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Archive for the ‘Tech.’ Category

Breaking News: Ex-Apple CEO Steve Job Dies

By Eastwood   |    October 5, 2011 4:55 pm    |   Random, Tech.   |    1 Comment

APPLE has announced that Steve Jobs, at age 56 has died.  In 2004, a cancerous tumor in Jobs’ pancreas was successfully removed. After his operation he continued to struggle with his health and revelaed that his disease was more complicated than he thought. In 2009, he received a successful liver transplant but it would only buy him so much time. After years of failing health, the former Apple CEO left his position on August 24th, 2011. As he left, Jobs stated.

“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.”

Apple has released the following statement:

“Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being.

Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”

LG Cinema 3D | Review

By admin   |    June 9, 2011 3:09 am    |   Tech.   |    0 Comments

3D is nothing new.  3D films were prominently featured in the 1950s in American cinema, and later experienced a worldwide resurgence in the 1980s and ’90s.  The Technology was not the same as we have today. Most of us remember black and white movies with red and blue glasses, those that don’t remember make me feel old.  3D technology has grown in leaps and bounds since then. Not just in theathers but at home as well, LG is on point with there “Cinema 3D” TVs. It uses the same inexpensive polorized glasses used in the movie theathers, not those very expensive inefficent battery powered shutter glasses other TV makers use.

Check out The LG Infinia 65LW6500

•The Infinia LW6500 series has a dynamic contrast ratio of 10,000,000:1. (This is the highest contrast ratio available today, and it’s absolutely a new world of picture quality – the colors are richer and the blacks are darker then ever.)
•Another improvement on the LW6500 is the 240Hz TruMotion instead of 120Hz. (That means your TV now can handle the fastest scenes without any problem. no more blurring pictures !)
•The LG 65LW6500 got all the latest technologies that were introduced on the CES 2011 event, including the Cinema 3D technology and the LED-plus technology.

 

No More Free Mobile Web.

By admin   |    May 11, 2011 5:39 am    |   Tech.   |    0 Comments

A few of the nation’s biggest wireless carriers have wised up. They are putting a stop to apps that let Google Android users tether their smartphones for use as modems without paying the carriers’ extra fee.

Free Android phone tethering apps that are typically found in the Android Market are not available for Android phones on AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile USA. Sprint customers apparently are still able to access many of these tethering apps from the Android Market.

AT&T and Verizon have said that Google chooses which apps are in the Android Market. Neither company would comment on whether they asked Google to remove the Wireless Tether app or any other free tethering app from the Android Market.

However a Google spokesman told Fierce Wireless that it is not blocking the app. Instead it’s simply making it unavailable for download on certain carrier networks at the request of those carriers.

In essence, the apps are still on the Google Market, but they are just not visible to users on certain carrier networks. Apps are only hidden from view on certain carriers.

If your sly enough you can you can still side-loaded these apps onto the device. If the developer distributes the application file in a way other than the Android Market (say, just as a download from a Web site) a user can install that on his device.

AT&T has been sending e-mails warning users who are tethering their phones without paying the extra fee. AT&T charges $20 extra per month for the tethering feature. Customers who tether are given 4GB of data to use during the month. Customers who exceed that limit are charged $10 a gigabyte thereafter.

T-Mobile USA has the best value at $15 a month in addition to a smartphone data plan for 5GB worth of data per month. And Verizon Wireless charges $20 a month on top of its $30 smartphone data fee to use up to 2GB of data per month.

Sony Entering the Tablet Wars.

By admin   |    April 26, 2011 1:12 am    |   Tech.   |    0 Comments

Sony made it official today in Tokyo, disclosing two new tablet designs that will run Android 3.0 “Honeycomb” software and have access to PlayStation content.

The Japanese language caption says the images are not final products.

It is “developing two tablets,” including the S1 which is “optimized for media entertainment” and the S2, aimed at “mobile communication and entertainment.”  The tablets, with the official moniker of “Sony Tablet,” will become available worldwide starting in the fall.

The S1 has a 9.4-inch display, while the S2 has two 5.5-inch displays that can be “folded,” Sony said. The screens on the S2 can be used together as one large screen to browse websites, or separately–for example, checking email on one and using the other as a soft keyboard.  Both tablets will be equipped with the Android 3.0 operating system and be WiFi and WAN (3G/4G) compatible.

Sony will also offer access to content via its Qriocity music and movie services and the PlayStation Suite, a framework for downloading and buying PlayStation content on Android tablets.  And e-book content will be available from the Sony Reader Store.

Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son donates over 10 billion yen

By admin   |    April 5, 2011 12:57 am    |   Random, Tech.   |    0 Comments

Masayoshi Son (Softbank CEO) donated ¥10 billion to “support the region and people affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami”, that equates to just under $120 million American. One might say the sum is pocket change for Japan’s wealthiest citizen, but he has also vowed to “donate to the same cause all of his future compensation as the head of Softbank.”

Softbank had already stepped up to the plate by offering free handsets to earthquake orphans following the horrific events that transpired last month.  But now on top of Son’s personal donations, Softbank as a company will also be handing over ¥1 billion, with both the man and his entity considering various channels for which the money will be distributed. We’ve got a feeling this is just a bit more serious than your average PR stunt.  We applaud you Masayoshi Son and your company.  Bravo

IPad vs Ipad 2

By admin   |    March 7, 2011 12:58 am    |   Tech.   |    0 Comments

Apple’s iPad 2 is thinner, lighter, and faster than the original, but is it different enough from last year’s model to entice new customers?

That’s the big question. Apple sold more than 15 million iPads in 2010. But, when Apple introduced the new iPad 2, some people are disappointed that latest version was still missing key features and isn’t much different from its predecessor. The device goes on sale in the U.S. on March 11.

iPad vs. iPad 2

Is there enough change to warrant an upgrade?  What if your a new customer is the IPad 2 worth the money or do I save $100 and buy the newly reduced price Ipad? I’ll admit, I am torn.

The obvious reason to buy the first iPad over the iPad 2 is the cost. Apple just reduced the price of the older version of the iPad by $100. This means the least expensive 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad is now $399 instead of $499. And if you get a refurbished iPad through Apple’s site, the price goes down $349. (If you’re willing to get a used iPad elsewhere, you may even be able to get a cheaper price as many people will be looking to upgrade.)

Read More Here:

Hackers and Adobe – Security Issues

By admin   |    March 1, 2011 1:17 am    |   Tech.   |    0 Comments
Do you use Adobe products? If you use PDF files or view Flash videos, there’s a very good chance you do.

Adobe Reader is a very popular PDF reader that is heavily used because it is created by the same company that created PDF files. Whenever a site distributes a PDF file, there’s usually going to be some button that prompts you do download Adobe Reader if you are having trouble viewing the file.

The problem is that because of the product’s popularity, it is frequently the target for hackers. Here’s an interesting infographic I stumbled upon today on Twitter about the rapid increase in security exploits involving PDF files and Adobe. Click to view enlarged version.

Infographic Source: Investintech

Remember that Adobe Reader is hardly the only PDF reader out there. There are many alternatives that have far less security vulnerabilities (and not to mention less bloat) including Nitro Reader and SlimPDF.

Don’t Let Apple SCREW Your iPhone!

By Eastwood   |    February 7, 2011 12:36 pm    |   Tech.   |    0 Comments

According to iFixit CEO, Kyle Wiens, Apple is now using a tamper-resistant screw on its products, including iPhones and laptops. Now what does this mean to you? It means it will become more difficult to repair your Apple products on your own.

Apple is switching to a new “Pentalobe” screw to prevent owners from opening up their Apple products. But how does this new “Pentalobe” screw prevent you from repairing your Apple products? Well because the “Pentalobe” screws are fairly new, this usually means the repair tools are both rare and harder to obtain, unlike your every day flat head or Phillips screw drivers. Check out the image below to see how the Pentalobe screw compares to the Phillips screw and others.

(Image courtesy of iFixit.)

Now down to the getting screwed part. Apple’s newest policy will certainly piss off a few people. If you now take your iPhone 4 into an Apple Store for any kind of service, the employees are now instructed to replace your previous Phillips screws with the new tamper-resistant screws. If you don’t have an iPhone 4 at the moment but are thinking aout buying one in the future, there is a good chance it will have the new type of screws as Apple has switched production to use these new pieces. Other Apple products currently use these new screws but not all, expect that to change within the near future.

What to do if you get screwed?

 Some aftermarket companies have already created their own kits to solve this problem. iFixit now sells an “iPhone Liberation Kit” which includes a Pentalobe driver, a regular #00 Phillips screwdriver and two replacement Phillips screws.

So if you take your iPhone or laptop in, keep an eye on your screws and don’t get screwed!

Blackberry takes on Apple

By admin   |    January 25, 2011 12:42 am    |   Tech.   |    0 Comments

RIM’s has called out Apple’s tablet, saying only that its upcoming PlayBook slate would have “equal or greater” battery life/endurance to Apple’s device.  Canadian company’s senior business marketing VP Jeff McDowell is saying this will also be achived using a smaller cell size.

The latter part isn’t hard to achieve, considering Apple filled most of its slate’s innards with Li-Pol juice packs, but the promise of matching its autonomy from the wall socket is a big claim to make. Many people consider that to be among the iPad’s foremost strengths, so RIM is surely aiming high by pledging to not only match it, but potentially better it. The PlayBook we saw in person wasn’t quite up to that level yet, but there’s still time until that March launch for RIM to turn bold words into a beautiful reality.

Iphone on Verizon

By admin   |    January 10, 2011 12:47 am    |   Tech.   |    0 Comments

Verizon Wireless is set to unveil the much-anticipated Apple iPhone 4 on its network on Tuesday in New York City, according to several reports.  The phone will eventually hit all Verizon stores by the end of January, reports The Wall Street Journal, citing a person familiar with the matter.

It is the first time the iPhone will be available in the US on a network other than AT&T, but smaller telcos like Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile are still without the popular smartphone. The Verizon phone, long the subject of speculation and hearsay, will be “similar to the iPhone 4 but run on the carrier’s CDMA technology”, reports the Journal.

The availability of the iPhone on another carrier could sell millions of new devices to ensure Apple’s “strong momentum” and stall the growth of devices running Google’s Android operating system, according to The New York Times.  “It will significantly shift the power again toward Apple,” an analyst told the Times. “Apple will significantly blunt the growth of Android.”

For AT&T, however, the forecasts aren’t as rosy. iPhone users on its network have complained about poor service and dropped calls on the network, and Consumer Reports last month ranked AT&T the “worst-rated” carrier. Verizon came in second in the survey.

Paul Reynolds, an editor at Consumer Reports, said at the time that a Verizon iPhone “could indeed be good news for iPhone fans”.   Analysts told the Journal that AT&T could see one to three million fewer subscribers because of the Verizon offering.

McIntosh MXA60 Integrated Audio System

By admin   |    July 31, 2010 1:50 am    |   Tech.   |    2 Comments

 

McIntosh Laboratory has long been a global leader in home entertainment and offering time-honored McIntosh craftsmanship, incomparable aesthetics and audio superiority. McIntosh Laboratory has defined the highest quality in sound reproduction for 60 years and offers the company’s first-ever standalone integrated audio system – 60th Anniversary MXA60 Integrated Audio System (US MSRP: $7,500).
 
The MXA60 Integrated Audio System was designed by the same team of renowned McIntosh engineers who created the company’s high performance Reference System. The new ultimate-quality tabletop system features a high-performance 75-watt-per-channel amplifier, state-of-the-art CD/SACD/MP3 player, vacuum tube preamplifier, as well as an AM/FM/RBDS Tuner and high performance, two-way bass reflex loudspeaker system that packs all the legendary McIntosh sound into a smaller package.
 

LG 60PK950 Plasma

By admin   |    July 20, 2010 12:01 am    |   Tech.   |    1 Comment

The 60PK950 is LG’s top-of-the-line plasma TV for early 2010. While more attention seems to have been paid to their LED televisions, the PK950 series features a robust internet package and (most likely) 3D display. While the TV certainly looks appealing, the price looks even better($2799.99 on average).

MartinLogan Vantage Electrostatic Loadspeaker

By admin   |    July 18, 2010 12:01 am    |   Tech.   |    0 Comments

Well, MartinLogan is at it again with their newest lineup of speakers, the Vantage (reviewed here), Vista and Purity. The Vantage has MartinLogan’s XStat panel, which up until the CLX’s arrival was the latest and greatest transducer in MartinLogan’s arsenal. The Vantage features a 200-watt eight-inch powered aluminum bass driver, which is ported in the rear, giving the Vantage an overall frequency response of 32-23,000Hz. The Vantage is efficient, with a reported sensitivity of 92dB into a four-ohm load. Since the Vantage is compact, one has to suppose that MartinLogan is going after consumers with more traditional or moderately-sized listening/viewing rooms. Coupled with the Vantage’s relatively good efficiency, this means a powerful receiver or budget separates system should power them nicely.