Techno Fever | Simply Technology.......

Planning to take a SELFIE? Maybe these gadgets can help you ..!!

2014-11-25T13:18:00.002+05:30

You can't blame anyone for the blurry or poorly framed selfies that you often capture because you might be scrubbing your thumb fishing for a virtual shutter button as the moment passes you by. For better selfies, consider some of these gadgets.

1. Halo/Hisy ($25, roughly Rs. 1,547)
This one is really simple. The Halo is a small plastic button that serves as a wireless shutter trigger for your phone's camera. Its only job is to trigger your phone's shutter when you click the button. One function, one result.The company makes an iPhone version called Hisy. You need to install its free camera app, Shutter Panorama, as neither Halo nor Hisy works with the regular camera app that comes with the phone.

Shutter Panorama doesn't have too many manual settings or special features. But the device does a good job in allowing me to place my phone in places other than your hand. It's more elegant than setting the camera's timer and running to get in the shot.

2. Kodak Pixpro SL25 ($300, roughly Rs. 18,500)
The Pixpro SL25 from Kodak is essentially a camera lens that mounts onto your phone, allowing for higher resolution than what your phone's camera can capture. The Pixpro communicates with your phone over Wi-Fi and lets you compose the image on the phone's screen. Once the photos are snapped using the shutter button on the Pixpro, the phone serves primarily to review and share the images to social media services.

The downside is you have a second device to carry around, which defeats the purpose of taking selfies on the fly.

The upside is image quality. The Pixpro shoots sharp 16 megapixel photos and full high-definition video at 1080p. This quality is common for rear cameras, but not the front ones for selfies. As a bonus, the Pixpro offers a zoom of up to 25 times, which is more helpful for regular shots than selfies. It's a real, optical zoom, not a software magnification phones typically use.The Pixpro has fold-out arms to attach to the phone, such that the two devices act as one. That, in itself, isn't different from using just the phone for selfies.

It has a wide-angle lens that fits plenty of action into the frame.

3. Satechi Smart Selfie Extension Arm Monopod ($50, roughly Rs. 3,100)
This telescoping monopod from Satechi helps get more than just yourself in the frame. Similar to the Kodak unit, this monopod has spring-loaded rubber pieces that grip the phone on its sides, holding it firmly in place. From there, you simply extend the telescoping device out to its full three feet and get lots of buddies or surroundings into the shot.What really helps is that a shutter button on the grip of the pole connects to your phone via Bluetooth, allowing you to snap the selfie without reaching up to the phone.

3 Smartphones that wont drain your money ... :)

2014-11-25T13:06:00.000+05:30

Processors are slower, yet that's not so noticeable for basic tasks such as email,Facebook and weather checks. Video and audio are also enjoyable.

Because you spend so much time with your phone, there's a case for having the best. But those come with a price tag starting at about $650.

So consider how you use your phone and what features will remain most important to you over the next year or two. Before you drain your wallet, here are three solid phones that cover the basics:

ZTE Nubia 5S Mini (Android, Rs.15399)
The Nubia is a slim, light device with a 4.7-inch screen - the same as the iPhone 6. It looks sleek and is comfortable to hold. What's the catch?

The Nubia's display measures 1,280 pixels by 720 pixels, well short of what you get on the latest iPhones and top-end Samsung Galaxy devices. That resolution is adequate for 720p high-definition video, not the sharper 1020p. The camera is OK for taking everyday shots; pricier models deliver better focus and colors and take nicer low-light photos with the flash off.

However, the front camera for selfies is 5 megapixels, better than the typical phone. (The rear camera takes 13 megapixel shots, which is common.) And it comes with 4G connectivity and 16 gigabytes of memory.

Motorola Moto G (Android,Rs. 11162)
Motorola has a $129 Moto E phone, and you get a good device at that price. But I've found photos to be subpar, especially because the camera has a fixed-focus lens, meaning it doesn't compensate for how far away your subject is. Given how much people use the camera on their phones, I recommend spending another $50 for the

The latest Moto G model has a large 5-inch screen that is covered with Corning's Gorilla Glass for durability, something more common in pricier phones. The Moto G's back is curved, which could contribute to a better grip. Like the Nubia, its display is 1,280 pixels by 720 pixels.

The rear camera is 8 megapixels, the same as the iPhone, though shots weren't as good. The front camera is 2 megapixels.

The Moto G's main shortcoming is the lack of 4G LTE cellular connectivity. You're stuck with the slower 3G network. LTE is available for last year's Moto G model, but that screen is only 4.5 inches and the camera's resolution isn't as good. The Moto G also starts with just 8 gigabytes of memory, when many smartphones are starting to offer 32 gigabytes.

Microsoft Lumia 635 (Windows, roughly Rs. 9,500))

This 4.5-inch device doesn't feel as sleek as top-end Lumia phones such as the Icon and the 1520. But it's better than the $79 Lumia 530, which feels like a bar of soap, given its bulk and smaller screen. It's worth getting the 635 instead, especially as some carriers and retailers are offering substantial discounts to bring its price close to the 530's.

The Lumia 635 has a 5 megapixel rear camera, no flash and no front camera. It performed better than the Nubia and the Moto G in low light. Just don't expect shots to match what the 20-megapixel Icon produces. The display resolution is lower than on the Nubia and the Moto G, and the built-in storage is again just 8 gigabytes.But the 635 does have 4G connectivity.

So for those with a tight budget, think again before you get your hands into the costlier smartphones.

Forgot your Wi-Fi Password???????? Here's How to Recover.....!!!

2014-11-24T18:48:00.001+05:30

People keep forgetting their passwords all the time, but if there's one kind of password that no one bothers to remember it has to be the Wi-Fi password.Before you head down that path, here are a few tips to recover your saved Wi-Fi passwords.That is illegal and could land you into far more serious trouble than you probably realise. These steps are only for recovering your own Wi-Fi password, and are impossible if you haven't already got access to the network on one of your devices. If you have forgotten the password of your Wi-Fi network, follow these steps to recover it.

Windows

While you might come across several apps that claim to let you recover saved Wi-Fi passwords, you don't need any of those on Windows PCs. Even if you don't have administrator access on your PC, you can look up the Wi-Fi password by following these steps. Note that this method only works when the security is set to Personal - if you're connected to an Enterprise network, such as your office Wi-Fi, then this method will not show the password.

1. Using a PC that is connected to the Wi-Fi network in question, go to Start > Control Panel > Network and Sharing Centre. On Windows 8 computers, you can tapWindows key + C, click Search and look for Network and Sharing Center.

2. Click Change adapter settings on the left sidebar.

3. Right-click the Wi-Fi network you're using and click on Status.

4. Click Wireless properties.

5. Click the Security tab.

6. Now you will see the name of the Wi-Fi network and the hidden password. CheckShow characters to reveal the saved password.

Mac

You can find saved Wi-Fi passwords through the Keychain Access app on the Mac. Here's how.

1. Go to /Applications/Utilities.

2. Open Keychain Access. Go to the System keychain listed under the Keychains on the top left.

3. Search for the Wi-Fi network you are trying to find the password for, by typing the name of the network (SSID) in the search box in the top right corner, or by manually finding it in the list.

4. Double-click the name of the network and in the resultant box, check the Show password option.

4. Enter the user account password when prompted and you'll be shown the saved Wi-Fi password in clear-text.

Via the router
In case you don't have a Windows or Mac computer that has the Wi-Fi credentials saved, or if you're trying to do this with your phone or tablet, you can still try to find the saved Wi-Fi password through the router. Obviously this will only work if you're connected to the router's network - remember you can connect to the router with an Ethernet cable as well. Tablets and mobile phones can't proceed further unless they are already connected to the Wi-Fi network.

The steps will vary slightly with each router. Changing the wrong settings here may mess up the wireless network for everyone, so proceed at your own risk.

1. First, open your browser and go to the router's local address - this is usually http://192.168.1.1 - but the URL varies depending on the make of the router, so check the manual (or the official website) to find the correct address.

2. Enter the username and password. Again, this will vary by manufacturer, and you can and should change the passwords as well. By default though, on both MTNL and Airtel provided routers, both the username and password are "admin" without the quotes (other routers often have "password" without quotes as the default password) . You'll have to check with the router manufacturer or ISP if this combinations don't work.

3. Click Internet and then click Wireless. In some routers the Wireless option may be visible on the main screen.In this section you'll see the security type (WEP, WPA, etc.) and the key. Some routers may have these options under a Security tab.

The box next to the key field contains the password for the Wi-Fi network. On many routers this is in plain text, so you can just note it down.

If all these fail..
You might have to reset the router if nothing else works. Don't do this unless you just can't connect to the network using any device. Resetting the router is an extreme step and you will have to reconfigure the network to restore your Internet connection. Unless you know how to do that, we suggest that you contact your ISP for help in this process.

We cant give you the step-by-step guide for this because it varies quite a bit depending on the make of the router. You must check the user manual for your router before attempting this. Each router has a reset switch. Some routers have a tiny button, while other routers have this button hidden in a tiny hole (that you can hit using a paper clip). This switch needs to be pressed for a few seconds for the router to reset. Flashing lights on the router will tell you that it has been reset. Once that is done, wait for it to reboot and reconfigure the network. The exact steps for this process will also vary depending on your ISP, which is why we recommend contacting your ISP if you need to reset your wireless router, unless you know exactly what you are doing.

Toyota Mirai - The zero-emission vehicle

2014-11-23T20:07:00.002+05:30

Toyota’s Mirai will be the world’s first mass-produced fuel-cell car

The Toyota Mirai is a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, one of the first hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles to be sold commercially. The Mirai is based on the Toyota FCV fuel cell concept car, which was unveiled at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. The FCV range is expected to be approximately 700 km (430 mi) under Japan's JC08 test cycle.

The name Mirai is especially apt when you consider the hydrogen powertrain takes just five minutes to fill, emits no exhaust besides water vapor, and can even siphon energy into an owner’s home with the Optional Power Take-Off device.

As far as driving experience goes, the Mirai shouldn’t differ drastically from a normal electric vehicle. The sedan is a tad on the portly side at 4078 pounds, but its maximum output of 153 horsepower allows it to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in around 9 seconds.

Like the Prius, the Mirai is not an overtly beautiful creature (yes, that’s some understatement) but it was styled quite deliberately to break the mold.

Furthermore, because the hydrogen components are mounted close to the ground, the FCV has a low center of gravity, which lends itself to spry handling.

But for now, the Mirai is the future — literally: the name means “future” in Japanese — and Toyota hopes that it will follow in the treads of the successful Prius (whose name means “predecessor” in Latin, incidentally). And this so-called future will become the present starting in the third quarter of 2015.

The Mirai, and hydrogen vehicles in general, are on the proverbial razor’s edge. If they’re a huge success, the world as we know it will undoubtedly change. If they turn out to be a dud, it was a lot of money research, and hubbub about nothing. Realistically, I find that to be unlikely.

The ‘future’ goes on sale in California in fall 2015.

Are u using fb regularly.....well beware(Must read)

2013-01-25T17:40:00.000+05:30

The stuff we shared represents a lot about us and is always vulnerable over the Internet, be it a personal photograph or our personal details. And since Facebook is becoming more public every other day, keeping our info on Facebook is getting harder. Facebook is continuously improving the privacy features which are capable of making your presence on Facebook almost anonymous, but most of us don’t know much about these features.

So, we’ve created this comprehensive up-to-date guide which would definitely make your presence more secure on Facebook. This guide will significantly strengthen the privacy of content-sharing and would ensure that your Facebook stuff is shared only among the trusted people.

1.Hiding Contact Info:

Sharing your contact info with unknowns can put you in trouble. Contact info is specified by user himself and basically it includes your email, your address, contact number, etc. If you’ve specified contact info on your timeline, you can control its privacy.

For hiding your contact info, go to your timeline and look for “About me” option under your profile picture. In next page, look for “Contact info” column and click “edit”. A pop up containing all your contact info will be opened and at the end of each detail you’ll find a drop down list denoted by icon as circled above in the picture. From there you can specify to whom with you want to share this info, three options are available- Public, friends, none. Once done, press the “save” button at the end of the popped window.

2.Timeline and Tagging

Guidelines below will help you to manage your timeline and tagging feature of Facebook.

Tagging

Tagging is one of the most intelligent features of Facebook and one of the most annoying too. Why annoying? It is annoying because sometimes your friends tag you in a picture which you don’t want to share with your friends and sometime they tag you in a picture which is not concerned to you in any way. So to control that Facebook has a privacy optionTimeline review which let you to review the Tagged posts before posting it on your Wall.

For enabling Timeline review privacy option, Go to Account settings> Timeline and Tagging. There you’ll find an option- “How can I manage tags people add and tagging suggestions?” Enable the review option from there as shown in the picture above.

Timeline

Further, you can also make your timeline more private. There are privacy options that allow you to hide your timeline’s posts from anyone and moreover you can also control the “Right to post on your wall”. For enabling these privacy features, Go to Account settings> Timeline and Tagging and change the settings according to your need. (See pic above)

3.Message Filtering

Sometimes you receive unexpected messages from unknowns. These unknown messages messed up your inbox and for keeping these unexpected messages away, Facebook recently added Message Filtering option. If you will enable this option, all messages from unknowns were dropped in “others” box.

For enabling this option Go to Messages>Others>Edit Preferences. A pop up will be opened and choose the one from given options- either basic or strict. Basic filtering will work as usual whereas strict filtering will keep away unknown messages from your Inbox.

4.Who can search you and see your stuff?

Your Facebook stuff including timeline is public by default. But Facebook provides you some powerful privacy settings with which you can hide yourself completely on Facebook. For managing privacy settings, Go to Privacy Settings and Tools. In that section, you’ll find two privacy settings:

Who can see my stuff?

Using this option, you can manage privacy settings like- Who can see your future posts? You can set it to public, friends, only you or even to custom.

You can even review all your posts and things you're tagged in using Activity Log. Activity log contains the record of your every action on Facebook like pages you liked, posts you were tagged in, your comments, etc. This way you can also control the sharing of your activity.

Further, you can even limit the audience for posts. You can decide whether you want to share past posts with friends of friends or Public?

Who can look me up?

You can decide that who can look you up using email or contact number. For enabling this, Go to Privacy Settings and Tools and under “who can look me up” change the privacy settings according to your needs.

Apart from this, you can even disable the Indexing of your profile by search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. For disabling indexing, Go to Privacy Settings and Tools and under “who can look me up” turn the indexing option off. .

5.Facebook Account Security

It’s possible that right now someone is trying hard to break into your account. However, hacking a Facebook account is almost impossible but your negligence like poor password, etc. can make it possible. Here are few suggestions that will definitely make your account much safer than ever.

Strong Password

Applying a weak password just only because you don’t want to forget it- is the dumbest excuse. If you’re not using a password that isn’t 8-10 character long, doesn’t include both uppercase and lower case letters and don’t include a numeric character then believe us your account is more vulnerable to hacking.

Enable Secure browsing

You can use your Facebook in “https” mode which will encrypt all your Facebook activity between Facebook Server and your computer. For enabling secure browsing, Go to Account Settings> Security and enable the secure browsing from there.

Enabling Login Notification

Enabling Login Notifications will inform you whenever your account is accessed from unknown or unrecognized device or location either via email or by SMS. For enabling login notifications, Go to Account Settings> Security and enable the secure browsing from there.

Must Check:How to Protect Your Facebook Account.

6.Blocking

If someone is annoying you or there’s someone from whom you want to hide on Facebook, you can block him/her. Once you blocked someone, he/she won’t be able to contact you on Facebook; in fact he/she won’t be able to even find you on Facebook. For blocking someone, Go to the profile of that person and click the settings icon just after the message button (Pic above). Choose the block option and confirm the blocking.

And if ever you think of unblocking someone, go to Account settings>Blocking and unblock him/her from there (Pic Above).

7.Privacy Shortcuts

Recently Facebook introduced the Privacy shortcut feature on the Facebook which is indeed a great addition to the Facebook. You can quickly configure the Messaging filters, quickly block someone and configure the privacy of your posts right from the news feed page.

8.Applying Privacy to Media files and posts

For configuring privacy of a status before posting, click the Public button just before Post button and from there you can specify the privacy of that post (Pic above).

For configuring privacy of a picture, open the picture, click the list menu button and from there you can specify the privacy of that picture (Pic above).

For configuring privacy of an album, Go to Photos> Albums, under the album name, click the list menu button and specify the privacy of that album from the list (Pic above).

Killing your password...............!!

2013-01-21T17:29:00.002+05:30

As our lives increasingly move to the cloud, the need for stronger passwords is more important than ever. But aside from avoiding easy-to-guess birthday/pet name passwords, what else can be done?

Google is now investigating alternatives to the password - like an USB-based card from Yubico that would sign you into your Google account when inserted into a device.

In a paper that will be published in IEEE Security & Privacy Magazine this month, Google vice president of security Eric Grosse and engineer Mayank Upadhyay explore the various ways that people might use passwords in the years to come.

Grosse and Upadhyay gave Wired a sneak peek at their paper, which includes the option to use a cryptographic card from Yubico to log into Google services like Gmail, Drive, or Chrome. As Wired noted, the Googlers had to make some changes to Chrome in order to get the cards to authenticate, but once that was in place, it did not require any additional installation - registration can be completed in one click.

"We're focused on making authentication more secure, and yet easier to manage," a Google spokesman said in a statement today. "We believe experiments like these can help make login systems better."

Those who work in industries that handle secure information - like banking - have long used authentication tokens to log into their work accounts. But consumer services like Google have stuck to the password approach for ease of use.

The paper also discussed options like a "smart ring" or a smartphone that could authorize a new PC with one tap. Ultimately, these devices could mean the end of passwords you'd have to remember. They acknowledged, however, that it can't live inside a Google bubble.

"Others have tried similar approaches but achieved little success in the consumer world," they said, according to Wired. "Although we recognize that our initiative will likewise remain speculative until we've proven large scale acceptance, we're eager to test it with other websites."

What happens if you lose your Google password gizmo? Yubico tweeted today that "many apps can bypass the YubiKey login if it is lost or issue a temporary token code." Multiple tokens can also be used - "it depends on the application and security selected," Yubico said.

The company maintained that the YubiKey is hard to lose since it fits on a keychain "like a key to your door."

Knuckles & fingernails coming soon.........................!!

2012-11-21T18:18:00.002+05:30

As smartphone are growing so are the growth of new technologies. And don't think that an invention of a new technology is the only invention. The usage of different technologies as one is also another invention. A researcher in U.S has made it simple to make a smartphone recognize knuckle and fingernail touches......!! Amazing ri8.......Watch the video...........!!

No settlements

2012-11-15T17:28:00.002+05:30

Those of you who thought Samsung might take a cue from HTC and settle its patent differences with Apple can think again. Samsung vs. Apple is moving full steam ahead.

Shin Jong-kyun, head of Samsung's mobile and IT division, told reporters in Seoul recently that the company has no plans to settle, according toYonhap News.

"It may be true that HTC may have agreed to pay 300 billion won (US$276 million) to Apple, but we don't intend to [negotiate] at all," he said.

Over the weekend, Apple and HTC announced that they had settled a patent battle that dated back to 2010. The deal means the two companies will dismiss all current lawsuits in favor of a 10-year licensing agreement. Apple and HTC said terms of the deal are confidential, but "the license extends to current and future patents held by both parties," they said.

But don't expect a similar announcement from Samsung. Apple and Samsung have been fighting over patents since April 2011, when Apple fired the first shot. The case has since expanded to dozens of courts around the globe, but the biggest ruling thus far came in August, when a California jury ruled in favor of Apple and handed down damages of $1.05 billion. Samsung is currently appealing.

Prior to the start of the California trial, Samsung and Apple tried several times to hammer out a deal. Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung's Choi Gee-Sung sat down in May and again just days before the trial started, but remained at loggerheads over the value of each others' patents. Cook then spoke with Samsung's Kwon Oh Hyun on the phone just before the case went to trial, but to no avail.

The fight could drag on for years; another California suit is not scheduled to go to trial until March 2014.

Always cool to Know............!!!!

2012-11-12T23:00:00.003+05:30

Always cool to Know............!!!!

iPad controlled street lights to be installed in London

2012-11-06T22:37:00.001+05:30

Westminster City Council has announced that it will soon be replacing old street lights with new smart street lighting that can be controlled with an iPad. Around 14,000 new iPad controlled street lights will be installed within the next four years as a part of a $5.2 million investment. These new smart street lights will replace the old central London street lights.

This new system will help Webminster City Council’s in reducing electricity bill by $1.6 million every 2 years. The streetlights are controlled with the help of an application that runs on iPad. Engineers will be able to takeout an iPad and control the streetlights, that is they can adjust the brightness and control the power supply of these street lights. This application can even help in finding out street lights that are not functioning properly. Operating and functioning of these smart street lights is much as the same way as the Hue consumer lighting system from Philips.

ooohhhh....thats hot!!!!

2012-11-02T18:47:00.001+05:30

HTC India launches 8X and 8S smartphones with Windows Phone 8

KS Sandhya Iyer, November 02, 2012

HTC is treating Indian users to an early Diwali surprise. A day after we reported that the Taiwanese manufacturer might launch its Windows Phone next week, the company has already unveiled the HTC 8X and 8S Windows Phone 8 devices in the country. Both devices will be available this month at best buy prices of Rs. 35,023 for the HTC 8X and Rs. 19,260 for the HTC 8S.

Bothe devices sport a uni-body design and are based on the Windows Phone Live Tiles. The HTC 8X comes with 4.3-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display coated with Gorilla Glass. The device sports an 8MP CMOS sensor with backside-illumination (BSI) for improved low-light performance, along with an f/2.0 aperture, 28mm lens and a dedicated imaging chip. The front camera is a 2.1MP with f/2.0 aperture and 88 degree ultra-wide angle lens, which also allows for high-definition video capture.

8X is also the first Windows Phone with Beats Audio technology and an audio amplifier.There is no expandable storage on 8X but you will get 16GB of on-board storage, part of which will be used by the operating system itself.

The 8S comes with a 4-inch (800x480 pixels) super LCD display with Gorilla Glass, 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor with 512MB RAM, 5MP auto focus camera with LED flash and 720p HD video recording, 4GB internal memory expandable memory with microSD and a 1,700 mAh battery.

Both smartphones feature the Windows Phone Store and Xbox Live catering to their entertainment and gaming needs. The Windows Phone 8X will come in a variety of colours including California Blue and Graphite Black while the HTC 8S will be available in Fiesta Red and Atlantic Blue.

Speaking at the launch of these devices, Faisal Siddqui, Country Head, HTC India said, "Windows Phone has clearly emerged as one of the top mobile ecosystems and is competitive against any other smartphone platform in the world. We are confident that the iconic design and incredible innovation of the Windows Phone 8X and Windows Phone 8S by HTC will help consumers fully realise the potential and lifestyle benefits offered by these smartphones."

With HTC having outed its Windows Phones, Nokia is next in line to unveil the Lumia 920 in the country this month (Also see: Which is your next Windows Phone device - Nokia Lumia 920, HTC 8X or Samsung ATIV S?)

HTC 8X key specs

Windows Phone 8 OS
4.3-inch 720p Super LCD 2 display
8MP CMOS sensor, 2.1MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture and 88 degree ultra-wide angle lens
1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with 1GB RAM
16GB internal storage, no expansion options
Available in California Blue and Graphite Black

HTC 8S key specs

4-inch (800x480 pixels) super LCD display
1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor with 512MB RAM
5MP auto focus camera with LED flash and 720p HD video recording
4GB internal memory, expandable with microSD
1,700 mAh battery
Available in Fiesta Red and Atlantic Blue

Why......Why......Why...................!

2012-10-27T15:26:00.000+05:30

Windows 8 brings significant advantages to those who are upgrading existing PCs or purchasing new ones, thanks to features that better take advantage of the new OS's capabilities. The operating system offers improvements in performance, existing capabilities, and is cheaper.

I should mention, however, that there are some cases in which you probably shouldn't make the move. The OS has a new look and requires some adjustment in the way you interact with your PC. If you don't like change or learning new ways of doing things—even if in the long run they turn out to be more efficient—you should probably stick with what you're using. Also, if your PC's specs are extremely outdated—less than 1GHz processor or less than 1GB RAM in particular—you won't be able to upgrade. And obviously, if your PC is for work use, your employer may not allow the upgrade. If these issue don't apply, read on.

Windows 8 : New Start Background

"Tattoos" let you customize your Windows 8 Start screen with artistic backgrounds.

Windows 8 - SkyDrive

SkyDrive is your Windows cloud storage. Apps can be programmed to access the online storage with your permission.

1. Faster startup. On my testscomparing Windows 8 performancewith that of Windows 7 on the same computer, Windows 8 started up more than twice as fast as Windows 7. In a comparison with Mac OS X Mountain Lion, running in Boot Camp on a MacBook, Windows 8 even started up faster than Apple's latest desktop operating system. And it's not just startup time: Windows 8 ran several benchmark performance tests quicker than either Windows 7 or Mountain Lion. Microsoft has clearly put work into improving performance in Windows 8.

Windows 8 - Store

The Windows Store now features apps for purchase, with prices ranging from $1.49 to $999. Like the Mac App Store, it lets you reinstall apps you've bought on any of your PCs and oversees app updating.

2. A whole new world of apps. Windows 8 gives PC users a whole new world of full-screen, touch-friendly, Web-connected apps to explore. And these new apps can even display relevant information on their Windows Start screen tiles, something impossible in Windows 7 or just about any other operating system around, save Windows Phone. The new Windows Store—analogous to Apple's iTunes App Store—makes discovering and installing these new-style apps a breeze. The update process is simple, and you can install purchased apps on multiple Windows 8 devices without paying again, provided you're signed in. Finally, uninstalling the apps is streamlined by the Store, with no Registry complications as in past Windows versions' apps.

Windows 8 - SkyDrive

SkyDrive is your Windows cloud storage. Apps can be programmed to access the online storage with your permission.

3. SkyDrive integration. Microsoft's cloud service has become way, way more than just online storage. Sure, it still lets you save and access files to an online space that's accessible from a Web browser or apps that run on not only Windows, but also Mac OS X, iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. But with Windows 8, SkyDrive is accessible to any app that wants to use it, just as though it were a local drive. It also backs up your PC's settings, letting you replicate your environment should you get a new PC.

4. Better Security, Less-intrusive updates. PC Magazine networking and security analyst Fahmida Rashid considers Windows 8 "the most secureversion of Windows yet." This stems from a couple of things, starting with Secure Boot. ExtremeTech's Sebastian Anthony explains secure bootsuccinctly as follows: "Windows 8 stops a computer from loading an operating system that hasn’t been signed by the publisher (in this case, Microsoft or an OEM)." Another security gain is that all apps in the Windows Store are scrutinized for security issues. Finally, Windows 8's default Web browser, Internet Explorer 10, was rated best in a recent test by NSS Labs, detecting and blocking over 99 percent of malicious downloads without any help from a third-party antivirus program. This compared with 70.4 percent for Google Chrome, which uses the same Safe Browsing API as Firefox. Opera and Safari only managed to block about 4 percent of the malicious downloads.

5. First-class touch input, but still fine with keyboard and mouse. In some ways, touch-screen input on Windows 8 is superior that of the Apple iPad. For example, you can do everything you need to by swiping with your thumbs, making a tablet easier to use by holding it by the sides. Also topping the iPad interface is Windows 8's ability to snap a sidebar to the side of the screen with a touch gesture, so that you can keep tabs on two apps at the same time.

But mouse and keyboard are hardly forgotten. The full complement of keyboard shortcuts still works, and navigating through the new interface with the mouse and mouse wheel is almost as intuitive as touch gesture input—though there are certainly some actions where touch is a better fit. Using the Windows Key becomes particularly important, as it summons the Start screen and offers key combinations that let you search, share, change settings, access devices, and more.

Wow.......................!!

2012-10-27T14:44:00.000+05:30

Heart of blue whale

Heart of blue whale weighs 600 kilograms and is the largest known in any animal. A blue whale's aorta (the main blood vessel) is large enough for a human to crawl through.

More photos from Did You Know ?

Finally.............................................!!

2012-10-24T13:58:00.002+05:30

As expected, Apple today unveiled a smaller version of its iPad tablet, dubbed the iPad mini.

The 7.9-inch iPad mini includes a 1,024-by-768 display, the same as the iPad 2.

Pricing starts at $329 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version. The 32GB Wi-Fi is $429, while the 64GB will be $529. The Wi-Fi plus cellular versions will be $459 (16GB), $559 (32GB), and $659 (64GB).

Buyers can pre-order the devices starting Oct. 26. The Wi-Fi version will ship on Nov. 2 and the cellular version will ship two weeks later.

The iPad mini comes in at 7.5mm thin and 0.68 pounds, 23 percent thinner and 53 percent lighter than its 9.7-inch counterpart. "It's as thin as a pencil," Apple's Phil Schiller said.

Schiller said the Apple team "worked really hard" thinking about the size of the iPad mini. Cupertino wanted an iPad that was capable of running existing apps, but did not want a device that was so small "that it stops being incredibly usable."

"All the software made for the iPad works on the mini with no change," Schiller said.

Schiller compared the iPad mini to existing Android tablets, criticizing its rivals for using plastic materials, only making the screen 7 inches, and not having as many apps. "There is a gigantic difference in these products," he said. "They have phone applications stretched up, not tablet applications."

The iPad mini runs a dual-core A5 processor from Apple. It supports FaceTime HD and features and 5-megapixel iSight camera. There's LTE connectivity, as well as 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi. Apple promised 10 hours of battery life.

The iPad mini will include the new Lightning connector found on the iPhone 5. Apple is also offering new polyurethane Smart Covers for the iPad mini in pink, green, blue, light gray, dark gray and (PRODUCT) RED for $39.

"It is every inch an iPad," Schiller said.

Speaking of the iPad, Apple also gave its existing 9.7-inch iPad a boost.

Rumors about an iPad mini have been making the rounds for months - even before the launch of the new iPad. But Apple unveiled its Retina display iPad by itself earlier this year, opting to give the iPad mini its own show.

Skype slashes battery use for Windows 8 system launch

2012-10-23T22:01:00.002+05:30

Skype has been redesigned to work with Windows 8's touch interface

Skype's video chat software has been re-engineered to radically cut its energy use on the upcoming Windows 8 operating systems.

The application is designed to stop using the computer's central processing unit (CPU) when it is left to run in the background.

It means users can receive calls or instant messages without the risk of exhausting their laptop battery.

The move may help Skype compete against Oovoo, Google Talk and other rivals.

Microsoft bought Skype for $8.5bn (£5.3bn) last year.

Although it has integrated the product into its Outlook.com web email service, it will continue to offer Skype as a separate installable application on its new system, avoiding the risk of anti-competition complaints.
Cloud support
The new software works by suspending Skype's activity on an Windows 8 device within a minute of the user switching to another application.

Before the program stops making use of the processor, it registers its change of activity with Windows Push Notification Services (WNS) - software that runs on Microsoft's remote computer servers.

It then takes advantage of a feature built into modern computer chips, called Connected Standby.

This allows the computer to monitor incoming notifications without using much electricity.

Effectively, the machine is checking for news of an incoming call or message briefly once every 15 milliseconds before powering back down, rather than keeping connections to the user's peers constantly open.

If someone tries to contact the user, their action is recorded by Microsoft's servers, which then send a notification, reactivating Skype so it can handle the activity.

Skype's director of program management, Piero Sierra, said the facility would be offered on Windows 8 tablets and laptops first, and the firm's Windows Phone 8 smartphone system "soon", before coming to other platforms.

"Skype evolved on the desktop as a large application that maintains a connection with all of your peers," he told the BBC.

"This architecture was designed in a world where cloud services were not readily available, and it scales very well on desktops.

"But as our users are more and more connected to other mobile devices, battery life becomes a top consideration, and thus a service-based architecture like the one we are introducing makes a lot of sense."

Mr Sierra stressed that other software developers would also have access to Window's Connected Standby feature, meaning Skype's advantage might be short-lived.
Efficient apps
A similar notification-based facility is already used by several smartphone apps to cut power use. The editor of the Pocket-lint tech site said he hoped Skype's move would encourage the practice on larger devices.

"People don't want inefficient apps in the same way as they don't want an inefficient boiler in their house," Stuart Miles said.

"The idea that they have created an app that uses 0% of the CPU will make users more inclined to use it in the background.

"I would hope this becomes the norm because there is nothing worse than getting down to 10% battery life and having to find a power outlet to keep working."

Must read post for Android and Windows 8 fans.........!!

2012-10-22T19:53:00.000+05:30

Is Windows 8 an existential threat to Android tablets?

Nagging questions shadow the impending launch of Windows 8, threatening to scuttle Microsoft's plans to reinvent itself for the age of mobility. Will desktop users graciously accept the redesigned Modern interface? Will the Windows Store have enough apps to entice would-be Surface RT buyers? Can Windows 8 breathe life into sagging PC sales?

Microsoft's future success depends on its ability to make serious, quantifiable, no-nonsense headway in the mobile market, but it’s not the only company with a massive stake in the ultimate fate of Windows 8. The new operating system will also have a major impact on Google. Just look at the list of Microsoft’s Windows 8 tablet and hybrid partners—Samsung, Asus, Toshiba, and the rest. They all make Android tablets, too.

Apple’s position in the tablet market is so dominant that it need not fear encroachment by Windows 8 devices. But most of Google’s hardware partners—especially the ones that make the larger, so-called productivity devices—need to ask themselves a tough question: Will Windows 8 obliterate consumer interest in Android tablets?

Early opportunity squandered

At least one expert thinks that this question isn't hard to answer. Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps sees a bleak future for Android tablets.

The Kindle Fire HD, which emphasizes media consumption, is one of the few Android-based tablets that consumers want.

"No one's buying Android tablets other than Amazon or Barnes & Noble [models] anyway," she says. "If there’s a market for non-Apple tablets, it has been and will be Windows. It’s pretty clear that there just hasn't been any demand for Android tablets other than the niche earlier-adopter market, while Windows has mainstream consumer interest."

Despite being the only major tablet alternative for people who don't want to bite into Apple, Android has clearly had little impact on the tablet market. IDC's second-quarter tablet report shows that more than two-thirds of all tablet shipments originated in Cupertino, and even those numbers don't tell the full story. IDC (which is owned by PCWorld’s parent company IDG) and other top research firms track tablet shipments to retailers, not tablet sales to customers. So when you take into account that some variable proportion of shipped Android tablets languish unsold on retailers' shelves, Android's situation may be even bleaker than IDC's numbers suggest.

In the recent Apple vs. Samsung case, for example, court filings showed that Samsung had managed to sell only 712,000 Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets in the United States since the slate's launch. Those are sad numbers, given that many observers considered the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to be the perfect iPad alternative for much of 2011.

Also troubling for Google's operating system is the fact that the Kindle Fire—Android's brightest tablet star and best tablet seller—is not the droid you're looking for. It runs a proprietary, heavily skinned interface that renders it more of a content delivery system for Amazon than a proper Android tablet.

Ominously, the Kindle Fire accounts for the majority of Google tablet sales. IDC claims that Amazon is the world's third-most-prolific tablet manufacturer, even though Amazon sells its slate only in the United States. And reports from ComScore, Pew Research, and Amazon itself indicate that the Kindle Fire outsells all other Android tablets combined.

In other words, Android owes most of its slim slice of market share on an Android tablet that doesn't look or feel at all like a pure Android tablet. Google's baby is sucking wind, folks.

Cue the Windows 8 tablets.

Windows 8 and its direct Android prey

Finding agreement among tech industry analysts is always a challenge. Nonetheless, all the analysts I consulted agree that Windows 8 tablets will devastate the handful of productivity-focused Android tablets on the market, such as the Asus Eee Pad Slider and the Asus Eee Pad Transformer series. Whereas security concerns have prompted risk-averse corporations to shy away from Android tablets, Microsoft's operating systems sport deep, business-friendly features—including the all-important Microsoft Office.

IMAGE: LOYD CASE

A Windows 8 productivity machine like the Asus Vivo Tab could threaten existing Asus products like the Eee Pad Slider and Transformer series.

"I think [productivity-focused Android tablets] are going to fade away," says Rob Enderle, the principal analyst of the Enderle Group, summing up the group consensus. "I think we'll see Windows convertibles and hybrids pick up that category. The keyboard really goes with Office."

The analysts I contacted also agree that Windows tablets will quickly gobble up Android's market share in the premium-priced tablet segment. Dropping $500 or more on a 10.1-inch Android tablet requires a lot more deliberation than spending $200 on a 7-inch Google Nexus 7. For this reason, analysts believe, consumers will flock toward the more seamless (and less glitchy) Windows experience when going for a big-screen (and non-iPad) tablet.

But will Android tablets vanish entirely? Most of the experts I spoke with don't think so. Excluding Forrester's Rotman Epps, most analysts expect Android tablets to be around for the long haul, albeit in a niche role that focuses on low prices and media playback.

A possible path for Android success

"I think there will be a market for 7- to 10-inch, very inexpensive Android tablets," says Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. "Not from the major makers, but off-brand. Android tablets will be the budget option."

Google's Nexus 7 is squarely focused on consumption, not productivity.

"There’s a reason why Google came out with the Nexus 7," says Gartner's Carolina Milanesi. "It basically was a very loud message to the OEMs saying, 'Stop trying to be Apple, because you're not. And you're not going to be successful competing at that price point or that form factor. Go cheap. Go $199, so it becomes more of an impulse buy, and consumers will get them and watch videos, listen to music and play games.' All of which is very much media-centric and content-centric."

Enderle agrees, calling the Nexus 7 "the quintessential Android tablet, almost entirely focused on consumption, and that's probably where Android is going to continue to shine."

Rotman Epps doesn't buy this analysis, though: "Other than Amazon, [OEMs] just aren't selling any Android tablets. The iPad mini, if that comes out as we expect it to, will be the final nail in the coffin for Android tablets."

The other analysts think that if Android tablets do die off, it will be due to other causes entirely: lawsuits and Google's lackluster OEM support.

Manufacturers fear the reaper

Even if customers suddenly decide to support Android tablets, OEMs may not stay in Google's camp now that Microsoft has joined the fray. The analysts we contacted say Google's reputation for dealing with manufacturers is spotty at best; in contrast, OEMs generally enjoy working with Microsoft, occasional Surface tablet tensions aside.

IMAGE: LOYD CASE

After suffering considerable grief over its Android devices, will Samsung give preferential treatment to its Windows 8 tablets, like this ATIV SmartPC?

Hardware manufacturers jumped on the Android bandwagon primarily because it was the only way for them to join the tablet revolution. In that sense, Apple helped spawn Android tablets, but now Apple might be the hammer that drives manufacturers away from Android for good.

"What really triggered the trend [of manufacturers hedging their bets with Android devices by also developing Windows devices] isn't so much customer satisfaction issues as much as that $1 billion judgment against Samsung," Enderle says, pointing to the sudden ramp-up of Windows Phone development by HTC and Samsung as examples.

"A lot of the OEMs really sweat bullets about being next on that particular list. Apple's actually doing Microsoft one hell of a favor here. That $1 billion judgment made 'free' not so free,” Enderle notes, referring to the ostensible price that Google charges OEMs for Android.

Gartner's Milanesi agrees that the risk of litigation from Apple encourages OEMs to see the value in adopting a Microsoft OS that costs money up-front. When you're in the Microsoft fold, she says, you're protected against Apple lawsuits, and Redmond also chips in with marketing costs and support for the developer community.

Where do manufacturers stand?

What do the companies that have skin in the game think about Android tablets' prospects for long-term survival? On the record, they're decidedly less pessimistic than the analysts are, which should come as no surprise, as they have to be cautious when making comments that might reflect on their roadmaps. Nonetheless, the OEMs do acknowledge the altered role that is likely to define Android's future.

Jay Parker, Lenovo's head of consumer/SMB operations for North America, recently told AllThingsD that the company plans to offer Android tablets "for the foreseeable future," but that it will offer only Android slates built in the Kindle Fire mold: small, cheap, and designed for playing around.

"We see them as pure media-based devices, where people are going to be surfing the Internet, reading books, or watching a movie, and really not a heck of a lot else," Parker said.

Acer makes the W510 Windows 8 tablet, but says that it's definitely not abandoning Android.

When asked whether Acer plans to support both Android and Windows 8 tablets, Paul Tayar, Acer America's director of product marketing for connected devices, unequivocally says "yes."

"The more ecosystems that we can play with and have available, the better we, as OEMs, can come up with developing the right hardware for the right consumer,” Tayar says. “Having options available to us lets us bring fresh solutions, and fresh designs, and fresh technology to the table."

Tayar feels there's enough consumer interest to support “even more than three” distinct operating systems, largely because of the very different user experiences offered by Windows 8 and Android. Windows tablets are more focused on productivity and might be more suitable for stationary office settings, whereas Android tablets tie deeply into Google's cloud-connected vision, and might appeal to people interested in everyday, on-the-run use, thanks to their smaller sizes.

Acer plans to tailor its hardware to take advantage of the specific ecosystem advantages of Windows 8 and Android. "You will not see a Windows 8 tablet, and then see the same tablet two days later with Android," Tayar says. He doesn't think Android will disappear any time soon.

"The Android market space, in both tablets and smartphones, is pretty much vindicated by the number of applications that are out there," he says. "That market has been validated. It's the real thing. It's not something that you're wondering 'Is this space going to exist or not?'"

You thought the Windows Store lacked tablet apps?

Tayar's last comment raises an interesting point: None of the analysts I spoke with think Android as a whole is in danger of dying, as the phone platform remains quite strong. Google Play features an abundance of Android apps—more than 675,000 by Google's last count—and the overwhelming majority of them are designed for smartphones, not tablets.

But that situation, too, is a double-edged sword for Google, as Android phone apps tend to translate poorly to the tablet experience.

IMAGE: ROBERT CARDIN

Ironically, for all its inventory problems, the Windows Store may quickly eclipse Google Play in terms of pure tablet apps.

"Microsoft hasn't even launched the Windows Store yet, and it probably has five times more tablet applications than Android does," Moorhead says. For context, consider that the original 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab kicked off the Android tablet effort nearly two years back.

Despite some blustery talk by Google chairman Eric Schmidt, signs indicate that Google is finally beginning to understand how serious the Windows tablet threat is. Google recently improved its Google Play developer console and finally—finally!—introduced a set of tablet design guidelines for developers. "I think that they'll even give incentives for developers to develop applications," Moorhead says.

Incentives are crucial because Microsoft is gunning for those same developers, with an extensive support system that draws raves from developers. If Google wants an Android future on anything other than smartphones and embedded systems like Google Glass, it must convince some of those developers to create tablet-specific apps for its OS.

Yea or nay: Will Windows 8 tablets kill off Android?

Android tablets won't burst into flames on October 26 in some kind of self-destructive conflagration. Manufacturers won't pack up and leave Google holding the bag just because Microsoft is selling tablets—at least not initially. But serious questions loom over the launch of Microsoft's next-gen operating system, and until the company can allay some of those concerns, partners like Acer, Asus, and Lenovo will probably ride the fence until a clear market winner emerges.

But Microsoft isn't afraid to play the long game or to toss billions of dollars at marketers and manufacturers to ensure that its tablet initiative ultimately pays off. When—not if—Microsoft clears the initial hurdles, Google will have to step up its own game to ensure that Android tablets have a fighting chance, even as budget options.

Sure, Android might be the best choice for inexpensive media slates. But Google needs to get busy to bolster even that path to success, especially if Apple releases a miniature iPad. Google must do more to stimulate app development. It must work more amicably with OEMs. And it must step up to the plate, and protect its partners from Apple's litigious wrath.

If Google doesn’t do all of these things, manufacturers could very well throw up their hands and join the Windows team for good. Then we'd see the classic Apple/Microsoft duopoly all over again, this time in the mobile arena instead of on the desktop.

Will Windows 8 tablets kill Android tablets? Only Google can answer that question

Apple Getting Ready For iPad Mini Event at San Jose’s California

2012-10-22T18:24:00.000+05:30

Apple has begun its preparations at San Jose’s California Theater ahead of Tuesday’s iPad mini announcement. The Cupertino company has erected a number of eye-catching posters, which match the brightly colored event invitations it sent out to the press last Tuesday.

As opposed to big banners sprawled across the front of the building, Apple has chosen to keep its decorations subtle for this event; it’s currently utilizing the poster frames that sit on the walls outside the theater instead. The sign above the entrance of the theater reads “Apple Special Event.” The posters themselves, however, aren’t so subtle.

Apple hasn’t held an event at the California Theater for seven years, since Steve Jobs announced the first iPod capable of playing video, and introduced TV shows to the iTunes Store. The company traditionally holds its events at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center, and occasionally at the Town Hall Auditorium on its campus.

Source:TechnoBuffalo

Don't get tracked while browsing............(Thanks to Google..)

2012-10-20T22:21:00.002+05:30

Google has added a Do Not Track privacy option to Chrome's developer channel, though it's late to the party compared to other browsers.

When Do Not Track is enabled in a browser, it signals to Websites and to advertisers that the user doesn't want to be followed around the Web for ad targeting purposes. Ad networks and sites aren't required to comply, butseveral of them do, and the U.S. government is now pressuring more companies to play along, including Google.

Hence Do Not Track in Google Chrome. Google spokesman Rob Shilkin specifically called out the company's pact with the White House as its reason for adding the feature in the Chromium developer channel in a statement to All Things Digital. Do Not Track should be available in the stable version of Chrome by the end of the year, he said.

Google will be the last of the major browser makers to add a Do Not Track option, which is already available in Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari. Third-party Do not Track browser tools are available as well.

Broad participation may seem like good news, but Do Not Track is still controversial. Because the setting doesn't guarantee privacy across all Websites, it could give users a false sense of security, and the seediest advertisers may never participate.

Do Not Track also treads on thin ice among advertisers who do participate. They're hoping that even if the tool is widely available, most people won't bother to enable it. Microsoft's recent decision to make Do Not Track the default setting for Internet Explorer 10 in Windows 8 jeopardizes that idea. The developers of Apache Web server have already said they'll ignore IE10's Do Not Track settings as a result.

Still, an anti-tracking standard across all browsers seems like a good foundation for improving users' privacy options on the Web. It's good that Google has joined in, even if it was under government pressure.

How to get shortcuts without arrows in Win 7 desktop....

2012-10-20T22:15:00.000+05:30

You can remove those arrows by changing a Registry setting, but that's the hard way to do it--and possibly dangerous. You're better off using free software that can tweak the Registry for you.

If you're using Windows XP, download and install Microsoft'sTweakUI (if you haven't, already). This is one of those programs that every XP user should have. Removing the arrows is only one of its useful functions.

Click for full size

If you don't want new shortcuts to be named "Shortcut to…," select Explorer in the left pane. Scroll down the settings list until you find Prefix "Shortcut to" on new shortcuts, and uncheck that option. This setting may require a reboot.Once you have TweakUI up and running, expand theExplorer section in the left pane, then select Shortcut. In the larger, right pane, you'll find four 'Shortcut overlay' options, including None. Select your choice, then click Apply or OK.

Microsoft didn't create a TweakUI for Vista and later versions of Windows. Luckily, Ramesh Kumar did it for them, and made Ultimate Windows Tweaker freely available. It's portable, so you don't have to install it, and it runs fine in Windows 7, 8, and Vista.

Once you're running the program, click Additional Tweaks in the left pane. Check Remove arrows from Shortcut icons, and/or Remove "-Shortcut" suffix for new shortcuts. ClickApply before closing the window.

You'll need to log off and on again to see the results.

Don't be a jerk........................!!(Know How.....)

2012-10-20T22:11:00.000+05:30

I've been a technology blogger for more than six years—four of them right here at PC World. And in that time I've developed a pretty thick skin.

I've had to, because I'm often on the receiving end of incredibly mean, nasty, and insulting emails and post comments.

This is nothing new. The Internet seems to bring out the worst in some people. It's as though the relative anonymity of an emailed or posted message gives license to say hateful things that most folks would never say face-to-face.

For example, if you spot a mistake in, say, a blog post, do you leap to your keyboard to point out what an idiot the writer must be?

When someone voices an opinion that's different from your own—like, say, a dislike of Windows 8—do you take it personally? Do you get so angry about it that you feel compelled to write a nasty email or comment?

Are you so suspicious of technology-news organizations that you routinely accuse them of favoritism or bias? Do you believe that journalists like me get paid by various companies to cover their products?

Hey, we're all human. I understand the need to vent, and it's really easy to pour out your frustrations at the keyboard. I've done it myself, and still do—but one thing has changed in recent years: 99 percent of the time, I'll type my gripe and then delete it.

Know why? Because I remember there's another human being at the other end, someone who works hard and tries to get it right and probably didn't mean to offend anyone. Someone who doesn't need to called a jerk, a liar, an idiot, a shill, or a con artist.

I can already sense some of the comments this very post will generate. "Guess you don't have such a thick skin after all!" "You should be fired for wasting my time with stuff that's not relevant to PCs." And so on.

But let me ask this: Think before you type. Ask yourself if you're contributing anything to the conversation, or just being mean-spirited. Ask yourself how you'd feel being on the receiving end of your message. Ask yourself if something as simple as an innocent mistake or an opinion you don't like warrants the vitriol you're about to unleash.

Does that mean you should never comment? Of course not! If I make a mistake (it's been known to happen—I'm probably making one right now), by all means let me know. If you have a different opinion about my topic, I absolutely want to hear it. I suspect most other writers feel the same way.

But be civil about it. Pretend it's a face-to-face conversation. Be the otherwise respectful person you are. And give the benefit of the doubt.

Thanks for listening

Asus Padfone 2 vs LG Optimus G vs LG Nexus 4: spec comparison

2012-10-17T22:12:00.000+05:30

The Asus PadFone 2 is now official and it might just beat the LG Optimus G to become the first phone out there with Qualcomm's extremely powerful Snapdragon S4 APQ8064 quad-core chip. Not just that - both devices go neck to neck in terms of performance, and will probably be one of the hottest devices this Holiday season.

The PadFone 2 covers everything that you might wish for. Starting with the larger, 4.7-inch 720p screen, going through the 2GB of RAM and quad-core chip, and finishing with the 13-megapixel camera.

The PadFone 2 however has the unique advantage of the PadFone Station, a $210 accessory that is a tablet chassis. What this means is that for $210 more dollars, you get a 10.1-inch 1280x800-pixel screen with a 5,000mAh battery, that is powered by your phone.

How does it fare against devices like the LG Optimus G and the LG Nexus 4? We only have the preliminary specs of the Nexus 4 (those are likely to change), but we'd still like you to see the three devices go in a cold-blooded spec battle. Witness it in the tablet below, and don't hesitate to let us know: which one wins your heart?

DESIGN
OS	Android (4.0)	Android (4.0.4)	Android (4.2)
Dimensions	5.43 x 2.71 x 0.35 (137.9 x 68.9 x 9 mm)	5.19 x 2.71 x 0.33 (131.9 x 68.9 x 8.45 mm)
Weight	4.76 oz (135 g) the average is 4.1 oz (116 g)	5.11 oz (145 g) the average is 4.1 oz (116 g)

DISPLAY
Physical size	4.70 inches	4.70 inches
Resolution	720 x 1280 pixels	768 x 1280 pixels	768 x 1280 pixels
Pixel density	312 ppi	318 ppi	318 ppi
Technology	Super IPS+ LCD	IPS LCD	IPS LCD

BATTERY
Capacity	2140 mAh	2100 mAh

HARDWARE
System chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro
Processor	Quad core, 1500 MHz, Krait	Quad core, 1500 MHz, Krait	Quad core
Graphics processor	Adreno 320	Adreno 320	Adreno 320
System memory	2048 MB RAM (Dual-channel)	2048 MB RAM (Dual-channel) / DDR2 (500 MHz)	2048 MB RAM
Built-in storage	16 GB	32 GB	8 GB
Storage expansion		microSD, microSDHC up to 64 GB

CAMERA
Camera	13 megapixels, Immobile	13 megapixels, Immobile	8 megapixels, Immobile
Flash	LED	LED	LED
Camcorder	1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps), 1280x720 (720p HD) (60 fps)	1920x1080 (1080p HD)	1920x1080 (1080p HD)
Front-facing camera	1.2 megapixels	1.3 megapixels	Yes

LG Nexus compared to iPhone 5

2012-10-17T22:09:00.001+05:30

The upcoming LG Nexus phone might have leaked all over the place in the last couple of days, but these here are the best and most detailed pictures of the upcoming smartphone. This time it's Belarus and local etailer Onliner that got a prototype LG Nexus, and it looks like a crossover between the LG Optimus G and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

With so much smoke, we can only conclude there must be fire - the LG Nexus is likely coming on October 29th. The device is known by many names: the LG E960 Mako, the LG Optimus Nexus and the LG Nexus 4 (it’s the fourth-generation Nexus).

So here’s what’s on this prototype. LG’s Nexus in its current version runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, but chances are it’d get an update to Android 4.2 just before its launch. There is a 4.7-inch screen with a resolution of 768 x 1280 pixels, a whopping quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm chip under the hood (hopefully an S4 Pro like on the Optimus G), and 2GB of RAM.

Internal storage is only 8GB and we’ve heard nothing about an expansion slot, and that would seem like a downer. The rear camera is an 8-megapixel one.

Sony Nexus X prototype leaks with Google branding and on-screen buttons

2012-10-17T22:04:00.005+05:30

Hey-ho, whaddaya know! The rumor that a number of Nexus phones might be appearing from each manufacturer for the 5th anniversary of Android, might have legs, after all.

After the LG Nexus 4, which already got previewed completely in a prototype form, we had rumors for anHTC Nexus X, a Samsung Galaxy Nexus 2, and now for the first time we are seeing a claimed Sony Nexus Xpicture leaking out on Picasa.

At least the claims are that this is a Sony Nexus device, which, as every rumor goes, should be taken with a grain of sodium chloride. The back says Google indeed, though it might be an elaborate render, yet we are keeping our hopes high to learn more about such a device soon.

The way this new Nexus program seems set, this could very well be a rebranded Xperia T with stock Android, just like the LG Nexus 4 appears to be a reworked Optimus G.

The Burning Platform

2012-10-17T22:02:00.003+05:30

Nokia is a remarkable company. It has walked the long, long road from being a single pulp mill in 1865, to a telecommunications giant in the early 21st century. Named after the small Finnish town of Nokia, the company has gone through a number of tough moments in its history, but it has always found a way to go on and swing its way back to the top.

After nearly 150 years of non-stop entrepreneurship, Nokia is once again facing some tough challenges in its way. It has gone from the world's biggest cell phone maker to an underdog, desperately struggling to turn things around. Its cash piles are being rapidly burned through, as the company's products are no longer as attractive for consumers as they have once been. But how did it come to this, and could this be the end of a legendary company?

MATTERS OF THE HEART

This is how it is in the modern cell phone business. One day you're on top, the other you realize you're standing on a burning platform, and you have to act quickly, otherwise you too will turn into ashes. This isn't some false theory put forth by Stephen Elop, Nokia CEO, it's the way things are, and the way things have been for Nokia for quite a while.

The problem should be that it's hard to be on the top. Not only because it's quite lonely there, but because you have to exert an extraordinary amount of effort, trying to keep your distance from the competition, while continuing to innovate and refine your products or performance. But for how long? No one can do it forever. Eventually, you start to lose your motivation, become tired, and little by little, the feeling that you're being surrounded by a hungry pack of hyenas begins to grow inside you, provoking other unhelpful feelings like fear and shame. These things can easily cloud your judgement and mess with your head, preventing you from being rational and productive, which is what you need to be in order to find your way out of a tough situation.

We guess something similar must have happened with Nokia about 5 years ago, when it was on top, but did not react accordingly to the changes that were taking place inside customers' heads. Did Nokia simply refuse to change itself, firmly convinced in the rightness of its plan, or did it experience those feelings of clouded judgement and fear that prevented it from embracing reality? We'll probably never know, but the fact is that Nokia waited and hesitated when it should have acted.

Finally, Stephen Elop came along in late 2010, announcing that the company was sitting on the burning platform that Symbian was. Indeed, the once innovative and powerful Symbian operating system has now become stale and unattractive for customers, most of whom had already switched their Symbian handsets for iPhones or Androids. Symbian was going the way of the dodo, and Elop had to act. There were four options ahead of him:

1. To continue developing MeeGo and phase Symbian out;
2. To go Android and phase Symbian out;
3. To go Windows Phone and phase Symbian out;
4. To start rebuilding Symbian from the ground up.

Love it or hate it, the man decided to go with what he felt closest to his heart, and that was Microsoft. It was what he knew, and what he felt could be taken most advantage of, due to his previous position. The problem with this was that at the time, Windows Phone was even smaller than Symbian itself. Sure, this is Microsoft we're talking about, so there were reasons to believe this will eventually change, but still, the move had "risk" written all over it. More than a year and a half later, Nokia is still waiting for the fruits of this partnership to grow.

THE BURNING PLATFORM

One clear and unusually calm night, Nokia packed its stuff, walked to the edge of its burning platform, took a last look back, and then there it was, the next moment, falling towards the freezing waters of the Baltic Sea. With an audible thump that almost pierced the night, it fell right onto the Microsoft life-boat - a large, slow-moving vessel that was sure to reach its destination much later than the other boats. However, one of the things that attracted Nokia's attention was the unusually small crew of the boat. What an opportunity for Nokia this was! With so few people on board, it could easily stand out and earn itself a prominent position. The position that has been taken away from it... Surely this was a great opportunity to make use of its many talents. Soon, people were once again going to be talking about it, about Nokia, and this night would remain nothing but a distant memory, an event from its past that simply pushed it towards greatness once again.

Well, we presume it might not have been anything like that, and has been more like Stephen Elop just sitting on his desk, going through a bunch of boring papers and making a few phone calls, but anyways, this should be pretty close to explaining what Nokia saw in the Windows Phone OS. A fresh system with a solid base, and a strong partner in Microsoft, which was going to take care of the nasty stuff like building a developer community and creating an ecosystem of content. This way, it could just focus on what it did best - wonderful devices, and be the brightest star in the sky, for there were neither that many other starts, nor such that could shine as brightly.

Although we wouldn't completely reject the "Trojan horse" theory of Elop entering the system only to convert Nokia into Microsoft's manufacturing arm, we do believe that the state of MeeGo back then wasn't very promising. Yes, it was an almost complete platform which could run just fine, but at the end of the day, what more could it provide than the basic experience one could already get from a Symbian handset. And as it was already evident, that wasn't nearly enough for the new mobile user - the mobile user who wanted a fast, sleek device with a modern UI, loads of applications, service integration, regular software support, rich content ecosystem... The game had changed, and apparently Elop discovered that Nokia cannot learn the new rules quickly enough, so he decided to seek help from his previous employer.

Sure, Nokia could have jumped in the Google life-boat instead, but for some reason the management reached the conclusion that this wouldn't be a better decision in the long run. When you think about it, the Android manufacturers that are profitable and really successful aren't that many. Even HTC, which is a company that has this rare ability to just come up with lovely stuff, is having great difficulties. Android would have allowed Nokia to produce cheap handsets for the developing markets, one of Nokia's last strongholds, but history has shown that there's not much money in this, not enough for a giant company like Nokia, who wants to be up there with the best.

But there's usually loads of money where Microsoft is. Windows Phone is a long-term game. A game that is expected to pick up once Windows 8 is out. Using its substantial presence in the computer market, Microsoft will quickly introduce Windows 8, and so a certain extent Windows Phone 8 as well, since they have so much in common, which will suddenly change Windows Phone's status from a peculiar and young platform to a well-known, integrated experience. Coupled with Nokia's wonderful devices, this might just do it. Windows Phone should become the third biggest mobile platform with a relative ease. Whether or not there will be enough momentum in order to surpass what's going to be waiting ahead, though, is a tough question that only time can answer. We can be sure about one thing - what has a beginning, has an end. And just like Apple (iOS) and Google (Android) have once fought their way to the top, a time will come when they will have to make way for the new leader, just like Nokia had to step aside. Could this be Nokia again, riding on the wings of Windows Phone? We can go on and on with these questions, but there will be no answers.

The burning platform has now fallen, and where Nokia's business was once flourishing, other companies have found new ways of being successful. But as history has shown many times, Nokia will transform, rebuild its platform, better and stronger than before, and rise again. For to reach the top, you must start from the bottom.

Master the Ultimate Windows media player..(VLC)

2012-10-17T22:00:00.000+05:30

Let's just rip off the Band-Aid and get the bad news out of the way: The standard version of Windows 8 won't include Windows Media Center or the ability to play DVDs by default.

Wait! Put down those pitchforks, home theater PC enthusiasts. Microsoft's ill will toward media support and optical discs is really an opportunity in disguise. Now you have every reason to check out VideoLAN's VLC media player, a versatile app that does much, much more than Windows' baked-in alternative. VLC streams files from the Internet, streams filesto the Internet, manages podcasts, captures webcam videos and, yes, plays DVDs. Blu-rays, too. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Simply put, VLC is the power user's media player of choice.

Unfortunately, VLC's deep array of powerful options can also be a bit intimidating at first glance. What do all those buttons and menus actually do? This guide will catch you up to speed on the basics, show you how to watch your favorite movies and Internet streams, and then close with some fun tips and tricks to help you get the most out of this free VLC player.

More than just a DVD player

DVDs aren't the only physical discs that VLC can read: standard audio CDs, VCDs and SVCDs all play without a hitch as well. Experimental Blu-ray disc support was added early in 2012, but the Blu-ray encryption system can make that experimental playback more miss than hit. If VLC refuses to play your favorite HD disc, installing these hush-hush files (at your own risk!) should help for older Blu-rays with AACS encryption, or you could rip the movie to your hard drive using MakeMKV (more on that later) and watch it as you would any video file in VLC, by selecting Media > Open File.

IMAGE COURTESY OF VIDEOLAN

VLC can handle all sorts of media formats and even ignores region coding, so you can watch your favorite foreign films.

Speaking of opening files, OGG and FLAC fans will be happy to hear -- literally -- that VLC supports almost any file type you throw at it, including ISO disc images.

VLC also plays movies and music from the Internet or over your local network via the Media > Open Network Stream command. Media > Open Capture Device displays input from webcams or TV tuner cards so that you can save, stream or just plain view the feed.

Capture screenshots from videos

Like the HTC One X, VLC includes a fun feature that lets you easily take screenshots from a video. Just select Video > Snapshot to save a picture of an individual frame. Screenshots save to your Pictures folder by default, named "VLC-(date and time)". Adjust the options inPreferences > Video > Snapshot if you want VLC to dump screenshots somewhere else.

Stream podcasts and Internet radio

VLC is no one-trick pony: The media player sports several audio options that can help you manage your podcasts or find something new to listen to. Click View > Playlist to bring up the playlist view, then click on the Internet option to reveal a large number of listening options -- including hundreds of Internet radio stations from around the world. The best part? They're all free. If you want to track your favorite podcasts, simply click the gray plusbutton next to the Podcasts option and enter the URL for the RSS feed of the podcast you want to stream.

You can stream tons of free audio and video using the preloaded Internet playlist, or add your own by entering the URL of your favorite podcasts' RSS feeds.

Change how VLC looks with customizable skins

The look of VLC won't impress anybody out of the box; it's as plain vanilla as a piece of free downloadable software can be. Like a mullet, however, that bland demeanor hides a world of awesome possibilities, as VLC lets users change the look of the media player with the help of custom skin files. Simply download an appealing skin from the VLC website, then head into Tools > Preferences > Interface. In the Look and Feel portion, select the Use custom skin option and point VLC toward your saved .vlt skin file. Dozens of different skins are available, some vastly more appealing than others.

Transcoding files with VLC

Not all programs or outside A/V sources handle ASV1 and other esoteric file types as well as VLC. Fortunately, VLC can help you skirt that annoyance; this media player is a basic media converter, too!

Transcoding existing media files into a different format doesn't take much effort. ClickMedia > Convert/Save, click the Add button, and select an audio or video file to convert. If you have a subtitle file for the film, check the box and select that, as well. Next, pressConvert/Save, then click Browse and choose where you'd like to save the new version of the file. Name the file, being sure to manually give it one of the file extensions listed in the Save as Type field, such as .mpg, .mov, .ogg or .wav. Make sure the extension matches the file type you're converting; an audio extension won't work well if you're converting a video, for instance.

VLC allows you to transcode your media into different formats; you can even convert a video file into an audio file (or vice versa) so you can do neat tricks like turning your favorite comedian's stand-up special into an .mp3 you can listen to at the gym.

You can play around with the audio/video codec details in the drop-down box in the Settings area if you so desire, but unless you have a specific reason to use another file type, I'd suggest sticking to the default MP4 profile for video and MP3 for audio, as they're widely supported formats. The VideoLAN wiki contains useful information about codec types.

Transcoding veterans can fine-tune the audio/video codec combinations even further by clicking the Edit button (represented by an icon of a screwdriver and wrench) to the right of the drop-down box. Once everything looks good, click Start and prepare to wait--transcoding video is an intensive task that can take a long, long time depending on your setup.

The gray area: copying DVDs, Blu-rays and Internet streams with VLC

Note that the Convert/Save options also let you handle streams from network sources and webcams or copy media from physical discs. Saving content you find on YouTube or wherever else on the Internet isn't always legal, so make sure you have the right to do so before you begin. Likewise, make sure you're only making backups of physical discs that you actually own.

The actual process of copying discs is fairly straightforward, however. Open Media >Convert/Save again, but instead of adding files in the File tab, click Disc to select a disc to rip. Afterward, the transcoding options are the same as with a straight file-to-file conversion, and, yes, copying a disc takes a long time. If, on the other hand, you want a straight-up copy of the original files on the disc, just check the Dump Raw Input box.

Copying DVDs and audio discs shouldn't be an issue, but ripping Blu-rays can occasionally be an exercise in frustration. If you run into problems, MakeMKV is a great Blu-ray-ripping resource that can handle modern BD+-encoded Blu-rays and older AACS-encoded Blu-rays alike.

Saving webcam and Internet streams is simple, but the methodology is a little different than with physical media. Open the file using Media > Open (Network Stream or Capture Device), but rather than hitting Play, click the arrow to the right of it and select Stream from the list. Identify the source, press Next, then make sure the destination is set to File, and fiddle with the transcoding options the same way you would when saving a DVD or doing a file-to-file conversion.

One final note: You can capture the video you're watching at any time by simply clicking theRecord button. To add the Record button to the toolbar, click View > Advanced Controls.

Transform your videos into ASCII art

Let's close things out with a bit of fun: VLC can translate video into ASCII art consisting of nothing but numbers and letters. Why? Who knows? It's pointless, but fun.

Louis C.K. performs his Beacon Theater set in ASCII.

To get the alphanumeric party started, select Tools > Preferences > Video. Then, click the drop-down box next to Output (in the Display section) and select Color ASCII Art Video Output. Now, just start a new video and enjoy the text-based show. Be sure to change the output back to Default when you're done!

These tricks only scratch the surface of what VLC can do. Advanced users can set the VLC player to stream video to the Web, batch encode files based on their extension, capture only the audio track from a DVD, access movies from other computers on your network, and more. Check out VideoLAN's incredibly helpful wiki and forums for more tips, tricks, and help with any issues you may run into.