Z@bz@b@t ذبذبات

Proboscis monkey

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:19:00 +0000

A proboscis monkey eats in Apenheul Zoo near Apeldoorn, Netherlands on July 26, 2011. The Apenheul is the only zoo outside Asia with these animals. The group of three males arrived from Singapore recently and were shown to the public today for the first time.

Ford Motor Co's quarterly profit beat Wall Street expectations

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:17:00 +0000

A Ford truck sits for sale on a dealership lot in Encinitas, California July 25, 2011. Ford Motor Co's quarterly profit beat Wall Street expectations helped by higher prices and improved sales in North America. Picture taken July 25, 2011.

The Scaliger Castle, Malcesine, Lake Garda, Italy

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 10:01:00 +0000

This handout photo taken on July 21, 2011 shows Michal Navratil (L) of the Czech Republic catching the bouquet from the "bride" Laura Spina (C) as "groom" Michael Piringer (R) looks on from a 24-metre high balcony during a shoot for a video production in the build up to the fifth stop of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at the Scaliger Castle, Malcesine, Lake Garda, Italy. The competition takes place from July 24 to 27 from a 27-metre diving platform off the side of the Castle.

Amur tiger Elena

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:56:00 +0000

Amur tiger Elena carries one of its three cubs at an enclosure at the zoo in Zurich July 20, 2011. The cubs were born on May 15, 2011.

Bar manufacturer Argor-Heraeus SA

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 10:54:00 +0000

File photo of bars of 250 gram fine gold being stored at a plant of gold refiner and bar manufacturer Argor-Heraeus SA in the southern Swiss town of Mendrisio, November 13, 2008. Gold prices hit record highs for a second day July 14, 2011, after hints of further policy easing from the Federal Reserve and a Moody's warning the United States may lose its top-notch credit rating hurt the dollar and sparked buying of safe-haven assets. The precious metal was also strengthened by concerns over euro zone debt levels, which have intensified over delays to policymakers' plans to discuss the crisis and after Greece's credit rating was downgraded by Fitch late on Wednesday.

The 12th stage of the Tour de France

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 10:41:00 +0000

The pack rides towards Hourquette d'Ancizan pass during the 12th stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 211 kilometers (131.1 miles) starting in Cugnaux and finishing in Luz Ardiden, Pyrenees region, France, Thursday July 14, 2011.

HTC 'ChaCha'

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 09:21:00 +0000

A woman displays an HTC 'ChaCha' (L) mobile phone during a press conference in Taipei on July 14, 2011. The model is expected to hit the local market late July with a price tag of 342 USD.

Chinese Liu Xinying iPad look-a-like using computer parts, a touch screen and a case with a keypad

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:54:00 +0000

This undated handout photo received on July 13, 2011 shows an iPad look-a-like using computer parts, a touch screen and a case with a keypad made by enterprising Chinese man Liu Xinying for gadget-crazy people who desperately want Apple's popular iPad tablet computer but cannot afford it. In a 20-minute video posted on Youku, the Chinese YouTube equivalent, Liu demonstrates how to assemble an iPad look-a-like using computer parts, a touch screen and a case with a keypad, to the sound of metal music.

Uruguayan forward Diego Forlan

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:52:00 +0000

Uruguayan forward Diego Forlan (C) shoots surrounded by (L to R) Mexican defenders Diego Reyes, Hiram Mier, Hector Reynoso and Nestor Araujo, during the 2011 Copa America Group C first round football match against Mexico, at the Ciudad de La Plata stadium in La Plata, 59 Km south of Buenos Aires, on July 12, 2011. Uruguay won 1-0.

BlackBerry App: Blaq (Playbook)

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:40:00 +0000

A good Twitter app is the first thing I load on a new mobile device and the PlayBook was no exception to that. However, I couldn't really find one until just a while ago when I came across Blaq.

Blaq is an attractive-looking Twitter app, which shows your timeline on the left and a tweet or a user on the right, depending on what you tap on. There's the basic functionality you've come to expect like retweet, tweet with a picture, etc.

For me, one thing I really miss that still makes Blaq much less useful is that it only supports one Twitter account. Multi account support is critical for me but I realize it's not for most tweeps. So if you're in the market for a Twitter app for PlayBook, right now there's nothing better- that I know of- than Blaq.

To get more information about Blaq ($1.99) and to download it, search for it in App World on your BlackBerry PlayBook or try this link.

Space shuttle Atlantis

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 11:21:00 +0000

Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, July 8, 2011. Atlantis rocketed off its seaside launch pad on Friday, rising atop a tower of smoke and flames as it left Earth on the shuttle program's final flight.

What do iPhone 5 and iPad 3 rumors mean for business users?

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:39:00 +0000

Do any other rumors generate as much buzz as Apple's? If so, I'm at a loss to name a company that captures more newsprint based solely on what it might do.

But there's a reason for all that energy. Apple products permeate contemporary culture and change the way businesses connect, communicate, collaborate and operate. You don't exceed the combined market capitalization of Microsoft and Intel by playing it safe. You must take dangerous chances and risk delicate innovation. And Apple's done so successfully on repeated occasions. That's why Apple rumors generate so much interest; previous product announcements have heralded great change.

I believe that's why Apple's stock dipped during June's World Wide Developer's Conference Keynote. Frankly, the announcements from WWDC just weren't what the market sought. A built-in app store with Mac OS X Lion is great. A Notifications Center is helpful, as are iOS 5 mail improvements and the new iCloud sync services. But the world wants a new iPhone. It just may get a new iPad, too.

Bigger, better, faster

According to CNET News, DigiTimes is stirring the pot. The rumors are well-publicized. Bigger screens, faster processors, improved resolution. The iPhone 5 wish list goes on. There's even talkthat the new iPad 3 will feature a Retina Display.

Slipped timelines?

Supposedly, Apple suppliers are already ramping up production of the iPhone 5 and iPad 3. While that's possible, I'm skeptical. Clearly WWDC, which included an appearance by the iconic Steve Jobs, was the showcase tailor-made for introducing the two new devices. But the event came and went with no news of new hardware.

If Apple releases the new iPhone and third-generation iPad this fall, one could conclude the company missed its internal production deadlines. Certainly, June's WWDC was the ideal venue for these releases.

What the rumors mean for business users

Regardless, I won't be surprised if Apple releases a new iPhone in Q4. Investors may well punish the company if it doesn't. More than a year has passed since the iPhone 4 debuted.

An iPhone 5 debut shouldn't prove disruptive for business users, as a Q4 introduction would likely align with the release of iOS 5. Business users locked in to iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS contracts should expect to be able to download and install the iOS 5 upgrade. Thus, it's unlikely any iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4 users will have to forego any significant new features that would require a new handset.

The iPad 3 rumor strikes me as the most surprising. The iPad 2 was just released in March. Leaving a successful second-generation product on the market for just six months is almost unprecedented for Apple. Thus, I'd suspect any improvements in the iPad 3 would prove minor. It's possible you'll see an improved display, but I'm skeptical. Rumors also abound that a new iPad 3 would be thinner and lighter. But such improvements seemingly require a redesign of the chassis, a prospect I find unlikely.

Instead, a new iPad might feature the improved display capable of supporting higher resolutions. Conceivably Apple can cram a higher-resolution display into the same form factor modeled for the second-generation chassis. That certainly impacts business users, who frequently use the popular tablet platform to remotely connect to other systems, compose documents and spreadsheets, and send and receive email. The ability to fit more information, more clearly, on screen is compelling.

However, I don't feel any of the discussed rumors warrant delaying a new iPhone or iPad purchase. Business users in need of the devices now should proceed without much anxiety. Waiting until the fall for a new iPhone or iPad seems silly. That said, with Apple, you never know just what's around the corner. That's what makes the company's new product announcements so intriguing.

The pros and cons of tower, rack, and blade servers

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:03:00 +0000

Tower servers

Tower servers seem dated and look more like desktops than servers, but these servers can pack a punch. In general, if you have a lot of servers, you're probably not using a bunch of tower servers, because they can take up a lot of space and are tough to physically manage since you can't easily stack them on one another. In some cases as organizations grow and move to rack servers, conversion kits can be purchased to turn a tower server into a rack-mount server.

As implied, tower servers are probably found more often in smaller environments than anywhere else, although you might find them in point solutions in larger places.

Tower servers are generally on the lower end price-wise, although they can expand pretty decently and become really expensive.

Tower servers take up a lot of space and require individual monitors, keyboards, and mice or a keyboard, video, mouse (KVM) switch that allows them to be managed with a single set of equipment. In addition, cabling can be no fun, especially if you have a lot of network adapters and other I/O needs. You'll have cables everywhere.

I don't buy a lot of tower servers these days, but they still have a place. My most recent tower server purchase was to serve as my backup system running Microsoft Data Protection Manager 2010.

Rack servers

If you run a data center of any reasonable size, you've probably used a lot of industry standard 19″ wide rack servers. Sized in Us (which is a single 1.75″ rack unit), rack servers can range from 1U "pizza boxes" to 5U, 8U, and more. In general, the bigger the server, the more expansion opportunities are available.

Rack servers are extremely common and make their home inside these racks along with other critical data center equipment such as backup batteries, switches, and storage arrays. Rack servers make it easy to keep things neat and orderly since most racks include cable management of some kind. However, rack servers don't really simplify the cabling morass since you still need a lot of cabling to make everything work — it's just neater. I once worked in a data center in which I had to deploy 42 2U Dell servers into three racks. Each server had to have dual power cables, keyboard, video, and mouse cables and six (yes, six) network cables (six colors with each color denoting a specific network). It was a tough task to keep the cabling under control, to put it mildly. Because everything was racked, there was built-in cable management that made this easier.

Like tower servers, rack servers often need KVM capability in order to be managed, although some organizations simply push a monitor cart around and connect to video and USB ports on the front of the server so that they don't need to worry about KVM.

Rack servers are very expandable; some include 12 or more disks right in the chassis and support for four or more processors, each with multiple cores. In addition, many rack servers support large amounts of RAM, so these devices can be computing powerhouses.

Blade servers

There was a day when buying individual blade servers meant trading expansion possibilities for compactness. Although this is still true to some extent, today's blade servers pack quite a wallop. I recently purchased a half-height Dell M610 blade server with 96 GB of RAM and two six-core processors.

There is still some truth to the fact that blade servers have expansion challenges when compared to the tower and rack-based options. For example, most tower servers have pretty significant expansion options when it comes to PCI/PCI Express slots and more disk drives. Many blade servers are limited to two to four internal hard drives, although organizations that use blade servers are likely to have shared storage of some kind backing the blade system.

Further, when it comes to I/O expansion options, blade servers are a bit limited by their lack of expansion slots. Some blade servers boast PCI or PCI Express expansion slots, but for most blade servers, expansion is achieved through the use of specially designed expansion cards. In my case, the Dell M600 and M610 blades have three mezzanines. The first mezzanine consists of dual Gigabit Ethernet adapters. The remaining mezzanines are populated based on organizational need. In my case, our blades have a second set of Gigabit Ethernet adapters housed in the second mezzanine and Fibre Channel adapters in the third. If necessary, I could also choose to use mezzanine cards with four ports in some configurations. So, although the blade server doesn't have quite the I/O selection of other server form factors, it's no slouch, either.

When raw computing power and server density is the key drive, blade servers meet the need. For example, in my environment, I have a 10U Dell M1000e blade chassis that can support up to 16 servers. So, each server uses the equivalent of 0.625U of rack space. On top of that, the blade chassis holds four gigabit Ethernet switches and two Fibre Channel switches, so there is additional rack space savings since I don't need to rack mount these devices to support different connectivity options. In addition, the blade chassis has a built-in KVM switch so I don't need to buy a third party and cable it up.

Speaking of cabling, a blade environment generally has much less of it than tower or rack environments since a lot of the connectivity is handled internally. You'll end up with a neater server room as a result.

Another point is adding a new server consists of simply sliding it into an available slot in the chassis. There is no need to rack a new server and deal with a bunch of new cabling. This small size makes heat dissipation a challenge. Blade chassis can put out a lot of heat.

From a cost perspective, blade servers require some initial infrastructure, such as the chassis, so the upfront cost is often higher than for servers of other types.

Bottom line

If you need one or two servers, a tower solution probably makes sense. If you need three to 24 servers or massive scalability, then rack servers are for you. When you go need more than 24 servers, I advise you to consider a blade solution to meet your data center needs.

Sent from my iPad

Apple ships Lion 'gold master' as release date rumors swirl

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:42:00 +0000

Computerworld - Apple on Friday released a "gold master" build of Lion to developers, providing a clue that it will ship the new operating system shortly.

"Gold master" (GM) is a label some developers use -- Microsoft calls it "release to manufacturing," or RTM -- for software that has been completed and presumably is ready to send to duplicators and distributors.

In Apple's case, however, Mac OS X 10.7, aka Lion, will not need to be burned onto DVDs, packaged in boxes and shipped to retail stores because it will be available only as a download from the Mac App Store.

The appearance of the Lion GM, which was reported Friday by several Apple-specific blogs, including 9to5Mac, and confirmed later in the day byComputerworld, sparked renewed speculation that the operating system will be released within days.

Apple has said only that it will ship Lion this month.

Several prospective release dates have been forecast by blogs -- all quoting unnamed sources -- including next Wednesday, July 6, and the Thursday of the following week, July 14.

Past practice may give hints as to the release date: In 2009, Apple delivered a gold master of Snow Leopard on Aug. 12, a little over two weeks before the Aug. 28 on-sale date. On the other hand, Lion may move faster from GM to release because of its download-only distribution channel, which doesn't require time for physical duplication or shipping.

If the company follows its Snow Leopard practices, it will announce Lion's availability date several days before the upgrade hits the Mac App Store.

Apple will sell Lion for $29.99. For that price, consumers can upgrade Snow Leopard to Lion on all their personally-owned Mac systems.

The operating system will weigh in at about 4GB, a size that prevents users with dial-up connections from grabbing it, and makes it difficult for those whose Internet providers meter their bandwidth. Apple has said customers canbring their Mac laptops to any Apple retail store and use the free Wi-Fi network there to download Lion

10 reasons to stay in IT

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:28:00 +0000

1: Money, money, money

While it is true that you work hard for your money, IT professionals are well compensated for that hard work. The pay isn't just good, it's great. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' An Overview of U.S. Occupational Employment and Wages in 2010 (Chart 6, PDF), computer and mathematical sciences ranked third in 2010 of all major occupational groups with an annual mean salary of $77,230. Only the management and legal occupations had higher earnings.

2: The professionals

If you are like me, who you work with is extremely important. After all, more than one quarter of your working life will be spent with them. I have worked with professionals and those who weren't so professional. I prefer the former and run from the latter. I have met professionals in other occupations, the defense industry to name one, but the professionalism of IT workers ranks right up there at the top.

3: Career continuity

The second time I left IT, I wanted to take time off and do nothing. I found out, too late, that being away from your career can make it harder to return. The biggest problem is how you are perceived by a potential employer. Employers don't like gaps in your resume. You may have the unfortunate opportunity to discover the hard way that discrimination of the unemployed is real.

4: The challenges

One reason I chose to write computer programs was that I found it challenging. When coding, not a day that went by that I didn't run into at least one obstacle in my path. IT professionals thrive on solving puzzles and problems. With the right mindset (which is necessary to be successful in IT), obstacles become challenges. Information technologyis challenging, but you won't find it boring. No matter what your role is in IT, the challenges you encounter tomorrow will likely be different from those you experience today.

5: The rewards

Challenges, when met, are rewarding — another reason to choose and stay in IT. I have never been more professionally satisfied than when a program I wrote actually worked as designed, without errors, or when a long-term systems project was successfully completed on time. Okay, so you're probably not saving lives. But if you support the medical profession you are helping to save lives. And you're saving blue- and white-collar workers the drudgery of tasks that can and should be done by a machine. Few people enjoy doing the grunt work. The systems I built during my career replaced numerous menial tasks. I can honestly say that except for a few rough patches, I left work at the end of the week satisfied, knowing that I was helping others do their jobs better. No matter what role you play in IT, helping people and a job well done create self-esteem and a sense of achievement that are highly rewarding.

6: Marketability

IT professionals have a much better chance of finding and keeping a job. The future looks bright for IT pros — at least in the United States. Five of the top 20 and 14 of the top 50 highest paying jobs with the most growth potential are IT jobs, as ranked by CNN Money and PayScale.

7: The skills

Those who want to work in IT are typically quite intelligent with unique attributes and skills. IT attracts the analytical thinkers and technically inclined of the world. If you have these qualities and skills, you can find a home in IT.

Another good reason to stay in IT is to keep your skills up to date. Leave IT for too long, and your skills will become rusty or even obsolete. Before you leave IT, consider that your employer is paying for you to learn new skills and keep your existing skills current. Those skills are an investment in your future.

8: The respect

Jack mentioned in his article that IT professionals get no respect from the general public. I know from your feedback in the forums that many of you agree and feel that you aren't getting the prestige and respect that you deserve. If you are doing your job well, your perceived lack of respect may be due to the ignorance of the beholder and not through any fault of your own.

The general public may well be a tough sell, but you can find respect from your peers. The knowledgeable and wise professional values the contributions of others and shows respect for his or her peers. IT is a great place to earn respect. If you can't earn respect in IT, you probably won't be able to earn it in any profession.

Perhaps I have just been lucky or naïve, but I have always believed that I had the respect of my managers, associates, and clients. Perhaps most important, respect is a matter of attitude, your attitude, and your perception of how others see you.

9: The geek factor

IT is the perfect place to satisfy your craving for cutting-edge technology. Where else are you going to meet your geeky needs and get paid for it? If you enjoy thinking in bytes, gigahertz, flowcharts, milestones, and IF THEN ELSE statements, you will like working with others who share your interests and unique language.

10: The love of IT

Most people who choose to work in IT love what they do. Come on, admit it. Deep down you love your work. For those who don't, it's all relative. When you consider the other jobs available to the masses, and their pay, you just gotta love IT. If you can find nothing you like about you and your IT job, perhaps it is time you parted ways.

In one discussion thread, IT_Goddess may have said it best: "How many peeps can say they really like/love their jobs? So many people I know, outside of IT, dread going into work. Most IT folk I know love their jobs, as long as they are getting fairly compensated for what they actually do."

The bottom line

I have been away from "formal" IT for quite some time now. I have learned from the school of hard knocks the many reasons for staying. Truth be told, I miss each of the above items, more or less in the order listed. When you get right down to the basic reasons for working in IT, more needs of the technically minded are met by IT than by other professions. And the jobs are good jobs. According to the Wall Street Journal, Two of the top five jobs for 2011 were IT jobs: software engineer and systems analyst.

I understand the grueling daily grind all too well, the stress of shouldering responsibilities day in and day out, the long, tiring hours, and the many never-ending frustrations. When your focus is on checking off one more to-do item and answering one more email, it's not hard to understand why you can't see the forest for the trees. I guess it is often human nature not to recognize the positive aspects of where you are in the here and now. As Joni Mitchell once sang, "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone." It's not really necessary to leave IT, like I had to, to appreciate its many benefits.

أبل ستطرح طرازين من آي فون في سبتمبر؟؟

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 13:23:00 +0000

ستطرح في سبتمبر هاتف iPhone 5 أو iPhone 4GS أو طرازين يمثلان الجيل الخامس من هواتف آي فون.

من المتوقع أن تكشف أبل عن جيل جديد من هواتف آي فون في شهر سبتمبر القادم، وتشير بعض المواقع المختصة بأخبار التقنية إلى أن الجيل الجديد سيحمل اسم iPhone 4GS، بينما يقول آخرون بأن أبل ستطلق عليه iPhone 5، ومن الشائعات ما يقول بان أبل ستطرح نسختين من الهاتف إحداهما تدعم الجيل الرابع من شبكات الهاتف iPhone 4GS والأخرى تحمل اسم iPhone 5 في إشارة إلى الجيل الخامس من هواتف آي فون.

وتقول التوقعات بأن الجيل الجديد من هواتف آي فون سيعتمد على معالج ثنائي النواة A5 وهو ذات المعالج المستخدم في كمبيوتر أبل آي باد 2، وأنه سيعتمد على كاميرا بدقة 8.0 ميغابيكسل، أما نظام التشغيل فهو iOS 5 الذي أعلن عنه ستيف جوبز مؤخرا وسيصل في شهر سبتمبر القادم إلى هواتف آي فون الحالية وكمبيوترات آي باد.

ويوفرنظام التشغيل iOS 5 بعض المزايا لا تتواجد في iOS 4 بإصداره الأخير (4.3.3) وتشمل التحديثات المباشرة OTA المتوفرة في هواتف أندرويد المنافسة، وتتيح هذه الميزة تنزيل تحديثات نظام التشغيل عبر شبكات الهاتف 3G وليس فقط عبر شبكات واي فاي كما هو متوفر حاليا.

كانت أبل قد كشفت عن الجيل الأول من هواتف آي فون في 2007 وحمل اسم iPhone، وفي 2008 أعلنت عن الجيل الثاني iPhone 3G، لتكشف في 2009 عن الجيل الثالث iPhone 3G S، وأخير وليس آخرا في عام 2010 كشفت عن iPhone 4، فهل تكشف في سبتمبر 2011 عن الجيل الخامس باسم iPhone 5 أم iPhone 4G S، أم أن لدى أبل اسم آخر؟

ICON A5 "foldable" aircraft

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 09:22:00 +0000

Two seater ICON A5 "foldable" aircraft being developed by california based ICON aircraft for past three years. ICON is looking at India to set up a supply chain base for a growing market of high net-worth individuals and is likely to enter the production line in the second quarter of 2012.

Jailbreak Me 3.0 Beta to Jailbreak iPad 2 on iOS 4.3 Leaked

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 17:02:00 +0000

The only device which is yet to be jailbroken is iPad 2 though Comex and Chronic dev team has said to be working on iPad 2 jailbreak the success is yet to be tested. Comex has made good progress on iPad 2 jailbreak which is userland based jailbreak and is supposed to be released very soon. The delay in jailbreak is because of unionfs which comex wanted to get on Jailbreak Me 3.0 to make jailbreak process faster.

The Jailbreak Me 3.0 has reached beta stage and being tested privately but its looks Jailbreak Me 3.0 has been leaked in wild thanks to those testers. The video uploaded on Youtube demonstrating iPad 2 jailbreak on iOS 4.3 using Jailbreak Me 3.0.

The uploader has also provided links to PDF file which is used in Jailbreak Me 3.0 to jailbreak iPad 2 iOS 4.3. At any cost don't attempt to jailbreak iPad 2 with this beta Jailbreak Me 3.0. You may end up with bricked iPad 2 as it is still in beta stage.

We are hoping that Comex will soon release final version Jailbreak Me 3.0.

Google+ invites shut down after 'insane demand'

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:09:00 +0000

Google+ is no longer taking new users, even if they received invites to join.

Late on Wednesday night, Vic Gundotra, a senior vice president of Social for Google, posted on the Google+ network that the company has been overwhelmed with interest and had to stop taking new users.

"We've shut down invite mechanism for the night," Gundotra posted. "Insane demand. We need to do this carefully, and in a controlled way. Thank you all for your interest!"

The shutdown means people can't invite anyone else to join Google+ right now -- and even people who already had been invited onto the network can't get in.

Social networking

Apple iOS 5 previews and bad news for jailbreakers

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:49:00 +0000

Takeaway: Apple rumors abound and there are plenty of hints about new features and functionality as the impending fall release of iOS 5 and iPhone 5 gets ever closer. Check out the latest.

The Apple rumor mill is always swirling, and right now, the best guess for iPhone 5 appearing seems to be around this September to coincide with the release of iOS 5. There are also plenty of hints coming out about what the new iOS will include and what it won't. Here's a rundown of what's in the offing.

ZDNet's Jason O'Grady has a lot of details on what's new in the second external beta of iOS 5, including Wi-Fi syncing and over-the-air updates. Wireless syncing is now available for the Mac (in beta), requiring iTunes 10.5 beta 2 and OS X 10.6.8 or Lion. OTA updates are also now activated, but showing no pending updates. With new features now numbering an estimated 212, you'll want to see Jason's comprehensive round-up of rumors and sources for all the likely changes.

In addition, Ars Technica reports that Apple is also taking steps in iOS 5 that will likely hinder various jailbreaking techniques. Part of this move is due to the technical developments involved in activating the aforementioned OTA updates:

Indeed, a large tradeoff here is the availability of over the air (OTA) updates as part of iOS 5. iPhone users will no longer have to plug their phones into a computer in order to sync or update the OS, and the updates themselves will only contain the things that have changed since the last upgrade-not the entire OS. In this sense, Apple is less likely to be going out of its way to hobble jailbreakers (though that's undoubtedly a nice side effect from Apple's point of view), and instead is merely focusing on what needs to be done in order for the OS to be updated. Since jailbreaks and even self-downgrading have never been supported activities, folks who engage in such practices end up getting the short end of the stick when Apple makes major changes to the OS functionality.

Sent from my iPad

Apple to offer Mac OS X Lion volume licensing

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:44:00 +0000

One of the most innovative Mac OS X Lion features is the manner in which the upgrade is distributed. Most users will purchase, download and install the new OS using Apple's App store. However, not everyone is a fan of the idea,particularly some larger business users. Big organizations need not worry, however. I have a well-placed inside source who confirmed on June 29^th that Apple will offer larger organizations volume license options for deploying Mac OS X Lion.

Details are still understandably sketchy; the OS is yet to be released. Apple is only committed to releasing the OS in July and won't commit beyond that. Regardless, rumors are rampant that volume licensing will be offered.

While many sites are reporting the release of an "official" Apple PDF explaining large business and education Mac OS X Lion volume licensing terms, I couldn't find any trace of the document on Apple's actual website, nor did multiple Apple staff bother returning numerous telephone or email inquiries requesting clarification of the supposed volume licensing document. A local Apple retail store's official public pronouncement on June 29^th was that Apple's corporate officials had not yet officially announced or released any volume licensing terms.

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But it's a safe bet they're coming. My source confirmed Apple will announce volume licensing terms that are consistent with the leaked PDF. Here are the likely details:

Larger organizations will be able to purchase Mac OS X Lion volume licenses for $29.99 each.
A minimum of 20 licenses must be purchased.
Maintenance contracts will be available for $49.99.
A minimum purchase of 20 maintenance contracts will be required.
When a larger organization makes a purchase, the organization will receive a redemption code.
Organizations leveraging volume licensing will enter their redemption code once to download the Lion install application from the App store.
Volume license holders will be able to leverage the same mass distribution methods used previously (copy the install application to target systems over the local network or utilize System Image Utility to create NetInstall or NetRestore images).

When pressed to provide more details regarding supported mass distribution methods, my source wanted to prove helpful and divulge more information; he/she simply didn't know because Apple hasn't yet let insiders know specifics. Even Apple employees didn't know the distribution details as of June 29, I was told.

Mac OS X Lion Server should be available through the App store, too. I believe it will sell for $49.99. But again, details are still sketchy even among Apple insiders.

Sent from my iPad

Enfocus PitStop Pro 10 (Update 2) | Mac

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:49:00 +0000

Enfocus PitStop Pro 10 is the essential Adobe Acrobat plug-in to check
and fix PDF files in professional publishing environments. An
extensive array of editing tools makes it easy to do last-minute
corrections, both for individual objects and globally throughout the
complete PDF document. The tools in PitStop Pro are completely
production oriented and allow you to tackle those problems you
actually experience in your workflows. The industry-standard preflight
engine in PitStop Pro checks all aspects of your PDF files and
pinpoints exactly where the problems are. Embedded Certified PDF
technology digitally signs your PDF files to ensure their quality.

What's new in PitStop Pro 10 ?

* PitStop Pro 10: This is a major upgrade for existing versions of
PitStop Professional.

Major new features

- Redesign QuickRuns:

* Preset manager within the Enfocus processing panel
* Able to make QuickRun with Global Changes

- Running of Preflight Profiles in check-only mode

- Enhanced color handling

* Color management presets and preset manager
* Support of black point compensation

- Easier access to Action Lists with new UI

* Ability to group Actions
* Ability to import Action Lists
* New Action Lists available (Add page to document, Convert all RGB to
CMYK, Remap to clean up black, Remap spot to own alternate CMYK
values, Minimum File Size, ...)

- Re-engineered Design Layout

* shortcuts have been added to work faster with guides
* edit tools have been added to change Design Layout and Page Box Layout

- New global change has been added

* Minimize File Size

- Update in GWG 1v4 preflight profiles to improve the fixes.

* New profiles no longer perform fixes for image resolution.
* Some corrections were made regarding the output intent fixes set in
the PDF/X-1a fixes.

- Installation of Adobe CMM engine

- Redesign of color picker

* Better handling of color libraries
* Ability to import libraries

- New ink coverage checking

- Better handling of black

Sent from my iPad

The "environmnmentally-friendly" eco car is powered by lithium-polymer battery

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:51:00 +0000

A NP-Distanza UC, a prototype car (C) is parked outside the Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore on June 28, 2011. The "environmnmentally-friendly" eco car is powered by lithium-polymer battery which was designed and fabricated by students from the Mechanical Engineering and Product Design and Innovation course as their final project. The carbon-fibre eco car will compete in the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2011 to be held at the Sepang International circuit in Malaysia from 6-9 July.

The Space Shuttle Endeavour

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 11:45:00 +0000

Back dropped by a night time view of the Earth and the starry sky, the Space Shuttle Endeavour is seen docked to the International Space Station in this photo provided by NASA dated May 28, 2011.

HTC Flyer 4G

noreply@blogger.com (theferocious) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 09:13:00 +0000

Jack Tong, president of HTC North Asia, introduces the company's new tablet Flyer 4G during a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, June 23, 2011. The price of the Flyer 4G, which runs on Android 2.3 and featuring the 7-inch touch screen, hasn't been unveiled and it goes on sale in the domestic market from July 1.