Technology Shots

Consumer Reports gives thumbs up to iPhone 4S

2011-11-08T19:08:00.000+00:00

The iPhone 4S "doesn't suffer the reception problem" of its older sibling, the iPhone 4, Consumer Reports said Tuesday, which has put Apple's phone back on its "recommended" list after more than a year of being off it because of the previous model's antenna woes.

"In special reception tests of the iPhone 4S that duplicated those we did on the iPhone 4, the newer phone did not display the same reception flaw, which involves a loss of signal strength when you touch a spot on the phone’s lower left side while you’re in an area with a weak signal," wrote Mike Gikas on the magazine's electronics blog.

The iPhone 4 "continues to exhibit that problem, we confirmed in tests of new samples of the phone. Because of the flaw, we continue to omit the iPhone 4 from our list of recommended models, despite its otherwise fine performance."

The phone's antenna wraps around the phone's casing at a spot where many people hold the phone with their left hand, which led it to be called the "death grip," and to a PR problem for Apple known as "Antennagate." Among the changes in he iPhone 4S it that it has two antennas to help improve call quality.

The iPhone 4S also gets thumbs-up for "an upgraded camera, a faster 'dual-core' processor, and the addition of the intriguing Siri voice-activated feature," the magazine said.

The phone did "very well in our standard tests of battery life; like the iPhone 4, it scores Very Good overall on that attribute. And the iPhone 4S and new samples of the iPhone 4 have displayed no notable battery problems in additional special tests we carried out, after some owners complained on user forums of short run times with some samples of both phones."

Apple has acknowledged the battery life issue for some users, and is planning a software fix in the weeks ahead.

But the magazine isn't making the iPhone 4S king of the smartphone heap.

All of the phone's positive attributes "were not enough, however, to allow the iPhone 4S to outscore the best new Android-based phones" in Consumer Reports' ratings. The magazine said its top scorers included Samsung's Galaxy S II phones, the Motorola Droid Bionic, and "several other phones that boast larger displays than the iPhone 4S and run on faster 4G networks."

The magazine also gave higher rankings to phones like the LG Thrill, "which has the ability to capture stills and videos in 3D, as well as display them on its 4.3-inch 3D display, and the Motorola Droid Bionic ... which also has a superb 4.3-inch, high-resolution (540 x 960) display, with excellent keypad readability under most lighting conditions, even in bright light."

Source

Hands-on preview : Nikon V1

2011-09-21T17:14:00.000+01:00

Nikon's all-new interchangeable lens compact camera has arrived! Join us for a look around its magnesium alloy body and through the manifold options and capabilities on offer.

Thisismynextvideo

Report : Apple will unveil its next iPhone on Oct. 4

2011-09-21T15:19:00.000+01:00

An Apple event next week? Not so fast. According to All Things D, Cupertino will unveil its next iPhone on Oct. 4.

New CEO Tim Cook will do the honors, ATD said, citing sources "close to the situation." The blog does say, however, that "Apple could certainly change its plans anytime."

Going by past releases, that would put a new iPhone on store shelves by mid-October, which follows previous ATD reports of an October launch.

Cook took over for Steve Jobs after Jobs resigned last month. While Cook has been at Jobs' side at various Apple events and took the reigns at the Verizon iPhone launch, this will be his first major product launch as CEO.

That launch, of course, is expected to be the iPhone 5. There have been rumors that Apple is also (or only) cooking up a low-cost version of the iPhone 4, dubbed the iPhone 4S, which could help push iOS into developing nations. Those who bypassed the iPhone 4 and have been holding on to their iPhone 3GS, however, are likely itching for a major upgrade.

Apple also traditionally unveils upgrades to its iPod lineup in the fall, so expect some announcements there. The launch of the new iPhone also means the arrival of iOS 5, which Jobs first showed off earlier this year at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference.

That being said, it's probably best to wait for the official call. As PCMag mobile analyst Sascha Segan noted, "When the Apple event is announced, it won't be announced by 'sources.' It'll be announced by Apple."

TechRepublic editor Jason Hiner, meanwhile, also tweeted that San Francisco's Moscone Center, where Apple typically holds larger launch events, is booked by Oracle on October 4. Apple could hold the event at its Cupertino campus, but the auditorium there only holds about 250 people, which is much smaller than the usual big Apple launch, according to Segan. Stay tuned.

Pcmag.com

Google Wallet Review

2011-09-20T12:31:00.000+01:00

Google Wallet is a mobile payment system developed by Google that allows its users to store credit cards, loyalty cards, and gift cards among other things, as well as redeeming sales promotions on their mobile phone.

imrazib

Walkthrough: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 - Android 3.1 Honeycomb

2011-09-19T12:37:00.000+01:00

mobilizujeme Channel

Save 50% Of Your Smartphone's Battery Life With Wi-Fi Scaling

2011-09-17T17:19:00.000+01:00

Researchers at the University of Michigan suggest that a reduction of the Wi-Fi clock during idle listening could give users more time with their phone.

Engineering professor Kang Shin and doctoral student Xinyu Zhang said that smartphones, including the iPhone, spend up to 80 percent of their power-saving mode in idle listening state, which checks the network for incoming data. However, they also found that this idle listening mode often consumes just as much power as when the phones are fully awake.

At the ACM International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking in Las Vegas, the scientists will present their idea for E-MiLi, which stands for Energy-Minimizing Idle Listening: The technology scales the Wi-Fi clock to only 1/16 of its usual clock to save power. To still be able to recognize incoming messages, they tweaked their smartphones to be focused to detect only message headers. As a result, they found that E-MiLi can reduce energy consumption by around 44 percent for 92 percent of mobile devices "in real-world wireless networks."

The technology requires smartphones to be equipped with processor-slowing software, as well as new firmware for phones and computers that are sending messages. The University of Michigan said it is "pursuing patent protection for the intellectual property, and is seeking commercialization partners to help bring the technology to market."

tomsguide.com

5 things you should know about Facebook's new friend lists

2011-09-15T16:35:00.000+01:00

Last week, reports swirled that Facebook was testing a new friend list feature that bared a similar resemblance to Google+ Circles. One difference was that Facebook’s “Smart Lists” do the work for you, automatically grouping your friends into lists such as work, school, family and city. Now, Facebook says, this feature is going primetime and will be available to everyone this week.

This newest update follows Facebook’s redesign of its privacy settings, which many believed was also influenced by Google+.

Facebook’s new friend lists, which is an optional feature, is essentially a redesign of a feature it’s had for years—Lists. The original Lists were difficult to navigate and tedious to update, which, Facebook Product Developer Blake Ross said in a blog post, was the reason for the revamp.

Here are five important facts you need to know about the new friend lists before you get started.

1. Smart Lists group some of your friends automatically

If you choose to partake in Smart Lists, Facebook will generate four separate lists for you: work, school, family and city. Facebook puts people into these lists based on information they have in their profile. For example, if you list Harvard University as your alma mater, and so do 25 of your Facebook friends, they will be grouped under “school.” The same goes for family members, work colleagues and people who live near you.

These four lists will be updated automatically, so there is little or no maintenance—a big improvement from before. You can also add or remove friends manually to make the list more accurate.

2. Two additional lists let you separate best friends from acquaintances

While Facebook is touting its Smart Lists as its main attraction, it’s also rolling out two lists that you curate on your own to distinguish close friends from people you don’t know well.

By including people in your Close Friends list, you can sort your News Feed for only their posts, as well as choose to receive notifications when they post updates, so you don’t miss anything.

A dropdown audience selector now lets Facebook users share things with select friends.

Facebook recommends adding people such as old classmates and business contacts to the “Acquaintances” list. By doing so, you’ll see fewer updates from them in your News Feed. You will, however, see updates when they post something important, Facebook says, such as when they get married or move to a new city, so you can remain in touch.

3. “Restricted” list limits visibility to people such as your boss

A lot of people panic when they receive an email saying your boss has friended you on Facebook. Instead of keeping their request to connect in limbo, you can now add them to a “Restricted” list.

People you include on this list will only see your public posts, which means it’s important to use the “View Profile As” feature to ensure what you think is private, actually is. You’ll still be able to send them messages or tag them in a picture or post if you want to.

4. Lists you already created are still valid

If you took the time to create and maintain lists before the new Lists launch—such as a Limited Profile list—you can still use them to restrict access to pictures you post, status updates, notes, etc.

5. Understand List privacy

Say you post a status update to your Acquaintances list. No one you put on that list will be able to see the name of the list. They will, however, be able to see each others’ names.

The reason for this is to “give them more context.” According to Facebook, if you see that a post is shared with your five closest friends, you’re more likely to comment freely on it than you would if you didn’t know who else could see the post.

Macworld.com

How to dual boot Windows 8 Developer Preview with Windows 7

2011-09-14T18:16:00.001+01:00

This video shows how I successfully, an easily got Windows 8 and Windows 7 dual-booting from one HDD. Simply create a partition on your hard drive with 20GB or more of free space and then install Windows 8 to this (boot of the Windows 8 disc)

I will add fully detailed instructions soon - to download Windows 8 developer preview check out this link.

Click here to download

From "theseeder" Channel

Quick Look At Windows 8 New Features

2011-09-14T15:11:00.000+01:00

TechTechManTV Channel

Intel and Google in Android chip-making deal

2011-09-14T12:41:00.000+01:00

Intel has set up a development partnership with Google to help improve how the Android operating system runs on its processors.

The move is aimed at giving Intel greater access to the fast-growing mobile devices sector.

Intel is the world's biggest chipmaker in the computer and server market.

However, it has so far played second fiddle to Cambridge-based designer ARM Holdings in the market for low power consumption chips.

'First-class citizen'

Demand for mobile phone and tablet computers has been on the increase, and Google has been pushing its Android operating system, tying up with manufacturers.

Android has become the world's leading operating system for smartphones.

Intel has been seen by many analysts as slow to respond to the challenge.

It has only recently launched its answer to ARM's designs, in the form of the Oak Trail processor range.

Analysts said that the partnership would help Intel increase its foothold in the Android market.

"It's really about Google saying that Intel is going to be a first-class citizen in the Android ecosystem," said David Kanter of Real World Technologies.

bbc.co.uk

Review Android tablet that's not an Android tablet : Fusion Garage Grid 10

2011-09-13T13:41:00.001+01:00

The Fusion Garage Grid 10 is an Android tablet unlike any other.
Of that there is absolutely no question.
It uses a new operating system called Grid OS, which is only related to other Android tablets in that it's built on top of the Android kernel. The kernel is the basic central component of the OS, which acts as the communications bridge between the apps and the hardware.

The upshot of this to the user is that the graphical user interface is completely different to any version of Android, but it still has the capacity to run Android apps. We'll come back to that a little further down the page.
The Grid 10 is fairly standard-sized for a 10.1-inch tablet. It weighs 689g, and is powered by the familiar Nvidia Tegra 2 chip. There's only 512MB of memory in there though, no rear-facing camera (there is a 1.3MP front-facing snapper) and only 16GB storage.
It's only 14mm thick, which is pretty good for a budget tablet with a screen this size.
The screen is sharp, with a resolution of 1366x768 which makes it higher than the iPad. However, in general the screen is one of the areas where this tablet appears to fall down. Vivid and bright this tablet is not, even with settings on maximum. It's not awful - it's just not in the same league as the more expensive Galaxy Tab 10.1 or the iPad 2 in this regard.

So far, so ho-hum then on the specs, then. But there are two trump cards up this tablet's microSD slot.
The first is the aforementioned Grid OS. The second is the price – this tablet is set to cost just £259 when it gets released at the end of October. That will jump to £359 for the 3G model when it's ready – still an attractive price.
The market is crying out for a useable tablet for less than £300 and we might just have one here.
Grid OS
In place of a homescreen, Grid OS uses a giant never-ending grid where you can place your app icons. You can group these together in clusters, or leave them individually. Clusters can be expanded or minimised using one tap.

The Grid is many times bigger than the Grid 10's 10.1-inch display, which means lots of scrolling around. It's like playing some kind of 2D strategy game in space. There's a grid map at the top right of the screen, so if you tap that in the right place you'll skip straight to the cluster of apps that you want to access.

And here our problems begin.
Performance-wise, this all works pretty well – it's smooth, which is the main thing. But is it better than the standard Android/iOS method of grouping apps together on homescreens and menus? Of course it isn't. It's prettier, it's different and it's more fun – but it's not better and it definitely isn't quicker.
Grid OS requires that you know your device inside-out. You need an intimate knowledge of where your 'games' cluster is for instance, or which way you'll need to scroll if you want to get to your browser.
For this reason we foresee the novelty of the Grid wearing off after a while.
The OS is lubricated by a never-ending selection of what Fusion Garage likes to call 'motion picture-class animations' which make the process of expanding clusters, or opening menus look fluid and fun. It makes the whole experience appear more seamless, and more like an OS from the future – but again there is a novelty element in play here and we can see it getting old, especially if it ends up impacting battery life.

Another big part of the Grid OS is its ability to deliver information to your brain with the minimum amount of effort. Select a movie title on a web page, and you'll be presented with a list of options including links to search the web, to view film's page on IMDB or Wikipedia, or to buy the DVD on Amazon. To do this it uses a feature called 'Intelligence' – named entirely without irony by someone who has almost certainly never seen Team America.

It's a compelling idea, and in the short time we had to play with the device, it seemed to work well. However, it does use Bing for its search which is curious and disappointing, especially as there is no way to change this.
Gestures
The Grid 10 has something in common with the stillborn HP TouchPad in that it uses gestures to navigate between screens. Unlike the BlackBerry PlayBook, the bezel is not part of the touch surface, and the gestures don't seem as robust as on the PlayBook either.
The gestures will maximise a screen, minimise back to the Grid, go back or go forward. All standard fair, but in our demo these gestures seemed to cause a few problems.

Even when our hosts from Fusion Garage were using the device, gestures would misfire with alarming regularity. It's a common problem with touch-based gestures (ever used the Microsoft Touch Mouse?) and we get the feeling it might get a bit annoying after extended use.
Apps
It should be mentioned that while the Grid 10 comes with many built-in apps for the likes of reading email and watching videos, it's missing the official Google apps you'd find on other Android tablets.

This means there's no access to the Android Market, and there never will be. However, you can still use the Amazon Appstore and Fusion Garage will shortly be launching its own App shop, so you probably wouldn't be inconvenienced hugely – it's still likely to be a bit of a pain though.
General performance
In terms of the overall feel of the Grid OS, our experiences were positive. The browser was good, scrolling and pinch-to-zoom was all fluid without any re-draws or stuttering. So actually, it's really not hard to imagine people getting on with this tablet.

It won't be for everyone, and it has its flaws, but you know what? At just £259 the Fusion Garage Grid 10 has the potential to be the device that really kick-starts the budget tablet market. And considering this is the company that brought us the JooJoo, that's pretty astonishing.

Techradar.com

9/11 Memorial app for iPad and iPhone

2011-09-11T13:57:00.001+01:00

The 911 Memorial Past, Present… – Take a look at the World Trade Center before and after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Read historical facts and watch past videos of the construction of the WTC. See interviews of people involved in the architecture, and read about the plans for its future. The app will be free through September 12. After this, it will cost $9.95.

From the developer: Explore the construction of the Twin Towers. View videos of the site long before 9/11. Connect with the the day of 9/11/01 as it unfolds. And then, get an insider’s view of “Reflecting Absence” Architect Michael Arad’s powerful Memorial Plaza and twin Pools…

The first is Sprint’s unlimited monthly data offerings, which stand in contrast to the moves by Verizon and AT&T to assign monthly data caps for the purpose of hitting customers with massive overage charges in the same manner as they once did with text message overages. The second is that even as Verizon is diddling with 4G and AT&T is pretending to diddle with it, Sprint has a (slower) 4G network nationwide already, although it remains to be seen which 4G technologies if any the iPhone 5 serves up. Then there’s the crop of T-Mobile customers who don’t like the prospect of ending up being part of AT&T (or whoever ends up acquiring T-Mobile) and view Sprint as the top alternative thanks to the fact that A) it’s smaller than Verizon and B) it now also has the iPhone 5… -Exclusive interview with the creator of the Memorial, along with his sketches and photographs.   -More than 40 videos, over an hour of original content, site tours, museum updates, and animations.   -Over 400 high-resolution photographs, including large artifacts at Hanger 17, rare site construction images, and the landscaping of an urban forest with 400 white swamp oak trees.   -Links to share, post, and connect with the National September 11th Memorial Museum site.    -An interactive timeline from 2001 – updated as construction continues.   -Never before seen video of the attacks on The World Trade Center.

“The 9/11 Memorial: Past, Present and Future” is a journey that you can take at your own pace, a rich tapestry of more than 40 original videos and 400 powerful still images.  The Memorial should be experienced in person. This App provides an intimate, personal, self-directed exploration.  Created and curated by Author/Filmmaker Steven Rosenbaum – scenes from his award-winning documentary “7 Days in September” are included as well.

9/11 Memorial app for iPad and iPhone in the App Store
Beatweek.com

Netflix Now Supports Gingerbread, Froyo Phones

2011-09-10T18:25:00.001+01:00

Netflix just updated its Android app to support all smartphones with Android 2.2 "Froyo" and 2.3 "Gingerbread" installed.

Although the web-based version of Google's Android Marketstill shows the Netflix app as v1.3 as of this writing, the phone-based Android Market app reveals an updated Netflix v1.4. This new version now supports all Android 2.2 "Froyo" and 2.3 "Gingerbread" smartphones. Unfortunately, the app is still ridiculously too big, residing in the main memory for 19.91 MB after a portion is shoved over to the SD card.

The Netflix app for Android has come a long way since its debut back in May. Due to hardware DRM requirements, only the Samsung Nexus S and five additional HTC phones running Froyo were able to support the videostreaming service.

"Although we don’t have a common platform security mechanism and DRM, we are able to work with individual handset manufacturers to add content protection to their devices," the company said back in November 2010 before the first apps were released. "Unfortunately, this is a much slower approach and leads to a fragmented experience on Android, in which some handsets will have access to Netflix and others won’t."

But by v1.3 which was released two months later, the list had expanded to 21 additional devices like the original Motorola DROID, the Lenovo IdeaPad tablet, the Samsung Epic 4G and a handful more. Now it seems that the Netflix Android team has overcome the fragmentation and DRM issues, and has presented an app that all v2.2 and v2.3 consumers can use.

To stream Netflix to a Froyo or Gingerbread phone, users will need a subscription to the $7.99/month subscription streaming plan at the very least.

Tomsguide.com

6 Ways the Motorola Droid Bionic Is Better Than the iPhone

2011-09-09T14:35:00.001+01:00

Here are six ways the Droid Bionic scorches Verizon's iPhone, and some guesses about where the mysterious iPhone 5 will fit into all this.

1. LTE. Verizon's high-speed 4G network is ten times as fast as 3G, and it makes everything you do on the Internet better. Web pages load more than twice as fast as 3G. HQ YouTube videos load as quickly as standard-quality videos do on 3G phones. Verizon's iPhone is hobbled with the much slower 3G network, and I don't see that changing with the iPhone 5.

2. Webtop. I think Motorola's software to transform your phone into a desktop or laptop PC is visionary, useful and fun. Many other people (for instance, Geek.com editor Sal Cangeloso) think I'm insane. But the fact remains: I don't think you're going to get a phone that snaps into a dock and turns into a laptop from anyone but Moto.

3. Better camcorder. Notice I don't say "camera." The Droid Bionic's still camera isn't that great—but its camcorder records 1080p high-def video at 30 frames per second, something the iPhone 4 can't match. I expect the iPhone 5 will have an even better camera than the Droid Bionic does, though.

4. Flash in the browser—and yes, it actually works. Even better, in Webtop mode the phone identifies itself as a desktop browser, so you can watch Hulu and play various Flash games on the Internet. Apple has sworn to destroy Flash, not absorb it.

5. Removable battery and memory. Old Android shibboleths, that's to be sure, but the Droid Bionic offers battery and memory options that no iPhone will ever touch. You can get a second battery, an extended battery, a wireless charging back, or expand the phone's memory with a MicroSD card.

6. Competitive app stores. There's one way to get apps for iPhones: the Apple app store. That's simple, easy, and clear. But the burgeoning competitive world of Android app stores is creating lots of great deals. Amazon and GetJar are offering different paid apps for free every day; if you shop around, you can get terrific apps for less dough.
Not all of these things will appeal to everyone, of course, and the iPhone has its own advantages: a better screen, a more pocketable size, a better still camera and even more apps than the Droid Bionic does.
The biggest deal here, though, is LTE. The difference between LTE and 3G is vast, whether you're streaming video, downloading files, using your phone as a hotspot or just surfing complex Web pages, and Verizon's LTE network is expanding fast. The Droid Bionic is just the latest phase in the Android LTE assault. Will Apple be left in the slow lane? We'll have to see when the iPhone 5 is announced.
Pcmag.com

Acer launches "Aspire S3" Ultrabook

2011-09-06T09:25:00.000+01:00

Laptop and PC maker Acer has stepped into the Ultrabook market with the launch of the Aspire S3 - the company’s first ever product from the Ultrabook class of laptop.

Acer launched the product at the ongoing IFA 2011 show hosted in Berlin. The new product, according to Acer, will be just 13 mm thick and it weighs no more than 1.4 kg.

With this, the Aspire S3 has stepped into an arena where Ultrabooks from the company’s rival forces such as Lenovo, Asus and Toshiba are already battling it out amongst themselves to dominate the market.

Just like most of its rival products, the Aspire S3 also comes with 3 choices for the processor- Core i3, i5 or i7. In addition to that it gives users option to pick their preferred storage set up too. The available storage set up are - a 320 GB of 500 GB hard drive, or a 240 GB solid state disk drive.

"We are very happy to see the formal launch of the Acer Aspire S3, Acer's first Ultrabook, and to be one of the leading time-to-market partners to place an Ultrabook in the market," Mooly Eden, VP of Intel's PC Client Group said, The Inquirer reports.

Ultrabooks are considered, by many, as replacement to Tablet PCs as the intrest in tablets seem to be dropping.

itproportal.com

Toshiba launches a Flash Memory Card With Wi-Fi

2011-09-04T20:33:00.000+01:00

In another sign of today’s interconnected world, Toshiba has add Wireless LAN functionality to the Flash cards commonly found in digital cameras, smartphones and even some tablets.

Toshiba Electronics Europe made the announcement at IFA in Berlin, saying that its SDHC memory card with embedded wireless LAN functionality was a world first.

FlashAir Wi-Fi

The new memory card, dubbed FlashAir, supports peer-to-peer transfers as well as uploads to and downloads from servers. It will initially be available in 8GB capacity. Samples will be available from November and sales will start in February 2012, although there is no word on pricing yet.

Essentially what this means is that when someone takes a picture with their FlashAir-equipped cameras, they can then transmit the picture to a back-end cloud server.

the concept has been tried before, with existing cards that transmit pictures by Wi-Fi, such as Eye-Fi’s Pro X2. However until now these cards have only worked in one direction only.

The new Toshiba FlashAir card can transmit photos and videos to the back-end system, but the really clever bit is that it can also receive data (photos, videos etc) as well.

This means that two people, both equipped with FlashAir-equipped cameras, can transmit photos or other data between their respective devices, in a peer to peer manner.

Security Concerns?

“At a time when digital cameras have achieved immense popularity, users want a quick and easy way to share photographs with friends and to transfer them to and from online storage services and social media,” said Toshiba.

“The card’s embedded wireless communication function allows users to upload and download photographs to and from a server and to exchange photographs and other data with other devices compliant with this wireless format,” Toshiba said. “This can all be done without any need for a PC or cable connection.”

The beauty of this solution is that it means once a user’s FlashAir card is filled with pictures or videos, they could upload the content to the back-end server, wipe the card, and then carry on using the device, without having to physically connect to a computer to download their images.

But the ability to transfer data onto the card will no doubt alsoraise some security and indeed privacy concerns among some users, as photos could be transmitted without the subject being aware, or else malware on the card could send photos without the user of the camera knowing.
Eweekeurope.co.uk

Sony Tablet P: Hands On

2011-09-01T14:04:00.001+01:00

Minipcpro Channel on YouTube

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Top 10 tablets of 2011

2011-08-31T11:59:00.000+01:00

While tablets are the hot new thing, there are now almost too many to choose from. See our updated leaderboard of 10 tablets that are worth your attention.

Tablets are the technology’s industry’s latest gold rush. With Apple selling 15 million iPads in 2010 and projected to sell as many as 45 million in 2011, everyone wants a piece of the public’s sudden infatuation with multitouch slabs of silicon. From the world’s biggest computer companies to obscure little parts makers, there have been an obscene number of companies releasing tablets this year and the number will only increase next year.

Which ones are safe to ignore and which ones are worth your attention? In February, I wrote a piece called The 10 hottest tablets to watch in 2011. Most of these tablets have finally come to market, a lot of them flopped, and other new tablets have popped up. In May, after reviewing many of these tablets, I wrote the first version of my leaderboard, with a lot of tablets moving up or down in the rankings.

Heading into the fall buying season, here is my updated assessment of the top tablets of 2011.

10. Motorola Xoom

In the past, when Google was ready to make a leap forward with Android, it anointed a hardware partner to produce a device that would be something of a concept vehicle for Google’s vision. For the Android 3.0 tablet OS, Motorola was the chosen one and the Xoom was that device. This 10-inch widescreen tablet launched with drool-inducing tech specs but the Android tablet software was incomplete and desperately needed more apps. The other big drawback was the price. It launched at $799 without a contract ($599 for Wi-Fi version). Today, you can get the Xoom for as low as $439 for the Wi-Fi version through Amazon. It’s still the most industrial-strength Android tablet on the market, but it’s also a little heavy and bulky compared to newer hardware

9. BlackBerry PlayBook

I was at the event last fall where RIM announced the BlackBerry PlayBook and my first impressions were not very good — mostly because RIM kept it behind glass. However, after getting my hands on the final product, I was a lot more impressed. There are things to like about the PlayBook, especially for businesses that are already invested and committed to BlackBerry smartphones and the BES backend infrastructure. This is a 7-inch tablet, so that limits its appeal a bit — except for the vocal minority who like the smaller form factor. Still, the hardware feels great, the tablet OS is easy to figure out, and the performance is staggeringly good. It’s also one of the best tablets for Web browsing because of its excellent implementation of Flash, although the 7-inch screen is a drawback for trying to read text from most web pages. Also, if you don’t have a BlackBerry smartphone to tether to this one, then it’s difficult to recommend it over other tablets.

8. HTC Flyer

Over half of the tablets on this list are powered by Android and HTC is one of the powerhouses of the Android ecosystem. Unlike rivals Motorola, Samsung, and LG, who all unveiled high-end tablets at CES 2011 in January, HTC was remarkably silent on the tablet question. However, this spring, HTC announced the Flyer, a 7-incher with a 1.5 GHz CPU, 1.0 GB RAM, 32GB of Flash storage, and a special version of the HTC Sense UI designed for tablets. The Sense UI is by far the best Android skin on the market and it doesn’t disappoint on the Flyer, even though it’s running on top of Android 2.2 and not Android 3.0. Also, unlike most of the other Android tablets, the Flyer includes digital ink technology and a stylus — and it’s an excellent implementation. Unfortunately, the Flyer hardware leaves a lot to be desired. It is thick, awkward to hold, and feels like an oversized smartphone.

7. Acer Iconia Tab A500

Acer isn’t known for its innovative designs, and it doesn’t deliver one with this tablet, but the company does a decent job of delivering a lot of technology at a reasonable price. That’s what you get with the Acer Iconia Tab A500 — a 10-inch Android Honeycomb tablet with a dual-core Tegra2 processor, 1GB of RAM, dual cameras on front and back, and a price tag starting at $449. There’s nothing spectacular about this tablet, but it gives you plenty of hardware and features for the money.

6. HP TouchPad

A lot of people will think I’m being extremely generous by putting the TouchPad as high as number six sinceHP has officially killed product. But, if HP hadn’t killed it, I would have ranked the TouchPad No. 3 on the list (although keep in mind that my primary audience is people who use technology for business). Since HP is clearing out the TouchPad for $100 (16GB) and $150 (32GB) and you can still get them on eBay for $200-$300, this one still belongs on the list, for now. As I wrote in my review, the TouchPad actually trumps the iPad in productivity (especially messaging) and web browsing, but it lacks the entertainment and media options that most consumers want and the hardware feels cheap and clunky.

5. B&N Nook Color

When the Barnes & Noble Nook Color e-reader got an update to Android 2.2 and its own app store earlier this year, it turned into a viable low-cost tablet. Some will argue against it, since it has a heavy-handed UI forced on top of Android and doesn’t run the full Android Market app store. But, I couldn’t leave this little 7-inch tablet off the list. It has a great form factor — thin and easy in the hands — and you can’t beat the price at $249. Plus, if you’re highly technical, you can hack it into a full Android tablet.

4. ASUS Eee Pad Transformer

ASUS believes that the iPad has two weaknesses — lack of choice and limited content creation ability — so that’s where the company has focused its attention in tablets. The Eee Pad Transformer is a 10-inch tablet with a dual core NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU that runs Android 3.0. The most innovative thing about this one is that it has an optional keyboard dock that also functions as an extended battery, giving the device up to 16 hours of life. With the Transformer’s dock mode, ASUS has pulled off an Android tablet that also doubles as a laptop. Plus, the price is right. At $399, this tablet is one of the best values on the market, so it’s no surprise that it it sold out in the US on its first day of online sales.

3. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

The original Samsung Galaxy Tab was a 7-inch tablet that jumped the gun on Android tablets before Google was ready, but it offered the first legitimate challenge to the original iPad. If it wasn’t so expensive ($600), it might have faired even better than the respectable sales numbers it posted. Samsung’s second try at the tablet market is a lot more potent. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a gorgeous piece of hardware. I usually don’t like Samsung’s plastic mobile hardware (it always feels cheap to me), but the Galaxy Tab 10.1 looks and feels great. It is razor-thin, light, and still feels sturdy. It has all the specs you’d expect for a high-end tablet — great screen, dual cameras, solid battery life, and a dual-core NVIDIA processor. The only drawback is the software. It runs Android Honeycomb with the Samsung Touchwiz UX, which adds very little, doesn’t have a very appealing UI, and doesn’t have all of the experimental features (like browser thumb controls) as stock Android. But, Samsung is making these tablets very friendly for enterprise buyers and it can run on Verizon’s 4G LTE network.

2. The Amazon tablet

Okay, I realize that this tablet isn’t even out yet (or officially announced, for that matter), but a lot of what makes a tablet useful is not just the tablet itself but all of the services behind the scenes and Amazon is putting all the pieces in place to build its own Android tablet. In fact, it may be better positioned to compete with Apple than any of the other tablet makers because of its strengths in content and cloud computing. Amazon already had the Kindle e-book library and Web-based music and video stores, but in 2011 it has added the Amazon Appstore for Androidand Amazon Cloud Drive. Since Amazon hasn’t made any official announcements yet, this tablet benefits from lots of positive speculation, but the stars are aligning for a formidable tablet product from the world’s e-commerce king. An Amazon tablet that draws on their design experience of the latest Kindle and is priced at under $300 would draw a lot of buyers away from the iPad. Again, although this is speculative, I think the Amazon tablet is destined to be No. 2 in the market by the end of 2011. If you’re thinking about buying a tablet this fall, you may want to wait until you see what Amazon announces.

1. Apple iPad 2

The iPad remains the king of the category and, even with the invasion of an army of challengers, the iPad will retain a commanding market share lead when we get to the end of 2011. It still has too many factors in its favor: dead-simple usability, long battery life, a massive catalog of apps, and a respectable price. The last factor might be the most important. The iPad’s rivals have had a very hard time beating the iPad’s price tag while offering a comparable experience. The iPad 2 doesn’t offer any revolutionary changes over the original iPad. It’s thinner and lighter, has an upgraded processor and display, and adds front and rear cameras. It’s a nice refinement, and with its big advantages in apps and entertainment, it easily has enough value to keep it at the top of this list — even for business users, who want the apps for business tasks and the games and entertainment for plane rides (and to distract the kids once in a while)

Zdnet.com

Video : Windows 8 Explorer Improvements

2011-08-30T05:21:00.001+01:00

Windows 8 Explorer Improvements has been documented in this official Microsoft Video.

Windows8Build

Review: Pandigital Nova $190 Android Tablet

2011-08-29T19:41:00.000+01:00

Earlier this month, Pandigital introduced a new line of tablets based on Google's Android operating system that cost less than $190 each. I've been testing out one of these tablets to get a sense of what consumers can expect. I wasn't impressed. With this tablet, you get what you pay for.

cctwebteam

Samsung Galaxy S II VS iPhone 4

2011-08-29T17:55:00.000+01:00

Samsung on Sunday confirmed that it will be showing an LTE version of the Galaxy S II smartphone, alone with an LTE Galaxy Tab 8.9, at the IFA show in Berlin this week.

The original Samsung Galaxy S II is widely considered to be the closest competitor to Apple's iPhone 4. Support for the high-speed 4G LTE network means the Galaxy S II will have an automatic leg up on the competition, running at speeds that are two to three times faster than the iPhone 4, which is a 3G device.

The device is being hyped as the world’s first LTE/GSM/WCDMA-multi-mode phone, but U.S. customers aren't likely to see it our neck of the woods anytime soon. Products announced at IFA are typically released in Europe first, and a direct port of the LTE Galaxy is unlikely to happen. It does, however, provide U.S. carriers with a host of new features to choose from when dialing in their next U.S. LTE device from Samsung.

The Galaxy S II LTE is an upgrade from the original, unlocked Galaxy S II, which is Samsung's fastest-selling smartphone to date. It will be powered by a 1.5-Ghz dual-core processor, along with a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, 1080p HD video recording, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

Samsung is planning a "major product announcement" in New York on August 30 (postponed a day due to Hurricane Irene), presumably for the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S II in the U.S., which has been available unlocked on AT&T since May.

Verizon is currently America's only major LTE provider, and has already said that it will not be supporting the Galaxy S II. But that doesn't rule out the possibility of an LTE device in the future.

Regardless, the Galaxy S II remains a formidable device in its own right, and the addition of LTE only sweetens the pot. Since we don't know anything definitive about the long-rumored iPhone 5, we've decided to see how the unlocked Galaxy S II and the upcoming Galaxy S II LTE compare to Apple's current category killer, the iPhone 4.

Pcmag.com

Leaked photos of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7

2011-08-28T16:39:00.001+01:00

It has been widely reported that Samsung plans to unveil their next tablet called the Galaxy Tab 7.7 at IFA next week and we may have just landed the first picture of it. While the image above may be blurry, it’s clear that this device mimics the look of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and also uses a 30-pin connector for charging. Why we believe this is different than the 10.1 is simple – take a look at where that charging port is located. On the Tab 10.1, the charging port is on the wide/bottom portion of the body, not on the side/small panel. We have no way to measure the screen size, but given the eye test, it certainly looks smaller.

So what do we know about this tablet? Not much actually. Samsung has been rumored to be making 7″ Super AMOLED Plus displays though, so there is a chance that one of those beauties would grace the face of this new tablet. We’ll know for sure next week when this new tablet is unveiled.

Update: We received a second picture of the device that clearly shows off soft keys. This puppy certainly won’t be running Honeycomb.

Original Post an.droid-life.com

Report : Hurricane Irene will test cell phone networks

2011-08-28T05:02:00.002+01:00

Cbsnews.com

10 Android-specific photography apps

2011-08-27T17:37:00.001+01:00

I'll be the first to admit we owe Android a little love here on Giveaway Tuesdays. We've had a couple challenges that were iOS-specific, but this week's challenge is open to everybody. Whether you're new to taking photos on your Android device, or you're tired of seeing predominantly iOS photography app guides out there, here are 10 Android-specific photography apps for you to peruse and choose from.

1. FxCamera

FxCamera is a basic, free app with the following available filters: ToyCam, Polandroid, Fisheye, SymmetriCam, Warhol and Normal. Check out the flickr group here.

Cost: Free

2. Vignette

A favorite among Android users, Vignette currently offers 84 effects and 59 frames. Play with artistic aging, light flares, Polaroid/instant camera styles, cross-process, tilt-shift, photobooth, double exposure and more. Highly recommended. Check out the flickr group here.

Cost: $4.07 (Free demo version available here)

3. AndroPan

AndroPan allows Android users to take and view panoramic pictures. The app takes a series of photos and stitches them into one large panoramic scene. See sample composites in the app's Facebook album; YouTube screencast here (in French).

Cost: (Appears to be) free

4. Retro Camera

Don't let those Instagrammers tell you you can't do what they do—Meet Retro Camera, the Hipstamatic/Instagram copycat. Take old-school pics utilizing the following features: 5 cameras, 5 sets of vintage vignetting, film scratch, black and white & cross processing effects.

Cost: Free (Retro Camera Plus available for $2.99)

5. Adobe Photoshop Express

Adobe Photoshop Express is a must-have classic—edit and share photos on-the-go by simply accessing your Photoshop.com account. Crop, rotate, adjust color, and add artistic effects.

Cost: Free

6. Photo Tools

Photo Tools is geared toward "professionals and ambitious amateurs". The features are indeed complex, offering tools such as the field of view calculator, minimal shutter-speed calculator, exposure reciprocation calculator, light meter and many more.

Cost: Free

7. PHOforPHO

PHOforPHO is geared toward serious photographers as well. Also free, the tool set is comparable to the features offered by Photo Tools.

Cost: Free

8. PicSay

Like Adobe Photoshop Express, PicSay offers easy photo editing features on-the-go. Color correct, add word balloons, titles, graphics, effects and more.

Cost: Free

9. Camera360

Camera360 is a robust app that offers a variety of both standard and whimsical features. Composite yourself into a movie poster, an art painting, or an advertisement—or take advantage of LOMO and HRDR settings, tilt-shift and more.

Cost: Free or Ultimate ($3.99)

10.Camera Zoom FX

Camera ZOOM FX is highly reviewed, and claims to be the most powerful of the Android photography apps. It offers over 90 effects, 6x digital zoom, flash, voice activation, a variety of shooting modes, and more. Check out their flickr group here.

Cost: $4.88

Businessinsider.com

Leaked Photo of HTC’s Upcoming Windows 7 Phone

2011-08-26T07:08:00.001+01:00

The device is likely to be one of the smartphones that are planned for unveiling at HTC’s press event scheduled for a Sept. 1 release. The HTC Eternity, another Mango-based smartphone, is also rumored to be revealed at the event.

The rumored 3.8-inch Omega will arrive in a white/silver color combination. An aluminum body construction is also expected. The device maybe renamed as HTC Radar upon release.

The first images of HTC’s upcoming Windows 7 Mango-based smartphone, known as HTC Omega, were apparently leaked and picked up by pocketnow.com.

The device is alo rumored to arrive with an 8 MP rear-facing camera with LED flash and a front-facing camera, and will be powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 SoC (likely to be single-core) and include 512MB of RAM. The device is also expected to start the era of Skype integration on Windows Phone 7 devices for video chat.

The other HTC smartphone, Eternity, is rumored to be the higher-end model with a much larger 4.7-inch AMOLED display, pocketnow.com reported.

Previously, images of HTC Android-based Holiday’s prototype were leaked. The device featured a large "CALIFORNIA" sticker on its cover or on the back, which may mean that the device will be released in various parts of the U.S. with different cases.

forum.xd Prototypea-developers.com: HTC Holiday

If the rumored specifications for Holiday are true, then the device will arrive with a 1.2GHz processor, a 4.5-inch qHD display at 960x540 pixel resolution. A "myAT&T" app in one menu suggests the smartphone will be released through AT&T.

Previous rumors said that the device will also have a 1GB RAM and an 8 MP rear and a 1.3 MP front-facing camera.

ibtimes.com

Technology Shots

Consumer Reports gives thumbs up to iPhone 4S

Hands-on preview : Nikon V1

Report : Apple will unveil its next iPhone on Oct. 4

Google Wallet Review

Walkthrough: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 - Android 3.1 Honeycomb

Save 50% Of Your Smartphone's Battery Life With Wi-Fi Scaling

5 things you should know about Facebook's new friend lists

1. Smart Lists group some of your friends automatically

2. Two additional lists let you separate best friends from acquaintances

3. “Restricted” list limits visibility to people such as your boss

4. Lists you already created are still valid

5. Understand List privacy

How to dual boot Windows 8 Developer Preview with Windows 7

Quick Look At Windows 8 New Features

Intel and Google in Android chip-making deal

Review Android tablet that's not an Android tablet : Fusion Garage Grid 10

9/11 Memorial app for iPad and iPhone

Netflix Now Supports Gingerbread, Froyo Phones

6 Ways the Motorola Droid Bionic Is Better Than the iPhone

Acer launches "Aspire S3" Ultrabook

Toshiba launches a Flash Memory Card With Wi-Fi

FlashAir Wi-Fi

Security Concerns?

Sony Tablet P: Hands On

Top 10 tablets of 2011

10. Motorola Xoom

9. BlackBerry PlayBook

8. HTC Flyer

7. Acer Iconia Tab A500

6. HP TouchPad

5. B&N Nook Color

4. ASUS Eee Pad Transformer

3. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

2. The Amazon tablet

1. Apple iPad 2

Video : Windows 8 Explorer Improvements

Review: Pandigital Nova $190 Android Tablet

Samsung Galaxy S II VS iPhone 4

Leaked photos of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7

Report : Hurricane Irene will test cell phone networks

10 Android-specific photography apps

1. FxCamera

2. Vignette

3. AndroPan

4. Retro Camera

5. Adobe Photoshop Express

6. Photo Tools

7. PHOforPHO

8. PicSay

9. Camera360

10.Camera Zoom FX

Leaked Photo of HTC’s Upcoming Windows 7 Phone

2. Vignette