2013年10月23日星期三
Pet Supplies New Here: jowls flap and fur flies for shake dog photos by c...
Pet Supplies New Here: jowls flap and fur flies for shake dog photos by c...: jowls flap and fur flies for shake dog photos by carli davidson all images @ carli davidson capturing the ridiculous and playful facial ...
2013年10月16日星期三
Lenovo shows off an 8-inch Bay Trail-T tablet: the Miix2
Lenovo shows off an 8-inch Bay Trail-T tablet: the Miix2
Michael Brown
Look out Toshiba, Lenovo is gunning for you. The company showed me a new 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet last night, powered by an Intel Bay Trail-T quad-core processor with a $299 price tag, undercutting Toshiba’s Encore tablet by $30. Dubbed the Miix2, Lenovo will offer a second SKU with 64GB of memory for just $349.
Lenovo's Miix2 will be available with an optional stylus and cover.
The Miix2’s 800-by-1280-pixel display provides 10 touch points, but it can also be used with a stylus for more precise work. Lenovo offers an optional stylus and a detachable cover for the tablet for $20. The stylus can be stored inside the cover, and the cover can be folded to form a stand to hold the tablet upright.
The Miix2’s onboard memory can be expanded by an additional 32GB via a MicroSD card slot. The tablet will have a front-facing 2-megapixel camera and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera. There will be a 3G option, too; unfortunately, U.S. buyers will be limited to Wi-Fi.
Like Toshiba, Lenovo will include a full copy of Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013 with the Miix 2 when it ships the tablet later this month. Lenovo shipped a 10-inch version of the Miix earlier this year.
Michael Brown
Look out Toshiba, Lenovo is gunning for you. The company showed me a new 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet last night, powered by an Intel Bay Trail-T quad-core processor with a $299 price tag, undercutting Toshiba’s Encore tablet by $30. Dubbed the Miix2, Lenovo will offer a second SKU with 64GB of memory for just $349.
Lenovo's Miix2 will be available with an optional stylus and cover.
The Miix2’s 800-by-1280-pixel display provides 10 touch points, but it can also be used with a stylus for more precise work. Lenovo offers an optional stylus and a detachable cover for the tablet for $20. The stylus can be stored inside the cover, and the cover can be folded to form a stand to hold the tablet upright.
The Miix2’s onboard memory can be expanded by an additional 32GB via a MicroSD card slot. The tablet will have a front-facing 2-megapixel camera and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera. There will be a 3G option, too; unfortunately, U.S. buyers will be limited to Wi-Fi.
Like Toshiba, Lenovo will include a full copy of Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013 with the Miix 2 when it ships the tablet later this month. Lenovo shipped a 10-inch version of the Miix earlier this year.
Samsung planning Knox 2.0 for smartphones, tablets
Samsung planning Knox 2.0 for smartphones, tablets
Agam Shah, IDG News Service
After releasing the first version of Knox security software following a long testing period, Samsung is working on version 2.0.
Knox 2.0 will offer more security features and work in more devices, said Jae Shin, vice president of the Knox Business Group in Samsung’s mobile communications division. Shin did not provide details of the new features in Knox 2.0, but development of features will depend on user needs.
Knox is built on Android, and taps into the OS and chipset features to secure a device. Samsung has partnered with mobile-device management software companies MobileIron, AirWatch, SAP, Citrix, Centrify and Mocana to take advantage of Knox.
“When we give [Knox] to them, we have a minimum feature guideline,” Shin said, adding that the companies adapt the security layer to match their mobile-device management software.
Knox now works with the Qualcomm chipset. Support for more chipsets, including Samsung’s, is being built in, Shin said. However, he couldn’t say if Knox would come to Windows Phone OS, which is also used by Samsung in some handsets.
The security software is in the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition tablet, which became available last week in the U.S. The security layer is also being offered with some Galaxy S4 smartphones.
Knox represents a big push by Samsung to make its tablets and smartphones relevant in the bring-your-own-device environment. Enterprises also are looking for easier mobile device management tools.
For example, Knox features allow the creation of secure boot so only authorized applications are on the device. Knox can create isolated environments to run specific applications, which will ensure Android isn’t compromised. Knox can also be used to establish secure VPN (virtual private network) connections, or to prevent keylogging or hacking. Samsung takes advantage of the TrustZone hardware-based security layer to store security keys and create isolated environments.
“Knox is an attempt by Samsung to do what Google should’ve done with Android a year ago, which is secure it,” said Jack Gold, principal analyst at J. Gold Associates.
Users also bring non-Samsung personal devices into business environments and the security features need to be on more devices for a more manageable BYOD environment, Gold said.
One of Samsung’s challenges with Knox is to deal with a diversity of handsets running different versions of Android with different OS upgrade timelines, Gold said.
Samsung is pushing Knox to wireless carriers, which will offer the security layer to customers. Canadian wireless carrier Bell last week said it will sell Knox-enabled Samsung mobile devices to its customers in vertical markets.
Samsung is also trying to woo developers in an effort to push its Galaxy smartphones and tablets into the enterprise. Samsung has released programming tools for Galaxy devices to members of its Solutions Exchange, a program announced last month to help companies write and deploy mobile applications.
LG earlier this month announced Gate security technology for smartphones, and will battle with Samsung to attract enterprise adoption.
The Knox service is available worldwide, Shin said. But the BYOD trend varies in different countries, affecting which security features and mobile-device management tools are deployed.
For example, people in Germany value privacy and don’t want employers to track any usage or application information, Shin said. In the U.S., users want the freedom to use social networking and other applications at work that they also use at home. In South Korea, users like to wall off personal and corporate applications.
Knox was originally announced in February at the Mobile World Congress trade show.
Agam Shah, IDG News Service
After releasing the first version of Knox security software following a long testing period, Samsung is working on version 2.0.
Knox 2.0 will offer more security features and work in more devices, said Jae Shin, vice president of the Knox Business Group in Samsung’s mobile communications division. Shin did not provide details of the new features in Knox 2.0, but development of features will depend on user needs.
Knox is built on Android, and taps into the OS and chipset features to secure a device. Samsung has partnered with mobile-device management software companies MobileIron, AirWatch, SAP, Citrix, Centrify and Mocana to take advantage of Knox.
“When we give [Knox] to them, we have a minimum feature guideline,” Shin said, adding that the companies adapt the security layer to match their mobile-device management software.
Knox now works with the Qualcomm chipset. Support for more chipsets, including Samsung’s, is being built in, Shin said. However, he couldn’t say if Knox would come to Windows Phone OS, which is also used by Samsung in some handsets.
The security software is in the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition tablet, which became available last week in the U.S. The security layer is also being offered with some Galaxy S4 smartphones.
Knox represents a big push by Samsung to make its tablets and smartphones relevant in the bring-your-own-device environment. Enterprises also are looking for easier mobile device management tools.
For example, Knox features allow the creation of secure boot so only authorized applications are on the device. Knox can create isolated environments to run specific applications, which will ensure Android isn’t compromised. Knox can also be used to establish secure VPN (virtual private network) connections, or to prevent keylogging or hacking. Samsung takes advantage of the TrustZone hardware-based security layer to store security keys and create isolated environments.
“Knox is an attempt by Samsung to do what Google should’ve done with Android a year ago, which is secure it,” said Jack Gold, principal analyst at J. Gold Associates.
Users also bring non-Samsung personal devices into business environments and the security features need to be on more devices for a more manageable BYOD environment, Gold said.
One of Samsung’s challenges with Knox is to deal with a diversity of handsets running different versions of Android with different OS upgrade timelines, Gold said.
Samsung is pushing Knox to wireless carriers, which will offer the security layer to customers. Canadian wireless carrier Bell last week said it will sell Knox-enabled Samsung mobile devices to its customers in vertical markets.
Samsung is also trying to woo developers in an effort to push its Galaxy smartphones and tablets into the enterprise. Samsung has released programming tools for Galaxy devices to members of its Solutions Exchange, a program announced last month to help companies write and deploy mobile applications.
LG earlier this month announced Gate security technology for smartphones, and will battle with Samsung to attract enterprise adoption.
The Knox service is available worldwide, Shin said. But the BYOD trend varies in different countries, affecting which security features and mobile-device management tools are deployed.
For example, people in Germany value privacy and don’t want employers to track any usage or application information, Shin said. In the U.S., users want the freedom to use social networking and other applications at work that they also use at home. In South Korea, users like to wall off personal and corporate applications.
Knox was originally announced in February at the Mobile World Congress trade show.
2013年10月13日星期日
12 great PC games best played alone
12 great PC games best played alone
By Alex Cocilova
Immersion is the best experience
When a developer builds a single-player game, its creative team can craft a deeper back story and slow down the pace to allow the gamer to enjoy all the tasty details.
It can cater to an audience of one, instead of engineering frenetic action designed to keep groups of people entertained. When you play alone, horror games deliver more scares, action sequences are more intense. It's also much easier to surrender to the experience when someone isn’t screaming in your headset, “Dude, you just got pwned!”
Check out this list of some of the most immersive and enthralling single-player gaming experiences you'll ever have. We'll start with a good ol' zombie apocalypse.
By Alex Cocilova
Immersion is the best experience
When a developer builds a single-player game, its creative team can craft a deeper back story and slow down the pace to allow the gamer to enjoy all the tasty details.
It can cater to an audience of one, instead of engineering frenetic action designed to keep groups of people entertained. When you play alone, horror games deliver more scares, action sequences are more intense. It's also much easier to surrender to the experience when someone isn’t screaming in your headset, “Dude, you just got pwned!”
Check out this list of some of the most immersive and enthralling single-player gaming experiences you'll ever have. We'll start with a good ol' zombie apocalypse.
Wireless Cell Phone Charger - Black
2013年9月29日星期日
Smart spear phishing could kill the power grid, experts warn
Smart spear phishing could kill the power grid, experts warn
John P. Mello Jr. @jpmello
While the energy industry may fear the appearance of another Stuxnet on the systems they use to keep oil and gas flowing and the electric grid powered, an equally devastating attack could come from a much more mundane source: phishing.
Rather than worry about exotic cyber weapons like Stuxnet and its big brother, Flame, companies that have Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems—computer systems that monitor and control industrial processes—should make sure that their anti-phishing programs are in order, say security experts.
"The way malware is getting into these internal networks is by social engineering people via email," Rohyt Belani, CEO and co-founder of the anti-phishing training firm PhishMe, said in an interview.
"You send them something that's targeted, that contains a believable story, not high-volume spam, and people will act on it by clicking a link or opening a file attached to it," he said. "Then, boom, the attackers get that initial foothold they're looking for."
How it could happen
In a case study cited by Belani, he recalled a very narrow attack on a single employee working the night shift monitoring his company's SCADA systems.
The attacker researched the worker's background on the Internet and used the fact he had four children to craft a bogus email from the company's human resources department with a special health insurance offer for families with three or more kids.
The employee clicked a malicious link in the message and infected his company's network with malware. "Engineers are pretty vulnerable to phishing attacks," Tyler Klinger, a researcher with Critical Intelligence, said in an interview.
He recalled an experiment he conducted with several companies on engineers and others with access to SCADA systems in which 26 percent of the spear phishing attacks on them were successful.
Success means that the target clicked on a malicious link in the phishing mail. Klinger's experiment ended with those clicks. In real life, those clicks would just be the beginning of the story and would not necessarily end in success for the attacker.
"If it's a common Joe or script kiddie, a company's [Intrusion Detection Systems systems will probably catch the attack," Klinger said. "If they're using a Java zero-day or something like that, there would be no defense against it."
In addition, phishing attacks are aimed at a target's email, which are usually located on a company's IT network. Companies with SCADA systems typically segregate them from their IT networks with an "air gap."
That air gap is designed to insulate the SCADA systems from the kinds of infections perpetrated by spear phishing attacks. "Air gaps are a mess these days," Klinger said. "Stuxnet taught us that."
"Once you're in an engineer's email, it's just a matter of cross-contamination," he added. "Eventually an engineer is going to have to access the Internet to update something on the SCADA and that's when you get cross-contamination."
Current concerns
Phishing attacks on SCADA systems are likely rare, said Raj Samani, vice president and CTO of McAfee's EMEA.
"I would anticipate that the majority of spear phishing attacks against employees would be focused against the IT network," Samani said in an interview. "The espionage attacks on IT systems would dwarf those against SCADA equipment."
Still, the attacks are happening. "These are very targeted attacks and not something widely publicized," said Dave Jevans chairman and CTO of Marble Security and chairman of the Anti-Phishing Work Group.
Jevans acknowledged, though, that most SCADA attacks involve surveillance of the systems and not infection of them. "They're looking for how it works, can a backdoor be maintained into the system so they can use it in the future," he said.
"Most of those SCADA systems have no real security," Jevans said. "They rely on not being directly connected to the Internet, but there's always some Internet connection somewhere."
Some companies even still have dial-in numbers for connection to their systems with a modem. "Their security on that system is, 'Don't tell anybody the phone number,'" he said.
John P. Mello Jr. @jpmello
While the energy industry may fear the appearance of another Stuxnet on the systems they use to keep oil and gas flowing and the electric grid powered, an equally devastating attack could come from a much more mundane source: phishing.
Rather than worry about exotic cyber weapons like Stuxnet and its big brother, Flame, companies that have Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems—computer systems that monitor and control industrial processes—should make sure that their anti-phishing programs are in order, say security experts.
"The way malware is getting into these internal networks is by social engineering people via email," Rohyt Belani, CEO and co-founder of the anti-phishing training firm PhishMe, said in an interview.
"You send them something that's targeted, that contains a believable story, not high-volume spam, and people will act on it by clicking a link or opening a file attached to it," he said. "Then, boom, the attackers get that initial foothold they're looking for."
How it could happen
In a case study cited by Belani, he recalled a very narrow attack on a single employee working the night shift monitoring his company's SCADA systems.
The attacker researched the worker's background on the Internet and used the fact he had four children to craft a bogus email from the company's human resources department with a special health insurance offer for families with three or more kids.
The employee clicked a malicious link in the message and infected his company's network with malware. "Engineers are pretty vulnerable to phishing attacks," Tyler Klinger, a researcher with Critical Intelligence, said in an interview.
He recalled an experiment he conducted with several companies on engineers and others with access to SCADA systems in which 26 percent of the spear phishing attacks on them were successful.
Success means that the target clicked on a malicious link in the phishing mail. Klinger's experiment ended with those clicks. In real life, those clicks would just be the beginning of the story and would not necessarily end in success for the attacker.
"If it's a common Joe or script kiddie, a company's [Intrusion Detection Systems systems will probably catch the attack," Klinger said. "If they're using a Java zero-day or something like that, there would be no defense against it."
In addition, phishing attacks are aimed at a target's email, which are usually located on a company's IT network. Companies with SCADA systems typically segregate them from their IT networks with an "air gap."
That air gap is designed to insulate the SCADA systems from the kinds of infections perpetrated by spear phishing attacks. "Air gaps are a mess these days," Klinger said. "Stuxnet taught us that."
"Once you're in an engineer's email, it's just a matter of cross-contamination," he added. "Eventually an engineer is going to have to access the Internet to update something on the SCADA and that's when you get cross-contamination."
Current concerns
Phishing attacks on SCADA systems are likely rare, said Raj Samani, vice president and CTO of McAfee's EMEA.
"I would anticipate that the majority of spear phishing attacks against employees would be focused against the IT network," Samani said in an interview. "The espionage attacks on IT systems would dwarf those against SCADA equipment."
Still, the attacks are happening. "These are very targeted attacks and not something widely publicized," said Dave Jevans chairman and CTO of Marble Security and chairman of the Anti-Phishing Work Group.
Jevans acknowledged, though, that most SCADA attacks involve surveillance of the systems and not infection of them. "They're looking for how it works, can a backdoor be maintained into the system so they can use it in the future," he said.
"Most of those SCADA systems have no real security," Jevans said. "They rely on not being directly connected to the Internet, but there's always some Internet connection somewhere."
Some companies even still have dial-in numbers for connection to their systems with a modem. "Their security on that system is, 'Don't tell anybody the phone number,'" he said.
2013年9月22日星期日
11 great PC co-op games to play with your buddies
11 great PC co-op games to play with your buddies
Alex Cocilova @TheBrowncoat88 Sep 20, 2013 3:00 AM
Best friends forever
Need some time to bond with your buds? It’s been a busy summer, you haven’t been around, and you want to get back in their good graces. Here's my solution: play some co-op games!
What brings people together more than blowing up aliens, robbing banks, or trapping each other in physics-defying infinite wormholes? Nothing I can think of.
We’ll start with some robbery hijinks that are guaranteed to lead to playful yelling and uncontrollable laughter.
Alex Cocilova @TheBrowncoat88 Sep 20, 2013 3:00 AM
Best friends forever
Need some time to bond with your buds? It’s been a busy summer, you haven’t been around, and you want to get back in their good graces. Here's my solution: play some co-op games!
What brings people together more than blowing up aliens, robbing banks, or trapping each other in physics-defying infinite wormholes? Nothing I can think of.
We’ll start with some robbery hijinks that are guaranteed to lead to playful yelling and uncontrollable laughter.
5 launcher apps to give your Android phone a fresh new look
5 launcher apps to give your Android phone a fresh new look
Florence Ion @Ohthatflo
There are many faces of Android: There’s the stock version offered by Google that’s stylized in Google’s own vision, and there’s the version that your manufacturer would rather have you use. When it comes to interfaces we wish we could change, the latter version is usually the one causing headaches.
It’a a matter of taste, but the interface that your Android phone comes saddled with may not always be the most appealing, and that’s why there are myriad launcher apps available in the Google Play store. These apps customize the way the interface looks and operates, and even streamline animations as you pan between screens.
How to enable a launcher
Once you install an application launcher, you’ll have to remember to make it the default home screen. When you go to your home screen, Android will prompt you about which launcher you wish to use, so be sure to select the new launcher you’ve installed and tap Always, unless you want to be prompted every time you go to the home screen. If you get sick of your new interface, you can always reset your defaults in the settings menu.
Nova Launcher
Nova Launcher is a longtime favorite of Android users, and for good reason: It’s extremely customizable and it doesn’t veer too far from the Android experience you’ve grown accustomed to.
Nova Launcher can move the status bar and the dock, and whittle your Android interface down to absolute simplicity.
Its settings menu may appear overwhelming at first, but once you spend some time perusing your options, you’ll discover that you can do things like set the style of the Google search bar, set the space between margins, and enlarge or shrink all system icons. You can even set how you want folders to look and whether you want to switch to Google’s stock icons or stay with the ones your phone maker has provided you with. For many of the options, you can choose which version of Android to emulate, which can come in very handy if you have an older phone that won’t get updated to the latest version of Android anytime soon.
Don’t be overwhelmed by these settings. They’re there to help you.
You’ll have to upgrade to the $4 Nova Launcher Prime if you want to unlock a few other of its customizable features, including dock swipes, gestures, and the ability to hide apps that you hardly use. Nova Launcher works only on Android 4.0 and later.
Smart Launcher
Smart Launcher adds a bit more flair to your interface—and a sidebar.
Smart Launcher starts off by asking you to select your app preferences, like which browser you prefer and what music app you usually listen to, and then it pops up an entirely new home screen with a menu bar on the left-hand side.
Smart Launcher will make your icons look mismatched if you have an icon pack installed.
It isn’t the most appealing interface, nor is it very intuitive. I didn’t like the way it organized my apps at first, and if you’re using a manufacturer-provided overlay, like Samsung’s TouchWiz UI or LG’s Optimus UI, the interface will look crowded. Smart Launcher’s sidebar looks a bit nicer on a tablet interface.
Smart Launcher is nicer looking on a tablet.
The app also offers gesture support, downloadable theme packs, and various customization options for the interface, including the ability to install plug-ins, though the only available plug-ins I could find were in the Google Play store. You can also install custom icon packs, though they can look mismatched among the non-stock apps also hanging out on the Home screen. If you decide that you want to stick with Smart Launcher, you can shell out $4 for the Pro version to get a secondary panel for widgets, more transitions, more colors to personalize the home screen, and multi-touch gestures.
Go Launcher EX
Theme junkies, Go Launcher EX features thousands of themes for personalizing your interface, though it requires a bit of tweaking before you can get it to function to your liking. You’ll also have to individually delete a few pages of trial apps and widgets that it bundles with the download, but from there it’s an easy process: Go into the settings, select Themes, and choose something from Go Launcher’s vast library.
It’s gaudy. It’s busy. It’s chock-full of “try me now!” buttons.
This app also features a number of downloadable plug-ins, like a custom-lock-screen app, a file manager, and its own official UI 3.0 theme. Also included are options to enhance things like the flipping speed and transition effects,enable infinite scrolling, and fit icons to the screen. Sometimes it felt like Go Launcher packed in too much choice, however, so you’ll need some time to peruse the various options. Bear in mind that the app also features one of the largest user communities, many of whom are constantly submitting new wallpapers and themes.
So many themes, so little time.
Go Launcher EX is ad-supported, but you can unlock the app, as well as a number of extra features, with an in-app purchase of $6.
Apex Launcher
Like Nova Launcher, Apex Launcher is a fairly straightforward application, and it offers plenty of options for altering the overall look of your Android interface without detracting from the experience you’re used to. There are also themes available, should you choose to go that route, or you can leave your interface as is and instead alter things such as the transitional effects between screens or the size of your app icons. With Apex Launcher, you can also hide the icons of apps you never use and resize widgets that are not normally resizable.
Apex Launcher can give you a nice, pristine-looking interface.
If you upgrade to the $4 Apex Launcher Pro, you can unlock the ability to add tabs and folders to your application drawer, change dock swipe options, and enable the ability to allow widgets to overlap, among other thingss.
ADW.Launcher
ADW.Launcher starts you off with a setup screen that walks you through the process of configuring the Action Bar, the App Drawer, the home page, and transitions.
ADW.Launcher makes subtle tweaks, like moving the button for the App Drawer to the right in the dock.
Like the others launchers listed here, ADW offers a surfeit of display options. If you had themes installed previously, ADW will recognize those and point them out for you. A nice option embedded in the Advanced settings called ‘Keep in Memory’ helps prevent the app from going wild with your device’s memory usage. And you can select whether or not you want widgets to overlap. ADW.Launcher will work with your aging Android handset, up to Android 1.6 Donut.
You can set up the transition effects between screens (left) in ADW.Launcher’s settings menu (right).
After you’re done, be sure to share your interface creations online at My Color Screen and on the official subReddit for Android themes. You can also use those sites as resources for ways to make your Android device your own by customizing the interface.
Florence Ion @Ohthatflo
There are many faces of Android: There’s the stock version offered by Google that’s stylized in Google’s own vision, and there’s the version that your manufacturer would rather have you use. When it comes to interfaces we wish we could change, the latter version is usually the one causing headaches.
It’a a matter of taste, but the interface that your Android phone comes saddled with may not always be the most appealing, and that’s why there are myriad launcher apps available in the Google Play store. These apps customize the way the interface looks and operates, and even streamline animations as you pan between screens.
How to enable a launcher
Once you install an application launcher, you’ll have to remember to make it the default home screen. When you go to your home screen, Android will prompt you about which launcher you wish to use, so be sure to select the new launcher you’ve installed and tap Always, unless you want to be prompted every time you go to the home screen. If you get sick of your new interface, you can always reset your defaults in the settings menu.
Nova Launcher
Nova Launcher is a longtime favorite of Android users, and for good reason: It’s extremely customizable and it doesn’t veer too far from the Android experience you’ve grown accustomed to.
Nova Launcher can move the status bar and the dock, and whittle your Android interface down to absolute simplicity.
Its settings menu may appear overwhelming at first, but once you spend some time perusing your options, you’ll discover that you can do things like set the style of the Google search bar, set the space between margins, and enlarge or shrink all system icons. You can even set how you want folders to look and whether you want to switch to Google’s stock icons or stay with the ones your phone maker has provided you with. For many of the options, you can choose which version of Android to emulate, which can come in very handy if you have an older phone that won’t get updated to the latest version of Android anytime soon.
Don’t be overwhelmed by these settings. They’re there to help you.
You’ll have to upgrade to the $4 Nova Launcher Prime if you want to unlock a few other of its customizable features, including dock swipes, gestures, and the ability to hide apps that you hardly use. Nova Launcher works only on Android 4.0 and later.
Smart Launcher
Smart Launcher adds a bit more flair to your interface—and a sidebar.
Smart Launcher starts off by asking you to select your app preferences, like which browser you prefer and what music app you usually listen to, and then it pops up an entirely new home screen with a menu bar on the left-hand side.
Smart Launcher will make your icons look mismatched if you have an icon pack installed.
It isn’t the most appealing interface, nor is it very intuitive. I didn’t like the way it organized my apps at first, and if you’re using a manufacturer-provided overlay, like Samsung’s TouchWiz UI or LG’s Optimus UI, the interface will look crowded. Smart Launcher’s sidebar looks a bit nicer on a tablet interface.
Smart Launcher is nicer looking on a tablet.
The app also offers gesture support, downloadable theme packs, and various customization options for the interface, including the ability to install plug-ins, though the only available plug-ins I could find were in the Google Play store. You can also install custom icon packs, though they can look mismatched among the non-stock apps also hanging out on the Home screen. If you decide that you want to stick with Smart Launcher, you can shell out $4 for the Pro version to get a secondary panel for widgets, more transitions, more colors to personalize the home screen, and multi-touch gestures.
Go Launcher EX
Theme junkies, Go Launcher EX features thousands of themes for personalizing your interface, though it requires a bit of tweaking before you can get it to function to your liking. You’ll also have to individually delete a few pages of trial apps and widgets that it bundles with the download, but from there it’s an easy process: Go into the settings, select Themes, and choose something from Go Launcher’s vast library.
It’s gaudy. It’s busy. It’s chock-full of “try me now!” buttons.
This app also features a number of downloadable plug-ins, like a custom-lock-screen app, a file manager, and its own official UI 3.0 theme. Also included are options to enhance things like the flipping speed and transition effects,enable infinite scrolling, and fit icons to the screen. Sometimes it felt like Go Launcher packed in too much choice, however, so you’ll need some time to peruse the various options. Bear in mind that the app also features one of the largest user communities, many of whom are constantly submitting new wallpapers and themes.
So many themes, so little time.
Go Launcher EX is ad-supported, but you can unlock the app, as well as a number of extra features, with an in-app purchase of $6.
Apex Launcher
Like Nova Launcher, Apex Launcher is a fairly straightforward application, and it offers plenty of options for altering the overall look of your Android interface without detracting from the experience you’re used to. There are also themes available, should you choose to go that route, or you can leave your interface as is and instead alter things such as the transitional effects between screens or the size of your app icons. With Apex Launcher, you can also hide the icons of apps you never use and resize widgets that are not normally resizable.
Apex Launcher can give you a nice, pristine-looking interface.
If you upgrade to the $4 Apex Launcher Pro, you can unlock the ability to add tabs and folders to your application drawer, change dock swipe options, and enable the ability to allow widgets to overlap, among other thingss.
ADW.Launcher
ADW.Launcher starts you off with a setup screen that walks you through the process of configuring the Action Bar, the App Drawer, the home page, and transitions.
ADW.Launcher makes subtle tweaks, like moving the button for the App Drawer to the right in the dock.
Like the others launchers listed here, ADW offers a surfeit of display options. If you had themes installed previously, ADW will recognize those and point them out for you. A nice option embedded in the Advanced settings called ‘Keep in Memory’ helps prevent the app from going wild with your device’s memory usage. And you can select whether or not you want widgets to overlap. ADW.Launcher will work with your aging Android handset, up to Android 1.6 Donut.
You can set up the transition effects between screens (left) in ADW.Launcher’s settings menu (right).
After you’re done, be sure to share your interface creations online at My Color Screen and on the official subReddit for Android themes. You can also use those sites as resources for ways to make your Android device your own by customizing the interface.
2013年9月18日星期三
Microsoft rushes urgent fix for Internet Explorer
Microsoft rushes urgent fix for Internet Explorer
Tony Bradley @tonybradleybsg
It’s not Patch Tuesday, but Microsoft has released a crucial update for Internet Explorer that you should apply immediately.
Microsoft included a cumulative update for Internet Explorer in the 13 security bulletins that made up Patch Tuesday last week, and that update was considered Critical as well. Since then, though, a new flaw has been targeted by attacks in the wild, so Microsoft has responded with an out-of-band update.
Apply the urgent Fix-It solution from Microsoft to protect Internet Explorer from exploits.
The update from Microsoft is a Fix-It tool, which is more of a stop-gap bandage than an actual patch. Applying the Fix-It will protect Internet Explorer and prevent the currently circulating exploit from working on your systems.
Paul Henry, security and forensic analyst with Lumension, says that there are number of mitigating factors that limit the potential scope of this threat, but those factors may offer little consolation for many users. “The bad news is that this is a very wide-reaching patch, affecting all versions of IE across all operating systems, from XP to RT," he says. "And more bad news: the average user is very susceptible to being hit with this.”
Microsoft claims that running Internet Explorer in Enhanced Security Configuration mode prevents this attack. Internet Explorer runs in this restricted mode by default on Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2.
Microsoft states that all supported versions of Outlook, Outlook Express, and Windows Mail include protection by default as well. HTML email messages are opened by default in the Restricted Sites security zone, which disables scripts and ActiveX controls necessary for the exploit to execute.
However, Microsoft cautions that the protection in Outlook only applies to the HTML message within Outlook itself. If a user receives an email with a link and clicks on it, they’re still potentially vulnerable because the threat is now Web-based and functioning outside of Outlook.
“The average user does not run the restricted sites mode, are not using the Enhanced Security Configuration and are all-too-willing to click on phishing emails," Henry explains, "I recommend employing the mitigating factors, as well as advising users about this so they will be less likely to click malicious links until you can apply the patch. It’s been a while since we’ve seen an out-of-band patch for IE from Microsoft, but it’s still important to apply it as soon as possible.”
“It's important to reiterate that ALL versions of IE are affected including the Internet Explorer 11 preview, Tyler Reguly, technical manager of security research and development for Tripwire, says. "Since attacks are occurring now, this is a situation where it's in everyone's best interest for Microsoft to release a patch as soon as possible. In the meantime, install the shim that they've released.”
He adds, “For less technical users that aren't comfortable with Microsoft Fix it solutions, using another browser until a patch is available is the best option,”
A couple additional notes: The Fix-It solution only works with 32-bit versions of Internet Explorer, and you must first apply the cumulative update for Internet Explorer from last week’s Patch Tuesday (MS13-069).
Tony Bradley @tonybradleybsg
It’s not Patch Tuesday, but Microsoft has released a crucial update for Internet Explorer that you should apply immediately.
Microsoft included a cumulative update for Internet Explorer in the 13 security bulletins that made up Patch Tuesday last week, and that update was considered Critical as well. Since then, though, a new flaw has been targeted by attacks in the wild, so Microsoft has responded with an out-of-band update.
Apply the urgent Fix-It solution from Microsoft to protect Internet Explorer from exploits.
The update from Microsoft is a Fix-It tool, which is more of a stop-gap bandage than an actual patch. Applying the Fix-It will protect Internet Explorer and prevent the currently circulating exploit from working on your systems.
Paul Henry, security and forensic analyst with Lumension, says that there are number of mitigating factors that limit the potential scope of this threat, but those factors may offer little consolation for many users. “The bad news is that this is a very wide-reaching patch, affecting all versions of IE across all operating systems, from XP to RT," he says. "And more bad news: the average user is very susceptible to being hit with this.”
Microsoft claims that running Internet Explorer in Enhanced Security Configuration mode prevents this attack. Internet Explorer runs in this restricted mode by default on Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2.
Microsoft states that all supported versions of Outlook, Outlook Express, and Windows Mail include protection by default as well. HTML email messages are opened by default in the Restricted Sites security zone, which disables scripts and ActiveX controls necessary for the exploit to execute.
However, Microsoft cautions that the protection in Outlook only applies to the HTML message within Outlook itself. If a user receives an email with a link and clicks on it, they’re still potentially vulnerable because the threat is now Web-based and functioning outside of Outlook.
“The average user does not run the restricted sites mode, are not using the Enhanced Security Configuration and are all-too-willing to click on phishing emails," Henry explains, "I recommend employing the mitigating factors, as well as advising users about this so they will be less likely to click malicious links until you can apply the patch. It’s been a while since we’ve seen an out-of-band patch for IE from Microsoft, but it’s still important to apply it as soon as possible.”
“It's important to reiterate that ALL versions of IE are affected including the Internet Explorer 11 preview, Tyler Reguly, technical manager of security research and development for Tripwire, says. "Since attacks are occurring now, this is a situation where it's in everyone's best interest for Microsoft to release a patch as soon as possible. In the meantime, install the shim that they've released.”
He adds, “For less technical users that aren't comfortable with Microsoft Fix it solutions, using another browser until a patch is available is the best option,”
A couple additional notes: The Fix-It solution only works with 32-bit versions of Internet Explorer, and you must first apply the cumulative update for Internet Explorer from last week’s Patch Tuesday (MS13-069).
Munich to hand out Ubuntu Linux CDs to ward off upcoming Windows XPocalypse
Munich to hand out Ubuntu Linux CDs to ward off upcoming Windows XPocalypse
Brad Chacos @BradChacos
The end is nigh, and the date of doom has been foretold. The Windows XPocalypse is set to unleash hell on April 8, 2014, and in a bid to preserve the security of its citizens, the German city of Munich is turning to an unlikely savior: Ubuntu Linux.
Both security experts and Microsoft itself have warned that the impending end-of-life date for Windows XP could spark a hacker holiday, as the still-popular operating system will stop receiving security patches to plug vulnerability holes. Microsoft went so far as to warn that people who continue to run Windows XP beyond April will forever suffer from zero day exploits that could harm both your PC and spread to infect your friends.
Microsoft's solution, naturally, entails upgrading to a new version of Windows or picking up a newer PC. Munich's solution is much less costly: The city plans to distribute 2,000 Ubuntu Linux installation discs via the Gasteig library, giving its citizens a no-cost solution to the Windows XP conundrum.
Ubuntu, like virtually all Linux distributions, has a small footprint and should work just fine on the types of older systems frequently found running Windows XP. The minimum system requirements for Ubuntu is 64 megabytes of RAM (though 512MB is recommended) and 5GB of storage space.
Munich won't provide official support for the discs it hands out, though the version being distributed is Ubuntu 12.04, a long-term support release, rather than the newer, yet shorter-lived Ubuntu 13.04. Ubuntu 12.04 LTS is guaranteed to receive updates and security patches until April, 2017.
A solid replacement
Seriously: Windows XP users should abandon the ship before the ship goes down, and Ubuntu Linux is a great no-cost option for casual users.
Ubuntu Linux is one of the more popular Linux distributions around on account of its silky-smooth installation and fairly flat learning curve. The OS comes preloaded with a bevy of helpful open-source software (like Firefox, the Thunderbird email client, and the LibreOffice productivity suite) to ease the transition even more. And hey, Steam's boss says Linux is the future of PC gaming!
But even still, trying the open-source operating system on for size after years of Windows usage could result in some shock. PCWorld has guides for displaced Ubuntu users and aspiring Linux gamers alike, and if you're really feeling out of sorts after making the switch, we even have a guide to making Ubuntu look and feel like Windows 7.
Brad Chacos @BradChacos
The end is nigh, and the date of doom has been foretold. The Windows XPocalypse is set to unleash hell on April 8, 2014, and in a bid to preserve the security of its citizens, the German city of Munich is turning to an unlikely savior: Ubuntu Linux.
Both security experts and Microsoft itself have warned that the impending end-of-life date for Windows XP could spark a hacker holiday, as the still-popular operating system will stop receiving security patches to plug vulnerability holes. Microsoft went so far as to warn that people who continue to run Windows XP beyond April will forever suffer from zero day exploits that could harm both your PC and spread to infect your friends.
Microsoft's solution, naturally, entails upgrading to a new version of Windows or picking up a newer PC. Munich's solution is much less costly: The city plans to distribute 2,000 Ubuntu Linux installation discs via the Gasteig library, giving its citizens a no-cost solution to the Windows XP conundrum.
Ubuntu, like virtually all Linux distributions, has a small footprint and should work just fine on the types of older systems frequently found running Windows XP. The minimum system requirements for Ubuntu is 64 megabytes of RAM (though 512MB is recommended) and 5GB of storage space.
Munich won't provide official support for the discs it hands out, though the version being distributed is Ubuntu 12.04, a long-term support release, rather than the newer, yet shorter-lived Ubuntu 13.04. Ubuntu 12.04 LTS is guaranteed to receive updates and security patches until April, 2017.
A solid replacement
Seriously: Windows XP users should abandon the ship before the ship goes down, and Ubuntu Linux is a great no-cost option for casual users.
Ubuntu Linux is one of the more popular Linux distributions around on account of its silky-smooth installation and fairly flat learning curve. The OS comes preloaded with a bevy of helpful open-source software (like Firefox, the Thunderbird email client, and the LibreOffice productivity suite) to ease the transition even more. And hey, Steam's boss says Linux is the future of PC gaming!
But even still, trying the open-source operating system on for size after years of Windows usage could result in some shock. PCWorld has guides for displaced Ubuntu users and aspiring Linux gamers alike, and if you're really feeling out of sorts after making the switch, we even have a guide to making Ubuntu look and feel like Windows 7.
The Nexus 4 is gone, but its death will probably be avenged by the Nexus 5
The Nexus 4 is gone, but its death will probably be avenged by the Nexus 5
Evan Dashevsky @haldash
The Nexus 4 is dead.
Last week, Google Play sold out of the 8GB version of the LG-produced phone, and Google said it had no plans to bring more to market. Yesterday, the 16GB version became unavailable, and according to unnamed sources reported by The Verge and AllThingsD, Google has no plans to restock the device in any storage size.
The prices of both versions of the unlocked, unsubsidized phones were recently slashed to $200 and $250 respectively, a $100 reduction from their normal prices. Google's recent round of price chopping may have been a way to clean out inventory and signal the impending debut of the next-generation Nexus 5. Just in time for the holiday season!
While LG has publically said it has no plans to build the Nexus 5, there is some evidence to the contrary. The FCC recently approved a new LG phone that looks very similar to the Nexus 4 and which will—like the Nexus 4—run on an unmodified, stock version of Android.
Whatever the new LG phone is, the KitKat-powered device will boast a 5-inch display as compared to the Nexus 4's 4.7-inch display. Additionally, it will be powered by a top shelf Snapdragon 800 processor, which is an evolutionary step over the Nexus 4's Snapdragon S4 Pro. The new phone will also support 4G LTE, which would be a welcome change from the Nexus 4, which only supported HSPA+ and Wi-Fi.
Going by history, the timing for a new Nexus phone from LG would be just about right as the Nexus 4 was first introduced in late-October 2012 for a November release. There have been no official confirmation from either Google or LG regarding the existence of a Nexus 5, but the recent price-slashing, FCC-filing, and that embarrasing video mistake would point that an announcement may be forthcoming.
Evan Dashevsky @haldash
The Nexus 4 is dead.
Last week, Google Play sold out of the 8GB version of the LG-produced phone, and Google said it had no plans to bring more to market. Yesterday, the 16GB version became unavailable, and according to unnamed sources reported by The Verge and AllThingsD, Google has no plans to restock the device in any storage size.
The prices of both versions of the unlocked, unsubsidized phones were recently slashed to $200 and $250 respectively, a $100 reduction from their normal prices. Google's recent round of price chopping may have been a way to clean out inventory and signal the impending debut of the next-generation Nexus 5. Just in time for the holiday season!
While LG has publically said it has no plans to build the Nexus 5, there is some evidence to the contrary. The FCC recently approved a new LG phone that looks very similar to the Nexus 4 and which will—like the Nexus 4—run on an unmodified, stock version of Android.
Whatever the new LG phone is, the KitKat-powered device will boast a 5-inch display as compared to the Nexus 4's 4.7-inch display. Additionally, it will be powered by a top shelf Snapdragon 800 processor, which is an evolutionary step over the Nexus 4's Snapdragon S4 Pro. The new phone will also support 4G LTE, which would be a welcome change from the Nexus 4, which only supported HSPA+ and Wi-Fi.
Going by history, the timing for a new Nexus phone from LG would be just about right as the Nexus 4 was first introduced in late-October 2012 for a November release. There have been no official confirmation from either Google or LG regarding the existence of a Nexus 5, but the recent price-slashing, FCC-filing, and that embarrasing video mistake would point that an announcement may be forthcoming.
2013年9月16日星期一
12 of the coolest technologies we spotted at IDF 2013
12 of the coolest technologies we spotted at IDF 2013
Michael Brown @brownieshq Sep 13, 2013 3:48 PM
Intel Developer Forum 2013
Intel’s annual developer forum ended Thursday, capping three days of keynote speeches, new product announcements, and in-depth technical sessions.
There was a lot to see, ranging from brand-new chips to PCs and tablets in bold new form factors to steaming tanks of liquid nitrogen. These photos depict just a few of the event's highlights.
Michael Brown @brownieshq Sep 13, 2013 3:48 PM
Intel Developer Forum 2013
Intel’s annual developer forum ended Thursday, capping three days of keynote speeches, new product announcements, and in-depth technical sessions.
There was a lot to see, ranging from brand-new chips to PCs and tablets in bold new form factors to steaming tanks of liquid nitrogen. These photos depict just a few of the event's highlights.
Rdio to rock free, ad-supported tunes by end of 2013 thanks to radio partnership
Rdio to rock free, ad-supported tunes by end of 2013 thanks to radio partnership
Lan Paul @ianpaul
With so many free streaming choices available to music fans in the U.S., some services are struggling to find an audience. On a given day, the average online music fan can hop from their personal library on Google Play Music, to Pandora radio-like tunes, to the on-demand listening of Spotify and Xbox Music—all without paying a dime.
That plethora of options is why subscription service Rdio is expected to launch a free, ad-supported tier before the end of 2013, thanks to a new partnership with Cumulus Media, the second-largest radio station operator in the U.S.
“The biggest challenge we face is really awareness,” Rdio head Drew Larner told the New York Times, as Larner feels few mainstream users are really aware of streaming music services.
Unlike competitors such as Spotify and Xbox Music, Rdio currently doesn’t offer a free, ad-supported version of its service. Rdio does offer new users a limited trial for up to six months, but the service’s trial doesn’t have ads and is not a complete service the way Spotify’s free tier is. So instead of a mix of ad and subscriber revenue, Rdio relies exclusively on paying customers who shell out anywhere from $5 to $18 per month to listen to ad-free music.
The problem is that Rdio is believed to have a very low user base compared to Spotify’s more than 24 million users, 6 million of whom pay for a subscription to the service.
But soon ads—and freeloading listeners—will come to Rdio thanks to an agreement between Pulser Media, Rdio’s parent company, and Cumulus Media.
Mixing offline with online
As part of the deal, Cumulus will sell ads for Rdio, and Cumulus will get a “significant equity stake” in Pulser.
Bringing yet another ad-free music streaming service into the U.S. with essentially the same catalog as its competitors, however, won’t be enough to help Rdio stand out. So Cumulus also plans to bring some of its own programming to Rdio, the Times says.
Cumulus wants to create Rdio playlists based on local and syndicated shows across its radio network—dropping local content like news and weather before hitting Rdio. It’s not clear from the report if any of these shows would be streamed live or if free users will have access to Cumulus content.
There could be more integration to come as the online and terrestrial radio companies team up. Cumulus sees the deal as the company’s major move into the digital space, giving the company freedom to try out new ways of monetizing its existing business.
Beyond free streaming, Rdio is also trying to go toe-to-toe with Spotify in other ways. On Friday, both services added Twitter Music playlists to their app arsenals.
Lan Paul @ianpaul
With so many free streaming choices available to music fans in the U.S., some services are struggling to find an audience. On a given day, the average online music fan can hop from their personal library on Google Play Music, to Pandora radio-like tunes, to the on-demand listening of Spotify and Xbox Music—all without paying a dime.
That plethora of options is why subscription service Rdio is expected to launch a free, ad-supported tier before the end of 2013, thanks to a new partnership with Cumulus Media, the second-largest radio station operator in the U.S.
“The biggest challenge we face is really awareness,” Rdio head Drew Larner told the New York Times, as Larner feels few mainstream users are really aware of streaming music services.
Unlike competitors such as Spotify and Xbox Music, Rdio currently doesn’t offer a free, ad-supported version of its service. Rdio does offer new users a limited trial for up to six months, but the service’s trial doesn’t have ads and is not a complete service the way Spotify’s free tier is. So instead of a mix of ad and subscriber revenue, Rdio relies exclusively on paying customers who shell out anywhere from $5 to $18 per month to listen to ad-free music.
The problem is that Rdio is believed to have a very low user base compared to Spotify’s more than 24 million users, 6 million of whom pay for a subscription to the service.
But soon ads—and freeloading listeners—will come to Rdio thanks to an agreement between Pulser Media, Rdio’s parent company, and Cumulus Media.
Mixing offline with online
As part of the deal, Cumulus will sell ads for Rdio, and Cumulus will get a “significant equity stake” in Pulser.
Bringing yet another ad-free music streaming service into the U.S. with essentially the same catalog as its competitors, however, won’t be enough to help Rdio stand out. So Cumulus also plans to bring some of its own programming to Rdio, the Times says.
Cumulus wants to create Rdio playlists based on local and syndicated shows across its radio network—dropping local content like news and weather before hitting Rdio. It’s not clear from the report if any of these shows would be streamed live or if free users will have access to Cumulus content.
There could be more integration to come as the online and terrestrial radio companies team up. Cumulus sees the deal as the company’s major move into the digital space, giving the company freedom to try out new ways of monetizing its existing business.
Beyond free streaming, Rdio is also trying to go toe-to-toe with Spotify in other ways. On Friday, both services added Twitter Music playlists to their app arsenals.
Razer Ouroboros Review: An expensive love letter to lefty mice lovers
Razer Ouroboros Review: An expensive love letter to lefty mice lovers
Nate Ralph @nateralph
Gaming mice are a fascinating concept: how do you convince folks to spend over a hundred bucks to replace their $20 pointing-and-clicking device? First, it needs to be flashy; funky designs and lights help. It needs to be comfortable: see Mad Catz’s Cyborg R.A.T 7 ($99) and its ilk, replete with knobs to fiddle and bits to slide about. It also needs to offer an edge over the hoi polloi and their two buttons-and-a-scroll wheel affairs—Razer’s long since gone over the deep end on that front, the 17-button Razer Naga 2014 ($80) being their latest (admittedly excellent) entry in the input arms race.
Well, almost their latest—here’s another one for the pack, the Razer Ouroboros. It’s got a ludicrous name, will set you back $150, and doesn’t offer quite as much whizz-bangery as the Naga or the R.A.T. It’s also the best mouse I’ve used in years, distilling all of Razer’s mouse-tech into an ambidextrous package that’s user-friendly without feeling ridiculous. And it’s gorgeous, like some Imperial skunkworks project dreamt up by a jaded TIE fighter pilot, forever lost after one last fateful trip to that nondescript, not-a-moon space station.
Yes, it costs $150. But If you want a gaming mouse and can spare the cash, you should probably buy this one. Let’s get into why.
Delicious nuts and bolts
We’ll start with the important bits: it’s incredibly comfortable, eventually. You’ll need a screwdriver to loosen screws underneath the mouse and remove the rear panel, which gives you access to the AA battery compartment and lets you adjust the mouse’s length. It’s feels a bit small, but once stretched out it fits perfectly into my fairly large hands. A wheel on the rear end also lets you adjust the angle of the palm rest so your hand sits just right. The mouse is incredibly sturdy, and the soft matte panels hold up rather well after extended use. There are also a pair of interchangeable magnetic panels for the mouse’s sides, offering up flat, textured plates or smooth, contoured winglets—the latter clearly being the only correct choice.
Yes, requiring a screwdriver to adjust your mouse feels a little ridiculous, but unless your hand regularly changes size or you have very bad luck with NiMH AA batteries you’ll never need to duck in there again. The non-U.S. version of the mouse offers a quick-release latch under the base of the mouse, but us North Americans are out of luck—I imagine these screws are a bit more cost-effective.
Moving right along: buttons are here, and there are just enough of them. A typical mouse offers left and right buttons and a clickable scroll wheel. The Ouroboros also offers two on the spine and three on each side; the two silver buttons are rather visible, but you can also press the mouse’s left or right flanks. Every single button (except the left click) is customizable, and many are by default quick DPI-toggles—I’ve never felt the need to swap sensitivity on the fly so I swapped these out for in-game abilities.
The Ouroboros is wireless, which I absolutely love. It’s incredibly responsive, offering nary a hint of latency with sensitivity that can be tweaked all the way up to 8200 DPI. The mouse’s laser can also be calibrated to improving tracking on your mouse pad or surface. It’s is also a wired mouse, so the gaming purist can love it too. Best of both worlds, really: the mouse’s charging dock serves as a wireless receiver, and plugs into your PC (or Mac) via USB. If you need to move to a laptop, charge the battery while you use the mouse, or just like being tethered to a desk, simply unplug the dock and slide the USB cable into the port on the mouse.
Razer reports that the mouse will last for 12 hours between charges and sure, that sounds about right. I’ve used it incessantly but always find myself sticking it back into the dock when I step away from my computer for extended periods of time, so the battery indicator sitting on the spine has never dipped below that nebulous two-stage mark. The mouse also goes to sleep when idle, but resumes activity with nary a hitch.
Are there problems? Sure. As an ambidextrous mouse, half of the device is arguably useless. Side buttons will be the domain of your thumb, and there’s only so much your pinky and ring finger can do unless you’re incredibly dexterous. Being a lefty MMO-enthusiast who’s generally ignored by peripheral manufacturers, I’m okay with this—extra buttons are always welcome, and I simply assign less critical abilities to those buttons I can’t quite press as handily. I imagine the same will be true for my right-handed gamer brethren.
This one’s a bit more serious: after powering up my PC, the mouse would occasionally “forget” my customized button configurations, ignoring profile settings and behaving as it would in its default state; I fixed this by plugging the USB cable in for a moment. I didn’t manage to reproduce this with any regularity, which is the worst sort of bug—you don’t know anything’s wrong until you’re in the middle of a pitched battle and can’t fire off that critical ability. I imagine troubleshooting and waiting for a patch to roll out will clean that up soon enough.
This is the part of a Razer peripheral review where I bemoan Razer Synapse. I still think requiring an account to download customization software is ridiculous. But truth be told, I’m over it—it’s unobtrusive, offers a one-stop configuration shop if you happen to use lots of Razer gear, and the cloud-saved profiles could come in handy if you migrate between machines a lot.
Really, this all boils down to price. You can find mice that will work just as well as you need them to for $40—they likely won’t be wireless, but purists demand wired-fidelity anyway. And they won’t be nearly as attractive, though beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If $150 is just too high a price to pay, Logitech is doing some amazing things with mice these days, and I’d recommend giving their wares a gander.
But the Ouroboros is a lovely piece of equipment. There’s always room to complain—the profile issue I ran into cost me one or two intense Guild Wars 2 matchups—but this mouse is quite literally an amalgam of all of my favorite gaming mouse features over the last few years, packed into a single gorgeous package. It’s a lot to spend on a single peripheral, but it’s arguably well worth it.
Nate Ralph @nateralph
Gaming mice are a fascinating concept: how do you convince folks to spend over a hundred bucks to replace their $20 pointing-and-clicking device? First, it needs to be flashy; funky designs and lights help. It needs to be comfortable: see Mad Catz’s Cyborg R.A.T 7 ($99) and its ilk, replete with knobs to fiddle and bits to slide about. It also needs to offer an edge over the hoi polloi and their two buttons-and-a-scroll wheel affairs—Razer’s long since gone over the deep end on that front, the 17-button Razer Naga 2014 ($80) being their latest (admittedly excellent) entry in the input arms race.
Well, almost their latest—here’s another one for the pack, the Razer Ouroboros. It’s got a ludicrous name, will set you back $150, and doesn’t offer quite as much whizz-bangery as the Naga or the R.A.T. It’s also the best mouse I’ve used in years, distilling all of Razer’s mouse-tech into an ambidextrous package that’s user-friendly without feeling ridiculous. And it’s gorgeous, like some Imperial skunkworks project dreamt up by a jaded TIE fighter pilot, forever lost after one last fateful trip to that nondescript, not-a-moon space station.
Yes, it costs $150. But If you want a gaming mouse and can spare the cash, you should probably buy this one. Let’s get into why.
Delicious nuts and bolts
We’ll start with the important bits: it’s incredibly comfortable, eventually. You’ll need a screwdriver to loosen screws underneath the mouse and remove the rear panel, which gives you access to the AA battery compartment and lets you adjust the mouse’s length. It’s feels a bit small, but once stretched out it fits perfectly into my fairly large hands. A wheel on the rear end also lets you adjust the angle of the palm rest so your hand sits just right. The mouse is incredibly sturdy, and the soft matte panels hold up rather well after extended use. There are also a pair of interchangeable magnetic panels for the mouse’s sides, offering up flat, textured plates or smooth, contoured winglets—the latter clearly being the only correct choice.
Yes, requiring a screwdriver to adjust your mouse feels a little ridiculous, but unless your hand regularly changes size or you have very bad luck with NiMH AA batteries you’ll never need to duck in there again. The non-U.S. version of the mouse offers a quick-release latch under the base of the mouse, but us North Americans are out of luck—I imagine these screws are a bit more cost-effective.
Moving right along: buttons are here, and there are just enough of them. A typical mouse offers left and right buttons and a clickable scroll wheel. The Ouroboros also offers two on the spine and three on each side; the two silver buttons are rather visible, but you can also press the mouse’s left or right flanks. Every single button (except the left click) is customizable, and many are by default quick DPI-toggles—I’ve never felt the need to swap sensitivity on the fly so I swapped these out for in-game abilities.
The Ouroboros is wireless, which I absolutely love. It’s incredibly responsive, offering nary a hint of latency with sensitivity that can be tweaked all the way up to 8200 DPI. The mouse’s laser can also be calibrated to improving tracking on your mouse pad or surface. It’s is also a wired mouse, so the gaming purist can love it too. Best of both worlds, really: the mouse’s charging dock serves as a wireless receiver, and plugs into your PC (or Mac) via USB. If you need to move to a laptop, charge the battery while you use the mouse, or just like being tethered to a desk, simply unplug the dock and slide the USB cable into the port on the mouse.
Razer reports that the mouse will last for 12 hours between charges and sure, that sounds about right. I’ve used it incessantly but always find myself sticking it back into the dock when I step away from my computer for extended periods of time, so the battery indicator sitting on the spine has never dipped below that nebulous two-stage mark. The mouse also goes to sleep when idle, but resumes activity with nary a hitch.
Are there problems? Sure. As an ambidextrous mouse, half of the device is arguably useless. Side buttons will be the domain of your thumb, and there’s only so much your pinky and ring finger can do unless you’re incredibly dexterous. Being a lefty MMO-enthusiast who’s generally ignored by peripheral manufacturers, I’m okay with this—extra buttons are always welcome, and I simply assign less critical abilities to those buttons I can’t quite press as handily. I imagine the same will be true for my right-handed gamer brethren.
This one’s a bit more serious: after powering up my PC, the mouse would occasionally “forget” my customized button configurations, ignoring profile settings and behaving as it would in its default state; I fixed this by plugging the USB cable in for a moment. I didn’t manage to reproduce this with any regularity, which is the worst sort of bug—you don’t know anything’s wrong until you’re in the middle of a pitched battle and can’t fire off that critical ability. I imagine troubleshooting and waiting for a patch to roll out will clean that up soon enough.
This is the part of a Razer peripheral review where I bemoan Razer Synapse. I still think requiring an account to download customization software is ridiculous. But truth be told, I’m over it—it’s unobtrusive, offers a one-stop configuration shop if you happen to use lots of Razer gear, and the cloud-saved profiles could come in handy if you migrate between machines a lot.
Really, this all boils down to price. You can find mice that will work just as well as you need them to for $40—they likely won’t be wireless, but purists demand wired-fidelity anyway. And they won’t be nearly as attractive, though beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If $150 is just too high a price to pay, Logitech is doing some amazing things with mice these days, and I’d recommend giving their wares a gander.
But the Ouroboros is a lovely piece of equipment. There’s always room to complain—the profile issue I ran into cost me one or two intense Guild Wars 2 matchups—but this mouse is quite literally an amalgam of all of my favorite gaming mouse features over the last few years, packed into a single gorgeous package. It’s a lot to spend on a single peripheral, but it’s arguably well worth it.
The new Chrome Apps: We pick the best
The new Chrome Apps: We pick the best
Jared Newman @onejarednewman Sep 11, 2013 3:00 AM
Chrome Apps with new superpowers
Google’s Chrome ecosystem has racked up its fair share of haters over the years—folks who insist that the browser-based operating system is useless without real applications.
Google has responded: Last week the company launched Chrome Apps, a set of desktop-like applications based on Web technologies. Many of these apps open in their own windows and work offline, and some have advanced features such as USB device support.
The current selection of Chrome Apps is small, but we’ve sorted through them to find 11 of the best. "Install"—either in Chrome for Windows or on a Chromebook—to get just a little more out of your browser.
Jared Newman @onejarednewman Sep 11, 2013 3:00 AM
Chrome Apps with new superpowers
Google’s Chrome ecosystem has racked up its fair share of haters over the years—folks who insist that the browser-based operating system is useless without real applications.
Google has responded: Last week the company launched Chrome Apps, a set of desktop-like applications based on Web technologies. Many of these apps open in their own windows and work offline, and some have advanced features such as USB device support.
The current selection of Chrome Apps is small, but we’ve sorted through them to find 11 of the best. "Install"—either in Chrome for Windows or on a Chromebook—to get just a little more out of your browser.
2013年9月15日星期日
The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c: What you need to know
The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c: What you need to know
By Macworld staff, Macworld
We're now in that funny in-between time: On Tuesday, Apple announced the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, providing some information about both. We had a brief hands-on session with both of them. But now we have to wait a week and a half before we can actually get our own new phones and find out everything we want to know. In the meantime, here are our answers to some of the most pressing questions about the new smartphones, based on what Apple has told us and our own investigations.
The basics
When can I get the new iPhone models?
You can pre-order an iPhone 5c starting on Friday, September 13; the 5c will actually be available on September 20. The iPhone 5s will also be available on September 20, but Apple isn’t taking pre-orders for that model. These dates apply to the US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and the UK.
How much do the phones cost?
The iPhone 5c costs $99 for 16GB of storage or $199 for 32GB with a new two-year contract. Unlocked versions—without a contract—will cost $549 and $649, respectively. With the unlocked version, you can choose one that ships with a T-Mobile SIM card, or one without a SIM card at all. Both unlocked options work only with GSM networks.
The iPhone 5s costs $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, or $399 for 64GB of storage with a new two-year contract. Without a contract, those same phones will cost $649, $749, and $849, respectively. As with the 5c, you can get the unlocked model for use with T-Mobile. (Apple’s site doesn’t currently list a no-SIM option for the 5s.)
Which carriers are offering the iPhone 5c and 5s?
In the U.S., your contract-carrier choices are AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. As mentioned above, no-contract versions are available for use with T-Mobile or other GSM providers.
How much will it cost me to upgrade from my existing iPhone?
That depends on the carrier and type of contract you have. You can check your upgrade eligibility via Apple’s website.
How they compare
How does the 5c compare to the iPhone 5?
From a hardware perspective, the 5c is very similar to the iPhone 5: It uses the same processor (Apple’s A6), the same graphics circuitry, and the same screen. The main differences are that the 5c includes a slightly more capacious battery, compatibility with more bands of LTE, and an updated FaceTime HD camera that features larger pixels and a better backside-illumination sensor.
Apple says the performance of the 5c will be similar to that of the iPhone 5, except that the FaceTime HD camera offers better images. Indeed, in our brief hands-on with the iPhone 5c, the phone felt exactly as snappy and responsive as the iPhone 5 units we've been using for the past year. (We’ll of course be putting the 5c and the 5s through more rigorous testing when we get them.)
The 5c is also close to the same size and weight as the iPhone 5, but the 5c uses a very different exterior. Instead of an aluminum enclosure, the iPhone 5c features a plastic unibody design reminiscent of the old white-plastic MacBook. This body is molded from a single piece of polycarbonate that gives it a solid, rigid feel (part of that also stems from the steel frame that Apple uses inside). Even the volume buttons, mute switch, and Sleep/Wake button on the 5c are plastic. “Unapologetically plastic,” as Apple puts it.
How does the 5s compare to the 5c and the 5?
Apple calls the 5s its most “forward-thinking” phone. Though its aluminum body is almost the same as the iPhone 5’s, there’s a bunch of new hardware inside. Most impressive is the new A7 processor, which Apple touts as the first 64-bit processor available in a phone. The iPhone 5s also includes a new M7 “motion coprocessor”; some big camera upgrades and capabilities; and the Touch ID fingerprint-authentication system. (More on these below.)
Other improvements over the iPhone 5 include a slightly larger battery, expanded carrier support, and a new color. Speaking of which...
What colors can I get?
That depends on which iPhone model you purchase. The lower-cost iPhone 5c, constructed of hard-coated polycarbonate, will be available in candy-like light blue, light green, pink, yellow, or white. Each—including the white version—has a black bezel surrounding the screen.
There is one tiny—and we mean tiny—difference between the iPhone 5c models: On the blue, green, yellow, and white models, the Ring/Silent switch shows an orange line when flipped to the Silent position. On the pink model, the line is white. Details, people.
If you splurge on the aluminum-body iPhone 5s, your choices are different: “space gray” (with a black screen bezel and back trim), silver (with white screen bezel and back trim), or gold (also with white screen bezel and back trim). The gold is subtler than it sounds; it’s more of a champagne color. A nice touch on the 5s is that the metal ring around the Home button on each phone matches its main color: gray, silver, or gold.
I hear Apple also makes cases for the new phones?
Yep, Apple is also offering offering two lines of cases, one set for the 5c and one for the 5s.
The $29 iPhone 5c case, available in the same five colors as the phone plus a black version, is made of silicone with a microfiber interior lining and sports a pattern of 35 circular holes on the back that let your iPhone’s own color peek through. You can match your phone to the case or opt for something a bit more interesting like, say, a white phone with a blue case.
The $39 iPhone 5s case is made of leather with a microfiber interior and is available in brown, beige, black, yellow, blue, and Product(Red) red. The case is molded over the Sleep/Wake and volume buttons, with openings for the Ring/Silent switch and back camera and flash.
The iPhone 5s
What’s this about a new processor and a coprocessor?
The A7 inside the new iPhone 5s is unquestionably the most powerful chip Apple has ever put in a mobile device. It’s also the first one that uses a 64-bit architecture—usually found only on laptop and desktop computers. The implications of that architecture might not be immediately apparent, because apps have to be written to take advantage of it. But down the road, the new chip will offer some exciting possibilities for expansion and power.
The A7’s support for the latest OpenGL ES 3.0 standard means better graphics performance, too. In fact, Apple claims that the new A7 processor is twice as fast at both processor-intensive and graphics-intensive tasks as its predecessor. We’ll see about that when we test the 5s.
The iPhone 5s also includes a separate processor, called the M7, that handles sensor data.
What’s this M7 thing good for?
The M7—which Apple calls the motion coprocessor—is a brand-new chip inside the iPhone 5s that complements the A7 by handling data from the device’s many sensors, including the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass. Why a separate processor for all that? The key to the M7 is that it can log data from those sources without waking the full A7 processor. This means that not only can fitness-tracking apps more easily run in the background, but they’ll also chew up less of your precious battery power. And using the new CoreMotion API, third-party apps can use real-time location and motion information—like, say, whether you're walking or riding in a car—to determine how the app behaves, without dramatically affecting battery life.
Is the iPhone 5s camera really that much better?
We haven’t yet tested the back camera on the 5s; we’ll give it a thorough evaluation once we get a couple iPhone 5s samples in-house. But if Apple’s specs and feature list are any indication, that camera should offer noticeably better performance, along with some useful new capabilities.
For starters, the 5s uses a new, five-element lens that Apple designed specifically for the new iPhone. This new lens offers an f/2.2 aperture, a 15-percent-larger area than the iPhone 5’s lens, and 1.5-micron pixels—larger than those on the iPhone 5 and other smartphones.
The phone also includes a new dual-LED True Tone flash that Apple says is the first of its kind on a phone or a standalone camera. One flash is cooler white, while the other is amber with a warmer color temperature. The phone monitors ambient light and then fires the two flashes together to match that light. Together, Apple says, the two flashes provide more than 1000 unique light combinations, for flash lighting that’s brighter and more natural.
But iOS 7 also includes a bunch of software specifically designed to take advantage of the improved camera hardware. For example, before you take a photo, the phone automatically adjusts white-balance and exposure to create a tone map for better highlights and shadows; it also performs auto-focus matrix metering for improved sharpness. When you take the photo, the phone actually takes multiple images, analyzes them in real time, and then shows you what it thinks is the best one.
The 5s also includes image stabilization in software: In situations—such as low lighting—where you’d normally end up with blurry images, the phone takes multiple photos with a single shutter press, and then it blends them together into a single, sharp image. And a new burst mode captures ten full-resolution frames per second for as long as you hold down the shutter button. But unlike most burst modes, on an iPhone 5s, the phone automatically filters out bad shots to show you only the “best” ones. (You can choose others manually, if you like.)
When taking video, you can capture 720p video at 120 frames per second, slowing it down later for true slow-motion video. (You can do the editing in your favorite video app, or you can choose, right in the Photos app, which section of the clip to view in slo-mo.) And Panorama mode now lets you adjust exposure as you pan.
Many times during the iPhone event, Apple pointed out the advantages of making both hardware and software, combining them to best take advantage of both. The iPhone’s camera features are one of the best examples of this philosophy in action.
So, this fingerprint-sensor thing, Touch ID: how does it work?
It’s a capacitance-based (as opposed to optical) scanner built into the iPhone 5s Home button. The “capacitance” part means that instead of taking a visual scan of your finger or thumb, the scanner detects minute differences in electrical charge caused by a fingerprint’s whorls, loops, and curves.
The phone then produces a digital template (again, not an image) based on that scan. In other similar systems, software then runs such a template through a cryptographic hashing process, making it virtually impossible to recreate the original print from the template. If that’s how Touch ID works, the hashing process should make it harder—if not impossible—to spoof your prints. For further security, your fingerprint is never stored in the cloud or anywhere in the phone’s memory—only in a secure area of the A7 chip itself.
We don’t yet know all the details about how iOS 7 will use the fingerprints it detects. But we do know that it will let you bypass the lockscreen passcode. (You do have a lockscreen passcode, right?) It will also let you authenticate with iCloud and the App Store using your finger.
With all this new technology and speed on the iPhone 5s, is the battery life worse than that of the iPhone 5?
Apple claims that the iPhone 5s offers battery life equal to or greater than that of the iPhone 5. Specifically, the company says the iPhone 5s offers 10 hours of 3G talk time, 10 hours of LTE or Wi-Fi browsing, or 250 hours of standby time. Compare that to Apple’s claims for the iPhone 5 when that model was released: 8 hours of 3G talk time, 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, or 225 hours of standby time.
Apple says that the iPhone 5c’s battery life is identical to that of the iPhone 5s. We’ll of course thoroughly test each model’s battery life in the coming weeks.
Accessories and apps
Is the 5s exactly the same size as the 5? Will my existing accessories and cases work? What about the iPhone 5c?
The iPhone 5s is indeed exactly the same size as the iPhone 5, so existing iPhone 5 cases will fit the new iPhone 5s. However, the camera and LED flash on the iPhone 5s differ in size and position from those on the iPhone 5, so existing cases may partially obscure the lens and/or LED—or may be close enough to obscuring them that the case affects flash or photo quality. If you want to use a case not specifically made for the iPhone 5s, be sure the opening(s) for the camera and flash are large enough to avoid this problem.
Cases aside, existing iPhone 5 accessories—docks, speaker docks, chargers, and the like—should all work with the iPhone 5s. Similarly, with the exception of dock cradles custom-fit for the iPhone 5s, most of these accessories should work fine with the iPhone 5c.
Of course, cases for the iPhone 5 and 5s won’t fit the iPhone 5c, due to the latter’s different dimensions and slightly different shape.
We’ll be testing many accessories once we get our hands on the iPhone 5c and 5s, and we’ll publish our findings here on Macworld.com.
Apple says it’s making Keynote, Numbers, Pages, iMovie, and iPhoto for iOS free “for new devices”? Does that include the new iPhones? What about current iPhone owners?
Apple’s webpage about the iPhone 5s built-in apps (and the similar page for the iPhone 5c) lists iMovie, iPhoto, and the iWork suite, but they don’t actually come pre-installed.
Instead, any iOS 7-compatible device activated on or after September 1, 2013—regardless of when you purchased it—is eligible for free copies of these apps. If your device came pre-loaded with iOS 7, you’ll be prompted during the setup process to download the iOS versions of Keynote, Numbers, Pages, iMovie, and iPhoto. If your device didn’t come with iOS 7 pre-installed (but, again, you activated the device on or after September 1), once you install iOS 7, you’ll be prompted during the iOS 7 setup process to install the apps. You’ll need an Apple ID, but you won’t have to pay for the apps—they’re free with your new device.
Note that this offer isn’t limited to the iPhone 5c and 5s—it includes any iOS 7-compatible device activated on or after September 1, including the iPhone 4 and 4s, the fifth-generation iPod touch, and recent iPads (see the list of compatible devices at the bottom of this page).
If you’ve got a device activated prior to September 1, 2013, you’ll still be able to purchase the apps on the App Store, but you won’t get them for free.
By Macworld staff, Macworld
We're now in that funny in-between time: On Tuesday, Apple announced the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, providing some information about both. We had a brief hands-on session with both of them. But now we have to wait a week and a half before we can actually get our own new phones and find out everything we want to know. In the meantime, here are our answers to some of the most pressing questions about the new smartphones, based on what Apple has told us and our own investigations.
The basics
When can I get the new iPhone models?
You can pre-order an iPhone 5c starting on Friday, September 13; the 5c will actually be available on September 20. The iPhone 5s will also be available on September 20, but Apple isn’t taking pre-orders for that model. These dates apply to the US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and the UK.
How much do the phones cost?
The iPhone 5c costs $99 for 16GB of storage or $199 for 32GB with a new two-year contract. Unlocked versions—without a contract—will cost $549 and $649, respectively. With the unlocked version, you can choose one that ships with a T-Mobile SIM card, or one without a SIM card at all. Both unlocked options work only with GSM networks.
The iPhone 5s costs $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, or $399 for 64GB of storage with a new two-year contract. Without a contract, those same phones will cost $649, $749, and $849, respectively. As with the 5c, you can get the unlocked model for use with T-Mobile. (Apple’s site doesn’t currently list a no-SIM option for the 5s.)
Which carriers are offering the iPhone 5c and 5s?
In the U.S., your contract-carrier choices are AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. As mentioned above, no-contract versions are available for use with T-Mobile or other GSM providers.
How much will it cost me to upgrade from my existing iPhone?
That depends on the carrier and type of contract you have. You can check your upgrade eligibility via Apple’s website.
How they compare
How does the 5c compare to the iPhone 5?
From a hardware perspective, the 5c is very similar to the iPhone 5: It uses the same processor (Apple’s A6), the same graphics circuitry, and the same screen. The main differences are that the 5c includes a slightly more capacious battery, compatibility with more bands of LTE, and an updated FaceTime HD camera that features larger pixels and a better backside-illumination sensor.
Apple says the performance of the 5c will be similar to that of the iPhone 5, except that the FaceTime HD camera offers better images. Indeed, in our brief hands-on with the iPhone 5c, the phone felt exactly as snappy and responsive as the iPhone 5 units we've been using for the past year. (We’ll of course be putting the 5c and the 5s through more rigorous testing when we get them.)
The 5c is also close to the same size and weight as the iPhone 5, but the 5c uses a very different exterior. Instead of an aluminum enclosure, the iPhone 5c features a plastic unibody design reminiscent of the old white-plastic MacBook. This body is molded from a single piece of polycarbonate that gives it a solid, rigid feel (part of that also stems from the steel frame that Apple uses inside). Even the volume buttons, mute switch, and Sleep/Wake button on the 5c are plastic. “Unapologetically plastic,” as Apple puts it.
How does the 5s compare to the 5c and the 5?
Apple calls the 5s its most “forward-thinking” phone. Though its aluminum body is almost the same as the iPhone 5’s, there’s a bunch of new hardware inside. Most impressive is the new A7 processor, which Apple touts as the first 64-bit processor available in a phone. The iPhone 5s also includes a new M7 “motion coprocessor”; some big camera upgrades and capabilities; and the Touch ID fingerprint-authentication system. (More on these below.)
Other improvements over the iPhone 5 include a slightly larger battery, expanded carrier support, and a new color. Speaking of which...
What colors can I get?
That depends on which iPhone model you purchase. The lower-cost iPhone 5c, constructed of hard-coated polycarbonate, will be available in candy-like light blue, light green, pink, yellow, or white. Each—including the white version—has a black bezel surrounding the screen.
There is one tiny—and we mean tiny—difference between the iPhone 5c models: On the blue, green, yellow, and white models, the Ring/Silent switch shows an orange line when flipped to the Silent position. On the pink model, the line is white. Details, people.
If you splurge on the aluminum-body iPhone 5s, your choices are different: “space gray” (with a black screen bezel and back trim), silver (with white screen bezel and back trim), or gold (also with white screen bezel and back trim). The gold is subtler than it sounds; it’s more of a champagne color. A nice touch on the 5s is that the metal ring around the Home button on each phone matches its main color: gray, silver, or gold.
I hear Apple also makes cases for the new phones?
Yep, Apple is also offering offering two lines of cases, one set for the 5c and one for the 5s.
The $29 iPhone 5c case, available in the same five colors as the phone plus a black version, is made of silicone with a microfiber interior lining and sports a pattern of 35 circular holes on the back that let your iPhone’s own color peek through. You can match your phone to the case or opt for something a bit more interesting like, say, a white phone with a blue case.
The $39 iPhone 5s case is made of leather with a microfiber interior and is available in brown, beige, black, yellow, blue, and Product(Red) red. The case is molded over the Sleep/Wake and volume buttons, with openings for the Ring/Silent switch and back camera and flash.
The iPhone 5s
What’s this about a new processor and a coprocessor?
The A7 inside the new iPhone 5s is unquestionably the most powerful chip Apple has ever put in a mobile device. It’s also the first one that uses a 64-bit architecture—usually found only on laptop and desktop computers. The implications of that architecture might not be immediately apparent, because apps have to be written to take advantage of it. But down the road, the new chip will offer some exciting possibilities for expansion and power.
The A7’s support for the latest OpenGL ES 3.0 standard means better graphics performance, too. In fact, Apple claims that the new A7 processor is twice as fast at both processor-intensive and graphics-intensive tasks as its predecessor. We’ll see about that when we test the 5s.
The iPhone 5s also includes a separate processor, called the M7, that handles sensor data.
What’s this M7 thing good for?
The M7—which Apple calls the motion coprocessor—is a brand-new chip inside the iPhone 5s that complements the A7 by handling data from the device’s many sensors, including the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass. Why a separate processor for all that? The key to the M7 is that it can log data from those sources without waking the full A7 processor. This means that not only can fitness-tracking apps more easily run in the background, but they’ll also chew up less of your precious battery power. And using the new CoreMotion API, third-party apps can use real-time location and motion information—like, say, whether you're walking or riding in a car—to determine how the app behaves, without dramatically affecting battery life.
Is the iPhone 5s camera really that much better?
We haven’t yet tested the back camera on the 5s; we’ll give it a thorough evaluation once we get a couple iPhone 5s samples in-house. But if Apple’s specs and feature list are any indication, that camera should offer noticeably better performance, along with some useful new capabilities.
For starters, the 5s uses a new, five-element lens that Apple designed specifically for the new iPhone. This new lens offers an f/2.2 aperture, a 15-percent-larger area than the iPhone 5’s lens, and 1.5-micron pixels—larger than those on the iPhone 5 and other smartphones.
The phone also includes a new dual-LED True Tone flash that Apple says is the first of its kind on a phone or a standalone camera. One flash is cooler white, while the other is amber with a warmer color temperature. The phone monitors ambient light and then fires the two flashes together to match that light. Together, Apple says, the two flashes provide more than 1000 unique light combinations, for flash lighting that’s brighter and more natural.
But iOS 7 also includes a bunch of software specifically designed to take advantage of the improved camera hardware. For example, before you take a photo, the phone automatically adjusts white-balance and exposure to create a tone map for better highlights and shadows; it also performs auto-focus matrix metering for improved sharpness. When you take the photo, the phone actually takes multiple images, analyzes them in real time, and then shows you what it thinks is the best one.
The 5s also includes image stabilization in software: In situations—such as low lighting—where you’d normally end up with blurry images, the phone takes multiple photos with a single shutter press, and then it blends them together into a single, sharp image. And a new burst mode captures ten full-resolution frames per second for as long as you hold down the shutter button. But unlike most burst modes, on an iPhone 5s, the phone automatically filters out bad shots to show you only the “best” ones. (You can choose others manually, if you like.)
When taking video, you can capture 720p video at 120 frames per second, slowing it down later for true slow-motion video. (You can do the editing in your favorite video app, or you can choose, right in the Photos app, which section of the clip to view in slo-mo.) And Panorama mode now lets you adjust exposure as you pan.
Many times during the iPhone event, Apple pointed out the advantages of making both hardware and software, combining them to best take advantage of both. The iPhone’s camera features are one of the best examples of this philosophy in action.
So, this fingerprint-sensor thing, Touch ID: how does it work?
It’s a capacitance-based (as opposed to optical) scanner built into the iPhone 5s Home button. The “capacitance” part means that instead of taking a visual scan of your finger or thumb, the scanner detects minute differences in electrical charge caused by a fingerprint’s whorls, loops, and curves.
The phone then produces a digital template (again, not an image) based on that scan. In other similar systems, software then runs such a template through a cryptographic hashing process, making it virtually impossible to recreate the original print from the template. If that’s how Touch ID works, the hashing process should make it harder—if not impossible—to spoof your prints. For further security, your fingerprint is never stored in the cloud or anywhere in the phone’s memory—only in a secure area of the A7 chip itself.
We don’t yet know all the details about how iOS 7 will use the fingerprints it detects. But we do know that it will let you bypass the lockscreen passcode. (You do have a lockscreen passcode, right?) It will also let you authenticate with iCloud and the App Store using your finger.
With all this new technology and speed on the iPhone 5s, is the battery life worse than that of the iPhone 5?
Apple claims that the iPhone 5s offers battery life equal to or greater than that of the iPhone 5. Specifically, the company says the iPhone 5s offers 10 hours of 3G talk time, 10 hours of LTE or Wi-Fi browsing, or 250 hours of standby time. Compare that to Apple’s claims for the iPhone 5 when that model was released: 8 hours of 3G talk time, 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, or 225 hours of standby time.
Apple says that the iPhone 5c’s battery life is identical to that of the iPhone 5s. We’ll of course thoroughly test each model’s battery life in the coming weeks.
Accessories and apps
Is the 5s exactly the same size as the 5? Will my existing accessories and cases work? What about the iPhone 5c?
The iPhone 5s is indeed exactly the same size as the iPhone 5, so existing iPhone 5 cases will fit the new iPhone 5s. However, the camera and LED flash on the iPhone 5s differ in size and position from those on the iPhone 5, so existing cases may partially obscure the lens and/or LED—or may be close enough to obscuring them that the case affects flash or photo quality. If you want to use a case not specifically made for the iPhone 5s, be sure the opening(s) for the camera and flash are large enough to avoid this problem.
Cases aside, existing iPhone 5 accessories—docks, speaker docks, chargers, and the like—should all work with the iPhone 5s. Similarly, with the exception of dock cradles custom-fit for the iPhone 5s, most of these accessories should work fine with the iPhone 5c.
Of course, cases for the iPhone 5 and 5s won’t fit the iPhone 5c, due to the latter’s different dimensions and slightly different shape.
We’ll be testing many accessories once we get our hands on the iPhone 5c and 5s, and we’ll publish our findings here on Macworld.com.
Apple says it’s making Keynote, Numbers, Pages, iMovie, and iPhoto for iOS free “for new devices”? Does that include the new iPhones? What about current iPhone owners?
Apple’s webpage about the iPhone 5s built-in apps (and the similar page for the iPhone 5c) lists iMovie, iPhoto, and the iWork suite, but they don’t actually come pre-installed.
Instead, any iOS 7-compatible device activated on or after September 1, 2013—regardless of when you purchased it—is eligible for free copies of these apps. If your device came pre-loaded with iOS 7, you’ll be prompted during the setup process to download the iOS versions of Keynote, Numbers, Pages, iMovie, and iPhoto. If your device didn’t come with iOS 7 pre-installed (but, again, you activated the device on or after September 1), once you install iOS 7, you’ll be prompted during the iOS 7 setup process to install the apps. You’ll need an Apple ID, but you won’t have to pay for the apps—they’re free with your new device.
Note that this offer isn’t limited to the iPhone 5c and 5s—it includes any iOS 7-compatible device activated on or after September 1, including the iPhone 4 and 4s, the fifth-generation iPod touch, and recent iPads (see the list of compatible devices at the bottom of this page).
If you’ve got a device activated prior to September 1, 2013, you’ll still be able to purchase the apps on the App Store, but you won’t get them for free.
I was a webcam zombie! How to look alive and professional in Web meetings
I was a webcam zombie! How to look alive and professional in Web meetings
Liane Cassavoy @lianecassavoy
We all know webcam zombies-people who may look normal walking down the street, but who, when they sit in front of a webcam, look ghastly. The problem could be the lighting. It could be their sloppy clothing choices. It could be the junk piled in the background that you'd just as soon not see. In any case, they look like someone you'd rather avoid than engage in a Web chat.
I didn't know I was one, until a colleague sent me a screenshot of how I looked online:
Bad angle, dark lighting...I don't look like I'm here for the meeting. I look like I'm coming to get you.
Yeah, pretty horrifying. I knew I couldn't keep that look and also keep my clients.
Here are the steps I took to come back from the undead-and avoid other common presentation faux pas during a Web conference. Send these tips to the other unwitting zombies you know. They'll thank you before they eat your brains.
Dress for success
Looking your best starts before you boot up your computer: It starts with getting dressed. Take your cues from the folks you're meeting with, and dress accordingly, experts advise. "Your attire should be similar to [what you'd wear to] an in-office meeting. Your appearance should still be professional and reflect the organization you work for. My company is fairly casual, so it's okay to be in casual attire as long as you look presentable. However, if the people you are meeting with will be in suits, you should dress the same," says Sara Sutton Fell, CEO of FlexJobs, a site that helps people find jobs with flexibility.
You can take advantage of the fact that the camera can't see below your waist by wearing comfortable bottoms and shoes…or opt out of them altogether. (Yes, even the pants- it can be your secret!)
It's unclear what, if anything, the woman in this promotional image for Google Hangout is wearing. That's not the most professional image to project.
But steer clear of tops with stripes or checks, which can blur and be a distraction on-camera. And especially a top that is too revealing, warns Reuben Yonatan, CEO and Editor in Chief of GetVoIP, a voice-over-IP review site. A strapless top could unintentionally give the impression that you're topless, he warns. Chances are, that's not what you want your boss to think.
Consider accessories carefully. "Be mindful of your jewelry and apparel. If it reflects, jingles, or sparkles, it's going to be distracting to the person you're talking to," Yonatan warns.
Your hair and makeup should be similar to what you'd wear in the office, though perhaps slightly more "done," most experts agree. The camera tends to wash people out, so you may need more blush or makeup than you'd normally wear, Fell says. Yonatan notes that even men may want to add a touch of powder…especially those who are a bit hair-challenged, and may have shiny spots on their heads.
Wearing too much makeup can be more distracting than wearing too little, so test your appearance on-screen before it's lights-camera-action time. Set up your equipment and see what you look like well before your call, and make any necessary adjustments.
Control your environment
I've conducted business calls while sitting in bed, lying on the couch, and even while cleaning my bathroom. But I would never conduct a video chat anywhere other than in my home office-and even there, only after I'd spruced it up.
The light is flattering, but the bathrobe and kid clutter suggest that my mind isn't on my work.
"I tell people to make sure that their space looks professional, but personal and utilized. I always give the two extreme examples. The first is the room that is way too personal. I always feel awkward when you are watching someone who is clearly in their bedroom or you can see personal elements like dirty clothes or dishes. On the other hand, you have the folks that try to keep things so vanilla that they look like they are making a hostage recording in front of a white wall," says Dan Roche, VP of Marketing for TalkPoint, a Webcasting technology provider. Find a middle ground, he suggests: a personal but professional space with a bookcase or simple wall in the background. Keep windows, pets, kids, or anything else whose visuals or behavior you may not be able to control out of the background.
If your background is not at all camera-ready, you can set up an artificial backdrop with a curtain or sheet. Most experts agree that such a backdrop isn't ideal, though, unless you're shooting some sort of public video and want to use a branded banner or backdrop to market your company. If you're conducting a private video call, you should resort to a staged backdrop only if your environment is truly unprofessional. The folks on the other end of the call will know that you're sitting in front of a sheet or curtain, and they may wonder what you're trying to hide.
Lights, camera, action!
You may be wearing your best outfit, your hair and makeup may be perfectly done, and your home office may look immaculate-but none of that will matter if the person on the other end of your video connection can't see any of it.
The neutral background and better clothing are improvements...if you can see them through the glare from the window.
Relying on natural light can be tricky on-camera, because it tends to lighten the background and make the foreground-where you sit-darker. The solution is to use lamps to create lighting that looks natural even though it isn't. You should avoid venetian blinds, which can cause striped shadows across your body or the background, warns Yonatan.
Instead of relying on the power of the sun, heed this piece of advice, offered by Chris LaVigne of video hosting provider Wistia in an online video: "Lights: If you have them, use them." He suggests setting up two lights, on either the side of your computer. The lights should be just above your eye line and about 3 feet apart.
Fresh out of lamps? LaVigne has a workaround: a computer monitor set behind and slightly above the laptop or webcam you're using for the video. "Turn the brightness up and zoom in on a Word document or anything that's white," he says. "You'll be surprised at how much it can help."
The camera should also be slightly elevated. LaVigne suggests positioning it just above your eyeline, which will force it to point down at you, ever so slightly. This helps you look far more natural on camera than you would if the camera were below you, pointing up at your chin.
webcam better shot
Pleasant light, professional attire, and a background of books send a better signal.
Now, you're ready for action! When the video call comes in, speak naturally and look at the camera as if it were the person you're addressing. And remember: Audio can be muted, but the camera never takes a break. Though your fellow videoconferencers may not be able to hear you whispering to your colleague or child in the background, they can see everything that happens. Be on your best behavior, or all the work you've done to set up for the call won't matter a bit.
Liane Cassavoy @lianecassavoy
We all know webcam zombies-people who may look normal walking down the street, but who, when they sit in front of a webcam, look ghastly. The problem could be the lighting. It could be their sloppy clothing choices. It could be the junk piled in the background that you'd just as soon not see. In any case, they look like someone you'd rather avoid than engage in a Web chat.
I didn't know I was one, until a colleague sent me a screenshot of how I looked online:
Bad angle, dark lighting...I don't look like I'm here for the meeting. I look like I'm coming to get you.
Yeah, pretty horrifying. I knew I couldn't keep that look and also keep my clients.
Here are the steps I took to come back from the undead-and avoid other common presentation faux pas during a Web conference. Send these tips to the other unwitting zombies you know. They'll thank you before they eat your brains.
Dress for success
Looking your best starts before you boot up your computer: It starts with getting dressed. Take your cues from the folks you're meeting with, and dress accordingly, experts advise. "Your attire should be similar to [what you'd wear to] an in-office meeting. Your appearance should still be professional and reflect the organization you work for. My company is fairly casual, so it's okay to be in casual attire as long as you look presentable. However, if the people you are meeting with will be in suits, you should dress the same," says Sara Sutton Fell, CEO of FlexJobs, a site that helps people find jobs with flexibility.
You can take advantage of the fact that the camera can't see below your waist by wearing comfortable bottoms and shoes…or opt out of them altogether. (Yes, even the pants- it can be your secret!)
It's unclear what, if anything, the woman in this promotional image for Google Hangout is wearing. That's not the most professional image to project.
But steer clear of tops with stripes or checks, which can blur and be a distraction on-camera. And especially a top that is too revealing, warns Reuben Yonatan, CEO and Editor in Chief of GetVoIP, a voice-over-IP review site. A strapless top could unintentionally give the impression that you're topless, he warns. Chances are, that's not what you want your boss to think.
Consider accessories carefully. "Be mindful of your jewelry and apparel. If it reflects, jingles, or sparkles, it's going to be distracting to the person you're talking to," Yonatan warns.
Your hair and makeup should be similar to what you'd wear in the office, though perhaps slightly more "done," most experts agree. The camera tends to wash people out, so you may need more blush or makeup than you'd normally wear, Fell says. Yonatan notes that even men may want to add a touch of powder…especially those who are a bit hair-challenged, and may have shiny spots on their heads.
Wearing too much makeup can be more distracting than wearing too little, so test your appearance on-screen before it's lights-camera-action time. Set up your equipment and see what you look like well before your call, and make any necessary adjustments.
Control your environment
I've conducted business calls while sitting in bed, lying on the couch, and even while cleaning my bathroom. But I would never conduct a video chat anywhere other than in my home office-and even there, only after I'd spruced it up.
The light is flattering, but the bathrobe and kid clutter suggest that my mind isn't on my work.
"I tell people to make sure that their space looks professional, but personal and utilized. I always give the two extreme examples. The first is the room that is way too personal. I always feel awkward when you are watching someone who is clearly in their bedroom or you can see personal elements like dirty clothes or dishes. On the other hand, you have the folks that try to keep things so vanilla that they look like they are making a hostage recording in front of a white wall," says Dan Roche, VP of Marketing for TalkPoint, a Webcasting technology provider. Find a middle ground, he suggests: a personal but professional space with a bookcase or simple wall in the background. Keep windows, pets, kids, or anything else whose visuals or behavior you may not be able to control out of the background.
If your background is not at all camera-ready, you can set up an artificial backdrop with a curtain or sheet. Most experts agree that such a backdrop isn't ideal, though, unless you're shooting some sort of public video and want to use a branded banner or backdrop to market your company. If you're conducting a private video call, you should resort to a staged backdrop only if your environment is truly unprofessional. The folks on the other end of the call will know that you're sitting in front of a sheet or curtain, and they may wonder what you're trying to hide.
Lights, camera, action!
You may be wearing your best outfit, your hair and makeup may be perfectly done, and your home office may look immaculate-but none of that will matter if the person on the other end of your video connection can't see any of it.
The neutral background and better clothing are improvements...if you can see them through the glare from the window.
Relying on natural light can be tricky on-camera, because it tends to lighten the background and make the foreground-where you sit-darker. The solution is to use lamps to create lighting that looks natural even though it isn't. You should avoid venetian blinds, which can cause striped shadows across your body or the background, warns Yonatan.
Instead of relying on the power of the sun, heed this piece of advice, offered by Chris LaVigne of video hosting provider Wistia in an online video: "Lights: If you have them, use them." He suggests setting up two lights, on either the side of your computer. The lights should be just above your eye line and about 3 feet apart.
Fresh out of lamps? LaVigne has a workaround: a computer monitor set behind and slightly above the laptop or webcam you're using for the video. "Turn the brightness up and zoom in on a Word document or anything that's white," he says. "You'll be surprised at how much it can help."
The camera should also be slightly elevated. LaVigne suggests positioning it just above your eyeline, which will force it to point down at you, ever so slightly. This helps you look far more natural on camera than you would if the camera were below you, pointing up at your chin.
webcam better shot
Pleasant light, professional attire, and a background of books send a better signal.
Now, you're ready for action! When the video call comes in, speak naturally and look at the camera as if it were the person you're addressing. And remember: Audio can be muted, but the camera never takes a break. Though your fellow videoconferencers may not be able to hear you whispering to your colleague or child in the background, they can see everything that happens. Be on your best behavior, or all the work you've done to set up for the call won't matter a bit.
High tech meets haute couture at New York Fashion Week
High tech meets haute couture at New York Fashion Week
Caitlin McGarry @Caitlin_McGarry Sep 13, 2013 3:00 AM
Fashion powered by Pinterest
Designers need tech to stay fresh in a highly competitive industry. They rely on bloggers to bring their clothes to life, Twitter and Tumblr to share behind-the-runway peeks, and Pinterest for us regular Janes and Joes (okay, mostly Janes) to file away inspirational images of those expensive outfits.
Fashion’s biggest names upped the ante at fall Fashion Week in New York, which ended Thursday. Google and Samsung landed on the runway with the Moto X smartphone and the Galaxy Gear smartwatch, while fashionistas used Instagram and Pinterest to document every print and peplum.
Caitlin McGarry @Caitlin_McGarry Sep 13, 2013 3:00 AM
Fashion powered by Pinterest
Designers need tech to stay fresh in a highly competitive industry. They rely on bloggers to bring their clothes to life, Twitter and Tumblr to share behind-the-runway peeks, and Pinterest for us regular Janes and Joes (okay, mostly Janes) to file away inspirational images of those expensive outfits.
Fashion’s biggest names upped the ante at fall Fashion Week in New York, which ended Thursday. Google and Samsung landed on the runway with the Moto X smartphone and the Galaxy Gear smartwatch, while fashionistas used Instagram and Pinterest to document every print and peplum.
2013年9月12日星期四
Google Drive for Android gets an interface makeover
Google Drive for Android gets an interface makeover
By Florence Ion @Ohthatflo
Google has given its Drive application for Android a bit of a facelift. Yesterday's update brought forth a new interface and a few other subtle features that makes it a little more useful on a mobile device. The company didn't detail much about the app update on its Google Play page, writing only that the app has had some "bug fixes and other improvements." But once you get the app downloaded and installed, it's like unearthing a prize from the bottom of a cereal box.
Google Drive now features a bright white interface, dubbed Holo Light. There is also a new Create button embedded on the bottom menu bar that displays quick action buttons for creating a new document, uploading a file, or scanning in a photo or document. Swiping downward freshres your Drive with new files.
Spreadsheets have also received a boost with the ability to merge and split rows and column in spreadsheets, or freeze them to segregate them out and do separate data work on the same spreadsheet. Android Police has pointed out that Google has made some minor tweaks for consistency, like changing the symbol of the offline syncing to a pause button from a stop button.
Google is slowly rolling out the update for Drive to Android users. If you don't see your update just yet, hang tight.
By Florence Ion @Ohthatflo
Google has given its Drive application for Android a bit of a facelift. Yesterday's update brought forth a new interface and a few other subtle features that makes it a little more useful on a mobile device. The company didn't detail much about the app update on its Google Play page, writing only that the app has had some "bug fixes and other improvements." But once you get the app downloaded and installed, it's like unearthing a prize from the bottom of a cereal box.
Google Drive now features a bright white interface, dubbed Holo Light. There is also a new Create button embedded on the bottom menu bar that displays quick action buttons for creating a new document, uploading a file, or scanning in a photo or document. Swiping downward freshres your Drive with new files.
Spreadsheets have also received a boost with the ability to merge and split rows and column in spreadsheets, or freeze them to segregate them out and do separate data work on the same spreadsheet. Android Police has pointed out that Google has made some minor tweaks for consistency, like changing the symbol of the offline syncing to a pause button from a stop button.
Google is slowly rolling out the update for Drive to Android users. If you don't see your update just yet, hang tight.
Tablets dominating tech market as consumers drop PCs
Tablets dominating tech market as consumers drop PCs
By Charles Ripley, IDG Creative Lab
It’s the end of one era and the beginning of another: According to research from IDC, shipments of tablets are destined to surpass those of all PCs in the fourth quarter of the year. By 2015, IDC says that annual shipments of tablets are set to outpace those of all PCs on a full-year basis. Note that these figures are calculated on a unit basis and do not take sales prices into account.
A total of 227.3 million tablets should reach consumers in 2013, compared to 134.4 million desktop PCs and 180.9 million laptops. But rapid sales growth in the fourth quarter – likely driven by holiday spending – means that for the last three months of the year, tablet sales are likely to outpace traditional desktops.
By all measures, tablet sales are exploding. The expected total growth rate for tablets over the next four years is expected to be 78.9 percent. That even outpaces the projected growth rate for smart phones, which is pegged at 71.1 percent over that time period.
What’s driving this sales frenzy? A big part of the equation has to do with the increasing capabilities of tablets. What can you not get done on a tablet these days, after all? With increasingly sophisticated apps, operating system refinements, and enhanced processing power courtesy of chips like the Qualcomm Snapdragon, tablets are more and more becoming the gadget of choice for today’s progressively more mobile consumer.
On the other side of that equation, traditional PCs, including once-essential laptops, are becoming seen as irrelevant by business users who feel they no longer need to carry the extra heft with them on the road. Even schools are jettisoning the traditional sit-down computer lab for a cart full of tablets that can be taken directly to students instead of the other way around. There’s simply no part of the home or office where the tablet isn’t displacing PCs. (If you don’t believe me, check out the newest Sony Xperia Tablet Z, which is specifically designed to be used in the kitchen.)
The other big trend that’s boosting the tablet world? Dramatically falling prices. For example, the Nexus 7 tablet has seen its price drop to $229 in recent months. That price level puts tablets in the realm of “stocking stuffers,” and can only help to propel tablets into every corner of the market.
Where will growth be the largest? IDC notes that education and retail uses will make up an increasingly large segment of the tablet user base. By 2017, IDC says that commercial shipments should double to account for 20 percent of the tablet market. The planned integration of mobile checkout programs into Wal Marts and some grocery stores supports that assertion.
By Charles Ripley, IDG Creative Lab
It’s the end of one era and the beginning of another: According to research from IDC, shipments of tablets are destined to surpass those of all PCs in the fourth quarter of the year. By 2015, IDC says that annual shipments of tablets are set to outpace those of all PCs on a full-year basis. Note that these figures are calculated on a unit basis and do not take sales prices into account.
A total of 227.3 million tablets should reach consumers in 2013, compared to 134.4 million desktop PCs and 180.9 million laptops. But rapid sales growth in the fourth quarter – likely driven by holiday spending – means that for the last three months of the year, tablet sales are likely to outpace traditional desktops.
By all measures, tablet sales are exploding. The expected total growth rate for tablets over the next four years is expected to be 78.9 percent. That even outpaces the projected growth rate for smart phones, which is pegged at 71.1 percent over that time period.
What’s driving this sales frenzy? A big part of the equation has to do with the increasing capabilities of tablets. What can you not get done on a tablet these days, after all? With increasingly sophisticated apps, operating system refinements, and enhanced processing power courtesy of chips like the Qualcomm Snapdragon, tablets are more and more becoming the gadget of choice for today’s progressively more mobile consumer.
On the other side of that equation, traditional PCs, including once-essential laptops, are becoming seen as irrelevant by business users who feel they no longer need to carry the extra heft with them on the road. Even schools are jettisoning the traditional sit-down computer lab for a cart full of tablets that can be taken directly to students instead of the other way around. There’s simply no part of the home or office where the tablet isn’t displacing PCs. (If you don’t believe me, check out the newest Sony Xperia Tablet Z, which is specifically designed to be used in the kitchen.)
The other big trend that’s boosting the tablet world? Dramatically falling prices. For example, the Nexus 7 tablet has seen its price drop to $229 in recent months. That price level puts tablets in the realm of “stocking stuffers,” and can only help to propel tablets into every corner of the market.
Where will growth be the largest? IDC notes that education and retail uses will make up an increasingly large segment of the tablet user base. By 2017, IDC says that commercial shipments should double to account for 20 percent of the tablet market. The planned integration of mobile checkout programs into Wal Marts and some grocery stores supports that assertion.
In-Flight Wi-Fi to Finally Get Faster With Gogo's New Technology
If you've ever used the in-flight Wi-Fi you already know that it's pretty cool to surf the web at 30,000 feet. You also know it can be pretty darn slow.
But Gogo, the company that provides the majority of wireless service on airplanes in the U.S., vows that's soon to change. Today the company announced some new technology that will bring faster Internet speeds to airplanes in the second half of 2014.
That might not be soon enough for some road warriors, but the new technology, which Gogo calls Gogo GTO or Gogo Ground to Orbit, will significantly increase the speed of in-flight wireless networks from about 10Mbps to 60Mbps. Translation for nontechies: It should be much faster and no longer remind you of AOL or Compuserve dial-up speeds.
The increase in speed will come from improvements to the satellites and the ground-based towers that Gogo uses to create the connectivity. A new antenna, which is installed on aircraft, will also be twice as efficient and half the size of the one currently on planes.
FAA Might Allow for Some Gadget Use Before and During Takeoff
Virgin America will be the first to use Gogo's GTO service. Gogo's Director of Communications Steve Nolan would not confirm if the service would come to other airlines, but he said the company planned to talk to its other partners, which include American Airlines, Delta and United. JetBlue plans to roll out Wi-Fi service on its planes soon but will use ViaStat, a competing company's solution.
Nolan said it was too early to say if services such as Netflix or Hulu would be available for fliers. Currently, Gogo offers its own Gogo Vision video service, which streams movies and TV shows directly from the plane.
He also said that pricing wasn't yet set for the faster service. Right now Gogo charges a hefty $15 for a mere three hours of usage on some flights. But he did confidently say that the new GTO service would "bring more bandwidth and a better browsing experience."
And that's something we can all get behind.
But Gogo, the company that provides the majority of wireless service on airplanes in the U.S., vows that's soon to change. Today the company announced some new technology that will bring faster Internet speeds to airplanes in the second half of 2014.
That might not be soon enough for some road warriors, but the new technology, which Gogo calls Gogo GTO or Gogo Ground to Orbit, will significantly increase the speed of in-flight wireless networks from about 10Mbps to 60Mbps. Translation for nontechies: It should be much faster and no longer remind you of AOL or Compuserve dial-up speeds.
The increase in speed will come from improvements to the satellites and the ground-based towers that Gogo uses to create the connectivity. A new antenna, which is installed on aircraft, will also be twice as efficient and half the size of the one currently on planes.
FAA Might Allow for Some Gadget Use Before and During Takeoff
Virgin America will be the first to use Gogo's GTO service. Gogo's Director of Communications Steve Nolan would not confirm if the service would come to other airlines, but he said the company planned to talk to its other partners, which include American Airlines, Delta and United. JetBlue plans to roll out Wi-Fi service on its planes soon but will use ViaStat, a competing company's solution.
Nolan said it was too early to say if services such as Netflix or Hulu would be available for fliers. Currently, Gogo offers its own Gogo Vision video service, which streams movies and TV shows directly from the plane.
He also said that pricing wasn't yet set for the faster service. Right now Gogo charges a hefty $15 for a mere three hours of usage on some flights. But he did confidently say that the new GTO service would "bring more bandwidth and a better browsing experience."
And that's something we can all get behind.
iPhone 5China? Apple Courts Chinese Market, But Not Everyone Is on Board
Apple has left the C in iPhone 5C open to interpretation. The C could stand for color, cheap, or in a somewhat new direction, China.
"This is the first time we've been able to launch an iPhone at the start, with the other countries, in China," said Phil Schiller, Apple's VP of Marketing, at yesterday's event.
But why is Apple so interested in China? Why are analysts downgrading Apple from "buy" to "neutral" because it's not competitive enough in China?
It could be that China has nearly half a billion people using smartphones to access the Internet. But of those half a billion, only 12 percent of them use Apple products.
That's not to say that Apple isn't a household name in China. Carl Howe, a vice president of Yankee Group's Consumer Research group, said that just like the United States, Chinese Apple stores have lines out the door whenever a new device goes on sale. "Rumor has it that they make more money in any of the five stores in China than they do in the Fifth Avenue store in New York," he told ABC News.
But many of those customers are among China's elite. "The price of an Apple product is a significant fraction of the average Chinese worker's salary," said Howe. "These devices mostly go to the wealthy." China may be Apple's second largest national market, but there is still a large customer base that Apple hasn't tapped into yet.
"It's still a premium brand," said Rob Enderle, the principal analyst of the Enderle Group. "Apple is on the high end of the smart phone market, and a lot of other phones in China are quite a bit less, closer to $100 or $200."
Apple Shares (AAPL) Tank on iPhone 5C Pricing, Innovation Concerns
The 5S is set to retail in China for 5,288 yuan ($858) and the 5C for 4,488 yuan ($728). Looking into the Twitterverse, potential Chinese customers don't seem to care for the price of Apple's new iPhones, especially the 5C.
"iPad Mini prices were $329 when everyone thought it was going to be $249. The iPhone 5C's price is even more shocking," tweeted @oxyung.
"It's like [Apple CEO] Cook slapped me in the face," tweeted @zmt0516.
Chinese news agencies are reporting that the 5C will likely have a hard time in China. A survey conducted by Sina Corp said that less than 3 percent of over 9,000 users say they would buy an iPhone 5C. A worker in Zhongguancun, the Chinese equivalent of Silicon Valley, told Xinhua News Agency that while it's good for Apple to see its Chinese customers as important, "the prices are a little high."
"Other phones in China are quite a bit less, closer to $100 or $200."
One way that Apple could make themselves more accessible to Chinese customers is by striking a deal with China Mobile, the country's largest cell phone carrier. "They have 750 million subscribers, like seven or eight Verizons combined," said Howe. If Apple wants new customers in China, Howe sees China Mobile as the company's wildcard.
But a wildcard is anything but a sure bet. Enderle still sees the iPhone as a plaything for China's wealthiest citizens. "Given Chinese customers' past behavior, the 5S will outperform the 5C," he said. He sees the extra status in having a 5S compared to a 5C as worth the extra 800 yuan to the Chinese customer. "China is very status oriented, so who wants to pay for a cheaper iPhone?"
Whether Apple will find new customers or just cater to the ones it already has in China, Howe sees the new iPhones doing extraordinarily well. "We're predicting that globally, 12 million phones will be sold from the Sept. 20 launch to the end of the month," he said. "That would make it the largest consumer electronics launch in history."
"This is the first time we've been able to launch an iPhone at the start, with the other countries, in China," said Phil Schiller, Apple's VP of Marketing, at yesterday's event.
But why is Apple so interested in China? Why are analysts downgrading Apple from "buy" to "neutral" because it's not competitive enough in China?
It could be that China has nearly half a billion people using smartphones to access the Internet. But of those half a billion, only 12 percent of them use Apple products.
That's not to say that Apple isn't a household name in China. Carl Howe, a vice president of Yankee Group's Consumer Research group, said that just like the United States, Chinese Apple stores have lines out the door whenever a new device goes on sale. "Rumor has it that they make more money in any of the five stores in China than they do in the Fifth Avenue store in New York," he told ABC News.
But many of those customers are among China's elite. "The price of an Apple product is a significant fraction of the average Chinese worker's salary," said Howe. "These devices mostly go to the wealthy." China may be Apple's second largest national market, but there is still a large customer base that Apple hasn't tapped into yet.
"It's still a premium brand," said Rob Enderle, the principal analyst of the Enderle Group. "Apple is on the high end of the smart phone market, and a lot of other phones in China are quite a bit less, closer to $100 or $200."
Apple Shares (AAPL) Tank on iPhone 5C Pricing, Innovation Concerns
The 5S is set to retail in China for 5,288 yuan ($858) and the 5C for 4,488 yuan ($728). Looking into the Twitterverse, potential Chinese customers don't seem to care for the price of Apple's new iPhones, especially the 5C.
"iPad Mini prices were $329 when everyone thought it was going to be $249. The iPhone 5C's price is even more shocking," tweeted @oxyung.
"It's like [Apple CEO] Cook slapped me in the face," tweeted @zmt0516.
Chinese news agencies are reporting that the 5C will likely have a hard time in China. A survey conducted by Sina Corp said that less than 3 percent of over 9,000 users say they would buy an iPhone 5C. A worker in Zhongguancun, the Chinese equivalent of Silicon Valley, told Xinhua News Agency that while it's good for Apple to see its Chinese customers as important, "the prices are a little high."
"Other phones in China are quite a bit less, closer to $100 or $200."
One way that Apple could make themselves more accessible to Chinese customers is by striking a deal with China Mobile, the country's largest cell phone carrier. "They have 750 million subscribers, like seven or eight Verizons combined," said Howe. If Apple wants new customers in China, Howe sees China Mobile as the company's wildcard.
But a wildcard is anything but a sure bet. Enderle still sees the iPhone as a plaything for China's wealthiest citizens. "Given Chinese customers' past behavior, the 5S will outperform the 5C," he said. He sees the extra status in having a 5S compared to a 5C as worth the extra 800 yuan to the Chinese customer. "China is very status oriented, so who wants to pay for a cheaper iPhone?"
Whether Apple will find new customers or just cater to the ones it already has in China, Howe sees the new iPhones doing extraordinarily well. "We're predicting that globally, 12 million phones will be sold from the Sept. 20 launch to the end of the month," he said. "That would make it the largest consumer electronics launch in history."
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