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iPhone 4: Everything You Need to Know

2010-08-14T19:05:00.004+03:00

The iPhone 4 is here and we have all the answers to your questions about Apple's new iPhone including pictures and detailed specifications.

Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone 4 today, which he claims offers over 100 new features, though he would focus on only a handful for the keynote. The iPhone 4 looks like the iPhone prototype obtained under questionable circumstances by Gizmodo: stainless steel casing, all-glass front, and a design Jobs describes as the thinnest smartphone on the planet: almost 25 percent thinner than the iPhone 3GS.. Unlike previous iPhones, the iPhone 4 will have volume controls on the side of the phone along with an accessible microSIM tray. The iPhone 4 features a front-facing camera, and the back sports a microphone, 30pin connector for docking, and a speaker, while the top sports a second microphone for noise cancellation, sleep/wake button, and a headset input.

Jobs went on to highlight the bands around the side of the iPhone 4 that caused much speculation in the wake of the leaked prototypes. Jobs identified them as part of the phone’s antenna system, saying the stainless steel band is also a primarily structural element of the device. The antenna supports all the iPhone 4’s wireless capability, from 3G to Wi-Fi to Bluetooth to GPS along with cellular communications.

iPhone 4: Retina Display

The iPhone 4 will also sport what Jobs described as a “retina display” with four times the pixel density of a typical LCD display at a whopping 326 pixels per inch—by far denser than anything else in the consumer electronics market. The result is a 3.5-inch display with a native resolution of 960 by 640 pixels that is actually a higher resolution than the typical human eye is capable of perceiving, when held at a distance of just 10 to 12 inches. Jobs claims the iPhone 4’s display winds up looking like a high quality printed book (albeit that emits light!) rather than a blocky pixellated grid. The iPhone OS automatically handles rendering text and controls at the higher resolution for the iPhone 4, so developers don’t need to do anything to update their applications to look good on the new display…but,

of course, if developers want to add higher-resolution graphics to their apps, they will look stunning on the iPhone 4.

iPhone 4: A4 Chip and Gyroscope

The iPhone 4 will also feature an Apple-designed A4 CPU, following along the lines of the processor powering the iPad. Jobs said the A4 processor improved power management, so the iPhone 4 will manage 40 percent more talk time on 3G networks (up to 7 hours), or up to 6 hours of 3G Web browsing or 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing. The device can also play up to 10 hours of video, 40 hours of music, and should have an standby time of up to 300 hours. The iPhone 4 will also pack up to 32 GB of onboard flash storage, and will offer quad-band HSDPA/HSUPA for mobile broadband speeds up to 7.2Mbps downstream, 4.8Mbps upstream…assuming carrier networks support that technology. The iPhone 4 will also support 802.11n Wi-Fi, assisted GPS, Bluetooth, and packs and accelerometer, compass, proximity sensor, and an ambient light sensor,. The iPhone 4 also sports a gyroscope, which enables six-axis motion sensing…just like a game controller, and iPhone OS 4 will offer developer APIs to leverage the gyroscope: Jobs envisions the gyroscope enabling whole new types of mobile gaming.

iPhone 4: Camera & iMovie

The iPhone 4 will feature a 5 megapixel camera with a backside-illuminated sensor, which Jobs says increases the amount of light captured by the sensor, resulting in better photographs, particularly in low-light situations. The camera will also record HD video at 720p resolution and 30 frames per second, and the LED flash can be used to light video as well. Like the iPhone 3GS, the iPhone 4 will feature in-phone video editing and enable users to share video the the Internet (think Facebook and YouTube). However, Apple is pushing the video editing envelope with a new iMovie application for iPhone, that enables users to assemble and trim clips and record directly into an iMovie timeline. Users can also add camera photos to their movies (complete with the pan-and-scan Ken Burns effect), and iMovie for iPhone will enable users to add titles and transitions to their videos. The iPhone 4 camera embeds geolocation information in video; iMovie for iPhone can optional display display that information. Users can also add music as a soundtrack to their video, and select from a number of pre-generated themes. iMovie for iPhone will be available as a separate purchase from the App Store for $4.99.

iPhone 4: Bing

Among new features in iOS 4 will be an option to use Microsoft’s Bing as a default search engine; Google will still be the iPhone’s default search, but Yahoo and Bing-powered searches will be available as options. Note that Bing will be taking over the back end for Yahoo’s search services later this year.

iBooks for iPhone

Apple also announced a version of iBooks will be available for iPhone, with feature parity to the iPad edition (complete with previously-announced PDF and annotations support). The applications will be able to synchronize across devices, so users will be able to start reading an iBook on an iPad, then pick up at the same spot on the iPhone. Users will be able to download purchased books to all their supported devices at no extra charge.

No Longer iPhone OS 4: iOS 4

Since it won’t do to have an iPad running something called “iPhone OS,” Apple has decided to rename its mobile device operating system to simply “iOS 4,” encompassing all its mobile devices: the iPhone, the iPad, and the iPod touch. iOS 4 will have the features Apple outlined back in April, including a form of multitasking support (so applications like Pandora can stream music in the background while an iPhone user, say, surfs the Web in Safari), a unified Mail inbox that supports multiple services, home screen folders, a Game Center, and improved support for Microsoft Exchange and enterprise users. However, developers will probably be more intrigued by a boatload of new APIs and significantly deepened features. Developers at WWDC will be able to set hands on a release candidate today.

iAds

Jobs also took a moment to highlight Apple’s new in-application advertising platform iAds: according to Jobs, Apple is developing iAds as a revenue channel for developers so they can earn money from applications in ways other than direct sales to users. As outlined last April, Apple is aiming for high amounts of interactivity and engagement with iAds, building on HTML5 technologies rather than the still-industry-standard Adobe Flash. Apple will host all the advertising and handle ad sales, so all applications developers have to do is specify where in the applications the ads should be placed, then collect 60 percent of the revenue from placements in their applications. Apple has only been selling iAds for about two months—they should go live Jule 1—and so far has many major brands on board, including Disney (Jobs is Disney’s biggest single shareholder, remember), Target, Best Buy, Geico, DirecTV, and other major brands. Unlike traditional banner ads that eject users from applications out into Web browsers, iAds run without exiting a user’s application, providing an interactive experience without causing people to leave apps, or lose work or messages: the goal is an engaging experience that users know is “safe” regardless of the app they’re using.

Video Calling

Of course, that front-facing camera in the iPhone 4 exists for one and only one purpose: video calls. Jobs demonstrated what Apple is dubbing FaceTime video calling with the iPhone 4. The feature will initially be Wi-Fi only and operate iPhone 4 devices—no word in whether FaceTime will support, say, desktops or notebooks equipped with cameras. Users will be able to switch to the rear-mounted 5 megapixel camera on the iPhone 4 to let callers see what they’re seeing, or stick with the front-facing camera for face-to-face chat. Jobs says Apple plans to work with mobile operators to make FaceTime available over 3G data services. Apple says it plans to ship millions of FaceTime-capable devices this year—and if current iPhone sales are any indicator, they’re right—so iPhone 4 users will have plenty of people to talk to. (How far off is an app called FaceTime Roulette?)

Apple says the technology behind FaceTime will be come an industry standard, and will be supported by other devices and services.

iPhone 4 Pricing and Availability

The iPhone 4 will be available June 24 in black or white, with pricing set at $199 for a 16 GB model and $299 for a 32 GB model: those price points match the iPhone 3GS. Initial availability will be the United States, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

In the United States AT&T will enable any iPhone user whose contract expires in 2010 to upgrade to the iPhone 4 for $199 or $299 (for the 16 GB or 32 GB model) if users top off their contracts for another two years of service.

Apple plans to continue selling the iPhone 3GS, with the 8 GB model going for $99.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 4 will open on June 15.

Apple plans to begin offering the iPhone 4 in 18 more countries in July, followed by 24 additional countries in August and 40 more countries in September.

Apple will offer a selection of accessories, including a $29 dock and a “bumper” case in various colors.

iOS 4 Availability

Apple’s iOS 4 will ship standard on new iPhone 4 handsets. Apple plans to make iOS 4 available on June 21 for the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, and iPod touch—although there will be some limitations and some iOS 4 features wont be supported on older handsets. (For instance, multitasking will not be supported on the original iPhone 3G. Apple’s original EDGE-only iPhone, released in 2007, won’t support iOS 4 at all.)

Official iPhone 4 Video

iPhone 4 Pictures

Size and weight

Height:: 4.5 inches (115.2 mm)
Width:: 2.31 inches (58.6 mm)
Depth:: 0.37 inch (9.3 mm)
Weight:: 4.8 ounces (137 grams)

Cellular and wireless

UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only)
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR wireless technology

Location

Assisted GPS
Digital compass
Wi-Fi
Cellular

Power and battery

Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter
Talk time:
Up to 7 hours on 3G
Up to 14 hours on 2G
Standby time: Up to 300 hours
Internet use:
Up to 6 hours on 3G
Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi
Video playback: Up to 10 hours
Audio playback: Up to 40 hours

Mac system requirements

Mac computer with USB 2.0 port
Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later
iTunes 9.2 or later (free download from www.itunes.com/download)
iTunes Store account
Internet access

Windows system requirements

PC with USB 2.0 port
Windows 7; Windows Vista; or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later
iTunes 9.2 or later (free download from www.itunes.com/download)
iTunes Store account
Internet access

Environmental requirements

Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F
(0° to 35° C)
Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F
(-20° to 45° C)
Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)

Capacity

16GB or 32GB flash drive

Color

White or black

Display

Retina display
3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display
960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi
800:1 contrast ratio (typical)
Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front and back
Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

Audio playback

Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
User-configurable maximum volume limit

TV and video

Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format
Support for 1024 by 768 pixels with Dock Connector to VGA Adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable (cables sold separately)

Languages

Language support for English (U.S.), English (UK), French (France), German, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Polish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Arabic, Thai, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Indonesian, Malay, Romanian, Slovak, Croatian, Catalan, and Vietnamese
Keyboard support for English (U.S.), English (UK), French (France), French (Canadian), French (Switzerland), German, Traditional Chinese (Handwriting, Pinyin, Zhuyin, Cangjie, Wubihua), Simplified Chinese (Handwriting, Pinyin, Wubihua), Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Korean, Japanese (Romaji), Japanese (Kana), Russian, Polish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Estonian, Hungarian, Icelandic, Lithuanian, Latvian, Flemish, Arabic, Thai, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Indonesian, Malay, Romanian, Slovak, Croatian, Bulgarian, Serbian (Cyrillic/Latin), Catalan, and Vietnamese
Dictionary support (enables predictive text and autocorrect) for English (U.S.), English (UK), French, German, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Korean, Japanese (Romaji), Japanese (Kana), Russian, Polish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Flemish, Arabic, Thai, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Indonesian, Malaysian, Romanian, Slovak, Croatian, Catalan, and Vietnamese

Camera, photos, and video

Video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio
5-megapixel still camera
VGA-quality photos and video at up to 30 frames per second with the front camera
Tap to focus video or still images
LED flash
Photo and video geotagging

External buttons and controls

Sleep/wake
Ring/silent
Volume up/down
Home

Sensors

Three-axis gyro
Accelerometer
Proximity sensor
Ambient light sensor

Connectors and input/output

30-pin dock connector
3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack
Built-in speaker
Microphone
Micro-SIM card tray

Headphones

Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Impedance: 32 ohms

In the box

iPhone 4
Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic
Dock Connector to USB Cable
USB Power Adapter
Documentation

Hands on : Nokia N8 review

2010-08-14T18:09:00.003+03:00

If you've been a Nokia fan for years, then you'll have noticed that the Finnish firm hasn't been competing at the sharp end of the game for a while now.

The likes of the N97 and X6 have both been trumpeted by Nokia over the last year or so, but neither has particularly won critical acclaim, mostly due to a sub-par OS when compared to the whizz-bang-iness of the iPhone and Android set, as well as taking a veritable age to start using the latest technology, like capacitive screens and slimmer lines.

Now the N8 is here, bringing all manner of high end features to a Nokia phone: 12MP camera, HD video recording, reams of internal storage and a high end media player, as well as the new Symbian^3 OS.

But is it a case of all spec and no trousers? Or is this a phone that truly sees Nokia combining the best of the tech with a great UI to properly challenge the smartphone frontrunners?

The Nokia N8 is a fairly large device - but that's not to say that it's chunky. It's merely large due to having a large 3.5-inch OLED screen, and it comes in at just 12.9mm thick.

Admittedly it's not the thinnest on the market, but when it's down to a matter of a few millimetres, it doesn't really matter in the pocket right?

The Nokia N8 is ridiculously packed with all manner of technology, and for once you can see it when picking up the phone for the first time.

Although, before we get into all the great things the Nokia N8 does, it does rankle that the phone doesn't have a removable battery, with the case being screwed down tightly.

As you can see this means the only way to get the SIM card and microSD memory is through some side doors - fiddly to use but do add to the overall slick feel of the phone.

Not letting you remove the battery is a pretty big statement from Nokia, as it's saying that it won't be plagued by the freezing bugs of before - battery pulls used to be a necessity in those situations.

However, the phone sites nicely in the hand despite the larger size, and you can't help but feel that the overall impression is increased by the sleeker look from no removable battery cover.

The frame is covered in anodised aluminium, which Nokia was keen to show us was resistant to scratches. However, as you can see by the side unlock switch, this isn't always the case - some colour has been lost.

We'll start with the high end features when talking about the innards of the Nokia N8 - and they're immense.

The first is the camera, which Nokia claims is the best on any phone in the world. While we're sure we could find some models in deepest Asia that will challenge that claim (perhaps this one from Altek) it's certainly the best we've seen in the flesh.

The 12MP camera with Xenon flash might look like an attempt to grab some headlines with specs, but in reality it's tip-top. We took some sample shots (that we sadly can't show you here) but the clarity was good, and the shooting speed fairly impressive, even on this early model.

We would have liked to see a camera cover to shield the lens, but if that would have added a lot of thickness then we'll trust the glass will be OK.

We were shown some footage taken with the onboard HD video recorder, and it too looked impressive, although Nokia's claims that the phone's dual microphone approach gives constantly good sound recording was a little bit of a stretch - it didn't sound brilliant to our ears. Not bad, but not excellent.

You can pump 720p HD video out through the mini-HDMI slot (the Nokia N8 comes with a full HDMI adaptor in the box) and it looks great on a large screen TV. We're hoping there's a way to synchronise it wirelessly with your internet connected TV and PC, but we'll have to wait for the full Nokia N8 review sample to find out.

The music player is also pretty darn nice - fast scrolling through your list of tracks and artists thanks to the dedicated GPU working in tandem with the 1GHz CPU mean there's no juddering here, and it bodes well for Nokia that the rest of the phone can follow suit.

Add to that the strong possibility that the Nokia N8 will support Comes with Music for loads and loads of tracks for your phone whenever you want it, and this turns into an impressive proposition for media, especially with 16GB of internal memory and room for more expansion via microSD.

The video player works well on the large OLED screen as well - it might not come across well in the picture but the detail is clear, the running smooth and even pumped out to a larger screen it still looks great.

The Nokia N8 is the first device on the market to use the new Symbian^3 OS, and we had high hopes for it being a real departure from the much-used Symbian^1 version.

Sadly, that isn't the case - but it should be remembered that this is very much a new build. Still, we were hoping for more than something that looked like an (admittedly good) refresh from the interface used on the N97.

The widgets are back in full force, the menu screen looks the same, and while there are three home screens, the whole experience bounced and juddered when attempting to scroll through.

Again, remember, not final build - but we really hope Nokia gets this element fixed before the impending Q3 UK release date.

One area we don't think will be overhauled enough will be the internet browser on the Nokia N8 - it reeks of older Nokias, like that used on the X6 or 5800. It seems to be data hungry and a little slow - nothing like the speed of the iPhone 4 or HTC Desire to which we've become accustomed.

Things just seemed to lag and need loads of data to happen - we're not sure why, but it seems that the N8 web browser just isn't as well optimised.

However, there are some neat features - the task manager, which is accessed through a long-press of the home button at the bottom of the phone.

You get large panels showing what's happening in any given program, and a simple tap of the 'x' in the top right hand corner shuts it down - much simpler and more effective than other models.

Battery life is also likely to be a worry, as it's only 1200mAh - nearly 20% less than most other smartphones on the market, and this looks like it's going to be a power-hoover.

We would have preferred some extra width and a bigger battery, if we're honest; we weren't all crying into our cornflakes when we had slightly thicker phones, were we?

We're excited to see whether this phone is a media marvel but nothing else when it's announced, or whether Nokia is true to its word and is going to make this phone perfect before it finally unveils it to the public.

We hope it's the latter, as this could be a real winner for those that have grown up with Nokia phones and like the simplicity - however, if it gets it wrong it's a long old wait until Symbian^4 or MeeGo show up to hopefully save the day.

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q860 Review

2010-08-14T18:04:00.001+03:00

It used to be if you wanted a gaming notebook that can play today’s latest graphics intensive games you’d end up with a large chunk of hardware that looked like a notebook in an armor suit andset you back at least $2K. Remember the Alienware Aurora m7700? But today we get gaming notebooks that have even larger screens, faster processors and more graphics power in a slimmer body and the price doesn’t have to hurt your wallet. The Toshiba Qosmio X505 belongs in this category with an 18.4” widescreen, running the latest Intel Core i7 and i5 CPUs and NVIDIA discrete graphics with plenty of GPU power. Even with the higher-end Core i7 configuration you can find a system that costs $1,500 or less. If you get the Core i5 configuration the notebook is even cheaper starting at $1,199. Based on our gaming tests, a Core i5 system runs nearly as effectively as the Core i7 when playing games like Modern Warfare 2, F.E.A.R. 2 and Crysis. Of course it helps that both configurations have the same beefy NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M graphics card with 1GB GDDR5 dedicated memory. The catch? A full HD 1080 display will set you back even more.

We take a look at the Qosmio X505-Q860 model with the Intel Core i5-M430 CPU running at 2.26 GHz (with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.53 GHz). The Qosmio X505 has 3MB L3 cache and 4GB DDR3 memory at 1066MHz. The notebook comes with a 500GB SATA hard drive, a SuperMulti DVD burner with Labelflash, built-in Wi-Fi, an HDMI port and a card reader. The system comes with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit and a ton of Toshiba’s own software.

Design and Ergonomics

We really dig the Qosmio X505’s look: the Toshiba Fusion finish in black with red edging, large red mouse buttons and red media play control and LED lights. While it’s large the Toshiba doesn’t look chunky, and the 18.4” widescreen dominates. The TruBrite TFT LCD display has 1680 x 945 native resolution with 720p content support (again natively) and 16:9 aspect ratio. It looks reasonably bright with good color saturation, but it does have glare. What a shame that the X505 doesn’t have a full HD 1920 x 1080 display given the screen size, graphics power and Blu-ray drive, you say? That is indeed available as an option but it brings the price up to $1,899 (you do get the Core i7 720QM in that package). The Toshiba Qosmio X505 has a standard PS/2 keyboard with multi-touch TouchPad pointing device and two large mouse buttons. The keys on the keyboard while large are quite flat; it will take you a bit of practice to get used it if you come from a desktop keyboard that has bigger travel.

The Qosmio has two columns of multi-media touch controls that sit flat next to the keyboard on the left. They make it easier to control music and video playback, but they are also prone to accidental touches. We’d love to see these moved to the large empty space above the keyboard. Two Harman/Kardon speakers use the area above the keyboard toward the edges, and combining these awesome speakers with Dolby Home Theater technology, the Qosmio sounds spacious with strong bass (you can feel the notebook shaking from the bass boom). There is no fingerprint scanner on the Qosmio X505, but there is facial recognition software that works with the built-in webcam for secure login. The Qosmio X505 has memory slots on the bottom and they are very easy to access, just under a screwed-on door.

The touch controls.

Deals and Shopping

Qosmio X505-Q860 Notebook - Core i5 i5-430M 2.26 GHz - 18.40" - Black (4 GB DDR3 SDRAM - 500 GB HDD - DVD-Writer - Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi - Windows 7 Home Premium x64)
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Horsepower and Performance

Toshiba currently offers the Qosmio X505 in both Intel Core i5-430M dual core and Core i7-720QM quad core CPU configurations. The top of the line Core i7 version has a Blu-ray disc drive and an HD 1920 x 1080 display that increases the price from $1,199 for the Core i5 to $1,899. The mid-range $1,499 X505 has a Blu-ray drive and a Core i7 but lacks the HD display. All Qosmio X505 models have dedicated graphics powered by the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M with 1GB GDDR5 memory, plus up to 1.3GB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory using NVIDIA TurboCache technology. So the total available graphics memory is really about 2.3 gigs. Gamers rejoice! The Qosmio X505 has 4GB DDR3 1066MHz memory in two SODIMM slots with a maximum memory capacity of 8 gigs. The 500 gig SATA, 7200rpm hard drive in our laptop was made by Hitachi and it benchmarked nicely. On the Qosmio X505 with Core i5 you get a DVD SuperMulti drive with Labelflash that supports 11 formats. The eject button on the DVD drive is very small and hard to find in the dark. The Toshiba has built-in Wi-Fi (Realtek) b/g/n, and only the Core i7 models have built-in Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR.

We put the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q860 with the Intel Core i5 through PCMark Vantage benchmark tests and provide score comparison with the Lenovo ThinkPad T410 which also runs on the Intel Core i5 (though with a bit faster i5 CPU, the M420 at 2.53 GHz). The Qosmio scores a lot higher in gaming than the Lenovo thanks to the dedicated NVIDIA graphics. The Fujitsu LifeBook NH570 is another 18.4" notebook with the Intel i5 and NVIDIA GTS 330M graphics in the same price range, so we've included its benchmarks as well. We also provided the Windows 7 Experience Index numbers for the Qosmio X505-Q860 in comparison to the Qosmio X505-Q870 which runs an Intel Core i7-720QM at 1.62GHZ with 4 gigs DDR3 memory and the same graphics. As you can see the Q860 scores evenly with the Q870 in gaming and graphics.

PCMark Vantage Benchmark Results:

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q860:

PCMark Suite: 6195
Memory Suite: 4536
TV and Movie Suite: 3672
Gaming Suite: 5688
Music Suite: 6292
Communication Suite: 4617
Productivity Suite: 5202
HDD Test Suite: 4076

Fujitsu LifeBook NH570:

PCMark Suite: 5196
Memory Suite: 2913
TV and Movie Suite: 3635
Gaming Suite: 4671
Music Suite: 4344
Communication Suite: 4158
Productivity Suite: 4620
HDD Test Suite: 3156

Lenovo ThinkPad T410:

PCMark Suite: 6920
Memory Suite: 3372
TV and Movie Suite: 3911
Gaming Suite: 3672
Music Suite: 5963
Communication Suite: 8208
Productivity Suite: 5957
HDD Test Suite: 3758

Windows Experience Index (scale of 1.0-7.9):

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q860:

Processor: 6.7
Memory: 5.9
Graphics: 6.8
Gaming Graphics: 6.8
Primary hard disk: 5.9

Fujitsu LifeBook NH570:

Processor: 6.7
Memory: 5.9
Graphics: 6.5
Gaming Graphics: 6.5
Primary hard disk: 5.9

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q870:

Processor: 7.0
Memory: 7.3
Graphics: 6.8
Gaming Graphics: 6.8
Primary hard disk: 5.9

3DMark06 Score:

3DMark06 score for Core i5/NVIDIA GTS 360M with 4 gigs RAM: 10,300

All productivity software runs smoothly on the Qosmio X505, and IE loads web pages very fast. Music playback, DVD playback and streaming video from Netflix all worked very well on the Qosmio, and even Hulu streams smoothly without noticeable frame drops. Flash can cause jerky Hulu playback on many notebooks including the Lenovo ThinkPad T410 also running on the Intel Core i5 CPU.

Since the Toshiba Qosmio X505 is blessed with such good gaming power, let’s look at the gaming experience. We tested games like Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, Crysis and F.E.A.R 2 on the Qosmio, and found the notebook handled games like Modern Warfare 2 and F.E.A.R. 2 with ease. It managed Crysis much better than the last generation of gaming notebooks like the Gateway P-7808u FX running on the Intel Core 2 Quad with dedicated graphics. The average frame rate in Crysis was around 22 fps and in missions that gave older gaming notebooks trouble the Qosmio had a frame rate of 18 fps where other notebooks only got 5 fps.

Here's the gaming video we composed to demo gameplay:

CoD Modern Warfare 2 settings:

Resolution: 1680 x 945
Aspect Ratio: Auto
Anti-aliasing: 2X
Screen Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
Sync Every Frame: No
Shadows: Yes
Specular Map: Yes
Depth of Field: Yes
Soften Smoke Edges: Yes
Ragdoll: Yes
Bullet Impacts: Yes
Texture Quality: Automatic

Crysis settings:

Resolution: 1680 x 945
Anti-aliasing quality: 4x
Objects Quality: High
Shadows Quality: High
Physics Quality: High
Shaders Quality: High
Volumetric Effects Quality: High
Game Effects Quality: High
Postprocessing Quality: High
Particles Quality: High
Water Quality: High
Sound Quality: High

Fear 2 Project Origin settings:

Resolution: 1600 x 900
Effects Detail: Maximum
Particle Bouncing: Medium
Shell Casings: On
World Detail: Maximum
Corpse Detail: Medium
Sound Quantity Limit: Medium
Water Resolution: Medium
FSAA: 4X
Texture Level of Detail: Maximum
Enable Shadows: On
Texture Filtering Anisotropic 4x
Light Detail: Maximum
Shadow Detail: Maximum
Vertical Sync: On
HDR: On
Model Decals: Maximum
Motion Blur: On
Reflections and Displays: Maximum
Ambient Occlusion: On
Widescreen: On

The Toshiba Qosmio runs most applications at an acceptable 40-45 degrees Celsius CPU temperature. After running games like Crysis and Modern Warfare 2 for a few hours, the CPUs went up to 59 degrees Celsius and the GPU rose to 56 degrees Celsius with the GPU fan 100% deployed. The fan blows out from the back. So make sure that you don’t have anything blocking the heat vents.

Ports and Slots

The Toshiba Qosmio X505’s large body provides ample space for ports and slots. The Qosmio has 3 USB 2.0 ports plus 1 eSATA port that doubles as a Sleep and Charge USB port, an i.LINK port (IEEE-1394), an RJ-45 Ethernet port and a security lock slot. For video and audio, the Qosmio has a RGB monitor output port, an HDMI/HDMI-SEC (REGZA LINK) port, headphone port with S/P DIF support and a mic input port. For expansion, the Toshiba has an ExpressCard slot (ExpressCard/34 and ExpressCard/54) and a memory card reader that works with SD, SDHC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO and MMC Cards.

Battery

The Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q860 comes with a 12-cell rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery that’s 8000 mAh in capacity. The size and weight of the notebook almost guarantee that it will not be a traveling notebook and that it will stay close to an AC outlet. What will further that scenario is the power supply that comes with the Qosmio, an 180W (19V x 9.5A) auto sensing AC adapter that’s literally almost as large as a brick (6.73 x 3.39 x 1.63 inches) and weighs almost 2 pounds. The power supply is a world charger with 100-240V at 50-60Hz.

Power brick and over-sized domestic building brick.

Software

The Toshiba Qosmio X505 comes with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit and Microsoft Works 9. Toshiba bundles its own DVD software for creating discs and playing DVDs, facial recognition software for fast and secure login, Toshiba ConfigFree utility as well as Toshiba recovery and power management eco utility. The Qosmio X505 also has the new Toshiba ReelTime, a dock-like interface that gives you a quick look at active applications/windows and one-click access to your documents, photos, videos and more. Like many Toshiba notebooks, Corel DVD MovieFactory for Toshiba is included.

Trial software includes a 60-day trial of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Edition and a 30-day trial of Norton Internet Security 2010. There’s some bloatware as well, including “special offers” and Intuit Quickbooks and more.

The lid's pattern, close-up.

Conclusion

The Toshiba Qosmio X505 is among the largest notebooks at 18.4” and 9.7 lbs., and the CPU and graphics updates make it a powerful everyday desktop replacement and a darned good gaming machine. The Core i5 is cheaper with only the DVD drive option, but the video and gaming performance is quite good relative to the more expensive Core i7 models. If you must have a Blu-ray drive and/or an HD display, then you should look at the Core i7 models, but for those who don’t need a quad core machine or a Blu-ray drive, the Core i5 can save you a bundle. The Qosmio X505 has excellent audio and runs at decent temperatures even after hours of gaming. The keyboard could have more travel and the touch-control multimedia keys would have found a better location above the keyboard.

Pro: Gaming and video performance is great. The harman/kardon and Dolby Home Theater combination produces one of the best audio experiences on a notebook.

Con: Keyboard is a bit too flat. Upgrading to an HD 1080 display costs big bucks and the lower res display has poor viewing angles.

Price: $1,199.99 (Q860), $1,499.99 (Q870), $1,899.99 (Q880)

Web site: www.toshiba.com

The Playstation Move vs the Xbox Kinect, may the best motion controller win

2010-08-13T20:26:00.001+03:00

It’s officially on. That is the motion control wars and, don’t hate, but Nintendo isn’t one of the combatants. Nope, this war is clearly between Microsoft and Sony. It’s the Kinect vs the Move. Full body tracking vs 1-1 controller tracking. This is going to turn out great for you, me, and both Sony and Microsoft.

Nintendo really deserves some recognition here. They blazed the path in this field, educating and showing consumers why motion control deserves a spot in their living room. Millions and millions of people have used and feel in love with the Wii over the last few years and now both Microsoft and Sony are ready to steal a lot of consumers into their world.

The two camps are radically different. Kinect touts full body control of up to two people at one time. Tracking is accurate and seemingly lag-free. But the games are virtual Wii-clones. It’s clear the market that Microsoft is primarily targeting even though there will be some more adult titles like Star Wars and Metal Gear Solid.

But there are no buttons. Games need buttons. That’s where Sony Move comes in.

The Playstation Move controller is just like you would imagine how Sony would make a Wii Remote: dark, industrial, but solid and smart. There’s also a second smaller controller that helps complete the experience for some games.

Yeah, it sounds like the Wii, right? It kind of is, but so much more powerful. There isn’t a cable connecting the two controllers, the controller doesn’t wobble on-screen, but more importantly it has 1-1 tracking in 3D space. That means you can move the controller side-to-side, forward and back and every which way. The Playstation 3′s powerful core allows the games to take full advantage of this system.

Simply put, the Playstation Move is all about games where Kinect feels like something more. It feels like Microsoft is on the verge of something really big and is using its Xbox 360 gaming platform as a sandbox for the motion tracking system. Kinect is built into the Xbox 360′s dashboard and users can fully interact with the gaming console with nothing more their hands and voice.

It’s important to note that Sony and Microsoft are distinctly different companies. Sony is a hardware company first where Microsoft has primarily been in only software. Sony wants to sell you your whole entertainment system from the TV to the speakers to the gaming system and media playback devices. Microsoft wants to connect your world with Windows, Windows Phone 7 and Xbox 360. Both Sony and Microsoft have developed their motion control system with these goals in mind.

To quote the outspoken Playstation spokesman, Kevin Butler,

“I say we focus on what really matters, the games.”

That pretty much sums it up in the end. Sony is about the gaming first where Microsoft isn’t. They are about the user experience. But the real winner in the end is, well, everyone. Both systems will provide awesome gaming experiences that Nintendo showed us could be possible.

But there’s a problem. Gaming add-ons don’t sell. They never have. There has never been a blockbuster gaming add-on unless you count the Gamecube Wavebird controller. Sony and Microsoft will have the tough task from here on out convincing current system owners — and Wii owners — that they should drop some hard cash down for these systems. It’s going to take hit titles and heavy media coverage for them to even get off the ground.

Don’t think for a minute that either of these systems will be an instant hit. Yeah, sure, fanboys and pundits will proclaim their system of choice, but it’s your parents, non-techie friends, and Wii owners that will decide this one. It’s going to get bloody and that’s awesome.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Slim Review

2010-08-13T14:09:00.004+03:00

Introduction

It has been four and a half years since the original Xbox 360 was released on November 22, 2005. New bundles have come out, hard drives for consoles have jumped in capacity exponentially, and there is even a black model of the 360 out there, but at its core the console has remained the same in terms of design.

When the Xbox 360 originally debuted against the Sony PlayStation 3, it did so with somewhat similar hardware, but several less bells and whistles. At the time, it seemed like a great move, as the PS3’s price put it out of reach of most gamers and where areas the additional add-ons for the Xbox 360 could be purchased anytime.

Price was definitely one of- if not THE- major factors in giving the 360 a commanding lead on the PS3 from the start. But times change. The more things are manufactured, the cheaper they become, and as the PS3 has dropped in price without sacrificing its features, its sales have quickly risen. In answer, Microsoft has followed suit and released a new model, with new features that allow it to compete with the PS3.

Many have been calling it the Xbox 360 Slim, but technically that is a misnomer, as it is a replacement for the 360, not an alternative. It is actually classified as the new Xbox 360, so we will call it that.

Features and Design

The obvious change is in its look. The matte colored exterior has been replaced with a glossy black casing, and a concave indention that comes to a point at the power button, which has also been redesigned. Where the old model had a button that needed to physically be pressed, the new 360 buttons are touch sensitive and require no pressure. There is even a sound to indicate that the command was accepted. The same is true for the tray, as the button has been moved from the side, and placed above. One minor drawback of the new casing is that the shine of the casing is also extremely prone to gathering fingerprints and smudges.

In terms of size, the new 360 is smaller than the original by roughly an inch and a half to two-inches. It is not a huge difference, but it does feel more compact. Part of that is due to the fact that the hard drive design has been totally remodeled. Where on the previous version it was located on the side, the new version puts the hard drive inside the console. It is still removable though, but that presents a problem in itself.

The hard drive is located behind a panel on the side, but to remove the drive itself, you pull on a fabric tab that in turn releases a button to unlatch the hard drive. In theory this seems fine, but if you repeatedly pull out your hard drive and transport it between multiple Xboxes- which WILL eventually happen- then the cord will wear down. If the cord rips, the hard drive is not going to come out easily. This is a minor flaw, and Microsoft is likely banking on the fact that people will be using smaller hard drives to transfer the data via USBs rather than continually removing the internal hard drive, but it still seems like an unnecessarily risky design. It is a minor gripe, but an obvious one. The inclusion of a 250GB hard drive standard is in itself nice, but the 250GB hard drive was standard on the last 360 bundle as well.

The change of hard drives does mean that the hard drives on older 360s are not physically compatible with the new models, but there is a cable you can buy that will allow you to transfer existing data from one drive to another with ease.

As for features, the new 360 finally catches up with the PS3 by including 802.11 b/g/n wifi connectivity. This is probably the single biggest improvement over the former models, which required you to purchase an additional accessory that cost anywhere from $80 and up. Even used WiFi adapters still run $50 and up on eBay. The PS3 has had it since launch, and it is about time the 360 caught up.

The new 360 also features five USB ports (two on the front and three on the back) versus three in the old 360, as well as an AUX port specifically for Microsoft’s Kinect motion device. On the back, the connections are the same (HDMI, Ethernet out), with the exception of an upgraded digital audio port that accepts TOSLINK S/PIF optical input standard on all models.

Performance and Testing

Internally there is a new chip by Valhalla, a 45-nanometer chip designed with integrated CPU and GPU. The redesigned chip improves energy consumption by as much as half in some cases, makes it run quieter, and it decreases the size. In terms of processing power, there isn’t much difference.

The chipset has been an issue with the 360 of course, but that was due to a specific chipset that has long since been replaced. The red ring of death badly damaged the reputation of the 360, but surprisingly it did not seem to drastically affect its sales. Regardless, Microsoft has learned their lesson, and on top of the chipset, the console itself runs cooler than its predecessor. Part of that is due to the new chip, but the double fans of the original model have been replaced by a single, more efficient unit. With the chip putting off less heat, the single fan should be more than enough to keep the console cooler than the original. You still need to maintain a healthy dose of common sense when running the device though; in other words do not stick it in a closet under a bunch of towels and expect it to survive too long- but that is the same with any electronics. Heat is bad, but the new 360 runs at lower temperatures than the original.

The new 360 is also much quieter. When the 360 first came out, a game disk would spin so loudly that it sounded like the thing might fire out of the console. The sound has become like a toothache that you have become so used to that you learn to ignore it. It is only after a visit to the dentist that you realize that there was a better way to live. It is the same with the new 360. You will immediately notice a difference, and wonder why you never noticed how loud your old system was.

The console will of course be backwards compatible with all existing Xbox 360 titles, but one thing missing is a slot for the memory cards that were specific to the original 360s. However, recent software updates have allowed you to create a facsimile with any USB thumb drive.

One of the biggest selling features of the Xbox 360 has been the Xbox Live service that offers things like Netflix streaming, movies for rent, and now even ESPN content live and on-demand. Since this is all software based, there didn’t seem to be any difference in terms of performance.

Accessories

The system ships with a black controller, a headset, the standard power cord, and a composite AV cable. One gripe with the new 360 is that it does not ship with an HDMI or any form of HD cable. With all gaming heading towards HD, you’d think this would be a given. They also ship the new 360 without an Ethernet cable.

Conclusion

The new design looks great. The 360 was due for an overhaul, and the designers did a great job on it. As with anything, some will love the design, some will hate it, but most should find it a pleasing change. But looks alone aren’t likely to sell any consoles. If there is one single feature worth touting, it is the inclusion of WiFi, which really does make a big difference. The quieter sound is a nice touch, and the 250GB hard drive is a great selling point.

While this new unit is unlikely to make anyone go out and buy one if they already own a relatively new 360, it might convince older users (that managed to win the proverbial lottery by avoiding the red ring of death) to upgrade.

Perhaps the biggest negative that people will focus on is the comparison between this model and the PS3, which is the same price but features a built-in Blu-ray player. $300 is reasonable for the new 360, but the Blu-ray might be enough to sway new gamers that are still deciding between the systems towards the PS3. That is more of a “pro” for the PS3 than a “con” for the 360 though.

If you are looking for a new console and Blu-ray isn’t your thing, then you won’t be disappointed with the redesigned Xbox 360.

Highs:

Good price point
Includes a 250GB hard drive
It looks cool, and it is smaller than the original
It is much quieter and runs cooler
Built in WiFi

Lows:

An odd way to remove the hard drive that could potentially cause problems
No HD connectivity without additional purchase
No Blu-ray player
The fancy shine is easily smudged with fingerprints

Braving 'Man vs. Wild' the game with Bear Grylls

2010-08-13T14:09:00.001+03:00

A screenshot from the upcoming video game 'Man vs. Wild'.

CAPTION

By Crave Games

Bear Grylls has lived through man-eating saltwater crocodiles, death-defying HALO (High Altitude-Low Opening) parachute jumps and a steady diet of bugs and grubs as the star of the hit Discovery Channel series Man vs. Wild. Playing the hardest level of his new video game, however, is a whole different story.

"I got whapped. I got eaten by a shark," admits Grylls, the British survivalist and main character of the new game Man vs. Wild, out Nov. 16 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii and published by Crave Games.

As Grylls, players are thrown into five potentially dangerous situations where they have to stave off attacks from animals such as grizzly bears and snakes, brave the weather and hazardous environments, and perform tasks from starting a fire to escaping quicksand — all while making sure you're getting the appropriate nutrients.

"When you get dehydrated or hungry, you start to slow down. But as you eat things and get more energy, you gain extra skills — you climb better and your urban and free running improves and you're somersaulting off cliffs. It's really cool," says Grylls, who had to strap into a motion-capture suit during the development stages. "It's a really good likeness of me racing around."

While he still finds that part somewhat strange, Grylls is excited about including real-life survival tips littered throughout the game, empowering fans in their everyday situations just like with his TV show (which starts its new season this week). Players will also find tiered gameplay modes — they'll get hints along the way by setting it on the easy level, but be thrown in with no help on the hardest.

Overall, though Grylls thinks that fans of the show will have a little bit of an advantage playing the game because they'll recognize many of the situations and challenges.

"People have learned a lot of this stuff subconsciously because it's wrapped up in great adventure," Grylls says. "The nice thing about the game is that you're not just watching the program, you are me and you make your own decisions and you live with the consequences.

"It is a bit weird seeing myself get killed by crocodiles and stuff, but I've got over that hurdle now. Everyone seems to take far too much pleasure in watching me getting munched by sharks."

Because Grylls has been on so many adventures that could be used in the game, he says there will be downloadable content and add-ons available down the line — Man vs. Wild will support both Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. In addition, Grylls will be launching a new smartphone app called Extraction Point next month, which will feature survival skills, games, tips and personal videos.

"It's been really fun putting all of my knowledge into the digital world and making all these things really readily available in a way where all you could do before was just watch the show," Grylls says.

Collectors editions for 'Call of Duty: Black Ops' unveiled

2010-08-13T14:06:00.000+03:00

The Prestige Edition of 'Call of Duty: Black Ops.'

CAPTION

Activision

Call of Duty fans can soon add a remote control recon vehicle alongside their night vision goggles.

Activision and studio Treyarch unveiled the first details on collectors editions for the first-person shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops.

The highlight of the game's Prestige Edition, which will be available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 is a collectible RC-XD surveillance vehicle. "With a range of up to 200 feet, the RC-XD Surveillance Vehicle has a fully-functioning remote camera that transmits both TFT color video and audio to its operator," reads a statement from Activision.

It also includes a Hardened Edition of Black Ops, which features a limited edition medal, avatar outfit and four playable cooperative maps. The Hardened Edition will also be sold separately.

Both collectors editions, along with standard copies of Black Ops, will debut November 9.

Activision has not disclosed details on price. For the release of last November's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the Prestige Edition cost $149, while the Hardened Edition sold for $80.

How To Add The Blogger “Read More” Expandable Posts Link

2010-08-12T16:24:00.001+03:00

This is a pretty popular Blogger hack that lots of people have asked me about. Instead of answering to each email individually, I thought it would make more sense to write an article about it.

With this hack, you can choose to display a select amount of text from the beginning of each post as a teaser instead of showing the entire post on the front page of your blog. Then when people want to read the rest of the post, they can click a “read more” link to see the full post. This is very handy if you have lots of long articles all on one page. (Note that you’ll need to have post pages enabled in order to make this feature work.)

Step #1 – Update Your Template Code

First you need to edit your existing code so I recommend copying and pasting it into notepad or any text editor. Also, it’s smart at this point to create a backup of your template just in case something goes wrong. Now do a search (CTRL + F) within the text editor for the following code post-header-line-1. This is the default code that Blogger includes but some custom templates remove or change this code so you might have trouble finding it. If you can’t locate this text then try searching for instead. Your template will for sure have this since it’s the tag that actually prints the body of your post.

Now depending on which code you were able to find will determine how easy the next steps will be. You might need to do some detective work first in order to get this working properly in your custom template. The idea is to get this new code into your template before the tag. Keep reading and hopefully the explanation will illustrate the concept clear enough so you are able to adapt this hack to your custom template.

Add the following code below the

and

tags if you’ve got both.

The result should look something like this:

If you don’t have the default

tag then your result should look something like this instead. This is how it would be done in the MushBlue Blogger custom template:

Notice in both examples that the code in yellow and the tags are the same — it’s just tag above it that will differ based on the template you’re using.

Now let’s add one more bit of code which will actually create the “read more” link in your post. This code will go below the tag so copy the following and paste it in. Feel free to change the “Read more…” text to whatever you want the link to look like. Be careful not to delete any other code during this process.

Read more...

Yes, there are supposed to be two tags in the above code so don’t think it’ s a mistake. The result should look like this:

This code will be the same no matter what template you are using. Just make sure it goes below the as shown in the image above.

Now let’s look at what the final result should be. Here’s the updated code block you just worked on all put together:

Ok, you’re all done editing the template code. Paste it back into your Blogger html window and save it. If you get an error, you made a mistake. The most common mistake is to accidentally delete a > or <>

Step #2 – Add a Class Tag in Your Default Post Template

For this step, you need to navigate in your Blogger account to “Settings” => “Formatting” and scroll all the way down to the bottom. It’s the last option called “Post Template”. You’re going to paste in the following code:

You’ll want to keep the spaces in there which will make sense later. After you save this, it will look like this:

Step #3 – Create a New Post

Ok, we’ve got everything all setup so it’s time to go and test it out. Hopefully you’ve got a new post in mind for your blog. If not, then we’ll just create a test post which you can later delete. When you click on the “Posting” tab, you’ll notice that the post text area is now pre-populated with the and tags. If not, then you didn’t save it properly so go back and re-read step #2.

So when writing your new post, anything you put above the tag will be the teaser text. The main body of your post needs to go in between the and tags in order for the “read more…” link to work properly. See the screenshot below. Sometimes pictures illustrate better than words.

Now publish or preview your post to see the “read more” hack working on your blog. If it doesn’t show up for some reason, go back and run through the steps again. Most likely you pasted the code blocks in the wrong places. It’s difficult to troubleshoot these issues since each template can be unique so please make sure to double-check your template before asking for help in the comments section below.

Here’s the live post with the “read more…” link properly working based on the text I used above in the post text area.

2010-08-12T16:23:00.001+03:00

I have posted many essential tricks and hacks less or more essential for good functionality and aesthetic blogging experience. Now, I am writing about popular or most wanted tips and tricks for blogger or blogspot blogs.

Let’s have a look at them one by one and I am sure they will prove to be useful for improving aspect of Blogger platform.

1. Remove Blogger default Navbar

This Navbar seems to be of less importance because it doesn’t look cool at the top and take an extra space in your design. It doesn’t have enough resources or tools for the reader so better vanish it from your blog. It’s easy to remove it, just go to Edit HTML section of your blog and find :

]]>

And add following code before hitting the above line.

#navbar-iframe { height:0px; display:none; visibility:hidden; }

2. Add Read more or Expanded posts Continue Reading function

Read More…

To make browsing more light to our readers many times should show only a summary of the articles. As Blogger does not have this feature by default, we will have to use CSS or Javascript to achieve this purpose. You can find well explained at eblogtemplates.

3. Add Paged numbered Navigation

Blogger only shows a link to this page and above, with the page to display a larger number of pages to navigate indicated by numbers. Again the operation is based on a script that is necessary to install on your blog to make it work. So, do it yourself by reading tutorial by Amanda

4. Show Recent posts and Recent Comments in Sidebar

Give more Navigation options to you reader and encourage them to comment and interact by showing off these gadgets in blog sidebar. Click for Recent posts and Recent Comments gadget here.

Another way to do it by adding Feed address in Add Feed content Gadget

For Recent articles: http://blogname.blogspot.com/posts/comments/default

For Recent Comments : http://blogname.blogspot.com/feeds/comments/default

5. Add Popular or Most commented Gadget in sidebar

When an article has many comments, that talks about its possible value for visitors. This is not a feature of Blogger so it requires the use of a new script. It can be easily accomplished by reading Popular post article.

6. Change Blog Title for post pages

Using this trick changes Blog title to the post title while viewing individual post. It’s a necessary hack for Search engine optimization. Just make some changes in HTML codes and its done. Read tutorial to do it yourself.

7. Add Comment form or Feedback below every post

No trick is associated with this feature as this has become default feature of Blogger and you can turn it on from Comments tab under settings of Blogger account. It will be automatically embedded below posts but sometimes you will need to perform it manually if it doesn’t work.

8. Put Adsense Ads inside or in between blogger post

Embedding adsense code inside Blogger article can gain more clicks as it catches reader’s attention so follow tutorial to place adsense units inside posts.

9. Add favicon to your blog

Favicon gives and identity to your blog. It makes possible to navigate to your blog when multiple tabs are open in a browser. There are various methods to do it but you can got this one as this online service does this for you free within seconds.

10. Custom Domain on Blogspot blogs

In everyone’s Blogging journey, a time comes when he wants to move on to his own domain instead of blogspot.com so, how can you move without losing your Permalinks. Blogger has this feature under Publishing tab of Blogger settings but if you still find difficult, head towards this tutorial.

How to Install a Blogger XML Template or Theme

2010-08-12T15:50:00.003+03:00

This article was written to provide a step-by-step guide on how to correctly apply a new xml Blogger template to your blog. This process can be tricky depending on several factors (quality of the code in the new template, your existing widgets, etc) so you need to be careful when changing your template. Don’t worry though, just follow our step-by-step instructions below and we’ll hopefully get you through it without much pain.

Many people make the same mistake when installing a new blogger template. Most problems when installing a new template are caused by the blogger widgets (Page Elements) that you’ve spent time setting up in your previous template. Almost all Blogger templates available for download on this site are in the new Blogger xml template format so if you’ve downloaded the template from us, it’s going to be much easier to follow our instructions.

Step #1 – Backup Your Current Template

Backup your current Template just in case you make a mistake. This is very important so you can always go back (click on the screenshot to the left to see exactly how this is done). You’ll want to navigate to the “Template” => “Edit HTML” section of Blogger and then look for the “Before editing your template, you may want to save a copy of it. Download Full Template“. Click on the “Download Full Template” and save it somewhere easy to find later on your computer. We are not responsible for any mistakes you make in applying your new Blogger template. Once you have saved this .xml file onto your computer, move on to step #2.

Step #2 – Take a Screenshot of Your Page Elements

This next step isn’t necessary but I like to do it anyhow. Take a screenshot of your “Page Elements” page just so you know exactly what widgets (Page Elements) you had before applying the new template (an example of the exact page you should take a screenshot of is in the image to the left). If you blow away all your widgets and you don’t remember which ones you had, this screenshot will at least help you remember. If you’re unsure as to how to take a screenshot, then check out this quick tutorial (MS Windows).

Step #3 – Upload Your New Blogger Template

Now it’s time to upload the new Blogger template from your computer. You’ll want to navigate to the “Template” => “Edit HTML” section of Blogger and then look for the “Upload a template from a file on your hard drive:” text. To the right of that you’ll see two buttons. First, you’ll click on “Browse” and navigate to the new .xml Blogger template on your computer and click “Open”. Then you click on the “Upload” button and cross your fingers.

At this point Blogger is attempting to apply the new .xml Blogger template to your blog. After it’s done, you’ll get a message stating that the upload and new template was applied successfully (in that case you’re done!) or more likely in my case, you’ll get a red error message that states something like:

Widgets are about to be deleted

Please confirm that the following widgets should be deleted. All the widgets’ configuration data will be lost.

Text1
BloggerButton1
Poll1
Profile1

Now if you’re like me, you don’t want to lose all those widgets (Page Elements) you spent lots of time configuring and arranging on your blog. If you don’t care and really don’t have anything you’ll be upset losing, then go ahead and click on the “Confirm and Save” button that looks like this:

Just remember, that you’ll need to re-add any page elements that you had previously setup in your old template. If they were simple or just recently added then I’d recommend just re-adding them instead of having to follow the next steps. If you decide you want to keep your widgets (Page Elements) then write down (or take another screenshot) the list mentioned above that are going to be deleted. You’ll use this list later when we migrate over your widgets.

Step #4 – Transfer Widgets to New Blogger Template

This process is going to take some careful cut and pasting within the template code so if you’re not comfortable doing this, then I’d recommend just ending on the previous step. First things first, click on the blue cancel button (you should still be on the previous step) that looks like this:

This will cancel out of the new Blogger template you were just trying to upload. Next, we’re going to essentially make a temporary placeholder for your widgets (Page Elements) within your current template. You should still be in the “Template” => “Edit HTML” section of Blogger so if you’re not, go back to that section.

You’re going to actually edit this template code now so pay close attention. Look for the following piece of code which is all the way at the bottom.

Now you’re going to replace that code with the following bit of code:

Save your template and you’ll see this message (which is a good sign):

What did we just do? We created a brand new widget (Page Element) in your current Blogger template so we can move all your widgets over to keep them safe! Next navigate over to the “Template” => “Page Elements” section of Blogger and you’ll see a blank new footer section.

Drag all your widgets (Page Elements) that were going to be deleted (we wrote them down or took a screenshot in step #3). The order doesn’t really matter as long as you’ve moved them all down into the widget (top image on left). After you’re done, it should look something like this (bottom image on left):

Now click on the “Save” button and the temporary placeholder for our widgets will be saved. We’re not done quite yet but if you’ve gotten this far already you’ve done great! The hardest part is over. Now we’re going to copy the widgets we just protected over to your new template. Hold off on that bathroom break and let’s keep going.

Next, go back to the “Template” => “Edit HTML” section of Blogger and scroll down in the template code and look for the line of code you added before:

There should now be a bunch more code in between it which will look something like this:

This is a list of all your widgets (Page Elements) that we just moved into the footer. You want to select all this code and copy it. We’re going to paste it into our new Blogger template code which will complete the transfer safely.

Now open your new Blogger template xml file in a text editor (you can use Notepad, just right click -> Open With -> Choose Notepad). Once you have it open, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the code and look for the following code:

You’re going to replace this code with the new code you just copied above. Make sure you only replace that one bit of code otherwise you might run into some problems. Save your new Blogger template and you’ve finished transferring your widgets (Page Elements) into the new Blogger template!

Now after all that work just to save your precious widgets, let’s hope the new template works ok in Blogger. Go back to step #3 above and upload your new template like you attempted to do before. If all goes well, your new template will properly save and your blog will be updated!

Step #5 – Move Your Widgets Back To Their Original Spots

I’m assuming your new template installed without and problems and you’re ready to move your widgets (Page Elements) back to their original spots. This is just the reverse process of what we did before by going to the “Template” => “Page Elements” section of Blogger and moving them out of the footer and back into the sidebar (or wherever you originally had them in your old template).

After you arrange them to your liking, make sure to save and view your blog. If all went well then your blog should be looking the way it did before the new template was applied (well, except for the new beautiful design which is the main reason for this hassle in the first place right?).

Summary

Congratulations on adding a new custom Blogger xml template to your blog! The whole process should have taken anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour depending on your experience and comfort with blog template code, the code quality of the new template, and the number of widgets your blog currently has. Blog designs shouldn’t have to change very often so hopefully this is a one-time process for you. If not, I recommend you bookmark or add this page to your favorites so it’s easy to find the next time you decide to change Blogger templates.

Canon hit it's new EOS 550D

2010-08-12T04:08:00.003+03:00

The Canon EOS 550D is a difficult product to categorize. Ostensibly designed to appeal to first-time DSLR buyers and enthusiasts, it offers a lot more technology, and at a higher price, than we might expect for a camera aimed squarely at this sector. Although it might seem logical for the 550D to replace the EOS 500D, the older camera is set to continue in Canon's lineup, which leaves the 550D pinched between its entry-level (represented by the still-current EOS 1000D and the 500D) and nominally enthusiast (the EOS 50D) peers. Confusingly however, apart from build quality (which is all but identical to the EOS 500D), the 550D has more in common with the prosumer EOS 7D, and - perhaps even more confusingly - it out-specifies the EOS 50D in many areas.

Central to the impressive specification of the EOS 550D is a high-spec movie mode which offers full HD capture at up to 30 fps, manual control over exposure, and the option to use an external stereo microphone. The new camera also inherits the EOS 7D's sophisticated metering system (which brings it a lot closer to similarly positioned Nikon SLRs).

So why has Canon apparently risked cannibalizing 7D sales by releasing such a similarly-specced, lower-end model? Well, Canon might have invented the 'entry-level' DSLR way back in 2003 with the attractively priced (for the time) EOS 300D, but these days, this sector of the marketplace is pretty crowded. Far from enjoying a monopoly, Canon, like all manufacturers, faces a stiff battle to make its products stand out amongst their numerous peers. To this end, Canon has pulled out all the stops with the EOS 550D and produced the most highly-specced Rebel we've ever seen. Now that a production sample has arrived in dpreview's offices, we've had the chance to subject it to our full in-depth test procedure. Read on to find out how it performs.

Headline features

18 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
DIGIC 4 processor with ISO 100-6400 (Expansion to 12800)
Continuous shooting at 3.7fps
Full HD movie recording with manual control and selectable frame rates
7.7cm (3.0”) 3:2 Clear View LCD with 1,040k dots
iFCL metering System with 63-zone Dual-layer Metering Sensor
Quick Control screen to change shooting settings
Exposure compensation +/-5 stops (although viewfinder scale is still +/-2 stops)
Select maximum value for Auto ISO
External Microphone socket
Movie crop function
Eye-Fi connected functions compatibility.

EOS 550D vs EOS 500D Key differences

Higher resolution 18MP CMOS with gapless micro lenses
ISO 6400 no longer in 'expanded' range (12,800 max remains the same)
Redesigned buttons and new movie/live view button
Customizable auto ISO ranges
Improved 63 zone metering (iFCL)
3:2 format screen with more pixels
Improved movie functionality
Slightly higher burst shooting rate (though buffer holds fewer shots)
HDMI control (CEC)
SDHX Compatible

Some images for the EOS 550D :

The Future of Entertainment

2010-08-12T03:43:00.001+03:00

What is it? Compared with the intricacies of voice recognition, gesture recognition is a fairly simple idea that is only now making its way into consumer electronics. The idea is to employ a camera (such as a laptop's Webcam) to watch the user and react to the person's hand signals. Holding your palm out flat would indicate "stop," for example, if you're playing a movie or a song. And waving a fist around in the air could double as a pointing system: You would just move your fist to the right to move the pointer right, and so on.

When is it coming? Gesture recognition systems are creeping onto the market now. Toshiba, a pioneer in this market, has at least one product out that supports an early version of the technology: the Qosmio G55 laptop, which can recognize gestures to control multimedia playback. The company is also experimenting with a TV version of the technology, which would watch for hand signals via a small camera atop the set. Based on my tests, though, the accuracy of these systems still needs a lot of work.

Gesture recognition is a neat way to pause the DVD on your laptop, but it probably remains a way off from being sophisticated enough for broad adoption. All the same, its successful development would excite tons of interest from the "can't find the remote" crowd. Expect to see gesture recognition technology make some great strides over the next few years, with inroads into mainstream markets by 2012.

Wireless Power Transmission

2010-08-12T03:42:00.001+03:00

Wireless power transmission has been a dream since the days when Nikola Tesla imagined a world studded with enormous Tesla coils. But aside from advances in recharging electric toothbrushes, wireless power has so far failed to make significant inroads into consumer-level gear.

What is it? This summer, Intel researchers demonstrated a method--based on MIT research--for throwing electricity a distance of a few feet, without wires and without any dangers to bystanders (well, none that they know about yet). Intel calls the technology a "wireless resonant energy link," and it works by sending a specific, 10-MHz signal through a coil of wire; a similar, nearby coil of wire resonates in tune with the frequency, causing electrons to flow through that coil too. Though the design is primitive, it can light up a 60-watt bulb with 70 percent efficiency.

When is it coming? Numerous obstacles remain, the first of which is that the Intel project uses alternating current. To charge gadgets, we'd have to see a direct-current version, and the size of the apparatus would have to be considerably smaller. Numerous regulatory hurdles would likely have to be cleared in commercializing such a system, and it would have to be thoroughly vetted for safety concerns.

Assuming those all go reasonably well, such receiving circuitry could be integrated into the back of your laptop screen in roughly the next six to eight years. It would then be a simple matter for your local airport or even Starbucks to embed the companion power transmitters right into the walls so you can get a quick charge without ever opening up your laptop bag.

USB 3.0 Speeds Up Performance on External Devices

2010-08-12T03:41:00.001+03:00

The USB connector has been one of the greatest success stories in the history of computing, with more than 2 billion USB-connected devices sold to date. But in an age of terabyte hard drives, the once-cool throughput of 480 megabits per second that a USB 2.0 device can realistically provide just doesn't cut it any longer.

What is it? USB 3.0 (aka "SuperSpeed USB") promises to increase performance by a factor of 10, pushing the theoretical maximum throughput of the connector all the way up to 4.8 gigabits per second, or processing roughly the equivalent of an entire CD-R disc every second. USB 3.0 devices will use a slightly different connector, but USB 3.0 ports are expected to be backward-compatible with current USB plugs, and vice versa. USB 3.0 should also greatly enhance the power efficiency of USB devices, while increasing the juice (nearly one full amp, up from 0.1 amps) available to them. That means faster charging times for your iPod--and probably even more bizarre USB-connected gear like the toy rocket launchers and beverage coolers that have been festooning people's desks.

When is it coming? The USB 3.0 spec is nearly finished, with consumer gear now predicted to come in 2010. Meanwhile, a host of competing high-speed plugs--DisplayPort, eSATA, and HDMI--will soon become commonplace on PCs, driven largely by the onset of high-def video. Even FireWire is looking at an imminent upgrade of up to 3.2 gbps performance. The port proliferation may make for a baffling landscape on the back of a new PC, but you will at least have plenty of high-performance options for hooking up peripherals.

32-Core CPUs From Intel and AMD

2010-08-12T03:30:00.003+03:00

What is it? With the gigahertz race largely abandoned, both AMD and Intel are trying to pack more cores onto a die in order to continue to improve processing power and aid with multitasking operations. Miniaturizing chips further will be key to fitting these cores and other components into a limited space. Intel will roll out 32-nanometer processors (down from today's 45nm chips) in 2009.

When is it coming? Intel has been very good about
sticking to its road map. A six-core CPU based on
the Itanium design should be out imminently,
when Intel then shifts focus to a brand-new
architecture called Nehalem, to be marketed
as Core i7. Core i7 will feature up to eight cores ,
with eight-core systems available in 2009 or 2010.
(And an eight-core AMD project called Montreal is
reportedly on tap for 2009.)

After that, the timeline gets fuzzy. Intel reportedly canceled a 32-core project called Keifer, slated for 2010, possibly because of its complexity (the company won't confirm this, though). That many cores requires a new way of dealing with memory; apparently you can't have 32 brains pulling out of one central pool of RAM. But we still expect cores to proliferate when the kinks are ironed out: 16 cores by 2011 or 2012 is plausible (when transistors are predicted to drop again in size to 22nm), with 32 cores by 2013 or 2014 easily within reach. Intel says "hundreds" of cores may come even farther down the line.

IPhone hacker hacks the PS3 !!!

2010-03-06T18:11:00.002+03:00

The hack involves hardware and software

George Hotz said the hack, which could allow people to run pirated games or homemade software, took him five weeks.

He said he was still refining the technique but intended to post full details online soon.

The PS3 is the only games console that has not been hacked, despite being on the market for three years.

"It's supposed to be unhackable - but nothing is unhackable," Mr Hotz told BBC News.

"I can now do whatever I want with the system. It's like I've got an awesome new power - I'm just not sure how to wield it."

Sony said it was "investigating the report" and would "clarify the situation" when it had more information.

'Open curiosity'

Mr Hotz said that he had begun the hack last summer when he had spent three weeks analysing the hardware.

After a long break, he spent a further two weeks cracking the console, which he described as a "very secure system".

He said that he was not yet ready to reveal the full details of the hack but said that it was "5% hardware and 95% software".

The hack could allow gamers to play pirated games

"You can use hardware to inject an insecurity and then you can build on that," he said.

He admitted that he had not managed to hack the whole system, including the protected memory, but had worked out ways to trick the console into doing what he wanted.

Mr Hotz said that he was continuing to work on the hack and, once finished, would publish details online in a similar way to his previous iPhone exploits.

In particular, he said, he would publish details of the console's "root key", a master code that once known would make it easier for others to decipher and hack other security features on the console.

He said his motivation was "curiosity" and "opening up the platform".

"To tell you the truth, I've never really played a PS3," he said. "I have one game, but I've never really played it."

Opening the system could allow people to install other operating systems on their console and play homemade games, he said.

In addition, he said, the hack would allow people to play older PS2 games on their consoles.

Recent versions of the PS3 do not have the ability to play PS2 games after Sony controversially removed a piece of hardware.

He admitted that it could also allow people to run pirated games.

"I'm not going to personally have anything to do with that," he told BBC News.

Gaming firms do not take the issue of game piracy and console modification lightly. Recently, Microsoft disconnected thousands of gamers from its online gaming service Xbox Live for modifying their consoles to play pirated games.

Mr Hotz said that the nature of his PS3 hack means that Sony may have difficulty patching the exploit.

"We are investigating the report and will clarify the situation once we have more information," said a Sony spokesman.

Mr Hotz rose to fame in 2007 at the age of 17 when he unlocked the iPhone, which could only be used on the AT&T network in the US at launch.

The hack allowed the popular handset to be used on any network.

He has since released various other hacks, allowing people to unlock later versions of the popular handset.

WHY PEOPLE CONVERT TO ISLAM >> interesting

2010-03-04T16:35:00.004+03:00

Islam spread by the sword?
The myth and the reality
By Sherif Mohammed
Among the most widely believed myths about Islam in the West today is the myth of forcible conversion to Islam. Many Westerners do believe that Islam is so widespread in the world today simply because of a "holy campaign of terror" carried out by the early Muslims to convert non-Muslims to Islam. Non-Muslims were offered the freedom to choose either Islam or death.
In a discussion with a Baptist Minister he said to me that "Muslims tend to kill non-Muslims and anyone who disagrees with them". In a syndicated column appearing in over 30 papers (on July 23rd, 1994) entitled, "Muslim persecution of Christians increasing" the author blames many Muslims countries for persecuting Christians then he quotes the Qur'an, "There is no compulsion in Religion" and ends the quote by rudely writing "Really?".

How to confront such misconceptions? First, there is no need for us to be apologetic. We Muslims should search for the truth and present it as it is. This is how we have been instructed by Allah (SWT) "Say: the truth from your Lord and let him who will believe and let him who will reject."(18:29) Islam is the religion of the Truth. The Qur'an is the book of the Truth. "We sent down the Qur'an in Truth and in Truth has it descended." (17:105) "Put your trust in Allah for you are on the path of the manifest Truth."(27:79)

Therefore, we should ask ourselves first, before we are asked by anyone else, what is the truth? Did Muslims really force others to convert to Islam? Is there any evidence for consistent forcible conversion throughout the Islamic history? As a matter of fact, there is no such evidence anywhere in the history of Islam. Many distinguised Western historians have attested this fact-- foremost among whom is Sir Thomas W. Arnold in his book, "The Preaching of Islam". Also there is Marshall G. Hodgson in his book, "The Venture of Islam", Albert Hourani in his book, "A History of the Arab People", Ira Lapidus in his book, "History of Islamic Societies", L.S. Starorianos in his book, "A Global Hisotry, the Human Heritage" and many others. In fact, there is substantial evidence to the contrary. We have already seen in a previous *khutbah* that Muslims were often seen as liberators of the oppressed people everywhere.

The question that remains to be answered is why then so many people have chosen Islam throughout the more than 1400 years of its history. Islam has penetrated the Middle East, North Africa, Spain, West Africa, East Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Afghanistan, India, Western China, and the Malay archipelago. Islam in all these regions replaced so many other well-established religions: Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Paganism and animism. What are the reasons behind the triumph of Islam over all these religions in so many different places at so many different times?

First and foremost, Islam is an amazing blend of simplicity and rationality: a very simple religion yet very rational at the same time. Professor Hodgson has explained the reasons for the popularity of Islam as follows: "Muslims made a personal appeal to people's religious consciousness. On the level of straight argument, they often put forward the populistic intelligibility of Islam. Muslims commonly ridiculed, in the name of intellectual good sense, the more mythically convoluted teachings of older traditions. This could seem attractively straightforward to people dissatisfied with taking things on faith from a learned priest whose mysteries they could not comprehend. A single Creator, to be worshipped by each person for himself, on the basis of revelation that had been given to a famous prophet whom millions already acknolwedged. This was at once intelligible and plausible."

The unambiguous and uncompromising belief in the Unity, the Greatness, the Wisdom of God, the Creator of the universe, is unparalleled among other religions. The French professor Edouard Montet said, "The dogma of the unity of God...has always been proclaimed in the Qur'an with a grandeur, a majesty, an invariable purity and with a note of pure conviction which is hard to find surpassed outside the pale of Islam. A creed so precise, so stripped of all theological complexities and so accessible to the ordinary understanding might be expected to possess and does indeed possess a marvellous power of winning its way into the consciences of men."

Besides its simple and rational creed, Islam offers an impressive set of rituals which has gained the admiration and, subsequently, the conversion of many non-Muslims. The second pillar of Islam, **salah**, the prayer, has been described as follows by Sir Arnold, "The religion of the Muslim is continuously present with him and, in the daily prayer, manifests itself in a solemn and impressive ritual which cannot leave either the worshipper or the spectator unaffected." Then Sir Arnold narrated the story of an Egyptian Jew who converted to Islam at the end of the 13th century mainly because of the sight of the **Juma'a** prayer. Actually, it is not only in the 13th century that people converted to Islam because of the prayers; it just happened a few years ago in Ottawa that a non-Muslim Canadian woman converted to Islam because of **Juma'a** prayers. She used to go to the Ottawa Mosque on Friday and pray among the sisters for several months. She loved the prayer and eventually she embraced Islam.

In addition to the prayers, the other pillars of Islam, **Zakah**, **Hajj**,**Siyam**, have always been factors in attracting many hearts to Islam. Up until the present day, one still meets converts who were impressed by the social justice of Islam brilliantly expressed in the payment of **Zakah**. The genius of **Hajj** and **Siyam** has always been a determining factor in the conversion of many people. It is this union of rationalism and ritualism that explains the power that Islam has exercised over the hearts and minds of so many people. Islam simply gives the truth, neat and clear in a visible and tangible form. The neatness and clarity of Islam was presented to human beings in the form of a miraculous book, the Qur'an. The marvellous power and beauty of the words of the Qur'an have always been a decisive factor in conversion to Islam. The famous Jewish American convert to Islam, Maryam Jameelah, cited the Qur'an as the major factor of her conversion. After a deep study of both the Old Testament and the Qur'an, the contrast between the two scriptures became increasingly evident to her until she firmly believed that the Qur'an was indeed God's message to the human race.

A conference of Christian missionaries in 1887 was discussing why Islam has almost swept away Crhistianity from the Middle East. What did Islam offer these people to forsake Christianity for good? One of the missionaries was insightful enough to say the following: "Islam brought out the fundamental dogmas of the Unity and Greatness of God, that He is mindful and Righteous. It proclaimed the responsibility of man, a future life, a Day of Judgement and stern retribution to fall upon the wicked, and enforced the duties of prayer, alms-giving and fasting. It replaced monkishness by manliness, it gave hope to the slave, brotherhood to mankind and recognition to the fundamental facts of human nature."

The formidable rationalism, ritualism and clarity of Islam did not only lead the Christians of the Middle East to forsake Christianity and embrace Islam in the past. It continues to do so with Christinas in the West to the presnt day. An Australian-born Christain who converted to Islam four months ago and who was studying here with us at Queen's wrote in her story of conversion to Islam, "Christianity continued to be difficult for me. So much didn't make sense, the trinity, the idea that Jesus was God incarnate, the worship of Mary, the Saints, or jesus, rather than God. The priests told me to leave reason behind". The she went on to say, "Could Muhammad really be a messenger? Could the Qur'an be God's word? I kept reading the Qur'an, it told me that Eve wasn't alone to blame for the fall, that Jesus was a messenger, that people would question the authenticity of Muhammad's claim to revelation but that if they tried to write something as wise, consistent and rational they would fail. This seemed true. Islam asked me to use my intelligence to contemplate God, it encouraged me to seek knowledge." Then at the end of her sincere search for the truth she prayed to God saying, "Dear God, I believe in You, I believe in the compelling and majestic words of the Qur'an and I believe in the prophethood of your messenger Muhammad (SAW)."

Another Muslim sister, from California, who was a practising Christian and an active member in her nearby Presbyterian church, wrote in her conversion story that despite her active affiliation with the church, she always had serious questions about the fundamentlas of Chrsitianity which did not make sense to her. She debated her questions with her friends but never came up with good answers. The church couldn't give them good answers either, they only told them to "have faith". All her questions were answered when she took a course about Islam. Listen to her own words. "This class brought back all of the concerns that I had about Christianity. As I learned about Islam, all my questions were answered. All of us are not punished for Adam's original sin. Adam asked God for forgiveness and our merciful, loving God forgave him. God doesn't require a blood sacrifice in payment for sin. We must sincerely ask for forgiveness and amend our ways. Jesus wasn't God, he was a prophet like all of the other prophets. This answered all of my questions about the trinity and the nature of Jesus. I found a teaching that put everything in its proper perspective and appealed to my heart and my intellect. It seemed natural. It wasn't confusing. I had been searching and I had found a place to rest my faith."

My dear brothers and sisters, Islam is so strong and so self-assured that it does not need to use force to attract others to it. The moral and intellectual superiority of Islam over all other religions has manifested itself so clearly throughout the history of Islam. Despite all of the ills of Muslims everywhere, Islam continues to be the fastest growing religion on earth. Professor Huston Smith of the MIT in his book, "The Religions of Man" says, "In some areas where Islam and Christianity are competing for converts, Islam is gaining at a rate of 10 to 1."

Ambassador Herman Ellis, in a testimony in front of the committee on Foreign Affirs of the House of Represntatives of the United States Congress on June 24th, 1985, said, "The Muslim community of the globe today is in the neighbourhood of one billion. That is an impressive figure. But what to me is equally impressive is that Islam today is the fastest growing monotheistic religion. This is something we have to take into account. Something is right about Islam. It is attracting a good many people."

Yes, something is right about Islam and that's why it has attracted so many people throughout its 1400 years of history.

A Wave of Conversion to Islam in the U.S. Following September 11

2010-03-04T16:25:00.003+03:00

Excerpts from "Muslim American Leaders: A Wave of Conversion to Islam in the U.S. Following September 11" © Middle East Media & Research Institute

Muslim American reports in the Arab press indicate that Muslim proselytizing efforts have been unusually successful since the September 11 attacks. 'Alaa Bayumi, Director of Arab Affairs at the Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), wrote in the London daily Al-Hayat that "non-Muslim Americans are now interested in getting to know Islam. There are a number of signs...: Libraries have run out of books on Islam and the Middle East... English translations of the Koran head the American best-seller list... The Americans are showing increasing willingness to convert to Islam since September 11... Thousands of non-Muslim Americans have responded to invitations to visit mosques, resembling the waves of the sea [crashing on the shore] one after another... All this is happening in a political atmosphere that, at least verbally, encourages non-Muslim Americans' openness towards Muslims in America and in the Islamic world, as the American president has said many times in his speeches..."(1)

CAIR chairman Nihad Awad told the Saudi paper 'Ukaz that "34,000 Americans have converted to Islam following the events of September 11, and this is the highest rate reached in the U.S. since Islam arrived there."(2)

According to Dr. Walid A. Fatihi, instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston has recently become a center of Islamic proselytizing aimed at Christians. On September 22, 2001, Al-Fatihi sent a letter to the Egyptian weekly Al-Ahram Al-Arabi, in which he described the unfolding of events since September 11: "...From the first day, the media began to insinuate that Muslim Arab hands were behind this incident. At noon, the directors and administration of the Islamic Center of Boston held an emergency meeting, and I stayed on the line with them from my clinic. We decided to hold a blood drive, and we set up a committee to contact the Red Cross and organize it for us. We invited the media to cover the event..."

"All of us tried to grab onto every scrap of information that would indicate that Muslim Arab hands were not involved in the loathsome crime. Yes, my brothers and sisters, we tried to prove our humanity on the day we found ourselves attacked from all sides. Our hearts bled and our spokesman said that proselytizing in the name of Allah had been set back 50 years in the U.S. and in the entire world..."

"On Saturday, September 15, I went with my wife and children to the biggest church in Boston, [Trinity Church in] Copley Square, by official invitation of the Islamic Society of Boston, to represent Islam by special invitation of the senators of Boston. Present were the mayor of Boston, his wife, and the heads of the universities. There were more than 1,000 people there, with media coverage by one of Boston's main television stations. We were received like ambassadors. I sat with my wife and children in the front row, next to the mayor's wife. In his sermon, the priest defended Islam as a monotheistic religion, telling the audience that I represented the Islamic Society of Boston."

"After the sermon was over, he stood at my side as I read an official statement issued by the leading Muslim clerics condemning the incident [i.e. the attacks]. The statement explained Islam's stance and principles, and its sublime precepts. Afterwards, I read Koran verses translated into English... These were moments that I will never forget, because the entire church burst into tears upon hearing the passages of the words of Allah!!"

"Emotion swept over us. One said to me: 'I do not understand the Arabic language, but there is no doubt that the things you said are the words of Allah.' As she left the church weeping, a woman put a piece of paper in my hand; on the paper was written: 'Forgive us for our past and for our present. Keep proselytizing to us.' Another man stood at the entrance of the church, his eyes teary, and said, 'You are just like us; no, you are better than us.'" (3)

"On Sunday, September 16, the Islamic Society of Boston issued an open invitation to the Islamic Center in Cambridge, located between Harvard and MIT. We did not expect more than 100 people, but to our surprise more than 1,000 people came, among them the neighbors, the university lecturers, members of the clergy, and even the leaders of the priests from the nearby churches, who invited us to speak on Islam. All expressed solidarity with Muslims. Many questions flowed to us. Everyone wanted to know about Islam and to understand its precepts."

"Of all the questions, not a single one attacked me; on the contrary, we saw [the people's] eyes filling with tears when they heard about Islam and its sublime principles. Many of them had never heard about Islam before. Well, they had heard about Islam only through the biased media. That same day, I was invited again to participate in a meeting in the church, and again I saw the same things. On Thursday, a delegation of 300 students and lecturers from Harvard visited the center of the Islamic Society of Boston, accompanied by the American Ambassador to Vienna. They sat on the floor of the mosque, which was filled to capacity. We explained to them the precepts of Islam, and defended it from any suspicions [promulgated in the media]. I again read to them from the verses of Allah, and [their] eyes filled with tears. The audience was moved, and many asked to participate in the weekly lessons for non-Muslims held by the Islamic Center..."

"On Friday, September 21, the Muslims participated in a closed meeting with the governor of Massachusetts. In the meeting, a discussion was held on introducing Islam into the school curriculum, to inform the [American] people and to fight racism against Muslims arising from the American people's ignorance regarding the religion. With the governor's support, measures to examine implementation of this goal were agreed upon..."

"These are only some of the examples of what happened and is happening in the city of Boston, and in many other American cities, during these days. Proselytizing in the name of Allah has not been undermined, and has not been set back 50 years, as we thought in the first days after September 11. On the contrary, the 11 days that have passed are like 11 years in the history of proselytizing in the name of Allah. I write to you today with the absolute confidence that over the next few years, Islam will spread in America and in the entire world, Allah willing, much more quickly than it has spread in the past, because the entire world is asking, 'What is Islam!'(4)

Fatihi's reports of American Christians' crying upon hearing Koranic verses have an historical context. This type of narrative is about part of the ethos of Islamic proselytizing. It comes from the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad's invitation to the Christian community of Najran, located in what is today North Yemen, to visit the mosque. When the Christians of Najran were exposed to the verses of the Koran, the tradition says they burst into tears and converted to Islam.

Fatihi also published an article in the London daily Al-Hayat:

"...There are initial signs that the intensive campaign of education about Islam has begun to bear fruit. For example, the rate of converts to Islam since September 11 has doubled… There is solidarity with the Muslims on the part of many non-Muslims in American universities. For example, dozens of non-Muslim American women students at Wayne [State] University… have put on veils as a symbol of identification with the Muslim women students at the university and at the other universities of America."

"One of the most important topics [in an NPR broadcast] was an interview with several young women at American universities who recently converted to Islam through the Islamic Society of Boston. They hold advanced degrees from universities in Boston, such as Harvard, and they spoke of the power and the greatness of Islam, of the elevated status of women in Islam, and of why they converted to Islam. The program was broadcast several times across the entire U.S..." (5)

Notes and references:

(1) Al-Hayat (London), November 11, 2001

(2) Al-Ayyam (London), November 12, 2001

(3) The phenomenon of sincere Christians shedding tears as they recognize the truth and beauty of Islam is mentioned in the Qur'an:

And thou wilt find the nearest of them in affection to those who believe (to be) those who say: Lo! We are Christians. That is because there are among them priests and monks, and because they are not proud. When they listen to that which hath been revealed unto the messengers, thou seest their eyes overflow with tears because of their recognition of the Truth. They say: Our Lord, we believe. Inscribe us as among the witnesses [Qur'an 5:82-83]