami waves could hit its eastern areas North Sulawesi, Papua and the Moluccas at around 1135 GMT.

Taiwan's coast guard evacuated its thinly populated east coast earlier on Friday, and by 1105 GMT the central weather bureau had lifted its tsunami alert, saying it expected waves of only 10 cm high to strike, smaller than the 50 cm previously forecast.

Hawaii's civil defense agency ordered all coastal areas, including the main tourist hub Honolulu, evacuated by 2 a.m. local time (1200 GMT). The first tsunami wave was expected to reach Hawaii at 3 a.m. local time.

Lori Untalan, an official at the Guam Homeland Security Office of Civil Defence, told Reuters a tsunami warning was in effect for the island.

Beaches had been cleared there, and hotels were moving guests to rooms on higher floors, while in the nearby Northern Mariana Islands, all residents were ordered to evacuate to higher grounds.

Hundreds of people in coastal areas in three northern Philippine provinces started moving to higher ground after the government upgraded its tsunami alert, though there was no official evacuation order.

The Marshall Islands, a chain of tiny Pacific atolls, was braced for the tsunami, expected to hit around 11.30 p.m. local time (1130 GMT).

"We don't take this lightly," said Bill Weza, general manager of the Marshall Island Resort Hotel, near capital Majuro. "If it's big enough it will sweep right across this island, but people have been told not to panic and remain calm,"

Ocean waves up to 6 feet (2 meters) above normal sea level were detected by deep-ocean gauges near Wake island, Midway and Guam in the North Pacific, said Chip McCreary, a spokesman for the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Papua New Guinea has issued a tsunami watch for its northern provinces effective at 9 p.m. local time (1100 GMT).

Waves may reach Papua New Guinea between 9 a.m. and 2 a.m. local time overnight, said Rabi Gaudo, a UN official seconded to Papua New Guinea's National Disaster Centre, but it was unclear yet how high they would be.

The tsunami is higher than some of the Pacific islands it could wash over, the Red Cross in Geneva said, warning that developing countries in the Asia Pacific region were particularly vulnerable to tsunami damage.

The biggest earthquake to hit Japan in 140 years struck the northeast coast on Friday, triggering a 10-metre tsunami that swept away everything in its path, including houses and cars. At least 22 people were killed in the quake and tsunami.

By 1015 GMT there had been no reports of a serious tsunami hitting anywhere beyond Japan.

"A tsunami is a series of waves and the first wave may not be the largest," the center said. "The threat can continue for many hours as multiple waves arrive."

Apple iPad 2: Early reviews praise price and battery life

2011-03-10T18:45:00.000+05:30

Apple's new iPad goes on sale in the US tomorrow, and although the first full reviews find some minor faults they all suggest it will maintain its postition as the top tablet thanks to an array of incremental improvements.

Steve Jobs unveiled the new iPad 2 last night in San Francisco Photo: GETTY

The device goes on sale in the UK on 25 March. Here's our review of the US reviews:

The New York Times: The "improvement in thinness, weight and speed transforms the experience", says David Pogue. "But the shocker here, though, is that the iPad 2 actually costs less than its comparably equipped Android rivals, like the Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab," he adds.

The Wall Street Journal: "While it’s evolutionary rather than revolutionary like the first model, the changes Apple has made are generally pleasing and positive," says Walt Mossberg. "But, despite gaining a faster processor, and the front and rear cameras, it still carries the same base price of $499, which competitors have so far found hard to match," he adds, echoing favourable price comparisons made by every reviewer.

MacWorld: Like other reviewers, Jason Snell was impressed with the new iPad's battery life. "Despite the boosts in processing power... the iPad’s all-day battery life, perhaps its killer feature, remains intact," he notes. As for software, the iOS 4.3 upgrade is "is hardly earth-shattering, but does offers a few nice new features", such as AirPlay wireless video streaming for third-party apps.

Engadget: Most reviewers' biggest gripe is with the quality of the iPad 2's front an rear cameras. As Joshua Topolsky explains: "Let's just put this out there: the iPad 2 cameras are really pretty bad." They are good enough for video calls, he says, but "neither one of these produces remotely satisfying results for still shots, and in particular (when compared with something like the Xoom), the back camera just seems utterly second rate."

USA Today: Edward C Baig sums Apple's latest creation up: "The iPad 2 doesn't deliver everything on your tablet wish list. But when it comes to the ever-evolving state of the art, iPad 2 is second to none." Like other reviewers, he notes the screen is no improvement on the first iteration - perhaps a target for the Apple engineers who are doubtless at work on iPad 3.

World Most Powerful People

2011-03-10T13:12:00.000+05:30

SINGAPORE - NOVEMBER 15: China's President Hu Jintao attends the declaration ceremony at the end of the APEC Summit on November 15, 2009, in Singapore. The 2 day APEC CEO Summit, part of APEC Leaders Week, had brought together over 800 of the world's top business leaders and 15 world leaders in Singapore to address key global trade and economic issues.

Official portrait of President-elect Barack Obama on Jan. 13, 2009. (Photo by Pete Souza)

Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud awaits the arrival of Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah for an emergency summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh on January 15, 2009. Leaders of the six oil-rich monarchies of the Gulf are expected to paper over differences on the Gaza crisis in Riyadh this evening after Saudi Arabia called an emergency summit, while neighbouring rival Qatar is still trying to organise an Arab summit on the same issue. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo credit should read -/AFP/Getty Images)

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, seen during a meeting with the leadership of the United Russia party at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow in Moscow, Saturday, Oct., 2, 2010. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti,Alexei Druzhinin, Pool)

Pope Benedict XVI greets the crowd after he presided over a Mass at Westminster Cathedral in central London, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010. Pope Benedict XVI said Saturday he was ashamed of the "unspeakable" sexual abuse of children by priests, telling the British faithful during Mass in Westminster Cathedral that he was deeply sorry and hoped the church's humiliation would help victims heal. Benedict also said he hoped the church would be able to use its contrition to purify itself from the "sins" of its ministers and be able to renew its commitment to educating the young. (AP Photo/Matt Cardy, Pool)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel smiles during an European Council summit on September 16, 2010 in Brussels. Europe heads for a fireball summit with France furious over attacks on its expulsion of Roma Gypsies and trouble brewing over how to prevent a repeat of the Greek debt crisis. AFP PHOTO / ERIC FEFERBERG (Photo credit should read ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP/Getty Images)

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron leaves 10 Downing Street, his official residence, in London, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010. Cameron is scheduled to outline the details of cuts likely to total as much as 3 billion pounds ($4.8 billion) from the defense ministry's annual budget of about 37 billion pounds ($59 billion). Britain will lose thousands of troops, build new aircraft carriers without new fighter jets and delay a multibillion-pound upgrade to its nuclear deterrent under sweeping defense cuts being announced Tuesday following the first major military review in more than a decade. (AP Photo/Akira Suemori)

WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 30: Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke waits for the beginning of a hearing before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee September 30, 2010 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The hearing was to focus on the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ben Bernanke

Sonia Gandhi
India

Bill Gates, co-chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, listens during an interview at Roosevelt House in New York, U.S., on Monday, Jan. 31, 2011. Gates, chairman and co-founder of Microsoft Corp., called for urgent donations to stop the spread of polio and make it the first infectious disease

World's Richest Man -Forbes List

2011-03-10T12:47:00.001+05:30

This year's list broke records in size (1,210 billionaires) and total net worth ($4.5 trillion). China doubled its number of 10-figure fortunes, and Moscow now has more billionaires than any other city. Mexico's Carlos Slim widened his lead at No. 1.

Facebook-Email Service

2011-03-10T12:45:00.002+05:30

Facebook to offer E-mail Services to its 500 million users to compete with Gmail & Yahoo making it the largest such service on the planet. The Project is Named as Project Titan and It is Due since Nov 2010

Apple iPad 2 family

2011-03-10T12:09:00.000+05:30

9, 2011

A year ago, nobody had an iPad. Then Apple sold 15 million of them in just nine months, creating a whole new category of technology product. The iPad may have become, in the words of Steve Jobs, "the most successful consumer product ever launched."

It turns out that a lot of people saw the iPad's appeal: It's a supremely portable device that's well suited for checking e-mail, surfing the Web, playing games, reading books and other stuff you get off the Internet, and even for getting work done.Kids and the elderly have embraced it, too.

It's awfully hard to follow such a massive success, but that's the task set out for the new Apple iPad 2, which goes on sale Friday. At least the iPad 2 has one thing going for it: The original model caught the technology industry so flat-footed that only now are true competitors beginning to appear.

Those competitors will now face a new iteration of the iPad, one that's faster, smaller, and lighter than the model introduced a year ago--all while retaining the $499 entry price that has proven all but impossible for Apple's competitors to match. It's almost unfair.

A Game of Inches (and Ounces)

Call it Jobs's Law if you like: The latest version of any Apple product is likely to be thinner and lighter than its predecessor. And so it is with the iPad 2. The size difference between the original iPad and the iPad 2 may seem slight, but that's only because we're dealing with such small products to begin with. But for products this compact, every ounce and fraction of an inch counts.

The iPad 2 measures 7.31 by 9.5 by 0.34 inches, and weighs 1.33 pounds (in the case of the Wi-Fi-only version, that is--the AT&T and Verizon 3G versions are 0.01 and 0.02 pound heavier, respectively). That means Apple shaved 0.17 pound off the Wi-Fi version and 0.26 to 0.27 pound off the 3G version. The iPad 2 is also 0.16 inch narrower, 0.06 inch shorter, and 0.16 inch thinner than the original iPad.

A matter of small degrees, to be sure, until you consider the percentage change: The iPad 2 is roughly two-thirds the thickness of the original iPad, and 88 percent of its weight (83 percent when comparing 3G models). Pick up an iPad 2 after handling an original iPad, and you'll notice the difference right away. This is a lighter, thinner device.

In order to shave off that 0.16 inch of thickness, Apple has transformed the anodized-aluminum back panel of the iPad. The original model's back panel was a frame with four flat edges and a gently curved back surface. The iPad 2 eschews the frame, opting for a single surface that much more rapidly transitions from curve to flat. (This has the effect of making the iPad 2 much less wobbly than the original when laid on a flat surface.)

The iPad 2's back is a single curved surface. The sleep/wake button (left) is perched on the curve. Also pictured here: the rear-facing camera and the orientation/mute switch.

Without those edges, the iPad 2's ports and buttons are now positioned on a curving portion of the back panel, rather than on its side. The feel is quite different, a bit like reverting the flat surfaces of the iPhone 4 to the curved back of an iPhone 3G. A few times I found myself struggling to insert cables into the iPad 2's dock connector at the proper angle because I was confused by the curve of the back panel.

The end result of all this slimming down is that the iPad 2 is easier to handle than the original model. Inmy review of the original iPad, I said it was "heavy enough and slippery enough that I found it difficult to hold in one hand." In fact, the original iPad turned out to be a product that really demanded a case of some sort, just to make it easier to handle.

The iPad 2 is easier to carry with one hand, and the decreased weight makes it easier to hold for longer periods of time. But if you're planning on using the iPad 2 to read a lot, you'll still find yourself propping it against your chest or setting it on a table--the tablet is still not light enough to hold in one hand for extended periods of time. (For that, you'll need something more on the scale of the Amazon Kindle 3, which is less than half the weight of the iPad 2.)

Eighteen Variations on a Theme

The original iPad came in six different variations: Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi/3G versions, each available with 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of storage. The product was such a hit that Apple apparently decided that even more variations would be better--as a result, the company is offering 18 different versions of the iPad 2. It's a little crazy.

The storage variation remains: Every model is available in 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB capacities. You can also choose an iPad with either a traditional black bezel or a new white bezel--which Apple insists will be available on day one, despite the company's failure in ever shipping the promised white version of the iPhone 4. That's six variations right there. Now multiply them by three, since the iPad 2 comes in a Wi-Fi-only version as well as two separate Wi-Fi/3G versions: one compatible with AT&T's GSM-based cellular network, and a different one compatible with Verizon's CDMA-based network. (Apple seems to be differentiating between the two by referring to the AT&T model as "3G with Micro-SIM card.")

The good news is that the iPad 2 costs just what the original iPad did. The base-model Wi-Fi editions cost $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB), and $699 (64GB). Both sets of Wi-Fi/3G models cost $130 more than their Wi-Fi counterparts. There's no price difference for white or black models.

What Hasn't Changed

Although it's thinner and lighter, the iPad 2, at a glance, looks very much like the original iPad. Its front is a sheet of glass over a bright 1024-by-768-pixel display surrounded by a bezel (again, now available in black or white) that's going to be necessary so long as humans grasp with opposable thumbs. The aluminum frame around the outside of the bezel of the original iPad has been reduced to a thin edge, almost entirely invisible, in the iPad 2.

The position of the iPad 2's buttons and ports are, likewise, more or less undisturbed. A sleep/wake button sits at the top-right edge, a standard headphone jack is at top left, a volume rocker and a sliding switch (configurable to lock screen orientation or mute alert sounds via the Settings app) are at the top of the right side, a 30-pin dock connector port resides at the bottom, and a home button sits at the bottom of the front face. The iPad 2's built-in microphone is dead center at the top edge of the device (it was next to the headphone jack on the original iPad). Both 3G models feature a black plastic cutout along the top rear face in order to improve cellular reception; the AT&T 3G model also has a micro-SIM card slot along the top-left edge.

Dual-Core Speed

The iPad 2 uses a new Apple-designed processor called the A5, which is making its first appearance on the scene. Apple is generally cagey about tech specs for products like the iPhone and iPad, but by all accounts the A5 is a dual-core version of the 1GHz A4 chip that powers the iPhone 4 and the original iPad. The iPad 2 also has 512MB of RAM--twice that of the original iPad--and a 200MHz bus speed, likewise twice that of the original.

Because the A5 is a dual-core processor, Apple claims that the iPad 2 can run at speeds up to double that of the original iPad. As with any dual-core processor, the key about "up to double" is that software must be optimized to take advantage of multiple processor cores, or that speed goes to waste. This is the first dual-core processor to appear on an iOS device, and it'll be interesting to see under what circumstances the A5 is noticeably faster than the A4, and when it's not.

But processor speed isn't the only part of the system that determines how it performs. Graphics performance has become a major component in determining how fast a computing device feels. And Apple says that the graphics performance on the iPad 2 is as much as nine times faster than on the original iPad.

So does the iPad 2 measure up to Apple's claims? Absolutely, though it's hard to determine whether the dual-core processor or the improved graphics performance deserve the credit. (Maybe the question is moot.) From the moment I started using the iPad 2 with familiar apps from my original iPad, I could tell that the system was faster. I thought scrolling through tweets in Twitterrific on my iPad was smooth as can be--until I scrolled through the tweet list on the iPad 2. Everything felt smoother, and items loaded faster.

Part of the speed boost, especially when I started to test performance in Safari, probably needs to be credited to iOS 4.3, which ships with the iPad 2 and includes a dramatic improvement to Safari's JavaScript engine. When I installed the golden-master version of iOS 4.3 on an original iPad, performance improved as well. But even when both devices were running iOS 4.3, the iPad 2 was 1.6 times as fast as the original in running the SunSpider JavaScript test, and 1.9 times as fast as an iPhone 4 running the iOS 4.3 golden master.

In short, the iPad 2 is the fastest iOS device ever made, by a long shot. And it's not just an academic distinction: You can sense the speed when you use it, because everything is faster and smoother than it was on the original iPad.

iOS Speed Tests

Except where otherwise noted, we tested all devices with iOS 4.3 . All results are in seconds. Sunspider is a WebKit JavaScript performance test, with results in seconds. The Web-page test measured the number of seconds to load www.nytimes.com in its entirety. Don't be surprised by the faster startup time of the iPad 1 running iOS 4.2; iOS devices without cellular radios have much shorter startup times than those with cellular radios, for whatever reason.

Despite the boosts in processing power, Apple claims that the iPad 2 has the same 10-hour battery life as the original model. In nearly a week of use, I never saw a reason to disbelieve the claims. The iPad's all-day battery life, perhaps its killer feature, remains intact.

Cameras and FaceTime

The original iPad debuted just before Apple embraced video chat with its FaceTime software and added a front-facing camera to the iPhone. (It subsequently added both front- and rear-facing cameras to the iPod Touch.) With the iPad 2, the company has brought two cameras to all of its mobile iOS devices.

The cameras in the iPad 2 are essentially the same as those in the fourth-generation iPod Touch: It's nice that they're available, but they're not particularly impressive in terms of quality. The front-facing camera is the same one used in the iPhone 4 and the iPod Touch, offering only VGA resolution (640 by 480 pixels). It's grainy in low-light settings, but is perfectly serviceable for its intended purpose, which is video chat.

FaceTime works on the iPad 2 much as it works on the iPod Touch; in the Settings app you log in with an Apple ID and set an e-mail address to use as your FaceTime "number," so people can call you. From the FaceTime app, you can call people in your contacts list and set favorites. (FaceTime on the iPad is, like FaceTime on the iPhone 4, supported only over Wi-Fi connections.)

Once you've connected, the iPad's larger screen definitely exposes the low quality of FaceTime video (whether it's caused by the low-quality camera or the intense bandwidth required by a live video chat, or both, is debatable). Still, the video is good enough to be usable. The iPad's size, however, makes it a bit ungainly as a FaceTime device. It's hard to have a long conversation while holding the iPad in your hand. Propping the tablet on a tabletop or in your lap works better; propping it up with Apple's Smart Cover in typing position gave my interlocutor a nice view of my ceiling fan, while putting it in the Smart Cover's movie-viewing position made me hunch down to get in the frame.

The rear camera on the iPad 2 appears to be identical to the one found on the iPod Touch. (It's positioned just beneath the sleep button on the back side of the device, creating a challenge for iPad casemakers everywhere.) Apple touts this camera as being "for video," and there's a reason: As a still camera offers about seven-tenths of a megapixel, with poor performance in low-light conditions. But it's capable of shooting 720p HD video and, in well-lit environments, the quality is decent.

I'm not sure I'm ever going to hold up the iPad 2 and use it as a video camera, but it does work -- and most important, you can use that camera from within FaceTime, so you can shoot video of your kids crazily running around and send it all back to grandma.

Pick Your 3G Network

Apple's relationship with Verizon Wireless in the United States continues to deepen. The first sign of an alliance was when Verizon began selling iPads in its stores, bundled with a MiFi wireless router. Then came the Verizon iPhone 4.

Now, at last, there's an iPad that can use Verizon's cellular data network without the user's needing to tote around some other piece of tech. This means that iPad 2 owners can choose between AT&T's (generally faster) 3G network and Verizon's (generally more reliable) 3G network. That's the good news. The bad news is, iPad 2 buyers will need to decide up front which network they want to use--separate models are sold for each network, so once you've bought a Verizon iPad 2, you have no way to switch it to use AT&T's network (or vice versa).

The iPad 2's connection to AT&T's network has been upgraded from the original iPad models. Like the iPhone 4, the iPad 2 supports AT&T's HSUPA/HSDPA system, which will result in faster 3G transfer in areas where that protocol is available. I managed a 2.2-mbps upload rate and a 1.1-mbps download rate from my house, comparable to the speeds I saw from the iPhone 4 on AT&T's network. (Apple didn't provide us with a Verizon-compatible version of the iPad 2 for review, but its transfer rates will likely be similar to those on the Verizon-compatible iPhone 4: generally slower than AT&T's.)

If you live in a place where both carriers offer good coverage, then deciding which model to buy will prove to be an interesting challenge. The data plans of the two companies differ, though they're generally competitive with one another. If you don't use much data, AT&T has an advantage with its $15-a-month plan for 250MB of data. If you use more than 3GB per month, Verizon becomes the better deal. In between, it's a toss-up. (AT&T also offers a post-paid plan that can be added to your phone bill and offers better overage rates.)

If you travel internationally, the AT&T iPad is a better deal, since it uses the GSM standard that's more widely in use internationally. And since the iPad is an unlocked cellular device, you can buy a foreign micro-SIM card and save a bunch on data rates by not paying AT&T's expensive roaming charges.

Then there's the question of whether you need to buy an iPad 2 with 3G at all. Many smartphones--including the iPhone 4--have a Wi-Fi-based hotspot feature that lets them share their Internet connections with other devices. Verizon and AT&T charge $20 a month for the feature, which comes with 2GB of data. (AT&T's plan requires a user to also be on the $25 a month Data Pro plan.) Two gigabytes for $20 is a pretty good deal when compared with iPad 3G plans (other than AT&T's ultracheap 250MB plan). So if you, your iPad, and your iPhone (or other smartphone with a personal-hotspot feature) are seldom parted, you might be better off saving the $130 and buying a Wi-Fi-only model.

You have a lot of variables to think about here, clearly. But once you've chosen your iPad 2, you're locked in, so it's wise to consider your options before you buy. The good news is, if you spend $130 for a 3G model, you have no contract to sign and you're not required to buy a data plan--so the extra cost of the 3G-equipped iPad might not be too much to spend if you aren't sure and you want to keep your options open. You'll still have to pick between AT&T and Verizon, however.

One final wrinkle to the 3G buying decision: Only 3G iPad models come with GPS capabilities. There's a good reason for this--iOS devices use something called assisted GPS to dramatically decrease the amount of time the devices take to determine their location. (Despite the name, this is not some sort of phony GPS; the "assisted" just means that the devices look for nearby cellular towers to get a general fix on their location, which prevents a minutes-long GPS scan that would be required on a GPS device without the cellular assist.) In any event, if you dream of using your iPad as a jumbo GPS navigation console, you'll absolutely need a 3G model.

Smart Accessories Abound

With the release of the iPad 2, Apple is also releasing several accessories related to the iPad 2.

The iPad 2 with a leather Smart Cover.

Most notable is the Smart Cover, available in either leather ($69) or polyurethane ($39). A Smart Cover magnetically adheres to the side of the iPad 2 and protects the front, locking and unlocking the iPad when you open and close the cover. It's pretty nifty, and it sets the bar fairly high for all future iPad 2 accessories. To read a whole lot more about it, be sure to see my iPad 2 Smart Cover review.

But other accessories are available, too: The $39 Apple Digital AV adapter finally lets capable iOS devices display HD video on HDTVs, and even allows the iPad 2 to mirror its own screen on an external display. (Read on for details, or see Macworld's full review.)

You'll also find a new $29 iPad 2 Dock, which I wasn't able to test. Like the original iPad Dock, it allows you to set your iPad upright in portrait orientation and charge, sync, or even play audio- or video-out. Now the bad news: The iPad 2 and the original iPad's dock connector are different enough that accessories that tightly fit to the hardware won't be compatible with the new model, so you probably won't be able to reuse many of your iPad accessories if you buy an iPad 2. Apple also seems to have discontinued the iPad Keyboard Dock entirely. (No great loss, in my opinion--you'd be better off with a dock or a case and the excellent $69 Apple Wireless Keyboard, a combination that allows you to type in either portrait or landscape orientation, rather than the forced portrait orientation of the Keyboard Dock.)

A Video Breakthrough

The Apple Digital AV Adapter gives the iPad 2 the ability to output HD video and mirror its own screen.One of the most pleasantly surprising features of the iPad 2 is its improved support for HDTVs and HD video. A combination of iPad 2 hardware upgrades, a new adapter from Apple, and updates to the iOS share the credit, but the end result is great news for both entertainment and education.

On the entertainment side, the new Apple Digital AV Adapter lets the iPad 2 spread its wings. With this adapter, the iPad 2 can output high-definition video at resolutions up to 1080p, as well as Dolby Digital surround sound, all served via a standard HDMI cable that the owner of any HDTV will be familiar with.

I played back several HD video files on several different HDTVs via the iPad 2 and the HDMI adapter, and the video quality was excellent. The inability to output HD video has been a sore spot on the iOS since the release of the original iPad, but now that it's here, it looks (and sounds) great.

A feature exclusive to the iPad 2 that will be hailed by educators, presenters, and anyone else who has ever wanted to show off their iPad's screen to a large crowd: video mirroring. When connected to the HDMI adapter, the iPad 2 will display a duplicate version of the contents of its screen on an external monitor. Want to demo an education app via a projector or HDTV for a classroom full of kids? The iPad 2 makes it possible.

In mirroring mode, the iPad 2's interface is crystal clear. It looks great. Because the iPad 2's video interface is a 4:3 aspect ratio, you'll find black bars on the sides of the TV when it's in mirroring mode. The bars grow even wider if you put the iPad 2 in portrait orientation, but the image of an iPad 2 in portrait mode still looks good, albeit smaller, on an HDTV.

On a few TVs I tried, however, I needed to adjust the video settings to display the entire picture. It depends on how your TV set frames HD content; my advice is to fiddle with the video settings until you get a picture that pleases you.

For the record, the iPad 2's mirroring mode and its video-out mode don't fight with each other. If an app supports direct video output to an external display, the iPad 2 stops mirroring and switches to that mode. In addition to the Video app, there are lots of other examples: Keynote uses the external display as a presentation screen, for instance.

The Software Story

iMovie for iPad.The iPad 2 arrives with a new version of the operating system that powers the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. This version, iOS 4.3, is hardly earth-shattering, but does offers a few nice new features.

Third-party apps can now take advantage of streaming video via AirPlay, the system that lets iOS devices stream audio and video to various devices, most notably the second-generation Apple TV. The Videos and iPod apps can now connect to Macs or PCs running iTunes via the Home Sharing system, meaning--at long last!--you can stream music or videos from any Mac or PC in your house to your iOS device, elsewhere on your local network.

In iOS 4.3, the slide switch on the iPad can be put to use in one of two ways: It can either function as an orientation-lock switch, as it did when the iPad was first released, or it can function as a mute switch for alert sounds, as it did upon the release of iOS 4.2. In iOS 4.3, users can choose either behavior via the Settings app. Now can't we all just get along?

iOS 4.3 has a bunch of other additions; stay tuned for a full report on iOS 4.3, which is forthcoming.

Along with the new version of the operating system, Apple is introducing two apps as a part of the iPad 2 launch. One, iMovie, is an update to the existing version of iMovie that runs on the iPhone 4 and iPod touch. The other, GarageBand, is an all-new app for the iPad. Both apps are excellent, showing off the power of the iPad, the iOS, and, specifically, the iPad 2.

It's interesting that for the original iPad launch, Apple showcased three $10 iWork apps: Keynote,Numbers, and Pages. It sent a message that the iPad could be used for productivity, not just for consumption. And in the intervening 11 months, we've seen all sorts of interesting productivity applications released for the iPad. (Along with lots of games.) The iPad app ecosystem launched strong and has continued to grow, making it one of the iPad's biggest advantages over competing tablets.

This time out, Apple has launched its new iPad with a pair of $5 creativity apps. What's the message? In the case of iMovie, it's clearly tied to the existence of the iPad's cameras. Now you can shoot video with the iPad (ideally the HD-capable rear-facing one) and then edit it right within iMovie. Apple has also enabled a video workflow that starts with video shot on an iPhone 4, and then ends up being transferred to an iPad 2 for editing. For more of my impressions after spending a few days with iMovie, check out my hands-on with iMovie for iPad.

GarageBand for iPad is an almost breathtaking achievement. At times it feels more responsive than GarageBand running on the late-model iMac on my desk at work. Strumming its "smart guitars" made me almost feel musical, and I was able to create a (terrible) cover version of Fountains of Wayne's "Hey Julie" in about 30 minutes, complete with vocals, guitar, bass, drums, and organ. My nine-year-old daughter was entranced with the app as well.

GarageBand for iPad isn't as full-featured as the Mac version, but neither does it feel like a toy version. It's a real app with a lot of real power, and I'd imagine that it will become madly popular in schools and garages everywhere. For more information, check out my first look at GarageBand for iPad.

Both apps do suffer from one of the great failings of the iOS: difficulty in getting files in and out and moving them around. To move an iMovie project from the iPhone to the iPad, for example, you have to (1) export the file on the iPhone, (2) connect it to a Mac, (3) go to iTunes, (4) click the Apps tab, (5) scroll down, (6) click on iMovie, (7) click on your project, (8) click Save to put it on your hard drive, (9) detach your iPhone, (10) attach your iPad, (11) click on it in iTunes, (12) click on the Apps tab, (13) scroll down, (14) click on iMovie, and then (15) drag your project back into iTunes.

Apple, there has to be a better way. Maybe in iOS 5?

Should You Upgrade?

Let's say you are one of those 15 million people who bought an iPad last year. Now a new iPad has arrived. Should you dump your old one and get a new one?

Though the iPad 2 is an improvement on the original iPad in numerous ways, it's still an evolutionary product, not a revolutionary one. If you're happy with your current iPad, there's no reason to dump it just because a shinier, newer one is available. (This is not to say that millions of people won't do just that. I mean: shiny!) If you've invested in iPad accessories such as a dock or case, keep in mind that you probably won't be able to use them with the new iPad.

Of course, if someone in your family has been clamoring for an iPad, now might be the time to buy an iPad 2 and hand down the old model to them--or, if you're really nice, give them the new iPad while you soldier on with the classic model.

If you've become a major user of FaceTime or other video-chat apps on your iPhone or iPod Touch, upgrading to an iPad 2 makes more sense, thanks to the integrated cameras. People who want to bestow an iPad on an older friend or relative who is a bit reluctant to use technology can now add video chat to the mix of features that make the iPad a compelling device for the older set.

Anyone who gives demonstrations of iPad apps--in seminars, classrooms, or boardrooms--will want to get an iPad 2 immediately just for the video-mirroring feature. If you're an iPad-toting presenter, it'll be worth the investment.

Finally, if you live somewhere with great Verizon reception and you're stuck with an AT&T iPad, trading up to the Verizon model is worth considering ... but you might want to also consider adding a tethering plan to a Verizon smartphone and deactivating your existing iPad's monthly service.

Buying Advice

The iPad was a huge hit, vastly surpassing anyone's expectations for it. (In my review last year, I set a ceiling for success at 10 million, meaning my most optimistic estimate was still 5 million iPads short.)

It's hard to bet against Apple these days. The company is on a roll, not only in sales but in product design. Less than a year on from the original iPad, the iPad 2 is an improvement that doesn't divert any of the iPad's powerful momentum. It's the original iPad, only more so--even smaller, even thinner, even faster than before.

If you're one of those people who practices remarkable feats of self-discipline when it comes to buying first-generation hardware products, it's time to celebrate: The second iPad is here, and you can finally slake your thirst. By waiting, you'll end up with a faster, lighter product with the same great price and battery life--and with two video cameras and video-mirroring capabilities, to boot.

For Apple's competitors in the tablet-device market, the iPad 2 is a bucket of water to the face. After more than a year of struggling to catch up to the original iPad, here's a new model that addresses many of the iPad's deficiencies, dramatically improves its speed, and doesn't cede any ground on price, features, or battery life. The iPad 2 raises the bar Apple set a year ago--and it's time for the rest of the industry to scramble again to catch up.

For everyone else, the iPad 2 is a triumph, an iPad that's even more iPad than the original. And the original one was really good. The first iPad was a bolt from the blue, a device that defined an entire category, and a tough act to follow. The iPad 2 follows it with aplomb.

Laser "Gas Detective" Probes Methane Emissions from Cows

2011-03-10T12:02:00.002+05:30

It's common knowledge that one of the single largest sources of greenhouse gas pollution related to human activity is methane emissions from livestock (yes, cow farts). However, when it gets down to specifics, the figures are somewhat elusive, partly because most estimates have been made based on measurements from individual cows. Now an international team of scientists has come up with a way to deploy lasers to measure methane emissions from entire herds.

Methane Emissions from Cows

The U.S. EPA goes with the figure of 80 million metric tons of methane annually. That includes the global methane emissions from all ruminant livestock, meaning cows, goats, sheep and any other animal that chews its cud (blech, but whatever). Even just counting large ruminants, the numbers add up; in the U.S. alone there are an estimated 100 million cattle all contributing their two cents to climate change.

A Solution to Livestock Methane Pollution

According to EPA, grazing and dietary engineering can help reduce methane emissions, and so researchers have been tinkering with methane-reducing feed variations such as algae, fish oil, and even curry. Having an efficient, cost-effective means of measuring progress (or lack thereof) is the key to success, and that's where the laser equipment comes in. It enables scientists to take discrete measurements under real-life conditions in normal livestock operations, which presumably mitigates stress and other variables that might be present when individual animals are sequestered for measurement.

Lasers for Measuring Methane

The scientists, from Canada and Australia, have tested their technique on a small herd of 18 cattle. The members of the herd were provided with global positioning devices to monitor their movements along with wind speed and directions, and "open-path" lasers were used to measure methane concentrations directly above the herd every ten minutes. Open-path technology is commonly used in gas detection, specifically by the petroleum and chemical industries to to detect gas leaks, so the application to cows makes perfect sense.

Safari, IE hacked first at Pwn2Own

2011-03-10T11:57:00.000+05:30

Apple's Safari and Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) both fell to the first hackers who tried their luck on the browsers at Wednesday's opening day of Pwn2Own.

The hacking challenge kicked off at 3:30 p.m. PT, slightly later than scheduled, at the CanSecWest security conference, which runs March 9-11 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

A team from the French security company Vupen walked off with $15,000 and a new MacBook Air after exploiting an unpatched vulnerability in Safari.

Earlier today, Apple updated Safari to version 5.0.4, fixing 62 vulnerabilities. But Vupen was still able to break the browser.

"Apple has just released Safari 5.0.4 and iOS 4.3 a few minutes before the Pwn2Own contest," Vupen said Wednesday afternoon on its Twitter accountseveral hours before the contest began. "This breaks some exploits but not all!!"

HP TippingPoint, the security company that sponsors Pwn2Own, said earlier today that the last-minute Safari updates could affect who was awarded prize money.

TippingPoint's Peter Vreugdenhil said the browsers were "frozen" two weeks before today's tip-off with the then-current versions of Safari, Google's Chrome 9, Microsoft's IE8 and Mozilla's Firefox 3.6, to give researchers a stationary target.

"Exploit development does sometimes rely on certain versions and that is the reason we have frozen the devices," Vreugdenhil said in an e-mail today.

But the Safari patches still had a part to play in Vupen winning. If the vulnerability used by Vupen to hack Safari had been fixed in 5.0.4, TippingPoint would not have awarded the $15,000 prize.

Instead, the money would have gone to the first researcher who exploited the "frozen" version of Safari -- 5.0.3 was on the MacBook Air -- using a bug still present in today's update.

"As long as the latest version still has the vulnerability, and the researcher has successfully 'pwned' [successfully compromised the computer] with the frozen version, he or she will have won," said Vreugdenhil.

This was the first time in four years that Safari had fallen to someone other than Charlie Miller, an analyst with the security consulting group Independent Security Evaluators (ISE), and co-author of The Mac Hackers Handbook. Miller won at Pwn2Own in 2008, 2009 and 2010 by exploiting Safari.

Microsoft's IE8 also dropped to its first attacker, Stephen Fewer, who drew the No. 1 spot for that browser. Fewer is the founder of Harmony Security, and frequently reports bugs to TippingPoint's Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) bounty program.

To exploit IE8, Fewer bypassed Protected Mode, said Aaron Portnoy, manager of TippingPoint's security research team and the organizer of Pwn2Own for each of its five years. Protected Mode is Microsoft's name for the sandbox-like anti-exploit technology designed to isolate the browser from the operating system and the rest of the computer.

Four New Characters Revealed from KUNG FU PANDA 2

2011-03-10T07:44:00.001+05:30

Dreamwoks Productions has provided its gans with four new Images in highly anticipated Animated Sequel Kung Fu Panda -2 the Kaboom of doom.Via the films officail facebook fan page.

Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, and Dustin Hoffman will all return to reprise their roles in the sequel. No word on if Jackie Chan will be returning as Furious Five member Monkey. Joining the cast of the sequel are Gary Oldman, Jean Claude Van Damme, Michelle Yeoh, and Victor Garber. Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom will be released May 27, 2011 in 3D.

The Wolf Boss
and his pack were once guards in Gongmen City’s royal palace. Now he is Lord Shen’s most loyal servant, military strategist and trusted right paw.

The Gorillas
are the muscle in Lord Shen’s army. If his evil schemes require any heavy lifting, they’ll be the ones doing it. Shen’s personal guard is made up entirely of these powerful (and powerfully large) brutes, who are honor bound to their master.

The Soothsayer
has been advisor to the Peacocks, rulers of Gongmen City, her entire life. She is wise and gifted with knowledge of the future.

Lord Shen is hyper intelligent, supremely lethal, and burns with ambition. It’s a combustible combination. He’s intent on wiping out kung fu and taking over China. That puts him on a collision course with Po and The Five.

Facebook to start showing Warner Bros films

2011-03-09T22:09:00.001+05:30

Warner Bros has announced it will stream some of its movies on Facebook.Warner Bros is the first major Hollywood studio to work with Facebook

It's the first major Hollywood studio to work with the social networking giant in this way. Executives hope it will be a new way for the entertainment company to make money.

The service will only be available to Facebook users in America to start with.

But if it proves successful it could roll out to other countries around the world including the UK.

It works by charging people 30 Facebook credits, the equivalent of $3 (£1.85), to rent the film.

Significant step

They then have 48 hours in which to watch it.

Batman: The Dark Knight will be the first film streamed

The first movie being made available is 2008 blockbuster Batman: The Dark Knight.

Other films will follow over the next few months although there are no details yet on which ones.

"Facebook has become a daily destination for hundreds of millions of people," a Warner Bros statement said.

"Making our films available through Facebook is a natural extension of our digital distribution efforts," it continued.

"It gives consumers a simple, convenient way to access and enjoy our films through the world's largest social network".

This is a hugely significant step for the film industry.

Senior executives are very aware that they must constantly be planning for the future.

As high speed broadband becomes more widely available growing numbers of people are expected to download more content like movies.

Online piracy

The risk for studio bosses is that the film industry suffers the same fate as the music business.

Record labels have suffered dramatic drops in revenue which they claim is due to online piracy.

Film bosses are already experiencing similar issues.

Warner Bros is the first big Hollywood player to make this step but if it's a success others will no doubt try something similar.

It also has implications for other providers of movie streaming services.

Netflix claims it is the world's largest with 20 million users across North America.

Meanwhile in February Amazon launched its own version called Prime.

But by offering its service through Facebook Warner Bros has secured instant access to more than 500 million people around the world.

That number dwarfs anything that competing subscription services have.

It's a fact that will not be ignored by other major players in the movie business.

UK gets Harry Potter studio tour attraction

2011-03-09T22:02:00.001+05:30

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With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - the finale of the blockbuster film franchise draws to a close this July. But Warner Bros. announced plans last Friday to create a permanent Potter attraction, opening in the spring 2012 as a museum devoted to the young wizard's world, based on J.K. Rowling's novel series.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, The Making of Harry Potter, will open at Leavesden Studios, transforming the location where the eight films were shot. The three-hour tour allows fans to walk onto the iconic sets, filled with authentic artifacts, props, and costumes on display.

Exhibits include the Great Hall and Dumbledore's office. Built in 2000 for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the 120-foot by 40-foot (36.5 m by 12 m) Great Hall, designed by Oscar-winning designer Stuart Craig features the original dining tables and benches.

Dumbledore's office, built for the film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, features the Sorting Hat and Sword of Gryffindor. Special effects and animatronics from the productions will be incorporated to provide the sense of the films' magic.

The Hogwarts' sets were recreated for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at the Universal Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida which opened in 2010.

The facility is undergoing a $161 million renovation to encompass 250,000 square feet (23, 225 sq m) of soundstages as well as the largest backlot in Europe. Other films shot at the 200-acre (80 hectare) site include Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight and Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes and the sequelSherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

Tickets will be available later this year atwww.wbstudiotour.co.uk or through approved operators.

http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/