INFORMATION

NEXT GENERATION MAC PRO IN NEW DESIGN

2013-07-14T02:08:00.000-07:00

Mac Pro is a high end desktop version by apple .As always apple came with lot of new facilities & it is designed cylindrically . This version has only 1/8 size than the previous versions.Next generations Xeon processors, 2 work station-class A.M.D. fire pro G.P.U., Thunder bolt 2 connectivity , PCIe integrated flash storage , high-speed E.C.C memory are the specialties of mac pro .

It has x 2.5 more speed than the previous version.This version has 6 thunderbolt two ports supports 6-Daisy chained devices. So it can connect 36 high-performance peripherals . The company is claiming that it performs double plotting point performance because it has 12 core configuration .We can see 3 ultra HD displays at the same time with the help of A.M.D

SALMAN KHAN AND MANJU WARRIER HAS STARTED THEIR OWN WEBSITES

2013-07-02T01:26:00.001-07:00

SALMAN KHAN

Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan on 27 December 1965 is an Indian film actor, producer, television presenter, and philanthropist. The son of actor and screenwriter Salim Khan, Khan began his acting career with Biwi Ho To Aisi but it was his second film Maine Pyar Kiya in which he acted in a lead role that garnered him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. Khan has starred in several commercially successful films, such as Saajan (1991), Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), Karan Arjun (1995), Judwaa (1997), Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya (1998), Biwi No.1 (1999), and Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999), having appeared in the highest grossing film nine separate years during his career, a record that remains unbroken.[3]

In 1999, Khan won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his extended guest appearance in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). In 2011, he won the Screen Award for Best Actor for his performance in Dabangg and in 2012, he won the Best Actor Popular Choice for his performances in Ek Tha Tiger and Dabangg 2. Eight of the films he has acted in, have accumulated gross earnings of over 100 crore (US$17 million) worldwide.[4][5] He played leading roles in five consecutive blockbusters including Dabangg, Ready, Bodyguard, Ek Tha Tiger, and Dabangg 2. He has starred in more than 80 Hindi films and thus far has established himself as a leading actor of Hindi cinema.

The actor launches this website to clarify details of his court cases

Salman Khan may be in the news again for the wrong reasons, but at least the actor is out to ensure that the news should not be factually incorrect. Post his plea being rejected in context of his hit-and-run case, Salman has launched a website dedicated to his court cases.

id of the website is:- www.salmankhan.com

MANJU WARRIER

Manju Warrier (born 1 November 1978) is an Indian film actress in Malayalam cinema. Warrier made her debut in Sakshyam (1995). Her films include Sallapam, Ee Puzhayum Kadannu, Thooval Kottaram (1996), Kaliyattam, Krishnagudiyil Oru Pranayakalathu (1997), Daya, Summer in Bethlehem (1998), and Pathram (1999). She won 4 Filmfare Awards South for Malayalam best actress.[1] She won the National Film Award - Special Jury Award for her performance in Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu (1999). She got married to actor Dileep in 1998, and quit acting at that time. She is often regarded as the most successful actress in Malayalam cinema alongside Shobana and Urvashi.

At the age of 17, she debut in the film Sakshyam (1995).[2] Later at the age of 18, she acted in the movie Sallapam (1996), co-starring actor Dileep, whom she later married. Since then, she acted in around 20 Malayalam movies over a span of three years. She has won numerous awards.

Her performance in the movie Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu won a special mention from the jury for National Film Awards. Her other films include Kanmadam and Aaraam Thampuran, Ee Puzhayum Kadannu and Kudamattam with her husband Dileep, Summer In Bethlahem, Pranayavarnangal, Pathram and Kaliyattam, Irattakuttikalude Achan, Kaliveedu, Thooval Kottaram and Krishnagudiyil Oru Pranayakalathu.

She married actor Dileep. After her marriage with Dileep, she retired from the film industry.

In 2011, she appeared in the promotion event for the movie Gaddama alongside Samyuktha Varma. In 2012 October 24, she performed Kuchipudi in Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple

WEBSITE ID OF MANJU WARRIER IS :-www.manjuwarrier.com

Two celebrities of Indian cinema has launched their own websites

with their names it may become a new Trent to the Indian cinema.

ECOROX AN AMAZING GADGET

2013-06-27T00:23:00.000-07:00

The ECOROX is a portable Bluetooth speaker that can not only survive a in the pool, it can also hang out in there, blasting your favorite tunes for hours. This set of 6 watt stereo speakers is housed in a waterproof body, and designed to float beside you. Just pair it with your smartphone sitting safely away from the water, and you can rock out to your favorite tunes without any risk. You’ll even be able to take calls at the press of a button, so you never miss a call.

if you’re a biker, this device works for you, too. The ECOROX was designed to be mounted to the handlebars of a bike. Never again will you have to worry about the elements harming your speakers. Of course, you’ll still have to worry about upsetting the people around you, if your music is up too loud as you ride past.

You will get 10 hours of talk or playtime out of each 2.5 hour charge. Recharging is handled by a micro-USB cable, and a standard 3.5mm jack offers compatibility with virtually any audio device.

LATEST VERSION OF ANDROID

2013-06-27T00:10:00.000-07:00

Android jelly bean 4.2

Android 4.2 takes the speed and simplicity of Jelly Bean to a different level

features of android 4.2

Multiple user support is on of the good feature provided by android jelly bean 4.2
you can give each person their own space. Everyone can have their own homescreen, background, widgets, apps and games – even individual high scores and levels! And since Android is built with multitasking at its core, it’s a snap to switch between users – no need to log in and out. Available only on tablets.

Sharing

Android 4.2 allows devices to enable wireless display. You can share movies, YouTube videos, and anything that’s on your screen on an HDTV. Just connect a wireless display adapter to any HDMI-enabled TV to mirror what’s on your screen quickly and easily.

Daydream.

Daydream lets your Android device display useful and delightful information when idle or docked. Show off your photo albums, get the latest news from Google Currents, and more.

Notifications.

Android has always put you in control when it comes to staying notified and connected. Just swipe down from the top of the screen to see all your notifications in one place. Late for a meeting or missed a call? Take action in an instant directly from the notifications shade.

Fast and smooth.

We put Android under a microscope, making everything feel fast, fluid, and smooth. With buttery graphics and silky transitions, moving between home screens and switching between apps is effortless, like turning pages in a book.

More reactive and uniform touch responses mean you can almost feel the pixels beneath as your finger moves across the screen. Jelly Bean makes your Android device even more responsive by boosting your device's CPU instantly when you touch the screen, and turns it down when you don't need it to improve battery life.

Photos and videos.

With Android Beam on Jelly Bean you can now easily share your photos and videos with just a simple tap, in addition to sharing contacts, web pages, YouTube videos, directions, and apps. Just touch two NFC-enabled Android devices back-to-back, then tap to beam whatever's on the screen to your friend.

Widgets

With Jelly Bean it's now even easier to personalize your home screen. As you place widgets on the screen, everything else automatically moves to make room. When they're too big, widgets resize on their own. Interacting with your favorite apps and customizing your home screen has never been easier.

Accessibility.

Enable screen magnification to easily zoom or pan the entire screen to get a closer look. Visually impaired users can now enter full-screen magnification with a triple-tap on the screen, and even type and interact with the device while zoomed in. Blind users can use Gesture Mode to reliably navigate the UI using touch and swipe gestures in combination with speech output.

Live in the Now.

Google Now brings you the information you need, when and where you need it, before you even ask. Google Now tells you today's weather before you start your day, or when the next train will arrive as you’re standing on the platform. With the latest version, you can see popular photo spots nearby, track packages easily, get information about upcoming movies, and much more.

A new look for Google Search.

It's easier than ever to quickly get answers, explore, and browse search results. Android also lets you search the web with your voice, and it's convenient for getting quick answers on the fly. It speaks back to you and is powered by the Knowledge Graph, bringing you a precise answer if it knows it, and precisely ranked search results, so you can always find out more.

Photo Sphere camera

Up, down and all around you, it’s like no camera you’ve ever seen. With Android 4.2, snap pictures in every direction that come together into incredible, immersive photo spheres that put you right inside the scene. View your photo spheres right on your phone, share them on Google+ with your friends and family, or even add them to Google Maps for the world to see.

smarter keyboard with Gesture Typing

Writing messages on the go is easier than ever with Gesture Typing – just glide your finger over the letters you want to type, and lift after each word. You don’t have to worry about spaces because they’re added automatically for you.

The keyboard can anticipate and predict the next word, so you can finish entire sentences just by selecting suggested words. Power through your messages like never before.

Android's dictionaries are now more accurate and relevant. With improved speech-to-text capabilities, voice typing on Android is even better. It works even when you don't have a data connection, so you can type with your voice everywhere you go.

APPLE TRIES TO COME BACK WITH IOS-7

2013-06-26T06:56:00.001-07:00

Apple has launched the all-new iOS 7 Taking over from iOS 6 (Apple has moved to reinforce its new iOS 7 as a competitive enterprise mobile operating system)
, the new software will find its way onto iPod, iPhone and iPad devices bringing with it the biggest design overhaul since its conception in 2007 - a change which has been led by Apple stalwart Sir Jony Ive.
It overhauls the icons, as we saw earlier today, but also offers new elements like transparency throughout the apps, meaning you can see images slide up behind heading and keyboards, giving a more unified feel.
The new platform brings not only a visual makeover, but also offers a host of new features too.

Control Center gives you quick access to the controls and apps you always seem to need right this second. Just swipe up from any screen — including the Lock screen — to do things like switch to Airplane mode, turn Wi-Fi on or off, or adjust the brightness of your display. You can even shine a light on things with a new flashlight. Never has one swipe given you so much control.

Do what you need to do. Quick.
Turn on or off Airplane mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Do Not Disturb. Lock your screen’s orientation or adjust its brightness. Play, pause, or skip a song. Connect to AirPlay-enabled devices. And quickly access your flashlight, timer, calculator, and camera.

Notification Center lets you know about new mail, missed calls, to-dos that need doing, and more. And a new feature called Today gives you a convenient summary of, well, today. One glance at your iPhone and you’ll know if it’s a certain someone’s birthday, if you’ll need an umbrella, or if traffic will slow down your commute. You’ll even get a heads-up on tomorrow. You can access Notification Center from any screen, including the Lock screen. Just swipe down. And get up to speed.

Multitasking has always been a smart way to switch between apps. Now it’s even smarter. Because iOS 7 learns when you like to use your apps and can update your content before you launch them. So if you tend to check your favorite social app at 9:00 a.m. every day, your feed will be ready and waiting for you. That’s multitasking in iOS 7. It knows what you want to do before you do.

A smarter way to multitask.
Press the Home button twice to see preview screens of the apps you have open. To quit an app, just swipe it up and out of preview.

Intelligently scheduled updates.
iOS schedules updates during power-efficient times. Like when your device is on and connected to Wi-Fi. So your battery isn’t drained unnecessarily.

Camera in iOS 7 puts all your shooting formats — still, video, panorama, and now square — front and center. With a swipe, you can capture what you want the way you want.1 Fast. And new filters let you do even more with each image. Give it a retro feel. Dial up the contrast.
Or go black and white. Artistic license is all yours.

Filters.
You can apply filters to still and square photos. Pick a filter and see the effect before you take the picture. Or just take the shot and apply it later. If you ever change your mind and decide no filter is the best filter, you can simply remove it.

Now there are faster, easier, and more delightful ways to scroll down memory lane. Introducing Collections, Moments, and Years — smart groupings of your photos and videos based on time and place. Tap Years and all your shots fill the screen. Each year holds Collections, like your trip to San Francisco. And in that Collection are distinct Moments — photos from Union Square, videos from AT&T Park. So you can find a shot from whenever, wherever, in no time.

iCloud Photo Sharing.
With iCloud, you can share your favorite moments with your favorite people by creating a shared photo stream. They can post photos, videos, and comments to your stream, and it all appears on everyone’s iOS devices — automatically. The new Activity view lets you see the latest updates from all your shared streams in one place.

Sending a photo or a document to someone via text or email is fine. But if that someone is right next to you, a text or an email suddenly feels like too many steps. Enter AirDrop for iOS. It lets you quickly and easily share photos, videos, contacts — and anything else from any app with a Share button. Just tap Share, then select the person you want to share with. AirDrop does the rest using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. No setup required. And transfers are encrypted, so what you share is highly secure

Browsing is bigger, better, and more beautiful with Safari in iOS 7. Buttons and bars — like the unified smart search field — stay hidden until you scroll to reveal them. So you see more content than ever on your screen. And with a swipe, you can go back or forward a page. It’s all designed so nothing gets in your way or slows you down.

iCloud Keychain.
Lots of things you do on the web require passwords. Now iCloud can remember your account names, passwords, and credit card numbers for you. And Safari can enter them automatically whenever you need to sign in to a site or shop online. It works on all your iOS 7 devices and your Mac computers running OS X Mavericks. And with 256-bit AES encryption, it’s highly secure.

Password Generator.
Every time you create an account, you can have Safari generate a unique, hard-to-guess password. And remember it for you.

iTunes Radio features streaming radio stations you’ll love from day one — from the best selection of music. The more you listen, the more personalized it becomes. And it’s available on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, PC, and Apple TV for free. It’s radio re-imagined.

Siri in iOS 7 gets a new look, a new sound, and new capabilities. It features a redesigned interface that fades into view — on top of whatever’s on your screen. A clearer, more natural-sounding female or male voice makes Siri even easier to understand. It’s faster at answering questions and it checks more sources, such as Bing, Wikipedia, and Twitter. And Siri takes on extra tasks, like returning calls, playing voicemail, controlling iTunes Radio, and more

Apps Near Me — a new feature of the App Store in iOS 7 — shows you a collection of popular apps relevant to your current location. And a new Kids category spotlights the best apps for children based on age. iOS 7 also keeps your apps up to date automatically, so you don’t have to bother. Another bonus of automatic updates: no more little red badge begging for your attention.

Losing your iPhone feels lousy. Thankfully, Find My iPhone can help you get it back. But if it looks like that’s not going to happen, new security features in iOS 7 make it harder for anyone who’s not you to use or sell your device. Now turning off Find My iPhone or erasing your device requires your Apple ID and password. Find My iPhone can also continue to display a custom message, even after your device is erased. And your Apple ID and password are required before anyone can reactivate it. Which means your iPhone is still your iPhone. No matter where it is.

iOS in the Car seamlessly integrates your iOS device — and the iOS experience — with your in-dash system. If your vehicle is equipped with iOS in the Car, you can connect your iPhone 5 and interact with it using the car’s built-in display and controls or Siri Eyes Free. Now you can easily and safely make phone calls, access your music, send and receive messages, get directions, and more. It’s all designed to let iPhone focus on what you need, so you can focus on the road.

TWO FANCY SUPER UNIVERSAL REMOTE

2013-06-23T06:36:00.001-07:00

Kymera Magic Wand Remote Control

It's a universal remote easy to program accelerometer-controlled universal remote
Can learn 13 infrared remote control codes and replay them at your command with 13 easy to learn gestures
Control almost anything that can be remote controlled with just a flick and a swish
No need for all the codes to be learned from a single remote control
Compatible with most home electronics that use remote controls, like televisions, DVD players, DVRs, stereo systems, and more
Twirl the wand clockwise to change channels or program the wand to pause/play when the wand is brandished up and down

OPERATION
This wand is able to learn 13 functions. 11 of them are fairly easy to master. However, there are 2 gestures that are almost impossible to execute. Here's a list of all the gestures, listed in order from easiest to impossible to do:

- Big swish
- Flick up
- Flick down
- Flick left
- Flick right
- Tap on top
- Double-tap on top
- Rotate clockwise (do it slowly)
- Rotate counter-clockwise (do it slowly)
- Push forward
- Pull back
* Tap on side (never works)
* Double-tap on side (never works)

The wands gives you feedback by vibrating. It vibrates different numbers of times to return different types of feedback confirmations. It would've been SO MUCH COOLER if the tip of the wand glowed (like in the movie)
I think the harry porter fans will love this universal remote

Sonic screwdriver remote

Control your Earth-based electronics with this tiny device
Fully functioning programmable infrared remote control
Gesture-based remote uses IR to control entertainment systems (but not RF systems like PS3 or Xbox)
Store up to 39 programmable gestures over 3 memory banks--that means you can program gestures from just one remote (39 gestures total) or from up to 39 separate remotes (with 1 gesture each)
Guided setup teaches you how to use the sonic with spoken prompts
Four modes:
Practice mode: Learn your gestures
Control mode: Control your electronics
Quiet Control mode: Control your electronics, quietly
FX Mode: 13 authentic special FX sounds from the Doctor Who universe
Bright illuminating tip lights up and pulses when in standby
Personal lock code lets you keep the power all to yourself
The sonic screwdriver is a fictional tool in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs. It is a multifunctional tool used by The Doctor. Its most common function is that of a lock-pick, but can be used to perform other operations such as performing medical scans, remotely controlling other devices and tracking alien life. It can, with the exception of a deadlock seal or wooden lock, open any type of lock and operate many computers, whether their origin is alien or human.
Like the TAR DIS, it has become one of the icons of the programme; spin off media such as The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torch wood have replicated its functions in devices such as the sonic lipstick, sonic blaster, sonic pen and sonic modulator.

VOICE-SEARCH, SECURE BLUETOOTH / USB DRIVE THAT DISPLAYS PASSWORDS AND ID ON THE GO

2013-06-23T05:25:00.001-07:00

It's a simple password management device. Today, we have literally hundreds of passwords, account numbers and other important information that we have to remember. myIDkey is the first fingerprint, voice-search, secure Bluetooth / USB drive that displays passwords and ID on the go as well as works with all smart mobile devices and personal computers.Whether wirelessly connected to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth, or when directly plugged into your Fail-safe protection, even if lost or stolen. If your myIDkey is ever lost or stolen, you’re still protected. If there are multiple attempts to access the information within, myIDkey will automatically erase everything so you’re still protected. If you retrieve your myIDkey or purchase a new one, you can simply restore your information by syncing to your desktop or to our secure cloud.When you need it, there it is. With built-in and customizable OLED display, you can easily see that important data no matter what the lighting is around you. With voice search and included scroll buttons, you can easily find your passwords and important data.To get started you easily create an on-line profile through our secure cloud ecosystem that can only be accessed by your bio metrically secured ID key If you retrieve your myIDkey or purchase a new one, you can simply restore your information by syncing to your desktop or to our secure cloud.Bio metric security ensures only you can unlock your myIDkey. With myIDkey, your finger (or thumb) print is your key to unlock your highly personal data such as passwords, bank accounts, passports, etc. Simply swipe your thumb or finger across the reader to view passwords and more.Speak to myIDkey to quickly display passwords and important information. After unlocking your myIDkey with a finger swipe, you can simply press and hold the microphone button and speak into your myIDkey to quickly recall and see that important number, date or whatever personal data is needed in a flash.desktop or notebook PC via USB, myIDkey auto fills your credentials for any site. With complete password management that is also protected by your fingerprint, you never have to remember another password again! Plus, myIDkey can automatically generate unique passwords for further protection – all of which is easily managed with the myIDkey app.With optional tap sequence, you can set up a personal sequence that needs to be administered along with your thumbprint to unlock your myIDkey. So set up one tap, two taps or a custom pattern only you would know to further protect your passwords and identity.

ADVANCED COMPUTER HARDWARE CONFIGURATIONS

2013-06-22T07:03:00.001-07:00

1. PROCESSOR

4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processor
Intel® Core™ i7-4770R Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.90 GHz)
Cache:	6.0 MB
Clock Speed	3.20 GHz
# of Cores/ # of Threads		4 / 8
Max TDP/Power		65
Memory Types		DDR3L-1333/1600
Graphics : Intel® Iris™ Pro graphics 5200

2.cabinet

HAF X

Cooler Master introduced the HAF (High Air Flow) series PC cases in 2008. The key feature of these cabinets, as the name suggests, was the provision of multiple large fans for excellent airflow. So, no matter how hot the hardware inside the box runs, an HAF series case should keep everything cool.
The hexagonal design goes well with the honeycomb mesh on the front bezel and the top panel. The I/O panel right at the top is a cut-down version of the one found on the HAF X, sans Firewire and eSATA ports. Here, you pair each USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports on either side of the headphone and mic jacks.
the 3.5-inch bays are hot-swappable making it very convenient to add or remove hard drives without having to open the case. This comes in very handy in the case of a RAID 1 setup, or simply if you want to use internal 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch hard drives temporarily (for data transfer or backup). Right at the bottom is a large grille through which you can see the red 200 mm LED fan. To remove the 5.25-inch bay covers, you have to pull out the front bezel by unfastening the plastic pegs around the sides that hold it in place. If you closely observe the area behind the fan grille and the mesh, you’ll find Cooler Master has added thin foam filters to prevent dust from getting sucked inside
This PC case is priced at Rs. 10,900

3.Motherboard

Mini-ITX MI980

Mini-ITX MI980 is equipped with 2 standard- or low-voltage DDR3 SO-DIMM sockets supporting up to 16 GB system memory. Video connections include DVI-I, DVI-D, LVDS/eDP, and DisplayPort. To accommodate expansion cards, MI980 comes with 1 PCI Express x16 and 2 Mini PCI Express x1 slots. Measuring 170 x 170 mm, board also includes 6x USB 2.0, 4x USB 3.0, 6x COM, 4x SATA III, and 2x SATA II with Intel-based dual Gigabit LAN support.
MI980 FEATURES:

• Onboard Mobile 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7/i5 processors

• 2x standard voltage or low-voltage DDR3 SO-DIMM, Max. 16GB

• Integrated VGA, supports DVI-I / DVI-D / LVDS or eDP / DisplayPort

• 2x PCI-E Intel® Gigabit Ethernet

• Watchdog timer, Digital I/O, TPM 1.2, iSMART

• 6x USB 2.0, 4x USB 3.0, 6x COM (jumperless selection), 4x SATA III, 2x SATA II

• 1x PCI-E(x16), 2x Mini PCI-E(x1) with one for mSATA

4. keyboard

cellulon magic cube laser keyboard

The Celluon Magic cube Revolutionizes the way that PDAs and Smartphones are used, taking advantage of the unused computing power of such mobile devices, thus improving users ability to work more effectively on the go.

The compact sized VKB harnesses laser and infrared technology to project a full-size QWERTY keyboard onto any flat surface for palmtop computer, PDA or mobile phone.

It is also integrated into mobile phones, with Siemens and Samsung having shown versions of the technology integrated into their phones at recent trade shows.
The Celluon laser keyboard acts exactly like any other "ordinary" keyboard: A direction technology based on an optical recognition mechanism enables the user to tap on the projected key images, while producing real tapping sounds
The Magic Cube is a compact and versatile product; it is a projection keyboard and multi-touch mouse, all in one easy-to-use product. It connects easily to any Bluetooth HID devices, including the latest iPhone, iPad and Android devices. You can also plug-n-play with Windows and Mac OS devices via USB connection.
Compatible OS: iOS 4 and later, Mac OS 10 and later, Android 2.2 and later, Windows XP/Vista/7 and later, and any device with Bluetooth HID support.

5.mouse

LOGITECH MX REVOLUTION MOUSE

if you can afford the price, this is the best thing your palms would experience. While in truth, most of the functions are for leisure and not necessity, once you get used to them you will never view any other mouse with the same lens you used to view them in.
Beautiful design; solid battery life; incredibly comfortable and smooth; free scroll is the iPod for scrolling.

6.hard disk

Seagate Barracuda XT ST32000641AS

Western Digital WD1002FAEX Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Internal Desktop 3.5" Hard Drive

7.RAM

Corsair 8GB DDR3 RAM (CMZ8GX3M1A1600C10)

8GB Kit (1 x 8GB) DDR3 1600/PC3 12800 DIMM Memory Module 240-pin Configuration 9-9-9-24 Latency 1 x 8 GB DRAM Structure

8.graphics card

6U CompactPCI 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i3/i5/i7 Processor Blade with ECC support

Supports 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i3/i5/i7 processors and Intel® QM87 PCH with embedded graphic (up to 3 independent displays)
Optimized single-slot SBC with 2.5" SATA-III HDD/CFast socket/ on-board flash (optional)
Optimized single-slot SBC with 2.5" SATA-III HDD/CFast socket/ on-board flash (optional)
TPM
Two SATA ports, 1x USB 3.0, four USB 2.0 ports, two DVI ports, two RS-232 ports, one PS/2 connector, and PCIe x8 interfaces to the Rear Transition Module (RTM)
Five gigabit Ethernet ports for PICMG 2.16, front and rear connectivity
PICMG 2.16 R1.0, PICMG 2.1 R2.0, PICMG 2.6 R1.0 compliant

9.monitors

Dell UltraSharp U2312HM

The Dell UltraSharp U2312HM comes with IPS (in-plane switching) display panel technology. IPS panels are currently the leaders in flat panel monitors because of their superior color reproduction. Color clarity is vitally important in this world of high-definition viewing. We all want to get the most out of our movies, games and all other visual media, which is why flat panel technology has changed and improved so many times over the last 10 years. IPS panels also provide a wide viewing angle so you still get a perfectly clear picture even if you are not looking at the screen straight on. The Dell UltraSharp U2312HM allows you to see clearly anywhere within a 178 degree angle, both vertically and horizontally.

The other two key features on the Dell UltraSharp U2312HM monitor are the brightness level and contrast ratio. The brightness set to the maximum level puts out an impressive 300 candelas per square meter, which means your colors will be bright and vibrant in high-def. The typical contrast ratio is 1000:1, which is commonly found on most modern computer monitors. With both of these options, you have plenty of room to adjust your screen to your preferred settings.

10. SATA 3.0, Serial ATA III for Disc Readers - Liteon SSD

Enjoy High Definition Blu-ray movies. See the colours as they were meant to be

Blu-ray Disc movies offer unprecedented 1920 x 1080p resolution, which is 6 times the resolution of DVD

compatibility standard from Lite-On to offer the ability to read, write and re-write to any disc format on the market

Use your drive for any purpose with the media you desire (including CD-R, CD±RW, DVD±R, DVD±RW, DVD±R DL, DVD-RAM format discs

Higher transfer rates with SATA connection (compared to PATA)

Future proof; compatibility with the latest motherboards

Better airflow in PC casings due to smaller cable and plug sizes

SATA supports hot swap(must be supported by your motherboard)

Burn custom labels directly to CDs and DVDs using LightScribe

Flip and burn. Create silkscreen-quality images on CDs or DVDs. After you burn content, just flip the disc, reinsert and burn your label

Make your mark. Be creative. It's your design, your images. With LightScribe, it shows your label!

HOW TO CONVERT WINDOWS XP (SP2) TO WINDOWS XP (SP3) WITHOUT ANY SOFTWARE

2013-06-21T23:59:00.000-07:00

Normally we convert windows xp (sp2) to windows (sp3) by installing windows xp (sp3) softwares
or third party softwares .But it's an easy task which you can do it manually by doing a simple registry tweak
Step 1

Click run button on start menu or simply press windows+R button

Now type Regedit in box and hit enter

step 2

make a back up of registry(just in case)

browse to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\ Control\ Windows"

step 3

Modify the value of "CSD VERSION from 0x00000200" to "0x00000300"

step 4

Close the registry and reboot/restart pc

if you check on the properties of my computer you can see it has been changed into windows xp

HOW TO FIND FAKE PICTURES IN FACEBOOK OR ANY OTHER WEB ACCOUNT?

2013-06-21T07:37:00.001-07:00

A PRETTY GIRL OR BOY IN FACEBOOK MESSAGED YOU & YOU WANT TO FIND IT'S THEIR TRUE IDENTITY OR NOT

A pretty girl or a handsome boy in facebook or in any other web account messages you and you have to find that's his/hers true identity or not .Are you worried how to know these profile pictures are stollen from a website?.Don't worry i have a perfect solution for you all .

We can use online reverse image search tools that searches copies of photos everywhere in the web and finds it.

Some of the online reverse image search tools are

http://www.google.co.in/insidesearch/features/images/searchbyimage.html

http://www.revimg.net/what.php

http://www.tineye.com/

eg: here i am going to show an example

Some of the online reverse image search tools have facility to drag and drop search

otherwise you have to type image url in desired box or upload images it's depends on the reverse

search tool . The result given above is tested on the first link given above.Happy day

and don't let any one cheat you.

SPECIFICATION & FEATURES OF IPHONE 4S

2013-06-21T06:10:00.002-07:00

CDMA available only if sold and activated for use on a CDMA network.

GENERAL	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
		CDMA 800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
		CDMA2000 1xEV-DO

SIM	Micro-SIM
Announced	2011, October

BODY	Dimensions	115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm (4.54 x 2.31 x 0.37 in)
BODY	Weight	140 g (4.94 oz)

DISPLAY	Type	LED-backlit IPS LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	640 x 960 pixels, 3.5 inches (~330 ppi pixel density)
	Multitouch	Yes
	Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass, oleophobic coating

CORNING GORILLA GLASS

Visually stunning, lightweight, and highly damage-resistant, Corning Gorilla Glass is changing the way the world thinks about glass. It helps protect the world’s coolest smartphones, tablets, and PCs from everyday wear and tear.

OLEOPHOBIC COATING

The new oleophobic membranes are able to protect against both water and oil.Apple has created a Oleophobic coating because it also helps to prevent from smudges and finger prints on the touch screen

Display	Contrast ratio: 1261:1 (nominal) / 2.269:1 (sunlight)
Loudspeaker	Voice 65dB / Noise 64dB / Ring 74dB
Audio quality	Noise -91.2dB / Crosstalk -93.0dB
Camera	Photo / Video
Battery life	Endurance rating 45h

SOUND	Alert types	Vibration, proprietary ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes

MEMORY	Card slot	No
MEMORY	Internal	16/32/64 GB storage, 512 MB RAM

CAMERA

FEATURES

BATTERY

DATA	GPRS	Yes
	EDGE	Yes
	Speed	HSDPA, 14.4 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.8 Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot
	Bluetooth	Yes, v4.0 with A2DP
	USB	Yes, v2.0
	Primary	8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
	Features	Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, panorama, HDR
	Video	Yes, 1080p@30fps, video stabilization,
	Secondary	Yes, VGA, 480p@30fps, video calling over Wi-Fi and 3G
	OS	iOS 5, upgradable to iOS 6.1.4, planned upgrade to iOS 7.0
	Chipset	Apple A5
	CPU	Dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9
	GPU	PowerVR SGX543MP2
	Sensors	Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
	Messaging	iMessage, SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email
	Browser	HTML (Safari)
	Radio	No
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS
	Java	No
	Colors	Black, White
		- Scratch-resistant glass back panel - Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic - Siri natural language commands and dictation - iCloud cloud service - Twitter and Facebook integration - TV-out - Maps - Audio/video player/editor - Organizer - Document viewer - Image viewer/editor - Voice memo/dial/command - Predictive text input
		Non-removable Li-Po 1432 mAh battery (5.3 Wh)
	Stand-by	Up to 200 h (2G) / Up to 200 h (3G)
	Talk time	Up to 14 h (2G) / Up to 8 h (3G)

Music play

Up to 40 h

current status:Available

WORLDS COSTLY & LUXURIOUS CARS

2013-06-21T05:38:00.001-07:00

Maybach Exelero

Cost: 476,639,949.94 INR

Maybach Exelero holds the number one position as the most expensive car in the World.

This two-seater speed maniac weights around 2600kg and during the tests, it reached a top-speed of 218.38 miles per hour.

It can reach up to 60 miles per hour in just 4.4 seconds. It will come with a V12 twin turbo engine. This engine was prepared for 5.9 liters and tuned for 700 bhp. It will produce a torque 738 lb ft.

The Bugatti Veyron Super Sports

Cost: 142,991,984.16 INR

. This supercar was the result of the design from Volkswagen Motors. It was produced by the Bugati Automobiles SAS.

Veyron is also the fastest street legal car with a top speed of 431km/hr. It can reach 0-60 km in just 2.5 seconds. This supercar got its name from Pierre Veyron, the winner of the Le Mans in 1993. Pierre Veyron represented the Bugati firm.

Unlike the other super cars, Bugati Veyron doesn’t require any special license.

Ferrari 599XX

Cost:

118,402,147.53 INR

(Approximate)

The business tycoon of India, Anil Ambani said that when Ferrari moves in the road, people can see it but when it is at top speed, people can only hear it.

Ferrari bags the third rank in the list of the expensive cars in the world. This speed monster is powered by a 700-hp model of the factory V12 engine. It don’t have any turbos or superchargers.

The exact price of this model is not yet revealed. However rumors says that it will cost around

118,402,147.53 INR

Aston Martin One-77

Cost: 109,498,186.46 INR

The powerful performance and the stunning looks of the Aston Martin One-77 makes it superior among the previous super cars from Aston Martin.

This will be another limited edition from Aston Martin. It can reach 0-60 miles per hour in mere 3.4 seconds. It will be having a 750 hp engine.

The Aston Martin One-77 surpasses the Bugati Veyron in terms of luxury. With a cost of 109,498,186.46 INR, this super car holds the fourth place in the list of the expensive cars.

Zenvo ST1

Cost: 106,513,586.14 INR

This model made it way to the list of the super cars from Denmark.

The Zenvo ST1 comes with a supercharged and turbocharged 7.0 liter V8 engine that can result in a 1,250 hp engine.

9. McLaren P1

65,121,848.04 INR

One of two McLarens mentioned in this list, the P1 is as rare as it is impressive. An electric motor attached to the back of a mid-mounted 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 work together to create 903 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque combined. Top speed is limited to 217 mph, with the P1 making the stride from 0-60 in under three seconds.

9. Hennessey Venom GT
65,121,848.04 INR

The Venom GT is filled with enough horsepower mind-blowing 1,500 horsepower mined from a poisonous 7.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. A zero to 60 time is pegged at two seconds while Hennessey claims a top speed of 287 mph.
7. Maybach Landaulet 770,617,934.06 INR

Easily the slowest on our list of sleek and expensive supercars, what the Maybach Landaulet lacks in acceleration it more than makes up for in appointments.

The limousine-like, four-door sedan features a convertible roof that opens in rear, which means owners of this mega-Mercedes should be chauffeured around instead of setting up behind the wheel.

7. Ferrari La Ferrari
76,971,188.19 INR

789 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. Power output is increased further via an electric motor, boosting the LaFerrari’s horsepower to 950 and 664 lb-ft of torque by way of its Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), which is powered by an electric motor.

7. Pagani Huayra
76,971,188.19 INR

It comes with a top speed of 230 mph, the latest from Pagani can travel almost as fast as the wind,

Under the svelte hood sits an AMG-sourced, 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12 that has 730 hp and 740 lb-ft of torque. The Huayra can sprint to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds Mark us down for two.

6. Koenigsegg Agera R
94,746,454.11 INR

of Swedish automotive engineering; the Koenigsegg Agera Rs’s calling card has hair-raising performance and neck-snapping speed written all over it. Not exactly your typical Swedish bank vault on wheels.

For $1.6M the Agera R sports a 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that creates a king’s ransom in torque, 885 lb-ft to be precise, and an overwhelming amount of horsepower: 1,115!

Racing from 0-60 takes less than three seconds (2.9) with a maximum top speed of 260 mph. interestingly, the Agera R can actually hit 270 mph but in order to do so owners need to sign a waiver for the speedy Swedes to unlock the speed limiter.

5. Lamborghini Reventon
95,348,373.56 INR

Lamborghini Reventon hails from Sant’Agata Bolognese and takes its name from a prized Spanish fighting bull that fought during the 1940s.
Only 20 copies have been produced and feature a 6.5-liter V12 engine that produces 650 hp and 478 lb-ft of torque. Top speed is pegged at 211 mpg while the sprint to 60 takes 3.4 seconds.

Reventon is the second most expensive Lamborghini behind the ultra-rare Veneno, not including the track-only Sesto Elemento and the concept Aventador

4. Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster 106,705,644.80 INR

Unfortunately, the Aston Martin One-77 has to share fourth place with another car. Fortunately, that car is the Zonda Cinque Roadster, made by Italian boutique automaker Pagani.

Zonda Cinque wears a full carbon-fiber suit with a specially developed carbon-titanium chassis underneath. Weighing in at 2,667 lbs, the Zonda Cinque is actually one pound lighter than a Mini Cooper S (2,668 lbs). However, it’s powered by 678 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque AMG-sourced V12 with a top speed of 217 mph and a 0-60 time of 3.3 seconds, making it slightly faster than a Mini Cooper.

Oh, and Pagani only built five of them,

2. W Motors Lykan Hypersport 201,595,190.64 INR

Think for a second on countries that produce supercars and chances are Lebanon isn’t on your list. But that could very well change with W Motor’s Lykan Hypersport.

feature a turbocharged six-cylinder engine, a top speed of 245 mph, and a 0-60 time of 2.7 seconds.

Lykan will feature diamond-coated LED lights, gold-stitched leather seats, and a holographic interface, making it the first car ever to sport such a display.

1. Lamborghini Veneno 237,126,110.67 INR

Lamborghini Veneno (Spanish for “poison”). The raging bull’s latest creation debuted at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and sports a 6.5-liter naturally aspirated (no turbo charging) V12 that produces 750 horsepower. Top speed is said to be 221 mph with reported 0-60 time of 2.8 seconds.

Lamborghini only made three for sale and they’re all already spoken for. Maybe one will turn up on eBay. In 2050.

Lamborghini Sesto Elemento 130,388,058.60 INR

Italian for “sixth element” the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento isn’t even out yet and of the 20 being made, all are already spoken for. Sorry.

The other bad news: it’s not street legal in the U.S

Ferrari Enzo 39,665,762.65 INR

Named after the company’s founder, Enzo Ferrari, the Ferrari Enzo supercar is a 12-cylinder, mid-engine Italian nightmare on wheels. Only 400 copies were made between 2002 and 2004, making it an extremely rare, but oh-so-amazing, acquisition.

Top speed is limited to 217 mph while a 0-60 dash takes 3.5 seconds.

Shreya enthralls Kochi

2012-02-06T00:04:00.000-08:00

Kochi: Playback singer Shreya Goshal has sought not to consider film music as a ticket to easy money and fame. "If your passion for music is true, everything else will come searching for you," she added while speaking at the launch of the re-located Joy Alukkas showroom here.

Though she had crooned in almost all the Indian languages, enlivening every emotion that lie hidden in lyrics so strange to her, Shreya finds singing in Malayalam as the most challenging.

She also said that hearing herself described as a highly talented singer, actually
increases her responsibility. Many had flocked to watch the musical night organised at Marine Drive.

Have removed objectionable content, say Google and Facebook in court

2012-02-05T23:16:00.000-08:00

New Delhi: Google India and Facebook have told a Delhi court that they have removed objectionable content that has them accused of hosting "anti-religious" and "anti-social" that could provoke communal tension.

The hearing today is for a civil suit against 21 internet companies that also include Yahoo and Orkut. The same companies are also dealing with a criminal case in another Delhi court, where they are accused of conspiracy and cheating. Top executives of all 21 companies have been summoned to appear in court on March 13.

The petitioner in today's civil case is Mufti Aizaz Arshad Kazmi. He filed his suit in December, days before another Delhi resident Vinay Rai filed the criminal case against the online firms. The Delhi High Court recently warned that India could follow China's lead and ban websites that don't follow Indian law. The firms involved have said that though they will abide by the law, it is impossible to monitor and censor all content posted on the internet.

The cases against the companies come after Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said that they would have to find a way to supervise the content they host. Mr Sibal said that he had found material that could provoke communal hatred on some of the bigger sites. He also said that morphed photos of Indian politicians were among defamatory material that was submitted to him.

Corsair Dominator GT 2000MHz DDR3 6GB

2011-10-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

Summary

The Corsair Dominator GT 6GB DDR3 RAM kit is very clear about who it targets – those desirous of out and out performance, prices no bar. The target audience is self-evident – the big deal is the overall package offered by the Dominator GT, get it if you can afford it.

Pros:

Sheer speed
Flexibility in overclocking due to lower voltage used
Cooling is part of the package

Cons:

The fan can get disturbing in an HTPC

Full Review

The Corsair Dominator GT CMG6GX3M3A2000C8 was one heck of a set of memory modules. Our test bench in the PCW Test Center clung to it but in the end we coaxed it into letting us unplug it after all test runs were performed. That is how good this 6GB kit of DDR3 RAM was.

Let us get the specifications out of the way first, shall we? The Corsair Dominator GT CMG6GX3M3A2000C8 is targeted at desktop PC enthusiasts, some who can buy it and the rest who can drool over the idea of its high performance. It consists of three modules of 2GB each, adding up to a total of 6 Gigabytes. Those who want 12GB will have to buy two packages of this product, thus making for 6 DIMM modules of 2GB each. So it is clear that it targeted for triple-channel (192-bit wide operation) users, something that you can currently get only with a motherboard based on the Intel X58 chipset.

Since the target niche is expected to want to over clock, a cooler is part of the package.

It is rated to be able to run at a clock frequency of 2000 MHz, with timings of 8-8-8-24. If you do not already recognize the significance of those numbers, it simply means this kit can help you overclock like a dream, and is capable of running very fast to complement even processors that are running way beyond their rated spec. Due to the above frequency, Corsair has labelled this package as “PC3-16000”. This indicates it is a DDR3 RAM package, capable of transferring data at 16,000 MB/second. However, it will reach 2000 MHz, 8-8-8-24 only after pushing the memory voltage to 1.65V from the BIOS. When you have not enabled such a high memory profile (XMP or Extreme Memory Profile), the Dominator GT will operate at a normal DDR3 module’s stock speed of 1333 MHz and consume 1.5V of power. This is lesser than older DDR2 modules that were expected to run at 1.8V and DDR1 modules at 2.5V. Note that the Intel Core i7 (the platform targeted by this package) has its memory controller built into the processor itself and could be damaged if you try overclocking by passing any higher Voltage to the memory modules.

The company does cater to a niche with this product, so it comes quite well packaged as you can see from the image below. The RAM modules themselves are given some extra style, with their black and red color scheme where the module is colored black and the heatsink/fin atop the module is red to make for a classy look. Since the target niche is expected to want to over clock, a cooler is part of the package. Innovatively named... “Corsair Airflow”, it is made of aluminium for heat dissipation, consists of two fans, and clamps on to the top of the RAM modules. Corsair claims that the Dominator GT line of products is “built using DHX+ (Dual-path Heat eXchange) heatsink” to better cool it. Also, the red heatsink fins on top are removable and can be used interchangeably with their thermo-electric and water-cooling solutions. That is how much attention the RAM component now gets folks – fans are not restricted to just the CPU cooler, graphics card and PC cabinet anymore. It is reassuring that the modern PC still sits on the desk and does not attempt to take-off and fly away with all those fans whirring inside!

We tested the Corsair Dominator GT RAM modules on the same test bench we use for other hardware, to obtain comparable results and to eliminate other bottlenecks as much as possible. Thus it consisted of an Intel DX58SO motherboard, Intel Core i7 965 processor, Intel X25-M 80GB SSD and Tagan BZ1300W PSU, besides these memory modules themselves. First up was actually getting this RAM to run at the rated specifications. It always takes a little trial and error since the XMP memory profile poses its own issues, but we did find out that getting these Corsair modules to run stable at 2 GHz was easier than fighting with the Kingston HyperX 2 GHz modules to reach the same speed. Once similar speeds were achieved, these Corsair modules scored better in latency benchmarks than the Kingston, even if only by a couple of nanoseconds (memory latency is measured in ns, hard drive latency is measured in ms or milliseconds).

Running memory benchmarks returned a speed of 16,134 MB/s on average as expected. There was the occasional burst when it hit a maximum of 19,841 MB/s but overall, latency still remained at 51ns. In the Windows Experience Index, the memory score improved from 7.7 for normal triple channel 1333 MHz memory to 7.9 for the Corsair memory – this is good, keeping in mind that 7.9 is the maximum number that Windows 7 will assign. We ran a host of other real world and synthetic benchmarks but these tests came back to underline what we had expected. Not much really “feels” different in day to day normal usage. Yes you will see the performance benefit in games and professional applications, but not in browsers or OS file operations. The RAM modules became warm to the touch when being stressed, but did not reach the “heat” territory, which is a good thing.

Possibilities abound with this kind of overclocker-friendly RAM kit, so you could take alternative routes too, such as cutting back on the frequency but tightening the timings, increasing the voltage to go further beyond 2 GHz by loosening the timings, and so on. There isn’t much to go by the name of negatives. The “Corsair Airflow” solution bundled in this kit’s package does get audible slightly but thankfully it may not be required at all. That noise is easily masked if you are playing something over the speakers. In any case, those who are putting together their own HomeTheatre PC and value silent components are hardly going to splurge this much money on the RAM alone. So the price does not need harping upon, as it addresses a very exclusive segment of the market. Corsair offers a limited lifetime warranty.

Bottom Line

Sony Optiarc BD-5300S Blu-ray Writer

2011-10-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

Summary

A Bluray Writer is the sort of hardware that desktop PC users who want to keep up with the times must have. From high-end movie-watching to being able to backup PS3 game discs, it allows for everything in the middle. If you have a large HDD, being able to push data out to 25GB BD-R discs is an appealing and convenient proposition.

Pros:

Write speed upto 12x
3D Bluray discs supported
CD and DVD formats read/write just fine

Cons:

Blank BD-R media is costly
DL-DVD write speed capped at 8x

Full Review

If backing up data to an external hard drive does not quite feel enough, but optical media such as a DVD-R don't offer enough data capacity, then you want a Bluray writer. There's simply far too much content being created and/or shared over the Internet today for even Dual-Layer DVDs to be sufficient. Writing data out to Blu-ray discs though, demands less data-organizing across multiple discs and less time from you.

There also is the benefit of popping in a single disc and accessing 25GB of photos/home-movies/backups at once (BD-R) compared to just 4.7 GB for DVD-R media. Desktop PC hard drives are bearing the brunt of P2P downloads and when the data to be cleared out numbers in the Terabytes, the old faithful CD/DVD discs feel honestly tiny in comparison.

Design
The Sony Optiarc BD-5300S drive reviewed here is a Bluray Writer for desktop PCs. Accordingly it follows the same form-factor as desktop optical (CD/DVD) drives before it. Its form-factor is thus 5.25-inch, half-height. SATA connectors are present for data and power cables. The ubiquitous standard tray-loading design is used, perhaps because desktop users do not actively seek out slot-loading drives.

The front is matte textured and black colored, a good choice for correspondingly colored PC cabinets. Notably, the front facia has no Sony logo/branding, although logos for CD, DVD and BD are prominently displayed.

The package I received was an OEM unit packed neatly in anti-static wrapping, so there were none of the extras present in retail box units. The drive cables, manual, software CD, mounting screws and the box packaging were not really missed though. I expect the audience of this product will be conversant with how to hook the drive up, and have the necessary cables/screws/software already, so this OEM unit at its lower price would be welcome.

Specifications
The Nero InfoTool screenshot below shows the supported disc types for read and write. To view rated read/write speed supported by this drive for each type of disc, visit the manufacturer's product page.

A newer firmware (version 1.04) was available, so I updated that first before any tests. No drivers were required to install the drive or read Bluray discs on Windows 7, as the drive uses a standard native driver, and BD-R discs use the standard UDF filesystem. Windows 7 was able to even write to blank CDs and DVDs, but a blank BD will need specialized software to write, such as Nero Burning ROM.

The BD-5300S obviously supports reading Blu-ray discs (BD-ROM). Besides that, it can read and write to 25GB (Single Layer) and 50GB (Dual Layer) variants of BD-R (single write) and BD-RE (rewritable discs). While it does claim support for 3D Blu-ray discs, I am not sure if it supports BD-XL which is a newer type of disc with 100GB capacity.

This drive can also read/write to CD and DVD at 48x and 16x respectively. These two optical discs are on the "red" side of the spectrum. The speeds could have been better - a plain CD Writer can do 52x (versus 48x) and a plain DVD Writer can do 22x (versus 16x). The consolation is that optical discs are not read/written at maximum speed until the outer tracks in any case, so we're glad this drive belongs to the newer Blu-ray writer generation that includes CD/DVD support.

When looking at the multiplicity of "x" numbers bandied about between different types of optical media, it is worth keeping in mind that 1x speed for a Blu-Ray disc is 4.5 MBytes/sec, much more than DVD (1.35 MB/s) and CD (0.15 MB/s). While a write-once single-layer blank Bluray disc known as a BD-R is marked as offering a capacity of 25GB, in practice you'll see a capacity of only 22.5 GB, or 23098 MB to be precise. This is normal, just as a DVD-R of 4.7 GB gives an actual capacity of 4.38 GB; and a DL-DVD (dual-layer) of 8.5 GB offers 7.96 GB of actual space. An interesting thing is that a data Bluray disc is not composed using a new format, it just uses the standard UDF file-system already in use on DVDs.

Performance
We tested this drive on a high-end PC to prevent bottlenecks to the extent possible. Still, quirks creep in. For instance, the drive's theoretical Bluray read speed of 8x is actually slower than write speed of 12x. Also, blank Bluray media supporting write speeds higher than 4x, and BD-DL (dual layer) 50GB discs are not available at Indian retailers even if you're willing to pay extra.

Blu-ray movie playback was just fine on this drive, even when skipping multiple minutes forward or backward. Located on the drive tray, the green LED that denotes drive activity stayed persistently on - unlike most DVD Writer drives that blink to denote activity. The 8MB buffer size is sufficient while reading, although if your HDD is bogged down while writing a Bluray, you may see the buffer running low frequently.

Mentioned here is only the performance seen while using Nero Burning ROM software with Memorex BD-R discs rated for 4x speed. Writing 22.5 GB of data to disc took 48.5 minutes to burn and 15.5 minutes for disc-write verification. This means a resulting average write speed of 7.92 MB/s (1.76x speed) and read speed of 24.8 MB/s (5.5x speed).

Writing 22.5 GB to a BD-R at 4x speed.

When using a BD-R rated for 6x speed, write speed improved to 9.8 MB/s (2.18x speed). Other disc formats such as CD/DVD/DL-DVD read and wrote as expected in all forms (-ROM/-R/-RW). The speeds recorded above were as expected, and don't differ much from the Lite-On iHBS212 Bluray Writer we tested previously.

Bottom Line

The Sony Optiarc BD-5300S Internal Bluray Writer for desktops is a good option if you want to keep up with the times. From high-end movie-watching to being able to backup PS3 game discs, you cannot go wrong with getting a Bluray Writer. If you are one of those who have humongous hard drives, being able to push data out to BD-R is an appealing proposition as more Gigabytes can be stored per disc, and time spent nannying disc writes can be used more productively.

Price is not much of a sticking point, considering that it's much lower now than earlier and is expected to keep falling as more people wake up to Blu-ray and volumes rise. However, it is a fair bet that you'd want at least one other form of external storage, such as today's fast USB 3.0 portable hard drives.

Intel Core i7-2600K (Sandy Bridge)

2011-10-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

Summary

The Intel Core i7-2600K processor is a worthy successor to the i7-860 and i7-920 at default clock speeds. On balance, paying about the same amount for a higher-midrange processor and getting a 25 per cent increase in performance (besides overclockability) is a deal that is very hard to pass up. Despite the rapid socket changes Intel is going through, we can safely say that those looking to build a performance PC won't regret a Sandy Bridge purchase.

Pros:

3.4 GHz frequency
Unlocked multiplier for further overclockability
2nd Generation 32nm processor
Improved performance/power efficiency
CPU onboard graphics

Cons:

Requires new motherboard, Intel's 3rd socket change in as many years
Base Clock is locked

Full Review

With the Sandy Bridge line of processors, Intel is not looking to so much introduce a new speed monster, as it is to provide near top-level performance at mainstream prices. As Intel's "tock" to the earlier "tick" by their Lynnfield, the SandyBridge processors remain at 32nm fabrication. But they do bring in quite a performance improvement, with large jumps over the previous generation of mainstream Intel processors.
Specifications
One of the big changes in the Intel Core i7-2600K is the requirement of an entirely new processor socket - LGA1155, which requires a new set of motherboards, based on the Intel P67 or H67 chipset. The model numbers have undergone a change too, with four digits being used now instead of three. The "K" suffix at the end denotes that it is a multiplier-unlocked variant, which you'd have to pay a premium for, as overclocking has been rendered more difficult now. Intel still uses DDR3 memory of course.

The quad-core 2600K offers a 95W TDP, an 8MB L3 cache, 256KB L2 cache per core (making it 1MB in all) and 64KB L1 cache per core (256KB in total). It supports HyperThreading (thus allowing for 8 threads simultaneously), operates at 3.4 GHz by default, and offers TurboBoost upto 3.8 GHz.

For the curious, a CPUID screenshot of the Intel Core i7-2600K.

Performance
We tested the Intel Core i7-2600K processor on a test rig comprising of the following components - an Intel DP67BG motherboard, stock Intel heatsink and cooler, 8 GB of Silicon Power DDR3 RAM in dual-channel mode, Radeon 5970 graphics card, Intel X25-M 80GB SSD, Tagan BZ-1300W PSU, 1080p monitor, Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit Edition and Radeon Catalyst 10.12 graphics drivers.

All test scores on record were run at default clock speeds. For comparison, we have here the Intel Core i7-965 with a DX58SO motherboard and 12GB of DDR3 RAM in triple-channel mode. Storage input/output, USB, RAM and processor cache speeds measured up to the level expected. We then ran synthetic benchmark tests. First off, was PC World's own WorldBench 6 benchmark suite, with points scored as seen in the graph below:

Okay, so it manages to pull far ahead. The clock speed may not be the only factor, as the 1100T is also clocked at the same base speed (we disabled all power management and TurboBoost for the purposes of this test).

The synthetic system tests did not quite have such a runaway difference, but the Core i7-2600K did perform well.

Real-world gaming tests turned in the scores seen above.

In brief, this mainstream processor manages to class itself among the top performing processors, even overtaking AMD's six-core on occasion. You can view the numbers for the 2600K alone, in table form on the "Performance" tab of this review.

Overclocking
Most people who pass over the standard i7-2600 and buy the i7-2600K, will do so for overclockability. The variant with a "K" has an unlocked multiplier, and we decided to see how high it could go, retaining stability as verified by an AIDA-64 stress test. With a tiny voltage increase, It managed 4.33 GHz and ended up being "throttled" for thermal reasons by the BIOS, so that was all we could attain from a simple manual overclock "on air", but this number is still a full Gigahertz higher than its normal speed. At the increased speed, there was a further performance jump in real-world game benches, varying from 15% to almost zero depending on the game in question.

The entire SandyBridge line-up now has graphics onboard the processor (not DirectX 11 though). The Intel HD Graphics 3000 has enhanced performance by upto 3 times, with its "Execution Units" model, which will mean a lot for lower-end PC gaming and be a potent threat to low-end graphics cards. As with the previous generation the "P" performance oriented boards cannot make use of the IGP, while those marked in the "H" series can. Check back in a while to see how it performed in video encoding and gaming tests. Even more interesting for desktop users in India, would be the price of their 2300/2400 processors.

Bottom Line

The Intel Core i7-2600K is a worthy successor to the i7-860 and i7-920 at default clock speeds. If Sandy Bridge permeates the entire market, the (relatively) lower-end LGA1156 motherboards and processors can securely walk into the sunset. In fact, even the X58 line (including the hexacores) can now be scratched off the wish-list of most aspiring gaming/performance PC buyers, replacing the same with a Sandy Bridge board and processor instead.

On balance, paying about the same amount for a higher-midrange processor and getting a 25 per cent increase in performance (besides overclockability) is a deal that is very hard to pass up. Despite the rapid socket changes Intel is going through, we can safely say that those looking to build a performance PC won't regret a Sandy Bridge purchase.

Asus M4A88T-M

2011-10-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

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Summary

This motherboard for AMD-based computers is quite a hit among higher mid-range consumers. With its onboard 880G graphics, support for USB 3.0 and (hopefully) further dips in pricing, this board will be the new mainstream for AM3 desktop PCs. It does give SATA 6 Gb/s ports a miss, but that is not a particular concern for now in this price bracket.

Pros:

Decent integrated graphics
USB 3.0 support
BIOS tweaks for overclockers

Cons:

No DirectX 11 support
No SATA 6Gb/s support

Full Review

The AMD 880G chipset is meant to be the choice of mainstream motherboards for users of AMD processors on the desktop. With good graphics for an integrated solution, and support for six-core AMD processors, the Asus M4A88T-M is a good option for those who want a better motherboard than the basic ones.

There is plenty of good stuff about this board even though it is priced at a fairly economical price-point. It may not be the choice of the most high-end users, but users building fairly high-end PCs with this as the foundation are not likely to be disappointed. Note that playing the latest games may require toning down all the settings, however HTPC users (Home Theater PC) will be quite glad with what the Asus M4A88T-M gives.

Design
For HTPC purposes, and to be able to fit into smaller cabinets, this motherboard has a micro-ATX form factor. Asus has used its usual color scheme for this board - black base with blue colored slots. For increased reliability, solid capacitors have been used all over, which hypothetically translates to an increased working lifespan. There is a blue-colored heat sink to passively cool the integrated graphics.

The layout, though feature packed, is still thoughtful and allows for uncluttered connections and cabling. SATA ports are thankfully located at sufficient distance, such that they are accessible even when using a discreet high-end graphics card with a dual-slot cooler. That it has four memory slots mark it out as a relatively higher end product among motherboards of the micro-ATX type.

Specifications
As the Asus M4A88T-M motherboard is based on the AMD 880G chipset, meaning pretty good integrated graphics with the Radeon 4250, although AMD's own 890GX chipset and Intel's SandyBridge processors offer better performance. Up to 1GB of memory can be assigned for graphics, and those who run with plenty of RAM and a 64-bit OS will be glad to know that the BIOS allows for setting the graphics frame buffer location below or above 4GB. If you add a discreet AMD graphics card, you have the option of running the onboard graphics together with CrossFireX, to add performance and reduce power consumption in scenarios where the onboard graphics is sufficient. Video output ports provided, are VGA, DVI and HDMI.

The number of storage devices that can be connected, the audio options and the good IGP of the 880G make it a pretty good choice for HTPCs.

The motherboard offers an AMD AM3 processor socket. Four dual-channel DDR3 RAM slots are present, supporting up to 16GB memory at speeds up to 1866 MHz. It uses the SB710 chipset for the SouthBridge, presumably to reduce costs. Therefore you get one PATA port and six SATA 3Gb/s ports, with support to run four of them in RAID modes. At the back panel, are six analog (8 channel) audio, one S/PDIF, one Gigabit Ethernet, four USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0, and one PS/2 port.

The input/output ports at the back, proves it is not a low-end product. Note the two blue USB ports (USB 3.0).

Expansion slots on the board include one PCI-E 2.0 x16 for a graphics card, two PCI-E x1, and one PCI slot. Three USB 2.0 headers are present, to allow for an additional 6 USB ports, which you can use through your cabinet's front panel, memory card reader or a mounted USB bracket.

The contents of the boxed package were standard - quick start guide, user guide, driver/software CD, back-panel for the rear I/O ports, one PATA and two SATA cables. For a full list of the specs, see the “Specifications” tab of this review. Asus offers a three-year warranty on this motherboard.

BIOS
The BIOS offered all the features one would expect, including over-clocking. Asus provides Turbo-V software, for live overclocking from within Windows. An interesting mode that Asus calls "Unleashing", will allow for uneven clock speeds among the cores, to gain all the performance possible. Turbo Core is an AMD feature supported by the M4A88T-M, whereby the processor disables some cores to operate at a frequency of almost 500 MHz extra beyond the default clock speed. Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC) is supported, as is Core Unlocker. An "Active CPU Cores" setting allows for enabling/disabling specific cores. Like with a lot of Asus motherboards, this one also offers support for Express Gate, a quick-boot version of Linux.

Performance
To prevent bottlenecks and preserve comparability, we tested the performance of this motherboard using the following components - AMD Phenom II X4 965 Processor (3.4 GHz), AMD Radeon 5970 graphics card, 8GB of Silicon Power DDR3 RAM, Intel X25-M 80GB SSD, Asus Blu-Ray drive, Tagan BZ-1300W PSU and Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit edition.

The first half of the tests consisted of real-world and subjective performance. As expected, the OS worked smoothly with everyday productivity applications and Internet browsing barely stressing any component. High-Definition and high-bitrate 1080p movie rips played just fine with no jerks or screen artefacts, which can be attributed to the raw speed of the Processor used. Blu-Ray discs played without a hitch, whether while using the processor alone, or while using the IGP acceleration to take load away from the processor. Hard-disk speed was on par with the best motherboards we have tested (for example, 249 MB/s random read speed on the Intel SSD). So we infer that the storage controller on the chipset is good. Memory performance remained consistent in benchmarks that stress memory, while using discrete graphics as well as while using the IGP. All of these are good signs.

The second half consisted of synthetic benchmarks. These are objective and give firm numbers that can be reproduced on demand and be used to compare performance. We take into account diverse tests, ranging from the simple (Windows Experience Index), to the standard system tests (World Bench 6, PC Mark) which carry out many tests including video encoding. Seeing as this motherboard includes an IGP, we included gaming as well (Crysis, Far Cry 2, Unreal Tournament 3). For a longer list of benchmark results, see the "Performance" tab of this review.

You can view some of the performance results right away, in the graphs below. For comparison, we have included numbers obtained with and without the IGP, and also those of the 890GX IGP. Except where noted, all the below tests were run at default settings.

Evidently, there isn't a lot of performance drop compared to the 890GX, which will be the top IGP atleast until Intel's SandyBridge processors are released. The 880G's single PCI-E graphics card slot does not inhibit the Radeon 5970 from flexing its muscles either.

Below are a couple more performance results, with two numbers for each benchmark. The first number was obtained using a Radeon 4870 discrete graphics card to test an older motherboard, the second number was obtained using the Radeon 4250 (onboard integrated graphics) to test the IGP.

Windows 7 Experience Index rating (graphics component alone, on a scale of 1 to 7.9): 6.9 , 4.3
Crysis (1024x768 0xAA Ultra High) frames/second: 56.6 , 4.03

Overclocking and Temperatures
We could overclock the processor from its default 3415 MHz to 3720 MHz (15x248) despite limitations of the HT bus, CPU cooler used and frequency of the RAM modules used. With slightly above-average use, we saw the processor temperature hover at 51 degrees Celsius and motherboard sensor measured about 45 degrees. These numbers aren't bad at all.

Bottom Line

This motherboard is a successor of the ones based on an AMD 785G chipset. If anything, our only grouse will be that Asus did not use the newer SB850 for this board, thus leaving SATA 6 Gb/s support in the cold. Also, this board is not for a gamer at all, unless by that term you mean turning off almost all visual eye-candy to make the game look very drab. Yet the integrated graphics (IGP - Radeon 4250) on this motherboard is the best in the mainstream price range. The Intel graphics integrated into the recent Core i5/i3 manages to give it tough competition, but even that is not ahead by much of a margin. In such a case, the price is quite the clincher for the Asus M4A88T-M, if you're looking for an AMD motherboard.

Google Redesigns Gmail, More Ads Coming

2011-10-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

Google seems to have accidentally given users a preview of an upcoming Gmail redesign. Analysts say the changes could be part of a move to get the email service ready to be integrated with Google+. On Thursday, the company posted a video announcement on its YouTube channel, touting the new features added to Google's popular, free email service.

However, the video was quickly pulled, but not before a few people copied and reposted it. "We've been hard at work to update Gmail with a new look," said Jason Cornwell, a Google user interface designer, in the video. "We've completely redesigned the look and feel of Gmail to make it as clean, simple and intuitive as possible."
In the video, Cornwell describes the added ability for users to customize several aspects of their Gmail experience, including the size of the chat area, how densely conversations are stacked, and Gmail search. Google also has added imagery and profile pictures for chat sessions.
Google hasn't said when the redesign will be launched. "Oops, you weren't supposed to see that," said Andrea Freund, a spokeswoman for Google, in an email to Computerworld. "Stay tuned. We'll be sharing more info on Gmail's new look soon."
Since Gmail is arguably the centerpiece of Google Apps, it's cloud-based suite of office applications, it could be that Google is getting its email service ready to be integrated with Google+.
"I think email usage has peaked and people will use social media more -- Twitter, Facebook messages, Google+," said Zeus Kerravala, an analyst at ZK Research. "So for Google, if they can customize [Gmail] and make it more modular, it makes taking portions of Gmail and moving [them] to Google+ easier."

Screenshot of Gmail with an extra ad block, courtesy pcworld.com
This week, Vic Gundotra, a Google engineering senior vice president, told an audience at the Web 2.0 Summit that Google+, the company's new social network, soon will be integrated with Google Apps. And earlier this month, Google CEO Larry Page said he will use Google+ to transform the whole company.
Kerravala said he thinks Google is getting ready to integrate its email service with its social networking service. "With Facebook, you just pop in and out of it," he added. "If they integrate Google+ and Gmail, then Google becomes the place to go to start your day, and you stay in it all day."
In July, Google began to roll out other redesign changes to Gmail. In that design update, Cornwell said the overhaul was part of a "Google-wide effort" to give all of its services a consistent look.
Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research, said in a previous interview that linking its services and giving them a unified look is a smart move for Google. "A consistent look is essential for branding," he said this summer. "People should know they're on a Google property. Even someone glancing at someone else's screen should know they're on a Google property. It may be that Google+ was just the first view of the new look."

RIM BlackBerry Torch 9860 (preview)

2011-10-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

Summary

BlackBerry smartphones have always been synonymous with keyboards, but RIM still seems intent on delivering a full touchscreen BlackBerry smartphone. Its latest effort is the Torch 9860, which RIM has announced it will release in September. Can the new Torch avoid the ill-fated demise of the BlackBerry Storm?

Pros:

3.7 inch touchscreen
720p HD video recording
New BlackBerry 7 OS

Cons:

Won't appeal to regular BlackBerry users
No real outstanding feature

Full Review

It's no secret that RIM's previous full-touchscreen smartphones were a failure. The original Storm 9500 had a horrible "clickable touchscreen" and buggy software, and its successor, the Storm 2 9520, was an improvement, but remained well behind the competition. RIM will be hoping the Torch 9860 represents a third time lucky.
On first glance, the BlackBerry Torch 9860 has decent specifications. Its 3.7 inch touchscreen is the largest ever seen on a BlackBerry, and a single-core 1.2GHz processor and 768MB of RAM should certainly give the phone plenty of grunt. Its 5-megapixel camera with single LED flash can record 720p HD video, and there's a reasonable 4GB of internal memory available, in addition to a microSD card slot, too.

There is no doubt that these specifications are an improvement over previous BlackBerry models, but there simply doesn't seem to be a standout feature of the Torch 9860 that sounds compelling enough to consider it over popular iPhone or Android alternatives. Sure, the 3.7 in touchscreen is large, but it can't boast Apple's "retina" resolution on the iPhone 4, nor does it come close to the sheer size or vibrancy of the Samsung Galaxy S II's super AMOLED Plus screen, either. The all-plastic design of the Torch 9860 also can't match the steel frame of the iPhone 4, and at 11.5mm thick, it doesn't come close to the svelte 8.5mm frame of the Galaxy S II. Apps? BlackBerry App World is certainly no match for both the App Store, or Google's Android Market.
We also think RIM will have a hard time selling the Torch 9860 to regular BlackBerry users, not just all smartphone users in general. Traditional BlackBerry smartphones are synonymous with physical keyboards, so the Torch 9860's on-screen keyboard will have to be near-perfect to gain any sort of traction with heavy e-mailers.
The on-screen keyboard will form part of the BlackBerry 7 operating system that ships with the Torch 9860. Key features touted by RIM include an improved, faster Web browser, voice-activated searches, the ability to manage personal content separately from corporate content with BlackBerry Balance, as well as a number of additional personal and productivity applications.
The BlackBerry Torch 9860 also includes an integrated Near Field Communications (NFC) chip. NFC is a short-range wireless communication technology; the same used in many new credit cards, whereby the card can be simply swiped across a smart chip to make a purchase.
The BlackBerry Torch 9860 will be available from early September. Pricing has yet to be announced.

Bottom Line

The BlackBerry Torch 9860 certainly appears a much better phone on paper than its ill-fated predecessors, but the lack of a physical keyboard makes it unlikely to appeal to current BlackBerry owners. RIM has an enormous job on its hands convincing smartphone users they should buy this over popular iPhone and Android alternatives.

Nokia World 2011: What You Need To Know About The Nokia Lumia 800 and Lumia 710

2011-10-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

Nokia officially unveiled on Wednesday what company CEO Stephen Elop called "the first real Windows Phone" - the Nokia Lumia 800 and its lower-end cousin, Lumia 710. The Nokia 800's design is very similar (some might say a carbon copy) to the critically-acclaimed MeeGo-based Nokia N9. The N9 was also mourned by reviewers since it was Nokia's first and last MeeGo phone.

Nokia said the Lumia 800 will start shipping in Europe in November for about US$580 (Indian Rupees 29,000). The Nokia Lumia 710 will cost about US$375 (INR 18,750) and will first ship to Hong Kong, India, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan before the end of this year. Here's a breakdown of the company's first crack at Windows Phone 7.

Lumia 800 SpecificationsThe Lumia 800 has a 3.7-inch ClearBlack AMOLED display with 800-by-480 resolution. ClearBlack is a Nokia technology the company says makes the screen more visible outdoors. The new smartphone is packing a single-core 1.4 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 512 MB RAM, 16GB onboard storage, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, micro-USB port, 8 megapixel camera with a f/2.2 Carl Zeiss lens and 720p video capture at 30 frames-per-second. Nokia claims the handset has up to 9.5 hours of talk time and up to 55 hours of music playback. The 800 weighs about 5 ounces and comes in Black, Cyan and Magenta.

Mango and ExtrasBoth the 800 and the 710 are running Mango, the latest Phone 7 release that includes features such as multitasking, an improved Web browser and a Wi-Fi hotspot mode. Nokia also packed in a bunch of extras such as Nokia Drive, a free turn-by-turn directions app for more than 100 countries, Nokia Music store with MixRadio streaming, and an ESPN sports hub exclusive to Nokia Windows Phones that lets you follow news, stats, scores from your favorite sports teams.
The Lumia 710 has a few similar features to the 800 including a 3.7-inch with 800-by-480 resolution, although the 710's display is TFT and not AMOLED. Both devices also have the same 1.4 GHz processor and 512MB RAM. The 710 also has 8GB internal storage, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, micro-USB port. The 710 has a talk time claim of up to 7 hours and up to 38 hours of music playback. The 710 weighs nearly 4.5 ounces and comes in a variety of interchangeable covers on the back including black, white, cyan, fuchsia, and yellow and black or white on the front.
Nokia Lumia (view video below)

Dell Inspiron 15R (N5050)

2011-10-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

Full Review

We shall be reviewing the Dell Inspiron 15R (N5050) laptop today - this is not to be confused with another model which also bears the same classification of 'Dell Inspiron 15R', but comes under the subcategory of N5100, and which features a switchable back-lid.

Design
The review model we received came in an Obsidian Black colouring which covers the backlid and the palmrest - the rest of the laptop has a regular black plastic finish. The overall design of this laptop is nothing much to write home about - it has an overall regular look except for the bulge at its rear, which provides space for the removable battery.

The backlid is glossy and features the Dell logo that is positioned at its centre - by virtue of its glossy nature, the backlid attracts more than its fair share of fingerprints, smudges and scratches. The plamrest, on the other hand, has a matte finish - so you don’t have to worry about fingerprints and the sort leaving their mark on it. The screen bezel also has a matte finish. In a design choice that we saw previously on the Dell Vostro 3450 as well, the keyboard's background area has a glossy finish - the same goes for its border. While the glossy background surface does provide a contrast to an extent to the matte finish of the rest of the laptop, given that the entire laptop has a darkish colouring, talking of this contrast is a rather moot point - the black glossy background area should contrast better with the Apple Red colour option.

The screen is held in place by a two hinges - the wide centrally located connector also hold the monitor - there is a Dell logo positioned centrally at the lower section of the screen bezel - in place. Both the hinges extend outward to cause a bulge, which is the most distinctive feature of this laptop. The power socket is located on the right side of this bulge.

FeaturesThe overall build quality of this laptop is good. The edges are curved and the entire laptop, when closed, resembles a rectangular slab - there are no angular sides, save for the slight curvature that extends from the base to the front side of the laptop. There is a 0.3 MP camera placed at the top central section of the screen's bezel.

The power button is located at the top left corner. There are two very slim speaker outlets located at either end of the top part of the chassis - placed below the screen. There are four LED indicators positioned along the front of the laptop, for indicating whether the laptop is powered on, for hard drive access, whether the battery is charging or not and for wireless connectivity respectively.

Monitor
The 15.6-inch glossy screen does a good job of displaying text and video. The viewing angles are decent - two people, sitting within comfortable distance of each other, should be able to watch the screen without having to see the darkish hue appear over the particular picture/video. The screen can be titled backwards to an angle of approx 120 degrees.

Keyboard UsabilityThe keyboard features chiclet keys, but comes without a dedicated numpad. Given that this is a 15.6 screen laptop, Dell could have easily incorporated a numpad, given how there is a lot of free space around the keyboard border area. Typing on this keyboard was not too pleasant an experience given the springy tactile feedback from the keys. Interestingly Dell has added a function button for disabling the touchpad - which is a very handy feature to have, especially when typing a document, and when you don’t want your cursor to keep moving just because your palms came in to contact with the touchpad. Acer was the only manufacturer I had seen who implemented this feature, and its a welcome addition by Dell. I hope they continue having this feature in their other laptops as well.

The smooth textured touchpad is very responsive, and features two mouse buttons. I did find that the mouse buttons tended to depress too much when pressed - the buttons would depress to the extent that your fingers would be touching the border of the touchpad. This was quite an irritant - Dell could have really done with steadier mouse buttons.

HardwareThe Dell Inspiron 15R features a Second Generation Intel Core i3 2310 processor (2.1GHz), 4GB DDR3 RAM, a 500 GB (5400 RPM) HDD, and Intel HD graphics.

The left side of the laptop chassis features, one Ethernet port, one VGA port, an HDMI port, one USB 2.0 port and headphone and microphone jacks. On the right hand side you would find an optical drive and 2 USB 2.0 ports. At the front of the chassis, you would find a multi-card reader - positioned to its left, you would find the four LED indicators. It also features Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/ n and Bluetooth 3.0 wireless connectivity.

More details can be seen on this review's "Specifications" page.

SoftwareThe laptop comes pre-installed with Windows 7 Home Premium service pack 1. Among the Dell software included on this unit are the Dell DataSafe local backup, Dell DataSafe online, Dell Stage - includes MusicStage, PhotoStage and VideoStage, Dell Support Centre and PC Checkup and Dell webcam Central which allows you to add some interesting effects to your photos.

Among the other pre-installed software are McAfee Security Centre trial edition, Roxio Creator Starter Edition, and Skype.

PerformanceThe Inspiron15R laptop received a score of 99 on the Worldbench 6 benchmark - for comparisons sake, that would be 2 points more than what the Lenovo IdeaPad Z570 scored. This Dell laptop should be able to cope with carrying out your daily tasks and performing most multiple processor and memory intensive tasks without any issues - save for gaming. During synthetic testing, the laptop's hard disk recorded an average read speed of 72.5 MB/s and recorded a PC Mark Vantage score of 5547.

Given that the laptop has the integrated Intel HD graphics, playing contemporary games shouldn’t really be considered as a viable option on this laptop. This is not a downside in any way as the laptop was never intended for such a purpose, and if you were indeed looking for a more moderately priced machine to play games on, you would be better off looking at other options - such as the Lenovo IdeaPad Z570. Having said that, you just might be able to get away with playing some of the retro games, run at appropriate settings, on this Inspiron 15R laptop,

Watching both 720p and 1080p HD videos was a comfortable experience. The sound output from the built in speakers, is appropriately loud for a small to medium sized room, although higher frequency sounds do tend to sound quite screechy. Listening through headphones would be the best option.

Throughout our testing, the Inspiron laptop did a good job of keeping itself cool, which is a positive aspect for any laptop. However when used for an extended period of time or when running some intensive tasks, you do notice that the mid-to-top left section of the laptop's base, that is next to the exhaust, heats up slightly and becomes quite warm to the touch. Moreover, the laptop was barely audible during operation, which is another positive to take from this laptop.

The laptop's six-cell battery lasted for 1 hour 32 minutes through one of our battery tests, at high performance mode, and having the wireless internet mode enabled - this result is pretty much the norm we have come to expect of mainstream laptops. Having said that, you should be able to extract around 4 plus hours out of the laptop's battery for doing lighter every-day work such as browsing the web and listening to music.

Upgradability
The entire base is a single cover slot, and the entire base will have to taken off - we tried to remove it, but to no avail - to look at the Inspiron laptop's innards. Consequently, in case you are thinking of upgrading this unit, that task is better left to Dell, and is not an activity that I would encourage regular users to engage in.

Seagate and Western Digital to release 3TB internal hard drives soon

2011-10-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

It looks like some of the higher capacity hard drives we’ve been hearing about are going to make their way into the market soon, and Seagate and Western Digital seem to the first to get out internal 3TB hard drives.

Pictures of the 3.5-inch drives were posted on various European e-retailers’ sites, who show them as available for pre-order, as well as some of their features:
Seagate Barracuda XT – 3TB

* 7,200RPM
* 64MB memory buffer
* 6Gbps SATA interface
* 8.5ms AAT
* 32dB(A) Specified Noise

Western Digital Caviar Green

# 5,400RPM
# 3Gbps SATA interface
# 64MB memory buffer
# 8.9ms AAT
# 29dB(A) Specified Noise

What Is Shareware?

2011-10-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

Experiences and comments about shareware, the problems, the benefits.

I use shareware more than I use conventional software. But like regular software shareware has its problems, and can even have problems that don’t exist in conventional software.

What is shareware?

Shareware is software that you ‘Try before you buy it’. Some shareware has no price, instead the author may give it away free (freeware) or ask for a “donation” of money.

But most shareware has a price, and the free trial ends after (1) so many uses or (2) or so many days or

(3) has some features crippled or (4) some combination of 1, 2 and 3.

In addition there may be demo shareware which demonstrates some of the features of the software but demo software is not shareware unless you can add a “key” (you pay for the key) and activate the demo to a full version.

I use shareware more than I use conventional software. But like regular software shareware has its problems, and can even have problems that don’t exist in conventional software.

Who writes this stuff?

Instead of being written by some large company, most (but not all) shareware is written by folks just like you and me.

In a way thats better because they have a personal interest in pleasing you and making sure you say good things about their product.

Howoever, there are more and more large companies offering “trail” versions of their software, including such giants as Microsoft and Symantec.

How do I get shareware?

You can search on shareware using Google or other or just visit some of the online shareware sites like SoftSavers.Com , MySharewareStore, download.com and others.

Most shareware can be downloaded free but some larger programs may need to be shipped (or are more practical if shipped especially if you have a lower speed internet connection).

The version you download free normally has some restriction as noted above. When you buy it the author will send you a “key” or code to “unlock” the trial version and make it a “full version”. In some cases the author will send you or let you download the full version.

Problems with shareware:

Some shareware titles contain ads, adware, spyware and other noxious software. If you are going to use shareware you need to have on your computer working and updated: (1) antivirus (paid versions such as one of the following: Norton Antivirus, PC-Cillin, McCafee, Computer Associates, Panda work best, (2) anti adware/anti spyware/ anti worm software such as Microsoft’s free antispyware.

Other problems include the software not being fully windows compliant and causing bugs on your computers performance, the author retiring (giving up and failing to support the product), plus all the ordinary problems you can have with any software such as difficulty removing the software when you want to remove it.

Visit the shareware author’s website and see if the author states there is no adware, etc. in the software. See if the software contains proper removal tecnology (see below).

Is shareware as good as commercial software?

Some of it is, some of it is not. Thats why you have to try it before you buy it!

I could ramble on forever but I would like to have readers fill in their experiences…

Ice Cream Sandwich will not save Android tablets

2011-10-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

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There was a glaring omission at the Samsung/Google event last night: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) was not shown on a tablet device. This omission was purposeful, because ICS will not thrust Android-powered tablets into a head-to-head competition with the iPad, and because we have seen ICS on tablets already. One could name this latest release Honeycomb 2.0 for tablet devices. Apple is not afraid of the what was announced last night, nor is it even paying attention when it comes to the iPad 2 losing market share.
The simple fact of the matter is that the iPad completely dominates the tablet market. Android is not even a blip on the radar when it comes to this market segment. The iPad 2 is predicted to outsell Android based tablets by a ratio of almost 10 to 1. Andy Rubin, head of Google’s mobile division, made a statement this morning that there are roughly 6 million Android tablets in the wild. While that number sounds large, projections are putting Cupertino’s second version of it’s iPad at 65 million sold in 2011 alone. Android may be dominating the smartphone market in sales (and that is due to sheer numbers of devices, not due to market demand), but it is certainly not controlling any theater in the tablet wars.
There are many reasons why tablets running the Android OS have flopped: Pricing, lack of applications made for Honeycomb, and market saturation. Verizon and Motorola ruined the best chance at competing with Apple when they launched the horrendously- priced Xoom. At $899, it was ridiculous to think that consumers were going to flock to Verizon stores to pick one up. Pay that much for a tablet then tack on a pricey data plan on top of that? Complete insanity. Sure, fanboys and Android geeks went and bought it because it was the first viable Android tablet hardware that could actually do something. Everyday consumers were putting a Xoom next to an iPad and shaking their heads at the fact that the iPad was a known product, whereas the Xoom was this archaic piece of tech that cost more than a souped up desktop computer! Who can blame them? A huge opportunity was lost to come out of the gate with the iPad clearly in the sights as far as competition was concerned. Every Android manufacturer would benefit! Come out with a strong initial showing that really gives the normal consumer an alternative to the iPad, and you have a ballgame. So disappointing.
On the other end of the spectrum, because Android is open, companies are free to create no-name devices with the OS slapped onto them, then shipped for rock-bottom prices. When a consumer sees a tablet at Walgreens for $99, it is going to create doubt in their mind of the veracity of the product. This erodes consumer confidence since they assume these low-priced tablets are an iPad knock-offs, and in the long run these poor excuses for hardware hurt the Android brand recognition as people place relate it to junk toys rather than serious hardware.

Michael Dell, really?

The failure of Android tablet sales is being noticed by major players in the electronics industry as well. Michael Dell, of Dell computers, recently reversed his controversial statement saying that Apple should close up shop due to the fact that Android was going to blow it out of the water in the tablet market. At Dell World 2011 he stated that his company is now looking to Windows to help grow profit share, since sales of Android devices have not been up to expectations. He now likens Android to “another opportunity,” and has obviously lost confidence in Android’s ability to move specialty products produced by Dell. This is a strong indicator of the state of affairs and perception for Android-based tablets.
The lack of a presentation of ICS running on a tablet device during last night’s announcement was troubling in the fact that Google has hyped this release as a major step in unifying the platform. If this is the case, why not show it off alongside the Galaxy Nexus? Why not come come out all guns blazing, showing potential developers that Google means business when it comes to resolving the problems that plague its mobile platform? The reason is not known of course, but it sends a negative signal to consumers and developers alike that there was no tablet to be seen last night.

Honeycomb 2.0

The reason why there was no announcement, and ultimately why ICS will not boost Android tablet sales, is that on a tablet device it is simply Honeycomb 2.0. It brings the feature set that Google placed on tablet devices six months ago, and adds some new hotness with Face Unlock, panoramic pictures, and an updated font. There are more additions of course, but the fact remains that tablet users have already seen much of ICS before: it is already in their hands. Why rush out to buy another tablet that will ship with 4.0? Especially when the Android developer community will most likely create custom ROMs that can be installed on the tablet they already own.
No, Apple has a firm grip on the tablet market that will not be relinquished anytime soon. There simply are simply no strong competitors out there at the moment — except perhaps for the Kindle Fire, which could do very well indeed, but can the two be compared? The iPad 2 exudes pure sexiness, it is the device to have and be seen with. Holiday sales are almost guaranteed for retailers that stock the iPad. The hype surrounding anything that Cupertino releases is huge. One does not hear that kind of energy in the general public around Android; it is sadly relegated to people who are intimately involved with the platform, and that is a relatively small circle when comparing it to the Apple customer base.
Google should be celebrating the fact that 4.0 is going to sell more handsets — there are some great features that consumers are going to want, for sure — but on the other hand, it should be mourning the fact that it is losing the tablet wars, and badly. Android consumers and fans alike should be shouting at Mountain View to get on the ball and get serious about tablet devices, because until that happens, it is going to be a black turtleneck-driven world in the land of tablet electronics.