Tapping Your Smartphone's Processing Power for Classic Photography

The stumbling-block to using a phone as an all-in-one solution for photography is basically that the lenses aren't as good as those on any dedicated camera. While you would expect a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera to sport a better lens, even the most basic, sub-hundred-dollar point-and-shoots have higher quality glass than the best phones.

Manual adjustments for exposure and other settings like white balance are also missing on many smartphones, as is an optical zoom that provides higher quality close-ups than a processor-driven zoom.

However, there are two things the smartphone, resplendent with camera, does offer. One is a seriously powerful computer processor -- much more so than any camera's -- and the second is filter- and editing-style apps -- tons of them.

My solution to the dichotomy is to use an existing camera to take the shots, and discard the laptop or PC commonly used for editing, substituting a smartphone or tablet for the crunching. Why not? You gain portability -- two pocket-sized devices; you gain the effort that developers have put into smartphone photographic processing apps; and you retain the better glass.

The downside is getting the shots over to the phone from the camera. But you can get around that with some planning.
Zoho

Step 1

Plan how you're going to get the images out of the camera and into the phone or tablet. I've been using a 2006 Nikon Coolpix P2 point-and-shoot whose 3x, 7.5-26.3mm zoom lens I adore. I've had photographs accepted by my stock agency with that camera -- unusual for point-and-shoots.

This inexpensive camera conveniently has a full-sized SD card slot. I've coupled the P2 with the other part of my camera kit, a Toshiba Thrive 10.1-inch Android tablet, also with a full-sized SD slot. Hot-swapping the cards works easily for me like this.

You can achieve the same effect with micro SD card-to-full-sized SD card adapters that are packaged with many micro SD cards.
 
Step 2

Install some of the killer camera filter and editing apps onto your phone or tablet.

The two I've been using: Vignette (Nasdaq: VIGN) Demo from Neilandtheresa, (free) for its filters; and Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) Photoshop Express from Adobe Systems (free) for its editing software. Both have paid versions with varied additional benefits, including full resolution.
 
Step 3

Pull the full-sized SD card or micro SD card with adapter out of the camera, making sure that you follow the camera manufacturer's instructions relating to unmounting the card.

This will avoid corrupted files.
Step 4

Remove the adapter from the card if necessary and slot the card into the phone or tablet.

Allow the card to mount, and launch the app you want to use.
Step 5

Import the image. Vignette Demo allows you to import images using file managers that you may or may not already have on your device.

I've successfully imported from stock Gallery and also Root Explorer. Touch the "Import" button and choose "Gallery." The SD card should be listed.

vignette

Select the image you want to work with by touching it, and it will load into the Vignette app using the last settings used.
Step 6

Apply the filter by using the "Effects" and "Adjust" settings in Vignette Demo.

I've been using Fake HDR, which lowers global contrast and raises local contrast, and Infrared, which provides high contrast for grim, theatrical landscapes.
Step 7

Make further edits with other applications. Photoshop Express on a tablet or phone is worth experimenting with because it faithfully creates the same kind of edits that you'd ordinarily do on a cumbersome PC.

Install a file manager if you don't already have one. Look in the Market. I use paid Root Explorer, but there are free ones too.

Browse to the SD card image files and cut the file you want to work on. Then browse to the "Camera" folder within the DCIM folder on your device and paste it there. This can be complicated because there may be more than one SD card folder listed. The device often has a built-in SD card you may be unaware of. Your inserted card will likely be "sdcard2" or something similar within a folder called "mnt."

Paste the file into "Camera," and when you open Photoshop Express, the file will be listed under the "Phone" tab there and you'll be able to work on it with the "Edit" button. After working on it, press "Save," and then refresh the file manager to see it listed. 


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Alienware Packs Big Gaming Power Into Little Box

Dell's (Nasdaq: DELL) gaming computer brand, Alienware, has released a new desktop computer that -- while not quite in keeping with the trend toward mobile gaming -- is compact, powerful and sleek.

Alienware X51
The Alienware X51

The X51, which weighs about 12 pounds and measures roughly 13 inches tall by 12.5 inches deep by 4 inches wide, is unobtrusive enough to be placed near a television. It is powered by a range of graphics cards and several Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) Core processors. Pricing starts at US$699 and goes to $1,149, depending on how the device is configured.

Options in the low-end version include a second-generation Intel Core i processor, 8 GB of 1333 Mhz dual-channel memory, a 1-GB GDDR5 Nvidia (Nasdaq: NVDA) GeForce GTX 555 video card with 330W PSU, a slot-loading dual layer Blu-ray reader, and a standard integrated wireless LAN card.

The $1,149 model is equipped with the Intel Core i7 processor, a 1 GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GT 555 graphics card, and 8 GB of RAM.

Alienware did not respond to our request for further details.

The Mobile Trend

With the X51's diminutive size, it is easy to miss the fact that it is not designed to be mobile -- a major driving force in the gaming market now.

Gaming captured the largest proportion of a mobile user's time spent with mobile applications -- a whopping 49 percent -- according to Flurry. Social networking came next, but at a distant 30 percent.

A majority of tablet owners who play video games use a console or a handheld gaming device less often as a result of owning their tablet, according to research from GfK MRI's iPanel.
Gaming Laptops

Alienware isn't ignoring that trend -- last year, it released three powerful laptops including the M18x -- which it called the most powerful 18-inch gaming laptop in the universe and "a true desktop replacement." The other laptops are the M14x -- with enhanced performance and a focus on portability -- and an upgraded M11x. They also sport second-generation Intel Core i processors.

That said, there is still a place for the little X51 desktop unit in the current gaming environment, J. Gerry Purdy, principal analyst of mobile and wireless at MobileTrax, told TechNewsWorld.

"There are really two mobile stories unfolding with gaming," he said. One is that more people are using smartphones or tablets, and providers are extending the availability of some games on these platforms. The second one are the wireless initiatives, where you are seeing controllers become de facto smartphones or computers."

College student dorm rooms, for instance, are typical venues for these devices, noted Purdy. "The gaming market is huge enough, especially among the 18-24 age group, to accommodate a number of different form factors 

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Poker on your iPhone

f, just for a chance, you decide not to follow every single game of the World Cup, I think I have just found the perfect place for you…..on your Iphone!

Last night, I spent hours on a new poker application on the Iphone and it is great!

I was always a bit cautious about playing poker in casinos or even with friends because I never really knew if I was good at it. I always wondered where all these people were training to become so good. Well, now I found the perfect tool for that my Iphone…

There are several applications worth the try, such as Poker Texas Hold’em, Absolute Poker or Zinga Poker live is excellent. You can play without spending a fortune and you can train as much as you like to become a real pro.

The best thing is that you get lots of advice and tricks and you really can improve very quickly. I did! You can also choose who to play against, real people, your friends or very realistic players.

Check out this website PokerListings, and especially their quick guide to poker on iPhone to get all the info you need and see you soon on the green carpet…

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Sony Ericsson releases Android 4.0 preview ROMs for Xperia Ray, Arc S, and Neo V

Once a laggard in the Android update race, Sony Ericsson is flexing its muscle today by releasing alpha-quality Ice Cream Sandwich updates for its Xperia Arc S, Neo V, and Ray models. Though that's extremely cool (and well ahead of the expected releases early next year), average users are going to want to steer well clear of these for now, particularly if you're using the phone as your day-to-day device — the modem, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are all disabled at present. That said, the ROMs give us a pretty good idea of how Sony Ericsson plans to position its skin in the ICS framework, and it's also a tremendous sign of openness toward the Android enthusiast community — heck, they're even encouraging users to visit a thread on xda-developers to discuss the builds. Hopefully, other top-tier manufacturers are going to follow suit with this kind of thing.

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ION Audio Road Rocker

ION Audio has just introduced its latest piece of consumer electronics – an ultra-compact speaker system that targets iOS-powered devices, microphones, instruments and other miscellanous Bluetooth-powered music players. Known as the Road Rocker, it debuted at the recently concluded CES in Las Vegas, and is tiny enough to be carried around with you wherever you go, regardless of whether it is meant for a camping trip, tailgating, parties and most definitely road trips.

Just how does the Road Rocker work? Well, it has Bluetooth connectivity to thank, as it will stream music wirelessly thanks to Bluetooth – so basically most modern smartphones are compatible with it, in addition to a bevy of Bluetooth enabled devices such as tablets and portable media players. Do not sneer at its size, as this is one “pooch” that has quite a mean “bark” despite its size.

Despite being incredibly compact, it still packs in a high-quality full-range speaker, a 1/4-inch input for connecting microphones or instruments, and even comes with a bass port which will offer music an additional low-end thump. It does not matter whether you are using the ION Audio’s Road Rocker to make sure everyone at your party has a rocking good time, or to keep your guitar skills sharp through practice even when you are on vacation. Sporting a built-in rechargeable battery, the Road Rocker will be able to deliver up to eight hours of uninterrupted music.

Not only that, it will come with an 1/8-inch input and cable that will let non-Bluetooth enabled music players and devices hook up to it. The integrated cradle will make sure your iPad, iPhone or other device remains nice and secure on top of the Road Rocker even when you are having the time of your life with your favorite tracks, good friends, and great food. No idea on pricing though, but we do look forward to its general release to the market later this year.

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Get Ready for Less Boring Green Cars - Until now green cars have had all the sex appeal of a Birkenstock sandal, but carmakers are beginning to change that

Everybody wants clean air, but the increasing public and political clamor to cut greenhouse gases and raise fuel efficiency is giving the world's automakers an ulcer.

Executives in Detroit, Toyoda City, Stuttgart, and Turin are passing the Prilosec because times are already tough enough for the auto industry. Stricter standards for CO2 emissions in Europe and a new 35-mpg Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard in the U.S. mean they have to sort out which alternative fuels hold the best solutions, in terms of cost, technology, regulations, and customer acceptance. And they have to pay for it out of their increasingly dwindling profits.

But there's nothing like having a gun to your head to stir the creative, and gastric, juices. The recent North American International Auto Show, which ended Jan. 27, featured an impressive array of fuel-efficient, green-themed technologies (BusinessWeek.com, 1/16/08), including clean diesel, biodiesel, ethanol, gasoline-electric hybrids, diesel-electric hybrids, plug-in hybrids, two-mode hybrids, and fuel cells.

The pressure to succeed has produced unexpected juxtapositions, like Audi's diesel-powered super-sports car, which to some people may sound like an oxymoron. Instead of the mighty V8 and V12 gasoline engines the U.S. market has come to expect, Mercedes-Benz (DAI) displayed a greener, though less exciting, four-cylinder diesel-hybrid version of the S-Class flagship. Even notorious Italian fuel hog Ferrari, whose 534-hp 612 Scaglietti rates a Hummer-like 9 mpg in the city and 16 mpg on the highway, showed a car that can run on 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.
Plug-In Prospects

There were also a few surprises in Detroit, such as the introduction of a great-looking plug-in hybrid, the $80,000 Karma (BusinessWeek.com, 1/17/08), from Lake Forest (Calif.) startup Fisker Automotive. What makes it so special is the combination of great looks and innovative technology. CEO Henrik Fisker has devised a method of building the car's body separate from the bulky battery pack, which is installed underneath the car. "The battery never really gets put in the car," he said in a Jan. 14 interview, pointing out that by doing so it saves cost and complexity, and keeps the car's center of gravity low. However, the company is mum on most other details about the car, including how fast it is, and even where it will be built.

And yes, just like it sounds, a plug-in hybrid can be recharged from a plug, off household current. That gives it greater range than most of today's hybrids, which rely on a conventional motor to recharge the battery, but plug-in hybrids still have a conventional motor, too.

Toyota (TM), newly crowned the world's No. 1-selling automaker, also roiled the Detroit show by announcing it will introduce a fleet of hundreds of plug-in hybrids for research and development by 2010, in greater numbers than expected, and with lithium ion batteries. Toyota already has a small handful of plug-in hybrid prototypes around the world, with poorer-performing nickel-metal-hydride batteries. Other rivals, such as General Motors (GM), have been careful to avoid hard deadlines for introducing plug-ins with lithium ion batteries like the Chevrolet Volt (BusinessWeek.com, 1/7/07).

Source - BusinessWeek

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LG's 55-inch OLED TV Snags CNET's Best of CES

Best of CES 2012 Award Winners

Best of Show: LG 55EM9600 OLED TV
The first 55-inch OLED TV
announced as shipping in 2011, and the only one to get an actual model number and public ship date ("Q3"), the 55EM9800 promises the superb all-around performance of OLED (absolute black levels, ultra-fast panel and excellent viewing angles) in an ultra-thin panel. People's Voice: Razer Project Fiona
Razer's Project Fiona concept gaming tablet, shown at CES 2012, suggests that Windows 8 is a serious player in portable gaming, and that Razer is serious about moving into manufacturing computers.
Cameras: Fujifilm X-Pro1
Fujifilm bolsters its reputation as a quality camera company with the new X-Pro 1, its first mirrorless model. Targeted at professionals, the camera incorporates several innovations, including a promising new sensor and lovely hybrid viewfinder, all in a sleek retro design.
Car Tech: QNX CAR 2 mobile apps platform
QNX shows us its vision for the future of dashboard technologies, including an innovative application of NFC technology to instantly and automatically Bluetooth pair a smartphone, Ultra HD voice technology that brings stereo CD quality audio to phone calls, and an apps integration for both front and backseat passengers.
Cell phones: Nokia Lumia 900
Nokia uses the Consumer Electronics Show to hold a coming-out party for its new Windows Phone-based Lumia 900, with a 4.3-inch AMOLED screen and dual cameras.
Emerging Tech: MakerBot Replicator
The MakerBot Replicator one-ups the Cube 3D with "dualstrusion" technology, meaning it can print objects in multiple colors and materials. Pre-orders available now for $1,999, shipping in 6 weeks.
Home Theater: Simple.TV
The Simple.TV DVR might just be the next-big thing for cable-cutters. It's improbably a DVR without a built-in hard drive or video output, instead letting you supply your own hard drive, then stream live and recorded over-the-air TV to the Simple.TV app available on iPad, Roku, Boxee, Google TV. Simple.TV can stream your live and recorded over-the-air TV outside your home network (Slingbox-style), as long as you sign up for the $5/month premium service. Think of it like your own personal cloud for your over-the-air TV.
PCs: HP Envy 14 Spectre
The newly announced HP Spectre is the most glass-covered laptop we've ever seen, with it's all-glass lid and palm rest. At a CES devoid of many eye-popping laptops, the Spectre could be the most stylish of the bunch. Beats Audio is included on this premium ultrabook, along with an inset analog wheel for volume control, NFC support, and HP Wireless Audio.
Software and apps: BlueStacks for Windows 8
Windows 8 just got a kick in the apps via BlueStacks. The program, which will ship pre-installed on select Windows 8 machines, will bring the entire Android marketplace to Microsoft's nascent OS. So when Windows 8 launches, more than 400,000 Android apps will be at your fingertips.
Networking: D-Link Amplifi HD Media Router 3000
When released later this month, D-Link's Amplifi HD Media Router 3000 DIR-857 router will be the first on the market that supports USB 3.0, concurrent 450Mbps dual-band with cloud-based and HD Fuel feature that power media streaming.
Tablets: Asus Memo 370T
This quad-core, Android 4.0 tablet proves that premium performance doesn't require a premium price. In spite of its $250 asking price, this tablet comes stock with 1GB of system RAM, 16GB of storage, an 8 megapixel camera, HDMI output, and a 1,280x800 resolution IPS screen.
TVs: LG 55EM9600 OLED TV
The first 55-inch OLED TV announced as shipping in 2011, and the only one to get an actual model number and public ship date ("Q3"), the 55EM9800 promises the superb all-around performance of OLED (absolute black levels, ultra-fast panel and excellent viewing angles) in an ultra-thin panel.

Source - CESweb

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Hands-On With Edifier’s Bluetooth Spinnaker Speakers, Works With Smartphones and Tablets While Adding Some Style

While perusing the CES show floor we happened to come across Edifier’s booth, the company who is well known for manufacturing high-end speakers and other audio products.  And this go-around they’ve brought their A-Game as far as the wireless speaker dept goes.  So what makes Edifier stand out from the rest?  Well, the company definitely offers some unique and interesting designs.  While there were many designs available which offered great functionality and a fantastic look, one set of speakers particularly caught my eye.  The Edifier Spinnaker Speakers standing at 15-inches tall and touting front-facing tweeter and mid-range speakers along with downward-facing sub woofers located at the bottom.

The speakers allow you to pair any Bluetooth enabled device such as a tablet or smartphone seamlessly and with ease.  There’s also a wireless remote control included which offers a ton of functionality and interaction.  It can be used to play, pause, regulate the volume and skip tracks. These bad boys are clear, loud and take the shape of a horn believe it or not.  A bit unorthodox we know, but damn if they don’t look cool next to my Galaxy S II.  You can purchase this particular model in both Black or Burgundy.  Check out the demo below of the hands-on touting the crystal clear sound of OneRepublic’s “Good Life” and don’t forget to let us know what you think in the comments below.  In addition to the Spinnaker model, we snagged some screen shots of some other oddly but cool designed pairs of speakers as well.  So be sure to hit the break to give them a one-over.

Source - talkandroid 

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iTunes Match adds 19 more countries in Latin America, Europe

Earlier today, we noted that iTunes Match had begun going live in Netherlands, following last week's news of an agreement between Apple and Dutch copyright oversight group Buma/Stemra.

But as Apple now details on its iTunes Match availability page, the service actually launched in 19 new countries today, focusing on Latin America, the Baltic states, and the Netherlands.

The full list of new markets includes Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela.

Today's additions bring the total number of countries with iTunes Match availability to 37, with Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Netherlands also gaining iTunes in the Cloud compatibility with music and music videos for the first time.

The Latin American countries seeing iTunes Match debut today already had the iTunes in the Cloud functionality, which allows users to re-download purchased content any number of times to devices associated with their iTunes Store accounts. 

Source - macrumors

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Previewing 'Windows 8'

REDMOND, Wash. - June 1, 2011 - Today, at the D9 Conference, we demonstrated the next generation of Windows, internally code-named "Windows 8," for the first time. Windows 8 is a reimagining of Windows, from the chip to the interface. A Windows 8-based PC is really a new kind of device, one that scales from touch-only small screens through to large screens, with or without a keyboard and mouse.
Microsoft Reimagines Windows at BUILD

The demo showed some of the ways we've reimagined the interface for a new generation of touch-centric hardware. Fast, fluid and dynamic, the experience has been transformed while keeping the power, flexibility and connectivity of Windows intact.

Here are a few aspects of the new interface we showed today:
•  

Fast launching of apps from a tile-based Start screen, which replaces the Windows Start menu with a customizable, scalable full-screen view of apps.
•  

Live tiles with notifications, showing always up-to-date information from your apps.
•  

Fluid, natural switching between running apps.
•  

Convenient ability to snap and resize an app to the side of the screen, so you can really multitask using the capabilities of Windows.
•  

Web-connected and Web-powered apps built using HTML5 and JavaScript that have access to the full power of the PC.
•  

Fully touch-optimized browsing, with all the power of hardware-accelerated Internet Explorer 10.

We also showed effortless movement between existing Windows programs and new Windows 8 apps. The full capabilities of Windows continue to be available to you, including the Windows Explorer and Desktop, as does compatibility with all Windows 7 logo PCs, software and peripherals.
Julie Larson-Green, Corporate Vice President, Windows Experience
Julie Larson-Green, Corporate Vice President, Windows Experience
Click for high-res version.

Although the new user interface is designed and optimized for touch, it works equally well with a mouse and keyboard. Our approach means no compromises - you get to use whatever kind of device you prefer, with peripherals you choose, to run the apps you love. This is sure to inspire a new generation of hardware and software development, improving the experience for PC users around the world.

Today, we also talked a bit about how developers will build apps for the new system. Windows 8 apps use the power of HTML5, tapping into the native capabilities of Windows using standard JavaScript and HTML to deliver new kinds of experiences. These new Windows 8 apps are full-screen and touch-optimized, and they easily integrate with the capabilities of the new Windows user interface. There's much more to the platform, capabilities and tools than we showed today.

We are excited to bring an innovative new platform and tools to developers and see how their creativity jumpstarts a new generation of apps. Windows 8 apps can use a broad set of new libraries and controls, designed for fluid interaction and seamless connectivity. Apps can add new capabilities to Windows and to other apps, connecting with one another through the new interface. For example, we showed today how a developer can extend the file picker control to enable picking from their own app content or from within another Windows 8 app, in addition to the local file system and the network. We're just getting started.

And this isn't just about touch PCs. The new Windows experience will ultimately be powered by application and device developers around the world - one experience across a tremendous variety of PCs. The user interface and new apps will work with or without a keyboard and mouse on a broad range of screen sizes and pixel densities, from small slates to laptops, desktops, all-in-ones, and even classroom-sized displays. Hundreds of millions of PCs will run the new Windows 8 user interface. This breadth of hardware choice is unique to Windows and central to how we see Windows evolving.

The video below introduces a few of the basic elements of the new user interface. Although we have much more to reveal at our developer event, BUILD (Sept. 13 - 16 in Anaheim, Calif.), we're excited to share our progress with you.
Building "Windows 8" - Video #1
View in stand-alone player (.mp4)
View on YouTube

Today's demonstration followed our announcements earlier this year about Windows 8 running on System on a Chip (SoC) processors, and our browser engine innovations and significantly increased standards support in Internet Explorer 10. Windows 8 extends these innovations and reimagines every level of the Windows architecture - the kernel, networking, storage, devices, user interface - all building on the broadest and richest ecosystem of software, peripherals and devices.

We have so much more on the way! We're working very hard to get the product ready for early testing, and we plan to kick off our engineering dialogue through our team blog, just as we did for Windows 7.

So please stay tuned - we have a lot of cool innovation coming in the months ahead 

Source - Microsoft

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Micro Express MicroFlex 79B - world best PC

Intel recently pulled back the curtain on its enthusiast-level Sandy Bridge Extreme Edition processor, and Micro Express has built its new MicroFlex 79B around it. This hulking machine is surprisingly wallet-friendly (okay, it's still $2000, but you get a lot of power for the price), and unsurprisingly excellent in performance, both generally and graphically. You’ll also find 16GB of RAM, a ton of ports, and a roomy interior, though a meager power supply may limit your upgrade options, unless you swap it out. Our review model, priced at $1999, comes packed with a the aforementioned Intel Core i7-3930K processor, as well as an Nvidia GeForce GTX 580 graphics card and 16GB of RAM. Also inside is a 1TB hard drive and a 120GB solid-state boot drive. Finally, this model has built-in Bluetooth and runs a 64-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium.

In our WorldBench 6 benchmark tests, the MicroFlex 79B scored 219. That number will place the MicroFlex 79B right near the top of our Performance Desktop list when it's updated, though the machine is still a few points behind the Origin Genesis 2011. Of course, the Genesis 2011 costs well over $4000 more than the MicroFlex 79B.

Graphics performance is strong, care of that beefy graphics card. On our Far Cry 2 high-quality graphics tests, the MicroFlex 79B averaged a frame rate of 80.7 frames per second. When pitted against S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat at the Ultra settings, it earned 37.1 frames per second. Pripyat is still one of the most hardware-intensive titles around, and those scores are certainly impressive.

The MicroFlex 79B is housed in a hulking black chassis. Though the front end looks a bit like an insect’s carapace, the case is pretty standard. Its left side has a large, irregularly-shaped plexiglass window, while the right side is plain.

For convenience, a few ports are on the front of the machine (near the top, so you can use them when the system is below your desk). These ports include headphone and microphone jacks, plus two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports. The "carapace" part of the front is actually a door, which opens up to reveal your optical drive (in this case, a Blu-ray burner), along with a multi-format card reader and an additional USB 2.0 port.

The rest of the ports are on the back. Here you'll find five more USB 2.0 ports, as well as one USB 2.0 Bios Flashback port, plus four more USB 3.0 ports. So that's nine total USB 2.0 ports and six total USB 3.0 ports. The back also has a gigabit ethernet port, two power eSATA ports, an S/PDIF-out, and support for 7.1 surround sound. On the graphics card are two DVI hookups as well as a mini-HDMI port.

Opening up the MicroFlex 79B is extremely easy--unscrew two thumbscrews (not hard to do), and the side panel practically falls off. The inside of the machine is roomy and very neat, thanks to black mesh tubing around most of the cables. As for expansion room--you'll find a lot of that, too, including four 5.25-inch bays (one of which is full) and six 3.5-inch bays (two of which are full). Also inside: four PCIe (x16) slots (one full), one PCIe (x1) slot, and eight RAM slots (four full). The Corsair cooling system has a physical button that lets you control the speed of the fans.

With all this, we found one problem: The model we reviewed has just a 550W power supply. That’s positively anemic for the hardware in question here--if you decide to take advantage of all of the empty space (to tuck in a second GPU, say) or take advantage of the processor’s overclocking capability, you'll have to swap it out for a more capable PSU.

The MicroFlex 79B may be huge, but it's a good kind of huge. Barring that meager power supply, it’s a very upgradable kind of huge. And at $2000, you'll have plenty of cash (well, some) left over for a proper power plant, making this a relatively inexpensive gateway into the power that Intel’s Extreme Edition CPU afford.


Source - PCWORLD

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This Is Your Brain Online

Maybe the Internet won't exactly fry your brain, but it could change it in other unwelcome ways. A new study found a correlation between Internet addiction and specific brain changes often observed in alcoholics and drug addicts. There was evidence of disruption to the connections in the nerve fibers that connect brain areas involved in emotions, decision making and self-control.Maybe the Internet won't exactly fry your brain, but it could change it in other unwelcome ways. A new study found a correlation between Internet addiction and specific brain changes often observed in alcoholics and drug addicts. There was evidence of disruption to the connections in the nerve fibers that connect brain areas involved in emotions, decision making and self-control. A research team lead by Hao Lei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to scan the brains of 35 male and female adolescents. Seventeen members of the group were classified as having Internet addiction disorder (IAD), based on interviews about their behavior.

In the brain scans of those adolescents with IAD, there were changes in the white matter of the brain, the area that contains nerve fibers. There was evidence of disruption to the connections in the nerve fibers that connect brain areas involved in emotions, decision making and self-control. The changes appeared similar to those seen in brains scans of individuals addicted to alcohol, cocaine, heroin and other drugs, the researchers noted.

The study's findings were published in the scientific journal PLoS ONE. 

Source - technewsworld

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Hands-On With the Sony Xperia Ion Smartphone

The Sony Xperia Ion smartphone, announced Monday, has some pretty drool-worthy specs. Not only does it hook into AT&T’s LTE 4G network, but it has a 4.6-inch display, HDMI-out with a TV launcher interface, and a super thin design. Oh--and a 12-megapixel camera. Yep, you read that right--a 12-megapixel camera. And it is pretty darn good.

I got my hands on the Xperia Ion Monday night and I think this might be my favorite of the Xperia series of smartphones. The display is roomy but not oversized, while the interface feels snappy and smooth. AT&T coverage was dismal (meaning there was absolutely no signal) at the event I attended, so I couldn’t test LTE speeds.
But let’s talk about that camera. Sony Ericsson (which is now rebranded as Sony, in case you didn’t notice) has a strong tradition of producing phones with high quality camera lenses. I only took a few snapshots, but I was impressed with how the Ion’s camera handled the dimly lit show floor.

The Xperia has a 1280-by-720-pixel display, which uses a mobile version of Sony’s Bravia Engine. This is the same technology that Sony uses on its Bravia line of HDTVs and the company claims that the Bravia engine helps the Xperia display colors and tones in a life-like fashion. The display looks great with bright colors, sharp text, and good viewing angles.

The Ion is compatible with a dock so you can view it on a larger display. It's similar to the Motorola webtop experience (as seen on the Atrix 2, Droid Bionic and Droid Razr): You can send texts, play music, and view photos from the Ion on your TV. According to Sony, you can also control the phone from any TV remote.

The Xperia is a Playstation-certified device, meaning you will be able to download and play classic Playstation and Playstation Portable games on the phone. The Xperia has an near-field-communication chip built in and will be able to read content stored in NFC chips.

Smart TagsSmart TagsAlongside the Xperia, Sony will be shipping NFC-enabled "Smart Tags" that can be programmed with up to 10 commands. When you touch the phone to one of these tags, the programmed commands will automatically take effect. For example, you could have a Smart Tag in your office that, when touched, would automatically turn on the Xperia’s Wi-Fi and launch the calendar.

The Xperia Ion doesn’t have a price nor a release date yet, but hopefully we’ll see it in the next few months.

Source - PCWORLD

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Production of iPad 3 to start in January; Digitimes reports

The suppliers of Apple have received orders of 3 million panels for iPad 3, as per reports by Digitimes.

One million panels have already been shipped, and the suppliers are likely to ship a further 2 million pieces in the month of November.

The sources further revealed that Apple was expected to start the production of iPad 3 in the month of January.

Apple is reported planning to try out 7.85” screens. It is not yet clear on whether Apple would be coming with a smaller iPad this time around.

Source - ipad3-release

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The New Windows 8 First Touch

It doesn't sound like a particularly shimmery compliment, but the best thing that I can say about Microsoft's Metro UI is that after well over a year of using it in various guises, it still feels new. Not like never-breached-my-eyeballs-before new, but new as in the promise of something better, something from the future. But it's here, and I'm touching it with Windows 8. And it's going to redefine how like a bajillion people are going to use their computer over the next couple of years. The Windows 8 beta drops next month. This is a pre-beta—but it's already dramatically ahead of the developer release from three months ago (a pre-pre-beta?), an embryonic chunk of code that was already deeply impressive in its re-imagining of Windows. Which, even though it's using the now-established Metro design language that's become part of Microsoft's DNA, it's perhaps the most ambitious design project Microsoft's ever embarked on, since we're talking about, well, Windows. And because it's clear now that Metro is how Microsoft really intends for people to use the next Windows. The Windows you know now, hidden under Metro in case you need it? It's the past. A fallback. This is your new PC.
Anyways, onto what's new since the first developer build. For one, a gesture to close programs, by simply dragging down. Which is largely unnecessary in Windows 8, since like today's smartphone OSes, it now takes care of all of that in the background. You don't have to close programs anymore. It's the end of task management, if it works. When you leave a program, it's suspended in the background—then when you want to go back, it's brought back out to play. Or if the system needs resources, it gets killed in the background, just like iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

Microsoft's invented a few new gestures as well. So, you know how in Android and iOS, when you want to move an icon or widget over to a different screen, you have to press and hold to select the icon, and then drag it and hold it against the edge of the screen until it moves to the screen where you want to drop the icon? Yeah, not in Windows 8. A short swipe down on a tile quickly selects it—or multiple tiles if you want—and then you can simply drag the tile to where you want it to be, fluidly, with multitouch dragging. (Of course, multitouch dragging makes more sense on a tablet than on a phone.)

Thumbs. You can get around Windows 8 crazy fast with your thumbs. I watched Sam Moreau, Director of User Experience Design and Research, tear through the OS with just his thumbs. "It's not an accident" that the Start button is placed exactly where your thumb naturally lands, he says. And surrounding the Start button—always and forever in Windows 8—are the handful of things Microsoft sees as core to the computing experience, no matter which app you're in, like search and sharing. It works, again, more like what we're used to in smartphones, particularly Android, with its context-sensitive sharing options that are integrated throughout the OS, and that any application can plug into. Search works that way too: For instance, if you search for "hangover," it'll look through all the files in your system, offer to search the internet with Bing, or in the example given, show what Netflix or WebMD or Wikipedia might have to offer, if you had those apps installed.

Apps. You will probably have a lot of them. You might be worried about doing tons of swiping around in Metro to get to them and get around. Enter semantic zoom, which is kind of like a super Expose, except that the zoomed-out view groups things in categories based on metadata. (Hence the reason it's called semantic zoom—you're moving up a level, semantically, from apps to groups like "work" or "play" or whatever.) It's just a straight up pinch to zoom out gesture. Easy.

But, you're probably wondering, what if you're using Windows 8 on a non-touchscreen computer? Microsoft's spent nearly as much time translating touch gestures into comparable controls for keyboard-and-mouse, where appropriate. So a mouse scroll wheel lets you zip between pages of the Metro UI, while simply typing brings up search. Or to access semantic zoom, you grab a tile and drag it downward, which zooms out to show you the entire view.

It's worth noting too how much more complete this build of Windows 8 feels. It feels much faster, animations have been tweaked, functional holes in the developer build have been filled, new interface elements are more securely in place, like the action bar. I'd definitely say it's not quite beta, but it's very close, and I suspect the beta will be legitimately solid release that, for a lot of people—well, nerds like me—it'll work just fine as their everyday OS.

I'm really just scratching the surface here in terms of what's new, but I'll leave it by saying that I'm more completely convinced every time I see it that Windows 8 is really worth being excited over

Source - gizmodo

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Android 4.0 - Simple, beautiful, beyond smart

Android 4.0 builds on the things people love most about Android — easy multitasking, rich notifications, customizable home screens, resizable widgets, and deep interactivity — and adds powerful new ways of communicating and sharing.

Refined, evolved UI

Focused on bringing the power of Android to the surface, Android 4.0 makes common actions more visible and lets users navigate with simple, intuitive gestures. Refined animations and feedback throughout the system make interactions engaging and interesting. An entirely new typeface optimized for high-resolution screens improves readability and brings a polished, modern feel to the user interface.

Virtual buttons in the System Bar let users navigate instantly to Back, Home, and Recent Apps. The System Bar and virtual buttons are present across all apps, but can be dimmed by applications for full-screen viewing. Users can access each application's contextual options in the Action Bar, displayed at the top (and sometimes also at the bottom) of the screen.

Multitasking is a key strength of Android and it's made even easier and more visual on Android 4.0. The Recent Apps button lets users jump instantly from one task to another using the list in the System Bar. The list pops up to show thumbnail images of apps used recently — tapping a thumbnail switches to the app.
Home screen folders and favorites tray

New home screen folders offer a new way for users to group their apps and shortcuts logically, just by dragging one onto another. Also, in All Apps launcher, users can now simply drag an app to get information about it or immediately uninstall it, or disable a pre-installed app.

On smaller-screen devices, the home screen now includes a customizable favorites tray visible from all home screens. Users can drag apps, shortcuts, folders, and other priority items in or out of the favorites tray for instant access from any home screen.

Resizable widgets

Home screens in Android 4.0 are designed to be content-rich and customizable. Users can do much more than add shortcuts — they can embed live application content directly through interactive widgets. Widgets let users check email, flip through a calendar, play music, check social streams, and more — right from the home screen, without having to launch apps. Widgets are resizable, so users can expand them to show more content or shrink them to save space.
New lock screen actions

The lock screens now let users do more without unlocking. From the slide lock screen, users can jump directly to the camera for a picture or pull down the notifications window to check for messages. When listening to music, users can even manage music tracks and see album art.

Quick responses for incoming calls

When an incoming call arrives, users can now quickly respond by text message, without needing to pick up the call or unlock the device. On the incoming call screen, users simply slide a control to see a list of text responses and then tap to send and end the call. Users can add their own responses and manage the list from the Settings app.

Swipe to dismiss notifications, tasks, and browser tabs

Android 4.0 makes managing notifications, recent apps, and browser tabs even easier. Users can now dismiss individual notifications, apps from the Recent Apps list, and browser tabs with a simple swipe of a finger.
Improved text input and spell-checking

The soft keyboard in Android 4.0 makes text input even faster and more accurate. Error correction and word suggestion are improved through a new set of default dictionaries and more accurate heuristics for handling cases such as double-typed characters, skipped letters, and omitted spaces. Word suggestion is also improved and the suggestion strip is simplified to show only three words at a time.

 To fix misspelled words more easily, Android 4.0 adds a spell-checker that locates and underlines errors and suggests replacement words. With one tap, users can choose from multiple spelling suggestions, delete a word, or add it to the dictionary. Users can even tap to see replacement suggestions for words that are spelled correctly. For specialized features or additional languages, users can now download and install third-party dictionaries, spell-checkers, and other text services.

Powerful voice input engine

Android 4.0 introduces a powerful new voice input engine that offers a continuous "open microphone" experience and streaming voice recognition. The new voice input engine lets users dictate the text they want, for as long as they want, using the language they want. Users can speak continously for a prolonged time, even pausing for intervals if needed, and dictate punctuation to create correct sentences. As the voice input engine enters text, it underlines possible dictation errors in gray. After dictating, users can tap the underlined words to quickly replace them from a list of suggestions.



Source - developer.android 

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Social Diary for iOS

a social diary application for iOS from Akaon makes its English debut soon. Originally conceived for a Korean language audience, Planner S has proven popular and well-suited to expansion. The application is a full featured calendar and planner, but Planner S goes beyond most scheduling utilities. With fully integrated social networking capabilities through Facebook, Twitter, and its own community, extensive personalization options, and the ability to customize the look and feel of each entry, Planner S embodies a dynamic new way to interact.

Planner S users can customize the appearance of the app on their iOS device, connect with the social networking sites of their choice, or keep their entries entirely private. Planner S has a beautiful interface which offers easy access to starting and customizing new entries at the user’s convenience. Entries can be edited, enhanced, and deleted after being saved. Each entry can be tailored to users’ exact needs, listing reminders, appointments, and tasks. Users can choose from a variety of visually appealing fonts, from sophisticated typeface to casual and cute handwriting options. Furthermore, entries can be accessorized individually with free and paid skins and virtual stickers from the in-app Planner S shop, tagged with users’ moods, and feature attached photos.

sourse- topiphonenews

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Xperia ace - next geration smart phone

After the tennis-oriented teaser here, Victor Cao is back with a Sony Ericsson concept called Xperia Ace. This new device is an excellent cameraphone, thanks to the 10x optical zoom it supports and the 26mm wide lens it comes with. Exmor R technology is also in the mix, as well as Sony lens G and support for Full HD 60 fps video recording. Xperia Ace is a dual core phone with a 2.5GHz CPU, that helps it run Android 2.4. The specs list of the Xperia concept includes a 4.3 inch Bravia touchscreen, NFC, HDMI, 64GB of storage and a 2000mAh battery.

There’s also WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0 on board. Would you replace your prosumer camera with this device?

Source - concept-phones

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Biography of mobile phone

This is a mobile phone, fondly called the “mobile”. It transmits and receives singles through communication satellites form towers. Although it is expensive, it serves the majority, especially the entrepreneurs. It is moveable, and that is why it is called a mobile phone.
Its functions are varied. It not only helps voice communication but also sends and receives text messages called SMS [Short Messages Service]. It also has a feature called CLI meaning Caller Line Identification that helps identify the caller and record the call with the time and the date. In the event of a call being unattended, caller can leave a recorded message called the voice message.

In addition, some mobile phones have the following facilities: the ability to take still photographs, video coverage for a short time, different tones for frequent callers, access to radio, television and internet from an inbuilt modem (a device that helps connect to the internet) all with a digital numerical pad. Above all a good memory is essential to serve all those features. These features are available depending on the type of phones.

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Egyptian Civilization

I’m going to present a slide show on great civilization. Civilization means man’s social, spiritual, philosophical and technology development. Look at the first slide. This is one fine example of a great civilization, the Egyptian civilization which exited in the valley of the river Nile. These huge pyramids of Egypt are the highest man-made creations of the world. The ancient Egyptians were religious people. They believed their king, pharaoh was a God living on earth. They believed in the immortality of the soul. Hence, the pyramids, the tombs were built to house the souls of the dead.

These granite pyramids amaze the world not only by their enormous size, but also by the beauty of geometrical construction. One granite block is about 30 feet in length. Some granite had been brought from quarries in the Arabian hills to the Nile, ferried across and hauled to the construction sites. For the construction of tiers, blocks were lifted by a kind of crane. Today the highest pyramid is 137 meters high.
The underground burial chambers are beautifully decorated with paintings. The dead bodies, the mummies preserved inside them which have not decayed to this day, because of the science and technology that has been used, astonished the whole world

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RAINFORESTS

The Important of Rainforests
Tropical rainforests are located around the equator. The temperature around the equator is high. Hence the rate of water evaporation is high. As a result there is frequent rain in rain forests. They are found in south and Central America, Africa, in islands around Australia and Asia. The rain forests are important to human existence and the surroundings. Rain forests are a rich source of medicinal plants, Food and useful forest products. They maintain about 50% of the plant, animal, birds, reptile and insect species of the world. These forests help to maintain a regular rainfall. They also stand as a buffer against floods, droughts and erosion. These forests produce a significant amount of the world’s oxygen.

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Queen Victoria

The British came to Sri Lanka during the reign of queen victoria. As a result our country is also influenced by Victorian values. During the Victorian period, which takes its name from queen victoria, fiction, poetry, drama, music and other forms of literature flourished in England? The influence of Victorian values was left in our country too.
Alexandra victoria, born on 24th of May 1818 became the queen of England in 1832, and ruled the country till her death. She died on the 22nd of January 1909.
In 1840, she married her distant cousin Albert. He was a German prince. His ideas about queenly dignity changed victoria’s carefree outlook. As a result the Victorian period is known for stern morality
Before she came to the throne, the British rulers were not popular and had lost the respect of their subjects. Victoria had a strong sense of duty and personal conduct was above reproach. She won back the respect and devotion of her subject.
During her reign from 1837-1901 Britain reached the heights of its power and prosperity. The British Empire extended around the globe. Clocks around the world were set by Greenwich Mean Time. (Get)
The Victorian period was the great age of the English novel. Thackeray and dickens are two figures that tower over the Victorian novel. Alfred load Tennyson who was made England’s poet laureate in 1850, has been called the Victorian England.

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Discovery of Antiseptics

Joseph Lister was born in Upton, Essex, in England in 1827. He was educated at the universities of London and Edinburgh. In 1856 he became a surgeon in the Edinburgh royal Infirmary [hospital]. In 1861 he was appointed surgeon of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary in a new surgeon unit designed to reduce gangrene and other infections. At the time, was very dangerous to go to hospitals for surgery. One famous doctor said that it was more dangerous to go to hospitals for surgery than to be a soldier in war. This was because many died from infection. Despite his efforts to keep surgical instruments and rooms clean, the mortality rate remained close to 50 present. In 1865 he came upon the germ theory of the French bacteriologist Louis Pasteur, whose experiments revealed that fermentation and putrefaction were caused by microorganisms brought in contact with organic material. Believing infection to be caused by airborne dust particles, Lister sprayed the air with carbolic acid, a strong disinfectant and a chemical that was then being used to treat foul-smelling sewers. He also told his surgeons to use it to wash their hands and equipment before surgery. Lister reduced surgical mortality to nearly 12 present by 1869. Lister wrote about his methods of using disinfectants in an important medical journal. Many people didn’t believe him. He had to spend many years talking to people and writing about his ideas. At last they agreed with him.

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Cleopatra

William Shakespeare, the playwrightwrote37plays.They are categorized as comedies, tragedies and histories. A comely is a play(story) that has happy ending and a tragedy is a paly (story ) that has a sad ending Sometimes it is not easy to decide the category ; some histories are tragedies like the plays Julius Caesar , Antony and Cleopatra.
Cleopatra the empress of Egypt is considered one of the most beautiful woman who ever lived she was not only beautiful, she was intelligent too. The former rules of Rome, Caesar and Mark Anthony were in love with her.
The people in Rome were curious about Cleopatra. They wanted to know why their beloved rulers fell in love with this foreign woman.

Enorbabus, who had seen Cleopatra sailing in her barge on the Nile, described her. The poetry of Enorbabus makes Cleopatra even more beautiful in the minds of people.

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