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Friday, July 31, 2009
Apple pushes iDisk app for iPhone
Free iDisk allows accessing, sharing, uploading and viewing iDisk account files on iPhones.
Apple has quietly pushed out iDisk App for iPhone OS devices on iPhone 3.0 firmware. MobileMe, Apple's subscription-based online services
has iDisk service that allows storing, accessing, sharing and back up of files online on the cloud servers. Earlier, MobileMe subscribers had to use web browser on Mac or PC for accessing their iDisk files. But now, the free iDisk app can be used on iPhone or iPod Touch to access the files stored in iDisk account.Apple's this app that will allow MobileMe subscribers to access their iDisk content on their iPhone or iPod Touch albeit working on iPhone OS 3.0 update. Apparently, this app outrights the number of apps like App Sharing Pro, OneDisk or Mobile Disk that already exist in App Store on grounds of iDisk support.
This iDisk app also allows users to login to the MobileMe account, upload files and share files via email over the WiFi, 3G/EDGE or GPRS network. User also gets an option to make the shared files link password protected and also limit the number of days that the link would remain active. The app also supports viewing iWork, Office, QuickTime, PDF, and other file types.
However, the iDisk app doesn't allow download files, rename or move files to another folder. However, users can delete files and folders so be careful with it. In case you are looking beyond the features that iDisk app offers, you can always buy App Sharing Pro or OneDisk for the unique features they offer.
iPhone's Vulnerable to SMS Hack
This could also be used to "infect" the iPhone with malicious code.
Two security
experts, Charlie Miller and Colin Mulliner, have demonstrated, at a Black Hat presentation, how hackers could possibly "hack" into an Apple iPhone
and wreck havoc. The two analysts also showcased how competing Mobile OS's Android and Windows Mobile too isn't safe from such an attack.
Charlie Miller, who is an Independent Security Evaluators researcher clarifies that the hack takes advantage of the way in which the iPhone handles the SMS protocol. He adds that using this hack a possible hacker can even launch a Denial of Service (DOS) attack. Now, what this brings to our notice is the recent claim by Apple about its fears regarding jailbroken iPhones being susceptible to security breaches. While Apple's version of the story claims jailbroken iPhone can be used to bring down cellular towers, this hack mentions nothing of that sort. However, other things like the hacker being able to intercept text messages and vulnerability to malware remain. Now, we are not sure if the "hacks" are related, but both do sound simila
As for what all can be done, the hacker could flood a user with spam text messages, shut the phone, deface text or even reconfigure keys. Another facet of this attack is that this could also be used to "infect" the iPhone with malicious code without any user intervention. This means, the user doesn't need to click on any malicious link to get his phone infected. In a worst case scenario, the infected iPhone would scourge the user's contacts list and send spam messages to everyone in the list, thereby infecting more phones in the process. According to F-Secure's chief research officer, Mikko Hypponen, trojans designed for the iPhone could be used to steal data and can also turn the phone to a remote spying device.
Panasonic's Nano Care webcam-styled gadget is good for your skin
Panasonic has come out with a new kind of webcam-like gizmo that somehow manages to get you look and feel better, in your skin. There are two models, EH-SA42 and EH-SA41. They prevent your skin from drying without using water. The EH-SA41 is allegedly the steam generator, wonder what kind of treatment you can actually expect from these. However, women rarely have occasions like these to rejoice in the misadventures of gadgets for the fairer sex.
The price of the Panasonic Nano Care EH-SA42 and EH-SA41 are yet to be decided. The former is supposed to be shipping in about 20,000 units per month.
Wink glasses keep you from dozing awayAdvertisement
These cool USB powered Wink glasses can attach to your spectacles to make sure that you do not slip into silent slumber. The idea is quite simple, yet effective. The glasses detect the number of times you blink, and if the number is low then they fog up around your eyes, thus causing you to blink quite a few times. Blinking rapidly for a while can effectively from even the deepest day dreams. The sad part is that it detects a blink once every five seconds to keep from going off. However, when I sat and watched most of the people around me at work I realized that most of them don't blink for over a quarter of a minute. So either the number isn't accurate or my colleagues are all a bunch of wasted.
Moreover, the Wink glasses have to be attached to glasses you are already wearing.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Yuvraj Singh's Cricket (Xbox 360 Review)
A majority of us (read men) love sports and can't do without our daily dose of it in some form. Most of us Indians follow several sports, but worship only two: Female Beach Volley Ball and Cricket. I will concentrate on the latter today, as that is what this article is all about.
Cricket is the definition of passion, a religion to some, a lifeline; it is just too good to be true. But these days all Indian Cricket fans are sulking, we are unhappy as our team didn't do well in the World Cup, well they need to stick around a bit to even try! Millions of cricket fans were in shock, in pain after India's early exit. We wait 4 years for the World Cup, and there our dreams went shattered. However, life goes on and you need to find alternatives to keep your spirits high. And if you are an avid gamer, here is some news for you. Codemasters studios have been brave enough to release a cricket game called Yuvraj Singh's Cricket. A game that released in better times may have grabbed more attention. Anyway, let us see what the game has to offer.
Bad Timing
As I said before, this isn't the best time to release a game based on cricket, especially in a nation that is still scarred by its early exit from the World Cup. Cricket games have always been low budget which are released in select nations. A major reason for that has to be the fact that Cricket is not as popular as Football or Motor sports in the international bazaar. So cricket games are always buggy and irritating. Codemasters Brian Lara's Cricket did score with gamers worldwide and it's back this time in India under a different brand name. Yes, this is the same game with a different title, internationally it is called Brain Lara's Cricket.
So let's talk about the gameplay. Is this game the best cricket game ever? I would have to say Yes and No. Yes because I don't remember any other game doing so much justice to the game and No because it's still not perfect. There are more than a few notable features, but then there are the same number of flaws. Now let us see the game in detail.
Game Modes
There are quite a number of game modes that include the usual ODI matches along with the ICC World Cup and ICC champion's trophy. The game modes and rules are accurate and offer you quite a few options, you can just slog around for a few minutes with a 6 over warm up or you can indulge in hours of cricket with the World Cup.
Presentation
The game is well presented, but at times you feel as if you are being rushed. The game starts well with a view of the ground, some commentary, a look at the crowd and then the toss. Then you can quickly jump right where the action is. What greatly disappointed me was the fact that there are very limited numbers of presentation videos.
What I mean is that you will see players in a particular action mode over and over again. Like for example: every time you win a game, the same video or interlude recurs where the batsmen jump with joy, the fielding side forms a small group and acts depressed and they go out of the ground. I expected that may be the world cup games or bigger matches would have different presentation, but that did not happen. Therefore, it is somewhat boring to see the same reaction repeatedly from the players. Here they could have had more presentation videos to keep it interesting.
Batting
The batting is balanced and becomes more intense with increasing difficulty levels. The shot placement and timing is accurate and you need to practice a lot to perfect it to play at highest level of difficulty. The batsman's body language is good while playing most shots. There is a batsman confidence gauge that affects the way your batsman plays. If you are on 100% confidence level, you can step out and play a shot, what they call dancing down the pitch.
This is an interesting idea and very well executed. You need to keep playing your shots and taking singles to keep your confidence up. This isn't a batsman's game, if you play casually you'll probably lose wickets at regular intervals, like India did against Bangladesh, but if you get you timing right you will blast the opponents, like India did against Bermuda.
Bowling
Honestly I never liked bowling in any cricket game, but in YS Cricket, it's a different ball game altogether. Bowling is fun and quite engaging, this again has a confidence gauge. You start with deciding where to pitch the ball, after that decide the pace and the Swing/Spin, add to that aerial movement and you have a wicket.
Bowling is easy and once your confidence is high you can decide to bowl a perfect Yorker or a Bouncer. These are called special deliveries, for spinners you can bowl the Googly or the Doosra. If you learn to bowl well, you can easily beat the opponents at a low score, like Bangladesh did against India.
Fielding
This game is a mix of auto/manual fielding. The running around, sliding and jumping is done automatically, but you decide where to throw the ball by pressing the right buttons. You need to manually catch the ball where a gauge appears over the fielder when the ball is in air and near a fielder. You have to press the 'A' button at the right time or you miss the catch and then goes for stumping and run outs. This keeps you busy and in the game.
Graphics and Sound
The game look good but that is about it. There is nothing exceptional about Yuvraj Singh's Cricket, but it looks better than all the cricket games ever made. The players look like first cousin to their real life counter parts, but then you can see a wee bit of similarity in them. Everyone but Sachin looks nothing like him. The ground and the crowd sound effects are good, with the right set of speakers you may get the feel of sitting at the North Stand, hmm let me revise that the East Stand (for the Not-So-Bright, I mean the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai). The sound will pump you up but will not be a driving force in your victory.
Final Verdict
This is a good cricketing package, with a few perks and a few bugs. It will give you a good feel but it has a short self-life, which means that you can play it for a few weeks and after that wait for a new game. I would recommend playing the game at a higher difficulty level to enjoy it. Don't let my words confuse you, it definitely is the best cricket game that you will get in the market, it's just that it's not the most perfect one. It's the best of the lot, a lot that comprises of mediocre games. Happy playing!
Screenshots
Cricket is the definition of passion, a religion to some, a lifeline; it is just too good to be true. But these days all Indian Cricket fans are sulking, we are unhappy as our team didn't do well in the World Cup, well they need to stick around a bit to even try! Millions of cricket fans were in shock, in pain after India's early exit. We wait 4 years for the World Cup, and there our dreams went shattered. However, life goes on and you need to find alternatives to keep your spirits high. And if you are an avid gamer, here is some news for you. Codemasters studios have been brave enough to release a cricket game called Yuvraj Singh's Cricket. A game that released in better times may have grabbed more attention. Anyway, let us see what the game has to offer.
Bad Timing
As I said before, this isn't the best time to release a game based on cricket, especially in a nation that is still scarred by its early exit from the World Cup. Cricket games have always been low budget which are released in select nations. A major reason for that has to be the fact that Cricket is not as popular as Football or Motor sports in the international bazaar. So cricket games are always buggy and irritating. Codemasters Brian Lara's Cricket did score with gamers worldwide and it's back this time in India under a different brand name. Yes, this is the same game with a different title, internationally it is called Brain Lara's Cricket.
So let's talk about the gameplay. Is this game the best cricket game ever? I would have to say Yes and No. Yes because I don't remember any other game doing so much justice to the game and No because it's still not perfect. There are more than a few notable features, but then there are the same number of flaws. Now let us see the game in detail.
Game Modes
There are quite a number of game modes that include the usual ODI matches along with the ICC World Cup and ICC champion's trophy. The game modes and rules are accurate and offer you quite a few options, you can just slog around for a few minutes with a 6 over warm up or you can indulge in hours of cricket with the World Cup.
Presentation
The game is well presented, but at times you feel as if you are being rushed. The game starts well with a view of the ground, some commentary, a look at the crowd and then the toss. Then you can quickly jump right where the action is. What greatly disappointed me was the fact that there are very limited numbers of presentation videos.
What I mean is that you will see players in a particular action mode over and over again. Like for example: every time you win a game, the same video or interlude recurs where the batsmen jump with joy, the fielding side forms a small group and acts depressed and they go out of the ground. I expected that may be the world cup games or bigger matches would have different presentation, but that did not happen. Therefore, it is somewhat boring to see the same reaction repeatedly from the players. Here they could have had more presentation videos to keep it interesting.
Batting
The batting is balanced and becomes more intense with increasing difficulty levels. The shot placement and timing is accurate and you need to practice a lot to perfect it to play at highest level of difficulty. The batsman's body language is good while playing most shots. There is a batsman confidence gauge that affects the way your batsman plays. If you are on 100% confidence level, you can step out and play a shot, what they call dancing down the pitch.
This is an interesting idea and very well executed. You need to keep playing your shots and taking singles to keep your confidence up. This isn't a batsman's game, if you play casually you'll probably lose wickets at regular intervals, like India did against Bangladesh, but if you get you timing right you will blast the opponents, like India did against Bermuda.
Bowling
Honestly I never liked bowling in any cricket game, but in YS Cricket, it's a different ball game altogether. Bowling is fun and quite engaging, this again has a confidence gauge. You start with deciding where to pitch the ball, after that decide the pace and the Swing/Spin, add to that aerial movement and you have a wicket.
Bowling is easy and once your confidence is high you can decide to bowl a perfect Yorker or a Bouncer. These are called special deliveries, for spinners you can bowl the Googly or the Doosra. If you learn to bowl well, you can easily beat the opponents at a low score, like Bangladesh did against India.
Fielding
This game is a mix of auto/manual fielding. The running around, sliding and jumping is done automatically, but you decide where to throw the ball by pressing the right buttons. You need to manually catch the ball where a gauge appears over the fielder when the ball is in air and near a fielder. You have to press the 'A' button at the right time or you miss the catch and then goes for stumping and run outs. This keeps you busy and in the game.
Graphics and Sound
The game look good but that is about it. There is nothing exceptional about Yuvraj Singh's Cricket, but it looks better than all the cricket games ever made. The players look like first cousin to their real life counter parts, but then you can see a wee bit of similarity in them. Everyone but Sachin looks nothing like him. The ground and the crowd sound effects are good, with the right set of speakers you may get the feel of sitting at the North Stand, hmm let me revise that the East Stand (for the Not-So-Bright, I mean the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai). The sound will pump you up but will not be a driving force in your victory.
Final Verdict
This is a good cricketing package, with a few perks and a few bugs. It will give you a good feel but it has a short self-life, which means that you can play it for a few weeks and after that wait for a new game. I would recommend playing the game at a higher difficulty level to enjoy it. Don't let my words confuse you, it definitely is the best cricket game that you will get in the market, it's just that it's not the most perfect one. It's the best of the lot, a lot that comprises of mediocre games. Happy playing!
Screenshots
Nokia Surge gets official, prettier than before
Nokia have finally announced the Nokia Surge full-QWERTY equipped side-slider. Packing an extraordinary design the new handset runs on the S60 and packs advanced messaging features and a distinct youthful appeal. We have to admit that the handset looks a lot better on the official photos than it usedto on those leaked shots.
Nokia Surgepacks a 2.4" 16M-color display of QVGA resolution. Quad-bandGSM/GPRS/EDGE and dual-band UMTS with HSDPA 3.6Mbps support provide thenetwork data transfers, while Bluetooth, USB and a 2.5 mm audio jackcover the local connectivity.
Nokia surge
It's worth noting that the Nokia Surge sports the huge 1500 mAh battery that managed to impress us on Nokia E71.The list of interesting features of the device is completed by 128 MBof internal memory, expandable by up to 8GB through the microSD cardslot, as well as FM radio, A-GPS and a 2 megapixel camera.
The AT&T-exclusive Nokia Surge also comes complete with a hostof carrier-related services, including AT&T Navigator,Yellowpages.com, Where, AT&T Music, Mobi TV, Video Share,JuiceCaster and Nokia Surge will be available through AT&T stores and at its online shop before the end of the month. It will set you back 79.99 USD with a two-year service agreement and after a mail-in rebate.
Nokia Surgepacks a 2.4" 16M-color display of QVGA resolution. Quad-bandGSM/GPRS/EDGE and dual-band UMTS with HSDPA 3.6Mbps support provide thenetwork data transfers, while Bluetooth, USB and a 2.5 mm audio jackcover the local connectivity.
Nokia surge
It's worth noting that the Nokia Surge sports the huge 1500 mAh battery that managed to impress us on Nokia E71.The list of interesting features of the device is completed by 128 MBof internal memory, expandable by up to 8GB through the microSD cardslot, as well as FM radio, A-GPS and a 2 megapixel camera.
The AT&T-exclusive Nokia Surge also comes complete with a hostof carrier-related services, including AT&T Navigator,Yellowpages.com, Where, AT&T Music, Mobi TV, Video Share,JuiceCaster and Nokia Surge will be available through AT&T stores and at its online shop before the end of the month. It will set you back 79.99 USD with a two-year service agreement and after a mail-in rebate.
Samsung Haptic AMOLED touchscreen 3G phone
Samsung has announced the Haptic AMOLED for the Korean market. The phone comes with a high-resolution 3.5 inch AMOLED display (something which the iPhone 3GS lacks), 5 Megapixel camera, GPS, Bluetooth and the Korean favorite T-DMB. The Haptic AMOLED features 'One-finger Zoom' function, Divx, Haptic UI 2.0 version and support for popular video formats like H.264, MPEG4, and AC-3. The phone will be available in Korea for 800,000 KRW ($ 550).
NOKIA 6760 IN INDIA
Nokia India announced the launch of a new mobile phone Nokia 6760. The latest Mobile Phone Nokia 6760 which has been on sale already in the international markets now it will be available in India.
Nokia 6760 features a 2.4 inches QVGA (320X240) Display and a QWERTY keyboard. This makes the device perfect for SMS and even using all social web services.
Nokia mobile phones have always been renowned handsets market with unique features. Nokia 6760 slide is a great multi-tasker you can tweet, email, IM, share online, browse the web, listen to music, it makes phone calls too, all at the same time and.
Nokia 6760 is one of the most powerful mobile phone which will win the trust and hearts of its user.
The new mobile device will ideal for individuals who want to stay connected when they are out and about, the Nokia 6760 slide offers very fast and easy access to favourite social networking sites like Facebook, Orkut, MySpace or Twitter as well as email accounts from Ovi Mail, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Windows Live Hotmail and thousands of other email providers. Setting up an existing Email on the Nokia 6760 slide is simple. Only the Email address and password are required. Push email is available through Nokia Messaging.
Instant Messaging no longer needs to be confined to a computer as the Nokia 6760 slide also offers access to instant messaging solutions from Google Talk and Windows Live Messenger.In addition to great messaging options, features like the inbuilt A-GPS module together with the 3D landmarks and the terrain maps give a greater dimension to the Nokia 6760 slide.
The phone also comes loaded with a decent 3.2 Mega-pixels camera along with GPS with A-GPS Support, Bluetooth with A2DP, audio 3.5mm jack. The mobile supports 2G and 3G-HSDPA 2100 both Network, Wi-Fi, micro USB port, GPS and A-GPS for better map dimensions. It is pre-installed with Quick office and PDF reader.Nokia 6760, having 1500mAh battery with a standby time of around 20 days
Nokia is selling this device for a price of around Rs. 14,000. It is available in three colors- Black, Red and White. Its will be available in all Nokia stores in by Sept-Otc-2009.
Nokia 6760 features a 2.4 inches QVGA (320X240) Display and a QWERTY keyboard. This makes the device perfect for SMS and even using all social web services.
Nokia mobile phones have always been renowned handsets market with unique features. Nokia 6760 slide is a great multi-tasker you can tweet, email, IM, share online, browse the web, listen to music, it makes phone calls too, all at the same time and.
Nokia 6760 is one of the most powerful mobile phone which will win the trust and hearts of its user.
The new mobile device will ideal for individuals who want to stay connected when they are out and about, the Nokia 6760 slide offers very fast and easy access to favourite social networking sites like Facebook, Orkut, MySpace or Twitter as well as email accounts from Ovi Mail, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Windows Live Hotmail and thousands of other email providers. Setting up an existing Email on the Nokia 6760 slide is simple. Only the Email address and password are required. Push email is available through Nokia Messaging.
Instant Messaging no longer needs to be confined to a computer as the Nokia 6760 slide also offers access to instant messaging solutions from Google Talk and Windows Live Messenger.In addition to great messaging options, features like the inbuilt A-GPS module together with the 3D landmarks and the terrain maps give a greater dimension to the Nokia 6760 slide.
The phone also comes loaded with a decent 3.2 Mega-pixels camera along with GPS with A-GPS Support, Bluetooth with A2DP, audio 3.5mm jack. The mobile supports 2G and 3G-HSDPA 2100 both Network, Wi-Fi, micro USB port, GPS and A-GPS for better map dimensions. It is pre-installed with Quick office and PDF reader.Nokia 6760, having 1500mAh battery with a standby time of around 20 days
Nokia is selling this device for a price of around Rs. 14,000. It is available in three colors- Black, Red and White. Its will be available in all Nokia stores in by Sept-Otc-2009.
Samsung APPILICATION store
Samsung will be launching the developer's backend of their Application Store tomorrow. By using the new Application Seller website, developers will be able to publish apps or content to Samsung Application store (Symbian, Windows Mobile and Java) as well as track sales records, revenue and even rankings. Billing and payment are also handled online through the new Application Seller website.TheSamsung Seller Site(not up yet) is the next step in the Samsung efforts in streamlining the apps and content delivery to end users. The Samsung Mobile Innovator has been up for more than half an year supporting developer's efforts. Samsung even launched a beta version of theirApplication Storein English and German earlier this year. The fully-fledged Samsung App store however will start spawning in regional versions across Europe in Q3 this year.Registering on the new website is available after a basic entry fee of only one US dollar. The Seller Site members will be able to purchase a sales contract online and check the certification status in real-time.These days almost every major manufacturer has an App Store running. There are so many, that having one will no longer give any manufacturer an edge but it will sure bring them up to the standard set by the competition.
The Apple AppStore has been faring quite well and the massive amounts of new apps and games surely make the Apple iPhone quite an attractive platform despite its flaws.In Samsung's case they've waited quite some time before they started their own apps distribution initiative probably to stay away of what has traditionally been a network carriers business. And as you probably know, network carriers are the largest customers of mobile phone manufacturers. But times are changing and so are the rules of the game obviously.
The Apple AppStore has been faring quite well and the massive amounts of new apps and games surely make the Apple iPhone quite an attractive platform despite its flaws.In Samsung's case they've waited quite some time before they started their own apps distribution initiative probably to stay away of what has traditionally been a network carriers business. And as you probably know, network carriers are the largest customers of mobile phone manufacturers. But times are changing and so are the rules of the game obviously.
Pics of Nokia N97 Mini leak, Symbian world holds its breath
Pics of Nokia N97 Mini leak, Symbian world holds its breath
The available info doesn'tget any further than a spy shot or two, but we're talking the real dealhere. The most popular handset in our database for several weeks in arow - Nokia N97 is to have a baby brother soon.
Rumors of a more compact version of the Nokia N97 have been around for quite a while now but that does look rather morebelievable. The possibility that this might be a nicely done fake unitstill remains of course.
The Nokia N97 mini next to the original model
With the entry-level 5530 XpressMusic just around the corner, Nokia needs an upper-midrange model to fill the gap between the N97 and the 5800 XpressMusicso it can have a complete range of touchscreen devices. We aren't quitesure if a QWERTY side-slider is the best choice, but the N97 was prettywell received so what do we know. A more affordable version of theSymbian-fans dream device might be just what's needed to have them makethe switch to the Symbian touchscreen world.
The available info doesn'tget any further than a spy shot or two, but we're talking the real dealhere. The most popular handset in our database for several weeks in arow - Nokia N97 is to have a baby brother soon.
Rumors of a more compact version of the Nokia N97 have been around for quite a while now but that does look rather morebelievable. The possibility that this might be a nicely done fake unitstill remains of course.
The Nokia N97 mini next to the original model
With the entry-level 5530 XpressMusic just around the corner, Nokia needs an upper-midrange model to fill the gap between the N97 and the 5800 XpressMusicso it can have a complete range of touchscreen devices. We aren't quitesure if a QWERTY side-slider is the best choice, but the N97 was prettywell received so what do we know. A more affordable version of theSymbian-fans dream device might be just what's needed to have them makethe switch to the Symbian touchscreen world.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
iPhone OS 3.1 beta 3
Brings video copy-paste in emails and data tether counters.
Apple has released third beta of iPhone
OS 3.1 SDK update to the iPhone App Developers. This beta update brings feature to copy/paste videos in emails like we do for pictures and data tethering counter. On July 14, the iPhone OS 3.1 beta 2 was released that allowed developers to test their applications
over WiFi and changed bit of text for video trimming options. The second beta of iPhone OS 3.1 will expire today.
The iPhone OS 3.1 SDK and firmware build 7C116a has few features that have been mentioned so far by When Will Apple blog. The third beta so far features that videos can be copied and pasted in the emails. Also, the Usage option in the settings now show Cellular Network Data and Tethering Data counters. The iPhone no longer vibrates when app icons are moved around.
There isn't any word on the augmented reality thing in the iPhone OS 3.1 SDK beta updates yet. Hopefully, any of the future beta updates would bring that functionality for developers.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Google Latitude Arrives for iPhone
However, it's in the form of a Web app and not a native app
Almost six months after introducing Google Latitude, current location broadcasting service for users, Google has finally rolled out Latitude for iPhone
OS based devices.
Google's Latitude service has been made available for download to iPhone and iPod Touch owners in the form of a web app and not a native app. On heading to google.com/latitude though the Safari browser, the iPhone or iPod Touch owner will get the Latitude will show up. Note that Latitude is different from the My Location feature recently added to Google for iPhone users.
Mat Balez, product manager of the Google Mobile team, noted in the blog post at Google Mobile Blog that Apple requested them to release Latitude as a web application in order to avoid confusion with Maps on the iPhone which uses Google to serve maps tiles. As noted in past, iPhone OS 3.0 software update would bring Geolocation support in the Safari browser. That might be the reason why Google held up Latitude for iPhone.
Users can add Latitude to their iPhone or iPod Touch home screen by clicking on the + sign at the bottom of Safari browser window and select 'Add to Home Screen' option. Latitude on iPhone being a web app won't work in the background unlike for other mobile platforms like Symbian, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile
. For saving battery life, Google Latitude uses Wi-Fi triangulation or Cellular Tower location instead of GPS.
In case you're worried about privacy, it is being taken care as the user can restrict Safari from using current location. Also under the 'Floaty Bar', users can choose either to Set their location, Detect their location or totally Hide their location from others.
It is hoped many iPhone and iPod Touch owners would be happy to see Latitude on their devices. If in future Apple allows background process on iPhone OS based devices then update on Latitude might include it to native Google Maps app or Google Mobile app from App Store.
Samsung's Watch Phone is Slim, Expensive
A direct competitor to arch rival LG's GD910
Samsung has announced a new watch phone, the S9110. At 11.98 mm, it happens to be the slimmest watch phone money can buy now. The S9110 is a direct competitor to arch rival LG's GD910 watch phone that the world came to know about not long ago. Samsung seems to have pipped LG to announce and launch this phone before the GD910 is seen in stores.
The S9110 has it all to make you drool over it. From 1.7-inch touchscreen display to voice recognition, the phone oozes style and might turn out to be one gadget you'd like to flaunt. It comes with a leather strap and a stainless steel body. It is not low on features as well, thanks to a decent music player and an e-mail client. There is Bluetooth as well for those looking for wireless freedom. Thanks to A2DP support, you won't look like Michael Knight calling K.I.T.T for help whenever you answer a phone call.
So, folks over at Samsung have priced this beauty (depends on which side of the design divide you stand) at 450 Euros (Rs. 31,000 approx.), which, mind you, is quite a decent amount of money if you are talking in cellphone terms. If you are an 80's kid who had always yearned for those "cool" watch phones, you now can finally own one
Vertu's Carbon Fiber Phone
>
Ascent Ti Carbon Fiber
While we agree, speaking about stuff like these during these recessionary times is downright cruel, we couldn t help it. This had to make it to the news. We are pretty sure most of you might be aware of Vertu, the luxury mobile handset division of Nokia.
So, the same folks over at Vertu have shown off their latest contraption, a phone fully made of carbon fiber composite. Ascent Ti Carbon Fiber, as the phone is called will be handmade and built to spec ; of course, it will be freakishly expensive.
For those who do not understand this fuss behind Carbon Fiber, let it be known that it is one of the best things you can manufacture stuff with. It s more durable than steel and has an unsurpassed strength to weight ratio. Carbon Fiber is commonly used in motorsport and aerospace industries where reduced weight of cars
and planes adds to better performance. The phone sports a sapphire crystal screen and its chassis is made of another rare (and tough) metal Titanium. As of now, we are not sure about the other specifications. For those looking for some variety, there will be six variants of this phone- namely the Ascent Ti Carbon Fibre Limited Edition, Carbon Fibre Grip, Carbon Fibre and Aluminum Grip and Carbon Fibre and the Copper Grip edition.
The Vertu Ascent Ti Carbon Fiber will be available in August at an undisclosed price. Either ways, even if they do reveal the price, most of us can only drool over it and then forget about it. Ambanis and Bill Gates of the world excluded.
Ascent Ti Carbon Fiber
While we agree, speaking about stuff like these during these recessionary times is downright cruel, we couldn t help it. This had to make it to the news. We are pretty sure most of you might be aware of Vertu, the luxury mobile handset division of Nokia.
So, the same folks over at Vertu have shown off their latest contraption, a phone fully made of carbon fiber composite. Ascent Ti Carbon Fiber, as the phone is called will be handmade and built to spec ; of course, it will be freakishly expensive.
For those who do not understand this fuss behind Carbon Fiber, let it be known that it is one of the best things you can manufacture stuff with. It s more durable than steel and has an unsurpassed strength to weight ratio. Carbon Fiber is commonly used in motorsport and aerospace industries where reduced weight of cars
and planes adds to better performance. The phone sports a sapphire crystal screen and its chassis is made of another rare (and tough) metal Titanium. As of now, we are not sure about the other specifications. For those looking for some variety, there will be six variants of this phone- namely the Ascent Ti Carbon Fibre Limited Edition, Carbon Fibre Grip, Carbon Fibre and Aluminum Grip and Carbon Fibre and the Copper Grip edition.
The Vertu Ascent Ti Carbon Fiber will be available in August at an undisclosed price. Either ways, even if they do reveal the price, most of us can only drool over it and then forget about it. Ambanis and Bill Gates of the world excluded.
LCD Display for your Bathroom
Turn on the shower, turn on the TV
Vu has launched a waterproof LCD TV ideal for places like bathrooms! Imagine relaxing whilst watching your favorite programme or movie, watch the football whilst you shower or just catch up with the latest news whilst freshening up for that night out.
The Vu waterproof bathroom LCD, TKW168-17, is available in the size of 17-inch with a response time of 16ms.
Here are the specs of the new waterproof bathroom LCD:
This17-inch LCD TV is suitable for hotel rest rooms, bath rooms, shower rooms, bath tubs, spas, swimming pools, beauty-shops, hair-saloons, boats, outdoors or any places that usual TVs cannot work.
Vu TKW168-17 is priced at Rs. 48,000.
Samsung Lavender Series LCD Launched
Samsung India has announced the launch of its flagship series of LCD monitors - Samsung Lavender Series in the Indian market
The new Lavender series is available in 21.5" and 23" screen sizes offer consumers Complete Display Solutions for their entertainment and business needs. The Lavender Series LCD monitor comes with the Touch of Color (ToC) design and a contrast ratio of 50000:1, a response time of 2 ms; viewing angle of 170/160 and a 16:9 Wide format Panel that is made for multimedia
and optimized for HD Content
The Lavender series has a slimmer neck compared to conventional models and has front OSD Touch buttons that emit red lighting from under the panel. Samsung claims that the Lavender series eliminates the need of using non-biodegradable components in manufacturing of exterior panels, making it 100 percent recyclable and environmentally friendly. Also, the Lavender Series consume less than 1W of power in the Power Off Mode, adds Samsung.
The Samsung Lavender Monitors are available in 21.5" and 23" wide display format and are priced at Rs 12,500 and Rs 13,500 respectively.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Most Expensive Phone - Diamond Studded iPhone 3G
If you thought that the Apple iPhone was not worth its cost, think again. This is because the most expensive iPhone 3G, 'Kings Button', has been designed by the Austrian jeweler Peter Aloisson and comes at an insane price of Rs.12 crore!
It is made of solid 18 carat yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold, with a line of white gold encrusted with a total of 138 diamonds on the edges. However, what steals the show is the 'home' button, which is a 'rare' 6.6 carat diamond.
This beauty is sure a style statement, but would be restricted just to the filthy rich amongst you.
How to Buy an LCD TV
Know What Size You Want :-
lthough not always possible, it works out better if you go into the store and know what size you want to buy. This will not only save a lot of your time but also give you more time to examine only those TVs that you want to buy and not waste time by going through the entire range of LCD TVs.
Mainly, two factors determine the size of the LCD TV you should buy; the first being your budget, and the second, the size of the room you want to put the TV in.
Budgets being subjective, I wouldn't want to say a lot about them. But I will say this, you should never go over the top unless you really want to one-up someone. Also, keep in mind that whichever TV you buy now will definitely lose a lot of its value after about 12 months or so.
So, the point I make here is, know your size - the size of your wallet AND your room.
There Is No Such Thing as Future Proof :-
Just like there is nothing "foolproof" in the world, there is no TV in the market that is "future proof." Most high-end models may be able to give you a lead for about 4-6 months or so, that's it. Paying a premium of about 15k+ on such TVs is a huge waste of money.
The attendant at the store might promise a lot of things about the TV being able to play movies at full HD, etc., but just stop for a moment and ask yourself if you're ready to spend another 20k+ on a Hi-def movie player or would you rather buy something cheaper that can upscale "up to" 1080p.
The best fix to this problem is to connect your computer to the TV via HDMI and fit a Blu-ray drive on the comp. This might cost you about 7-8k and should be a good deal overall. Even so, given the exorbitant prices and the dearth of the latest full HD movies, going for rental copies is the only sane choice we have as of now.
Bottom line, don't get caught in the "future proof" BS; go for the one that best suits your needs.
Now, in the first two points, we concentrated on selecting a budget, and the process will mostly take place before you step into the store. The following steps will help you select the best LCD TV from a wide range of products that will be kept on display in the store.
View It From All Sides:-
LCD TVs come in different sizes and styles, and it's not the screen that I am talking about. The build and finish of LCDs go a long way in defining the way your room will look. So, it's always prudent to view the LCD TV from all sides. I suggest you measure the space you plan to put the TV in, as it will help you select the right- sized TV (in case you won't be wall mounting the TV).
Always, always, always, check what type of devices you can connect to the television and how many of them. These days, most LCD TVs will come with at least 2 HDMI ports. Of course, more would be better, but make sure you have one at the side as well.
Also, one of the major drawbacks of a lot of LCD screens is that they don't have a good viewing angle, i.e., the picture appears distorted or colourless beyond a certain angle. This is especially true of entry level LCD TVs, most of them are outdated, but are still available in the market at a heavy discount.
Watch a Movie on It :-
Chances are, if you're going to stores like Chroma, e-Zone, etc., you will be able to watch a movie on the TV you like. Also, you should ask the store assistant to let you watch standard TV channels as well (regular cable or DTH channels). That should give you an idea of how good the TV is with both these connections. It is imperative that you are satisfied with both or at least the cable/DTH viewing experience, as that is what you'll mostly be watching.
How do I know which is good, you may ask. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
1. Check the channel logo when watching any TV channel. The clearer it is, the better.
2. Check for noise on the screen. I mean grains that appear when watching any content. Ideally, it should be as low as possible. When playing full HD content via the HDMI port, noise should be almost non-existent.
3. Check for colours and brightness. Good thing is, the other TVs will be lined up there as well, so it will be easier for you to compare and choose the better model.
Ask for More :-
Once you're done selecting your TV, stop jumping up and down. Compose yourself and ask the assistant what more he has to offer in that price. At first he might have a shocked expression on his face, but when he knows you're calling his bluff, he might just go ahead and give a 4-5% discount which, depending on the time and place, might go to as high as 10%. In case they can't give you a cash discount, ask them whether they will give free/extra cables or free home installation (if you want to wall mount the TV). Don't think going into a big mall means you have to forfeit your right to bargain.
Opera 10 Beta 2 Released
Opera removed Opera Unite feature and made more polished second beta build
Opera has just released second beta (codenamed Peregrine) of its upcoming Opera 10 browser. This second beta brings us one step closer to Opera 10 release candidate. With 6.7MB Installer, Opera 10 Beta 2 is available for download from Downloads menu for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, UNIX and other platforms. The first beta of Opera 10 was released on June 3.
The second beta of Opera 10 doesn't have any major new features. Basically, it's a more polished and visually tweaked version. On the Dial page, new 'Synchronize Opera' button has been added below the Dials. Apart from that the browser carries new icons, and tab bar color to integrate well with browser skin. Error pages, About page, Config page, etc. have been changed.
Opera surprisingly removed Opera Unite feature from this beta which was present in the first beta build. As usual, loads of fixes and improvements have been added to make this build snazzier for usage.
On checking Opera 10 Beta 2 with Acid 3 tests, the final score of 100/100 wasn't surprising since the new Presto rendering engine is powerful enough to pass this test.
Microsoft to Launch New Zune Later This Year
Microsoft Corp plans to launch a new version of its Zune portable media player later this year in the United States, incorporating high-definition video, touch screen technology and Wi-Fi connection.
Microsoft said the new Zune, its answer to Apple Inc's popular iPod digital music player, will also come with an Internet browser and a built-in HD radio receiver that offers higher-quality sound than traditional radio. It did not give a price or a specific date except to say it was due in the fall. The company added new features to Zune's music service last year, enabling users to download music
wirelessly and buy songs they hear on the device's built-in FM radio. available in 30 and 80 GB Hard Drive capacity
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Asus's Xtreme Design Core i7 Motherboard
Features Intel Core i7 CPU support
Asus
has introduced the all new Xtreme Series motherboard featuring Asus P6TD Deluxe model based on Intel X58 chipset. Xtreme Series motherboards boast of ultimate system performance with better reliability of controlling multi-core process operations and managing them effectively. Asus is offering P6TD Deluxe motherboard for Rs. 21,350, excluding taxes.
Just like Gigabyte introduced its Ultra Durable 3 technology, Asus' Xtreme Series focuses majorly on enhancement of power, throughput and stable system performance.
Asus P6TD Deluxe motherboard is based on Intel X58 chipset and supports Intel Socket 1366 based Intel Core i7 CPUs including Extreme Edition that support Intel Dynamic Speed Technology. This motherboard can support up to 24GB of DDR3 RAM over six DIMM slots, three PCI-Express 2.0 slots and fourteen USB 2.0 ports!
As a part of the Xtreme Design, Asus has added innovative feature called Stack Cool3+ which effectively cools the motherboard with an advanced copper layer. This motherboard also features Xtreme phase that ensures more stable and optimized power usage and Turbo V for real-time dynamic processing boost. Enthusiasts and overclockers would be able to make the best of both features with a boost of up to 51 per cent in the processing throughput.
Asus is offering the Asus P6TD Deluxe motherboard with three years of guarantee.
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