Technology......

Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550 Review

2012-06-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

$549.00

Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550 Review

by Michael A. Prospero on June 6, 2012

Design
Click to EnlargeWhere last year's Samsung Chromebook had more rounded edges, the Series 5 550 is slightly more angular, and looks more like Samsung's other notebooks. Both the lid and deck are made of a silvery gray plastic, not unlike its Series 5 ultrabook. Overall, the aesthetic feels less Google-y: To be sure, the colorful Google logo is still on the lid, but it's smaller than Samsung's chrome logo.
It's not as svelte as an Ultrabook, but it's close. Weighing 3.2 pounds and measuring 11.5 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches, the Series 5 550 fits just as comfortably into a messenger bag as other ultraportables.

Heat
After streaming a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes, the touchpad was a very cool 77 degrees Fahrenheit, the space between the G and H keys was 89, and the middle of the underside was 90 degrees. All are well below what we consider uncomfortable -- 95 degrees.
However, the area toward the back underneath the system, near the vent, registered a highly uncomfortable 122 degrees. For an OS supposedly this light, that's disconcerting, to say the least. After an hour, even the upper right section of the keyboard became noticeably warm, too.

Keyboard
Click to EnlargeThe island-style keyboard on the Series 5 550 was plenty spacious, and the keys offered plenty of travel, more so than the Series 9 ultrabook, in fact. However, we found the keys slightly slippery, as our fingers would slide off them a little too easily. Also, there's no backlighting, but this is a sub-$500 system, so that's no great surprise.
As before, the left Caps Lock button has been replaced with a Search button. However, pressing it merely opens a new browser window. A neater trick would be for it to search not only the Web, but local files as well, a la Spotlight.
In lieu of function keys, the row above the keyboard has Chrome-specific buttons, including back, forward, refresh and full screen. Also here are buttons to control the brightness and volume

Touchpad
Click to EnlargeAt 4.1 x 2.5 inches, the chrome-lined clickpad on the Series 5 is plenty spacious -- larger than the first edition -- especially for a 12-inch system. While two-finger scrolling worked well, the pad lacks multitouch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom. That's a pretty disappointing ommission.

Display
The matte 12.1-inch display on the Series 5 has a resolution of 1280 x 800, the same as the previous version. With an average brightness of 314 lux, the Series 5 outshone the ultraportable average (234 lux) as well as much more expensive systems, such as the Lenovo ThinkPad X230 (240 lux).
The 1080p trailers for "Battleship" and "The Dark Knight Rises" were crisp, with bright colors and few artifacts in darker scenes. Contrast wasn't as high on notebooks with glossy displays, but it's pretty good for the price.

Audio
Click to EnlargeThe speakers on the bottom of the Chromebook Series 5 550 pumped out remarkably loud and good sound -- so long as the notebook was on a hard surface. While it was on our glass coffee table, streaming Bruce Springsteen's "Badlands" over Pandora rang out, with a decent amount of bass, and higher tones weren't distorted, even with the volume maxed out.
As soon as we put the notebook in our lap, though, the song sounded much more muted, with many of the higher notes hard to hear. The same pattern continued when we listened to Eminem's "Love The Way You Lie." There was just so much more definition when the laptop was on our desk.

Ports
Click to EnlargeOn the left side of the Chromebook Series 5 is an Ethernet port, DisplayPort, USB, and a combo headphone/mic jack. On the right side is a second Ethernet port, a 4-in-1 card slot and a Kensington lock slot. The back side of our system also has a SIM card slot. The power jack is also on the left side; we found that you really had to push the plug in firmly, snapping it into place; otherwise, it would fall out easily.

Webcam
Over W-Fi, a Google Hangout chat produced good images on this Chromebook. While our colleague was slightly pixelated, colors were accurate, and sound stayed in sync.

User Interface
Click to EnlargeThe latest version of the Chrome OS (version 19) includes many welcome improvements. The first thing that users will notice is a bona fide desktop, and not just a browser window that fills the screen. This is welcome news not just to us, but to anyone who's familiar with Windows or Mac OS.
Along the left bottom are icons for the Chrome browser, Gmail, Google, YouTube, Google Drive and Apps. The lower right shows the time, the status of your Internet connection, battery level and a little droid icon that, when clicked, lets you adjust settings and log out or turn off the system. We like that you can pin additional apps to the Launcher, but wish you could organize their arrangement.
Any window that is opened in the main area of the desktop can be re-sized or expanded to fill the screen. We wish there was a minimize function, but it's sort of inconsequential, as everything occurs within the browser window.
When you click on the little grid icon, it minimizes the browser window, and brings up a desktop view of all your apps. It's handy to see them all in one place, but there's no way to organize them, such as rearranging their order, placing them in folders, or adding a second page. If you keep adding apps, the icons just get smaller and smaller.

Performance
Unlike the first Series 5 Chromebook, which used a 1.66-GHz dual-core Intel Atom N570 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 16GB SSD hard drive and integrated graphics, the Series 5 550 has an Intel Celeron 867 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 16GB SSD. These kinds of components will more than suffice for browsing the Web, streaming videos and writing documents.
The Series 5 booted in a lightning-fast 12 seconds. That's half the time of most Ultrabooks, and even about five seconds faster than the MacBook Air. Windows opened quickly, and we were able to stream 1080p videos without any issues.
Compared to the original Chromebook, there's a clear boost in performance. On the Peacekeeper benchmark, the Series 5 550 scored 1,830, where the original notched just 473. The Series 5 550 took just 439.8 miliseconds to complete the Sunspider test, nearly a third of the time of the original Chromebook (1136.4 ms).
Using WebGL Aquarium, we averaged between 45 and 60 frames per second with 50 fish and all the effects turned on. That's light-years better than the first Series 5 Chromebook, which could barely manage 4 fps with just one fish, and no background or sunlight.

Offline Access and Cloud Storage
Connectivity remains the Chrome OS's Achilles heel. Without it, the Series 5 550 becomes much less useful. There are about 150 apps, including Google Mail, Docs, Google Play Books, the New York Times and "Angry Birds" that will work without an Internet connection, but considering there are tens of thousands of apps in the Chrome Web Store, it's clear that this is an OS that's only fully functional with the Web.
Google Drive, Picasa and Google Mail each give you 5GB of free cloud storage. Those who need more space can choose from one of nine different plans, which range from 25GB for $2.49 per month, to 16TB for $799 per month.

Google Drive
Chrome OS now supports a much wider range of formats, including Office files, PDF, ZIP and RAR. You can now view documents offline, though the process is a bit cumbersome. Too bad you can't edit them, and then have the changes sync automatically when Internet access is restored. However, Google says offline editing is being rolled out.

File Manager
Click to EnlargeOne of our chief complaints with the first Series 5 was that there was no easy way to view the files on the notebook itself. Googleremedied that somewhat with the File Manager, which lists all your downloaded files in the browser, as well as any in an SD card or USB device. There's still no way to view system files, such as drivers, though.

Photo Editing
The built-in Photo Editor lets you make basic adjustments, such as crop, brightness, and rotate, and lets you share them with Picasa, but it's pretty anemic compared to Picasa or even Google+, both of which offer a wealth of more options, both in terms of editing and sharing.

App Selection
It's not as robust as Google Play, but the Chrome Web Store has tens of thousands of apps, according to Google. Many popular apps can be found, such as Picasa, Pandora, Netflix, "Angry Birds," NYTimes, and Tweetdeck.

Cloud Print
Click to EnlargeAs with the previous Chromebooks, users can print remotely to cloud-ready printers such as HP's ePrint line, or to older printers connected to a computer running Google Chrome.

Remote Desktop
Currently, a beta app in the Chrome Web Store, Remote Desktop lets you access a computer remotely from your Chromebook. Both must be running the Remote Desktop app in the Chrome Web browser, and both must be logged into your Google account. After that, it's a fairly easy setup process that took only a few minutes. Then, after setting up a PIN, which was used to authenticate our connection, our desktop's screen showed up in the Chrome 5's browser window.
Over the same network, there was very little lag as we typed in a word processor, and opened and closed windows and apps. However, you can view only one monitor of your remote desktop at a time, and there's no way to zoom in, so text can appear rather small.

Battery Life
The Series 5 is rated for six hours of continuous use, and 6.5 days on standby. On the LAPTOP Battery Test (web surfing via Wi-Fi with the screen at 40 percent brightness), we were down to 44 percent of our battery after four hours and 17 minutes. If we extrapolate that, it comes out to about 7.6 hours of endurance. That's very good battery life.

3G
Click to EnlargeOur version of the Series 5 550 came with a 3G option through Verizon, which comes with 100MB of free data per month. After that, the connection simply cuts off, instead of charging overage fees. At the very least, we wish it was 4G.
For those who crave everywhere-connectivity, Verizon offers an unlimited day pass for $9.99, and three monthly passes: 1GB for $20, 3GB for $35, and 5GB for $50.
Two-year contract plans include a 2GB/$30 per month, 5GB for $50 per month and 10GB for $80 per month.

Configurations
As mentioned, Samsung offers two versions of the Series 5 550. Our model, which has a 1.3-GHz Intel Celeron 867 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 16GB SSD, as well as a 3G radio, costs $549. The non-3G version, which otherwise has the same specs, costs $449.

Verdict
Click to EnlargeThere's no doubt that the Chrome OS has improved by leaps and bounds. And Samsung's Chromebook Series 5 550 is a pretty slick vehicle for the platform, especially for those who have basic needs. The comfortable keyboard and bright screen are as good as what you'll find on some Ultrabooks, and this machine is certainly faster than its predecessor. However, $449 is a lot to spend on a machine that has limited offline capability.
While it's a different breed of laptop, it's hard to justify spending this much dough on an ultraportable with a Celeron processor and just 16GB of storage when you can get a Dell Inspiron 14z with a second-gen Intel Core i3 processor and a 500GB hard drive for the same price. If the price drops, the Chromebook Series 5 550 will be worthy of stronger consideration, but right now we wouldn't choose this clamshell over a traditional notebook or the iPad.

iPHONE 5s

2012-06-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

Updated New iPhone 5 news, specs, features and more

By Dan Grabham May 29th

Getting ready for the next wave of iPhone excitement

Although widely expected, there was no iPhone 5 in 2011 after all, though the company did announce the iPhone 4S.
So we'll surely see a total revision of the iPhone during 2012. We've gathered together all the latest iPhone 5 rumours to give us a reasonable picture of what Apple's latest handset might be like.

You'll find all the rumours below, but why not check out our iPhone 5 rumours video first?

iPhone 5 release date

iPhone 5 news

Stay up to date on iPhone 5 with our in-depth coverage

Given the pattern of Apple's iPhone launches, we're expecting the next-gen iPhone 5 release date to be mid to late 2012.
It could possibly be shown off at Apple's Worldwide Developer Event (WWDC 2012), which usually takes place in early June - even if the focus of the 2011 event was software. We are expecting iOS 6 and more on OS X Mountain Lion this time around so it could be that hardware is further down the list again.

Apple WWDC 2012: what to expect

We reported in February that the new iPhone would be launched in October, falling into line with the same release schedule from last year, and Macotakara 'sources' confirmed the Cupertino brand would be honouring the same upgrade cycle from now on.
According to analyst Shaw Wu, the Cupertino firm has reduced the number of iPhone orders by 20%-25% for the next quarter ahead of the release.
But rumours have persisted that the iPhone 5 release date is June 2012. It seems Foxconn was even gearing up for that date. Production was reported to be very close in late March 2012.

iPhone 5 form factor

Unlike the iPhone 4S, the new iPhone will be a completely new design from what has gone before, so that means an entirely new casing as we saw with the iPhone 3G and, later, the iPhone 4.

Power up your iPhone

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Interestingly, someone who claimed to have seen a larger iPhone 5 prototype said in November 2011 that Steve Jobs canned the new size and opted for the iPhone 4S. According to Business Insider, it was feared that a new size would create a two-tier iPhone ecosystem.
Beatweek also claimed in November 2011 that the 5-inch was scrapped "because Apple wouldn't be able to do it properly" this year. However, the Daily Mail (make of that what you will) then suggested that a four-inch version was likely and that Sony has already shipped top secret demo screens to Apple.
The Taipei Times reported at the end of May 2012 that Stone Wu, senior analyst at IHS Displaybank, reckons Sony began production of in-cell touch panels back in February, as it readied stock for the next generation of iPhone.

iPhone 5 specs

Based on the roadmap of mobile chip design specialist ARM (of which Apple is a licensee), we'll see a quad-core processor debut in the new iPhone 5 - probably called the Apple A6. We've seen other quad core handsets debut in 2012, so it's not too much of a stretch to say that the iPhone 5 will be the same.

Game on!

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We had expected some kind of help in terms of predicting the iPhone 5 CPU from the launch of the new iPad, but the announcement of a slightly tweaked A5X processor really didn't help things there.
In terms of other specs aside from the screen (more on that below), rumours are persisting that the iPhone 5 may have a new dock connector. Well, it had to happen sometime didn't it?

iPhone 5 will have 4G/LTE support

After the new iPad's launch brought 4G to an Apple device, it's widely expected that 4G will come to iPhone 5. And with many 4G handsets already announced in the US, it can't be long before the iPhone supports 4G technologies - even if we won't even have a UK spectrum auction until late this year or maybe early next.
Because of the 4G fuss over the new iPad in the UK, we'd expect this to be played down in any UK handset - or the UK might get a different version entirely of course.

4G mobile broadband and LTE explained

Steve Jobs' iPhone 5 legacy

Many sites have reported that Steve Jobs was working hard on the iPhone 5 project, which will apparently be a "radical redesign". We shall see... but the fact the iPhone 4S was so similar to the iPhone 4 suggests that Steve was working on something pretty special before

Check out this handy iPhone 5 video detailing the latest rumours on release date, spec and more - so check if out for a quick fix of next-gen Apple fun:

The Wall Street Journal has previously reported that: "Apple is also developing a new iPhone model, said people briefed on the phone. One person familiar said the fifth-generation iPhone would be a different form factor than those that are currently available… it was unclear how soon that version would be available to Verizon or other carriers."
This has since been backed up by reports from Engadget, which state the design will be a 'total rethink'.

iPhone 5 screen

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Top 50 best free iPhone apps 2012

Various sources claim the iPhone 5 will feature a larger, 4-inch screen. Digitimes quotes the source as saying that Apple is expanding the screen size "to support the tablet PC market as the vendor only has a 9.7-inch iPad in the market."
On 23 May 2011, we reported on rumours that the iPhone 5 could feature a curved glass screen. These rumours also came from Digitimes, which said that Apple has purchased between 200 and 300 special glass cutting machines because they're too costly for the manufacturers to invest in.
In March 2012, new reports suggested that the new iPhone 5 would come sporting a larger 4.6-inch retina display, while April rumours even suggested the next iPhone will use new touch technology and will be encased in something called "liquidmetal."
During May, The Wall Street Journal cited sources as saying the device will definitely sport a 4-inch display.

iPhone 5 digital wallet - NFC

There's been some speculation that Apple might include Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in the iPhone 5, turning it into a kind of credit/debit card.

Fully tested

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However, with the tech being inside the Google Nexus S and Samsung Galaxy Nexus, as well as a host of other top smartphones, the time for NFC may finally be here.
On 24 June 2011 it was reported that the Google Wallet mobile payment platform could feature on the new iPhone. Eric Schmidt admitted that Google is looking to port the software to other manufacturers.
However, on 31 January 2012 9to5Mac claimed to have spoken with a well-connected developer who disclosed information received from Apple iOS engineers saying they are "heavily into NFC".
The developer in question has not been named, but is working on a dedicated iOS app which includes NFC reading for mobile transactions. When questioned how confident he was on the information he had received his reply was "Enough to bet the app development on".
On April 30 2012 an Apple patent filing reinforced the idea NFC in iPhone 5.

iPhone 5 camera

Sony makes the camera for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Speaking at a live Wall Street Journal event, Sony's Sir Howard Stringer was talking about the company's camera image sensor facility in Sendai, a town that was recently ravaged by the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami.
According to 9to5Mac, he said something along the lines of, "Our best sensor technology is built in one of the [tsunami] affected factories. Those go to Apple for their iPhones… or iPads. Isn't that something? They buy our best sensors from us."
Sources have also suggested the new iPhone could have an 8MP camera. Indeed, Sony announced in January 2012 that it had developed new back-illuminated stacked CMOS image sensors which are smaller in size.

iPhone 5 price

If the iPhone 5 is an evolutionary step like the move from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S then we'd expect the price to stay more or less the same, although in the UK higher VAT rates may well mean a higher price tag.
It's pretty much nailed on that the new iPhone will cost around £500 for a 16GB / 32GB model (depending on the capacity Apple whacks in there) and unless the iPhone 5 comes with some truly next generation technology that pricing model should hold firm.

iPhone 5 review

TechRadar is renowned for its detailed phone reviews where we look at every aspect of a handset, and we'll be bringing you a full, in-depth iPhone 5 review when we get our hands on one.
As for the name, well it looks like it will be called iPhone 5. Apple has certainly been trying to protect the name iPhone 5 - and has even launched a claim over the iPhone5.com domain name.

The new iPad (3) Review by john V

2012-05-25T14:18:00.001-07:00

Introduction:

Last year we saw a myriad of Android tablets bursting onto the scene in hopes of stealing some glory and thunder from Apple’s pride and joy – the iPad 2. Honestly, some of those offerings, such as the Amazon Kindle Fire and Asus Transformer Prime, have been more memorable than others, but through it all, they all seemed intent on breaking the iPad’s stringent grasp on the market. Despite the onslaught of competition, the iPad 2 remained in relevancy throughout it all, and rightfully so, it maintained itself as the benchmark tablet for all others, mainly for its balanced offering and notoriety.

Unlike the recent iPhone 4S, the third generation iPad is coming onto the scene one year after its predecessor, and boy are there some high expectations surrounding it already, unsurprisingly. Just a little bit over a week ago, Apple unveiled the highly-anticipated new iPad to the awaiting public sporting a very familiar body, but with some intriguing new internals. Indeed,there are some viable alternatives from the current Android camp that can easily manhandle the iPad 2 in the specs department, but with this so-called new iPad, it’s out to once again claim the throne and prove to the masses why it’s the biggest game in town.

Sticking firm to its usual routine, this third-generation iPad follows the same price path as its predecessors, which starts at that golden price of $500 for a base Wi-Fi only model. More importantly, however, it’s packing some impressive specs that will no doubt shake the ground and firmly justify its premium offering – such as a snazzy new high-resolution Retina display, 4G LTE connectivity, upgraded rear camera, and faster processor. With all of the goodies in for the ride, it begs the question if it’s enough to push and set the bar once again? Let’s not delay the inevitable any further people, therefore, here we go!

The package contains:

iPad
USB cable
Wall Charger
Quick Start Guide
Product Safety & Warranty Information

Design:

Hardly a surprising decision, even more when Apple has done it in the past with the iPhone 3GS, and most recently, the iPhone 4S, the new iPad maintains the design characteristics of its predecessor – nearly to the tooth even. Well, to be more specific, it looks just like the iPad 2, but it’s minutely thicker (0.37” thick) and heavier (23 oz). Strangely, there has been a lot of fuss surrounding the increased size, but in all honesty, it’s not that a big of deal, even more when it’s still one streamlined device by today’s standards, although it is not the slimmest tablet out there. In all fairness, it’s an indistinguishable difference from the previous model, but it would’ve been cool if the new iPad was somehow lighter – instead, it’s heavier. When it comes to real world handling, it’s comfortable to grasp with a single hand, though, two-handed operation is the preferable way since fatigue can set in after an extended period of time.


The new iPad maintains the design characteristics of its predecessor

Certainly, some people will dwell endlessly about it, but moving beyond that, we’re still grateful to find the new iPad to exhibit all of the lovable qualities of a top-notch tablet. Specifically, it’s donning the same exact sturdy construction that we’re so fond of seeing with Apple’s portfolio – and to tell you the truth, it’s a comforting sight! Instilling a sense of durability, thanks primarily to its milled aluminum casing and glass-covered display, this is exactly what a solid tablet is all about. Frankly, it’s not something that’s necessarily regarded as a fresh look, but it doesn’t need to be – well, that’s because it employs an established iconic look.

Part of its iconic appearance, the only indentation found on its display is the recognizable home button we’re all so familiar with. Exhibiting that expected springy response, there’s no accidental presses whatsoever with it. On the complete opposite end, is the same exact VGA camera from before perched above the display, which will handle all of our FaceTime needs. More on its quality later on.


Home button		Front camera

Everything else around the sides are identical to the tooth, meaning, we’re again greeted with a dedicated power button, mute switch, volume control, 3.5mm headset jack, 30-pin dock connection port, and microphone.


Power button	Volume control

Around the rear, shutterbugs will be extremely happy to find a respectable 5-megapixel auto-focus camera sans flash – now dubbed the iSight camera. Instead of that despicable camera from before, this one is already shaping out to be a welcome replacement because its sensor features backside illumination and a F2.4 aperture lens. In fact, this is exactly what’s found with its iPhone 4S sibling (save for the 8MP sensor), so yeah, it’s a nice improvement – though, there is still some awkwardness snapping photos with a tablet in public.


Back	The 5-megapixel iSight camera

Lastly, it doesn’t get much notoriety amongst other things, but the same micro dots line the lower left corner of the milled aluminum casing, thus, shielding the iPad’s internal speaker.

Display:

From a cursory look, there are hardly any recognizable differences to the eye between this and its predecessor, but that seemingly changes the moment we turn on its 9.7-inch IPS LCD display, and tune our attention to its wicked high resolution. Mind-boggling to say the least, it’s downright crazy to even fathom how they managed to produce such a panel, especially when it has double the resolution of the iPad 2 at 2048 x 1536. Very recently, we’ve been tickled about seeing some upcoming tablets sporting 1080p displays, but Apple simply blindsided everyone with the iPad’s triumphant Retina display. Even more impressive is the fact that we haven’t seen the commercial launch of 1080p displays on tablets.

So how detailed is this thing? It’s remarkable like nothing else before we’ve seen on a tablet! To put it into perspective, the iPad has the ubiquitous title of having the highest resolution display on any mobile device on the market, though technically, it’s not close to taking the coveted title of having the highest pixel density (264 ppi). Still, for a tablet, it’s one impressive feat! Walking the walk, it’s higher than most PC displays and high-definition televisions – so yes, it’s a bold statement on its own. Honestly, you can’t even distinguish a single pixel on this display, and in the end, it’s undeniably one of the sharpest displays our eyes have been fortunate to ever see. Everything seems to jump at us, draw our attention, and ultimately, we’re overjoyed with the results.



Viewing angles

Closeups- the new iPad vs iPad 2 display pixel density

Detail aside, the IPS LCD panel delivers the same results that we’re accustomed to seeing at this point. Being complementary, it radiates wholesomely thanks to the accurate looking colors it’s able to produce, essentially giving our eyes yet another thing to drool over. In fact, Apple makes the bold claim of it being 40% more saturated with its tones, and right on the dot, our eyes justify that remark as it’s visibly evident that it’s punchier. Rounding out its prowess, it sports the same lovable wide viewing angles and high contrast to maintain its clarity even with demanding situations when using it outdoors under the sun.


The IPS LCD panel is able to produce accurate looking colors

So where does this rank amongst all other things? Actually, it’s a benchmark like no other, seemingly blowing off the covers of what we believed to be impossible not too long ago. No longer are we going to fancy over devices gearing up to offer 1080p displays, but rather, the iPad establishes what it means to have a snazzy looking display. Therefore, whether it’s reading or watching videos, the Retina display of the iPad is a bundle of joy that’s sure to keep the competition at bay. Yup, it’s in a league of its own.

iPhone 4S Review

2012-05-25T14:08:00.003-07:00

Introduction:

Talk about a long time in the making, especially when the iPhone 4 established itself as one of the most indelible smartphones in the last year alone, but close after a year and a half of being on the market, we’re finally seeing its successor in the long awaited Apple iPhone 4S. Just like what we saw with the iPhone 3GS in the past, the iPhone 4S is nothing more than an incremental upgrade. Donning a near replica of its predecessor’s design, most of the smartphone’s juicy new features are found internally as its packs a dual-core processor, upgraded 8-megapixel camera, support for CDMA & GSM connectivity, and its innovative Siri intelligent assistance service.

There’s no kidding that many people were hoping for something more next-generation, even more when Apple’s rivals have been cranking out some quality smartphones that push the envelope with today’s technology. In any event, there’s this magical aura of some sort surrounding the handset that entices us to fancy over it no matter what. For starters, we truly adore that the three national carriers are carrying it, which is sweet considering there are more options now than ever, but it’ll need to really excel in execution and performance to keep it shining brilliantly in this fierce landscape. With that lengthy wait, does the iPhone 4S still have the perfect ingredients to stand firm amongst the competition?

The package contains:

Apple iPhone 4S
USB cable
Wall Charger
Stereo Headphones
Apple Decals
Quick Start Guide
Important Product Information Guide

Design:

Generally, the first thing to capture our attention with any device is its looks, but seeing that the iPhone 4S utilizes a rehashed design, we’re not that compelled this second time around. Rather, we’re accepting of its solid construction and premium feel, but it’s essentially the same phone that we know and love. However, the only subtle difference found with the iPhone 4S is the new arrangement with its antenna design – though, the details to it are almost negligible. Of course, we adore the glass like plates that are sandwiched together with its brushed stainless steel band, which utterly aids the handset in retaining its premium feel. Yet, our mind tells us that the handset wouldn’t handle even the smallest of drops to the pavement – so yeah, you might want to be careful with it.


The Apple iPhone 4S utilizes a rehashed design

You can compare the Apple iPhone 4S with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

Last year, we were completely blown away by the Retina Display since there was nothing remotely close in producing its sharp details and realistic colors. Not surprisingly, we’re not as impressed this time because we find the same old 3.5” IPS display that’s featured with last year’s model. Nevertheless, its high resolution of 640 x 960 and screen size provides the perfect combination in giving us a wicked pixel density of 326 PPI – thus, making even the tiniest of text more than discernible to the naked eye. In an age where saturated color production appears to be what enthralls people initially, we still adore the realistic and natural looking colors dished up by the Retina Display. Add in its high contrast ratio and wide viewing angles, we’re able to effortlessly see everything on-screen without a pinch of degradation to its quality.



We find the same old 3.5” IPS display that’s featured with last year’s model

Of course, this wouldn’t be an iPhone if it doesn’t pack that iconic home button below its display, which is tactile with its response, but it also executes functions to get toggle the multi-tasking pane and activate Siri. Meanwhile, a front-facing 0.3-megapixel VGA camera sits close to the earpiece to offer us the convenient features of FaceTime – or simply snap some self-portraits.


Front	The iconic home button	Front-facing camera

Just like before, all of the handset’s buttons, switches, and ports are found in their usual locations. These include the separated volume controls, vibrate switch, dedicated power button, noise cancellation microphone, 3.5mm headset jack, microSIM card slot, speaker, regular microphone, and its proprietary dock port.


Charging port and speakers (bottom)	Mute and volume keys (left)	3.5 mm jack and power key (top)

Turning it over, the other major upgrade to the iPhone 4S is found with its higher 8-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash, which features backside illumination and a larger f2.4 aperture. Meaning, it’s supposed to offer superior performance with low lighting shots – we’ll be the judge of that later on.


The Apple iPhone 4S has an upgraded 8-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash

Apple iPhone 4S View:

How To Improve Laptop Battery Life: Bloatware and Automatic Updates by jerry jackson

2012-05-25T13:58:00.003-07:00

Uninstall Bloatware
Right out of the box, almost all notebooks have superfluous software installed by the manufacturer to add "value" to your new PC. Translation: most new PCs come loaded with bloatware (AKA crapware) which doesn't need to be installed on your computer. While some of these applications aren't causing any problems (other than wasting storage space on your hard drive) some of these applications are setup to automatically run in the background when you start Windows and in some cases they use your wireless network to check for updates and download alerts.
Bloatware can be a touchy subject since some people like having these extra applications that check for updates to DVD playback software or checks for the latest accessory deals from the laptop manufacturer. It's ultimately up to you to decide whether you want to uninstall the "extras" that came pre-installed on your laptop.
A Few More Changes To Windows
In addition to the typical bloatware, most new PCs come with the following processes running in the background ... all of which eat up precious CPU cycles and trash your hard drive. You might find some of these processes helpful, but if you are trying to squeeze out every possible minute of battery life from your laptop then keep reading.
Automatic Updates: You should keep your system up to date with the latest Windows updates, this should be done at your own leisure if you care about battery life. The best time to update Windows is obviously when you're connected to a power outlet. To disable automatic updates, go into your Control Panel and click on "Windows Update". In the next window click on "change settings" on the left side, and make your way to the next screen. Now change your selection to "Never check for updates", and click OK. Please note that this may make your system vulnerable if you don't manually check for updates on a regular basis.
Windows Indexing: Windows disk indexing helps to reduce search times when trying to find a particular file on your hard drive, but will wreak havoc on your battery life in the process. To disable indexing, open "My Computer" and right click on your hard drive. On the first screen that shows up, uncheck "Index this drive for faster searching". You will need to proceed through a few prompts, as well as clicking "ignore all" if prompted. This may take quite a bit of time depending on how full your drive is.
Anti-Virus Software: AV software is a huge performance hog both when searching for viruses and when updating virus definitions. On the other hand, your AV software can also be a life saver depending on what type of sites your visit or what sorts of files you encounter. If you are a very careful and savvy PC user then you can steer clear of harmful sites and files and may not need any AV software. Be warned that removing AV software from your system is risky and should be done at your own discretion. If you've had a number of virus problems in the past then do NOT consider removing your anti-virus software.
If you are running anti-virus software then you might want to make sure the automatic updates and virus scans aren't scheduled to take place when you're running on battery power.
The next step of this guide requires you to use the Task Scheduler and disable a few services that your computer runs in the background while you are using your laptop. This can be accessed by going into your program list, then Accessories, then System Tools, finally clicking Task Scheduler.
In the list of Active Tasks, the following items cause the most unwanted activity in the background. To disable any of these items, double click the selection which will take you to another screen listing more details on that activity. Now all you need to do is right click the item, and click disable to stop it from bothering you in the future.
Consolidator: This runs in the background for the Customer Improvement Program. Not a major power draw but it's something you can turn off
Scheduled Defrag: Defragments your hard drive, and will bog down your system in the process. I handle this at my own leisure instead of letting the system schedule it weekly.

Conclusion
You can extend the amount of run time on your laptop's battery by hours in some cases simply by following this guide and being mindful of the software you are using on your laptop. Even when not increasing battery life, many of these tweaks help improve system performance, and many times make your old laptop feel like a speed demon again. You can keep that old laptop and save it from the landfill for another year.
Your laptop is more like you than you might think: The harder you work, the more energy you lose. If you can find the right balance between resting (being idle) and doing all the things you want to do with your laptop you'll be amazed at how long your battery will keep running.

2012-05-25T13:44:00.001-07:00

Performance:

The 1GHz TI OMAP 3630 chipset does a respectable job at making sure MeeGo keeps up with everything we throw at it. At times we opened in excess of 17 apps with little in the way of stuttering. At other times however, with 2 or 3 apps open the Nokia N9 hung, froze or took its sweet time to open a new application. Inconsistencies in behaviour remind us that the MeeGo is still in its infancy. This doesn't kill the Nokia N9 experience, but does sully it somewhat, especially when considering the uncertainty behind support for this platform over the coming years.

Call quality on the Nokia N9 wasn't the crispest we've experienced, though is by no means poor. The active noise cancellation does its job, and the person on the other end sounds audible, if ever so slightly soft. The feedback we received from the other end when talking on the N9 was that a good sound was produced, volume and clarity are all above average. With good reception, the Nokia N9 confidently offers both solid smarts and acommendablephone.

With the non-removable 1450 mAh battery stated to last 11 hours while talking and 16 days standby, the Nokia N9 manages to put other smartphones to shame. While real-world results produced a full day to day with chat logged in, if you need to preserve juice, switching off connections can get the handset through two days - something most smartphones can only dream of.

Conclusion:

Is MeeGo a viable OS? Is the Nokia N9 design up to scratch? Is the new camera good enough? The resounding answer is yes, bittersweet though it may be. MeeGo ordains Nokia's impeccable hardware with a form fitted OS, one that could even challenge the major players on the usability stakes and before we can celebrate, we must commemorate. For any Nokia fans out there considering this, you get our recommendation. However, from a practical stance, for a day to day consumer who wants to buy into an ecosystem rich in apps and development, the grass may well be greener on the other side. If you, like us, have fallen in love with the Nokia hardware, but the N9 won't be available in your market, you may want to consider an upcoming Nokia Windows Phone, which would eventually spor a similar chassis and Microsoft's better-supported OS.

Nokia N9 Video Review:

Camera, Multimedia and Connectivity. [N9 review] k basil

2012-05-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

Camera:

With Huge shoes to fill, looking at specs alone and the Nokia N9 trails behind its older brother, the N8. The sensor's down from 12MP to 8MP while the Xenon flash has been dropped in favor of a dual LED flash. That said, working in the Nokia N9's favour is the fixed minimum aperture of f2.2 in contrast to the N8's f2.8, and the slightly wider angled 26mm focal length.

Specs aside, and the performance of the Nokia N9 camera is very solid indeed. Detail levels are good, dynamic range is respectable and color is for the most part accurate, though at times the exposure and white balance needs a helping hand. Our only niggle is in relation to the auto-focus and the camera UI. The camera fires very quickly, sometimes before it even get a chance to focus. This is both a blessing and a curse, with quick capture but occasionally soft picture.Touch to focus also proved unreliable, not playing nice in macro and locking occasionally, while the UI is heavily menu driven. We would have liked shortcuts or an HTC style corrections on the fly approach.


Camera interface

We managed to get some cracking atmospheric shots using this phone, with macro shots getting decent depth of field while wider shots absorbed a scene. That the Nokia N9 can handle noise pretty well really helps if you're into your sunsets and nights out.


Outdoor samples


Strong	Medium	Low light	Low light with flash
Indoor samples

Sadly, video capture doesn't deliver the quality we would have hoped for. With 720p recording, it's already slightly behind the competition, however, the artifacting, muted colours and shortage of clarity and detail are what stop the Nokia N9's video output from complementing some rather impressive optics. For casual video however, it is passable, and as you can see from the clip, the touch to focus during the video itself tends to work very well indeed.

This firmly places the Nokia N9's camera in the upperechelon of still photo snappers, however if video's your bag, watch our sample before committing your hard earned cash.

Nokia N9 Sample Video:

Multimedia:

After you've spent hours creating content, you'll want to consume it, and the Nokia N9 has everything you'll need to do just that.

Starting with the music player and Nokia have decided to lock everything into portrait orientation. This works perfectly for one handed usage and keeps in-line with the simplicity of the OS.The main screen offers you a 3x3 grid of recently played album artwork in the upper half, while in the lower half are standard playback options such as artist, album, songs, playlist and ovi music. Playback quality is definitely above average, with impressive volume and clarity. Tracks retained a good amount of bass as well, giving the N9's audio output a nice rounded quality.


Music player		Ovi music store

Video playback

In its native WVGA resolution, video support is good for H.263, MPEG4, H.264 BP/MP, WMV9 / VC-1 and Mkv formats. Sadly, at 720p, rvrn MP4 support wasn't reliable. While the Nokia N9 manages to play captured HD content well, MP4 video podcasts and YouTube rips fail to playback smoothly.Once your video is playing however, the Nokia N9 comes into its own. The Clear Black AMOLED display caresses your senses while the immersive audio quality is the icing on the cake, making the video playback a real treat.

Connectivity:

The onboard penta-band 3G and quad-band GSM makes the Nokia N9 an ideal phone for traveling – it is even usable in T-Mobile USA's 3G network. The pre-installed Nokia maps with GPS allow for free navigation. The handset also has your usual, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, not to mention NFC which is something we don't see all that often.


Nokia Maps

Web browsing is a very positive experience on the Nokia N9 thanks to a zippy browser and intuitive interaction. Multi-touch pinch to zoom works a treat while pages load quickly and are browsable while loading. The browser doesn't support Flash, and this probably has a lot to do with the smoothness of the experience, however you do get HTML 5 support.

The Nokia N9 gives users the ability to easily tether Wi-Fi which we're delighted to see. The GPS also works well, locking on when outdoors in a matter of moments with the AGPS, and from cold in about 30 seconds.


Web browsing is a very positive experience on the Nokia N9

Interface and Functionality-N9 contd

2012-05-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

Interface:

The beauty of MeeGo is its simplicity. The OS is comprised of 3 screens, a fixed notifications bar at the top and hardly any layers. Screen one is a four column view of your apps. Screen two, multi-tasking, providing thumbnails of open-apps. Finally, the third screen offers a dashboard of Twitter and Facebook feeds while also indicating notifications and weather. Journeying between screens is achieved by a horizontal swipe, with all three screens cycling through a loop, so you always have somewhere to go whichever way you swipe.

Screen one, the apps screen is single layered, so no folders in sight. It looks neat and clean while allowing for basic customization. With a long press, all the app icons gray out, with small crosses appearing next to specific apps. This grayed out screen enables re-ordering or uninstalling of apps

The second screen, multi-tasking displays a thumbnail of each open application. These can be scrolled through, tapped on for quick access or long-pressed for further options. These options allow you to close windows one by one, or close all.

The final screen in MeeGo's minimalistic arsenal involves updates. These include both Twitter and Facebook, with the option of including news articles from the pre-installed AP Mobile news app. There is the option to display either 50, 100, 200 or 500 items with an update interval ranging from 10 minutes through to 24 hours.

The notification band at the top of the display indicates battery, network, Wi-Fi, Facebook chat / Gtalk status and time. This can be expanded by a tap, allowing you to select a profile, choose your chat status and your Wi-Fi connection.


Apps	Multi-tasking	Feeds

The locking mechanism on the Nokia N9 takes full advantage of the physical convex quality of the screen. It requires a two stage unlock, firstly, a double tap or press of the unlock button. Second, an edge to edge swipe across the sleek fascia, with the tapering edges indicating that at the end of your swipe, you have indeed reached your destination.

All this talk of swiping alludes to the final point to note about MeeGo's UI: managing windows. With any window other than a main screen open, a swipe from bottom edge to top edge, or either horizontal edge across will send the application to the multi-tasking pane, and send you to a main screen. If you wish to close an app completely, simply swipe down.

This step by step explanation goes to indicate the beautiful simplicity of MeeGo, at its heart, it's an operating system that's easy to get to grips with, looks charming and adopts gestures more fundamentally than any other major mobile OS before it, with the exception of perhaps HP WebOS. While it can jitter and slow down, and there are a few kinks to iron out in terms of functionality (swipe up won't close video player), had we not already known MeeGo's future, we would have anticipated it to be very promising.

Functionality:

As far as key phone tools, the dialer and phone functionality works well. Every button, icon and drop down menu is touch optimized and looks charming. Adding a contact is a piece of cake and the Nokia N9 synchronized easily with our Google contacts. Unfortunately, the calendar wasn't so easy to sync, but sill performs well, with a split panel view and attractive UI.


Phonebook	Adding a new contact	Calendar

Messaging on the Nokia N9 is a treat. The keyboard offers amongst the best haptic feedback you're going to experience, while the keyboard in landscape is well laid out and easy to get to grips with. The portrait QWERTY is a touch thin for comfortable thumb typing, though we got used to it pretty quickly.

There is support for a range of accounts, with the aforementioned Facebook and Twitter integration also coming in the form of fully functioning apps. There is also support for Skype, Flickr, Picasa, Youtube, and other accounts such as mail for exchange.


Messaging	Accounts	Facebook

There are also a range of other useful applications on the N9, such as notes, document viewer, RSS feeds, AccuWeather and AP Mobile, not to mention some pre-installed games, including trials of Angry Birds, Galaxy on Fire 2, Need for Speed Shift and Real Golf 2011. Finally, MeeGo also sports a useful search function that enables you to trawl the entire phone for whatever it is you're after.

As far as the market experience goes, Ovi Store is sorely lacking. We were able to find a screenhot app and some additional new apps, however this isn't the handset to buy if you're looking for an engaging app experience. In the Nokia N9's defence however, most of what you'll ever need is pre-installed on the device.


RSS Feeds	AccuWeather	AP Mobile

Nokia N9 Review by Basit K

2012-05-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

Introduction:

The Nokia N9 was hottly anticipated and yet, sadly, this illusive handset won't be widely available to the majority of you readers. Simply put, when we hold the Nokia N9 in our hands, we're holding a piece of history. MeeGo, the culmination of decades of Nokia mobile software development, is now offically canceled So why are we reviewing the Nokia N9?

The hardware, both an evolution of the critically acclaimed Nokia N8 and an insight into what we might expect with the next chapter of Nokias. With its edgy plastic build, 1GHz processor, 3.9" AMOLED screen, 8MP camera and not least of all, MeeGo, the enigmatic Nokia N9 is both a proud tribute to yesterday and an optimistic insight into Nokia's tomorrow.

Design:

Undoubtedly, Nokia has churned out some fantastic hardware in recent years. Take the N8 and E7, respectively at the top of their game when it comes to product design with beautiful annodised alluminum chasis' and confident, bold shapes that just work in the hand, in the pocket and to the eye. We therefore have high expectations from the Nokia N9's AMOLED bevelled glass display,high-grade coloured plastic encasing,not to mention the slab's abundance of personality.


Nokia have played to their strengths with their N9's design

You can compare the Nokia N9 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

3.9-inch Clear Black AMOLED

Beginning with the display, even before you set a finger upon the Gorilla Glass, as the light bounces off the beveled edges, the Nokia N9 begins to come into its own. With the phone locked, the convex beveling accentuates the natural curves of the device, while the deep, AMOLED black screen gives way to a light, typographic time display.

Double tap the screen to reveal the wallpaper, our chosen being a beautiful bokehing of light against a dark backdrop. At WVGA resolution, this 3.9" Clear Black AMOLED display delivers a crisp, vibrant image, and accurate colour with the wallpaper looking every bit as evocative as you might hope.

Interacting with the curved glass is a sensory treat, slick, smooth and contoured for an edge to edge recess with every swipe. All in all, a definite highpoint of the Nokia N9. The one criticism we would have relates to viewing angles.Tilt the device a few degrees and a blue hue takes hold, so while detail retains its integrity, color unfortunately doesn't.

The Nokia N9 can be rested flat or stood up in portrait thanks to its dramatic flat top and bottom sides. Pick up the handset and there's no cold, steely reception. Instead, the Nokia N9 greets with a nostalgic, reassuring room temperature warmth. In the face of the plastic casing, the phone feels thoroughly modern and solid. Maserfully crafted, curvaceous, laden with flush elements and a minimalistic, buttonless fascia, the Nokia N9's design comes together harmoniously and with intent.

Hidden on bezel below the screen: the front facing camera (strange, isn't it). On the right side is the volume rocker and lock/power button, at the base, the loudspeaker and on the top-side, the microSIM card slot, the hinged micro USB cover and 3.5mm headphone jack. On the back of the Nokia N9 lies the 8MP camera with dual LED flash. There is no removable battery or expandable memory which is unfortunate, though given the strong design, we can see why Nokia made this decision.


Back side


The speaker at the bottom	The microSIM slot and USB at the top	Left side

Simple, engaging and playful.Nokia have played to their strengths with their N9's design. Available in three colors, black, cyan and magenta, all finished to the highest degree, if you care about how what you pull out of your pocket looks, then you'll revel in revealing your Nokia N9. From an ergonomic point of view, the handset also feels rich, and sits well in the hand. The bottom right hand corner may be a tad edgy forprolongedcomfort against a palm, however for standard use, this handset is at the top of its game.