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2024-11-30T14:46:00.001+03:00

Successful Online Shopping Can Be Learned Through Our Tips And Tricks

For many years, the Internet has been used for many reasons, such as for research and communication purposes. But, nowadays, one of the most common uses for the Internet is to shop. Whether you have already begun to shop online or you are interested in doing so, the following tips will be of help.

When you're shopping online you have to be sure that you know who you're buying from. If tshirt for womenLinks to an external site. buying on an online auction site, only buy from people that have positive feedback. On other sites look to see if they are a reputable company by looking for reviews on them online.

If you want to buy a used product online, learn more about the seller first. You should visit their profile and look for reviews written by other shoppers who bought products from this seller. Do not hesitate to contact the seller to ask a few questions about the product you are interested in.

If you are going to be doing some shopping online, make sure you understand the liability for each credit card you use online. Many credit cards have automatic fraud prevention built in while others offer it for a minimal fee. You do not want to get stuck with purchases made on your card if the number is stolen.

Be aware of the dangers of shopping online with your mobile device. Although it's convenient for a number of reasons, it does put your personal information at an elevated risk for eavesdropping. Public wi-fi and abbreviated URLs are much easier to get around than conventional computing from home, so save your shopping fix for the safest conditions.

Do not forget to comparison shop when you are looking for things online. People usually do this when shopping in physical stores, but they don't think about it on the Internet. If you go for the first sale you see, there is a chance you will miss out on a better deal somewhere else.

If you're going to buy a lot of items from a site, think about joining any premium programs they offer. You have to spend $79 every year in order to receive this membership. Although the price may sound steep, you can quickly save a lot of money with it. It includes 2-day shipping on all items fulfilled by Amazon and other shipping discounts. And there's an excellent streaming movie library too. You could end up saving a lot of money!

Always remember your budget and credit limits when shopping online. The virtual world of online shopping has gotten a lot of people in serious debt. You need to look at online shopping in the same way you look at offline shopping. Never buy items online that you don't have the cash to pay for.

Don't supply too much information. It should be no surprise that a shopping site will need your credit card information in order to bill you, and your address so that you can receive your items. However, use caution if more information is asked. No shopping site should ever need your social security number, and even your birth date may be too much information. Those pieces of information, combined with your credit card number can be used by an identity thief to wreak havoc.

Never make your final purchase without searching for coupon or promo codes. It takes just a few seconds to enter the store's name and the words "coupon code" into a search engine. More often than not, you should be able to find coupon codes for a percentage off of your order, free shipping, or a fixed amount off of a large purchase.

If you receive an email that looks like it is sent from a legitimate site offering you a great deal, make sure that you check the address bar before buying anything. There are many scammers out there that spoof legitimate sites in order to get unsuspecting people's personal information.

In conclusion, people have always used the Internet to look things up or to speak with friends. Shopping has become a more popular reason to go online. By using the tips above, you will get the most out of online shopping, whether it's something you have done many times before or something you are going to do for the first time.

Verizon Customers Can Pre-Order iPhone 4 from 3rd Feb 2011

2011-02-02T22:55:00.000+03:00

Apple has officially confirmed that Verizon customers will be able to pre-order the iPhone 4 online starting Thursday, February 3.

The pre-orders, which will come on a first come, first served basis, will be available through the Apple Store and at www.verizonwireless.com/iphone.
On Wednesday, February 9, qualified customers will be able to order an iPhone 4 on Verizon through the Apple Store for delivery or reserve it for an in-store pick up the following day.
Finally, at 7 a.m. local time on Thursday, February 10, the iPhone 4 will be available to qualified customers at Apple’s retail stores, as well as more than 2,000 Verizon stores throughout the U.S.

Kiwi Fruit

2011-02-02T17:00:00.003+03:00

Kiwi fruits are rich in many Vitamins, flavonoids and minerals. In particular, they contain a high amount of Vitamin C (more than oranges), as much potassium as bananas and a good amount of beta-carotene.

Anti Oxidant properties of Kiwi Fruit

It is important to note that kiwi fruits contain a remarkable amount of Vitamin C, E and A. Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant that has been proven to protect our body from free radicals, dramatically improving the health of individuals who consumed it regularly against all kinds of disease, from cardiovascular problems to cancer and obesity.

Vitamin E has been proven to have similar effects, but is fat-soluble and thus is complimentary to Vitamin C in its functions. Kiwi fruits contain both these vitamins in high amount, which help protect our body against free radicals from all fronts.

Kiwi fruits have a high fiber content

The high content in dietary fiber helps improving diseases such as diabetes, by controlling sugar levels, and colon cancer, since fiber binds to toxic compounds in the colon and helps us expel them.

Fiber has also been proven to reduce cholesterol levels, improving the conditions of patients with cardiovascular diseases and lowering the probability of heart attacks.

Hold On..Quick to consume Kiwi...

Health Kaleidoscope of Peanut

2011-02-02T16:49:00.003+03:00

Peanut:

The peanut, or groundnut (Arachis hypogaea), is a species in the legume or "bean" family (Fabaceae).

Health benefits of Peanut :-

Peanuts contain a compound that may help reduce the risks of cancer and heart disease.Peanuts contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that keep the heart healthy. A good level, of both; monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats results in lowering blood cholesterol levels, and thereby reducing the risk of coronary heart diseases.
Although peanuts have been considered a high-fat food, the Peanut Institute noted in response to the study that peanuts are a good source of vitamin E, fiber, folic acid, thiamin, niacin, copper, manganese, phosphorous, magnesium, and zinc.
Peanuts are an extremely high source of plant protein. It should be regularly incorporated in diet for children, vegetarians and protein deficient people.
Peanuts contain high concentrations of the antioxidant polyphenols, primarily a compound called p-coumaric acid and oleic acid, that not only protect the heart but inhibit the growth of free radicals, keeping infection at bay.
Peanuts provide our body with essential vitamins, that also help in regulating metabolism, converting fat and carbohydrates into energy, and facilitating bone and tissue formation. A good source of folate, peanuts reduce the incidence of birth defects, and anemia related conditions.

High Nutrient Intake in Low Cost...! Hurry..!

Children and Junk Food

2011-02-02T16:28:00.003+03:00

Children find themselves amidst a complex society that is undergoing breathtaking changes. Concepts, relationships, lifestyles are metamorphisised to accommodate the new jet-setting age. Food is no exception. Healthy nutritious foods have been replaced by the new food mantra - JUNK FOOD! Junk food comprises of anything that is quick, tasty, convenient and fashionable. It seems to have engulfed every age; every race and the newest entrants are children. Wafers, colas, pizzas and burgers are suddenly the most important thing.

The years between 6-12 are a time of steady growth; good nutrition is a high priority. Children must know that what they eat affects how they grow, feel and behave. Changes in our society have intensified the need for food skills, to the extent that they need to become a part of the child's basic education for good health and survival. The vast majority of working mothers with school age children are laboured with exhausting commutes, upswings in the households, and stress, leading to a situation where parents get to spend limited time with their children. Traditional food skills are not passed on automatically from parent to child. Most people have forgotten that the primary reason for eating is nourishment.

For children who have less vision of the heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure or diabetes that might befall them decades later, the tentacles of a junk food environment are virtually inescapable. Studies reveal that as early as the age of 30, arteries could beginning clogging and lay the groundwork for future heart attacks. What children eat from puberty affects their risks of prostate and breast cancer. Osteoporosis and hypertension are other diseases that appear to have their earliest roots in childhood when lifelong eating habits are being formed. Children are especially vulnerable. Poor diets can slow growth, decay new teeth, promote obesity and sow the seeds of infirmity and debilitating disease that ultimately lead to incurable disease and death or worse make life insufferable.

Most of the times these junk foods contain colors that are laced with colors, those are often inedible, carcinogenic and harmful to the body. These foods and their colors can affect digestive systems, the effects of it emerging after many years. Studies have found that food coloring can cause hyperactivity and lapses of concentration in children. Children suffering from Learning Disabilities are often advised against eating food with artificial coloring. Chocolates, colas, flavored drinks and snack tit bits are full of artificial coloring.

So guys..! Beware of foods which looks attractive and appealing ..!!

Apple's New iPod Policy

2011-02-01T08:29:00.000+03:00

Apple has amended its policies for water-damaged iPods, according to new service documentation.
The French website igeneration.fr published an image provided by an Apple Authorized Service Provider that highlights a more lenient approach to dealing with water-damaged devices.
Apple devices, like the iPhone, iPod touch, iPod nano and iPod shuffle, have a liquid contact indicator (LCI) at the bottom of the
headphone jack. The sensor changes color — from white/silver to red or pink — if it comes in contact with water.
When inspecting non-functional phones or iPod units, Apple repair specialists can use a magnifying flashlight to peer into the port to see if the sensor has changed color. These sensors are not supposed to be activated by changes in temperature or humidity. In the past, Apple’s official policy stated that without manager intervention, if a device indicates it has come into contact with water, repairs aren’t covered under warranty.

This policy had triggered criticism because of the alleged sensitivity of these sensors. In 2009, news reports indicated that perspiration from the gym (or even sweaty palms) could trigger the LCI.
In December 2010, a 13-year-old Korean girl sued Apple after the company refused to repair her iPhone 3G, claiming it had come into contact with water, which she denied had happened. Rather than settle with Apple, the family decided to take the matter to court. The plaintiff’s father said they hoped “Apple [would] improve its service policy so that people facing similar situations can get back unjustly paid repair expenses.”
The lawsuit just might have paid off. Apple’s new policy states that customers who deny that their devices came into contact with water (and whose devices do not show external evidence of water damage or corrosion) may still be eligible for warranty service.
We like this policy change and wish that other electronics makers would consider adopting something similar.

LG's 3D Smartphone

2011-02-01T08:12:00.000+03:00

Photographs purporting to be the upcoming LG Optimus 3D smartphone have hit the web.
At CES 2011, LG showed off some glasses-free 3D screens that could be used in smartphones. A pair of leaks last week indicated that a new 3D smartphone, dubbed the Optimus 3D, could make its debut at February’s Mobile World Congress.

Phandroid received Monday a photo of the alleged device from an anonymous tipster. The phone, which doesn’t look like either the Optimus 2X or the Optimus Black, could be the first glasses-free 3D mobile handset to hit the market.
These are the specs, according to the Phandroid tipster:

Large screen — Phandroid estimates that it is 4.3 inches.
The screen offers glasses-free 3D visuals.
Dual-core processor with multi-channel RAM.
Front-facing camera.

The phone is running on an unspecific version of Android. The large, 3D screen and dual-core processor certainly situate it in the high-end category.
We expect to see lots of Android handsets at MWC, including Motorola’s Atrix 4G. Mashable will be at the LG event at MWC February 14 and we’ll update you with news as we hear it.
Are you interested in a 3D smartphone?

Android Tablets Gain Ground on iPad in Q4 2010

2011-02-01T08:06:00.000+03:00

Samsung has clarified that it shipped 2 million devices, rendering the results of this study inaccurate.
We’re still waiting for Android 3.0, or Honeycomb, which is supposed to be the first version of the platform aimed at tablets, but Android tablets on the whole are doing quite well, at least according to the latest numbers by market research firm Strategy Analytics.
Android tablets have climbed to 22% market share in the fourth quarter of 2010 — an almost tenfold increase compared to the 2.3%
in the previous quarter. The gain is mostly due to strong sales of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, Strategy Analytics says.
Apple sold 7.3 million iPads in the last quarter, and the device accounted for 75% of global shipments in Q4 2010, which is quite a fall from the 96% it had in Q3 2010.
The numbers are in line with a recent report that claimed Samsung has sold 2 million Galaxy Tabs in Q4 2010.
With most major consumer electronics manufacturers poised to release a new tablet in 2011, and Google holding a Honeycomb-related event on Wednesday (which hopefully means a near release date of this particular version of Android), Android has all the ingredients to do for tablets what it did for smartphones: become the most powerful alternative to Apple’s iOS platform.
Apple, which is expected to launch a new version of its iPad this year, is still well ahead in the tablet department, but it won’t be able to rest on its laurels too long.

“New York Times” Homepage Contains Links to Twitter & Facebook

2011-02-01T07:58:00.000+03:00

Now, two tiny logos — one for Facebook and one for Twitter — appear to the right of the words “Follow us” under the New York Times header.
The logo lies between a search box and, perhaps ironically, a text ad for home delivery. Lists of stories recommended by editors and one’s Facebook friends are listed below.
At the time of writing, the newspaper has nearly 2.9 million followers on its main Twitter account and a little more than 1 million Facebook fans.
It’s yet another sign of the times in the ever-evolving — and increasingly overlapping — spheres of old and media.

Mobile-only Internet users to reach 1 billion by 2015

2011-02-01T07:52:00.000+03:00

The global market for mobile broadband will continue to grow rapidly, and by 2015 one billion people will use it as their only form of internet access, according to new research from independent analyst. This one billion cohort of mobile-only customers will account for 28 per cent of all mobile broadband users globally or 13 per cent of the world’s population by then.

It forecasts that the Asia-Pacific will once again lead the mobile-only broadband market, with users forecast to grow from 119.1 million in 2011 to 518.4 million by 2015.

“Asia-Pacific’s role is stragetically important in the fixed-mobile services (FMS) space,” said Nicole McCormick, senior analyst at Ovum. “The region has the third highest penetration rate of 34%, and also has the fastest growing mobile-only penetration of any region.”

The main reason for the strength of the mobile broadband market in Asia-Pacific is a lack of fixed-line infrastructure in populous markets such as China and India.

But that doesn’t mean that fixed broadband won’t grow. Although mobile-only broadband services are growing quickly, broadband Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) services are forecast to increase by 120% globally in the five years to 2015. These users will purchase both fixed and mobile broadband services, providing significant revenue opportunities for service providers, according to a second new report from Ovum.

Ovum also predicts that FMC users in Asia-Pacific will increase from 259 million in 2011 to 465 million by 2015.

“In absolute terms, Asia-Pacific dominates the rest of the world, primarily due to the presence of China, Korea, and Japan, all of which have significant FTTx deployments and are large broadband markets – especially China,” said McCormick. “Bundling opportunities in Asia-Pacific are expected to gathering pace in Asia over the forecast period, as some operators continue to seek ways to protect their fixed line revenue bases.”

Google’s Android becomes the world’s No 1 smart phone platform

2011-02-01T07:50:00.000+03:00

Canalys today published its final Q4 2010 global country-level smart phone market data, which revealed that Google’s Android has become the leading platform. Shipments of Android-based smart phones reached 32.9 million, while devices running Nokia’s Symbian platform trailed at 31.0 million worldwide. But Nokia did retain its position as the leading global smart phone vendor, with a share of 28%. The fourth quarter also saw the worldwide smart phone market continue to soar, with shipments of 101.2 million units representing year-on-year growth of 89%. The final quarter took shipments for
the year to fractionally below 300 million units, with an annual growth rate of 80% over 2009 (see table below).

In Q4 2010, volumes of Google OS-based smart phones (Android, OMS and Tapas) were again boosted by strong performances from a number of vendors, notably LG, Samsung, Acer and HTC, whose volumes across these platforms grew 4,127%, 1,474%, 709% and 371% respectively year-on-year. HTC and Samsung together accounted for nearly 45% of Google OS-based handset shipments.

‘2010 has been a fantastic year for the smart phone market. After a difficult 2009, the speed with which the market has recovered has required real commitment and innovation from vendors and they have risen to the challenge,’ said Canalys VP and Principal Analyst Chris Jones. ‘But vendors cannot afford to be complacent. 2011 is set to be a highly competitive year with vendors looking to use new technology, such as dual-core processors, NFC and 3D displays, to differentiate their products and maintain value.’

At a regional level, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) remained the largest market, with shipments totalling 38.8 million and a year-on-year growth rate of 90%. Nokia continued to lead in EMEA and Asia Pacific, but in 2010 it was overtaken by RIM in Latin America, which shipped over a million more units than Nokia in Q4 2010. The vendor was particularly helped by the popularity of its mid-range smart phones, such as its Curve family of devices.

The United States continued its reign as the largest country market in terms of shipments, at more than double the size of the Chinese smart phone market. RIM recaptured first place from Apple, as the latter experienced its usual US seasonal dip, and RIM benefited from the first full quarter of shipments for the BlackBerry Torch. HTC successfully maintained its third-place ranking in the US for the third consecutive quarter, driven by its speed to market with the latest Android updates and new Windows Phone 7 devices.

‘The US landscape will shift dramatically this coming year, as a result of the Verizon-Apple agreement,’ said Canalys Analyst Tim Shepherd. ‘Verizon will move its focus away from the Droid range, but the overall market impact will mean less carrier-exclusive deals, while increasing the AT&T opportunity for Android vendors, such as HTC, Motorola and Samsung.’

Android was by far the largest smart phone platform in the US market in Q4 2010, with shipments of 12.1 million units – nearly three times those of RIM’s BlackBerry devices. Windows Phone 7 devices appeared too late in the quarter to take full advantage of holiday season purchasing. As a result, Microsoft lost share in the United States, from 8% in Q4 2009 to 5% in Q4 2010.

Analysis of the published country-level data shows that, around the world, the strength of smart phone performances remained diverse. In South Korea, for example, shipments grew from under 700,000 units in Q4 2009 to just under 3.4 million units in Q4 2010, making the country a top 10 market.

In Japan, Android shipments have taken off over the past year, with nearly 1.4 million units shipping from local as well as international vendors, such as HTC. More Japanese vendors have also announced plans to launch Android devices in 2011, such as NEC Casio and Panasonic.

Under pressure from Huawei and Samsung in particular, Nokia’s share in China slipped to 56%, down from 76% a year ago, despite growing its volume in the country by over 70% in the same period. Albeit from a smaller base, the Chinese market grew 134% year-on-year, notably faster than the US market, which grew at 64% in the quarter.

Google Launches Voice-to-Twitter Service To Help Protesters in Egypt

2011-02-01T07:45:00.000+03:00

Engineers from Google, Twitter and SayNow (which Google acquired last week) were hard at work building a speak-to-tweet service for protesters in Egypt this weekend. The service, which is already live, makes users to send tweets using a voice connection. Anyone can tweet by leaving a voicemail on one of three international phone numbers:
. Tweets sent using the service will automatically include the hashtag #egypt.
People can also listen to the messages by dialing the above numbers, and by clicking on the links posted to @speak2tweet.
“We hope that this will go some way to helping people in Egypt stay connected at this very difficult time. Our thoughts are with everyone there,” Ujjwal Singh, co-founder of SayNow, and Google product manager Abdel Karim Mardini wrote in a blog post.

Samsung : The First Windows Phone That Matters

2011-01-31T08:37:00.000+03:00

Currently, the Samsung Focus is the first Windows Phone that matters. But how good is it?

Specs
Samsung Focus i917 specs
Price: $199 w/ a 2-year contract on AT&T
Screen: 4-inch Super AMOLED, 800x480 resolution
Processor and RAM: 1GHZ Snapdragon QSD8250
Storage: 8GB internal (expandable, sort of)
Camera: 5 megapixel stills, 720p video recording, LED flash

Nine phones are impregnated with Windows Phone 7 at launch, and they're a remarkably uniform bunch. Most are recycled, reconfigured hand-me-down iterations of past models. It borders on inbreeding. Microsoft's tight control of Windows Phone hardware and virtual obliteration of custom software means it's that much harder for phones to stand out. But Samsung's Focus is the most eye-catching. It's the thinnest and lightest Windows Phone, and its Super AMOLED display is the best screen too. If you're going to get a Windows Phone, this is the one to stare at the hardest (even though we hear they're going to be in short supply).

Samsung's incredibly rich, deeply contrast-y and saturated Super AMOLED screen is a perfect visual delivery mechanism for Windows Phone 7's black backgrounds and loud, basic colors. The size—4 inches—and resolution—800x480—are just right, even if it doesn't match the titanic 4.3-inch HD7 or the iPhone's 960x640 display. The touch response, tuned by Microsoft's deep testing for Windows Phone hardware, is top notch, especially paired with the WP7's second-to-iPhone keyboard.
The five-megapixel camera is good, particularly when there's a decent amount of light. It's quick fast to boot with the dedicated hardware button—but the image results are mildly unpredictable. Microsoft allows phone makers to expose a fairly lengthy number of settings in the app, which Samsung has chosen to do—everything from sharpness to ISO to contrast—but all of the settings, except for resolution, reset every time the camera app's closed. The 720p video fares less well. It's grainy and a bit choppy with motion. (You can catch full res photos and a video here.)
It chugs through Windows Phone 7's graphics and intense games stutter free, once things are running. With frequent reloads as apps aggressively put themselves to sleep, it's hard to know how much the software is limiting itself at this point instead of letting the hardware push it all the way. On the same token, without truly comparing it to a handful of other Windows Phones, it's hard to know how much things like battery life are in the realm of hardware. (It was less than I liked, well under a day's use, with push email and data turned on.)

I really can't tell you frantically enough how magically the Super AMOLED screen complements Windows Phone 7's interface. It's like dark chocolate peanut butter cups topped with blowjobs.
It's fast. The Windows Phone 7 interface, as frenetically flippy as it can be, never chugs. Same goes for more graphically intense games, even if the load times are longish, bordering on angst-inducing.
The subtly angled back, which echoes a Nighthawk stealth bomber, hints at more daring design ambitions lurking at Samsung. I'd like to see what the crazy engineers at Samsung could really do.
Samsung and AT&T's added apps, while both minimal and blissfully uninstallable, are actually good, thanks to the solid framework Windows Phone has provided them. A pretty nice U-Verse app for AT&T customers, and Samsung's Now news & weather app fills a hole in the default Windows Phone app lineup.
It does what it's supposed to: Humbly bends over on its hands and knees to serve as an altar holding up the largely fantastic software, Windows Phone 7.

The glossy plastic and fake chrome isn't just tacky, it makes a phone loaded with high-end technology feel cheap, like a high-end call girl wearing pleather pants. Unfortunately, it's something of an pandemic for Samsung phones, which I would love 10,000x more if they just felt nicer.
The GPS lock on Maps was indecisive and bouncy. Normally it'd be hard to tell if it's a software or hardware problem, but it's not the first Samsung phone of this ilk to have GPS problems. Was never really thrilled with the call quality, either.
Capacitive buttons for the Windows, back and search key are a terrible idea. I can't tell you how many times I was flung out of a game of Rocket Riot to the home screen by accidentally tapping the Windows key.

If you're going to get a Windows Phone that isn't the HD7, this is the one to get, thanks to the display, if nothing else.

Garmin StreetPilot for iPhone

2011-01-31T08:25:00.000+03:00

Garmin has finally created a navigation app for the iPhone, and now StreetPilot for iPhone is available in the App Store for $40. Here’s a review where we compare the iPhone version to another Garmin hardware GPS navigator, the Nuvi 1690.

I’ve been using Garmin GPS navigation since the days when the hardware cost $800, and so I was interested in seeing if Garmin could translate the excellent user interface and responsiveness of its hardware navigation units to the iPhone.
Delayed for years because of Garmin’s foray into its own smartphone hardware, the company’s done a respectable job of moving its software onto the iOS platform. A big plus with the software is its continuously updated maps, where small parts of the map software reside on the iPhone’s hard drive, but most are downloaded via the 3G network.
This can be good and bad. While the maps are the freshest available, if you stray outside AT&T’s 3G network, you might not see a map until you get closer to a 3G tower. However, in my testing in the Milwaukee metropolitan area, this wasn’t a problem at all.
Most of the features you’ll get on Garmin hardware units are there in the software, including extensive points of interest such as gas stations and restaurants, helpful lane assist capabilities, and spoken street names.
In my testing, this iPhone version offered more information, and sooner than its hardware brandmate, a Garmin Nuvi 1690. In some cases, the iPhone version was slower, but as you can see in the video below, the speed difference was slight, and didn’t matter as much as the iPhone version’s useful tendency of offering additional street names in advance.
On the left of the navigation screen, there’s a small iPod icon, and when you select it, you can pause your music, skip to the next song, and go to your iPhone’s music player to select different playlists and songs. Unfortunately, it’s not as friendly with Pandora Radio, where if you try to listen to Pandora music, as soon as the voice kicks in, Pandora is gone for good.
Some users have complained about the sound quality of the voices in the iPhone StreetPilot, but that’s been improved with the recent update, although the sound quality of the voices is still not as good as that of the hardware versions. This seems like it would be an easy thing to fix, but in my testing, the voices were still clearly audible. You can hear the difference in the video below.
Overall, Garmin has done an admirable job of bringing its elegant user interface to the iPhone. The software’s $40 price is reasonable, especially since it includes live updates of road conditions and the freshest possible maps. However, given the unpredictability of AT&T’s network, taking a long trip with its constantly updating maps might be a problem if you’re traveling through sparsely populated areas. In addition, I’d like to see better integration with Pandora, and higher-quality voices.
To get an idea of Garmin StreetPilot for iPhone’s performance, take a look at this video where you can see which device won my informal and unscientific competition, and then don’t miss the gallery where I’ve made additional comments and observations.

It's 1st BirthDay for iPad

2011-01-31T08:21:00.000+03:00

January 27, 2010 brought the launch of Apple’s iPad tablet device — Thursday marks its first year.
Leading up to its launch, the world was all atwitter with a number of rumors — Would it be called the iSlate? When would it be released? Would it just be a giant iPhone? There was even a comprehensive picture created to document all the iPad rumors. One year later, rumors of a second generation iPad are now rampant.
Now is a great time to look back on the device’s success thus far and ponder its future. To celebrate the iPad’s first year, the folks at OnSwipe created this infographic:

Google Wins Access To “Super Wi-Fi” Broadband Spectrum

2011-01-31T08:19:00.000+03:00

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken new steps to open up the “white space” wireless spectrum, a move that could lead to the development of next-generation Wi-Fi.
The FCC has given nine companies permission to manage and administrate the white space wireless spectrum, an unused spectrum used previously as a buffer between TV channels. With the transition to digital TV, buffer space has become unnecessary.
“While the operation of multiple database administrators may present some coordination challenges, we find it is in the public interest to
have multiple parties developing business models for this new mechanism,” the FCC said in its order. “The value of this exercise extends beyond databases for the TV bands, as the Commission is also considering employing similar database approaches in other spectrum bands.”
Companies like Google hope to turn the white space spectrum into a form of “super Wi-Fi.” White space spectrum has a longer wavelength, further reach and better penetration than traditional Wi-Fi signals.
In its order, the FCC gave permission to Google, Comsearch, Frequency Finder, KB Enterprises, LS Telecom, Key Bridge, Neustar, Spectrum Bridge, Telcordia Technology and WSdb to access, build and manage databases of white spectrum. It’s the first step towards offering the spectrum publicly.
“Just last fall the Commission adopted final technical rules on white spaces – the unused, public airwaves that we believe will lead to the next generation of wireless technologies,” Google said in a response to the FCC’s announcement. “Before inventors can start to introduce new products and services on these airwaves, the FCC must certify the white spaces databases, which will ensure that different wireless signals don’t interfere with each other.”
However, Google’s appointment as a caretaker of the white space databases did not occur without protest. Key Bridge Global, the Coalition of Wireless Microphone Users, the National Association of Broadcasters and others filed critical comments, doubting Google’s ability to be impartial.
The possibilities of white space Wi-Fi have yet to be fully realized, but many, including Google, believe that it could be turned into a nationwide Wi-Fi network. Devices could be built to be compatible with the unused spectrum to send and receive Internet data.

Land a Job at 9 Hot Startups in USA : How

2011-01-31T08:09:00.000+03:00

Today’s startups have the potential to become tomorrow’s legendary public offerings.
While still in their nascent stage today, startups such as Path, Instagram and Picplz hope to change the world through mobile photos; Foursquare has the same lofty goal for location. Others like Twilio or Invovler serve as powerful gateways helping others find their ways to bigger audiences and faster success, and Evernote is
already on its way to becoming an indispensable memory aid.
Then there’s fledgling thingd, an early stage startup which aims to connect the digital and physical worlds through object tagging. And while we don’t quite know what hatchling startup Tasty Labs is up to, our expectations are high.
Several of these startups will define new territories in the mobile and social landscapes, and landing a job at one could be a career-changing, life-altering experience. Mashable talked to each of them for a look at what it takes to score a job at the hottest startups now hiring in San Francisco and New York.

1. thingd

Founder Joseph Einhorn at work in thingd's New York office. Photo by Dorothy Hong.

A wise person once predicted that 2011 would see the rise of object tagging. New York-based startup thingd could very well carry that trend with its line of products that index objects. One such product is its consumer-facing app thefancy.
Getting a job at this up-and-coming startup will be no simple feat, especially given that the startup is taking an organic approach to hiring. You won’t find a help wanted ad listed anywhere. Instead, Founder Joseph Einhorn would rather take a slower, more involved journey in finding new talent.
In case you can’t read between the lines, thingd wants to see what you’re made of first. An initial job inquiry via e-mail will be met with a response, and the startup is open to anyone for any role, but expect to be put to work before getting the job.
“We seek like-minded people — creative, technical and entrepreneurial — and rather than do a job interview, let’s find a way to work together first,” says Einhorn.
Einhorn tells the story of Joseph Wain, the Googler and Glyphish iPhone icon maker turned vice president of product for thingd, to drive home his point.

“We were building our iPhone application and we needed icons for our app. We learned about Glyphish, which is recognized as the best iPhone icon library. We were really impressed with the icons, so I sent them a note. ‘Them’ ended up being just him — Joe — and it turned out he liked our work, too.
We chatted a bit on Skype and developed a good rapport … It turned out that Joe was working right across the street from us at Google. His epic icons were just a side project that he used to work on at night in his spare time. So, he came over for lunch that same day and the rest is history. We began the recruitment process and eventually convinced him to leave a great job at Google to take a chance with us.”

2. Path

Path’s personal network may be the opposite of Twitter in terms of purpose, but this startup has big plans, big backers and big names all in the hopes of reinventing how people share memories on mobile phones.
The fast-iterating startup has released a slew of updates in recent weeks and is currently on a hiring spree. Open positions include Ruby on Rails studs, Java experts, iOS rockstars and Android engineers — a nice hint at what’s to come.
The personal network takes on a whole new meaning when considering some of the perks of operating inside this elite circle. Matt Van Horn, vice president of business development, describes his first visit to Path’s sky-high office as a star-studded affair. Apparently, Adrian Grenier, the start of Entourage who you may know as “Vince,” was actually hanging out with founder Dave Morin upon Van Horn’s arrival.
Name-dropping aside, Van Horn says Path is creating a great place to work. The office view alone, as seen above, is certainly something to appreciate. “We work hard to play hard,” he says. The play side of the business comes with an always-stocked beer fridge, free food, gym membership, transportation, health insurance and unlimited vacation.
Getting Path’s attention may take more than a personal approach. The startup is looking to recruit, hire and train what Van Horn calls “athletes” — individuals with raw talent who have the passion to be leaders of tomorrow. A hacker mentality is also a highly celebrated trait.

3. Twilio

With an API that powers more than 20,000 voice and SMS applications, including a slew of hot group texting apps, Twilio is poised to be one of most significant platform-as-a-service companies of our time.
The San Francisco-based startup occupies a brick and timber office at 1st and Folsom in SOMA, and has a cool $12 million in cash to hire the best engineers, sales people and product managers the city has to offer. But getting a job a Twilio takes more than talent — it takes action.
“We’re looking for ‘doers’ who take initiative and get stuff done,” says CEO and co-founder Jeff Lawson. “We want someone who will wrangle a bull by its horns and figure it out.”
A hint to would-be staffers: Lawson literally means figure it out. Hopefuls, even non-engineers, will need to build their own Twilio application to get the company to take notice. The startup’s current office manager built a Twilio phone application to serve as her resume, for instance. Lawson called into a phone number and was greeted with a menu of resume options — press one to listen to my experience, press seven to speak to a reference, and so forth.
Lawson also recommends candidates submit cover letters that show off their personalities. Of course, Twilio is looking for new hires that match their criteria, but humbleness, attention to detail and talent are also key factors.
Should you make it through Twilio’s doors, you can expect both the expected — like health insurance — and the unexpected, by way of job benefits and perks. Every Wednesday night, Twillio hosts a company dinner with a featured speaker. The startup also brings in lunch three days a week and gifts new employees with Kindles and a $30 per month Kindle Store allowance.

4. Picplz

Dalton Caldwell captivates the Startup School crowd. Photo by Robert Scoble.

There is no hotter niche than mobile photo sharing, and the cross-platform service Picplz is poised for a big 2011. The Mixed Media Labs product, founded by Dalton Caldwell and backed by Andreessen Horowitz, has started the new year off with a bevy of feature additions — there’s something new nearly every week.
If you’re asking for a job at Picplz, you should plz be someone with a technical background and a penchant for Hacker News.
“It’s a really special community of people and the intelligence, attitude and level of sophistication of those folks never ceases to impress me,” says Caldwell of the Hacker News community.
Hacker News cred may get applicants one foot in the door, but to land one of the available software engineer, designer or product manager positions, candidates need to have something tangible to show.
“An engineer could point to their Github account to show interesting open-source projects they have done. A designer could point us to things they have designed or their Dribble account. A product manager could make specific suggestions or ideas for Picplz, or could point out their personal blog. The underlying thing is that the folks that really stand out from the crowd are people that are more than just a submitted resume,” says Caldwell.
New hires at Picplz will find themselves with a $5,000 budget for hardware that they can use to spring for high-end equipment, a perfect perk for the techies the startup hopes to attract. The startup’s office space also features a “one-cup-at-a-time” coffee maker, healthy snacks, drinks and fresh organic fruit, according to Caldwell.

5. Tasty Labs

There’s still little to know about this super stealth social software startup, but with a founder like Joshua Schachter of Delicious fame and the en vogue firm Andressen Horowitz backing it, Tasty Labs sounds like a mouth-watering opportunity for ingénue talent looking for a breakout moment.
Specifically, Schachter tells us he’s interested in frontend developers with Javascript, HTML and Python skills, also possessing a strong product sense. Candidates should enjoy building prototypes quickly, he says. Tasty Labs is also on the lookout for backend developers and UX wizards that are either project management or engineering-oriented.
“We like people that have published personal projects. We love engineers that have code samples available. We like people that blog interesting things,” says Schachter.
Tasty Labs will soon be graduating out of its Palo Alto office space, pictured above, in favor of a Mountain View headquarters. The young and hungry startup is still defining its company perks, which means new hires will likely have a big say in the matter — a perk in its own right.
“People want smart coworkers, a small team, a great environment, and interesting projects to work on. That’s what we are,” says Schachter.

6. Involver

Social marketing platform Involver has money in the bank, a new programming language for Facebook and a close-knit relationship with the world’s largest social network. Last year, Involver grew from six people to more than 60 team members and now occupies a colorful, dog-friendly space in downtown San Francisco.
The startup is looking for both engineers and sales people, and just recently started a search for “Sales Engineers” with technology know-how and proven business savvy.
At Involver, new hires can expect a more traditional smorgasbord of benefits including full health, dental and vision coverage, as well as 20 days of paid time off and ten paid holidays. Startup-style, the growing company also touts field trips to trampoline parks, bowling alley excursions and onsite massages. Employees can also expect a stocked fridge and “Bagel Wednesdays.”
Involver wants well-rounded types, so prospects should have an array of social profiles — including public Twitter and Facebook accounts — and are better off knowing someone already employed at the company. Candidates will also want to have a strong understanding of the company and the industry at large.
“Don’t be afraid to create a business proposal for a new initiative or a campaign concept or even a light prototype, and bring that with you to the interview,” recommends Jasha Kaykas-Wolff, vice president of marketing at Involver.

7. Evernote

Fresh off Mac App Store success, Evernote’s note-taking platform is more popular than ever. The two-and-half year-old startup is hiring at a feverish pace — one new hire a week — to keep up with demand.
“Our goal in 2011 is to add some serious functionality and polish to every single version of Evernote. To get there, we’re going to need amazing engineers, product managers, QA, and UX/UI designers for our desktop, mobile and web versions,” according to marketing head Andrew Sinkov.
Specifically, Evernote is on an immediate quest for an iOS engineer, senior web application engineer, user experience designer and graphic designer for its Mountain View headquarters. The startup expects candidates to have strong portfolios, and seeks talented problem-solvers.
Being a bit more mature in stature than the other startups on this list, Evernote is less flashy and more focused in its company culture, apart from the office robot, of course. “What we do have is a very positive and collaborative atmosphere. It’s an open office and we encourage conversation and interaction,” says Sinkov.
Still, it has its perks. All commuting employees are issued Caltrain passes and the startup has lunch delivered every day from local restaurants.

8. Foursquare

The mayor of location-based mobile gaming applications, Foursquare is growing rapidly, quickly becoming a substantial influencer of location-driven behavior and has a bevy of big brands hitching a ride to social relevancy through its service.
After most recently overhauling its iPhone and Android apps with photos and comments, Foursquare is searching for superstar iPhone and Android developers to work in its New York or San Francisco offices.
“In terms of requirements, we’re looking for engineers that are comfortable in a very fast-paced, challenging, fluid environment,” says co-founder Naveen Selvadurai. “They need to be self-motivated and willing to bring a fun, creative approach to their work.”
Foursquare is all about the game of location, but newbies should expect to be thrown into the fire almost immediately. “Candidates we hire need to be able to get up to speed quickly so they can start cranking out high quality work shortly after joining us,” says Selvadurai.
The startup has been receptive to creative, unusual and aggressive tactics. Marketing manager Anna Frenkel coordinated the first ever Foursquare Day party, a big gesture that caught Dennis Crowley’s attention and landed Anna a gig. New community manager Nina Yiamsamatha stood out when she turned in a resume that was laid out like a Foursquare history page.
And Tristan Walker, director of business development, hounded Crowley daily via e-mail for a job in the summer of 2009. Here’s how that story played out, according to a Foursquare rep:

Finally, Dennis asked him if he was ever in NYC so he could come in for a meeting — Tristan told him he’d be in NYC that weekend and booked a flight that night. When he came in to meet with Dennis, Tristan told Dennis he’d sign up 100 local businesses in a month and shared some of his ideas for working with larger partners and redefining loyalty. He hit 100 businesses in a couple of weeks, and by month’s end he’d signed up 250 businesses and Dennis agreed to give him a job as Foursquare’s first business development employee.

Play is built-in to the work experience, naturally. Selvadurai speaks of a passionate group of team members who work hard and play hard. “Everyone’s extremely excited about all of the stuff we’re building and being surrounded by that type of energy is addictive,” he says.
Perks of the job include full health, vision and dental coverage, a 401k plan, pre-tax transit benefits, flexible hours and vacation, gym-fee reimbursement, snacks, lunches and all the free Foursquare schwag imaginable.

9. Instagram

A healthy rivalry has been brewing between mobile photo sharing competitors Picplz and Instagram. The latter has made an arguably louder splash, attracting one million iPhone app users in just 10 weeks and recently introducing a brand-friendly hashtag feature.
Following a recent move to Twitter’s original office in the South Park area of San Francisco, Instagram is “looking for an engineer to help build the next biggest social company in mobile,” says co-founder Kevin Systrom. “We’re passionate about creating products that let people tell their stories on the go through photos, and we’re looking for people who want to solve some of social’s biggest technology hurdles as we grow and scale the service.”
Forget about Ivy League degrees or stellar GPAs — Instagram wants engineers who can build “kick ass” software and possess a tangible passion for the product and its potential.
New hires will join a four-man team and play a significant, family-member role in defining Instagram’s company culture, they’ll also get to take home a “chunk of a fast-growing and immensely popular company,” says Systrom.
The office touts a new Italian coffee machine, Apple Cinema Displays, Macbook Airs and other gadgetry that makes the workspace just as drool-worthy as the product.

Profits Fall for Nokia, Its Smartphone Business Weakens

2011-01-30T08:10:00.001+03:00

Nokia‘s quarterly financial results once again show what was obvious throughout 2010: The company needs to step up its smartphone business and it needs to do it fast.

Nokia reported a 21% year-over-year decrease in net profit, dropping from €948 million ($1.3 billion) a year ago to €745 million ($1.02 billion) in the last quarter, and a mere 31% share of the smartphone market — a significant decrease compared to Q4 2009′s 40%.

It’s not all bad, though: Nokia’s overall sales rose 6%, from €12 billion ($16.6 billion) to €12.7 billion ($17.4 billion), and even smartphone sales saw a bump from 20.8 million sold in Q4 2009 to 28.3 million in Q4 2010. However, the smartphone market has been growing a lot faster than that, and Nokia’s growth in that department simply isn’t fast enough to keep up.
Nokia’s struggle with its smartphone business is well documented; torn between Symbian, which hasn’t been evolving fast enough so far, and MeeGo, whose head Ari Jaaksi resigned in October 2010, Nokia had to change both its head of mobile solutions and CEO while trying to find a new direction for the company.
Nokia’s new CEO, Stephen Elop, didn’t shy away from admitting the company’s struggle with the smartphone business. “In Q4 we delivered solid performance across all three of our businesses and generated outstanding cash flow. Additionally, growth trends in the mobile devices market continue to be encouraging. Yet, Nokia faces some significant challenges in our competitiveness and our execution. In short, the industry changed, and now it’s time for Nokia to change faster,” he said.

Motorola Atrix 4G Shows Off for the Camera

2011-01-30T08:07:00.000+03:00

Motorola has just released a new promo video for its upcoming Atrix 4G smartphone.
We were really impressed by the Motorola Atrix 4G when we saw it at CES. Packed with a powerful dual-core 1GHz processor, this Android phone is fast.

It’s also versatile. Motorola will be selling two different docks for the Atrix 4G. The first dock will transform the phone into a netbook (for surfing the web in Firefox or chatting with friends), while the second is a multimedia dock for connecting the device to your TV.
With early reports indicating that this phone will be $150 when it hits AT&T later this spring, this handset is definitely on our radar.
What do you think of the Atrix 4G? Do you like the idea of turning your smartphone into a laptop? Let us know.

Back in 1994, People Had No Idea What the Internet Was

2011-01-30T08:04:00.002+03:00

1994! Doesn't seem that long ago, right? But for Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric, it's been a very long time. This hilarious 1994 clip of The Today Show shows the two of them trying to explain what the Internet is.
Ah, to be so young and naive! But to be honest, I don't think I can explain what the Internet is either.

Turn Your iPhone 4 Transparent

2011-01-30T08:01:00.001+03:00

When you replaced the old iPhone 3G cover with a transparent case, it revealed a fugly side. But with the iPhone 4, the inner workings and hidden guts are surprisingly good lookin'. Here's how to turn your iPhone 4 transparent.
The mod was simply done by taking the glass panels off the phone and applying paint thinner to remove the paint. That's all. What you're left with are two clear panes that reveal the innards of the phone. Clever!

The Ultimate 3D Notebook Showdown

2011-01-29T10:27:00.000+03:00

New 3D laptops and have begun arriving en masse. Are they ready to slay their 2D counterparts?

A cadre of new 3D laptops make it possible for you to enjoy stereoscopic content on the go. The vast majority of these offerings rely on Nvidia's 3D Vision kit-a set of powered shutter glasses, a USB-connected IR emitter, and the appropriate drivers-which, when paired with the right GPU (a GeForce 8 series or newer) and a 120Hz screen, provide an "active" 3D experience. In other words, as a rapid succession of alternating screens presents slightly different views to each eye, the shutter glasses ensure that the correct view is seen by the correct
eye by shuttering the opposite lens accordingly.
Passive solutions for the PC also exist. These rely on polarized screens and glasses, which help resolve a double set of images shot from slightly different angles by filtering out one image for each eye and thus creating the illusion of depth.
Besides these major distinctions, there are several other points to consider before investing in a 3D experience for your PC. Our reviews of several new 3D laptops will help educate you on what's out there and what kind of features to look for to meet your 3D needs.

Origin EON15-3D

For folks who have no interest in 3D movies
We received Origin's very first 3D model—the unit it demoed at this year's E3 gaming expo. In that context, the choice of hardware makes a lot of sense. This 15.6-inch EON15-3D sports a GeForce GTX 285M-arguably the burliest mobile graphics card available. Certainly better than the GTX 260M in our zero-point rig and quite capable of hitting a playable frame rate on a 1680x1050 external display (up from the unit's native 1366x768) with lots of visual effects enabled-in non-3D conditions, that is.
If only the EON15-3D supported them. While the GTX 285M provided some of the strongest gaming numbers in this roundup, the card is not compatible with Blu-ray 3D playback (Origin also offers a Blu-ray 3D–compatible GTS 360M option). You can still play regular Blu-ray movies on the laptop's BD-ROM/DVD combo drive.
Is it worth a whopping $2,600? Not when there are less-expensive options that make fewer compromises.

For the full Origin EON15-3D review and benchmarks, head here.

Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV

Covers almost all the bases
Toshiba's Satellite A665-3DV presents an interesting juxtaposition to Origin's machine—for one thing, it costs $1,000 less. Like Origin's EON15-3D, the A665-3DV features a 15.6-inch, 1366x768, 120Hz glossy screen, and uses Nvidia's 3D Vision kit.
A significant difference between the two machines, however, is the A665-3DV's use of a GeForce GTS 350M for graphics chores. While this is considered an enthusiast GPU, its scores in Far Cry 2 and Call of Duty 4 were 33 percent and 42 percent lower, respectively, than those of the Origin's GTX 258M.
The A665-3DV is notable in a couple of respects. It's the only rig in this roundup that offers BD burning as well as reading through its optical drive. And its 12-cell battery actually makes it viable to use away from a power outlet. Were it not for the compromises inherent to playing 3D games on mobile-graphics power, we'd say the A665-3DV is a pretty good deal.

For the full Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV review and benchmarks, head here.

Asus G51Jx 3DE

Revisions to first attempt pay off
The G51Jx 3DE is Asus's second iteration of a 3D Vision–based laptop, following last year's G51J 3D. In that time, the company has taken the noteworthy step of building the necessary IR emitter for the shutter glasses into the laptop itself. This means you have one less thing hanging off of your machine or needing to be packed up for transport. It also mitigates any worries about the position of the external emitter, which, when turned at the wrong angle, can cause the glasses to shut off or act wonky. It's a big improvement to the overall experience and we commend Asus for the move.
Like the other laptops here, the G51Jx 3DE features a quad-core CPU-a 1.60GHz Intel Core i7-720QM, in this case. That makes it slightly slower than the 1.73GHz Origin and Toshiba rigs, but the G51Jx 3DE still posted respectable numbers in the productivity benchmarks.
There's room for improvement here, but the G51Jx 3DE streamlines the 3D Vision experience and offers the best combination of 3D gaming and movie playback of all the notebooks here.

For the full Asus G51Jx 3DE review and benchmarks, head here.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d

A passive alternative to 3D Vision
Lenovo breaks from the pack with its IdeaPad Y560d, eschewing Nvidia's 3D Vision kit in favor of a passive 3D solution. Thus, the IdeaPad Y560d's 15.6-inch, 1366x768 screen is polarized and capable of displaying two different perspectives of an image, which become a single 3D image when viewed through a pair of polarized glasses. The laptop comes with a fairly robust pair as well as a set of clip-on lenses to wear over prescription specs. The trouble is, there are serious trade-offs.
For one thing, you have to remain fairly fixed in that 3D-viewing sweet spot. If you move your head or the angle of the screen just so, the image loses focus. Another drawback is that neither the hardware nor software supports Blu-ray 3D playback. In fact, the IdeaPad Y560d doesn't even come with a BD-ROM drive.
This isn't the laptop to buy if you're looking for a full-fledged 3D experience, which to us means 3D Blu-ray movies and the ability to watch them on a large external screen, not to mention an experience that doesn't limit you to a narrow viewing angle. But the Y560d is priced right if you want a well-rounded 15.6-inch laptop that offers a (relatively) inexpensive way to tinker with the occasional 3D game.

For the full Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d review and benchmarks, head here.
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The Best Smartphone on Every Platform

2011-01-29T10:22:00.000+03:00

The most important thing about your next phone isn't what carrier it's on, how big the screen is, or even who makes it. It's the platform, stupid. So here are the best phones on every platform.

iOS: iPhone 4 (32GB)

Duh. While you can pick up an iPhone 3GS on the cheap, there's no reason to. Saving $100, you lose out on the iPhone 4's frankly a-mazing screen, killer camera, faster speed (for better gaming) and FaceTime. When it comes to iOS, there is only one choice: iPhone 4. And really you should get the 32GB model. Why? Because apps, HD video and 5-megapixel photos can take a lot of space, and you're gonna be stuck with this thing for two years.

Android: Epic 4G and HTC Incredible

Picking the perfect Android phone is a little trickier. But that's part of the beauty of the platform: There are so damn many of them. Do you want a keyboard? A smaller phone or a bigger screen? A clean Google experience, or one that's been tweaked and molded by phone makers and carriers?
So we're going to cheat and pick two: The Epic 4G on Sprint, because it's got a massive keyboard—for people who have to have a keyboard—WiMax powers, an awesome camera, sweet Super AMOLED screen, and Samsung's skin is pretty tolerable for most people.
For the second, we've still got a soft spot for the HTC Incredible on Verizon. It's a little more pocketable than most of the hulking Android phones coming out right now, it's got a solid (though not stellar) camera, and HTC's is one of the better Android skinjobs out there. Plus, it's just $150—a little cheaper than most of the other top-end Android phones at the moment.

Windows Phone 7: Samsung Focus

The early Windows Phone 7 phones are a fairly generic bunch, but the phone that stands out the most is the Samsung Focus. The Super AMOLED screen really shines with Windows Phone's technicolor interface, the camera's decent and it seems to do the best job of getting out of the way of the OS, which is the real star of the show.

BlackBerry: BlackBerry Bold 9780

BlackBerry's touchscreen experience is still haphazard at best, so if you're going to go BlackBerry you should stick with the phones they're best at: the traditional BlackBerry. The Bold 9780 is their top-of-the-line BlackBerry, a refreshed version of the existing Bold, with a better camera, more RAM and most importantly, BlackBerry OS 6, so you'll be able to run all of the new apps coming out written for it.

Palm WebOS: Palm Pre 2

Getting your hands on a Pre 2 isn't as easy as walking into the AT&T store and walking out, but you can buy it for just $450 unlocked—which is fairly cheap as far as unlocked phones go. Bonus: You're not tied to an two-year contract. (That said, it's coming to Verizon soonish for those in need of commitment.) The Pre 2's not a revolutionary lunge from the original Pre, but the tweaks add up to a better phone: a faster 1GHz processor, redesigned case materials and longer battery life. Oh, and it comes with webOS 2.0 right out of the gate, which is a none-too-shabby update to webOS, with fancier multitasking and a bunch of other new features.

The Ultimate Smartphone Camera Battle

2011-01-29T10:21:00.000+03:00

Smartphone cameras are becoming increasingly powerful-many, in fact, are fully capable of taking very sharp and professional looking photos. But are these phones capable of holding their own against more sophisticated equipment? And which phone does it best?

To make a fair comparison, we compared smartphone shots taken in a bevy of different lighting scenarios, including controlled and low lighting, and also tested flash capabilities. We didn't have all of these phones at exactly the same time, but we did make a concerted effort to control the

lighting as much as possible.

You'll also notice that the size of some of the images appears different. We wanted to show you the native dimensions of the images these cameras take, and their respective dimensions as well.

The Contenders

HTC Droid Incredible: Features Galore

From a features standpoint, the Incredible's camera takes the cake, offering an incredible amount of customizable options including meters that let you adjust brightness, contrast, saturation and sharpness, all in real time. The Incredible also offers a ton of effects, including Sepia, Solarize, Posterize, and more.
Most impressive, however, is the actual manual control you are allowed if you happen to be photo geeks like us. If you want it, full control is yours. This includes control of ISO, white balance, resolution output, and a heap of other awesome features usually only reserved for the latest, full blown point and shoot cameras. On paper, it's one of only two phones that sports an 8 MP camera-three up from the rest in case you're planning on printing larger-than-normal images.

Samsung Epic 4G: Killer Screen, Killer Flash

The Epic 4G is an impressive phone with an impressive camera. The flash in particular performed admirably, even in low light scenarios. A common problem for many phone cameras (and point and shoots) when shooting in low light is the censor often has difficulty speaking to the flash, often resulting in washed out images that are far too lit.
The Epic also offers a pretty broad range of camera features and customizable options-you can manually set the ISO, use light metering (a feature often reserved for digital SLR cameras), and adjust white balance and resolution settings, to name a few options. It also comes pre-loaded with four effects, which is appreciated, but not nearly as many as the HTC Incredible.
Finally, without a doubt, the Epic has the best looking in-camera screen of all of the phones in the test, hands down, bar none.

iPhone 4: Snappy and Simple

I'm probably just preaching to the choir at this point, but I'll say it anyway: It's really simple to use. In fact, it's the simplest of all the phones to load up the camera, and also features the snappiest auto focus sensor we tested.
We did, however, run into a few problems with the built in flash that we'll talk about during the comparison, and, like the BlackBerry, there's only a limited amount of customizable options. The lack of options is partially saved, though, by an HDR mode that actually works pretty well under the proper lighting conditions.

BlackBerry Torch: The Underdog

The BlackBerry's camera capabilities, much like the phone itself, can be pretty impressive but kind of frustrating to use. On the plus side, the Torch comes with a huge range of scene modes, including face detection, Potrait, Landscape, and even more obscure environmental settings like Snow and Beach modes. Speaking of environments, the Torch did a phenomenal job recognizing shifts in the environment when the scene mode was set to Auto-it alerted us when we were in an environment with low light, for example.
Unfortunately, the customization sort of ends there. There's hardly any manual control offered at all. This didn't used to matter, but with the recent upswing in mobile camera technology, manual customization becomes a desirable option.

Droid X: Beastly

Far and away the largest phone in the roundup, the Droid X is the only other phone in this roundup that also includes an actual shutter button, which, when coupled with the massive 4.3 inch display, makes for a very solid feeling camera, and also is easy on the eyes thanks to the massive screen. The Droid X camera also has a pretty decent amount of features, offering seven effects, eight ‘scenes' (portrait, landscape, sports, etc) and a controllable flash.
Unfortunately, it lacks much of the manual control and abilities of its Droid based competition, the Incredible, but it's still the only other phone in this roundup that matches it at 8 megapixels.

Droid 2: Beastly Jr.

The Droid 2's camera settings are identical, feature for feature, to the Droid X. We're figuring that's because they were released around the same time and made by the same company, but there is one puzzling difference: The Droid X features an 8 MP camera, while the Droid 2 features a 5 MP camera.

Test #1: Controlled Light

These cameras have more than enough megapixels to capture some pretty exacting detail, so, if we set up a soft box and wanted to take a dramatically lit portrait, could the phones pull it off? We wanted to find out how these devices would react to a controlled lighting environment.
Such an experiment will test a couple of important factors. Can the censor in these cameras color balance for dramatic light, without blowing the image out? Also, the pictures were taken in relatively low light, so are the shutters in these tiny little lenses fast enough to avoid motion blur?
We're going to use a digital SLR shot as a reference point. The portrait of features editor Amber Bouman below was taken with a Nikon D300, and is as close to the actual lighting configuration we set up in our lab as humanly possible.

This was taken with a 12 MP Nikon D300. Dramatic light could potentially confuse a point and shoot censor, so we were curious as to which phone could re create this dramatic look. Results below.

As we'll be doing with the majority of our tests, we're going to take the best two and compare their image quality. The top two images from this test are pretty clear. Let's scrutinize the two best pictures to find out which one comes out on top. (Hint: it's not the BlackBerry).
Droid Incredible:
The Droid Incredible did a magnicifant job balancing the light in this image, and didn't blow out or misjudge color corrections like the other phones. Though the Epic did a pretty good job handling color corrections, it blew out a part of the background, where the softbox was shining. In fact, look at the far right side of Amber's head. See how natural her hair is lit? Now look at the iPhones image, which totally blew out the highlights in her hair. (Sorry Amber, that didn't come out right.) All in all, the Incredible really did a terrific job balancing all of the proper necesseties needed to make this image look the way it does, producing a surprisingly detailed and professional looking image that we think looks even better than the DSLR snapshot.
iPhone 4:
The iPhone's image is worthy of mentioning just because of the crazy amount of detail it picked up on. See that catch light in her eye? Notice you can actually see the color of her eye? However, the image suffered from a recurring problem we've found with the iPhone 4: a slight purplish-bluish hue. This seemed to happen almost every time direct light was involved (including use of the iPhone's flash), and though the images are surprisingly detailed (it's hard to believe the iPhone's camera is only 5 MP), it can't compete with the color clarity and smoothness of the Droid Incredible.
The Winner: The HTC Droid Incredible - Outstanding Color and Light Balancing.

Test #2: Natural Light

We knew this was going to be hard to gauge, because a nice, bright day looks the same on almost any camera. But it's an important factor—we reckon the majority of everyday phone users would use their camera in naturally lit environments more so than anywhere else.
As stated above, choosing was pretty difficult, as most of our smart phones delivered some great results (though what's with the undersaturated image Droid 2?). In the end, the showdown comes down to the two phones that captured exacting detail and saturation levels.

Let's have a look at the top two from the bunch.
iPhone 4:
Shocked again, we had to give the iPhone some praise here, for reproducing the most eye-catching image of the bunch with some pretty vibrant colors. The image itself is a messy one, but Apple's image censor picked up on the subjects quickly and precisely—the iPhone 4's shutter fired faster then any of the other phones when taking this particular picture. As you can see, it was an extremely bright (and hot) day, and the iPhone did oversaturate the image just a smidge, but not enough for any major concern.
Samsung Epic:
As you can no doubt tell from this picture, the Samsung Epic has a super wide lens, and we really really like it for that reason, but were also very impressed with the amount of detail picked up in this photo, especially the spot on color match on the actual little Droids. Unlike the iPhone 4, which produced rich colors but oversaturated the image, the Epic captured the correct look of light (around 5:15 PM or so) quickly and easily. And, since this is a natural light test after all, the Samsung takes it.
The Winner: Samsung Epic- Most Accurate Reproduction of Natural Light.

Test #3: Color Saturation

In the world of cameras, the accurate reproduction and saturation of colors is an important factor to consider. And, as much as we would've liked to take pictures of beautiful, natural things (like bright flowers, Autumn leaves, etc) we were limited to what we have in our surrounding environment: PC parts.
So we found the brightest, most colorful PC setup we had in the lab, and photographed it with all of the contending phones. This was an important test for two reasons: First, this would give us a good idea at the camera's color rendering capabilities; and second, the lighting in the lab isn't so great, and we were curious to see if the shutters were fast enough to avoid motion blur when pressing the shutter button. Results below.

Let's have a closer look at the best two images.
Samsung Epic:

The Epic accurately reproduced the wide range of colors and hues found in this image, and also maintained a snappy shutter (though you'll notice a tiny bit of motion blur in the boxes behind the GPU). It did, however, slightly oversaturate the light parts of the motherboard, making some of the slots in the mobo look like they're glowing almost. A very smooth, consistant image over all though.
Droid X:
Having such a large screen gives you plenty of liberties when shooting—by far the widest shot and also one of the best color matches in our tests, the Droid X really captured the rich colors of the image without blowing anything out. What's more, the sharpness of the image was unparalled, due (we ponder) to the conveniently large shutter located on the top right of the phone for better shutter stabilization in lower light. The shutter works great with the X in your hands—it's bulky and feels sturdy, much like an actual point and shoot camera.
Winner: Droid X- Rich Colors And a Solid Shutter.

Test #4: Flash

We knew this test would be a rough one; it's hard to get flash right in low light. Images taken in low light require the camera to crank the ISO to insanely high levels, resulting in grainy images that, when coupled with a misfired, over blown strobe, can look truly terrible.
But we wanted to see which phone, with its flash camera settings on Automatic, would produce the best image in low light. Here are the results.

Samsung Epic:
Once again, the Samsung Epic just got it right, firing just enough of a flash to illuminate the subject enough to look natural. Also, graininess was at a low in comparison to the other phones (but still visible). Furthermore, this image is the only one of the six to not feature a crazy amount of red-eye from the flash. There was barely any available light in this image, but the auto focus censor still picked up what it needed to. Very impressive.
BlackBerry Torch:
Just when we thought BlackBerry was down and out of this competition, it delivered! As with the Epic, the BlackBerry fired just enough flash to keep things looking natural, and the autofocus censor picked up on the subject in a totally dark room. There's a ton of grain to the image, however, noticeable mostly in the black areas of the photo. A good flash and a great auto focus censor go a long way, but the image smoothness of the Epic is just too compelling for us to ignore.
Winner: Samsung Epic- Just Enough Flash For a Natural Looking Image.

Test #5: Zoom

We're not going to spend too much time here, because the results of every one of the phone's images looked identicalliy bad. Digital zooming is a tricky thing to get right, and not even the highest end digital cameras can produce a sharp image when the zoom is maxed out. So, for this particular test, we'll call it a draw.

Gross.

AND THE WINNER IS...

The Samsung Epic, by a nose! In our testing, the Samsung Epic was the most capable camera, handling itself accordingly in the wide range of lighting tests we ran. It may not always have taken the best image, but it's range of performance impressed us.
The iPhone 4 and the HTC Incredible are definetely worth mentioning for doing a stellar job as well, and though the Incredible didn't formally win, it still comes loaded with a staggering amount of camera features, which we thought was cool. The BlackBerry, well, didn't do so hot, but that wasn't really a huge surprise—they're made for business people, not art majors.
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The Best Gadgets - 2010

2011-01-29T10:17:00.000+03:00

"What gadget should I get?" is a timeless question. To answer it, here's our current leaderboard of favorite gadgets, including smartphones, laptops and cameras—updated with the latest and greatest of the whole year.

We know you don't want to blow that paycheck on merely the shiniest, or the the simply newest. So we've considered a balance of price, features, reliability—and above all, quality—to make sure you're choosing a gadget that isn't just great, but one that's sensible. We've updated our roster of Giz-approved gadgets, and below, you'll find these picks—the best tech tools 2010 has to offer.

The Best Smartphones

We can geek out all we want, but the best way to choose is a phone is not just by the hardware or the OS, but the phone and the carrier. Here's the smartphone to pick on each...for now.
• Best AT&T Phone: Apple iPhone 4 (June 7th, 2010) And for those of you who want to venture into Windows Phone 7 turf, we now recommend the Samsung Focus. (Oct 20, 2010)
• Best Sprint Phone: HTC Evo (June 3, 2010)
• Best T-Mobile Phone: The Nexus S (unless you still want a keyboard, then it's still the T-Mobile G2). (Dec 10, 2010)
• Best Verizon Phone: HTC Incredible (April 19, 2010)

The Best Computers

• Best Laptop: 15-inch i7 MacBook Pro, (April 13, 2010) high rez matte screen, or if you go PC, the Toshiba Portégé R700 ...a 3lb Core i5 (June 21, 2010)
• Best Netbook: This market is commoditized, just buy something on this list or an iPad. (April 7, 2010)
• Best Ultraportable: MacBook Air 11-inch (Nov. 1, 2010) We've also added the Sony VAIO Z to our list, if you're seeking a super slim Windows machine. (Nov 24, 2010)
• Best 3D Laptop: Asus' G51Jx 3DE beat out the competition, and has a built-in IR emitter. (Oct 7, 2010)
• Best Processors: Decide your budget, THEN pick a processor from this list. (April 9, 2010)

• Best Desktop Graphics Cards: We've knocked off the ATI HD 5970 chipset in favor of the Fermi-packing Nvidia GeForce GTX 580 (Nov 9, 2010). Otherwise, decide your budget, THEN pick the card from this list.
• Best Mobile Graphics: Anything with Nvidia's GeForce 400M series will have serious gaming muscle (Sep 3, 2010).
• Best Motherboard: The Asus Rampage III Extreme barely edged out the competition in our new motherboard roundup.
• Best Router: The Netgear RangeMax V1 emerged victorious from the Ultimate Router Battle. (Oct 28, 2010)
• Best SSD: Kingston's SNV425-S2 64GB drive stood out by delivering blazing performance on the (relative) cheap. (Sep 1, 2010)

The Best Tablets

• Best Tablet: Apple iPad (April 7, 2010)
• Best eReader: Goodbye, Kindle DX. Hello, Amazon Kindle 3 (July 28, 2010)
• Best Android Tablet: Barnes & Noble Nook Color (Nov 16, 2010)

The Best Cameras

• Best Budget dSLR: Canon T2i (May 19, 2010)
• Best Midrange dSLR: Canon 7D (Nov 10, 2009)
• Best 'Spensive dSLR: Nikon D3s (1D Mark IV if you're shooting more video) (Feb 26, 2010)
• Best Point and Shoot: Canon S95
• Best Pocket Camcorder: Flip Ultra HD, but only if you don't already have an iPhone 4. Otherwise, your smartphone's capturing better video than Flip's dedicated device—give your pockets some extra space. (Nov 17, 2009)
• Best Phone Camera: iPhone 4 (June 7, 2010)
• Best Waterproof Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 (Jan 26, 2010)
• Best Helmet/Sports Camera: GoPro Hero HD and ContourHD Surfboard Mount (Nov 4, 2009)
• Best Camera Lenses: We're adding our roundup of well-priced, excellently-performing lenses to the list, for those of you looking for an upgrade. (Dec 6, 2010)

The Best Home Theater and AV Gear

• Best 3DTV: Panasonic's TC-P50VT20 topped the pile in our three-way shootout. (Mar 25, 2010)
• Best Budget TV: We've added Vizio's XVT3SV series to our list of very favorite things. (Dec 9, 2010)
• Best Blu-ray Player: LG BD570 or PS3 (May 13, 2010)
• Best Receiver: Pioneer VSX-1020-K (Mar 4, 2010)
• Best Game Console: Xbox 360 (Jun 14, 2010)
• Best Media Extender: Now taking claiming the title as champion video streamer is Sony's diminutive, underrated almost to the point of nonexistence NetBox. Give it a shot. (Aug 25, 2010)

• Best MP3 Player: Apple's newest iPod Touch is on top of the top.
• Best Speakers: High quality sound doesn't need to cost a fortune—turns out there's a lot of great audio gear out there for less than $2,000. Audioengine's A5 speakers are $350 a pair, but pack serious sonic punch—and they're self-powered. Check out the rest of the roundup if you're looking to splurge a little more. (Sep 16, 2010)
• Best Headphones: We're finally recommending an official pick for cans, Bowers & Wilkins P5s—and they're a doozy. As our Joe Brown says, they are, in a word, "DOPE." (March 22, 2010)
• Best Home Audio Streaming: We've added the dreamy Sonos system to our end of year list—read Brian's lifechanger-status writeup and you'll understand why