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Apple iPad (Wi-Fi + 3G)

2011-05-07T01:27:00.000-07:00

By Sascha Segan PCMag.com Staff

The Apple iPad is a revolutionary, addictive Tablet PC with Wi-Fi. Add in 3G, and it becomes even more useful, just perhaps not $130 more useful, which is the premium you'll pay for always-on connectivity. And with 3G you have to tack on another $15 to $30 a month for service. The 3G model ($829, 64GB) costs enough more than the Apple iPad (Wi-Fi-only version) that you have to seriously consider where you'll use the 3G. Remember, this isn't likely a device you'll whip out on the street. Considering that even adding a paid Wi-Fi subscription will save you money over the 3G model, you may find that there are enough Wi-Fi hotspots and other ways to get online to make up for the lack of built-in cellular connectivity.

None of this dulls the overall attraction of the iPad—whether it's the Wi-Fi-only tablet or the 3G model. It's safe to say that this is the only tablet we'd recommend to most people, with its thousands of apps, useful productivity software, and well-executed e-book platform.

The Basics, Pricing, and Design

In this review, I'll focus on the 3G model's differentiating features. For an in-depth look at all of the iPad's features and capabilities see our original Apple iPad review. And for more information, check out our reviews of key iPad apps like iBooks (Free, ) and iWork ($9.99, ).

The iPad 3G comes in three capacities, each tacking $130 on to the same-capacity Wi-Fi-only version; $629 (16GB), $729 (32GB), and $829 (64GB). The tablet isn't locked to AT&T, but it's the only U.S. carrier that supports the iPad's 3G frequency bands. If you cut down a standard T-Mobile SIM card with an X-Acto knife, it will fit in the iPad's micro-SIM slot, and will work, but you'll have an iPad Wi-Fi + 2G—since you can't hit T-Mobile's 3G network. Basically, this is an AT&T-only device in the U.S.

Specifications

Storage Capacity (as Tested): 64 GB
Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.5 x 0.5 inches
Networking Options: 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 3G
Screen Size: 9.7 inches

Practically identical to its Wi-Fi-only counterpart, the iPad 3G looks a lot like a giant iPod touch ($299, 32GB, ), except for its brushed aluminum back (the iPod touch has a shiny metallic back). The 3G model has a strip of black plastic along the top of the back panel that boosts the 3G antenna's signal, and there's a tiny pinhole on the tablet's side, which releases the MicroSIM card. Also, the 3G tablet is slightly heavier, weighing 1.6 pounds (compared with the Wi-Fi version's 1.5 pounds).

Apple hasn't released details for the iPad's on-board 1GHz A4 processor, but various benchmarks we've run show that it performs like an ARM Cortex-A8 chip, similar to the one used in the iPhone 3GS ($199, 16GB, ). It's just about 30 to 40 percent faster, which is what we'd expect; the 3GS has a chip in the 600MHz range, and the iPad is running at a 1GHz.

The power efficiency of the chip translates to a battery life that Apple rates at "up to ten hours" with Wi-Fi switched on. In Wi-Fi mode, we achieved a battery life of 9 hours and 25 minutes. Running the 3G modem nonstop, streaming video from the TVU global TV application, we managed to eke out 8 hours 5 minutes, which is still very respectable.

The iPad (Wi-Fi + 3G) starts with 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology and adds support for HSDPA 7.2 (850/1900/2100 MHz) and quad-band EDGE on AT&T's and foreign networks, along with assisted GPS.

3G and GPS Performance

Setting up the iPad 3G on AT&T's network is nearly effortless; just go to Settings, select Cellular Data, choose a service plan, and enter your credit card information. The $30 unlimited-use service plan costs the same you'd pay for data on the iPhone (which makes sense), but without an onerous two-year agreement; you can cancel or restart service any time. There's also a no-contract $14.99 service plan, which gives you 250MB per month, but beware, you'll eat up 250MB very quickly on this device. The iPad's Settings app lets you monitor your data usage and warns you when you're running out of data, so you can buy more. You can also use the iPad's 3G overseas, with one-time roaming add-ons; 20MB of data will run you $24.99 a month, 50MB is $59.99, 100MB is $119.99, and 200MB is $199.99. At those prices, you should probably just go find a Wi-Fi hotspot.

The 3G iPad managed somewhat faster 3G speeds than the iPhone 3GS ($199, ) in side-by-side testing using the Speedtest.net app. With the iPad, I averaged speeds around 1,400 Kbps down and 180 Kbps up—yes, uploads were much slower than downloads. Both Google Maps and Web browsing feel slower on the iPad than on the iPhone 3GS. The iPad has to render so much more screen real estate that it takes longer for the page to fill in.

Many apps work well over 3G. Netflix movies were visibly reduced in quality, but still watchable. ABC TV shows looked razor-sharp, albeit in a window that only covers half the screen. TVU's global TV player was also watchable. Pandora and NPR music streamed just fine. But AT&T and Apple have restricted or cut down the quality of some applications. Joost doesn't work over 3G. YouTube videos are reduced to seriously low quality. Skype, Trufone, and Talk2 won't make calls over 3G, either, so don't think about using your iPad as a replacement for a smartphone.

The iPad's GPS performance blows the iPhone 3GS away. Both standing still and on a moving bus, I got a full GPS lock more quickly and it tracked my location more accurately on the iPad. Sometimes the iPhone was a full block behind me while the iPad was spot on. If you could figure out how to mount this monster in your car, it could be one heck of a navigation system. (The Wi-Fi-only iPad, of course, has no GPS, although it can sometimes figure out your location based on nearby Wi-Fi hotspots.)

To 3G or not to 3G?

If you're already sold on the idea of the iPad, the biggest question is whether to plunk down $130 more for the 3G version. If you spend a lot of time on commuter trains, or you're a road warrior who will travel with an iPad rather than a laptop, the 3G model might make more sense for you. Also, if you want to use your tablet for GPS, you'll need the 3G version.But for most people, the extra cost is tough to justify unless you can clearly envision when and where you'll use 3G rather than Wi-Fi.

Again, the iPad is, at its heart, not a mobile device. In fact, when I did carry it around the streets of New York City it was awkwardly cradled in my arm and the reflective LCD was much more difficult to read in sunlight than the iPhone's screen. When you're not sitting down, an actual handheld device is just far more practical.

The vast majority of places you'd use an iPad—home, a friend's house, the office, or a coffee shop—already have free Wi-fi, or are likely covered by a $7.95 per month Boingo Wi-Fi hotspot subscription. Boingo has thousands of hotels, cafes, airports, and other public facilities under its umbrella.

But if you really do see yourself whipping out the iPad in places where you won't find Wi-Fi, there are more flexible ways to get online than built-in 3G. Verizon Wireless is currently running a deal where if you buy a Palm Pre Plus ($149.99, ), you can use it as a mobile hotspot for no extra charge. Considering you'll still need a smartphone anyway, that makes the Palm Pre and the Wi-Fi-only iPad a terrific combination. T-Mobile's HD2 ($199.99, ) smartphone will connect your iPad to the Net, as well.

Mobile routers like Sprint's Overdrive or Novatel's MiFi are more expensive than the iPad's AT&T subscription, but they can link up five devices at once. If you travel with both an iPad and a laptop, this may be the best solution. We have a rundown of your best options in a recent story on how to use your Wi-Fi iPad with any carrier.

How to Buy a Laptop

2011-05-07T01:08:00.000-07:00

By Cisco Cheng (http://www.pcmag.com )

Go online or walk into any store's electronics section to find a laptop and chances are you will feel paralyzed at the sheer variety of laptops available. Most shoppers have a general idea of what their laptop should look like and what they want in terms of features, but are often intimidated by their sheer number and baffling complexities of the laptops available, which have grown to include terms such as netbooks, and CULVs, and small business (as opposed to enterprise) laptops.

But don't lose heart. This buying guide will point you in the right direction, whether you're shopping for a tiny netbook or a massive media center, because your decision to buy what you thought was the perfectly configured laptop can suddenly be affected by unknown forces, such as a price changes. We're here to help you get back into the right mind-set, immediately spot the trends, and finally, bring home that perfect laptop for you.

Laptop Design is a Key Differentiator

Plastic is still the most commonly used material in laptop frames, and while inexpensive, manufacturers have managed to turn them into art forms. The most common technique is a process called In-Mold Decoration (IMD)—a process made popular by HP, Toshiba, and Gateway—in which decorative patterns are infused between plastic layers. This process has evolved into textures and etched imprints, where the patterns can be felt by running your fingers over them.

In the end, though, plastics are often associated with cheap laptops. What you should be on the lookout for are designs that employ metal. The most common of those is aluminum, found in laptops such as the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz), Asus U45Jc-A1, and HP Pavilion dm4-1160us. They have a more luxurious look and can be made thinner than plastic. In fact, HP is moving its entire laptop line to metals this year, and Toshiba and Acer are already deploying a fleet of laptops with this fancy material. A metal such as magnesium alloy is more commonly found in business laptops that place a strong emphasis on durability (check out our business laptop buying guide). Carbon fiber is yet another attractive material, but is less used than aluminum and magnesium, as it is expensive to make. If metals aren't exotic enough for you, check out the Asus U33Jc-A1.

Bigger Screen, Heavier Weight

Weight and screen size are directly correlated to one other. The cutoff point between a laptop that should stay permanently on your desk and one that can be a commuting companion is a 14-inch widescreen. There are exceptions, of course. The Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Core i5) and Samsung R540-11 are two of the lightest 15-inch laptops—lighter, in fact, than many of the 14-inch ones in the market. A 13- or 14-inch widescreen means that you can still be productive without sacrificing portability. The Toshiba Portege R705-P35 and Sony VAIO VPC-Z1390X are prime examples of superb 13-inch laptops. Fourteen-inch models like the HP Pavilion dm4-1160us, Dell Inspiron 14R, and Gateway ID49C13u offer a terrific blend of features and components, but they won't weigh you down. Below that, you'll be venturing into netbook territory, which is an entirely different category of laptops.

Get a screen larger than 14-inches and you'll have to contend with deeper and wider dimensions, which your laptop bag may not have room for. Screen sizes that range between 16 and 18 inches are usually reserved for media centers, gaming rigs, and desktop replacements, such as the Acer Aspire AS8943G-6782 (18 inches) and Dell XPS 15. These massive systems often have luxuries like high resolutions, hardcore gaming graphics, and a wealth of state of the art features.

What to Look For in a Laptop

Even the cheapest laptops come with many of the features you would find on a $2,000 laptop. Ample USB ports (3 to 4 minimum) are pretty standard nowadays. USB 3.0, which offers faster transfer speeds and greater connectivity bandwidths than USB 2.0, can already be found in laptops like the Sony VAIO VPC-F136FM/B and the Samsung RF701-S02US. Look for a laptop with one of the USB ports doubling as an eSATA port, so you can expand storage capacity when the internal hard drive isn't roomy enough. Most of the time, you won't even use a port like eSATA since most laptops nowadays come with at least 320GB of storage (Netbooks are averaging 250GB). Upgrading to a 500GB hard drive won't cost you an arm and a leg either, but do so only if you're a video junkie or an aspiring video content creator. Most people don't need all that hard drive space.

Although VGA is still the most common way to present Powerpoint slides on a big screen, technologies like DisplayPort and HDMI are better equipped to stream high quality videos and audio. With the exception of netbooks and sub $600 laptops, most laptops have an HDMI port or DisplayPort. The Dell XPS 15, for example, has both.

Aside from 802.11 Wi-Fi, Mobile Broadband (3G), and Bluetooth, wireless technologies have grown to include two new onea. The first one is called WiMax, a wireless broadband access technology that provides performance throughputs similar to 802.11 WiFi, except the coverage area spans an entire city rather than one occupied by a house. These embedded chips can literally replace your current internet package for less than you're paying now. You can find these chips in the Sony VAIO VPC-EB33FM/BJ, the Asus K52F-A1, and the Toshiba Satellite A665-S6086.

The other up-and-coming wireless technology is called Intel's Wireless Display, or WiDi, for short. It's very similar to a wireless version of HDMI, except there's no dongle or piece hanging off of the USB port—the technology is built into the laptop. With WiDi, you can wirelessly connect your laptop to an HDTV, without the use of clunky VGA or HDMI cables. You do, however, need to purchase the Netgear Push2TV receiver that has to be tethered to your HDTV. WiDi is available in laptops like the Dell Inspiron 17R-2950MRB, the Toshiba R705-P35, and the Samsung R580-JBB2.

Unless you're talking netbooks, a DVD burner is the de facto standard for internal optical drives. Look for one that burns dual layer discs (twice the capacity of a single layer disc), and don't settle for a DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive. Blu-ray drives are coming down in prices, and you can find one in the Samsung R580-JBB2 and HP Pavilion dv7-4183cl for under $1000.

Of course, the lack of an optical drive isn't a deal breaker anymore, especially if you're intent on minimizing weight. The Alienware M11x (Core i7) and Toshiba Satellite T235-S1350, for instance, give you everything but the internal optical drive. A Webcam and a media card reader are already integral parts of any laptop or netbook, as video conferencing and digital photography are as common as surfing the Web.

Once you check off all of these standard features, you can go on to look for ones that are specific to your individual needs.

Buying an Extended Warranty

Most laptops are backed by a complimentary 1-year parts and labor warranty. Asus and Costco sell laptops that come with standard two-year warranties. The standard warranty is a limited one, so it won't cover accidents that stem from a spilled drink, a key that was scraped off by a finger nail, or a drop to a hard surface. Extended warranties are also available.

Most laptop manufacturers also sell accidental coverage as a separate plan, on top of extended warranties that work on top of a standard one, so you might end up spending close to $300 for three years of comprehensive coverage. Apple offers a maximum 3-year extended warranty ($250), while most Windows-based laptop manufacturers will offer up to 4 years.

Our rule of thumb is that if the warranty costs more than 15% of the laptop, you're better off spending the money on backup drives or backup services that minimizes downtime. Of course, you can't put a price tag on peace of mind. There are instances when the logic board or the display—the most expensive pieces of a laptop—fail, and while rare, it can cost you half of what the laptop is worth. Faulty components usually break down during the first year; anything after that is probably your fault.

Weighing the Netbook Option

As the competition grows more fierce in the netbook category, these little laptops, which were once considered as mere Web surfing and word processing devices, are now being pegged as primary laptops for everyday tasks. Had you bought a netbook a year ago, you would have been dealt with a 10-inch widescreen, a small keyboard, and a basic set of features. For $500 today, the Lenovo IdeaPad S12 (Ion), Asus EeePC 1215N, and Lenovo ThinkPad X100e have screens that range between 11 and 12 inches, a full-size keyboard, and an HDMI port. Though smaller, the Toshiba mini NB305-N410 and HP Mini 5103 have the best typing and navigating experience on a 10-inch platform.

You'll also find the Intel Atom platform, made up of the Atom processor, integrated graphics, and memory (usually 1GB) in almost every netbook. The Intel Atom may not be the fastest processor, but it's the most energy-efficient chip you can get on a netbook platform. The dual core Atom, dubbed the Intel Atom N550 (1.5GHz), has already appeared in a handful of netbooks, including the Asus EeePC 1015PEM, HP Mini 5103, and Acer Aspire One AOD255-1203. The fastest netbook processors, though not necessarily the most energy efficient, belong to AMD. The company is making a run at the netbook market, performing as well, if not better than their Intel counterparts.

Many of these netbooks will run fine on 1GB of memory, and most of them can be upgraded to 2GB (highly recommended), provided you can make this simple upgrade yourself. These days, you won't find many netbooks that run on the Windows XP operating system; all of them are either using Windows 7 Starter Edition or Home Premium Standard. Netbook batteries start with 3-cell (30Wh) units, but many netbooks are now standardizing on 6-cell batteries. Our battery tests have shown that the smaller batteries will get you anywhere from 3-4 hours of battery life on a single charge, while the bigger ones range between 7-9 hours. If your activities include trips abroad and all-day classes, consider looking for netbooks that ship with 6-cell options.

New Intel Technology Already Here

As for the rest of the laptop market, the most dominant processor chips come from Intel. For instance, you can choose one that maximizes performance or one that favors battery life. Or you can choose one that plays to both strengths: The Intel Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7s are currently the most popular processor brands and have the benefits of both power and battery efficiency. If you desire all-day battery life, it's best to go with a low-voltage (ULV or LV) or an Atom processor, such as those found in the Toshiba T235-S1350 and netbooks, respectively.

Intel also has quad-core Core i7s for laptops, which currently ranks as the most powerful, not to mention, hottest processors in the world. AMD has its own multi-core processors as well (triple or quad core), called the Phenoms, Most of these processors can be found in desktop replacement and gaming laptops, but Intel and AMD claim that these processor will find their way into mainstream laptops—as small as a 14-inch laptop.

Unless you're a part-time gamer or a CAD user, most students will find that integrated graphics is more than enough for graphics related tasks. High-end graphics cards are terrific for 3D games, decoding a 1080p video, or watching a Blu-ray movie, but like a fast processor, they also feast on the battery. Nvidia (Optimus) and Apple (Automatic Graphics Switching) have technologies that leverage two graphics chips—an integrated and a discrete version—and the switch is done seamlessly, depending on what application the laptop is running. You can find switchable graphics technologies in laptops like the Asus U45Jc-A1 and the Gateway ID49C13u

Battery Life

A big battery can be your biggest ally in a day travel hectic day. Many laptops, including netbooks, are sold with multiple battery options. Apple laptops, on the other hand, have non-removable batteries. In this case, figure out where battery life ranks in the grand scheme of things. For instance, netbooks, which come with a 6-cell battery option, last between 7 to 9 hours on a single charge. Business laptops, on the other hand, come with the largest variety of battery options. It might be a good idea to purchase an additional battery, if an extended one isn't available. The more "cells" you buy, the better the battery life. And look at the battery's capacity, which is usually measure in Watt-hours. Two batteries claiming to be 6-cells can have different capacities. A big battery is accompanied by some heft, but the weight gain is well worth it if it means leaving the system unplugged from dawn 'til dusk.

For full, detailed reviews of the latest laptops on the market, check out our laptop product guide.

Sony VAIO VPC-Z1390X

2011-05-07T00:50:00.000-07:00

Cisco Cheng
Lead Analyst, Laptops and Tablet PCs

Those who live in the lap of luxury recognize that they have to pay a premium for true exclusivity, craftsmanship, and quality. As an ultraportable laptop, the Sony VAIO VPC-Z1390X ($3,800 direct) embodies all of these things. It's the lightest 13-inch ultraportable with an optical drive, yet packs enough CPU and graphics horsepower to rival laptops three times its size. The twin 256GB solid-state drives (SSDs), a backlit keyboard, and a high resolution screen aren't offered anywhere else in such a small package, which is why we consider it one of our best laptops. Of course, no other ultraportable costs this much, either.

Design

The Z1390X is made up of magnesium metal, topped with a carbon fiber lid—some of the finest materials in the world, though you couldn't tell how sturdy it was by its incredibly scant, 3-pound frame. The metal is hammered into sheets as thin as the magnesium ones found in the Toshiba Portege R705-P35 ($899.99 list, 4 stars) (3.1 lbs), which explains why these two 13-inch ultraportables are also the lightest. The sound the metal makes when you tap on it truly gives you a sense of how thin it is. In contrast, the thicker, more ruggedized magnesium frames found on the Dell Latitude 13 ($860 direct, 3.5 stars) (3.5 lbs), Lenovo ThinkPad X201 ($1,625 direct, 4 stars) (3.8 lbs), and HP EliteBook 2540p ($1,629 direct, 4 stars) (3.9 lbs) aren't as delicate.

The 13.1-inch widescreen is nothing special by itself, but paired with a 1,600-by-900 resolution, the clarity and vividness of photos, videos, and movies are superb. In addition, a higher resolution creates a larger workspace on the screen by packing in more pixels, allowing users to compare documents and websites side-by-side. By comparison, the Dell Latitude 13 and Toshiba R705-P35 have standard resolutions of 1,366 by 768. As if this resolution wasn't enough, Sony also offers a 1,920 by 1,080 option, which, on a 13-inch screen, might be overkill.

As the originators of the "chiclet" keyboard, it was only fitting that the Z1390X continued the tradition. Though the actual keys are smaller than the ones found in the R705-P35 and Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz) ($1,199 direct, 4 stars), there's enough spacing so that the typing experience doesn't feel cramped. There's also a backlit option now, similar to the one found in the MacBook Pros. The navigating experience, which comprises of a roomy touchpad and soft-clicking mouse buttons, rivals the ThinkPad X201 and Dell Latitude 13.

Specifications

Type: Gaming, Media, Ultraportable, Business, Small Business, Gaming Ultraportable
Processor Name: Intel Core i5-460M

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional

Processor Speed: 2.53 GHz
RAM: 4 GB
Weight: 3 lb
Screen Size: 13.1 inches
Screen Size Type: widescreen
Graphics Card: Intel GMA HD
2nd Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce GT 330M
Storage Capacity (as Tested): 512 GB
Networking Options: 802.11n
Primary Optical Drive: Blu-Ray Disc

Features

There are some improvements to the feature set since we last reviewed the Z-Series. Mobile broadband, which wasn't offered when the last Z-series was introduced, is now a $50 option (this feature was included with my review system). It's a Qualcomm Gobi 2000 chip, which will allow you to sign up with numerous GSM (AT&T) and CDMA (Verizon) 3G wireless providers. In a situation where you can't find a Wi-Fi or wired connection, embedded 3G can acquire broadband speeds from any of the million cell phone towers nationwide. You know it's a luxury laptop when the only hard drive options are SSDs. The Z1390X is the only ultraportable in the world that uses twin SSDs—two 256GB drives, for a total of 512GB. These SSDs alone ($1,300 option) cost more than the Toshiba R705-P35. On top of that, I can't think of a single 13-inch laptop that bundles a Blu-ray drive, but high-rollers can have one with the Z1390X.

Otherwise, it has solid list of connectivity ports, including 3 USB ports, HDMI-Out, and separate card slots for SD and Memory Card formats. It has an ExpressCard 34 slot, if you decide against embedded 3G and opt for an external 3G wireless solution. A finger print reader, which sits between the two mouse buttons, provides an extra security blanket for logging into the laptop. With wireless, it has Bluetooth and uses the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi cards from Intel.

Performance

What makes this ultraportable special is despite being a featherweight, it doesn't compromise performance. It runs a standard volt 2.53GHz Core i5-460M processor, similar to the ones that power the Lenovo X201, HP 2540p, and Toshiba R705-P35. It's a faster machine than the Dell Latitude 13, which had to settle for a previous generation Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Combined with the speed of the SSDs and 4GB of DDR3 memory, it didn't take the Sony Z1390X much effort to blow past its peers in PCMark Vantage (8,736) tests—a good gauge of overall PC performance. It also rallied to the top in Handbrake (2:49), Cinebench R11.5 (2.19), and Photoshop CS5 tests (4:57).

As if that weren't enough, the Z1390X houses both integrated (Intel GMA HD) and discrete graphics chipsets (the Nvidia GeForce GT 330M), in the form of switching mechanism. That way, 3D intensive task can make use of Nvidia's powerful graphics, while the integrated graphics will help conserve battery life. The Z1390X also has a third physical setting called the Dynamic Hybrid Graphics System, which switches the graphics system automatically by, say, unplugging the AC adapter (switches to integrated graphics) or connecting an HDMI cable (switches to the Nvidia chip). Every other switching scenario boils down to a two step process: Flip the physical switch and wait for a 2-second screen flicker. A three switch mechanism is awkward and somewhat confusing, though, especially when Nvidia's Optimus technology—a more seamless graphics switching technology—is already prevalent in many laptops.

The Nvidia GeForce GT 330M graphics chip is more powerful than the one found in its competitors. That's because most business ultraportables don't bother with a high-end gaming chips. Its 3DMark 06 score of 6,686 was only beaten by its predecessor—the Sony VPC-Z116GXS ($1,800 direct, 4 stars) (6,867). It clobbered the integrated graphics found in the Toshiba Portege R705-P35 (1,986) by a three-fold margin, and it didn't drop a single frame during Crysis (35.1) and Lost Planet 2 (29.2) game play.

Despite its processing and 3D muscle, the Z1390X performed admirably in battery tests. The 57WH (6-cell) battery lasted 5 hours 19 minutes in MobileMark 2007, which was tested using the integrated graphics chipset. The Z11390X couldn't make it past 3 hours when I switched over to the Nvidia graphics chipset. Five hours of battery life is plenty for the average commuter, but others in this class did much better. The Toshiba R705-P35, for instance, amassed over 7 hours of battery life, while the Lenovo X201 (9:36) and HP 2540p (8:02) took battery testing to another level.

The Sony VAIO VPC-Z1390X is a unique and unprecedented in this space. Hands down, it's the most powerful and most luxurious laptop in the ultraportable category, having parts that you would normally find in media centers and desktop replacements. It's unusually pleasant to find dual SSDs, switchable graphics, and a Blu-ray drive in a 13-inch laptop. Alas, Sony prices out a lot of globe trekkers who would probably love to include this laptop in their travelling plans. The Editors' Choice Toshiba Portege R705-P35, on the other hand, is a more affordable alternative for those who can't afford Z-series prices.

Build It: A Cheap Gaming Desktop

2011-05-01T03:45:00.000-07:00

Article of Matthew Murray in http://www.pcmag.com/reviews/desktop-computers

Giving gifts to family and friends isn't the most frustrating part of the holiday season—that would be watching them get exchanged or, even worse, gather dust. Watching a present you picked out with thought and care land with a resounding thud when its wrapping is yanked away (or soon after) can be so upsetting, you may be driven to drown your disappointment in leftover eggnog.

Such troubles are only exacerbated when giving the gift of technology: How can you know for sure that your best guess topped the recipient's wish list and won't be good only for holding down the floorboards in another few months? The best insurance against obsolescence when you're giving a computer is to spend what you can to get the most your budget will allow now, while also making sure the system—and its intended user—have room to grow.

The best way to do that is to build it yourself. There are other advantages to this, too: You get to intimately personalize the computer you put together; you get the pleasure of giving away something you crafted with your own hands; and, if you're going this route for a child, assembling it with him or her can be both major-league quality time and a valuable learning experience—for both of you. If the final system is something everyone can enjoy, well, so much the better.

With that in mind, we decided to spec out a gaming system that would do justice to recently released titles a bit more intense than merely the World of Warcraft and FarmVille variety. We chose a maximum of $850: That's more than enough money, but it's also little enough that we knew we wouldn't be able to go wild—we still had other people to shop for. And it also meant that we had to be really smart about picking components so that, in another six months or a year, when we had more money to spend and technology had advanced forward another mile or two, we'd be able to swap out a few crucial pieces and still have a darn good system.

Elemental to our money-saving strategy was the processor. We wanted something that would be powerful for games and other kinds of applications, but it had to be reasonably priced. CPUs can cost as much as $1,000 just by themselves, and many of the most expensive ones are worth the money, but we didn't want to go there. We selected an AMD Phenom II X6 1055T, for $179: Its six processing cores would give it choice multithreading capabilities, and though its 2.8-GHz clock speed isn't exactly slow, there are even faster six-core chips we'll have the opportunity to upgrade to later.

Leaving that upgrade path open is easy with AMD, as almost all of the company's processors can be used in any motherboard, from the least-expensive budget offerings to the priciest enthusiast parts. It's easy to lose your head with motherboards, too, so we stuck with an upper-midrange model from MSI, the 890GXM-G65, which uses AMD's gaming-oriented 890GX chipset. There were a couple of significant benefits to this. Sure, the two PCI Express (PCIe) x16 slots are nice, for reasons we'll get to presently, but we caught an outstanding deal on Newegg: The 890GXM-G65, originally $129.99, was marked down to $119.99, had a $20-off promotional code offer, and included a $10 rebate. This meant we could get this motherboard for only $89.99—a terrific deal.

Of course, when you're compiling a gaming system, the video card just may be the most important element. It certainly has the most immediate impact on the performance of 3D games, but it can also make or break your entire budget. Unfortunately, with video cards, you almost invariably get your money's worth, and we knew we couldn't justify spending upwards of $500 on one of the best cards in the market. Luckily, AMD and Nvidia have been engaged in a fierce competition for the $200 space ever since Nvidia released its GeForce GTX 460 this past summer. AMD retaliated a couple of weeks ago with the Radeon HD 6850, which offers comparable power at a comparable price ($199.99). In our tests, the two cards ran essentially neck and neck, but we went with the AMD, in no small part because our motherboard's two PCIe x16 slots will let us add a second card later for a major 3D boost without having to even break $400. Expandability: It's a good thing.

For everything else, we knew we'd have to stick with sensible, even safe, choices that would give us a solid framework—but might not blow us away. So we grabbed 4GB of OCZ RAM for $59.99; two sticks would let us get a nice performance boost from the motherboard's dual-channel memory configuration. The hard drive was a straightforward WD 1TB model ($69.99), the optical drive a basic Lite-On DVD burner ($19.99). Our power supply was destined to be a middle-of-the-road Thermaltake, not just because its 600 watts would be more than enough now and for the foreseeable future, but because a $20 rebate meant we'd only need to shell out $49.99. The operating system had to be the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium ($94.99)—there's not really any way to skimp on that. But we did allow ourselves a bit of personality with the case: The NZXT Vulcan ($69.99) is a smaller model, but it would have no trouble housing our modestly sized components, and it's got a built-in handle that makes it easy to carry the computer from place to place.

When we were finished, we'd been able to craft a more-than-respectable gaming system for a grand total of $837.92—well under our $850 goal. The money we saved doing this ourselves means we'll get to spread a bit more holiday joy to others, as well save more down the line because we can safely upgrade individual parts rather than buying everything again from scratch. That means that the forethought and research we invested into this project now will make the next holiday season, and the one (and maybe even two or three) after that, that much merrier. If that doesn't rate a hearty "Ho ho ho!", what does?

PARTS:

Motherboard: MSI 890GXM-G65 ($119.99, 109.99 with rebate, $89.99 with promo code)
CPU: AMD Phenom II X6 1055T ($179)
Video card: AMD Radeon HD 6850 ($199.99)
Memory: 4GB Crucial Ballistix RAM ($63.99)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB ($69.99)
Optical Drive: Lite-On DVD burner ($19.99)
Power Supply: Thermaltake TR2 600W ($69.99, $49.99 rebate)
Case: NZXT Vulcan ($69.99)
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit ($94.99)
TOTAL: $837.92

Verizon to put location-tracking warning sticker on phones

2011-05-01T03:33:00.000-07:00

By Julianne Pepitone, staff reporterApril 29, 2011: 6:17 PM ET

(http://money.cnn.com )

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- In the wake of a giant brouhaha over the news that Apple's iPhones record and store users' locations, Verizon Wireless says it will start slapping 'we can track you!' warning stickers on its products.

Verizon's announcement came in the form of a letter to Representatives Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Joe Barton, a Texas Republican. In March, they asked the four major wireless carriers to explain how and why they track mobile location data.

All four carriers acknowledged that they store location data for varying periods of time, but Verizon (VZ, Fortune 500) was the only company to suggest a warning label.

The company says it will begin including the removable sticker on all new devices it sells.

The sticker warns: "This device is capable of determining its (and your) physical, geographical location and can associate this location data with other customer information. To limit access to location information by others, refer to the User Guide for Location settings and be cautious when downloading, accessing or using applications and services."

Why Apple and Google need to stalk you

Verizon also disclosed that it stores location data and other customer information for seven years. Sprint (S, Fortune 500) keeps the details for three years, while AT&T (T, Fortune 500) retains it for anywhere from a few days to five years. T-Mobile did not give a timeframe.

The carriers' responses came earlier in the month, but Congress first released them Thursday.

Each of the letters pointed to third-party applications as the real culprit.

Verizon said location-based apps "should give customers clear and transparent notice," while Sprint complained that it could no longer act as consumers' "trusted carrier with whom they have a trusted relationship to answer all of their questions."

Markey was unimpressed. In a statement on his site, he said the carriers' responses left him "with a feeling of uneasiness and uncertainty ... the disconnect is when third-party applications come in to play."

Meanwhile, Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) has been cleaning up the PR mess made after two British researchers released an open source application that let Apple's customers see the location data stored on their iPhones and 3G iPads.

The smartphone maker released a 10-part Q&A and statement on Wednesday admitting to a lack of transparency. It also promised a software update to fix a "bug" that retained data for more than a year instead of the intended few days .

Nokia to shed 7,000 staff as part of reorganisation

2011-05-01T03:23:00.000-07:00

Article from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business

Mobile phone manufacturer Nokia has announced it will shed 7,000 jobs from next year as part of a plan to refocus the company on smartphones.

The firm said 4,000 jobs worldwide would be cut - including a total of 700 jobs from Nokia's UK sites.

Nokia will also transfer a further 3,000 employees to outsourcing and consultancy group Accenture, which will take over Nokia's Symbian software.

The Finnish firm is moving from Symbian to Microsoft's smartphone technology.

The firm recently confirmed the deal with Microsoft last week to jointly develop smartphone technology, which will cut costs by about 1bn euros a year.

Under the terms of that deal, Nokia agreed to start using the Microsoft's operating system on its smartphones instead of its own Symbian platform.

"This is about keeping focus within Nokia on Windows Phone. It helps to get rid of any doubts on where this company is going," said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Gartner.

Nokia's response to the smartphone threat from competitors such as Apple's iPhone and phones using Google's Android system has been long been a key investor concern.

'Dark day'

In Finland, where Nokia is expected to cut 1,400 jobs, unions said the losses were not as bad as had been feared.

"This went slightly better than expected, because Nokia transfers Symbian development," said Pertti Porokari, chairman of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland.

"These 1,400 people to be laid off are mainly MeeGo coders and they should have quite good chances to find new jobs," he added.

However, unions in the UK were not so happy.

"This is another dark day for the British economy," said Tony Burke, Unite assistant general secretary.

"What is very disheartening is that mobile phones and their associated technology are one of the growth areas in the British economy, yet this still does not stop a successful company such as Nokia throwing people out of work".

Nokia hopes that the job cuts and restructuring will also help produce savings of 1bn euros for the firm by 2013.

"With this new focus, we also will face reductions in our workforce," said Stephen Elop, Nokia president.

"This is a difficult reality, and we are working closely with our employees and partners to identify long-term re-employment programmes for the talented people of Nokia."

Mr Elop later told reporters at a press conference near Helsinki that he believed this would be the full extent of the job losses.

He added that the restructuring announcement was the "full plan for as far as we can see into the future".

Apple 'not tracking' iPhone users

2011-05-01T03:15:00.000-07:00

Article from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology

Apple has denied that its iPhones and 3G iPads have been secretly recording their owners' movements.

In a website posting, the company said it had never tracked user location and had no plans to do so in future.

Security researchers claimed to have found a hidden file on the devices containing a record of everywhere they had been.

Some users managed to extract the data and plot it on maps.

More than a week after the issue came to public attention, Apple released an online question and answer document.

It said: "The iPhone is not logging your location. Rather, it's maintaining a database of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers around your current location, some of which may be located more than one hundred miles away from your iPhone, to help your iPhone rapidly and accurately calculate its location when requested."

Planned fix

The document also addresses the fact - as some users discovered - that data going back months and even years was being stored.

"It shouldn't. This is a bug, which we plan to fix shortly," said Apple.

Ian Fogg, principal analyst at Forrester Research, said that the company was being uncharacteristically open about the functioning of its devices.

"I do not think that that the other [makers of mobile operating systems] have been as black and white about what they are doing with location data," he said.

While Mr Fogg believes that Apple is trying to do the right thing, he said that the company may have inadvertently created a security risk.

The fact that the location data file is stored on users' computers in an unencrypted form made it vulnerable to hackers.

Mr Fogg suggested that owners of Apple devices should go into their iTunes settings and select the option to encrypt their backups.

Not plausible

Apple's explanation did not convince everyone, however.

Ross Anderson, professor of security engineering at Cambridge University, described it as "not plausible".

"The researchers' report clearly shows that the phone was recording a location trace of its user," he said.

"I'll assume that their claim of a programming error may be an attempt to diminish culpability, and thus the fine they have to pay, in the event that they get prosecuted, whether by the FTC [Federal Trade Commission] in the USA or by one or more data protection authorities in Europe."

Sony to resume some PlayStation gaming services

2011-05-01T03:05:00.000-07:00

Article from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology

Sony has said it will resume some services on its PlayStation Network, which was shut after the theft of personal details of about 77m users.

Sony officials said they had boosted the security of their computer systems after user names, email addresses and log-in details were stolen.

Executives, including Kazuo Hirai, the head of Sony's PlayStation unit, apologised for the security breach. The theft has prompted legal action and investigations in the US and Europe.

"The organisation has worked around the clock to bring these services back on line and are doing so only after we had verified increased levels of security across our networks," said Mr Hirai in a statement.

He is seen as the frontrunner to take over as head of Sony Corp.

Deep bow

"These illegal attacks obviously highlight the widespread problem with cyber-security," Mr Hirai's statement said.

Kazuo Hirai is seen as a frontrunner to take over Sony Corp

Later, at a news conference, Mr Hirai and two other Sony executives apologised and bowed deeply.

"We apologise deeply for causing great unease and trouble to our users," he said.

PlayStation users got their first indication that something was wrong with the service when it became unavailable on 20 April.

In the following days, Sony issued three brief statements asking users to be patient while it investigated an "external intrusion", or hack.

The full extent of the security breach became apparent on 27 April.

In a statement posted on the official PlayStation blog, the company said user account information for the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services had been compromised following an "illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network".

Sony said that although credit card data was encrypted and there was no evidence it was stolen, the theft of the data could not be ruled out.

The PlayStation network allows gamers to download software and play with other users.

Sony Rumor Mill: Flash of Chrome, Rumble of Thunder

2011-04-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

By Richard Adhikari
TechNewsWorld
03/21/11 11:46 AM PT (http://www.technewsworld.com)

An upcoming Sony Vaio laptop will be a hybrid of an ultra-portable and desktop replacement notebook, according to a recent report. The super-thin laptop will be able to hook up to a docking station that will augment its hardware, providing a graphics boost and an optical drive. Thunderbolt technology is also said to be included. Meanwhile, Sony's also reportedly putting together a Chrome Notebook.

Sony (NYSE: SNE) is readying a hybrid Vaio notebook with a docking system that augments its hardware, as well as another Vaio sporting Chrome OS, according to a report in SonyInsider.

The so-called hybrid notebook will feature the communications technology Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) introduced as "Thunderbolt" recently in its MacBook Pro notebooks, the report stated.

This notebook will apparently have an unltra-thin chassis as well as a docking station equipped with its own discrete graphics processing unit (GPU), a Blu-ray drive and other connectivity options.

"Intel is in ongoing discussions with all PC OEM customers about implementing Thunderbolt technology on their systems," Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) spokesperson Dave Salvator told TechNewsWorld.

"Apple took a strong interest and collaborated with Intel to help bring the technology to market at this time," Salvator elaborated. "There is no exclusivity to this arrangement."

Sony and Apple did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

Possible Tech Specs for the Sony Hybrid

The ultra-light Sony Vaio notebook will have Intel Wireless Display, SonyInsider claims.

Intel Wireless Display lets users view and share content from their hard disks, home networks or any browser-equipped device with the largest screens in their homes. That sounds suspiciously like Sony's Qriocity, which targets Apple's iTunes service.

The Vaio will apparently also have a solid-state drive, an Intel i7 processor, HDMI output with 3D support and a battery life ranging from 8 hours to 16.5 hours. It will weigh about 2.5 pounds.

The docking station will have an AMD (NYSE: AMD) Whistler-XT discrete graphics processing unit with 1GB of VRAM, a Blu-ray read/write drive, HDMI and VGA output, an RJ45 Ethernet port and a USB port. It will weigh about 1.5 pounds, SonyInsider reported.

"I would expect Intel to let other PC OEMs make use of the Thunderbolt technology," Matthew Wilkins, a principal analyst at IHS iSuppli, told TechNewsWorld.

Intel would not confirm whether Sony will unveil an ultra-light notebook using Thunderbolt technology.

"That's a question to take up with Sony," Intel's Salvator said.

About ThunderBolt

Thunderbolt, which is Apple's name for Intel's Light Peak I/O technology, was codeveloped by the two companies. It has two bidirectional channels offering maximum transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps each.

The technology uses two protocols -- PCI Express for data transfer and DisplayPort for displays. It is compatible with existing DisplayPort displays and adapters. Users can daisy-chain up to six peripherals using Thunderbolt.

Device manufacturers that have announced support for Thunderbolt include Western Digital (NYSE: WDC) and LaCie.

Apple became the first computer vendor to deliver Thunderbolt in products when it announced a new MacBook Pro line using that I/O technology in late February. However, while Intel plans to use optical connectors in Thunderbolt, the version in the MacBook Pros uses copper instead.

That doesn't mean the Mac Pros can't use optical connectors, though.

"The version shipping today on Apple's MacBook Pro systems can use either electrical cable, which is copper, or an active optical cable," Intel's Salvator remarked. "Thunderbolt will have those same options when it runs on other systems," he added.

Intel expects to see other systems using Thunderbolt on the market early next year, Salvator said.

Other Planned Sony Products

Sony also has a Vaio laptop running Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) Chrome operating system, SonyInsider stated.

This will likely have an Nvidia (Nasdaq: NVDA) Tegra 2 core processor, 1GB of memory, a 16GB eMMC (electronic multimedia) card, an 11.6-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels, and an ultra-low power GeForce GPU from Nvidia, according to SonyInsider.

The device will have a wide keyboard similar to the Google Chrome Cr-48 laptop keyboard, SonyInsider suggested. It will run on WANs and have an 8-hour battery life.

The Vaio laptop running Chrome OS will weigh about 2.2 pounds, SonyInsider reported. It will be launched in summer. Features such as Bluetooth and GPS will reportedly be added later.

It's not clear whether Sony will be able to launch either of these products on time. The company, like many other Japanese manufacturers, was hit hard by the massive quake that struck Japan last week and the tsunami that followed.

At press time, reports said indicated Sony would restart a lithium-ion battery plant that it closed in the aftermath of the quake and tsunami, but six of its other plants will remain closed. Those six turn out various products, including lasers for Blu-ray players.

Asus' Eee Pad Transformer Is a Notebook in Disguise

2011-04-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

By Richard Adhikari
TechNewsWorld
03/28/11 6:00 AM PT (http://www.technewsworld.com)

Asus' latest swing at the tablet scene is the Eee Pad Transformer, a Honeycomb tablet that can be combined with an optional keyboard docking station that turns it into a notebook computer, more or less. The Transformer's guts seem to be on par with most other Honeycomb tablets in the field, but will its keyboard accessory be enough to make it stand out in an increasingly crowded space?

Asus on Friday announced the first shipments of its Eee Pad Transformer, which are directed to Taiwan.

The Eee Pad Transformer is so named because it uses an optional docking station that provides a full QWERTY keyboard with unique Android function keys.

This tablet runs on an Nvidia (Nasdaq: NVDA) Tegra 2 dual-core processor and uses Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) Android 3.0 operating system, aka "Honeycomb."

Its frame just over half an inch deep, and it weighs in at about 24 ounces.

It comes preloaded with Polaris Office 3.0, which supports the most frequently used file formats on PCs, such as Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Office, XLS, XLSX, PowerPoint, Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) PDF, and image files such as JPG.

The Transformer has 9.5 hours of battery life on one charge. This goes up to 16 hours when the docking station is used.

"I'd put this in the class of the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Atrix," Jim McGregor, chief technology strategist at In-Stat, told TechNewsWorld. "It's seeking to bridge the gap between a mobile device and a computing device."

Asus did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

Details About the Eee Pad Transformer

Like many other tablets running Honeycomb, the Transformer has an Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor.

It also has a 5MP rear camera to shoot and record HD video and a 1.2MP front-facing camera for videoconferencing. The device supports both WiFi and 3G.

The Transformer has a mini-HDMI port, a 3.5mm audio jack, two USB ports and a built-in SD card reader. It also has built-in SRS Sound technology.

The tablet comes with a scratch-resistant 10.1-inch in-plane switching (IPS) Gorilla Glass touchscreen with LED backlighting. This can be viewed at angles up to 178 degrees. ASUS claims the screen provides 50 percent more accurate and crisp rendition than its competitors.

Asus has overlaid its Waveshare user interface on top of Honeycomb.

The company provides one year of cloud storage on Asus WebStorage free to purchasers of the Transformer.

Information on price is still sketchy; reports suggest it will range between $500 and $700. If those reports are correct, the Transformer won't beat out the iPad 2 in price.

Just Another Brick in the Android Wall?

Apart from the optional docking station, there's little to distinguish the Transformer from other Android tablets, according to In-Stat's McGregor.

"All these tablets have dual core processors, high quality screens, and dual cameras, so you have to provide a significant differentiation if you're going to target the market," he said.

"I played with several tablets running Android 3.0 at CTIA," Carl Howe, director of anywhere consumer research at the Yankee Group, told TechNewsWorld. "They start to feel very much the same."

That uniformity has led Android tablet manufacturers to seek their own differentiators.

"These guys are all looking for a magic bullet," McGregor stated.

"Do you have a slide-out keyboard, do you have a docking station? I don't think anybody has found the secret sauce," he opined.

Even with the docking station, Acer's Transformer doesn't quite stand out of the crowd, McGregor thinks.

"The docking station is cool, but does it buy me that differentiation? I don't think so," he said.

Whether Asus can match the iPad 2 with its Transformer is open to question.

"Apple blends three ingredients: A sexy device, seamless connectivity and compelling cloud content to create its connected experience," Howe pointed out. "At present, most Honeycomb tablets I've seen are delivering only two out of those three ingredients because they lack the cloud-based apps."

Mobile Health Apps, Part 3: On the Cutting Edge

2011-04-30T22:10:00.000-07:00

By Pam Baker
TechNewsWorld
04/28/11 5:00 AM PT (http://www.technewsworld.com/story/72348.html)

New mobile health apps "can be very powerful in making patient information more readily accessible -- but also in allowing patients to become a more active participant in their own healthcare," says Deanna Benson, project manager at Mutual Mobile. "This has numerous positive implications for the patient, but can also be very beneficial from a business standpoint in the way of reduced healthcare costs."

The future of mobile healthcare apps is already here, and it readily conjures images of "Star Trek" and Dr. "Bones" McCoy's medical tricorder. Take for example, a new app system developed by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital that detects cancer.

The palm-size nuclear magnetic resonance device, which mimics the gigantic MRI machine, sits on a patient's bedside table. The tiniest of samples from the smallest of needles can instantly be tested and the results calculated by an app on the doctor's smartphone.

In many cases, the system will eliminate the need for surgical biopsies. In trials, the darn thing is measuring between 96 percent and 100 percent accuracy -- far better than the 84 percent accuracy rate of conventional tests. Plus, doctor and patient have the results in less than an hour instead of waiting three days for conventional methods to render results. The system isn't quite ready for clinical use, but this app and others of the same ilk are expected to be in wide use in the near future.

"While there is already a number of mobile applications for doctors, the real transformation of healthcare lies not in better doctoring but in better partnering between doctors and patients," Girish Nair, vice president of business development at DataArt, told TechNewsWorld. "We think centralizing the administration and decentralizing care is the key to success. And by decentralizing of care, we refer to remote care."

Up Close From Far Away

"The future of healthcare apps will cater to the strengths of the new mobile technology platforms, allowing patients to send doctors a picture, for example, to receive a clinical opinion and guidance, without having to venture in for a traditional appointment," Nick van Terheyden, M.D., CMIO at Nuance Communications, told TechNewsWorld.

Further, new apps are being developed that are designed to keep patients informed and close the loop on care delivery. Applications are popping up that are essentially a mobile extension of existing medical technologies such as X-rays, ultrasounds and electrocardiograms.

"These applications can be very powerful in making patient information more readily accessible -- but also in allowing patients to become a more active participant in their own healthcare," Deanna Benson, project manager at Mutual Mobile, told TechNewsWorld. "This has numerous positive implications for the patient, but can also be very beneficial from a business standpoint in the way of reduced healthcare costs."
Remote medical care isn't only about delivering a diagnosis -- it's about delivering information and thus control of health decisions and related costs to the patient.

A user can summon a noted physician's view and advice on practically any disease or ailment with the American Health Journal app, which has the largest video library of physician interviews on any health-related topic. As of January 2011, the app has been downloaded more than 603,000 times in upwards of 157 countries since its release in August 2010.

Patients can schedule/confirm appointments (even same-day appointments), renew prescriptions instantly and access their health records via apps such as One Medical Mobile. Created by Tom Lee, M.D., founder of One Medical Group, a primary care practice in San Francisco and New York City, One Medical Mobile includes a clinical triage function. The feature helps people identify what symptoms they're suffering from and whether they need an appointment or can simply save their copay and instead get help for free from a One Medical physician via email or phone.

DNA App Maps Preventive Care

As if diagnosing and treating illnesses as they manifest weren't enough futuristic pocket power, along come apps that guide patients on how to prevent or postpone future ailments.

Consider the Personal Genome Assistant app. First, the patient has a genetic test or genome sequencing to determine genetic predispositions to specific diseases. Then the PGA incorporates genome sequence or partial sequence data interpreted by the new fractal science with personal preference and known health data -- which is stored at online cloud facilities like Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Health Vault or Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) Health -- to optimize choices as one goes through their day to prevent or postpone the predictable health problems.

If the patient knows, for example, that he has a predisposition to diabetes and is currently lactose intolerant and allergic to peanuts, he can proactively make choices to prevent health problems now and in the future.
The app allows the user to scan bar codes of food and supplement products using a smartphone's camera. The app then immediately analyzes the product's ingredients and informs the user whether consumption of the product is good or harmful for either of the three of his health concerns. In mere minutes, the user knows exactly how the product will affect him now -- and in the years to come.

Andras Pellionisz, the developer, is a cross-disciplinary scientist and technologist with Ph.D.'s in computer engineering, biology and physics. He founded HolGenTech as a genome analytics company to leverage high-performance hybrid computer hardware with a novel, fractal algorithm-based approach for genome analysis and recommendation.

The PGA has not been publicly released yet, but has applications for any and all of the growing number of direct-to-customer personalized medicine models, such as 23andMe, Navigenics, or GenePlanet in Europe, and Theragen Bio in Asia.

Newly affordable full genome sequences from companies like Pacific Biosciences and Complete Genomics make our genomes available and useable. Applying patented genome search, analysis and recommendation, Pellionisz makes the genome useful in the PGA.

RIM threatens to take thunder away from Apple

2011-04-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

By Daxim Lucas
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:56:00 04/24/2011

MANILA, Philippines—It took a while for the makers of BlackBerry to join the tablet race, but now that they have, Research In Motion has done so in a big way.

Members of the local press were given a chance recently to preview the new BlackBerry PlayBook ahead of its global launch, with company officials demonstrating the much-awaited device inside the so-called BlackBerry PlayBook Bus as it drove around the Makati Central Business District.

One thing that immediately grabs the user’s attention is the sheer brilliance of its 7-inch screen (similar in size to what is widely considered as the Apple iPad’s main rival, the Samsung Galaxy Tab).

Playbook’s high definition, multitouch screen puts out pictures with a resolution of 1024 x 600. Watching videos or playing graphics-intensive games on the PlayBook is an amazing experience, especially with its super fast 1 GHz dual-core processor, making it faster than many laptops currently being sold on the market.

The company describes the PlayBook as “the world’s first dual core, multi-processing, multi-tasking, ultra-thin, enterprise-ready, professional-grade tablet.”

The device is “perfect for either large organizations or an ‘army of one,’” as it is designed to give users “uncompromised Web browsing with full Adobe Flash support, true multitasking and high performance multimedia,” according to the firm.

Company officials, in fact, stress PlayBook’s ability to utilize Adobe Flash, putting it way ahead of its rival (read: the Apple iPad). They say a significant amount of Web content nowadays relies on this system shunned for so long by Apple.

However, one important feature of the device, which BlackBerry is touting as an asset, is the very same feature critics have come to sneer at: by itself, PlayBook is a Wi-Fi only device.

To access the Internet outside a Wi-Fi hotspot, the user will have to use a feature known as BlackBerry Bridge, which essentially tethers the tablet to a user’s BlackBerry smartphone and uses the latter’s data connection to connect to the Internet.

The device also uses this feature to do secure e-mail, browsing and the ubiquitous BlackBerry Messenger messaging service all coursed through the smartphone’s connection— something Playbook cannot do independently. Officials say this feature saves the user the hassle and cost of having to pay for a second SIM card to access the Web, unlike the Galaxy Tab or iPad, which require their own mobile connections.

Will Playbook succeed in dethroning the iPad? Only time will tell. But for certain, it is a worthy challenger.

Acer notebook begs to be ‘touched’

2011-04-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

By Raquel P. Gomez
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:28:00 03/27/2011

MANILA, Philippines—Thanks to Apple’s iPad and its ilk of touch slates, the notebook PC is again undergoing a significant change.

This time around, it is taking on notable characteristics, such as the multitouch user interface and rich Web-friendly 3D animated apps that respond intuitively to touch.

One interesting new touchscreen device is Acer’s Iconia 484G64ns—a full-featured notebook that boasts of not one, but two touchscreen displays.

With the Iconia, the keyboard area has been deliberately taken out and replaced with a touchscreen glass display, where a virtual keyboard and rich graphics-enhanced control/management icons may be tapped or swiped for input and access to the notebook’s features.

Acer officials say the Iconia is both an “evolution” and “revolution” of the notebook design.

Referring to it as a “touchbook,” a new category of the traditional notebook, Acer officials say the Iconia boasts of full-touch features that provide users with enhanced content consumption and a different level of infotainment that no other notebooks can offer.

Iconia has a dual 14-inch multitouch, high-definition and high-brightness (1366 x 768 resolution) LED-backlit TFT LCD screens that support up to 10-finger touch.

The LCD screens are also durable because they are made of tempered glass with a scratch- and fingerprint-resistant face. The screens are manufactured by Corning, a renowned manufacturer of tough glasses.

Video support for the notebook is handled by Intel HD Graphics, with 128 MB of dedicated system memory that supports Microsoft DirectX 10.

With the elimination of the hardware keyboard in Iconia, how can a user effectively manipulate the laptop?

In answer, Acer introduced the Ring Control Interface. It is the intuitive entry point that launches Acer’s touch applications and handy built-in features and controls.

To launch the ring control interface, one has to lightly tap the keyboard/touch display area with all fingers and, immediately, a “ring” icon appears.

Rotating the ring icon via more circular finger gestures will allow access to tasks and apps.

Using the ring, one may access the Gesture Editor, which lets customization of touch gestures in launching other tasks, like opening of websites, viewing the desktop, or even simple locking of the PC.

A tap of the Windows Manager will allow users to organize their applications on the dual touchscreens or even an external display.

Another noteworthy Iconia feature is the virtual keyboard, which has adaptive typing intelligence and predictive text input, similar to those found in touch smartphones.

As a full-featured notebook, the Iconia is powered by first-generation Intel Core i5-480M processor (3MB L3 cache, 2.66GHz with Turbo Boost of up to 2.93GHz, DDR3 1066 MHz 35W) that supports Intel 64 architecture and Intel Smart Cache.

It is also fitted with 4 GB DDR3 memory and 640 GB storage.

Also, Acer introduced its slate PC called the Iconia Tab W500.

The Iconia Tab W500 is a 10.1-inch Windows 7-run multitouch slate.

t boasts of an AMD C-Series C-50 (1MB L2 cache, 1 GHz, DDR3 1066MHz, 9W) processor, an AMD A50M Fusion Controller Hub chipset, and up to 2GB DDR3 memory chip with a 32GB SDD (solid state drive) capacity.

What sets the Iconia Tab W500 apart from the rest of the slates out there is the addition of a dockable keyboard that allows a user to type onto real hardware keys.

Similar to the Iconia touchbook, the Iconia Tab W500 comes with a nice range of applications like the multitouch Acer Ring control interface, touch optimization interface and a Device Control console, allowing for a total touch control experience.

One advantage of a Windows-run slate is its ability to become a great device for unified communications—or the so called voice over IP (VOIP) communication solutions.

The Iconia Tab W500, which features a webcam, can be used for video calls powered by Microsoft Lync—a cloud-powered Microsoft service that links up Microsoft Outlook/Exchange users. It allows for fast video calls, voice calls, or mere chats via secured wireless connections.

The Iconia touchbook will retail for P79,900, while the price of the Iconia Tab W500 is still to be announced.

Nokia may be down but not out in smartphone race

2011-04-30T21:50:00.000-07:00

By Paolo Montecillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:26:00 03/27/2011

MANILA, Philippines—Mobile phone maker Nokia has not given up on the local smartphone race just yet as it delivers its most advanced device model—the E7—in the hands of tech-savvy Filipino consumers.
Nokia last week announced that the new E7, would work just as well for people tracking their investment portfolios, or users who just want to play Angry Birds.

The device will hit the country’s stores by the end of the month.
The effort put in by designers to make the Symbian-powered E7 not just stylish, but also easy to use, is obvious.

With a 4-inch display, the E7 sports Nokia’s biggest screen ever for a touchphone. This is made more impressive by the Amoled technology used—its colors being worlds apart from other smartphones.
At first glance, the E7 takes styling cues from its brother, the Nokia N8, but who’s complaining?
The E7 feels just as sturdy as the N8, which is surprising because sliding the screen up from the phone’s left side will reveal a hidden qwerty key pad.

Unlike other phones that have moving parts, the E7 feels like a solid block.
According to Benoit Nalin of Nokia Philippines, the keyboard under the E7’s screen will suit more than just one market segment.

For fun-loving users who enjoy watching videos and playing games, the E7’s sensitive touchscreen will work fine.

However, more business-minded users who need to send long e-mail messages or take notes are likely to appreciate the tactile feel of a keyboard.

“People are continuing to look for solutions that suit both their work and personal life. In business circles, this is known as the ‘consumerization’ of IT,” Nalin said.

The Nokia E7 also gives people the confidence to bring their own smartphones to the workplace to connect securely to corporate messaging servers.

At the same time, with 16-gigabytes of storage, a high-resolution screen, and an 8-megapixel camera, the E7 can more than satisfy the needs of users who like to live a large part of their lives through Facebook and Twitter.

Available in dark gray and silver white, the E7 will retail for about P32,000.

VoWiFi in the air

2011-04-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

By Don Herana
INQ7.net
First Posted 22:02:00 10/12/2006

DURING the last few years, there has been an increase in the demand for wireless connection to networks and the Internet. Indeed, we can view a lot of available Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) “hot spots” everywhere -- in some office buildings, coffee shops, restaurants, malls, hotels, and other public places. And with it, wireless radio is becoming more of a standard specification for notebook computers.

For an organization, being free from a wired connection can boost productivity by cutting the cord that binds associates to their desktop computers, allowing more mobility with the power to communicate, use enterprise software applications, access information and accomplish important work, on the go.

Wireless Fidelity 101

Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) is the underlying technology of wireless local area networks (WLAN) based on the IEEE 802.11 specifications. This 802.11 specification is a wireless standard that defines the over-the-air interface between a wireless client and a base station or between two wireless clients.

The 802.11-enabled notebook computers and handheld devices talk to each other and to the rest of the network without wires through devices called "access points." These access points are connected to enterprise networks and the Internet through a cable or DSL line. Various radio frequencies are also available, identified as "a," "b," "g" and soon, “n”. For instance, 802.11b is the standard for wireless LANs operating in the 2.4 GHz spectrum with a maximum bit rate of 11 Mbps. This is the standard currently used in most Wi-Fi hot spots, while 802.11a operates in the 5 GHz frequency range with a maximum bit rate of 54 Mbps -- much faster than the "b" standard. Another standard is 802.11g which is commonly used in offices. Devices based on this standard operate on the 2.4 GHz band and deliver bit rates of up to 54 Mbps. All 802.11g devices are backward compatible with the 802.11b standard.

Voice over Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi, however, is just the tip of the iceberg. It now extends to voice technology -- known as Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi or VoFi) -- as a key driver of the next phase in the wireless revolution. This emerging technology allows people to communicate wirelessly by voice over enterprise networks and the Internet. The major driving force behind VoWiFi is the proliferation of voice-enabled mobile handheld devices, EDAs (Enterprise Digital Assistants), digital handsets, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and notebook PCs. The demand is starting to increase for these devices that allow people to communicate and multi-task with a freedom, flexibility and productivity that wasn’t possible before with just using a mobile phone.

Besides Wi-Fi, another technology that makes VoWiFi possible is VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). Over the last few years, VoIP has received major attention among companies. Initially, the major benefit was saving money on long distance calls. Now, enterprises realize that VoIP also increases productivity as part of an overall strategy of integrating voice, data and Internet access.

While VoIP is typically on a phone system or computer sitting at the desk, think of VoWiFi as a mobile VoIP. As organizations move to VOIP based phone systems for their desktop users, many solutions are available that enable portable wireless devices with audio input and output capability to act as VoIP handsets. These applications convert the devices, via a software application called “Soft Phone” to interact with VoIP vendor products. Sometimes, the problem is echo when communicating between devices through VoWiFI but there are some applications that can do echo cancellation to resolve this issue.

And, with the increasing number of wireless hot spots both inside and outside of a company's managed network, the infrastructure to support fully integrated Wi-Fi voice access using VoWiFi does makes sense. Mobile VOIP adds new and better ways of workforce collaboration. An investment in 802.11 and VoIP technologies today can prepare businesses to adapt VoWiFi in the not so distant future.

Wi-Fi and Cell Phone in one?

VoWiFi delivers a flexible system for providing mobile data and voice communications than other technologies that require the implementation and maintenance of separate devices for each. For example, in a warehouse environment, two-way push-to-talk radios may be used to provide voice communications among workers and warehouse supervisors and WLANs for wireless data collection in inventory and shipping/receiving applications. By using VoWiFi devices that combine voice and data, these businesses can eliminate the need for two-way radios and the additional costs on managing these devices.

For so many years, businesses and consumers have accepted cellular phone and portable computing technologies. It’s all about the power of mobility, which continues to drive more and more people towards faster adoption of wireless technology. The optimum solution can be a combination of Wi-Fi and cellular. A Wi-Fi/cellular roaming solution requires dual-mode handsets that support both VoWiFi and cellular. For example, when you’re inside your business building with Wi-Fi access, you can use your dual-mode cell phone as a VoWiFi enabled handheld device. And when you’re outside of the Wi-Fi range, it will act as your normal cell phone.

Clearly, enterprises seeking a competitive advantage and lower operational costs could evaluate the areas of their business that can benefit most from VoWiFi technology. Ultimately, the objective is to provide the solutions that can help organizations accelerate revenue growth, increase productivity, operational efficiencies and profitability.

Friendster evolves to escape Facebook's shadow

2011-04-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

Associated Press
First Posted 16:22:00 04/28/2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia— Faded social networking site Friendster will soon delete nearly a decade's worth of user photos, blog entries and other data in a revamp to set it apart from Facebook, a company official said Thursday.
The overhaul is meant to help Friendster regain a semblance of online relevance after being outmuscled by Facebook, which boasts about 600 million active users. Friendster has accumulated at least 115 million registered members since 2002, but only about 40 million currently have valid emails and fewer still are active users.
Friendster emailed its members over the past week to inform them to save their pictures, profile information, messages and blog posts on other sites by May 31, said Nor Badron, a company spokesman based in Singapore.
"This is an evolution of the site to push the boundaries of our business," Nor told The Associated Press. "It's not about direct competition with Facebook. Whoever wants to compete with Facebook would be crazy."
It is the biggest change to Friendster since Malaysian tycoon Vincent Tan's online payment systems company MOL Global purchased the site in late 2009. Tan's businesses include retail franchises in Southeast Asia such as Starbucks and 7-Eleven.
In June, Friendster will launch services that are not provided by Facebook, focusing on a new platform for social interaction in gaming, music, entertainment and online shopping, Nor said.
Friendster members can have a different social networking experience by cultivating unique online identities that are different from their real-life ones, Nor said. They can connect with people whom they don't personally know and share music with them or play online games together.
"We realize there's no need to have photo albums or the duplication of status updates on both Facebook and Friendster, so this is something totally different, a whole new ball game," Nor said. "It's about something you don't do on Facebook that you can do on Friendster."
Nor declined to say how much Friendster is investing in the changes or give details about its financial targets.
The biggest number of Friendster users are now in the Philippines, the United States, Malaysia, Indonesia and Britain.

ICANN hires hacker to keep Internet safe

2011-04-30T00:07:00.000-07:00

Poated at http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20110429-333574/ICANN-hires-hacker-to-keep-Internet-safe Agence France-Presse First Posted 07:54:00 04/29/2011

SAN FRANCISCO—The agency in charge of the world's Internet addresses on Thursday appointed veteran hacker Jeff Moss to be its chief of security. Moss, whose hacker name is Dark Tangent, is the founder of Black Hat computer security conferences as well as an infamous DefCon gathering of hackers that takes place annually in Las Vegas.

Moss will begin work Friday at the Washington, DC offices of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) as vice president and chief security officer. "I can think of no one with a greater understanding of the security threats facing Internet users and how best to defend against them than Jeff Moss," said ICANN chief executive Rod Beckstrom. "He has the in-depth insider's knowledge that can only come from fighting in the trenches of the on-going war against cyber threats."

A self-described hacker for more than 20 years, Moss has a resume that includes stints at Secure Computing Corporation and in the security division of professional services firm Ernst & Young.

Moss is on the US Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council.

"I'm looking forward to bringing my skill sets to ICANN," Moss said.

"Its role in coordinating the global Internet addressing system means that it is positioned to become the leader in identifying and dealing with online threats to the Domain Name System that could affect two billion global Internet users," he continued.

Beckstrom joined Moss at Black Hat in Las Vegas last year to announce a key upgrade to the Internet that promised to stop cyber criminals from using fake websites that dupe people into downloading viruses or revealing personal data.

ICANN teamed with online security services firm VeriSign and the US Department of Commerce to give websites encrypted identification to prove they are legitimate.

The Domain Name System Security Extensions, referred to as DNSSEC, basically adds a secret, identifying code to each website address.

The domain name system is where the world's Internet addresses are registered and plays a key role in enabling computers around the world to speak with one another online.

"The global threats to the Internet's Domain Name System are in essence the digital cold war of the new millennium," said Merlin Hay, member of the British House of Lords and chairman of the Information Society Alliance.

"To win this war we need someone like Jeff Moss who understands the hacker's mindset and has the international experience to grasp that today's online attacks can come from just about anywhere on the planet."