Techie Xplorer

Gmail introduces Priority Inbox

sylv3rblade — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 13:21:40 +0000

I wasn’t able to try this until recently (mostly because I’ve been extremely busy finishing stuff) which is why I’m only posting about Gmail’s Priority Inbox just now.

So what exactly does the Priority Inbox do? As the name implies, it’s a sort of email segregation but it’s not just another implementation of tags, and stars (both of which already present in Gmail). Instead, it’s a visual segregation of your emails that will allow you to see which emails you need/want to prioritize in your inbox… hence the name

Here’s a video from the Google team for a complete overview:

Basically, you now how 3 areas for your mail. The top portion contains important emails which we refer to as Priority, the second portion is for Starred emails and the bottom is for the rest of your inbox. Smart eh? Of course if you’d rather have the old inbox, you can easily switch between the regular Inbox and the Priority Inbox via the links on the side panel of your Gmail interface.

Of course this is only available to users who use the online version of Gmail. Those of us behind Thunderbird or Apple Mail will have to rely on our user defined filters to segregate our emails but hey, it’s an interesting development. I’d love to see this implemented onto the Android platform. I’d have to deal with less clutter browsing email on my mobile .

Any thoughts on Gmail’s Prioity Inbox? Please do share it in the comments.

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Post tags: Gmail, Google, Priority Inbox

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Apple iPod Touch 4G: Retina Display & HD Camera

sylv3rblade — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:27:12 +0000

If the iPhone 4‘s antenna issues have turned you off from purchasing one, why not take a peek at the 4th generation iPod Touch, the iPod Touch 4G.

It sports all the cool features of the iPhone 4 like the retina display and dual cameras without the signal attenuation problems

iPod Touch 4th Generation Specifications
3.5-inch multi-touch display @ 960×640 pixel resolution
1GHz A4 chip w/ 512 MB RAM
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n (802.11n is 2.4GHz only)
Bluetooth 2.1 w/ EDR
Three-axis Gyro
Accelerometer
Ambient light sensor
HD 720p camera @ 30fps w/ audio
VGA front-facing camera for Face Time

As noted in the specifications, the iPod Touch 4G can do FaceTime which means you can make a call to other iPod Touch 4G users or iPhone 4 users via WiFi for free. Kinda makes Steve Jobs’ point when he said that said the iPod touch is “an iPhone without a phone. It’s also an iPhone without a contract.” By giving the new touch access to free video calls via facetime, then it’s safe to consider the iPod Touch 4G an iPhone without the ongoing cost.

Apple claims the new iPod Touch can do 7 hours of video playback and 40 hours of audio. The CPU and RAM upgrades will certainly be a welcome addition to anyone looking at the touch as a PSP or DS replacement. That plus access to Apple’s new Game Center, a part of the iOS 4.1.

Apple iPod Touch 4G official Philippine Price list:

iPod Touch 8GB – Php12,490
iPod Touch 32GB – Php15,990
iPod Touch 64GB – Php21,990

For international orders: 8GB for $229, 32GB for $299, and 64GB for $399.

The iPod Touch 4G are up for pre-order and will be available next week.

iPod Touch 4G

© sylv3rblade for Techie Xplorer, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Apple, iPod, Ipod Touch, iPod Touch 4G

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Apple 6th Gen iPod Nano with full touch-screen

sylv3rblade — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:13:36 +0000

The latest generation of Apple’s iPod Nanos now sport a full (albeit small) touchscreen via it’s 1.54-inch TFT screen at a resolution of 240×240 pixels with at 8GB and 16GB capacity.

Apple adds a bit more features to the latest Nano via a clip at the back, dedicated volume controls and lock button at the top of the device, multi-touch controls, FM radio, pedometer functions and voice over.

Makes you wonder why you’ve bought the 5th Generation Nano now don’t you?

iPod Nano 6th-generation features:
1.54-inch TFT display @ 240×240 pixel resolution
Multi-touch screen
Accelerometer
FM Radio
Pedometer

The 6th generation Nano can now last up to 24 hours of music playback now you can’t play video with it. Not a real loss considering it’s small screen can cause more strain that fulfillment when you’re watching a video. Don’t believe it? Try watching something with subtitles

iPod Nano 6G Philippine Price List:

iPod Nano 8GB – Php7,990
iPod Nano 16GB – Php9,790
The iPod Nano 6G is available now.

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Post tags: 6th Gen iPod Nano, Apple, iPod, Ipod Nano

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Toshiba unveils Folio Android Tablet

sylv3rblade — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:59:02 +0000

Toshiba has unveiled their first bet into the Android tablet market with the Toshiba Folio 100, a 10.1-inch NVidia Tegra 2 powered Android tablet.

If you’re looking for a viable iPad alternative, the Folio 100 could be just it.

Toshiba Folio 100 Specifications
10.1″ capacitive display @ 1024 x 600 pixels
NVidia Tegra 2 CPU
16GB internal storage
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
3G SIM card slot (optional models only)
mini HDMI, USB 2.0
SD/MMC Card Reader
1.3 MP webcam
7 hours battery life

What’s probably disappointing is that the Folio 100 will ship without access to the Google Market, a defect that a few cooked ROMs will no doubt rectify. In place of the lack of the official Google Market access, Toshiba has baked in Opera, Toshiba Media Player, FBReader, Fring (for video calls), Documents To Go, and Evernot. Aside from these, Toshiba also be offering its own app marketplace and developer platform for tablet-specific apps.

The Folio 100 will be available in the 4th Quarter of 2010 with a suggested retail price will be €399.

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Post tags: Folio 100, Tablet, Toshiba

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Sony to setup an iTunes rival

sylv3rblade — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:25:52 +0000

Sony is set to launch a new service that’s meant to rival Apple’s iTunes. The announcement was made public Wednesday, September 1 at the IFA Technology Conference fair in Berlin, Germany .

Details are still currently scarce but Sony has announced that this subscription based music and video service is on track for a 2011 launch, with deals with the major record labels and studios all in the pipeline.

The cloud-based service will be available to users via Playstation 3 (PS3), Bravia televisions, Blu-Ray players, Sony branded laptops and desktops.

Why not PSP users when it has undoubtably more users that Sony’s latest generation console? Sony has failed to comment on the question but all fingers point to the rampant piracy on the portable gaming console as the cause.

“Via Qriocity, Sony will deliver a variety of digital entertainment content and services… including video, music, game applications and e-books over time,” said Sony Europe President Fujio Nishida.

The still unnamed service will offer music, and movies for a yet undiclosed subscription cost.

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Post tags: iTunes, Sony, Subscription service

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Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab

sylv3rblade — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 07:12:28 +0000

Samsung has finally spilled the beans on its long-awaited tablet computer, the Galaxy Tab, during a press conference at the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin.

The Galaxy Tab is referred to as a “smart media device,” that boast specs you’d expect from a high-end smartphone: Android (Android) 2.2 support, a Cortex A8 1 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM and 16/32 GB of internal memory with the possibility of upgrading through microSD memory cards.

The Galaxy Tab houses a 7-inch TFT-LCD display with 1024×600 pixel resolution, a 3-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED Flash plus an additional front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chats as well as Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity.

All this in a small package with dimensions of 190.09 x 120.45 x 11.98mm and weighing just 380 grams. Battery life is estimated to be seven hours during movie playback!

Interested yet? The Galaxy Tab has offers a full multimedia experience by offering two cameras, supports Flash and a wide variety of multimedia formats, including DivX, XviD, MPEG4, H.263 and H.264

Samsung’s upcoming tablet will be first released in Italy in mid-September and some time after that the United States. The Galaxy Tab will be priced from $200 – $300 and will be available via partner carriers

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Post tags: Android, Galaxy Tab, Samsung

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Samsung ships One Millionth Galaxy S Phone

sylv3rblade — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:06:46 +0000

Samsung has one good reason to celebrate! Shipped units of it’s Galaxy S Android smartphone has reached the one millionth mark (for the U.S. Market, global sales are higher considering in the U.K., they gave away Free Galaxy S phones for unhappy iPhone 4 buyers)!

The Samsung Galaxy S is available from all four major U.S. wireless carriers and yet despite being currently only only on T-Mobile (Vibrant) and AT&T (Captivate), the phone has already reached the one millionth sales mark.

Sprint’s version, the Epic 4G, will launch on August 31st, with Verizon’s (the Fascinate) seeing pre-orders, but no official date as yet. U.S. Cellular will also have a Galaxy S in its roster of devices later this year, as well.

For those still wondering about the appeal of Android Smartphones, this achievement should settle a few things on your mind like the platform’s marketability, enterprise appeal and overall performance. For those already loving the Android Platform, there’s no doubt that the Galaxy S device is a hit.

Here’s the full press release from Samsung:

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Canon unveils 60D DSLR

sylv3rblade — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:15:47 +0000

Canon has announced the EOS 60D. It boasts an 18MP CMOS, Full HD 1080p video recording and an articulating LCD screen.

The Canon EOS 60D is the successor to the Canon 50D (announced in August 2008, which is exactly two years ago). That said, as a prosumer-level camera, it’s a weird decision to encase the camera in plastic instead of Magnesium alloy (the 50D has the alloy body).

Canon EOS 60D specifcations:

18MP CMOS sensor
DIGIC 4 image processor
9-point Autofocus system
Full HD 1080p video
9 AF points
ISO 100 – 6400 (12800 via Custom Function)
1/8000 to 30 sec shutter speed
5.3fps shooting speed
SD/SDHC/SDXC card
Compatibility Canon EF lenses (including EF-S lenses)
3″ Vari-Angle LCD on the rea
Multi-Control Dial

Here’s a video of Canon’s product walkthrough for the 60

Estimated retail price of the Canon 60D is $1,099 and it is expected to come out this September.

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Yahoo! now officially powered by Bing

sylv3rblade — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:32:11 +0000

The transition from Yahoo’s own search engine to Microsoft’s latest search engine, Bing has begun.

Yahoo! announced the completed conversion today: its Web, image, and video search experiences on both desktop and mobile devices are now being served up by Bing (look at the footer to check). Note that this conversion currently only affects Yahoo’s English search results in the US and Canada. Microsoft says that other languages will follow “in the weeks and months ahead.”

Aside from replacing Yahoo!’s in-house search engine, the two companies are also working on the sponsored results in the sidebars. Yahoo’s search ad infrastructure will start replacing Microsoft’s AdCenter platform “later this fall,” but both companies have said they are willing to postpone the move till early next year as it may disrupt the holiday season. The revenue model for the Yahoo Search BOSS program still needs to be finalized, and many search-related tools for publishers will be released “in the months to come.”

source Ars Techinica

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Post tags: Bing, Search Engines, Yahoo!

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Nikon unveils D3100 with 1080p video and 14.2MP

sylv3rblade — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 00:47:33 +0000

Nikon has introduced the D3000 replacement, the Nikon D3100. This entry level SLR sports 14.2 MegaPixels, 1080 video recording as well as auto-focus during video mode! Sure it only does 24fps during 1080 recording but on the flipside, the D3100 has face detection and subject tracking.

Key features:

DX-format, 14.2 megapixel CMOS image sensor: The high pixel sensor will give you outstanding colour and detail in pictures and movies you’ll want to see again and again
New EXPEED 2 image processing engine: Provides enhanced movie recording, high-sensitivity performance and maximum image quality. EXPEED 2 maximises CMOS sensor performance for clear, lifelike images that exhibit vivid colours, reduced noise and smooth tonal gradations for outstanding photos and movies
High ISO (100-3200) sensitivity: Extendable up to 12800: Indoor shots or fast-moving children need never be blurry or dull again, even without a flash
Guide Mode: Simply the easiest way to learn how to get great pictures, without having to read the manual
D-Movie – full HD (1920 x 1080) at 24fps movie clips: Record beautiful HD movie clips with sound and achieve exceptional image quality with high ISO sensitivity. NIKKOR lenses can be used for cinematic effects and simple edits can be made in-camera. In addition, HDMI connectivity means you can watch your HD movies on an HD television
Live View with new AF-F mode and Scene Auto Selector: The new Live View provides an intuitive and familiar way of taking pictures and it includes a Scene Auto Selector, which automatically selects the best mode to match the scene. The AF-F mode keeps subjects in focus without the need to press the shutter release button
7.5 cm (3-inch) monitor: A great platform on which to share your beautiful images and movies with friends and family
11-point autofocus system: The quick and accurate autofocus ensures everything is in focus so you get the sharpest image
Active D-Lighting: Bright sunshine need never wash out detail again. The balance of light and shade can be preserved forever
Picture control: Lets you set the look and mood of your images before you shoot. You can choose from six settings: Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Monochrome, Portrait and Landscape
In-camera image and movie editing: Why wait for a PC? Retouching, filter effects and red-eye correction can be achieved in the palm of your hand
Compact, light and durable: It’s the smallest and lightest Nikon D-SLR yet so you can sling it over your shoulder, ready for any picture or movie moment. Also, with improved ergonomics, you’ll now have direct access to shutter release, Live View and movie modes.
Dual Integrated Dust Reduction System: Image Sensor Cleaning and Airflow Control systems keep dust away from the camera’s image sensor for clear, spot-free images

The D3100 will be available starting this September and will be available for just $700 for the kit. The Nikon D3100 will come with a AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR.

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