Lenovo wants to be the first to market with Windows 8 tablet in October

Lenovo will reportedly be the first manufacturer to market with a Windows 8 tablet. Insiders at the company have told The Verge that Lenovo plans to release a Windows 8 tablet as soon as Microsoft releases the OS – and they believe that will happen in October.

The unspecified tablet is said to utilize an Intel chip but specifications beyond that are unknown at this point. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that all new Windows 8 tablets have to be based on new hardware. Existing tablets can be Windows 8 certified so long as they meet the guidelines outlined in Microsoft’s hardware requirements list.

CNET believes that Lenovo’s first Windows 8 tablet could be the IdeaPad Yoga, a prototype device that first showed up at CES 2012. This hybrid notebook / tablet feature a 13.3-inch display with a resolution of 1,600 x 900 and 10 touch points.

Not unlike other convertibles we have seen in the past, the Yoga’s display flips over, allowing the user to utilize the screen as a tablet. The difference here is the way the hinges work. Traditional convertibles utilized a single central hinge that many felt was a weak design element. The Yoga is expected to debut starting at $1,199 later this year.

Lenovo is just one of several manufacturers vying for a Windows 8 tablet later this year. Dell, HP, Nokia and ASUS have all thrown their names into the proverbial hat. Dell is even looking to release an enterprise Win 8 slate on the exact day Microsoft makes the OS available to the public.

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Former Microsoft employee launches 'Fixing Windows 8' blog

A former Microsoft employee has launched a blog called ‘Fixing Windows 8’ that offers suggestions that he hopes the company will implement prior to releasing their next operating system. Simply put, Mike Bibik feels that new users won’t know how to navigate the interface primarily because Microsoft has hidden several features and menus from view.

The author suggests that power users should be able to figure out how to effectively use the mouse in Windows 8 but novice or new users will be completely lost. Furthermore he complains that Metro style apps don’t have window controls so there’s no obvious way to exit or minimize an app once inside.




To back up his claims, he has linked a YouTube video from Chris Pirillo. In the clip, Pirillo’s father can be seen trying to navigate from the Windows 8 desktop back to the Metro UI unsuccessfully. If this video is any indication, the average user is certainly going to have a tough time later this year when the final version ships.

But rather than totally bash Microsoft over the choices, Bibik hopes that his words will be seen as informative and eye-opening rather than overly-critical. He even offers up some suggestions to alleviate the glaring issues, such as combining the desktop task bar with the new Start screen, combining Charms and the master apps list into a single menu, adding a dedicated Charms bar and bringing back the Start button on the desktop.

Is Microsoft trying too hard to make Windows 8 a tablet OS and overlooking traditional desktop users?

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The new iPad 3: Everything you should know

Earlier today, Apple wrapped up its press conference detailing what we thought would be called the iPad 3. The new tablet is the same size and shape as its predecessors, but changes a lot of things under the hood. For quick information on the new tablet, check out our news recap. But if you have a bit of time, we’ve compiled a more comprehensive list of things you should know about Apple’s next hot device.

It’s not an iPad 3. It’s “The new iPad”

The first thing that confused us is the name. Instead of going with the name iPad 3 or iPad HD, Apple has gone back to the basics and is simply calling this the ‘iPad,’ or “The new iPad.” While this naming convention is sure to confuse and annoy us geeks and press people of the world who must write about “The new iPad” everyday, it shouldn’t mean much to you (unless you’re one of us!). It’s a third-generation iPad.

Same size and design

While it’s called the new iPad, it looks exactly like the old iPad. The new device has the same exact design and nearly identical dimensions as the iPad 2, though it’s slightly fatter (9.4mm vs. 8.8mm) and slightly heavier (652g vs. 601g) due to the larger internal battery needed to run the ‘resolutionary’ screen you’re about to read up on.

It’s Resolutionary!

We can’t imagine Steve Jobs approving a word like ‘Resolutionary,’ but that is how Apple is describing the new iPad’s screen. It is still 9.7 inches (diagonally), but the new screen packs 2047×1536 pixels, or twice the resolution of the iPad 2. While this resolution is essentially the 3:4 aspect ratio equivalent of the widescreen 1080p (1920x1080px) format, Apple is right to tout that an iPad packs many more pixels than even 1080p devices do. Supposedly this will improve the viewing experience dramatically, as demonstrated by Apple many times, though we played with a high-resolution Asus Transformer Infinity recently and didn’t notice too much of a leap. However, that was not iOS and not an iPad.

Apple is also bringing back the term “Retina display,” which was used to describe the 960×640 pixel resolution of the iPhone 4 and 4S. However, the scale for what constitutes a “retina display” has slid downward with the marketing. While the iPhone 4 has a 326ppi (Pixels Per Inch) display, which means that a normal person (said Steve Jobs) wouldn’t be able to distinguish pixels at 10 inches away). The new iPad may have a much higher resolution, but it’s also a much larger screen, giving it a 264 ppi. At that rate, you would have to hold the iPad 15 inches away (we think) to not notice any pixelation. Is it a Retina display? We don’t know, but it’s still probably the best one on the market.

Quad-core graphics (but not processing)

Like many of the upcoming high-end Android smartphones and tablets, the new iPad will have a quad-core processor in it, and in true Apple fashion, it is a custom chip built by the Cupertino company itself. Strangely though, it’s not the main processor that’s quad-core: it’s the graphic processor (GPU). The central processing unit (CPU) is likely still dual-core, but Apple is deceptively pushing the entire tablet as a quad-core device. If we were to follow Apple’s logic, then all Android devices running the quad-core Tegra 3 processor would actually be labeled as 12-core devices, since that’s how many cores are in the Tegra 3 GPU.

Marketing lingo aside, no specific specs on its clockspeed or capabilities are yet known, but Apple showed off some impressive new games by Namco and Epic during its press conference and claimed that the iPad now had power comparable to gaming consoles like the PS3 and Xbox 360. Without knowing more, we can’t necessarily disagree.

As for the rest of the tablets relevant hardware specifications, we know that it will still come with either 16, 32, or 64GB of internal storage, we are guessing it has 1GB of RAM, and it has an audio headphone jack and standard Apple charging and dock port. Sorry guys, still no microSD or Micro USB. The camera is quite nice though.


iSight for all

The name is cheesy, but if you compare the new iPad camera to that of the iPad 2, it looks like it will be an entirely new experience. The iPad 2 had a cheap and crappy camera, but Apple has integrated what appears to be the same rear camera as the iPhone 4S (and it’s nice) into its new tablet. It can take photos at 5 megapixels, record video at 1080p and has other standard features like autofocus and tap to focus. Unfortunately, there is no flash and the front-facing camera is still VGA (640×480 pixels), meaning Apple isn’t making many upgrades to enhance FaceTime.

The iPhone 4S camera is probably the best smartphone camera around, which is why this announcement is particularly exciting. Combined with the high resolution of the new iPad’s screen, this camera could do some cool things. To celebrate, Apple is releasing a few new apps as well.

iOS 5.1

If you own an iPhone 4S, you’ve used iOS 5.1. In this update, Apple added support for iCloud, which syncs up your files and backs them up remotely as well as a number of other enhancements like an app notification tray (a la Android) and other small enhancements like Twitter integration, AirPlay mirroring, and iMessage.

iPhoto joins iMovie, iWork, and GarageBand

Apple has developed a new app called iPhoto, designed to work in conjunction with the new iSight camera on the iPad. This app allows users to edit their photos, and easily tweak color, exposure, and contrast among other things. You can also use your fingers like “brushes” and adjust small details of your photos, then share them straight to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, or iCloud. AirPlay Beaming is also supported. iPhoto will cost $5 and will be available soon.


Siri: No, but how about voice dictation?

Rumors pointed toward Siri being released for iPad, but it looks like Apple isn’t ready for that just yet. The new iPad will not come with Apple’s favorite little assistant, but it will have a new button on the keyboard allowing for voice dictation. This feature should be fairly straightforward, assuming it works well. You talk and the iPad types what you say.

It’s got the 4Gs

Wi-Fi is great and 3G does the job, but if you want a fast connection anywhere, 4G LTE is the best option (assuming it’s in your area, of course). The new iPad will have models starting at $630 that support 4G LTE on both Verizon and AT&T. Unfortunately, when you purchase a new iPad, you will have to specify whether you want an AT&T or Verizon model. Because the two carriers use different LTE bands (technical jargon you don’t really need to know), you won’t be able to switch from AT&T to Verizon. Your iPad will be locked in. A cheaper Wi-Fi model will also be available, as usual.

(Note: From what we gather, the 4G models will also be compatible on 3G networks.)

Battery life: 10 hours

Previous iPads have had 10 hour battery life (9 hours on 3G), and Apple is maintaining that standard on the new iPad, despite its battery draining high-resolution screen, quad-core processor, and 4G LTE connectivity. This is possible because the battery is a bit larger, pushing the thickness of the new iPad from 8.8mm to 9.4mm. We welcome the girth and doubt most users will notice much difference.

New iPad, same price

The new iPad is also maintaining the same $500 – $830 pricing scheme that all previous models have adhered to. If you want a 16GB Wi-Fi-only iPad, it will cost $500; 32GB will run you $600; 64GB will run you $700; and if you want 4G LTE, add $130 to the price. For those seeking a discount, we suggest checking out the iPad 2.

iPad 2 now $400

As it has done with some iPhone models, Apple will continue to sell the iPad 2 Wi-Fi and 3G models for a discounted $400. It may be just clearing out inventory or it may plan to sell the old iPad for a longer duration of time, possibly to combat cheap Android tablets. We aren’t sure. If you don’t care as much about screen resolution, cool games, photo editing, 4G LTE, or taking fancy pictures, then the iPad 2 may be a good option for you.


How to get it

Apple has already opened pre-orders for the new iPad, which you can find by visiting apple.com/ipad/. Your new iPad will ship on March 16. (Be warned, the purchasing site seems to be going up and down. The site is likely being bombarded with hundreds of thousands of pre-orders.)

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Windows 8 Tricks, Tips and Shortcuts

Windows 8 Consumer Preview cracked 1 million downloads shortly after launching last Wednesday and I'm sure many of you have tried it already. Whether you went with a dual-boot, upgrade, clean install or virtual machine, if you're coming from Windows 7 you'll notice significant changes immediately, while others may not be as obvious.

Inevitably, with change comes good and bad -- at least until you learn some tricks that get you back up to speed. I know I've been hitting my head against the wall when things don't behave the way they used to. The Start menu's absence is a perfect example of a radical change. Indeed, the duality of the OS may bring some trouble, but as skeptical as I was, I must admit Microsoft has done a pretty good job of easing many of my concerns.

Metro is undoubtedly very touch-oriented and perhaps a beginner's dream come true. For experienced users, it seems like Windows 8 still holds some promise. The devil is in the details, they say, so besides experimenting with a clean install I tried the upgrade option to see how well it worked. Going from a year-old Windows 7 install to the Consumer Preview was as seamless as you could ask for.

File copy dialogs, the task manager and search look better and work faster, and that adds up for an improved experience. I'm not loving Metro on my desktop since there's little I can currently do with the stock apps, but I wonder if that will be true once my most-used programs take full advantage of live tiles.

Without further ado, here's a shortlist of Windows 8 shortcuts and useful quick tricks I've gathered thus far.

Hot corners


The Start menu is no longer there, but there's a hot corner that makes up for it (unfortunately on multiple screens it's somewhat of a pain to use).

Lower-left corner + Left click Goes to the Start screen (Metro).
Lower-left corner + Right click Power user shortcut menu (Device Manager, Control Panel, Command Prompt, Power Options, etc.).
Upper-left corner Shows open window thumbnails, click to switch between them.
Upper screen limit + Click & Drag on desktop Move to left or right to snap the current desktop or Metro app to one side of the screen.
Lower-right corner Windows 8 Charm menu or Windows Aero Peak.
Upper-right corner Shows Windows 8 charm menu.

Left or right click on the lower-left corner and you'll be surprised with

a useful Windows orb replacement.

Keyboard shortcuts

Windows 8 is very hotkey-heavy, here are some of the shortcuts I find most useful:

Windows key Shows the new Start screen (Metro).
Win + type keyword Instant application search (same as in Windows 7).
Win + D Standard Windows desktop. Also minimizes/restores all open windows in desktop mode.
Win + Q Shows all installed apps.
Win + W Instant search for settings.
Win + F Instant search for files.
Win + I Settings sidebar (control panel, network, volume, brightness, notifications, and more).
Win + P Shows multi-monitor options, also useful for connecting an external monitor or projector.
Win + X Power user shortcut menu (Device Manager, Control Panel, Command Prompt, Power Options, etc.).
Win + Z Shows App Bar in Metro applications.
Win + . (period) Snaps the current Metro app to the right side of the screen. Do it twice and it will snap to the left.
Win + . (period) + Shift Snaps the current Metro app to the left side of the screen.
Win + J Switches focus between snapped Metro apps.
Win + Page Up / Down Moves full-screen Metro app to secondary monitor.
Win + Left / Right arrow Moves and snaps desktop applications in that direction, or to a different monitor.
Win + Tab Switches between open applications. Similar to using the left-upper hot corner with a mouse.
Win + L Locks Windows.

You can snap Metro apps or your desktop to the side and continue working on the center of the screen.

Another shortcut lets you switch focus between the two.

Showing all apps at once (Windows Phone style) and searching with a few keystrokes is

the Windows 8 equivalent to the old Programs menu.

Get the Start Menu back, orb and all!


 I've seen some of you wanting to completely get rid of Metro and get the Windows 7 orb back. If that's the case I'd personally recommend you just stick to Windows 7, but if you already jumped ship there's a trick to do so as discussed on AskVG.

Updated: A second, improved alternative The clever folks at Stardock have released a piece of software called Start 8 that essentially adds a Start button to Windows 8's desktop mode. When you click on it you get a Metro-esque Start menu from where you can search and access other settings.

Remove that pesky wallpaper watermark


As we've seen on older betas, Windows 8 CP shows a wallpaper watermark indicating it's not a final build. The lock screen or Metro UI don't have any similar nagging reminder, and spending a majority of my time in the desktop mode, the message is tacky to say the least. Here's a solution I found circulating on a few forums:

Download this zip file and install the InstallTakeOwnership.reg registry file
Take Ownership from the shell32.dll.mui file located on C:\Windows\System32\en-US
Take Ownership from the basebrd.dll.mui file located on C:\Windows\Branding\Basebrd\en-US
Copy and replace the shell32.dll.mui from the Edited Files to C:\Windows\System32\en-US
Copy and replace the basebrd.dll.mui from the Edited Files to C:\Windows\Branding\Basebrd\en-US
Close the Windows Explorer window and open the Command Prompt with Administrator rights (remember that Win + X shortcut?)
Type mcbuilder, wait for it to finish and reboot.

Other quick tips


Drivers: Windows 8 won't suffer the same fate Vista did with drivers. Most Windows 7 drivers will work just fine with the new OS. Nvidia advised GeForce owners to use the readily available 295.73 driver set, while AMD decided to release new Radeon drivers for the Consumer Preview.

Recalling storage space after setup: Your mileage may vary with a Windows 7 upgrade. It worked great for me but remember this is still beta software. Anyway, if you upgraded you may want to restore files from the Windows.old directory which contains data from your older OS installation and other files used during the setup using the Disk Cleanup tool. Reminder #2: If you upgrade, you can't revert back to Windows 7.

You can recover a few gigabytes worth of storage space if you

clean up after a Windows 8 upgrade.

Upgrading to Windows 8: Windows 8 will offer a complete upgrade option from Windows 7, but the same won't be possible if you are using Vista or XP (or the current Consumer Preview for that matter). System requirements for Windows 8 are essentially the same as Windows 7 (which were similar to Vista), so most semi-modern hardware will run it just fine.

Metro notifications, turning some of those off: Windows 8 encourages you to use a Microsoft account so you can take advantage of neat features like SkyDrive or syncing your OS settings across multiple PCs. However, it will also activate other things like the Messaging Metro app, which looks good, but becomes a nag if you are using a different IM client like Trillian or Pidgin. Windows 8 uses notifications that resembles those of Growl on OS X. You can fully manage, and deactivate the Messenger app notifications from the Settings menu.

Windows 8's notifications look good and serve a purpose, but you may want to be

selective about the programs that can interrupt your workflow.

Native screenshots in Win 8: Although using a third-party tool like Droplr remains the easiest way to grab and share a screenshot, Windows 8 finally adds a screenshot shortcut that doesn't require the snipping tool or another program where you can paste the taken image. Win + Prt Sc does the trick, saving a PNG image file on the Pictures folder.

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HTC One X unveiled, more Android 4.0 models coming this April

HTC was ready to show its upcoming One X smartphone at the Barcelona Mobile World Congress. The HTC One X is the flagship member of HTC's new One family of smartphones. It features a 4.7-inch, 720p HD display and is powered by a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor clocked at 1.5GHz. It is constructed of unibody polycarbonate, and has an 8 megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture.

The One X runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC's new Sense 4.0 interface with ImageSense camera features. HTC will launch the One X globally in April. A version with LTE and Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor will be headed to AT&T in the U.S.

Alongside the new flagship One X, HTC was also showing off its just-announced One S at MWC 2012. The One S has the same unibody type of construction as the One X, but instead of polycarbonate it is made of aluminum. The finish of the phone features an ultra-matte black Ceramic Metal surface that is the result of a microarc oxidation process. This gives the phone a surprising amount of grip when it is in your hand, though it still attracts fingerprints like other matte finishes. The One S is extremely thin and light too, and the slight curvature to the body fits your hand better than say Samsung's flat, thin smartphones.





HTC also revealed the entry-level One V which has a retro unibody design that harkens back the to the Legend from 2010 and Hero from 2009. The One V is certainly lower-end than the One X and One S, and it lacks the "wow" factor that the other two have when held in your hand. Its display is noticeably smaller, at 3.7-inches, and the chassis is considerably thicker than the others.

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Nokia 808 PureView smartphone unveiled with 41MP camera

Nokia has unveiled the 808 PureView smartphone featuring a 41-megapixel camera at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The handset runs Nokia’s dated Symbian operating system, a factor that could ultimately lead to US carriers passing on the opportunity to offer the PureView in the states.

Popular Photography notes that the PureView has been in the works for more than five years which could explain why it’s running Symbian OS instead of Windows Phone. The WSJ claims that a spokesperson said the technology would be coming to other devices but a timetable wasn't given.

Aging operating system aside, it’s the camera that is certain to garner the most attention for the PureView. At 41MP, the pixel count is even higher than Nikon’s $3,000 D800 DSLR professional camera that captures 36.3 million pixels. But if you know anything at all about cameras or photography, a high megapixel count doesn’t always equate to better quality photos.

First and foremost, the output file won’t be 41MP, but just 5MP at default settings. While the image sensor does technically rely on well over 30 million pixels to record data, it uses what Nokia calls ‘pixel oversampling’ technology that combines eight pixels into one in order to produce a cleaner image with less noise.





Nokia is also touting up to 3x “optical zoom” (4x in video) without image loss thanks to the massive megapixels. Instead of actually zooming in, however, the camera simply selects an area of the sensor to record data from rather than collecting everything taken in. The company has limited the zoom range to prevent upscaling so you can’t zoom in further than the input resolution.

Other features include a Carl Zeiss lens with a F/2.4 aperture and unlike most camera phones, it comes with a real flash.

Nokia has posted a sample photo gallery online but as always, these should be served with a grain of salt. Either way, don’t let the marketing-friendly 41MP lure you in too hard; this is no replacement for even a low-end DSLR or Micro Four-Thirds camera.

Other features include a 4-inch AMOLED display running at 640 x 360 with Corning Gorilla Glass and 16GB of internal memory with support for up to 48GB using an external microSD card. Other key hardware wasn’t noted in the specifications list on Nokia’s website.

The 808 PureView will initially be released in Europe for 450 Euros (roughly $600 USD)

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Samsung working on a frameless Galaxy B Android handset for Q3

Samsung, the Korean smartphone giant is reportedly prepping an almost bezel-less Android phone that is dated for Q2 or Q3 2012 release. Unofficially dubbed as the Galaxy B, the phone will have a large display that could probably fit a 5-inch OLED display on a 4.3-inch body and will have a bezel only to host the earpiece and the camera at the top, no side frame, and no buttons underneath it. Probably, a futuristic smartphone with flexible OLED display –yes, if you’ll remember the AMOLED displays with plastic substrates and corning with a Lotus Glass technology making a frame-less display possible.



There’s no doubt Samsung Galaxy S II have propelled the company back on the smartphone arena, and it seemed a perfect timing if Galaxy S III will boast this technology, right?

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SanDisk 19nm 128Gb flash memory chip is world's smallest

SanDisk has announced the world’s smallest 128Gb (16GB) NAND flash memory chip built using a 19nm process, knocking another nanometer off of the world’s current smallest flash memory chip, Micron’s impressive 20nm 128Gb version that was announced in December.

Toshiba teamed up with SanDisk to develop the new memory chip, in a joint effort led by Yan Li, director of memory design at SanDisk’s Milpitas campus. It can store up to 128 billion bits of information on its silicon die that measures just 170mm² and uses SanDisk’s multi-level cell (MLC) NAND chips combined with their own  three-bit per cell X3 technology, which allows for read/write of three bits of information in each memory cell.

"At 19-nm, SanDisk is deploying its ninth generation of multi-level cell (MLC) NAND products and fifth generation of X3 technology," the company said in their press release. "This combination of manufacturing and technical expertise helps SanDisk pack more information into each memory cell making it possible to create a smaller, denser NAND flash memory chip."

The 3X technology gives the new memory chip an industry leading 18MB/s write performance when combined with the company’s All-Bit-Lane (ABL) architecture, which allows for reliable simultaneous access to two word lines.

"Building a 128Gb NAND flash memory chip with this level of complexity is an incredible achievement," said Mehrdad Mofidi, vice president, Memory Design. "This innovation allows SanDisk to continue to be a leader in helping our customers deliver smaller, more powerful products capable of doing more at lower cost."

A single 128GB memory module would consist of eight 128Gb (16GB) NAND chips, making it tiny, fast and power efficient for its size and capacity. Micron is already mass producing 128Gb versions on the 20nm process, so the increased competition should help drive prices down as the new memory chips make their way into the latest next generation tech gadgets such as tablets, smartphones and solid state drives.

Also announced is a 19nm 64Gb (8GB) NAND flash memory chip that is compatible with the MicroSD format. SanDisk has begun shipping both chips, with production expected to ramp up to full capacity and mass production very shortly.

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Top 10 Most Anticipated Smartphones in 2012

Do you still remember what your first mobile phone was? It has been decades since they first introduced mobile phones in the market. If we’re going to back track the history of mobile phones, we will see that it has gone far from where it started. It has evolved a lot from only being a call and text mobile phone to the smartphones that we have now. The smartphones that were being released in the market nowadays offers a lot of great features from instant messaging, gaming, social networking and many many more. And because of this, the demand for smartphones has grown from year to year. This is the reason why top mobile phone manufacturing companies are launching different and new variants of smartphones.

Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Blackberry are some of the top mobile phone companies nowadays and to give you an idea on what these companies may have in store for us this year, here are the top 10 most anticipated smartphones in 2012.

1. iPhone 5

Since 2011, we already heard a lot of rumors regarding this phone. Many Apple fans have been waiting for the release of this smartphone and have become a big hit already. It is believed that it will be one of the best Apple products ever launched with its improved features. More details on iPhone 5 here.

2. Samsung Galaxy SIII

It boasts a 12 MP camera with 1080p full HD video recording, a dual core 1.8 GHz processor and a brilliant connectivity features. This phone is known as the biggest competitor of iPhone 5.

3. Blackberry 10

This superphone as it was called is one of the most awaited Blackberry of all times. Although there are rumors about the features, it has not really been evidently revealed. But they are pointing out that it will level up to the latest smartphones to be released.

4. Nokia Lumia 900

After Nokia released the version of Lumia 800 last 2011, they come up with Nokia Lumia 900 which is packed with features. It is considered as the superior form of the previous Lumia which has a 4.3 inch AMOLED ClearBlack screen at 800×480 pixels, 8 megapixel with Carl Zeiss optics and 1.4 GHz Snapdragon processor.

5. Sony Xperia S

This smartphone was launched during CES 2012 and believed to be released on the 2nd quarter of 2012. Runs in Android 2.3 with 4.3-inch HD display, dual core 1.5GHz processor and NFC capabilities.

6. Lenovo S2

Lenovo S2 is an Android smartphone that is powered by Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). It is great for social networking, has a good battery life and also has good 3G and WIFI connectivity features. This smartphone also comes in two versions, the 16GB and 32GB.

7. Sony Xperia Ion

Another one from Sony Ericsson that is said to be released this year is the Sony Experia Ion. It is powered by 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, has a 12.1 MP camera and an internal memory of 16GB.

8. Motorola Droid Razr Maxx

For 2012, Motorola will be releasing a new Android phone. It has an advanced touch screen display with qHD, a remarkable 8MP camera with flash and image stabilization and an excellent battery life.

9. Lenovo K800

Another one from Lenovo, the first Intel-powered smartphone, Lenovo K800. This smartphone has a 1.6GHz Intel Medfield processor, a TFT display, and an 8 megapixel camera and runs in Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

10. HTC Titan II

The smartphone which may become the next target of HTC fans this year. It has superb LCD capacitive touch screen, a 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S2 processor, and a 16MP camera that provides excellent quality photos and videos.

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Windows 8 Consumer Preview coming Feb. 29, bundled apps leaked

As promised, Microsoft will release a public beta of Windows 8 this month. The company scheduled a launch event for the "Consumer Preview" of its next operating system on February 29 in Barcelona, Spain -- the same timeframe and city as Mobile World Congress but they're separate occasions. Although the company is doling out invitations, it hasn't shared much about the event or whether a US affair is planned.

While Microsoft's announcement is lacking juicy details, The Verge has learned more about the programs that might ship with Windows 8. According to unnamed sources familiar with Microsoft's plans, the OS will offer Metro-style camera, messaging, mail, calendar, SkyDrive, photo, video, music and "people" applications -- all of which will be present in the Consumer Preview, but aren't set in stone for the full release.

It's noted that the calendar, mail, messaging and people apps will be more encompassing and useful than solely Windows Live software. The messaging app, for instance, is claimed to have support for SMS. The music and video apps are currently labeled as Zune, but they were built by the Xbox team and they'll soon be rebranded as such. Xbox Live will be the entertainment brand for Windows 8's music, videos and games.

Microsoft has kept Windows 8 in the headlines by gradually releasing information over the last year or so. Although there are new features for conventional desktop users, the next OS is expected to address the many mobile-oriented shortcomings of Microsoft's previous offerings, including the addition of a touch-friendly "Metro" interface.

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Galaxy S III is 7mm thin, has quad-core CPU, coming in May

Although Samsung's Galaxy S III won't appear at Mobile World Congress at the end of February, the device is expected to hit shelves in the first half of 2012. According to South Korea's Electronic Times News, the next-generation Galaxy S will be one of the thinnest smartphones to date and it'll supposedly arrive in May -- later than the previously-speculated April launch and more in line with the Galaxy S II's anniversary.

If the rumored info is accurate, Samsung's upcoming flagship will measure a mere 7mm thick, roughly 1.5mm thinner than the Galaxy S II, 2.3mm thinner than Apple's iPhone 4S and a hair slimmer than the Droid Razr. To achieve such a trim profile, the company is reportedly using components that are 10 to 20% thinner than standard parts, including the printed circuit board, connectors and miscellaneous chips.

Inside its diminutive shell, the handset will pack a quad-core processor -- a first for Samsung -- along with 2GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front camera and support for LTE networks. It'll also have a HD Super AMOLED Plus display and it'll run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Separate rumors from late January suggest the Galaxy S III will carry a 12MP camera and 64GB of storage.

ET News notes that if the Galaxy S III's camera is as thick as its predecessor's, it will likely protrude from the phone. If we understand the translation right, Samsung hopes to ship 30 million of its next-gen device and its primary goal is to defeat the iPhone 5. Not only does Samsung want its highest-end Galaxy S III to outshine Apple's upcoming handset, it wants to offer more variety with up to seven iterations.

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New Developments in Consumer Robotics

The development of robotics into the consumer market has been expanding in many directions in the last decade. Fueled by some of the same algorithmic technology as computer applications that allow users to download utorrent files and customize their mobile devices, modern robotics continues to accelerate. Recently, consumer robotics took another turn and this time it involves kissing.

Artificial intelligence researcher Hooman Samani, who has been exploring a new field known as “Lovotics”, recently released his latest iteration which is called “Kissenger,” a miniature Skype-enabled computer that simulates the feeling of a kiss. The way it works is that a small synthetic pig with a pair of rubber lips is plugged into your company via a USB cord. When you or your partner, on the other end of the line, kiss the lips of Kissenger it will create a second kiss for your significant other. The technology behind Kissenger ranges from the practical to the bizarre, featuring a virtual mouth that simulates the act of kissing and touch sensitive lips that detect trends in kissing patterns.

While this may sound incredibly strange, Samani claims it’s part of an effort to make advanced robotics cater to human relationships and emotions. He thinks inventions like Kissenger will not only make intimacy more convenient for long distance couples, but that they will evolve the relationship between humans and machines. He and Lovotics have also created what they called a “Mini-Surrogate,” which is a doll-shaped robot that simulates a child or pet while also facilitating various telecommunications applications.

These aren’t the only recent dalliances into consumer robotics, or even kissing robots. A Japanese grad student recently created what he calls the “kissing box,” which transmits tongue movements between devices, so that the user can kiss people over the Internet.

Fortunately, not all robotic inventions entail kissing. A slate of new consumer robotics from CES involve more utilitarian functions. Romibo, for example, is a robotics collaboration project that involves crowdsourcing a robot into existence for the purposes of therapy, education and recreation. PerMMA is a personal mobility appliance that uses state of the art technology like robotic arms and teleoperation in order to grant people with disabilities more movement and independence. Finally, Myoma is an interactive rehabilitation system for stroke victims that seeks to combine a person’s own natural biological signals with a proprietary neuro-robotic technology.

As we can see, the field of robotics is running the gamut of innovation, catering to various forms of recreation, emotions, physical needs, and medical applications. At the very least, we can rest assured that no matter how advanced our robotics operations get, they won’t making kissing obsolete any time in the near future.

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The end of L and R markings is near, as new earbuds know in which ear they’re inserted

A Japanese research team has come up with a set of prototype headphones that detect which ear they've been inserted in, then changing the channel accordingly, so users don't have to check first.

The one thing we all do before putting on a pair of headphones is check we’re putting the correct ‘bud in the correct ear, either with the little L and R markings, or by using another visual clue such as an in-line microphone to check which is which, thus ensuring the stereo separation is heard as the artist and audio mixer intended.

It’s a tried-and-tested but decidedly low-tech solution, however a Japanese team of researchers at the Igarashi Design Interface Project have come up with an far more high-tech alternative.

They call them Universal Earphones, and there’s a proximity sensor fixed to each earbud that knows which ear it has been inserted in, then adjusts the channel accordingly. With a 30mm detection zone in which to find either your ear or clear air, they work in a similar way to your phone’s proximity sensor.

That’s not all either, as another sensor is used to see whether both earbuds are being used by the same person, and if not, both the ‘buds get a mono signal. Why? So you don’t get just one side of a stereo track when you’re sharing a pair of earphones with another person.

Future plans for the Universal Earphones include a feature where the ‘buds know they’ve been removed from your ears, and pausing the music until they’re re-inserted, or even playing one track through the right earphone and another through the left.

At this stage, the Universal Earphones are in still in development and according to the BBC, there are no firm plans to mass produce them. However, the promo video reveals they would cost less than $1 per pair to manufacture, which could see them being snapped up in the future.

Of course, if you’re the sort of person who doesn’t check to make sure your headphones are in the correct ear, this won’t be of any interest. Just a quick question though, how can you be so blasé?

                            

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Nokia accidentally leaks an international white Lumia 900?

Did Nokia accidentally reveal a white Lumia 900 on Facebook? If so, where is it going to be released, as without the AT&T branding, it could be about to make its international debut.

Yesterday, Nokia made a lot of noise about the impending release of a white Lumia 800 Windows Phone handset, trumpeting its arrival on its Conversations blog and on its official Facebook page.

A subsequent snap of the virginal phone posted to Facebook has revealed something the previous pictures did not. It’s a forward facing video-call camera, and as we all know, the Lumia 800 doesn’t have one.

However, the Lumia 900 does. Except this phone doesn’t have the AT&T branding found on the currently US-only Lumia 900, leading many to believe the phone could be making its international debut soon. If so, it won’t be coming with its 4G LTE radio, as such services are still a rarity elsewhere in the world.

The Lumia 900 has never been confirmed for launch anywhere else, but has regularly appeared and quickly disappeared from various European online retailer’s websites since then. It has also been speculated that an international version of the Lumia 900 would be released under the name Lumia 910, a phone said to have a 12-megapixel camera instead of the 8-megapixel found on the 800 and 900.

Initially expected to be part of Nokia’s grand return to Mobile World Congress, this week the existence of the Lumia 910 has been refuted by Nokia’s imaging expert Damian Dinning, who tweeted that it “didn’t exist.”

So, is this phone the Nokia 800, 900 or a Europe-bound 910? Whichever it turns out to be, the white polycarbonate body looks absolutely flawless, something Nokia themselves say was extremely difficult to achieve. They call it “extreme product making” and admit the crisp color is the result of two years work.

White phones aren’t for everyone, but Nokia’s attempt is sure to win plenty of new fans.

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Windows 8's public beta, is the Start button going the way of the taskbar?

As we draw closer to the Windows 8 public beta this month, we've come to learn many different details of what Microsoft is cooking behind the scenes in the new OS, which is expected to debut in final form by the end of this year.

The latest tidbit, it's being reported that in the most recent Windows 8 build leaked to the web, Microsoft has tweaked the traditional desktop mode by removing the signature Windows orb button from the taskbar.

Traditionally known as the Start button, this quick access menu debuted in Windows 95 and has remained a central piece of the operating system's user interface since. The button was stylized as an orb in Windows Vista and Windows 7, and on earlier builds of Windows 8 it'd been replaced by a plain looking square that went in line with some of the new UI elements and Metro interface language.

Functionality will remain however - or at least that's how it's working on the leaked build - but instead of clicking on a button you need to move your mouse over the bottom left corner of the screen and the Start menu will pop up. Who knows, maybe the change makes sense and it simply works best like this once you get used to it.

Nonetheless, it's evident the primary focus will be on the Start screen (Metro-based dashboard), leaving the traditional desktop view as a necessary leftover interface as most applications will be depending on it when the OS launches.

Other new and upgraded elements of Windows 8 that have been uncovered in the past few months include changes to Explorer, mobile broadband and WiFi connection interface enhancements, new refresh and reset options, a smoother setup experience, built-in device synchronization, and more.

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How to harvest electricity from cockroaches

It’s the chemical within the cockroach that powers a particular reaction to squeeze out some measurable amount of electricity. “Maximum power density reached nearly 100 microwatts per square centimeter at 0.2 volts. Maximum current density was about 450 microamps per square centimeter.” How it’s possible to harvest electricity from cockroaches? Learn more after the break.

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Next iDevice from apple

With all the iDevices found in the market from iPhone, iPod Touch, iPads to Macbooks, do you think there’s still lacking? Something that will control these iDevices and Macs remotely. Something that will connect these devices altogether and make it as one? Well, I don’t think so, not until ADR Studios released their new concept. Introducing, the new iWatch2 concept. A new technology which will allow Apple users to control Apple Devices right at their own wrist.

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The Future of Smartphones from the World of Concept Phones

Ever since the birth of science fiction in the 19th century people have enjoyed predicting what the future holds for technology. While some forecasts from several decades ago can seem quite laughable now they still managed to get a lot of things right. While the concepts in this 1960s prediction of the future may all sound familiar, the hardware still seems stuck in a bygone era. One thing that this video didn’t predict was Apple’s revolutionary concept of producing stylish looking gadgets.


With modern computers and Photoshop it is easier than ever for future enthusiasts to offer their vision of the coming technological landscape – and it is also easier for them to make their creations much more convincing. Perhaps these concepts will seem quite laughable in a few decades time, but for the moment they offer us a glimpse of some of the things we might be able to expect on our mobile phones in the coming years.

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Top 10 most powerful cars in the world

What brings the adrenaline rush inside you? The answer is – Power behind the wheel of my car. There is a different list of favorite cars for everybody, but if we talk about power, there is a generic list (more or less similar), which I am going to present in this post. All of them are renown all over the globe for their horsepower under the hood. Read on to know more.

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HUD replaces traditional menu in Ubuntu 12.04

Ubuntu is set to replace the traditional menu system with a head-up display (HUD), enabling users to type or speak commands in its upcoming April 2012 long term support (LTS) release of the popular Linux distribution. Rather than using the traditional drop down menu, the Ubuntu HUD uses a transparent text box in which you can type or speak what you want to do to perform actions or tasks.

Canonical founder and former CEO Mark Shuttleworth announced the new feature on his blog. "The core idea [of HUD] is to get to a world where people can direct an application to do what they want," he said. "Having stated your intent, the application leads you down a simple journey to get that done.

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Mitsubishi goes green:Develops green plastic floor mats

In order to prevent global warming, reduce CO2 emissions and the use of fossil resources, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is focusing on a variety of plant-based materials and promoting the development of new environmentally-friendly materials.“Green Plastic” is the generic term for all technologies using plant-based materials, and the automaker has just announced new developments.


“Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC), working with EIDAIKAKO Co., Ltd., MRC Pylen Co., Ltd. and Toyota Tsusho Corporation, has developed a new floor mat made using plant-based bio-polyethylene (bio-PE) fibre to add to its lineup of proprietary plant-based "Green Plastic" products. The company plans to start production of the new floor mats in the summer of 2012,” the official statement reads.

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Update on Iphone 5

Another string of iPhone 5 related rumors surfaced. Recently, there is a buzz that the 6th generation iPhone will sport a quad-core qualcom processor. Just now, we heard rumors that the new iPhone might boast a screen bigger than 4 inches and a different form from its predecessor. This information came from an anonymous source from Foxconn, which manufactures a bulk of Apple’s components.

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Internet overuse can trigger severe structural damage to your brain

The universe with its stars and planets could be significantly related with the internet in terms of its complexity and infinite information lies on its network constellation. As of today, the one of the third part of the 70 billion population of the world has been using the internet as a main source of information and communication medium. The internet has become a basic necessity nowadays.

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Facebook makes you smarter [Study]

Don’t be surprise if you’re getting smarter while spending more and more time staring at your Facebook wall everyday. As Facebook Data Team Study reveals that the highly diverse data coming from your strong and weak network ties significantly influence your media consumption more than you might think.



According to the study, that you are 10-times more likely  you’ll share “novel content” and most of the diverse information you’ll be sharing comes from weak ties friends, meaning those people that rarely you meet or talk with. “In short, weak ties have the greatest potential to expose their friends to information that they would not have otherwise discovered,” the study points.

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More than 600,000 facebook accounts gets hacked daily

Facebook could be the largest social networking site in the planet right now, that’s why obviously it’ll be the main target for hackers and spammers. It’s quite alarming that more than 600,000 Facebook accounts get hacked daily. So do you think Facebook is doing enough to eradicate these security issues?



According to security firm Sophos, there’s “about 0.06% of a billion logins are compromised each and about 0.5% of facebook users get spammed on a single day.”

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New knife drive from victorinox

Victorinox has a knack for making Swiss Army knives even cooler by adding features for the modern-day utilitarian, such as flash storage. Looking back nearly two years, the company outfitted one of its multi-purpose knives with an "unhackable" drive that featured 256 AES encryption and a thermal fingerprint reader.


If someone tried their luck at penetrating its security, the device's tamper-proof design burned the memory chip to prevent data theft. The company unveiled some of its newer designs at CES 2012 and although we haven't caught wind of an upgraded self-destructing model, at least one unit is worthy of mention.

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Nokia sells 1 million lumia handsets

Early estimates indicate that Nokia likely sold 1.3 million Lumia handsets globally by the end of 2011. Sales figures aside, the data is great news for all involved as Nokia looks to rebuild investor confidence after an especially difficult year that saw the handset manufacturer lose $19 billion in value and their shares fall 52 percent.

Bloomberg arrived at the 1.3 million sales figure by combining estimates from 22 analysts with figures ranging from a low of 800,000 to a high of 2 million. Only one analyst predicted sales under 1 million.

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Facebook timeline to be made as a mandatory one

Facebook has announced that over the next few weeks, their Timeline profile layout will be pushed out to all 800 million members of the social network. Users are being given seven days to preview Timeline and make any changes before it goes public for everyone to see.


Those who have not already switched to Timeline will see a notification at the top of their profile in the coming weeks regarding the change. Up to this point, the switch to Timeline view has been optional but moving forward, all users will be migrated to the new layout whether they want it or not

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Hewlett packard pays a huge sum over its defective batteries

HP has agreed to pay $425,000 to resolve allegations that it knowingly failed to inform the US Consumer Product Safety Commission about defective lithium-ion batteries, as required by federal law. As is often the case, the faulty batteries were prone to overheating, posing a fire hazard. The units were sold with new HP laptops and as separate accessories or spare parts for various systems.


Between March and April 2007, HP conducted studies on its batteries but failed to act on any knowledge gained (the CPSC report is unclear about precisely what that knowledge was). By September of that year, the Commission alleges that HP knew about some 22 incidents linked to the batteries with at least two cases resulting in injuries to consumers -- one of which sought medical attention.


"Federal law requires manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to report to CPSC immediately (within 24 hours) after obtaining information reasonably supporting the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard, creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, or fails to comply with any consumer product safety rule," reads the CPSC's report.

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Increase your torrent speed

The use of Bit Torrent is an efficient way to transfer files of just about any size quickly and efficiently. How this works is by breaking the huge files into smaller pieces and is from one or many of the different sources. This is one of the best ways to transfer bulky files quickly even when you are using a low bandwidth connection. There are many more things that you can do with Bit Torrent, but here we are going to discuss how to make this work much faster.


Here are some essential tips for the same,

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Google's sugession to load web page faster

Google has already proven it can load web pages as fast as lightning 
and flying potatoes, but its "Make the Web Faster" team has grander designs. The speed junkies want to quicken the internet by reworking Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), a key communications method that helps keep the internet working. Google says that it can reduce latency and speed things up by increasing the amount of data that initiates a TCP connection, reducing the initial timeout from three to one seconds, consolidating packets using its new TCP Fast Open protocol and adopting a better algorithm for managing network congestion. These changes are backwards-compatible and open source, but sadly don't include any way to speed up internet standards ratification and deployment, so ironically this might take a while.

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Simplify mobile broadband connections with windows 8

Windows 8 will make it easier for users to manage Wi-Fi and mobile connections. Group program manager on Microsoft’s devices and networking team Billy Anders has published a post on the company’s Building Windows 8 blog that outlines steps taken to improve the wireless connectivity experience.

In Windows 8, mobile broadband is being integrated alongside traditional Wi-Fi for a full wireless experience. This was included in Windows 7 as well but there were several hurdles that had to be overcome before connecting through a mobile device such as third-party drivers and software. To eliminate this roadblock, Microsoft worked with mobile broadband hardware partners to develop a universal driver that will work with all mobile devices and eliminate the need for additional drivers or software.

Microsoft has also developed a new networks settings menu that allows you to turn off individual radios (Bluetooth, mobile broadband, Wi-Fi) or disable them all at once with the new airplane mode. This native radio management is said to eliminate conflicts and confusion that is often introduced when third-party manufacturers add their own connection software.

Much like today’s smartphones, Microsoft’s connection manager will attempt to give priority to trusted Wi-Fi devices when you are within range, only defaulting to mobile broadband should you not have Wi-Fi available. When connected to a Wi-Fi network, the application will disconnect you from your mobile broadband connection and even attempt to power down the device, thus saving battery life.

To avoid “bill shock” – that is, receiving an outrageously high bill from your mobile provider for excessive data consumption, Windows will delay Windows Updates until you have connected through a non-metered outlet like Wi-Fi. The system will also attempt to connect you to popular Wi-Fi hotspots using WISPr, EAP-SIM / AKA / AKA Prime and EAP-TTLS authentication types. The new connection manager can even display estimated data usage and suggest ways to reduce mobile data consumption.

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Can you believe it?:YouTube surpasses 4 billion video views per day

YouTube has announced via an interview with Reuters that they are now serving up 4 billion video views each day on the site. It was less than a year ago that the popular online video site surpassed 3 billion daily views and in 2006, it was only 100 million per day.

The 25 percent increase in streaming views comes as Google’s video site is branching out beyond the personal computer. There are now versions of the website that work on smartphones, tablets and televisions, giving viewers even more outlets to get their fix.

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Global Blackout Part 2 targets facebook

A new video posted on YouTube claims that the hacktivist group Anonymous is planning to take down Facebook on January 28 as part of what they are calling Operation Global Blackout Part 2. The voice in the video claims responsibility for the recent attacks on CBS, Warner Brothers and the FBI, although as with previous claims to crash Facebook servers, it can be tough to determine if this is a real Anonymous threat or simply another copy-cat with no links to the loose-knit organization.

CNET points out that the YouTube account associated with this latest video appears to have some legit connections with Anonymous as there are more than one of the group’s videos posted on the channel.

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CEOs quit at BlackBerry maker Research In Motion

Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, the co-chief executives ofResearch In Motion, have resigned following months of investor pressure for a change at the helm of the struggling BlackBerry maker.

Chief operating officer Thorsten Heins was named president and CEO of the Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM, which has been steadily losing market share to Apple's iPhone and handsets powered by Google's Android software.
Heins, 54, joined RIM from German industrial giant Siemens in December 2007 and served as senior vice president for hardware engineering before becoming chief operating officer for product and sales in August 2011.

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Self driving cars: future of transport

Car manufacturers may be rushing to pile cars with gadgets and automation to ease commutes, but when does too much isolation from driving become dangerous?

One of the most striking bits of automotive technology showcased at CES 2012 was the 17-inch Nvidia-backed screen in the new Tesla S Sedan. It reminded me more of a tablet than a car entertainment system, and Tesla has been the first to really get aggressive on things like apps for automobiles.
Personally, I remain annoyed that the services I use to enjoy media at home just won’t work in a car yet, and even more annoyed that I have to pay for both when I should only have to pay for media once. However, if we look ahead to self-driving cars and other advances foreshadowed by this year’s CES, I can imagine a future where a 42-inch screen is where the windshield is now, and you don’t really care how fast you get anyplace. I also wonder whether that is a good thing.
Let’s look at the future of automotive technology and driverless cars.

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End of megaupload:alternate file sharing sites

File-sharing giant MegaUpload is dead, following an international criminal sting spearheaded by the US Department of Justice. Prior to its closure, the site boasted 50 million users a day, and accounted for four percent of all Internet traffic, according to the DoJ. That means a lot of you out there are looking for a new way to  store and share your files. Here, a quick list of 15 sites that will fill the gaping hole in your life left by MegaUpload’s abrupt departure. Just don’t blame us if the feds seize one of these next.

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Nielsen: iPhone 4S helps Apple close sales gap with Android

Market research firm Nielsen has posted its latest figures on smartphones sales within the U.S. and they show how Apple's new iPhone 4S has helped the company close the gap with devices that use Google's Android software. Specifically, in the last three months, about 45% of U.S. shoppers who bought a smartphone chose an iPhone, up significantly from 25% the previous quarter. Meanwhile, 47% of smartphone buyers went the Android route, down sequentially from a dominating 62%.

Apple's smartphone sales numbers had slipped in previous months as people were holding out for the iPhone 4S launch, which came a year and a half after its predecessor, while Samsung was seeing strong sales with its Galaxy S II handsets. Besides the new iPhone 4S, Apple also Apple also introduced an 8GB iPhone 4 for $100 and cut the 3GS to zero when purchased with a contract, further helping it pick up pace.

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