Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 WiFi Review

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Google Brings Android Developers Site to Google+

Google produces some fantastic resources for anyone from the up-and-coming Android developer, to the seasoned professional. From design guides, to training materials, Google's steadily been releasing an increasingly comprehensive set of tools and instruction for the creation of new Android apps. Even with all this available, Google's looking to provide developers with an even more engaging, productive experience working with Android, and has just announced a new Android Developers Google

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Galaxy Nexus Hardware Refresh Coming?

For the second time today, our attention turns to NenaMark and its collection of Android graphics benchmarks. This time, we're looking at an anomaly in the reports tied to Samsung's Galaxy Nexus. While most results are as expected, there's one test case reporting higher-than average performance, and it looks like it might be the result of a few hardware changes.

The Galaxy Nexus, with its TI OMAP 4460 SoC, sees its graphics handled by a PowerVR SGX540 GPU. The Nexus we're looking at here, on the other hand, claims to have a more powerful SGX544 die as part of its silicon. The upgraded GPU would go a long way to explaining the increase in test scores.

We've heard of the SGX544 a few times before, first when Texas Instruments announced its OMAP 4470 featuring the GPU back in the spring of last year. Could we be looking at a Galaxy Nexus where the original 4460 has been replaced with this new component? If so, how would such a handset arrive? One theory suggests that Sprint might introduce the refreshed model, as it launches its LTE service.

Of course, as with many benchmarks, we have to consider the possibility that these results may be fabricated. That said, we're very interested to learn more about the possible veracity of this data, and will be looking for any more signs of a new 4470-powered Galaxy Nexus.

Source: NenaMark
Via: UnwiredView Other posts tagged with: Samsung, Sprint, Android, LTE, Rumors, News, Ice Cream Sandwich, Galaxy Nexus

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Proposed Legislation Seeks to Avoid Another Carrier IQ Incident

When the whole Carrier IQ can-of-worms was opened up late last year, United States lawmakers quickly found themselves at the center of the fiasco, responding to constituent pressure to hold Carrier IQ, the carriers themselves, and hardware manufactures liable for their roles in the affair. One of the most outspoken, leading the efforts to investigate Carrier IQ, was Massachusetts's Representative Edward Markey. Markey hasn't forgotten about the issues behind the fiasco, and wants to make sure a similar situation doesn't happen again in the future. To that end, he's drafted legislation dubbed the Mobile Device Privacy Act.

The Act seeks to increase transparency and put users more in control over what software resides on their smartphones. Markey explained, "consumers have the right to know and to say 'no' to the presence of software on their mobile devices that can collect and transmit their personal and sensitive information."

Under the MDPA, if a network operator wanted to install the likes of Carrier IQ on its users' phones, it would need to disclose the software's presence to its subscribers, and obtain consent to gather and perform actions with data collected from the software. Any sharing of that information with third-party companies would require formal registration with both the FTC and FCC.

Source: The Hill
Via: BGR Other posts tagged with: Android, News

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Samsung Epic 2 for Sprint Spotted in Cellebrite System

Back in June of last year, we looked at a leaked Sprint roadmap claiming to tell the tale of devices planned for release over the following few months. Not everything on that list made it out, though, including the Samsung Epic 2, to follow in the steps of the Epic 4G. Now it looks like the phone may finally be getting a chance to surface, with signs pointing to plans for its release on Sprint.

The phone shows-up in some of the latest Cellebrite software, used for transferring data between handsets, tied to model number SPH-D705. That's one we've seen before, also dating back to around summer of last year. All we had at the time, though, was an image purported to be taken by the SPH-D705 (a number of sites are incorrectly reporting that we published the photo as a leaked image of the SPH-D705 itself; we never made any claim other than that the SPH-D705 is the device that snapped the picture. The phone pictured in the shot is the Samsung R920 for MetroPCS).

This makes a lot of sense, as model number SPH-D705 falls right in line with the other Epic phones on Sprint. Based on rumors tied to that old leaked roadmap, the phone would supposedly be a single-core 1.2GHz device with a four-inch display. That might have been better-received had the phone actually launched last summer; at this point, will anyone be excited to see it arrive?

Source: Acsyndicate
Via: Android Guys Other posts tagged with: Samsung, Sprint, Android, Epic 4G, Rumors, News

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Samsung Planning Big Super Bowl Ad for Galaxy Note

Football fans in the US are gearing-up for the Super Bowl this coming weekend. For non-sports-fans, the event means little more than the chance to see some of the most extravagant, creative, and memorable TV commercials that will premiere all year. Some have already started leaking out in advance of the game, like Honda's Ferris Bueller-themed ad. Others will ultimately be a surprise, including an entry from Samsung.

Samsung teases that the commercial will be epic, clocking-in as one of the longest during the whole game. The company's recruited Bobby Farrelly, half of the team that, alongside his brother, brought us raunchy comedies like Kingpin and There's Something About Mary, to direct the spot. Chances are, we're looking at something fittingly hilarious.

Samsung's revealed that the ad will exclusively feature the Galaxy Note, which is getting ready to make its debut on AT&T LTE. It's a little odd to see this kind of marketing push behind what's essentially months-old hardware, but we understand the need to make a big impression on US smartphone buyers. Look for the spot to air during the final quarter of Sunday night's game.

Source: Samsung 1, 2 (Twitter)
Via: Electronista Other posts tagged with: Samsung, at&t, Android, LTE, News, Galaxy Note

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MasterCard Hints at NFC in Next iPhone

The introduction of mobile payments conducted over NFC has been a seriously bumpy ride for smartphones. NFC still fights to see wide manufacturer support, and even when the needed hardware is in place, power struggles between carriers, manufacturers, and financial institutions prevent the wide release of standards-compliant software (or even the formation of those standards to begin with). Still, we have hope for the future, if only because these companies have far too much invested to give up at this point. A MasterCard exec was recently discussing his company's goals for NFC payments, and in doing so, he may have let slip a design spec for Apple's next iPhone.

The exec skilfully avoided out-and-saying it, but strongly implied that Apple is at work on an NFC-compatible handset. Sure, we've been hearing this kind of talk for ages now, but the iPhone 4S arrived without any such feature in tow. According to MasterCard, at this point literally every manufacturer is getting involved with NFC. When pressed to confirm if that included Apple, the exec stopped short of directly saying so, but reiterated his earlier position that everyone's doing it.

Source: Fast Company
Via: Electronista Other posts tagged with: Apple, iOS, Rumors, iPhone 5

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Automating Your Home with Nest and Your Android

PIMs and PDAs, and now smartphones and tablets are great at organizing our personal information and making our lives easier, but they tend to stop at contacts and calendars.

What if there was a device that could make the leap from oganizing your personal information to controlling the world around you? With the Nest Learning Thermostat now you can!

We spend about half our energy on heating and cooling. The guys at nest have put their computer and UI skills together to build a smart thermostat that you don't have to program -- it programs itself. It's got three thermometers, humidity sensor, light sensor, and even a proximity sensor. Yes, not only does this thing know how hot and humid it is in your house, it knows when you're at home -- and will save you energy when you're not.

When you are home, Nest is smart enough to know where you live and what your local weather is, then adjusts the temperature accordingly. What's more, it learns your temperature preferences, and automatically sets the temperature for you, and does so intelligently, saving you money and reducing your energy consumption.

With its built-in WiFi you can not only see but also control your thermostats with your Android-powered smartphone or tablet. Finally, your smartphone -- teamed up with a very smart thermostat -- can control and organize more than just your contacts and calendar.

You can download the Nest app from the Android Market, but you'll probably need to put your name on a waiting list to get the Nest Learning Thermostat... but it's worth the wait.

Other posts tagged with: Android, Google, Video, Market Pick

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Lenovo Updating ThinkPad Tablet To Ice Cream Sandwich In Q2

Lenovo made its plans public to update the ThinkPad Tablet to the latest iteration of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, sometime in the second quarter of the year. The ThinkPad Tablet was announced at the end of July last year and it's definitely good to see the manufacturer didn't abandon the product.

The IdeaPad from Lenovo is also quietly waiting for its Ice Cream Sandwich treat but aside from a generic second quarter roll-out estimate we don't know exactly when it will happen. Other manufacturers are already pushing out OS updates for their tablets (like Asus and its Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet) so, for Lenovo users, the refresh can't come soon enough.

Source: PCWorld
Via: AndroidCentral Other posts tagged with: Android, Tablet, News, Ice Cream Sandwich, Lenovo, IdeaTab, ThinkPad

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SprintZone For iPhone Makes Its Way Into the App Store

Are you on Sprint? Got the iPhone 4 or the latest iPhone 4S? If yes then the Sprint Zone application is for you. It recently made its way into the iTunes App Store, it's free and it offers you quick and easy access to your account.

Aside from accessing your account you will also be informed about Sprint News and promotions. The following features are available for both Sprint and non-Sprint customers: device management (power controls, resources etc.), Apple and Sprint store Locator as well as help functions, including access to a care representative. If you like the application or think it will help you improve your mobile life in any way, follow the source link below to download.

Source: iTunes App Store
Via: Sprintfeed Other posts tagged with: Apple, Sprint, iPhone 4, iOS, News, iPhone 4S

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Sprint Nexus S 4G Meets Leaked Official Ice Cream Sandwich ROM

An Ice Cream Sandwich ROM for the Samsung-made Sprint Google Nexus S 4G has been leaked online and, according to reports, chances are that this is the final build the carrier will be rolling out over-the-air.

The build number, as you can see in the image above, is IMM26 and everything seems to be working just fine. If you don't want to wait for the official update to hit your device over-the-air, the official way, you can head over to the source link and get to work (insert usual word of warning here). The files will be over at XDA Developers for three days and, while we're sure someone will post them in another place, make sure to grab the goodies quickly just to be on the safe side.

Source: XDA Developers
Via: AndroidCentral Other posts tagged with: Samsung, Sprint, Google, Nexus S 4G, News, Ice Cream Sandwich

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Nokia Lumia 800 Makes Its Way To Australia In March

Announced on October 26, the Nokia Lumia 800 is enjoying great popularity on the markets where it is already present and the manufacturer is slowly working its way in other regions too. People in Australia can prepare to greet Nokia's first Windows Phone at the end of the first quarter, in March.

It will be available both from carriers like Optus, Telstra, and Vodafone as well as through all major retailers in the country. The color palette will be complete and future owners will be able to choose from black, blue (Cyan) and pink (Magenta).

"Interest locally for Nokia Lumia, our first range of Nokia with Windows Phone devices, has been extremely positive, with a significant appetite from operators and retailers looking to offer consumers a real smartphone alternative", said Chris Carr, Nokia Australia

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OPMOSH2 Not Happy About Motorola's Move With the RAZR DE

OPMOSH stands for "Operation Make Ourselves Heard" and, if recent actions tried to remind Motorola about the promises it made regarding bootloader unlocks, the second iteration (#OPMOSH2) is not happy at all with the Motorola RAZR Developer Edition.

People want "to let Moto know that this

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Samsung Marketing Executive Dreams Of Apple-Like Buzz, Obsession

Younghee Lee is Samsung's marketing executive who recently unveiled that the launch of the Galaxy S III is still under review. The executive is busy thinking "how I can engage with consumers from the bottom of their heart, and not just be a big and functional and rational and reasonable brand".

What Apple managed to achieve, aside from exceptional hardware, is a fantastic brand recognition that goes beyond anything in the world of gadget connoisseurs. The buzz is incredible whenever Cupertino is launching a new product and Samsung's Younghee Lee wants to build exactly that.

The ex-L'Oreal and Lancome person, now head of Samsung's marketing department, wants consumers to be obsessed with the company and its products. "Especially in U.S., people are obsessed with Apple. It

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Injunction Maintained In Germany

Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 faced a preliminary injunction in Germany issued back in August of 2011 and, after a September hearing was upheld. The South Korean manufacturer appealed the decision but the D

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Exclusive: First Look at Waze 3.0 for Android (Video)

Waze is one of my favorite navigation apps. It's available for both Android and iOS, and unlike other GPS Navigation apps, it learns. Based on your driving habits and patterns Waze figures out not only where you are, but where you're going -- and automatically routes you there! When you get get in your car and open the app in the morning, Waze asks you if you're going to work. At the end of the day Waze figures you're heading home and routes you accordingly. That's cool and all, but it's not where Waze really stands out.

Waze not only learns from you, it learns from others who use the app: "Wazers". The more people that drive the roads (with the app open, of course), the more information about those roads is collected. If there's a slow-down, Waze knows from the Wazers stuck in the middle of it and can route other Wazers around the problem -- automatically. All that happens behind the scenes.

Wazers who want to be pro-active and "social" can take a more hands-on approach: they can report things they see as they're driving. If there is a wreck, a police trap, a vehicle on the side of the road, a construction zone, or even inclement weather, you can report it and let other Wazers know. Honestly, as amazing as all of that is, it's nothing new: Waze has been able to do all that for quite some time.

What is new (for Android users) is a HUGE redesign and an overhaul of the entire app: Waze 3.0.

- Complete graphic overhaul and redesign
- Social Search integration: search and navigate to locations on Foursquare and Yelp

Waze 3.0's new "minimalist" UI takes advantage of the phone (or tablet's) screen size by reducing the interface to just two large, finger-friendly buttons -- the map is full-screen, for maximum mapping! A new display of traffic and events on your route helps you make smarter travel choices -- before you start driving. To help make things easier to see (always a good thing when you're in the car) the guidance system has been enhanced with large fonts and complete text-to-speech.

Waze has always had "Social Integration" (letting Wazers know about traffic conditions before they find themselves neck-deep in them) but Waze 3.0 takes that even further, bringing real-time information about new businesses, pop-up shops, and even live local events to your navigation screen. Leveraging "community-curated data" from Waze, Foursquare, and Yelp, drivers can now search for real-time events as easily as they would find their local grocery store.



Waze: Community GPS navigation for Android on AppBrain
Download Waze from the Android Market

Thanks: Michal

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T-Mobile Nokia Lumia 710 Gets Online Discount

The Nokia Lumia 710 on T-Mobile was launched (and available initially) for $49.99 with a new two-year agreement, but certain retailers managed to give the phone away for free, given you agree to the contract.

However, the Lumia 710 is now listed online at T-Mobile for $39.99 which is ten dollars less than what we've seen officially from the carrier. There are no details regarding a certain period of time in which this offer is valid so it's kind of safe to assume that the price will remain $39.99 (online). Additionally, if you switch to T-Mobile or add a new line, the carrier will throw in free accessories with value of $50 when you purchase a Nokia Lumia. These include black Nokia Lumia gel skin, car charger and/or Motorola Bluetooth headset.

Source: T-Mobile
Via: MyNokiaBlog Other posts tagged with: Nokia, T-Mobile, Windows Phone 7, News, Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango), Lumia 710

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LG Spectrum from Verizon Unboxing (Video)

In this video, we are unboxing the the newest 4G LTE devices from Verizon: the LG Spectrum.

Touting a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor the LG Spectrum is certainly on par, processor-wise compared to the rest of the devices currently on the market. Add in LTE plus a brilliant 4.5" IPS HD display, and the device starts to look very intriguing. Sadly, the Spectrum is only running a fairly skinned version of Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread), which seems to cause some lag in the UI. We shall see if the 4G hunt for signal causes the 1830mAh battery to give up faster than if there was a default toggle. Interestingly, Verizon seems to be partnered with LucasFilm in the marketing of the Spectrum, as Verizon's website has a very prominent comparison between this phone and R2-D2.



The LG Spectrum is light in the hand, but with little to no texture, it feels as if it might slide out of your fingers at any moment. Is it the destiny of the LG Spectrum to take the market by storm? Or, like Episode I, to be a menance to the legacy of a great OS?

Stay tuned for our upcoming hardware and software tours of the LG Spectrum, where we will dig into the phone in more detail.

The LG Spectrum is available for $199 on a 2-year contract from Verizon.

First impressions:
- The case is extremely slippery
- Bright and colorful screen
- LTE speeds Other posts tagged with: LG, Verizon, Android, LTE, 4G, Spectrum

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Samsung GT-i9300 Galaxy S III Shows Up For WiFi Certification?

Even though the Samsung GT-i9300 was deleted from the official UAE site where it first appeared, we still have the screenshot to prove that the phone, believed to be the upcoming Galaxy S III was featured online.

The same Samsung GT-i9300 was recently referenced online as the device was listed for WiFi certification. There is currently no information regarding the device or its WiFi capabilities.

There were several rumors regarding an official MWC launch of the Galaxy S III, with some confirming and other denying a Barcelona appearance. Samsung's head of Marketing, Younghee Lee, said in an earnings call that the launch of the Galaxy S III is still under review.

Source: Wi-Fi Alliance Other posts tagged with: Samsung, Android, Galaxy S III, News

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HTC Ville Prototype Caught On Camera with Sense 4.0? (Video)

The HTC Ville first broke cover when we saw its render back at the end of November; it will supposedly be one of HTC's upcoming devices expected at MWC alongside the HTC Endeavour (ex-Edge)

The HTC Ville is allegedly featured in the video below. You can notice straight from the beginning that the phone is very slim, as the Ville is expected to be one of HTC's slimmest phones, measuring less than eight millimeters in thickness.

Moving on to the front of the device you can see not four, but three buttons on the bottom, as we learned would be the case for future HTC ICS phones, reported in our Sense 4.0 preview. Speaking of HTC Sense 4.0, this video gives us a tour of HTC's updated Android experience, which features a cleaner, less intrusive design with fewer circular interface objects and a new dark gray theme.



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Steam Beta Opens, But Where Are The Third-Party Apps?

Last week, we told you about the arrival of official companion apps for Valve's Steam service, coming to both Android and iOS. The software joined the ranks of the third-party tools we previously saw released, and while the official version offered increased functionality, like the ability to use Steam chat, the requirement of needing an invitation to Valve's closed beta test made accessing the official app difficult for many users, keeping interest up in those third-party solutions. This week, things flip on their head, as the beta starts to open-up, and third-party apps start to disappear.

We told you about one of these third-party Android Steam apps earlier this month, but if you go to check it out now, you'll find it missing from the Android Market. The tale is the same for other such releases, and though a couple stragglers remain, the large portion of this type of app is now gone from the Market. The big question, that no one seems to have the answer to at the moment, is if these actions represent some sort of collective decision by these developers that signifies their work is no longer needed in the face of an official app, or if it's possible that Valve put pressure either on Google or the developers themselves to take down those unofficial apps.

Whatever the reason for those old Steam apps vanishing, it's now easy enough to get started with the official version that you might not even miss them. If you've got a registered Steam account on your PC, that's all the qualifications you'll need to get access to the beta. Check out the latest version of the app in the Android Market or Apple's App Store.

Source: Valve (Android Market), Android Community
Via: Android Central Other posts tagged with: Android, iOS, News

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Android gains ground on iPad in tablet market

Related Stories: RIM starts accepting pre-orders for... Top tablet comparison: iPad vs. Xoom... Apple takes the lead in global PC shipments,... When it comes to selling tablets, Apple is still the boss, but sales of Android-powered devices edged upward during the fourth quarter of 2011, according to new data from Strategy Analytics.

Apple shipped 15 million iPads worldwide during the fourth quarter, garnering Cupertino 58 percent share of the tablet market. But while Apple still holds the top spot, its share dropped 10 percentage points since the fourth quarter of 2010, according to Strategy Analytics.

Android, meanwhile, picked up steam, capturing 39 percent share of the tablet market during the quarter, up from 29 percent a year earlier. Shipments of Android tablets tripled to 10.5 million units during the fourth quarter of 2011, up from just 3.1 million a year earlier.

"Dozens of Android models distributed across multiple countries by numerous brands such as Amazon, Samsung, Asus and others have been driving volumes," Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics, said in a statement. "Android is so far proving relatively popular with tablet manufacturers despite nagging concerns about fragmentation of Android's operating system, user-interface and app store ecosystem."

A total of 27 million tablet devices were shipped globally during the fourth quarter, an all-time-high and a 150 percent increase from 11 million shipped during the same period a year earlier. During 2011 overall, tablet shipments rose 260 percent to 67 million from 19 million in 2010.

"Demand for tablets among consumer, business and education users remains strong," Peter King, director at Strategy Analytics, said in a statement. Microsoft, meanwhile, captured 1 percent of tablet share during the quarter.

PCMag's mobile analyst, Sascha Segan, however, was quick to point out that Android's global gains probably have a lot to do with the proliferation of cheap Android tablets throughout China.

September data from Gartner found that the iPad will likely dominate the tablet space until at least 2014.

 

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10 excellent, free online education resources

Related Stories: IGNOU launches Remote Access To E-resources... YouTube for Schools launched, with subject... Megaupload data may be deleted this...

 Educate yourself for free and on your own time with these awesome resources.

Though the years spent from kindergarten through senior year of college may have seemed grueling, they left us with a wealth of knowledge we use in our daily lives (and, hopefully, in our careers). But for many, entering the job market can mean an abrupt end to formal education. Unless you decide to quit your job and go back to school or add hours of night courses to your day, it can be hard to educate yourself on a new topic.

Luckily, there's good news for those with a desire to continue their education: There are many ways you can develop new skills and gain knowledge for free in your spare time. Many universities and other educational institutions offer free online courses, complete with tests, quizzes, reading material, study guides, and even textbooks. An actual degree from a university might cost you a pretty penny and leave you knee deep in student loans, but you can still further your education without dropping thousands of dollars.

Whether you're a painter who wants to learn how to code a website or a programmer who wants to learn more about art during the Age of Enlightenment, there are dozens of online resources. Even current students can benefit as educational resources complement studies open to those who don't have access to them or can't afford private tutoring.

We've rounded up 10 tools that will have you hitting those e-books. Don't wait until you're retired to audit university classes for free; now is the time to educate yourself.

1. Code Year
If learning computer programming sounds way out of your reach, best left to the geniuses of the world, you're wrong. According to Code Year, anyone can learn the basics of computer programming in just one year. Code Year encourages people to make a New Year's resolution to learn enough code to build their own apps and websites. A lot of people seem interested; at the time of publication, Code Year has gained over 355,880 wannabe-programmers—including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg—and more are joining every day. The creators of Code Year, a project of New York City-based startup Codeacademy, think that basic programming is an essential skill that everyone should learn.

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12 things you should know about Facebook Timeline

Related Stories: Facebook launches Timeline for Android,... Facebook's Zuckerberg defends new Facebook... Infographic: Internet gives a huge thumbs... Facebook recently officially announced that over the "next few weeks" it will roll out Timeline to all users. This means Timeline, the reverse-chronological display of a user's history on Facebook and other life events, which replaces and combines a user's Facebook Wall and Profile, will become non-optional. No specific date was given, and the language used ("roll out") suggests that the change won't occur on one single date for all users, but that batches of users will be transitioned on different dates. Before Timeline strikes your Facebook account, there are a number of key things to know about the feature. Basically, until recently, users were able to opt-in to Timeline; now they will be automatically switched over. When you get Timeline, however, you'll have a seven-day preview period, during which you can delete the content that is on your profile and hide what you don't want displayed." From the time you receive notification that you'll be getting Timeline, whether you want it or not, you have seven days—or until you hit "publish," whichever comes first—to check it out privately, before anyone else can see it. You can also jump the queue and turn Timeline on now, but do note that once you turn it on, you can't turn it off. I turned on Timeline early, back in September, to learn as much as I could about it and put together some answers and tips for people when Timeline became non-optional. Here's a summary of what I've learned. You can also take a tour of Timeline in the slideshow, in case you want to get a closer look at some of the editing option and other buttons without turning it on. Q: What is Facebook Timeline?
A: Timeline is a section of a Facebook user's account that replaces the Profile and Wall pages, and merges them together. It shows the story of your life, as you choose to tell it or as Facebook has recorded it, in a visual, scrolling, reverse-chronologically ordered timeline. It's a cross between visual blog and online scrapbook. Fun fact: Facebook Timeline was accidentally released very briefly to the public back in December 2010 when it was called "Facebook Memories," but it was promptly removed. Q: How can I get Facebook Timeline?
A: Go to the Facebook Timeline announcement page and look at the bottom of the page for a green button that says "Get Timeline." If you press this button, there is no undo! And if you don't take this step, Facebook will automatically turn on your Timeline within the next few weeks. Q: What appears on my Timeline?
A: Status updates, photos, friendships made, as well as job history, marital status changes, and other information that you've recorded in your profile. Q: Is the Timeline replacing my Facebook wall?
A: Yes. Timeline replaces your Profile and Wall. But it does not change your news feed page. When you log into Facebook and go to Facebook.com, that feed page of Recent Stories will still be the same. But, when you or visitors go to your unique Facebook URL, such as facebook.com/jillduffyNYC, they'll be able to see your Timeline instead of your old profile information and wall. 

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App of the Week: Chocolatey 0.9.8

 

If you use Linux you will know how much easier and how much more convenient it is to handle software on it. If you ever wished that there was some way to make Windows behave the same way, Chocolatey might just make your wish come true.

If you haven't used Linux, here's a comparison. In Windows, each application comes with an installer that copies the application's files to the right places, and sets up the application's settings. Every installer looks different, asks for different things and so does the uninstaller. Each application you install needs to be searched for online, downloaded and then installed. Each application has its own update mechanism, one that usually runs in the background taking up precious resources.

On Linux this is all centralized and managed by the OS. Most Linux distributions come configured with the locations of software repositories, which are servers that hosts a large number of applications neatly categorized. You can search in these repositories for the software you need using command line or GUI tools provided with the OS. Software can be installed directly from these repositories in just a few steps; a click or two in a graphical tool, or a command in the CLI. Updating is as simple, and managed centrally for all apps on the system. On openSUSE for example, you can search for applications as zypper search firefox, you can install software as zypper install firefox and update as zypper update firefox or use the graphical tools to the same effect. Chocolatey brings this experience to Windows.

Chocolatey uses Windows PowerShell to install applications directly from the net. You want to install Node JS? Simple, just open your command line and type chocolatey install nodejs or the short form cinst nodejs and it will automatically be downloaded, and installed on your computer.

Chocolatey also keeps track of dependencies. For example, a DTP software might need a few fonts installed. So if one software package needs another to be installed, Chocolatey will install them both in the right order.

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Facebook, Google and others help develop antiphishing standard - DMARC

Related Stories: Facebook predicted to have 1 billion... Hotmail bans commonly used passwords,... Report: Facebook to overhaul commenting... An authentication system is being developed to thwart phishing emails, with fifteen companies, including Google, Facebook, Microsoft, PayPal, and Yahoo, announcing their support for the standard. Called DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance), the system will be able to verify for users whether potential phishing emails have actually been sent by legitimate companies, and not those looking to steal passwords, credit card details, and other sensitive information.

Developed in loose collaboration across the participating companies, the DMARC specification is hoped to help reduce the threat of email phishing and improve coordination between email providers and email sender domain owners. Major contributors include email providers - AOL, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail; financial institutions and service providers - Bank of America, Fidelity Investments, PayPal; social media properties - American Greetings, Facebook, LinkedIn; and email security solutions providers - Agari, Cloudmark, eCert, Return Path, and Trusted Domain Project.

As most users can’t easily tell the difference between an authentic message and phishing scam, email providers and service providers will ensure the checking happens efficiently at their end, with the ultimate aim of the DMARC alliance (DMARC.org) and its adoption to ensure that users will only receive authentic, DMARC verified mails in their inbox.

The DMARC specification will standardize how DMARC-supporting email receivers will perform authentication, using SPF and DKIM mechanisms. Senders will then get consistent authentication results for their messages at DMARC-supporting receivers. DMARC thus aims to remove “guesswork from the receiver's handling of failed messages, limiting or eliminating the user's exposure to potentially fraudulent & harmful messages. DMARC also provides a way for the email receiver to report back to the sender about messages that pass and/or fail DMARC evaluation.”

DMARC can be used by everyone, and its policies have been published in the public Domain Name System (DNS). DMARC.org will also submit the specification to the IETF, a step on the way for it to become an Internet Standard RFC, open for implementation and improvement.

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Andhra students to get 'improved' Aakash tablet for Rs. 1,500

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Sony introduces three new Cyber-shot models, including 18.2MP TX200V

Related Stories: Toshiba develops the smallest 8MP CMOS... Sony India launches DSC-TX1 and DSX-WX1... Fujifilm X10 launched in India at Rs.... Sony has announced three new Cyber-shot digital cameras, featuring high-resolution Exmor R CMOS sensors, as well as improved low-light performance and fast auto-focus with the new BIONZ image processor.

The three new Sony Cyber-shot models include the new flagship point-and-shoot Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V ($500) from the ultra-thin Cyber-shot T series, and the Cyber-shot DSC-WX70 ($230) and DSC-WX50 ($200) models from the more basic W series. The new assortment of cameras will come with an expanded range of accessories, including the new LCS-WM and LCS-THT soft carrying cases. All of these will hit shelves in March at Sony retail stores and online, as well as at other authorized retailers.

Speaking on the launch of the new cameras, Yosuke Tomoda, director of the Cyber-shot business at Sony Electronics, said:

"We continue to innovate in the compact camera space, finding new ways to help consumers produce high-quality photos and videos as easily as possible, regardless of lighting conditions. With new technologies designed to improve the overall imaging experience - including extended creativity, control and more - this new lineup of Cyber-shot cameras delivers impressive results with stylish, pocket-sized bodies."

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V in particular features an 18.2MP Exmor R CMOS sensor, making it the highest resolution point-and-shoot camera in the market. The Cyber-shot TX200V also has a reinforced glass design with a large, 3.3-inch Xtra Fine TruBlack OLED wide touchscreen. It is also water-proof (up to 5m or approx.16 feet), dust-proof and freeze-proof (up to 14 degrees Fahrenheit).  The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX70 and DSC-WX50 on the other hand, feature 16.2MP Exmor R CMOS sensors.

Common features include a new "Extra High Sensitivity" technology for minimal noise in low-light shooting conditions, "Clear Image Zoom" technology for boosting optical zoom to 2x virtual zoom at full camera resolution, "Optical Steady Shot Active Mode" image stabilization technology for both video and still shooting, "Picture Effect" options, "Dual Record" capabilities, 3D shooting modes (3D Still Image, 3D Sweep Panorama and Sweep Multi Angle), fast shooting speeds (10 fps burst mode) and full HD video recording capability.

Find other specs of the three new Cyber-shot models in the table below: 

TX200V, WX70, WX50 Specifications TX200V WX70 WX50

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Google-developed Android apps the most popular in India

Related Stories: Google reportedly prepping a Siri rival... Yahoo launches AppSpot for Android and... Numbers reveal: BlackBerry owners looking... According to a survey conducted by Nielsen Informate panel, the Android applications developed by Google are the most popular in India. The survey says the Indian smartphone users spend about 25 per cent of their time on Google-developed Android apps, while rest of the 75 per cent includes all other apps.

The Nielsen Informate panel survey further points out the Google apps dominate in five out of seven app categories, while Facebook and Nimbuzz lead as the most popular social networking and chatting apps respectively in India. In terms of time spent, Google’s apps lead in the Search, GPS, e-mail and streaming video segments. Breaking down the usages of Google apps, the Android Market is the most popular Google app in India, followed by YouTube and Gmail. These result patterns were found across the age groups and in terms of time spent per day.

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Mercury mTab Neo launched with built-in 3G support, at Rs. 15,999

Related Stories: Gingerbread-running Mercury mTab2 launched... Spice launches Mi-720 tablet, its low-cost... Mercury launches mTab, a 7-inch Gingerbread... Kobian has launched a new tablet, called the Mercury mTab Neo, featuring built-in 3G support, unlike the mTab2, which only offered external 3G support via USB. Priced at Rs. 15,999, the Mercury mTab Neo has roughly the same specifications as earlier variants, with the exception of 3G support.

The Mercury mTab Neo is powered by a dual-core 1GHz processor, and runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Other specifications include a 7-inch (16:9 800x480 pixel) capacitive multi-touch display, 4GB of built-in storage expandable via microSD up to 32GB, integrated stereo speakers, 2MP rear camera, and 0.3MP front camera.

As for the connectivity, the Mercury mTab Neo features Bluetooth 3.0, 3G (GSM / WCDMA), Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, HDMI out, and mini-USB. The mTab Neo features a 4000mAh battery to power it all.

Sushmita Das, Country Manager - India, Kobian Pte Ltd, spoke on the launch of the Mercury mTab Neo:

"mTab Neo summarizes convergence and convenience. The product combines functionality of two devices and makes the experience and usage more convenient and friendly. At Mercury, we strive to bring products with new ideas and make technology simpler and affordable for all. SIM calling, Bluetooth, in-built 3G, dual camera and overall a strong processor and battery pack up - it's a complete package needed in the growing market of tablets."

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Android Menu button to be phased out, and replaced by Action Bar

Related Stories: Android 4.0 ICS gets a style guide,... Lenovo to update ThinkPad Tablet with... Google opens Samsung Galaxy Nexus registration... Google is now recommending that Android app developers stop using the Menu button for their apps, instead, start using the Action Bar introduced in Honeycomb, and incorporated in Ice Cream Sandwich. A new section of the Android Design style guide has also been made, with recommendations on how developers should design their Action Bars.

The move is another step away from hardware buttons, a trend seen in Honeycomb tablets, and Ice Cream Sandwich devices, which like the Galaxy Nexus, only feature Back, Home, and Recent Apps buttons – doing away with Menu, and Search buttons.

The change in design philosophy was announced on the developer.android.com blog, with Scott Main, Lead Tech Writer, explaining that developers should move away from using to the menu button, toward the more intuitive and consistent action bar. “This isn’t a new concept — the action bar pattern has been around on Android even before Honeycomb — but as Ice Cream Sandwich rolls out to more devices, it’s important that you begin to migrate your designs to the action bar in order to promote a consistent Android user experience.”

If as a developer, you felt this meant you would have to program to different versions, one for pre-Honeycomb devices with a hardware menu button, and another for Honeycomb and higher versions, you can be reassured that this is not the case – “You can continue to support the Menu button on pre-Honeycomb devices, but also provide the action bar on newer devices with only a few lines of code changes.”

Emphasizing the ease of the migration, Scott Main summarized – “If I had to put this whole post into one sentence, it’d be: Set targetSdkVersion to 14 and, if you use the options menu, surface a few actions in the action bar with showAsAction

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Mumbai University gets 25,000 booking requests for Aakash tablet

booked... Andhra students to get 'improved' Aakash... Aakash tablet PC to feature Indian War... In spite of heavy criticism from various sectors, demand for the ultra low-cost Aakash tablet has continued to rise. The University of Mumbai has reportedly received about 25,000 booking requests for the Aakash tablet. Each tablet costs Rs. 1,138. The university revealed that requests have come from its 90 colleges and departments. The university is expecting more booking requests in the coming phase. The first phase of requests will be dispatched to the Union HRD ministry this weekend.

The scheme of subsidised Aakash tablets was extended by the HRD ministry for all the universities. The circulars requesting colleges, universities departments, were released last month. Students were asked to consult their respective heads for booking the Aakash tablet. Read our previous coverage here.

Vivek College in Goregaon has received the maximum number of booking requests (2262) from students. "Colleges in far-off places like Alibaug also have demanded the device in large numbers," revealed Mohan Kumar, convener of the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NME-ICT) from the university. Kumar further said that booking requests were still pouring in.

An official at the Mumbai University revealed that the tablet would be customised to incorporate the needs of the universities and central government. He also pointed out the the initial Aakash received a lot of criticism from users. “They are being modified now to suit everybody's requirements," he added.

The Indian government had unveiled the Aakash tablet in October last year. Aimed at bridging the digital divide in the country, the Aakash tablet will be given to students at subsidised price of Rs. 1,500. The Indian government aims to distribute 22 crore Aakash tablets in future. The commercial version of Aakash, UbiSlate 7, had sold out in less than a week after it was launched online.
 

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Students to get Aakash 2 tablet at no extra cost Students to get Aakash tablet on rent from college libraries Andhra students to get 'improved' Aakash tablet for Rs. 1,500 Aakash tablet PC to feature Indian War Comics HRD Ministry moots consumer-friendly specifications for Aakash tablet 22 crore Aakash tablets to be tendered in the near future DataWind draws government ire over faulty Aakash tablets Everything you need to know about the Aakash tablet PC Five reasons why UbiSlate 7 should have been the original Aakash Skip Aakash and buy the Aakash 2 tablet for Rs. 500 more Aakash tablet goes on sale online Your guide to the new $35 Aakash Tablet Aakash vs. Beetel Magiq vs. Reliance 3G Tab

 

 

 

Listed under tags : datawind , government , india , tablets , indian government , kapil sibal , sakshat , android tablets , aakash tablet , aakash , budget tablets , ubislate , ubislate 7 , aakash 2 , ubislate 7 tablet , aakash 2 tablet , $35tablet , ubislate7

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LG Optimus 3D 2 to be launched as LG 3D MAX: Rumour

Related Stories: LG CX2 images surface online; rumoured... A slimmer version of LG Optimus 3D in... LG Optimus 3D gets much-needed Android... Last week the leaked photos of the LG Optimus 3D 2, codenamed CX2, hit the Internet. The second generation of the LG 3D smartphone was rumoured to be launched at the forthcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC). The latest round of rumours suggest the smartphone will be launched at the MWC event as per schedule with a brand name - 3D MAX or Optimus 3D MAX. Buzz has it that LG may drop the 'Optimus' tag in the name altogether.

To refresh your memory, the LG 3D MAX a.k.a Optimus 3D 2 is believed to be powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and use a 4.3-inch WVGA NOVA 3D display capable of better 2D-to-3D conversion. The two cameras will be 5MP megapixels, but it's not confirmed whether they will be capable of 1080p 3D videos. The 3D smartphone is most likely to run on Android Gingerbread operating system with much more 3D things than its predecessor.
 

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LG CX2 images surface online; rumoured as LG Optimus 3D 2 LG Optimus 3D Review A slimmer version of LG Optimus 3D in offing; to be launched next year LG Optimus 3D gets much-needed Android 2.3 Gingerbread upgrade LG confirms Android 4.0 ICS update for its Optimus devices

 

Listed under tags : lg , lg optimus 3d , lg optimus 3d 2 , lg cx2 , lg 3d max , 3d max , lg optimus 3d max , optimus 3d max Recommended Stories:

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Windows Phone Tango to support 120 languages and C++ code

Related Stories: Windows Phone to get Skype app soon RIM ties up with Microsoft to offer... Windows Phone 7 firmware update bricks... Recent news leaked from a Microsoft developer event in India has revealed some interesting information about the upcoming Tango update for Windows Phone, including wider support for languages, and possible C

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