Trends For Today

Tent Camping Tips and Advice

2012-09-15T16:32:00.002-07:00

1	The early bird gets the best campsite. Arrive as early as possible, walk or drive around to check out all the options, find your perfect campsite (the one with the least compromises) and get things set up. Ideally, you can have dinner, clean up and relax before dark. Places to Avoid: Narrow canyons, which pose a risk of flash floods Open fields, where a lone tent can attract lightning Clay soils, which drain poorly and get messy in rain Cliffs and ledges, which can’t be seen at night Stagnant water, which is often home to biting insects
2	Pack items that have multiple uses. A light poncho, for example, packs easy and can be used as a rain jacket, a windbreaker, a ground cloth or a mosquito shield.
3	Save those little canisters your film comes in. They’re the perfect size for keeping essentials like aspirin and matches dry.
4	Wear comfortable shoes. Really comfortable shoes. That short hike to the top of the hill can turn into an endless journey back to camp if you’re fighting a blister.
5	Pack a pair of polypropylene long johns. Even in the summer. They don’t absorb moisture, they dry fast and wick water and sweat away from your body. Pull them on if a sudden storm blows in or if you get cold sleeping. Or, if you tip your canoe and are/ waiting for your pants to dry out.
6	Dress in layers. You can peel them off or pile them on as the temperature rises or falls or your physical activity increases or decreases.
7	Pack clothing in trash bags. The bags keep clothes dry in wet or humid weather and can double as laundry bags or makeshift ponchos in a pinch.
8	Plan a menu and bring menu-specific measured items to save time and space. For example, measure all of the dry ingredients for pancakes and pack them in a covered container. When you’re ready to cook add the wet ingredients, put the lid on and give it a shake to mix it up. But remember, and this is important, label the containers.
9	Pack insulated mugs with lids. They keep hot beverages hot, cold beverages cold, and insects out of everything.
10	Invest in a solar-heated camp shower. This mini shower can double as a faucet and is ideal for dish rinsing and hand washing.
11	Partially unzip the upper window in your tent to remove unwanted moisture and condensation from perspiring sleepers. On muggy nights, also zip open a lower window to draw cooler air through to create a chimney effect.
12	Firewood may be scarce where you are camping, so pick up a few bundles before you head to the campsite.
13	Even if you forget everything else, remember to pack the can opener and the toilet paper. The rest is secondary.
14	Clean up when you leave. Take away everything you brought. And anything else that shouldn’t be there.
15	If you know there are animals in your area, you may consider hanging your food from a nearby tree. You'll need rope to tie to the container, and try to find a sturdy limb at least twelve feet in the air. If not, put your food containers inside your car at night. Be sure that no food whatsoever is kept in your tent. And don't feed the animals around your campsite.
16	If you camp with your pets, remember to be considerate of those camping around you. Keep them away from others, quiet and clean up after them promptly.
17	Be sure your site is at least 200 ft. away from the nearest water source
18	Clean up when you leave. If you brought it with you, be sure to take it with you when you head for home. As a rule, you should leave the campsite looking better than it was when you arrived.

Source : http://www.coleman.com/tenttips/

Tent Buying Guide Part 3

2012-08-25T18:39:00.001-07:00

Tent Features

Tents can include several features in how it is assembled and finished. Many of these features affect how well you'll be protected from the elements. Other thoughtful features can add a little more civilization to your camping trip.

Water-resistant coating - Tent fabrics are generally a polyester material coated with a polyurethane coating (PU) to allow for water resistance while allowing breathability. You may see numbers on some tents such as 600mm PU coating or 800mm coating. Basically, the higher the number, the greater the water resistance and rain protection.
Taped seams - In theory, anywhere there is a seam or a stitch hole, there is the possibility for water to seep through. A taped seam is coated or "taped" with additional waterproof material to prevent water from leaking through the seams. For tents that do not have taped seams, you can purchase and apply a Seam Sealer to interior seams for extra protection.
Welded floors - A woven tarpaulin style floor (polyethylene) stitched to a tent faces the same challenge as other seams—where there is a seam or stitch holes, water could potentially leak in. Tents with welded floors have seams that have been "heat welded" together instead, eliminating stitch holes and possible leak points. Some premium tents may have nylon floors which are water resistant, softer to the touch, lightweight and easily compactable.

In any case, it's always a good idea to put a ground sheet under your tent and make sure your tent is setup on level higher ground. Ground sheets also keep your tent clean and protect your floor from twigs and stones, extending the life of your tent.

TIP: Ensure that your ground sheet is slightly smaller than the footprint of your tent. If it sticks out from under your tent, it could actually channel water under your tent in a rainstorm, defeating its purpose. Some premium tents come with their own custom-fitted ground sheet or "footprint".

Rainflies - Rainflies provide additional water protection in rainy weather. These roof coverings fit on the top of the tent and act as an umbrella while still allowing for airflow. Even though tents have waterproof walls, the larger the fly, the more rain protection it offers. Tents will sometimes be categorized as a "cap" or roof-only fly, 1/2 fly, 3/4 fly or full fly. This refers to how far the fly reaches down the side of the tent. Full fly tents offer the best protection and are great for spring, summer, fall and even winter camping.
Aluminized rainflies - Aluminized rainflies provide additional protection from the elements. They have a silver look on one side and help to reflect the sun's rays, providing UV protection and deflecting heat. This helps to keep the inside of the tent cooler during the day and keeps the heat in at night.
Temperature Regulation & Ventilation - For maximum comfort, look for tents with options for controlling temperature and airflow through windows and vents. The more mesh, the better your airflow but you also want to make sure you can zip up the windows and vents and roll down the fly on cooler nights.

TIP: Warm air rises. On humid nights, open both an upper vent or window and a lower vent to allow cooler air to flow in the tent at the bottom while allowing the warmer air to escape through the top.

Other Tent Features

Combo packages generally include a tent, 2 chairs and 2 sleeping bags. These are great value starter kits that simplify your purchase decision.
Mudmats provide a place to take off muddy footwear outside the tent.
Vestibules allow for additional storage for your gear. Tents with large vestibules can even provide a place for sitting in the shade.
Screenrooms provide an open-air sitting area with bug protection.
Lighting systems are convenient to provide area lighting or night lighting in your tent while freeing up valuable floor space.
Electrical cord ports allow for convenient, dry and bug-free access for an extension cord to run electrical appliances in your tent. Always use an outdoor rated electrical cord.
Integrated guy line stuff sacks with trip flags are featured on most Broadstone tents. These stuff sacks allow for neat and tidy storage of the guy lines when not in use and provide high-visibility flags to alert you of tripping hazards when the guy lines are extended.
Drink holders and organizer pockets are great for keeping your tent neat and organized.
Gear lofts provide additional storage space on the tent ceiling to keep the floor of your tent clear and uncluttered.
Storage closets also provide tidy tent organization.
Multiple room dividers come with some larger tents to allow you to divide the space up into multiple rooms for privacy.

Warranty: most tent manufacturers require you to take your tent home and set it up within a period of time to inspect it for any defects prior to use. Once used, most tents have a repair-only warranty. Manufacturer's warranties will vary by brand and can be anywhere from 1 year to limited Lifetime warranties.

Tent Buying Guide Part 1 - Tent Buying Guide Part 2 - Tent Buying Guide Part 3

Sources :http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/ResearchCentre/TentGuide.jsp?locale=en

Tent Buying Guide Part 2

2012-08-25T18:35:00.001-07:00

Tent Styles

There are two elements that can be used to describe a tent's style: its shape and how it is set up. While the two are related, don't expect one shape of tent to always set up the same way.

Cabin vs. Dome tents: Most tents are either of these two traditional styles.

Dome tents can often be easier to set up but are generally lower profile. While they have less headroom than Cabin tents, a low profile makes Dome tents sturdy and stronger in high winds.
Cabin tents generally have walls that are vertical rather than sloped, providing more headroom—often enough to stand up. This also makes them easier to get in and out of. Family cabin-style tents may also have built-in vestibules, screenrooms or storage space.

Setting up Your Tent

While most tents are pretty straightforward to set up, some may require more than one person. Always be sure to read the Owner's Manual before setting up the tent to ensure a smooth setup and to avoid damaging the tent.

It's a good idea to do a practice run at home before taking your tent out for the first time. Not only will this help familiarize you with the process, but it will allow you to inspect your tent for any issues or missing parts before your trip.

Look for these additional features that can make tent setup even easier:

Colour-coded poles and sleeves - This colour coding takes the guesswork out of tent assembly, helping you easily match which pole goes into which sleeve.
Hub and pole system - Some tents, such as the Broadstone Easy-Up system, use an integrated pole design which doesn't require any pole assembly. The poles are pre-assembled inside the sleeves with locking joints and use a central hub system. You just lay out the tent, pull up the frame and lock into place.
Pop-up tents - These tents set up in literally seconds. Pop-up tents are spring-loaded, and feature a tension-based fibreglass rod frame sewn into the tent. The tent is packed with the frame coiled into a hoop. Just take off the security band and toss the tent in the air. The tent will pop right open. Stake it down, and you're done.

TIP: Bring a small mallet with you camping to help tap tent pegs into hard ground

Tent Buying Guide Part 1 - Tent Buying Part 2 - Tent Buying Guide Part 3

Sources : http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/ResearchCentre/TentGuide.jsp?locale=en

TENT BUYING GUIDE Part 1

2012-08-25T18:30:00.002-07:00

Whether you're going camping for a weekend with the family or on a month-long backwoods adventure, the right tent can make all the difference between fun and frustration.

The information on these pages will help you answer some basic questions you need to consider before you buy a tent. It also will help you understand the different tent styles, and includes information on tent features that can help you stay dry and comfortable.

Basic Questions

There are a few simple questions you need to consider before looking at tents. Knowing the answers will help you quickly narrow the field, so you can spend more time looking at the styles and features that will make a real difference in your camping adventure.

How Many Campers Will Sleep in the Tent?

As a general rule, it's wise to buy a tent rated for 2 people more than will actually sleep in it. A 2-person tent will sleep 2 adults, but it won't include much room to move around or store gear—a 4-person tent would be better suited to give you room for yourselves and your gear.

If you'll have a bigger group, you'll need more space, so look for tents with vestibules and screen houses. For extra privacy, look at 2-room tents that divide the sleeping area. Most tents will show the tent floor plan and maximum sleeping configuration right on the packaging.

How Will You Transport the Tent?

If you're driving right to your campsite, the bulk and weight of your tent may not be a concern. However, if you're backpacking, biking or canoeing, you'll want to travel light and should consider a smaller, compact tent with lightweight aluminium poles. Most tents state their weight on the packaging.

What is Your Budget?

Like many things, you get what you pay for in a tent. A more expensive tent will incorporate better materials, waterproofing, fly coverage and other features that can make camping comfortable and convenient.

Tent Buying Guide Part 1 - Tent Buying Guide Part 2 - Tent Buying Guide Part 3

Sources : http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/ResearchCentre/TentGuide.jsp?locale=en

iPhone 5G preview, invisible we’re serious [Video]

2012-08-25T06:26:00.001-07:00

“iPhone 5 this is going to change everything all over again, again”. We already told you that iPhone’s next iteration –the iPhone 5G can showcase an 8MP camera with Sony providing the lens module and 4G network support.Accordingly, the iPhone 5′s preview video after the break is totally mind boggling, check it out.

iPhone 5G New Features:

It’s invisible
Float in mid-air
Can be small or larger as you wanted it to be
Very advance texting method (telepathy)
High resolution face-to-face picture
MSRP US$800

Sources : http://www.techgeeze.com/2010/10/iphone-5g-preview-invincible-were.html

Canon EOS-1D X review roundup

2012-08-25T06:18:00.001-07:00

Canon has just unveiled “the one camera to rule them all” in the crowded market of digital photography, a revolutionary professional digital SLR namedEOS-1D X. The ‘X’ signifies the 10th generation of Canon’s Pro EOS SLRs and as one of the company’s top-of-the-line eXtreme camera on their EOS line up. As the EOS-1D X became available on retailers, we’ll update this post with all the recent reviews that comes up. For the meantime, don’t stay too much here we already have reviews line up just after the cut, and if you’re curious too on how powerful this new beast from Canon we layout some of its key features and images through a gallery, just do a virtual jump.

Canon EOS-1D X Features:

Full Frame 18-megapixel CMOS image sensor
New mechanical shutter rated up to 400,000 cycles thanks to carbon fiber blades and new drive motor
Dual DIGIC 5+ imaging processors
2nd Gen EOS Integrated Cleaning System
Third DIGIC 4 processor for RGB Metering
100,000 Pixel RGB metering sensor
Sensitivity settings from ISO 100 – 51,200; expansion available with Low (50), Hi 1 (102,400) and Hi 2 (204,800)
Advanced new 61-point High Density Reticular Phase Detection AF system with 21 cross-type focusing points in the center of the frame; 5 of which are diagonal cross-type sensors for smaller apertures
New intelligent EOS iTR AF Tracking and Recognition options
Burst shooting at 12fps with AF (JPEG and RAW), or up to 14fps with no AF (JPEG only)
Full 1080p HD video with new ALL-I and IPB compression format options
Automatic video file splitting when 4GB is reached; video keeps rolling, while new files is created
3.2-inch wide LCD with 1,040,000 dots
Subject Recognition system (AF, Exposure, Auto Lighting Control, AUto Picture Style)
Optical Correction functions for peripheral illumination, Distortion correction, and CA correction
Enhanced intelligent OVF with 100% frame coverage, .76x magnification, 20mm eye-point, and expanded ISO indicator; now 5 digits
Built-in USB 3.0 and gigabit Ethernet ports
New WFT-E6 Wi-Fi unit (802.11 a/b/g/n)
New GP-E1 GPS unit
Dual CF (Compact Flash) card slots
Li-ion battery pack

Sources : http://www.techgeeze.com/2012/06/canon-eos-1d-x-review-roundup.html

Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display

2012-08-25T06:14:00.000-07:00

The Macbook Pro with Retina Display is a message from Apple that they are still at the top of their game in this industry. Apple has set the bar up high for other manufacturers by making a laptop with amazing features that will leave all tech fans wanting a laptop like this. It is a tough road ahead for Apple’s competitors looking at the thin 4.5 pounds MacBook Pro that is packed with amazing features.

Design

If you are looking for a laptop with a great balance between power and performance, the MacBook Pro with Retina Display could be a top candidate with such reputation you can found on Reputation.com. Being a super slim 0.71 inches and only 4.46 pounds, it features a unibody aluminum design, which is a huge plus compared to predecessors. The new Macbook is definitely a traveling laptop and offers great features to make it an amazing user experience. The keyboard is well designed making typing an easy, comfortable affair.

Retina Display

It is impossible to talk about the MacBook Pro with Retina Display without actually delving into the display. The display on the MacBook Pro is improved from what you see on third generation iPads. 2880 x 1800 pixels make this laptop a great choice to edit photos and use the different applications designed to make this possible. Putting the MacBook Pro with Retina Display side by side with other laptops will give you an idea of how incredibly and clear the display is.

This laptop scores well in contrast and color saturation, and glare was reduced by 75%. Though you might encounter some reflections, they are not a distraction. Apple went a step further to optimize apps such as Safari, iPhoto, Aperture, Mail, and even iTunes to match the specification of the display. Many more apps will have to be optimized for this display, as some will display jagged text.

Audio

Considering its weight and size, you will not find any other notebook that sounds better than the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. It is hats off to Apple; the dual speakers are simply a great touch. The all new MacBook Pro will get alarmingly and surprisingly loud, but the sound will remain rich. The sound can fill a room, and you will still make out fine details in songs. You definitely will not be in need of extra speakers when traveling.

The audio perfection was not only on speakers, it was also spread to the microphone which reduces ambient noise by using beam-forming technology. Recording is clear and the fan noise common in other laptops is absent on the MacBook Pro. This makes calls with your computer better and clearer.

Ports

Apple has ditched conventional technologies and adopted forward-looking connections that have significantly improved the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. This means no DVD drive, and instead there are two high-speed Thunderbolt ports that will accommodate peripherals. There also is a pair of USB ports on both sides, with the left side housing a MagSafe 2.0 port.
Apple finally included the HDMI port on the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. This is a huge advantage to users looking to acquire the new MacBook Pro for presentation purposes. The laptop also has card slot on the right side.

Graphics

The MacBook Pro is a super work station with a lot of capability, and this includes graphics. Using Nvidia GeForce GT 650M graphics, it can handle 4 streams of video (8-bit 1080p) and raw image editing. The MacBook Pro with Retina Display scores excellently in graphics test making it a leader in the market with great graphics on a stunning display.

Conclusion

All in all, this is an amazing machine. The stunning display, the great graphics, and all of the other amazing features come together into a top, high quality laptop. If you have the money and are looking for a fast, proficient, stylish computer, this is the one for you

Sources : http://www.techgeeze.com/2012/06/apple-macbook-pro-with-retina-display-review.html

The Sony Xperia P with “White Magic”

2012-08-25T06:10:00.002-07:00

Are you a fan of Sony’s smart phones? Well, if you are one of them then you surely have heard about Sony’s new Xperia P. This phone was announced in the month of February and since then people are excited about it. The reason is the new White magic technology. Sony Xperia P is the only phone in the market that has this technology and the good news is that it has been finally released. So you can run to the store and get your hands on this super slim smart phone.

Advantages of purchasing this smartphone

Sony Xperia P is a really attractive cell phone. It has a big touch screen with multi touch support. It has a thin design and a sleek body. In other words, one just cannot leave without catching a glimpse of this amazing cell phone. Moreover, the best part is that it is not that expensive if you compare it with other phones in the market with almost the same features.

Finally, coming to the most important feature of Xperia P, that makes it irresistible- the White magic technology. Some of you might not be aware of this new technology. So let me give you a brief introduction. You might have noticed that when you are outdoors, it becomes difficult for you to view pictures and videos clearly on your phone. This is quite annoying. Isn’t it? So Sony has solved this problem with this white magic! This means now you will be able to view pictures and videos clearly, even if you are outdoors in the sun. No doubt, this is a great new feature.

Sony Xperia P has a high-speed processor and runs the latest version of android. You will also get the chance to enjoy the innumerable applications available at the Google Play store. Moreover, the camera result is also great and it also has a secondary camera that you can use for video calls or online video chats.

Xperia P Specifications

Screen:

TFT screen
4″ 16,000k color
Pixel density: 960×540

Memory:

RAM is 1 GB
Internal memory: 16 GB (13 GB available for user)

Available colors:

Silver
Red
Black

Dimensions:

122.0 x 59.5 x 10.5 mm
Screen size: 4.8 x 2.3 x 0.4 inches

Weight:

120.0 grams or 4.2 oz

Additional features:

Geo tagging, smile detection, image stabilization, touch focus, sweep panorama, video light, proximity, accelerometer, compass, gyro, adobe flash, radio, GPS, HDMI port, Google Search, Google maps, YouTube, Google Talk, organizer, calendar, document viewer, voice memo, Gmail, SNS integration, Predictive text input.

Talk time: up to 6hours

Stand by time: up to 480 hours

Customer Reviews

The phone has received excellent reviews. So far, there were no complaints from the customers. They are all happy with its performance, camera result, display, video quality, and all the other features. Many users said they also watch movies on the phone and they run smoothly. You can also play high quality games on the phone.

Sources : http://www.techgeeze.com/2012/07/sony-xperia-p-review.html

How to Choose a Family/Base Camping Tent

2012-08-25T05:54:00.000-07:00

Car camping with family or friends is a regular summer pastime for many of us. Whether the campground itself is the main attraction or it's simply your base camp for nearby activities, here's how to find the right home-away-from-home.

Types of Family Tents

At REI, tents that can sleep four or more campers comprise the "family" or "base camp" category. (Backpacking tents are discussed separately.) Here are the basic design options:

Cabin-style tents: These upright styles offer the easiest in/out access. Their near-vertical walls create much livable space, which is a nice advantage. Some models come with family-pleasing features such as room dividers and an awning (or a vestibule door that can be staked out as such).
Dome-style tents: The larger cousin of the classic backpacking domes, these offer superior strength and wind-shedding abilities, both of which you'll appreciate on a stormy night. They stand tall, but their walls have more of a slope which slightly reduces livable space.
Screen rooms and sun shelters: They usually cover the camp picnic table or are pitched for a day at the beach, though they can double as sleeping shelters if needed. With all-mesh walls, screen houses excel in warm conditions and keep occupants shielded from bugs, but not rain.

Weight is far less of a concern for a family camping tent than it is for a backpacking tent, as most family tents are carried only from car to campsite.

Ready to shop? Use our Tent Product Finder for an easy way to choose the right tent or browse our family camping gear.

Shopping by Price

Family tents are sold at discount stores across the land, sometimes at amazingly low prices. Outdoor specialty stores, meanwhile, can carry models that can cost upwards of $500. They look about the same, so what's the big difference?

As is often the case, you get what you pay for. In calm weather, a bargain tent may serve you just fine—for a while. The real difference is the quality of materials, which tends to become apparent in bad weather or after your first few outings. Here are some tips to compare a tent's quality:

Poles: Aluminum is stronger and more durable than fiberglass
Zippers: YKK zippers resist snagging and breaking better than others
Materials: Higher-denier fabric canopies and rainflies are more rugged than lower-denier ones.
Rainfly: A full-coverage fly offers better weather protection than roof-only styles.
Detailing: Guyout loops let you batten down the hatches in bad weather.
Floor design: Seam taping and higher-denier fabrics reduce the chance to leakage from below and from corners.

Bottom line: If camping is an annual activity for your group, consider the long-term advantages of having a quality tent. Similarly, if you camp in areas where wind and storms are a threat, the same advice holds.

Tent Setup and Livability

Headroom

This is listed as "peak height" on spec charts. If you like being able to stand up when changing clothes or just enjoy the airiness of a high ceiling, then look for a tall peak height.

Ease of Access

Does the tent have one door or two? What shape is the door, and how easy is it to zip open and shut? Cabin-style tents tend to shine in this area.

Ease of Setup

A tent's pole structure usually determines how easy or hard it is to pitch. Fewer poles allow faster setups. It's also easier to attach poles to clips than it is to thread them through "continuous" pole sleeves. Many tents offer a combination of both clips and short pole sleeves in an effort to balance strength, ventilation and setup ease.

Rainfly Coverage

A rainfly is a separate waterproof cover designed to fit over the roof of your tent. Two types are common.

Roof-only rainflies

Full-coverage rainflies

Packed Size

How big is the tent when packed? Small-car and motorcycle campers find this spec especially important.

Ventilation

Mesh panels are often used in the ceiling, doors and windows. This allows views and enhances cross-ventilation to help manage condensation.

Freestanding

Virtually all family tents these days are freestanding. This means they do not require stakes to set up. The big advantage of this is that you can pick up a freestanding tent (like a huge beach ball) and move it to a different location prior to staking. You can also easily shake it out before you take it down.

Vestibule

This shelter attaches to a tent for the purpose of storing your dusty boots or a keeping your daypack out of the rain. It can be either an integral part of the rainfly or an add-on item that's sold separately.

Interior Loops and Pockets

A lantern loop is often located at the top-center of the ceiling to allow you a handy place to hang your lantern. Gear loft loops on tent walls can be used to attach a mesh shelf (sold separately) in order to keep small items such as keys or a headlamp off of the tent floor, or to a attach a clothesline to air out wet items. Similarly, interior pockets can help keep your tent organized.

Gear loft loops

Guyout Loops

Higher-quality tents will include loops on the outside of the tent body for attaching guy lines. Guy lines allow you to batten down the hatches during high winds.

Key Accessories

Footprint

A footprint is a custom-fitted groundcloth (sold separately) that goes under your tent floor. Tent floors can be tough, but rocks, twigs, grit and dirt eventually exact a toll. A footprint costs less to replace or repair than your tent itself. For a family tent that gets a lot of in/out foot traffic, this is especially useful.

Also, because footprints are sized to fit your tent shape exactly, they won't catch water like a generic groundcloth that sticks out beyond the floor edges. Water caught that way flows underneath your tent and can seep through even tiny holes in the floor fabric.

Gear Loft

Most tents come with a few attached pockets to let you keep small items off of the tent floor. A gear loft is an optional interior mesh shelf that can tuck a much greater volume of gear out of the way.

Other Optional Nice-to-Haves

Stakes for sandy-soil campsites
Broom and dustpan
Inside/outside floor mat
Battery-powered ventilation fan

Summary

Once you know what size tent you want, your biggest decision is really quality. For occasional outings in placid weather, an inexpensive tent might suffice. But if camping is a frequent summer activity for your crew, you'd be wise to invest in a quality tent to better ride out storms and provide years of dependable use.

Sources : http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/family-base-camping-tent.html

The Guild Wars 2 Economy as Seen By Its Dark and Mysterious Money Wizard

2012-08-25T05:33:00.002-07:00

Guild Wars 2 doesn't launch until next week, but the exchanging of currency for goods and services heeds no human schedule. ArenaNet's resident economist has been analyzing beta data, twisting it with his arcane magics into an infographic that any self-respecting Charr would sooner set aflame than read.

An economist is a person that takes all of the fun out of money, for instead of just happily accepting that he has some and there's more on the way, he has to analyze where it came from, what it's buying, what kind of people are buying it, and look for future trends based on all of that. He can't just run up to the ice cream man and buy a Bomb Pop. He has slowly walk towards it with a determined grimace, brain filled with numbers and statistics. I imagine it's like being a telepath — you have to learn control.

ArenaNet's new guy is a particularly powerful money diviner. So powerful that he cannot even give us his real name.

Hello, all! I'm John Smith, and I've recently had the unbelievable opportunity to join the ArenaNet team and work on Guild Wars 2 as the resident economist. Guild Wars 2 has an incredible virtual economy-one of the largest ever created.

Oh course it does, Mr. Smith. That's what every economist says about their particular area of study. There's an economist in Uganda right now telling someone, "Oh it may not be Europe or the U.S., but Uganda has the most fascinating economy I've ever come across". And then they'll pull out the infographic.

It's actually a rather interesting chart. Seeing what professions in the game sparked interest in beta players is a great way for players that prefer the profession less traveled to plan ahead. And letting me know I can make a ton of money just by being rewarded money is... rewarding?

And look, the Guild Wars 2 economy is more equally distributed than the U.S.'s was in 2007! We kicked 2007's economic ass. If John Smith were here and using his real name I'd give him a high five.

Sources : http://kotaku.com/5937545/the-guild-wars-2-economy-as-seen-by-its-dark-and-mysterious-money-wizard

Empire State Building shooting victim says NYPD fired 'randomly' into street

2012-08-25T05:22:00.000-07:00

Questions have been raised over the New York police department's handling of a shooting near the Empire State Building after armed officers injured nine passers-by as they pursued a gunman who had just shot dead his former boss.

One of those injured by police told the Guardian that officers appeared to fire "randomly" as they confronted Jeffrey Johnson, 58, minutes after a workplace dispute escalated into a chaotic shootout in one of the busiest parts of Manhattan.

Reports suggest that while Johnson drew his gun when he was confronted by officers, he did not fire; all those injured appear to have been shot by police. The New York police commissioner, Raymond Kelly, said officers had no choice but to act as they did: police discharged 14 rounds and the gunman died at the scene.

The incident began just after 9am on Friday when Johnson, described as a "disgruntled former employee", walked up to Steve Ercolino, 41, his former manager at Hazan Imports, a business that operates from premises in Midtown, near the Empire State Building. Johnson shot him three times before calmly walking away.

A construction worker alterted two police officers stationed at the landmark. They appear to have attempted to stop Johnson, who dropped a bag and pulled out his gun, according to witnesses. In the ensuing shootout, Johnson died.

Panic soon ensued in the tourist-heavy streets around the Empire State Building, with fears that another mass shooting was under way. However, it became clear that it was not a random attack when police revealed the victim was targeted. Johnson had previously been fired from the business.

Robert Asika was among those wounded, shot in the elbow from a distance of around eight feet by one of the two police officers who confronted Johnson. He accused police of "shooting randomly", and said he saw at least two others hit by police bullets.

"If you're gonna aim try and aim perfectly. If you wanna aim at the target, you got to know what you're doing because it's the street," Asika said. "I could have been dead right now. I could have been dead."

Asika was working on 5th Avenue on Friday morning, selling tickets for tour buses and the building's observation deck. He had only been in the job a week, after having been unemployed for over a year. "I was just standing there and I saw people running. I didn't want to run because I wanted to know why people were running so I turned around and I saw this guy," he said.

"He was suited up, he had like a tie and a briefcase. If you see him, you'd probably think he was like a doctor, or maybe a lawyer, a business guy. He just looked like a normal guy."

Johnson, who was wearing a light-coloured suit, had just killed his former boss and was walking calmly away. "Jeffrey just came from behind two cars, pulled out his gun, put it up to Steve's head and shot him," said Carol Timan, whose daughter, Irene, was walking to Hazan Imports at the time with Ercolino. A construction worker saw the shooting and told two police officers who were stationed outside the Empire State Building.

The mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg – a vocal critic of America's lax firearm controls – said: "Once again, there are an awful lot of guns out there." He added that although homicides in New York were on the decline, "we are not immune to the problem of gun violence".

Police said Johnson been employed for six years as a designer of women's accessories at Hazan Imports. Kelly said during a press conference that he was laid off as part of a downsizing at the firm. Kelly described the gunman as a "disgruntled former employee" who came back to confront his former manager. "He shot and killed the former co-worker, striking him three times," Kelly said.

Johnson moved to draw his weapon, a .45 caliber handgun, as the officers approached, police said. There are conflicting reports as to what happened next. "The [police] tape clearly shows that the gunman had the gun out, and was trying to kill the officers," Bloomberg said. Other officials at the scene reportedly said the man had not fired on police.

The two police officers discharged 14 rounds, killing Johnson outside the entrance to the Empire State Building. Kelly at first said Johnson fired on officers, but police later said they were trying to determine whether Johnson fired. "These officers ... had absolutely no choice," Kelly said. "This individual took a gun out very close to them and perhaps fired at them."

Johnson legally bought the gun in Sarasota, Florida, in 1991, but he did not have a required permit to possess the weapon in New York City, police said.

Four women and five men were taken to city hospitals with gunshot wounds, but none was believed to be in a life-threatening condition. Police shut down nearby streets as forensic teams checked the gunman's body. The FBI were quick to confirm that the attack was not an act of terrorism.

Askia described the scene when officers caught up with Johnson. He said the gunman stopped six feet away from him, with two officers about eight feet in the other direction. "All of a sudden the guy stopped, and he was facing a cop who was following him," Asika said.

"He just reached in his suit and took out the gun, and I saw him pull it [towards] the cops. I'm like, is this guy for real? One of the cops was trying to shoot back at him and one of them shot me while the other one shot the guy."

"As soon as the bullet hit me, I felt like I didn't feel it. But then as soon as I tried to get up, I couldn't get up. I looked there and the blood was gushing out," Asika said.

"I was crawling, trying to get across the street, to the safe side of the street. I got across the street and I just fell at the bus stop and I was laying there and I couldn't get up no more. I was so tired, I was so scared. I've never been scared like that in my whole life."

Asika said Bloomberg visited him in hospital, but he received no apology from police. He was discharged with his arm bandaged and in a sling.

Erica Solar, a mother of two who works as a receptionist on 37th Street, was hit in the back of the leg as she made her way to Dunkin' Donuts. Solar's friend, Christopher Collins, found her lying on the street as he got off a bus on his way to work.

"She was basically in shock. She didn't know if she had gotten stabbed or if she had gotten shot, but she just knew she was bleeding, and I was just there trying to keep her calm until paramedics arrived," Collins told the Guardian.

"It was chaotic. Everybody was running, cops were there immediately," Collins said. Solar was taken to Bellevue hospital, about a mile from the Empire State Building.

Another among the wounded was Media Rosario, from Brooklyn, who like Solar was hit in the back of the leg. She said that everything happened so fast, she saw people running, and when she turned around to see what happened, she was already shot," said her sister-in-law, Auselis Rosario.

Johnson lived alone in the Upper East Side, his superintendent, Guillermo Suarez confirmed to the Associated Press. Suarez described Johnson as a "very likeable guy" who always wore a suit. "He was always alone," said Gisela Casella, who lived a few floors above him. "I always felt bad. I said 'Doesn't he have a girlfriend?' I never saw him with anybody."

City officials were quick to praise the response by police and the construction worker who followed Johnson from the site of the initial shooting.

Bloomberg said: "We all use the word 'hero' – he did what he should have done." The mayor added: "He saw something, he said something" – the phrase has become the backbone of efforts to get New York residents to be vigilant ever since the September 11 attacks. The actions of both the worker and police officers may have prevented further injuries, Bloomberg and Kelly said.

The incident puts gun crime in America back in the spotlight. As with other high-profile summer shootings in the US – at a movie theatre in Colorado on 20 July and at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin earlier this month – it is thought unlikely that Barack Obama or Mitt Romney will address the issue in an election year.

Sources : http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/24/empire-state-building-shooting-nypd-response?newsfeed=true

Cornel West arrested protesting outside the Supreme Court [VIDEO]

2011-10-17T03:29:00.000-07:00

Princeton Professor Cornel West, one of the most outspoken supporters of the Occupy Wall Street movement, was arrested Sunday in front of the Supreme Court while protesting corporate power.
According to a report from The Associated Press, West was one of 19 people arrested for refusing to leave Supreme Court property.
The October2011.org movement, the group leading the “occupation” of Washington’s Freedom Plaza, led an estimated 250 people to protest the Supreme Court Sunday afternoon. The group explained on its web forum that West and others “climbed on the steps of the Supreme Court and denounced court decisions that have produced money-based elections that empower corporations.”
“We want to bear witness today that we know the relation between corporate greed and what goes on too often in the Supreme Court decisions,” West said to the Supreme Court protesters over a megaphone.
“We want to send a lesson to ourselves, to our loved ones, our families, our communities, our nation, and the world that out of deep love for working and poor people that we are willing to put what ever it takes — even if we get arrested today — and say ‘We will not allow this day of Martin Luther King Jr.’s memorial today to go without somebody going to jail.’
“Because Martin King would be here right with us, with us to throw down out of deep love,” West added, noting that he stood with the police as well because they are “working people” as well.

West was carrying a sign reading “Poverty is the Greatest Violence of All.” October2011.org claims the sign was the reason for West’s arrest.

Sources : http://dailycaller.com/2011/10/17/cornel-west-arrested-protesting-outside-the-supreme-court-video/#ixzz1b29CmNBX

The Walking Dead Season Premiere Review: Worth the Wait

2011-10-17T03:26:00.000-07:00

The wait is finally over for the anticipated return of The Walking Dead and, yes, it's off to a fantastic start.
Where last season ended on what could be considered a low note, the second season premiere hit the ground running... and simply kept going.
From the outset, the tension buildup and level of suspense was beautifully crafted against the warm and calm backdrop of the abandoned highway. Not only were the characters slightly on edge, but as a viewer, all I could do was wait for that moment where something would jump out and sink its nasty teeth into an unsuspecting victim.

Even when the herd of Walkers appeared, forcing the characters to run and hide, I continued to anticipate some moment that would reveal the survivors to the zombies. More so, the random zombie that found its way into the RV was a lumbering and scary piece of work that amped up that "when is it going to happen" moment. All I could do was wait. And wait. And wait.
I swear I think I set a new record for holding my breath.
Of course, there was also plenty of graphic moments filled with sharp instruments and head-plunging gruesomeness. Yet, it was the scene where Daryl opened up a zombie with his knife that was probably the most gut retching. Not only was the blood and the entrails visually disgusting, but the sloshing and the squishing was enough to make me want to gag. I have no idea how Rick managed to keep it together.
I guess that says something of his growth as a character. Rick has certainly become more hardened and even brazen when it comes to killing zombies. That harsh look in his eyes as he beat the Walkers with a rock was somewhat chilling. It seems that the dangerous conditions are slowly transforming the man and default leader of the group.

Yet, even so, as that leader, Rick's begun to doubt his abilities to protect everyone. He wants to do the right thing, but feels unsure about the choices to make. He's even gone looking to faith and God for a sign that could help him head in the right direction. Being a leader is clearly tough.
And Andrew Lincoln has done a great job portraying Rick and his complexities. Rick's quiet but assured demeanor played against his own insecurities when alone are clearly visible to the viewer. There's a range of emotions that he gets to play and I'm liking the choices he's making. Andrew Lincoln is Rick Grimes.
Rick isn't the only one that's changing, as the zombie apocalypse has affected everyone. It makes sense that the people remain wary, are jumpy because of a twig snapping, or even just plain stressed out. How could you not be? The end of the world is no easy cake walk and making decisions isn't as simple as ordering a meal at your favorite restaurant. Every choice has a consequence and it's easy to see that each character is teetering on the edge of stability. It's just a question of when that breaking point take place.
I'd love to point out that I appreciated Melissa Suzanne McBride's acting when it came to expressing Carol's distress over losing her daughter. I expected her to shout and scream at Rick while pounding her fists against his chest uncontrollably. Instead, she gave out a quiet strained cry that expressed just as much pain as a loud scream would have. Less was certainly more and the following silence of the rest of the group added to the somber and forlorn moment.

There's clearly a lot of tension between each of the group members and their desires to survive. It was great that the episode began to set up little issues for each character that could eventually become a full blown problem that affects everyone. Lori and Shane's affair perhaps? Rick's faith in himself? Dale and Andrea's relationship or, currently, lack thereof? As much as the group is banded together, simply being human and filled with emotions of fear, jealously, etc. is enough to tear them apart.
It's not always the zombies that are the worst enemy and it's clear that the characters still remain a top priority for the show.
I'm also glad that Rick's son, Carl, finally got to do something more than stand in the background. Not only was he finding some helpful weapons and bravely trying to assist in the hunt for Sophia, but he had multiple speaking lines. It looks like it's time to finally start exploring his character further and see how youth are affected by the end of the world.
That final scene, while inducing another form of drawn out suspense, was a great cliffhanger. Is that really it for Carl? Probably not, but in this world, nobody is ever safe. It looks like Rick could really use one of those slim chances.
"What Lies Ahead" was the perfect set up for season two. There was a nice balance of calm apprehension and full-on zombie fighting that kept the pace from feeling like it dragged on for too long in any moment. The 90-minute episode was worth the wait and it's obvious that all the pulse pounding, breath catching, and heart stopping moments will have viewers craving and clawing for more. Indeed, The Walking Dead is back!

Sources: http://www.tvfanatic.com/2011/10/the-walking-dead-review-what-lies-ahead/#ixzz1b28CjJT9

VIDEO: Jason Campbell Injury Knocks Raiders QB Out Of Game With Hurt Shoulder

2011-10-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

Jason Campbell has left the Raiders' Week 6 game against the Browns with an apparent shoulder or collarbone injury after hurt his shoulder on an awkward landing on this scramble.

Campbell is being examined the sideline after the injury, and the Raiders have inserted Kyle Boller for him. Campbell was six for nine through the air for 52 yards before leaving.
Campbell has led the surprising Raiders to a 3-2 record in 2011, and the wide open AFC West appeared to be within Oakland's reach.
Boller inspires few as the Raiders' second-string quarterback, but the emergency quarterback is even less proven — Terrelle Pryor, who spent most of the early part of 2011 in NCAA limbo, is Boller's understudy.

Sources: http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2011/10/16/2494270/jason-campbell-injury-shoulder-video

Major 15 Car Wreck at Indy Car Race In Las Vegas, Could Be Serious Injuries

2011-10-16T19:12:00.000-07:00

At the Indy Car race in Las Vegas, there has been a major accident involving 15 cars and lots of damage. Tarps are out on the track. It doesn’t look good at all. Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon is among the drivers involved. We will update this post with further news as it becomes available, but let’s pray that there are no serious injuries.

the live shot during the race from the track:

Here’s the view from Will Power’s vehicle, which went airborne:

Sources: http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2011/10/16/major-15-car-wreck-at-indy-car-race-in-las-vegas-could-be-serious-injuries/

MLB Playoffs 2011: Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers, Game 6 ALCS Betting Preview

2011-10-16T02:39:00.000-07:00

The Texas Rangers will look to close out their 2011 American League Championship Series Saturday night when hosting the Detroit Tigers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers

Detroit won two of its three home games in the series in order to send it back to Texas, but will now be facing elimination Saturday. “You think we should have any pressure? I don’t think so,” commented Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez. “It’s definitely not on our side, I can really tell you that.” This is the 15th time in the history of the ALCS that a series has gone to Game 6, the team holding the 3-2 advantage has won the series 10 times. It’s also important to note that the club’s locker room is incredibly beat up. Detroit is 48-39 on the road this year and 33-25 when facing left-handed starters.

Tigers starting pitcher Max Scherzer will be making his fourth postseason appearance (third start), coming off a no-decision effort that saw the team drop a 7-3 contest to the Rangers inside this venue on Oct. 10. The right-hander tallied a 7-5 record and 5.23 ERA in 15 road games during the regular season, surrendering 18 home runs in 86 frames. In six career starts (outside of the postseason) versus the Rangers, Scherzer is 3-0 with a 3.41 ERA, issuing 10 walks and compiling 31 strikeouts in 37 frames.
Texas returns home and will play just its second Game 6 in franchise history, but even more important is the advantage that teams have with a 3-2 lead in this situation. Each of the last four postseason series that have reached this stage have been closed out by the team with the lead. “In my opinion, it’s been a tremendous five ballgames,” commented Rangers manager Ron Washington. Offensively, outfielder Nelson Cruz has been carrying the club, hitting five home runs and 11 RBIs in the first five games. The bullpen should benefit from the day off and comes in with a 2.37 ERA and .194 opponents batting average in the postseason. Texas is 76-45 versus right-handed starters.
Rangers starting pitcher Derek Holland is set to make his third start (fourth appearance) of the postseason, coming in with a 1-0 record and 4.00 ERA. The left-hander has gone 2-0 with a 4.43 ERA in nine career playoff appearances. Holland benefited greatly from the highest run support average in the Majors, as his 7.64 runs per nine innings was the highest for the club since 1999. He tallied an impressive 8-2 record and 4.69 ERA in 16 home starts during the regular season, allowing nine home runs in 86 1/3 innings.
Bettors will likely back the Rangers due to their 4-0 record in LCS games, while the Tigers are 2-6 in playoff road games.
Get the latest MLB playoffs odds at Bookmaker

Sources : http://www.madduxsports.com/blog/mlb-playoffs-2011-detroit-tigers-at-texas-rangers-game-5-alcs-betting-preview-18647/

Sonic Youth Rockers Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore Split After 27 Years

2011-10-15T23:41:00.000-07:00

Sonic Youth rockers Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore have split after 27 years of marriage.
The couple released a statement through the band’s record label.
It reads, “Sonic Youth, with both Kim and Thurston involved, will proceed with its South American tour dates in November. Plans beyond that tour are uncertain.”
“The couple has requested respect for their personal privacy and does not wish to issue further comment,” adds the statement.
They wed in 1984 and have a 17-year-old daughter named Coco.
Sonic Youth formed in New York in 1981 and became a major influence in the independent and alternative rock movements.

Sources : http://www.gossipcop.com/sonic-youth-breakup-kim-gordon-thurston-moore-split-separating/

Texas Rangers Win 2nd Consecutive World Series Berth After Defeating Detroit Tigers 15-5

2011-10-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

ARLINGTON, Texas — Nelson Cruz and the Texas Rangers are headed to their second straight World Series, finishing off the Detroit Tigers to become the American League's first repeat champion in a decade.
Cruz set a postseason record with his sixth home run of the series, Michael Young hit a pair of two-run doubles in a nine-run third inning, and the Rangers romped to a 15-5 win Saturday night that won the AL pennant in six games.
They'll open the World Series on Wednesday night at St. Louis or Milwaukee, seeking the first title in the history of a franchise that started play in 1961.
Cruz had 13 RBIs in the series, another postseason record, and was selected MVP.

"He was unbelievable," teammate Adrian Beltre said. "Every moment we needed him, he came through."
Young, who also homered, had five RBIs in the finale, and the longest-tenured player on the Rangers helped make sure the World Series will again be deep in the heart of Texas.
Young caught Brandon Inge's game-ending popout in short right field and pumped a fist into the air signaling "No. 1" while fireworks and confetti filled the air, then ran toward the middle of the field to celebrate with his teammates.
Cruz threw both hands in the air and briefly knelt to a knee in the outfield before running to the infield for the ginger ale-spraying celebration to come while a banner was unfurled high over center field declaring the Rangers 2011 AL champions
With former President George W. Bush seated in the front row alongside Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, part of the ownership group that took over the team last year, Rangers manager Ron Washington was at the edge of the dugout wildly waving his arms and shouting encouragement to his players as the big inning unfolded.

All Tigers manager Jim Leyland could do was take off his cap and scratch his head.
A franchise that began as the expansion Washington Senators and moved to Texas in 1972 had failed to reach the World Series in its first 49 seasons. Then the Rangers won their first AL pennant last year only to lose the Series to the San Francisco Giants in five games.
"As soon as the season began, we were hungry, we were hungry to get back," Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus said.
Texas overcame a 2-0 deficit by sending 14 batters to the plate against Detroit starter Max Scherzer (0-1) and three relievers in the highest-scoring postseason inning since 2002.
Alexi Ogando (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings for his second win in the series as the Rangers became the AL's first consecutive pennant winner since the New York Yankees won four in a row from 1998-01.
While Young became only the fourth player in postseason history with two extra-base hits in the same inning – first a tying double into the left-field corner and then one down the right field line for a 9-2 lead – every batter in the Texas lineup reached base at least once before the third out of the third. By the time all the fireworks was over, the Rangers scored the most runs ever in a postseason game against the Tigers and the most in any postseason contest since the Yankees routed Boston 19-8 in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS.
Also among the sellout crowd of 51,508 was Dirk Nowitzki, MVP of the NBA finals won by the Dallas Mavericks in June.
Now the Rangers get another chance to bring another championship to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and go a step further than last season.
Young, in his 11th season in Texas, had played in 1,508 career regular season games before finally getting into the playoffs last year. He added a huge exclamation point to his already big night when he led off the seventh with a 416-foot homer to straightaway center field.
His five RBIs matched the Rangers postseason record set by Cruz in Game 2.
Young's two two-run doubles came in the highest-scoring inning in a postseason game since the Angels s matched a playoff record with 10 runs in the seventh inning of Game 5 during the 2002 ALCS against Minnesota.

Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/16/texas-rangers-win-detroit-tigers-world-series-berth_n_1013370.html

McDonalds Beating Video at Greenwich Village NY

2011-10-15T23:28:00.000-07:00

Who is at fault? The McDonalds beating video has gone viral after it was posted on YouTube. The video showed a McDonald’s cashier beating 2 female customers in New York’s Greenwich village.
Rayon McIntosh, the cashier, was charged with felony assault charges and criminal possession of a weapon.

Video: (warning, the video may be disturbing for others)

Source : http://dailypostal.com/2011/10/16/mcdonalds-beating-video-at-greenwich-village-ny/

September NPD: Madden, Gears, Dead Island are hits (Updated with Nintendo hardware numbers!)

2011-10-15T23:20:00.000-07:00

It should come as no surprise that Madden NFL 12 beat everything else in NPD's software chart for the month of September, unless you're really not into sports games and forgot it came out. Second place is also pretty expected, with the massive rollout of Gears of War 3 massively rolling into people's homes. Third place, however, is a bit more interesting -- Dead Island, from semi-obscure publisher Deep Silver, outsold almost everything else based on the strength of that trailer and the word "zombies." Find the top ten after the break.

In hardware, Microsoft reported Xbox 360 takes the top hardware spot once again, touting 438,000 units sold in the month. Nintendo reports sales of 360,000 3DS units in the five week September reporting period, as well as 240,000 Wiis and 145,000 DS systems. Sony has not released official sales numbers for the PS3 or PSP.

In larger trends, total industry sales are down 6 percent year over year, with a mere $1.16 billion changing hands in September.

Top 10 best-selling games (US) for September 2011:

Madden NFL 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP)
Gears of War 3 (360)
Dead Island (360, PS3, PC)
FIFA Soccer 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, 3DS)
NHL 12 (360, PS3)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (360, PS3, PC)
Resistance 3 (PS3)
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (Wii, 360, NDS, PS3, 3DS, PSP, PC)
Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, NDS, Wii, PC)
Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine (360, PS3, PC)

How to Get iOS 5’s Biggest Features in Android Right Now

2011-10-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

iOS 5, Apple's latest update to its mobile OS, was released this week, and with it came a ton of great new features for iPhone and iPad owners. If you own an Android phone and wish some of those new features can be yours, they're closer than you think. Here's how you can get some of them, like Wi-Fi sync, cloud storage for music and documents, and free messaging right now on whatever Android phone you have. This guide isn't meant to shoehorn iOS 5 on your Android phone. If you wanted iOS, you would have purchased an iPhone. The goal here is to show you how to incorporate a few features into your device that may have made you the tiniest bit jealous when you saw some of the iOS 5 feature demos.

Feature: iCloud; Solution: Google Apps/Dropbox

What it is: iCloud offers iPhone users the ability to synchronize and store information in the cloud. It's essentially a beefed up version of MobileMe, and synchronizes everything from documents created on a mobile device to photos taken, contacts, and calendar appointments. Plus, the service is completely free.

How you can get it: Much of what iCloud offers to iOS users is already handled by Android natively. Your contacts and much of your account preferences are already synchronized with Google's servers (you can verify this by going to Settings > Accounts and tapping your Gmail or Google account to see what's being synchronized.)
However, Android does fall a little short when it comes to documents, photos, and files. That's where Dropbox comes in. Dropbox's Android app integrates well, and because the files in your Dropbox account only take up space on your Android device when you specifically download them, it makes for a great way to see and have access to your data without worrying about the amount of storage you're using. Dropbox also inserts itself into the "Share" menu of just about every Android application, including your photo gallery and favorite camera app, making it easy to upload files. It's not quite as easy as the hands-off approach that iCloud promises, but it's close.
The one drawback to this combination is that Dropbox is a little kludgy when it comes to photo uploads. You can create galleries by uploading to your Dropbox Photos folder, but if what attracts you to iCloud is its seamless photo uploads, consider the Google+ Android app, which instantly uploads your photos to Google+ as you take them.

Feature: iTunes Match; Solution: Google Music or Spotify

What it is: Another notable feature about iCloud is that, for an additional $25/year, you can synchronize your music across all of your devices. The iTunes Match service supports up to 20,000 songs, and will even scan your music library and provide a high-quality iTunes version of the song in your iCloud account that you'll be able to stream—or more appropriately, download and play locally— when you're on a computer without that song.

How you can get it: Google Music is the closest service for Android we've seen to iTunes Match. It's web accessible, the Android app and music player is gorgeous, and it supports downloading some of your songs for offline play when you're without a data connection. Yes, you'll have to upload all of your music to Google Music before you can listen on the go, but you get room for 20,000 songs and the service is completely free. While Google Music won't identify or organize your music for you the way that iTunes Match promises to, it addresses the core need: free, cloud-based backup and storage of all of your music with easy access from any device.
However, Google Music is currently invite-only and only available in the United States. For everyone else, try Spotify instead. Spotify serves up the music you already own and gives you access to a broad selection of streaming tunes from Spotify's own database. You can't upload your own music to Spotify to stream elsewhere, but it will link songs in your collection to Spotify tracks in its database so you can listen to them on the go. You'll need to drop $9.99/month on Spotify Premium to use the mobile app, but if you're in love with streaming music on the go, it's worth it.

Feature: Notifications Menu; Solution: Already Available

What it is: When we got our first look at notifications in iOS 5, more than a few people sat up and took notice that iOS 5's slide-down notifications screen looks like Android's default notifications pane, and is accessed the same way. The addition of weather to the notifications pane and organizing notifications by type or application are a nice touches.
How you can get it The way Android handles notifications works pretty well, and Apple clearly built on that idea in iOS 5. Depending on the ROM you're using, you already get access to valuable information like your power controls and weather in the notifications pull-down, and it's already organized based on ongoing alerts and those that are spawned by specific applications, each with their own icon to tell them apart.

Feature: Wireless Sync; Solution: AirSync, Spotify, or Google Music

What it is: In iOS 5, you can sync your device with iTunes without connecting it to your computer, backing up your apps, account preferences, and all of your phone's data easily and seamlessly. It's a great and hassle-free way to make sure your photos, music, apps, and everything else are safely synchronized and backed up before you head out on the town with your iPhone, and it's a long time coming in iOS 5.

How you can get it: If you get your apps through the Android Market or Amazon App Store, they each keep a record of what you've downloaded. As for your music, videos, photos, and other files, we've mentioned ways to completely back up your phone before, whether you're planning to migrate to a new device or just want complete, automated backups. However, in this case, we don't want to sit around waiting for everything to back up, we want to sync some new music and be on our way. Here are your options:

AirSync ($4.99) - This utility works with DoubleTwist to synchronize apps, photos, videos, playlists, music, and more wirelessly between your Android device and your computer. It's the closest parallel to iOS 5's Wi-Fi Sync. Plus, it supports AirPlay, so you can stream video to an AppleTV in your home.
Spotify ($9.99/month for a Premium Account) - You'll need a Spotify Premium Account to get the Android app, but once you have it, Spotify will wirelessly sync playlists and songs from your local music library with your Android phone. It also gives you access to Spotify's massive library on the go. It won't handle photos, videos, or other files however.
Google Music (Free) - Streaming from the cloud isn't as good as sync, and it doesn't take care of your photos or videos, but you have access to all of your music, and you can choose to store as much music as you like on your Android phone locally for offline listening. Plus, it's completely free.

Feature: iMessage; Solution: Google Talk/Google Voice

What it is: iMessage in iOS 5 lets you send text messages to your friends with iOS devices without paying the SMS charges imposed by your carrier. In the United States, we're still stuck paying for text messages we send and receive, which makes the problem especially annoying. You can communicate with any other iOS device, including iPads and IPod Touches, for free with iMessage, as long as they have some connection to the internet. It's a great way to stay in touch with friends and cut off your carrier's texting plan entirely—assuming all of your friends have iOS devices, that is.

How you can get it: Just by virtue of having a Gmail account and an Android device, you have access to Google Talk. In fact, you may already be signed in to Google Talk on your Android device. Since every Android user has access to Google Talk on their Android phone, as long as you exchange phone numbers or Gmail addresses, you can send any Android user text messages for free.
Google Talk for Android also supports video chat, and while it's not our favorite video chat app for Android, it's definitely a good one. Plus, you can use the Android app send messages to Google Talk users on their desktops or laptops. Best of all, all of this is completely free (excluding data charges, of course.)
If you're in the United States and use Google Voice (GV isn't available outside the US, sorry!) you can take this a step further and shunt your SMS messages over to Google Voice instead of using Google Talk. This gives you a way to send SMS messages to any phone, not just Android devices, and bypass your carrier's SMS charges in the process. Unlike Google Talk, your recipient may have to pay to get your message, but hey, at least you can cancel your texting plan, right?

Feature: Siri; Solution: Vlingo

What it is: Siri, iOS 5's new voice assistant (only available on the iPhone 4S) is a generational leap in speech-to-speech and speech-to-text technology. Siri's ability to understand common language and the way it is deeply integrated into iOS makes it an excellent tool for hands-free phone operation at home or on the road. Siri can compose and send SMS messages and emails, perform complex actions like calculations, web searches, play music and playlists on your phone, fetch the weather, schedule appointments, and more.

How you can get it: We discussed this earlier this week when we looked at some great Siri-like alternatives for Android, and Vlingo was the app we found that came the closest to Siri, complete with voice-activated listening modes, an in-car mode that's sensitive to hands-free operation, and an impressive number of commands that the app recognized and could perform when asked to. Vlingo can update your social networks, find the closest cab company, locate a nearby Chinese food restaurant, send an SMS to your best friend, and pull up turn-by-turn driving directions for you.
Google's own built-in voice features are no slouch, and Google isn't likely to let them be eclipsed by Siri for long. Plus, they're already on your phone. Still, none of alternatives are quite as integrated with Android the way Siri is with iOS, none understand common language to the same degree, or are capable of having quite the same level of back and forth conversation with you.

Feature: Location-Based Reminders; The Solution: ReQall, Astrid, or Remember the Milk

What it is: Reminders is an Apple-provided to-do manager that supports location-aware notifications. Since the reminders are location aware, you can set up areas on a map where certain to-dos are supposed to be completed. When you leave or arrive at one of those areas, you'll be alerted to a to-do relevant to that location.

How you can get it: Android has a wealth of to-do managers that support location awareness. None of them are built-in to the OS, but many of them are more feature-rich than Reminders is. ReQall Pro ($2.99/mo or $24.99/yr) is one of my favorite to-do applications for Android, partially because it will alert you when you're in proximity to a location where a task needs to be completed. You can configure as many locations as you want, and when you add to-dos, just assign them to a location and the app handles the rest. Astrid is a free alternative, but you'll need the Locale Add-On ($1.49) for location-based alerts. Remember The Milk Pro ($25/year) is another robust, location-aware alternative.

Feature: Camera Updates; The Solution: CameraZoom FX

What it is: iOS 5 boosts camera speed, and provides a new camera grid that makes lining up and framing your shots easier.
How you can get it: CameraZoom FX, our pick for the best camera app for Android will set you back just under $5 USD in the Android Market, but for your money you get the ability to configure which hardware buttons trigger your camera and you get a camera grid so you can line up your shot.

You also get filters to apply to your photos, options to tweak the white balance, the ability to shoot in burst mode, and one-tap uploads to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and other services. If you're looking for a powerful camera app, this is it. If you want to mimic iOS 5's new one-tap access to the camera, previously mentioned Widgetlocker lets you add an icon for the camera right on your phone's lock screen, so you can tap it to go directly to the camera app, even if your phone is locked.

The Rest

Twitter: Covered iOS 5 finally integrates Twitter in ways it didn't before. You can save your Twitter credentials within iOS, and opens the door to other developers to build apps and services that leverage that integration. None of that is new for Android users though: The official Twitter app is already considered a system app on many Android devices, and when you log in, the app will sync your Twitter friends and followers with your contacts list (if you choose to,) and will keep your Twitter account synchronized with your device—along with your Google accounts—regularly.
Newsstand: Kindle App Amazon updated the Kindle app to support periodicals and magazine subscriptions a long time ago, and you can buy and subscribe to magazines in-app. More publishers are considering their own magazine "stores" for Android in the near future. However, periodicals on Android are still touch and go, and there's no single Google-authored application to manage them on your Android phone or tablet.

Email Styles and Calendar Views: Covered iOS 5 offers some text formatting in the default mail client, like bold text, italics, and underline. The Gmail app for Android, the default mail app for Android, and our favorite Android mail client, K-9 Mail, are all missing this feature. It's not terribly important, but since it's available in iOS, expect it to arrive in Android soon. As for iOS 5's new calendar views, the default calendar apps for Android already have day/week/month views, and the ability to manage multiple calendars, as long as they've already been added to your Google account on the web..

A Final Word on Customization

As we said earlier, this isn't meant to be a guide on how to get iOS 5 on your Android device. There are a number of smaller features that Apple has introduced in iOS that have no direct parallels in Android, or that no app duplicates perfectly. Android die-hards will say "I didn't buy an Android device to have iOS," and iOS fans will say "If you want iOS, just buy an iPhone," but it's never that simple.
As one mobile OS improves and introduces new features that people want to use, all of our phones will evolve and rise to meet the demand. At the same time, if you watched this week's launch of iOS 5 and wondered if there were a way to get some of those useful features in Android, hopefully we've shown you how.
Are there any other features in iOS 5 that you want on your Android device? Perhaps there are other apps you prefer that duplicate the features above. Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Sources : http://lifehacker.com/5849802/how-to-get-ios-5s-biggest-features-in-android-right-now

How to Update Your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch on a New Computer Without Wiping Out All Your Data

2011-10-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

I don't use my first-generation iPad a ton, but of course I'm going to update to the great new features in iOS 5. The problem: I'm using a different computer now than I was the last time I synced it, and iTunes issues a rather daunting warning that updating the iPad on my new laptop will wipe out everything on my iPad. They don't offer a clear path to resolve this, it's actually quite simple. Here's how it works.

First you'll need to authorize your new computer with the same iTunes account as you used on your previous computer. Chances are you've already done this, but to double check, select Store > Authorize This Computer, enter your Apple ID and password, and click Authorize. (Per the Apple support page, "If the iTunes Store purchases on your device were purchased with multiple accounts, you will need to authorize the computer for each one."
Plug in your iDevice. When your device shows up in the iTunes sidebar, select File > Transfer Purchases from iPad (or whatever you iDevice's name is). iTunes will move all your apps from your device to your computer.
Sync your apps from your device to your computer in iTunes by click the Apps tab from your device page, ticking the sync apps link, and applying. (I forgot to add this step initially—apologies.)
Now, for good measure, right-click your device in the iTunes sidebar and select backup. (I'm not sure this is completely necessary, but it made me feel better.)
Now just download and apply the iOS 5 update like you normally would (that is, click the big Update button). All your apps and settings should remain in tact.

Note: The transfer purchases function will only transfer apps you've grabbed through the iTunes Store, which means, for example, the MP3s you'd synced to your device that you didn't buy from Apple probably won't make the jump. But the rest of your apps and settings should make it over. If something doesn't make it, here's how to download past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store.

Sources : http://lifehacker.com/5849518/how-to-update-your-iphone-ipad-or-ipod-touch-on-a-new-computer-without-wiping-out-all-your-data

Best iPhone 4S Cases

2011-10-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

If you’re one of the true-blooded fanboy who’ve just hit the line for the new iPhone 4S, then the next thing sure is you’ll buy accessories to protect it —-with screen guards, cases and later on upgrades the earphones and avail for good-sounding dock for wireless audio and charging support. However, at the moment we’ll be taking the most basic thing a first time iPhone owner will shed few bucks for –the case.

Normally high quality cases includes screen protectors in bundle, so you don’t have to worry about that. Lets take a trip down for the best iPhone 4S cases available today.

Speck CandyShell Card Case For iPhone 4S

CaseCrown iPhone 4 and 4S Exo Polycarbonate Slim Fit Case

splash VAPOR Slim-Fit Flex Case for iPhone 4S

JustCase Metallica iPhone 4S Brushed Aluminum Case

Cygnett Workmate Pro Case For iPhone 4S

OtterBox Universal Defender and Commuter Series for iPhone 4S

Ted Baker Hard Shell Case II for Apple iPhone 4S

Kenzo Patent Leather Pouch for iPhone 4S

Cbus Wireless Black/Red Silicone Cassette Tape Case for Apple iPhone 4S / iPhone 4

Case-Mate Cases For iPhone 4S

There could be tons of iPhone 4S cases out there right now and this list we think is a good start for your long-time investments for your iPhone 4S’s protection. Just drop us what you’ve grabbed on this iPhone 4S cases.

Sources : http://www.techgeeze.com/2011/10/best-iphone-4s-cases.html

Pregnant Hilary Duff : "It's a Boy!"

2011-10-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

Hilary Duff didn't want to be surprised when she gives birth early next year. And so, in an interview that's set to air Monday on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the pregnant 24-year-old actress-singer reveals that she's already found out she's expecting a baby boy!
"I haven't told anyone yet. I wanted to tell you first. I just found out," Duff tells host Ellen DeGeneres in the interview. "It's a boy! I had a feeling it was a boy the whole time."
The former Lizzie McGuire star confesses that she thinks she's a little more than four months along, which means her bundle of joy is due to arrive sometime around March. That coincides with the report made about why she was dropped from the upcoming Bonnie & Clyde remake, as a source said Duff likely wouldn't be available after her pregnancy until sometime in June.
Apparently her husband, pro hockey player Mike Comrie, expected this pregnancy to be just another false alarm -- until Duff showed him the pregnancy test proving otherwise.
"My husband makes this joke that I think I'm pregnant like 12 times a year," Duff confesses. "So when it actually happened... he was in the shower and I just held up the test and I was like, 'Oh my God.' And he was like, 'Ahh!' He was soaking wet. We were just a mess and started crying. It was really exciting."
Duff says that she hasn't felt many negative aspects of her pregnancy yet, and hasn't had any morning sickness or odd cravings.
"I feel great, actually. It's been super easy," she shares, though she does admit that she's been having "crazy dreams." "It's kind of like a little alien has taken over your body. You just don't quite feel normal."

Source : http://www.ivillage.com/hilary-duff-pregnant-boy/1-a-393300

INTEX's Camping Airbeds

2010-09-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

Intex offers you the most comfortable, durable, innovative airbeds at the best prices! We're constantly developing, testing and using our airbeds to ensure that they'll give you and your guests a comfortable night’s sleep. From kids’ slumber parties, to in-law visits, to camping trips miles from home, we have the right bed at the right price!

Intex's® line of Camping Airbeds are designed for adventures far from home. These beds feature pumps that can quickly and easily inflate the bed in locations where power is limited. Our camping beds are engineered for durability and comfort. This line offers a full spectrum of airbeds,from your basic vinyl bed up to a laminated camping bed that is 120 times more puncture resistant than a regular airbed.