GadgTechWorld.blogspot.comInternet and high-tech gadgets have already penetrated in our life to an unbelievable level: cameras in belts, Bluetooth watches, electronic car keys finders and high technology is coming to our kitchens and bathrooms
Well we're getting down to the wire now...I think the mail is moving pretty well this year though so hopefully everyone will be getting these in time for the holidays, at least folks in the US at any rate.
from HMB-TEC: Put an iPocketFan In Your Pocket. The “Summer Hit of 2011″. Hot days happen. Be cool with the iPocketFan, a pleasant, fresh breeze from the iPhone. Use our little mini-fan for office, club, holiday, car, beach, events, whenever it’s hot. Simply plug into the headphone jack, run the iPocketFan App from the App Store, and enjoy feeling fresh.
Technical Specifications of the HMB-TEC ® Real Pocket Fan Plug: • No battery required • Max. 10mA current consumption • Power from headphone jack • 100Hz AC • Ipocket Fan App in the App Store
HMB-TEC of Germany has created an eclectic and eccentric collection of hardware gadgets that plug into the 3.5mm headphone jack of an iPhone, and couple with their apps.
Among the devices they make are a heart monitor, microphone, thermometer, stethoscope, pocket fan, oscilloscope, laser pointer, flashlight, breath controller, all sorts of remote control devices, and much more. German ingenuity and engineering leads the way again. The accessories cost from between $20 to $90 US, excluding shipping. The accompanying apps cost between $1 to $5.
1) Nature versus Nurture. His sister is Mona Simpson but he didn't know it until he was an adult. Mona Simpson was one of my favorite novelists from the late 80s. Her first novel, Anywhere but Here, was about her relationship with her parents. Which, ironically, were Steve Jobs' parents. But since Steve Jobs was adopted (see below), they didn't know they were brother-sister until the 90s when he tracked her down. It's proof (to an extent) of the nature versus nurture argument. Two kids, without knowing they were brother and sister, both having a unique sensibility of life on this planet to become among the best artists in the world in completely different endeavors. And, to me it was great that I was a fan of both without realizing (even before they realized) that they were related.
2) His father's name is Abdulfattah Jandali. If you had to ask me what Steve Jobs' father's name was I never in one zillion years would've guessed that and that Steve Jobs biologically was half Syrian Muslim. For some reason I thought he was Jewish. Maybe it's because I wanted to be him so I projected my own background onto him. His parents were two graduate students who I guess weren't sure if they were ready for a kid so put him up for adoption and then a few years later had another kid (see above). So I didn't know he was adopted. The one requirement his biological parents had was that he be adopted by two college-educated people. But the couple that adopted him lied at first and turned out not to be college educated (the mom was not a high school graduate), so the deal almost fell through until they promised to send Steve to college. A promise they couldn't keep (see below). So despite many layers of lies and promises broken, it all worked out in the end. People can save a lot of hassle by not having such high expectations and overly ambitious worries in the first place.
3) He made the game "Breakout." If there was one thing I loved almost as much as the games on the Apple II+, it was playing Breakout on my first-generation Atari (I can't remember, was that the Atari 2600?). And then Breakout on every version of my Blackberry since 2000. If he had never done anything else in life and I had met him and he said, "I'm the guy who made Breakout," I would've said, "you are the greatest genius of the past 100 years." Funny how things turn out. He went on from Atari to form Apple. Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, went to form the greatest restaurant chain in the history of mankind: Chuck E. Cheese.
4) He denied paternity on his first child, claiming he was sterile. The mother had to initially raise the kid using welfare checks. I have no judgment on this at all. Raising kids is hard. And when you have a kid you feel like this enormous energy and creativity you have for the world is going to get misdirected into a... little baby (Jobs' parents must've felt that way as well. Like father, like son). Heck, I originally wanted my first kid to be aborted. But people change, mature, grow up. Eventually Jobs became a good father. And that's what counts in the end. Much worse if it was the reverse. I didn't know this either: that the Lisa computer (the "Apple III") was named after this first child.
5) He's a pescetarian. In other words, he eats fish but no other meat. And he eats anything else a vegetarian eats (including eggs and dairy). I think from now on I'm going to be a pescetarian, just because Steve Jobs is one. Except when I'm in Argentina. In Argentina you have to eat steak. Ted Danson and Mary Tyler Moore consider themselves pescetarians. Somehow, even the world "pescetarian" seems like it was invented in California.
6) He doesn't give any money to charity. And when he became Apple's CEO he stopped all of their philanthropic programs. He said, "wait until we are profitable". Now they are profitable, and sitting on $40b cash, and still not corporate philanthropy. I actually think Jobs is probably the most charitable guy on the planet. Rather than focus on which mosquitoes to kill in Africa (Bill Gates is already focusing on that), Jobs has put his energy into massively improving quality of life with all of his inventions. People think that entrepreneurs have to some day "give back". This is not true. They already gave at the office. Look at the entire iPod/Mac/iPhone/Disney ecosystem and ask how many lives have benefited directly (because they've been hired) or indirectly (because they use the products to improve their quality of life). As far as I know, Jobs has never even commented about his thoughts on charity. Good for him. As one CEO of a (currently) Fortune 10 company once told me when I had my hand out for a charitable website, "Screw charity!"
7) He lied to Steve Wozniak. When they made Breakout for Atari, Wozniak and Jobs were going to split the pay 50-50. Atari gave Jobs $5000 to do the job. He told Wozniak he got $700 so Wozniak took home $350. Again, no judgment. Young people do things. Show me someone who says he's been honest from the day he was born and I'll show you a liar. It's by making mistakes, having fights, finding out where your real boundaries in life are, that allow you to truly know where the boundaries are.
8) He's a Zen Buddhist. He even thought about joining a monastery and becoming a monk. His guru, a Zen monk, married him and his wife. When I was going through some of my hardest times my only relief was sitting with a Zen group. Trying to quiet the mind to deal with the onrush of non-stop pain that was trying to invade there. The interesting thing about Jobs being a a Zen Buddhist is that most people would think that serious Buddhism and being one of the wealthiest people in the world come into conflict with each other. Isn't Buddhism about non-attachment? Didn't Buddha himself leave his riches and family behind? But the answer is "no". It's normal to pursue passions and outcomes, but just not to become overly attached to those outcomes. Being happy regardless of the outcome. A great story is the Zen master and his student walking by a river. A prostitute was there and needed to be carried over the river. The Zen master picked her up and carried her across the river and then put her down. Then the master and student kept walking. A few hours later the student was so agitated he finally had to ask, "Master, how could you touch and help that prostitute! That's against what we believe in!" And the Master said, "I left her by the river. Why are you still carrying her?"
9) He didn't go to college. I actually didn't know this initially. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are the famous college dropouts that I knew about. But apparently Steve Jobs went to Reed College for one semester and then dropped out. I guess you don't need college to program computers, make computers, build businesses, make movies, manage people, etc. (Of course, you can see all my other posts on why kids should not go to college.)
10) Psychedelics. Steve Jobs used LSD at least once when he was younger. In fact, he said about the experience, it was "one of the two or three most important things I have done in my life." Apple's slogan for many years was "Think Different". Maybe using a drug which tore him from the normal frame of reference taught him how to look at problems from such a unique perspective. I don't think LSD is for everyone, but when you combine it with the innate genius the man had, plus the many ups and downs that he experienced, plus the Zen Buddhism and all of the other things above, it's quite possible it all adds up to the many inventions he's been able to produce.
Steve Jobs' story is filled with nuance and ambiguity. People study Steve Jobs by looking at his straightforward business successes. Yes, he started Apple in a garage. Yes, he started Pixar and almost went broke with it. Yes, he started and sold Next and he was fired as CEO of Apple, and blah blah blah. But none of that will ever explain the man behind the genius. None of that will explain all the products he invented that we use today. None of that will tell us about the iPad, Toy Story, the MacBook Air, the Apple II+, etc. A man's successes can be truly understood only if we can count his tears. And unfortunately in the case of Steve Jobs, that is one task that's impossible.
In order to help you make decision, today we have brought comparison between the iPad first version and the new iPad 2 model launched on March 11th, 2011. iPad 2 is Thinner, Faster and having Good quality VGA camera. Read ipad 2 specification and comparison with ipad first version.
iPad Vs. iPad 2 Features & Comparison
The iPad 2 is having same size and screen resolution i.e. 9.7-inch 1024×768, storage capacity of iPad 2 is also same 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB, 10 hours battery life and having iOS 4.3. Then what is different in iPad 2? Although having almost same hardware, the new iPad 2 offers lot more than iPad version 1.
iPad 2 is Offering dual camera Very first thing everyone was missing in previous iPad is Camera. First version of iPad is not having camera whereas iPad 2 is offering dual camera, VGA of front facing of 640×480 while rear camera with 1280×720. iPad 2 is offering 5x digital zoom from the rear camera, which means you can have video call and experience the live conversation.
Design Although having the same size of 9.7 inches, iPad 2 is 33% thinner than previous iPad. Original iPad is 13.4mm thick while iPad 2 is 8.8mm, weight of iPad 2 is 1.3 pound where iPad has weight of 1.5 pound. iPad 2 is having two colors from day 1, white and black. The yester version of iPad is only available in black.
Verizon 3G In original iPad only carrier option was AT&T, while iPad 2 is also having carrier option of Verizon CDMA. Users will have vast range as with the combination of Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi+3G models with 2 colors make it a total of 18 iPad 2 versions.
Display Users of iPad 2 will be able to use existing VGA adapter and the new HDMI adapter to output video from their iPad. iPad 2 will be shown identically on your TV, the home screen, your apps, your games with the display mirroring. What does that mean? That means it works great for users who want to use HDMI capture to record the iPad screen.
Better performance iPad 2 is two time faster than previous iPad and offering 9x better graphics. A4 processor of iPad has been replaced with A5 processor in iPad2, which is dual core processor resulting 2x speeds on the iPad 2.
Accelerometer & Gyrometer Although having accelerometer, original iPad is lacking three axis gyro. Afterwards it was made available in iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4G in mid 2010. iPad 2 is offering gyro and accelerometer that will make your gaming experience more joyful.
There are always bugs and problems with any software update. And iOS 4.3 update is also not an exception. Recently many iPhone 4 users faced some problems with battery life after upgrading to iOS 4.3 firmware. PocketLing blog found out that battery draining issue in iPhone 4 is happening because of the new feature added to your device called “Ping”.
Do you face the same Battery Drain issue after upgrading your iPhone 4 or any other iDevice to iOS 4.3? Here is first method to disable Ping and improve iPhone 4 battery life.
Launch Home Screen and go to Settings
Select Enable Restrictions under settings
Enter 4 digit pass code
Scroll down to Ping settings and click on the switch to disable it.
It may save 2 hours of your iOS device.
If the first method is not working for you, here is second method to stop iOS 4.3 Battery life problems:
Turn the iPhone 4 off and then on again.
Go to Setting > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
We would like to hear from you which method works for you.
The iPhone 5 is a magnum opus without a doubt. It is set to change the way the smartphones play their game. Apple has not released one iota of information about iPhone 5 specs as yet, but with the help of rumors that have surfaced through some very possible claims, we have summarized the entire iPhone 5 phenomena for you. Here’s it:
Rumors are running high all around. Just like it happened when the world awaited the iPhone 4 release, rumors are running about in every website that you could think of. iPhone 5 is already a phenomena that is sure to take the smartphone market by storm. As usual, it’s an Apple product and Apple’s devices have always caused such a huge flutter of activity in the market even before they get released officially.
iPhone 5 features are much touted to change the way smartphones would function. Improved interface, greater Near Field Communications, much better gesture-based controls and such startlingly new technologies are rumored to be figure in the iPhone 5 features. Even if half the news that we hear about iPhone 5 turns out to be true, then we sure have a rocker smartphone in our hands.
iPhone 4 to iPhone 5 So how does the iPhone 5 compare with the iPhone 4? Experts say that software-wise, iPhone 5 is a minor update over iPhone 4. Most notable areas of change are the hardware parts, the processor and the way iPhone 5 lets you sync your work. The iOS is different on both the devices and that is probably as far as it can get. The signal issues that iPhone 4 has would probably be removed totally in the iPhone 5 design – that was one huge problem Apple was facing.
Popular websites that keep us in-tune with iPhone 5 feature rumors and news seem to unanimously agree that the iPhone 5 would boast a slimmer design than the iPhone 4. Being wary of the glass display and the glass back of the iPhone 4 – because of its brittle nature – features of iPhone 5 could very well have an all-metal look with a stronger and stolid display. This might also reduce the chances of the signal problem we found in iPhone 4.
But the details are not in these minor information. The original crux which would attract people is in the details of the processors, the camera, and many other relatively new things that is expected in the iPhone 5 specs. Let’s take a look at each of these clearly and also find out the possibility of their occurrence in the iPhone 5 when it is released.
iPhone 5 Specifications – Part One – the Hardware Every product that Apple has come out with, has had a very strong sense of elegance. Even the latest iPhone 4 had this very cool look and professionalism. iPhone 5 is said to be thinner, slimmer, stronger and most appealing in terms of size.
All-Metal Body? Perhaps, with the problems faced in the iPhone 4′s display, the glass make is about to go out. The back panel might be metallic, making the iPhone 5 an all-metal phone with a strange rumor about the glass being totally different from that of any smartphone.
The curves are most probably back in the iPhone 5 specs. It might no longer be a close square cut like the one we found in iPhone 4. Also impressive is the fact that iPhone 5 would have a larger display area of about 4 inches.
So far, here are some of the things we have been hearing all too often, to think that they could be true to a large extent:
Curved Glass / 3D Display – Okay, the 3D display might be a far fetched idea, but the possibility of the curved glass design might be quite true. Apple recently bought about 300 special glass cutting machines and that was reported by DigiTimes. If that was true, then surely Apple is onto something with its iPhone 5′s new glass display.
8 MP Camera with Dual Flash – Unimaginably for Apple, it has not yet offered 8 MP cameras on its devices while Samsung and HTC have already come out with their own 8 MP cameras already – way too early for Apple. The iPhone 5 would be an answer to this. Or so we think. An 8 MP camera with dual flash on the rear means higher resolution pictures, greater quality and most notably, greater quality in low-light pictures where the red-eye occurs. Of course, we need to keep our fingers crossed for the iPhone 5 specifications to have this.
A5 Processor – Of all features of iPhone 5, one of the finest thing we believe is the processor. Apple has finally relieved its A4 processor and brought in a dual-core processor that fires up its iPad 2. If iPad and iPhone 4 had the same processors, then it is quite logical to assume that iPhone 5 and iPad 2 would have the same – the A5 processor dual-core for enhanced performance. This is a very sure rumor as far as we know.
More Gesture-based – No Home Button – Oops! No home button? Well, yeah, quite possibily. Apple has moved to improved gesture based controls through its iOS 5. So it is quite possible that the home screen might be dropped for enhanced gesture-controls – one large interface change in iPhone 5 specifications.
Storage and RAM – the features of iPhone 5 is more likely to have an improved RAM of 1GB to go with the dual-core processor. The RAM was 512 MB in the iPhone 4. The storage too might have a chance of increase. Some rumors said it was 64GB this time, but there are some people who say that Apple could very well – considering the wide range of devices, the iPhone-PC or iPhone-Mac sync – do away with the internal storage thing!
Part Two – the Software One thing that has always stunned experts is the way Apple brings changes to its software. It is sometimes very subtle where you expect it to be huge, and hugely stunning where you expect it to be subtle. Most experts feel that after the recently concluded WWDC – where iOS 5 and iCloud were the topics – there could be no great change but for these two, in the iPhone 5 specifications. Well, that may be true to a large extent, but only a final release of the iPhone 5 will tell.
Here’s again a list of things we could be looking for in the iPhone 5 specs.
iOS 5 – A brand new phone and a brand new OS. The iOS (formerly known as iPhone OS) featured since the days of the iPhone 2G. These are very popular times of the iOS 4 but that is soon set to change. IOS 5 has been announced officially. The way it works is through gesture-based controls more than button taps. Perhaps that is why people suspect the lack of a home button in the iPhone 5 features. Design-wise too there are quite a number of changes and enhancements in iOS 5 which was released in the WWDC held this June.
iCloud – We just had the release of some beta apps with iCloud enabled in them. ICloud is the next big thing according to Apple. It is all about sync and nothing more – sync done right. Usually sync is where you had to connect devices and take further steps – for instance, iTunes. But with iCloud all that work is done with a simple tap of a button – the iCloud button. From within iCloud enabled applications, all you need to do is tap this and your document, photo, contact, bookmark, calendar or whatever gets pushed to all your other Apple devices with the iCloud equipped!
HD Video Recording and HDMI Output – In sync with the iOS 5 features, there is a strong possibility that iPhone 5 comes with HDMI output and most certainly with HD video recording. iPhone 4 had HD video recording already and iPhone 5 might either have the same or an enhanced version of it.
iPhone 5 is rumored to be released in October. There has been no official word on iPhone 5 as yet. Not even its existence or development has been hinted at by anyone from Apple. But we all know. That was how it was with iPhone 4 too – of course, we had a prototype leak back then. But still, iPhone 5 is on everyone’s lips. It is just a matter of time before we see the magnum opus from Apple with all its bells and whistles!
Release Date Continuation...
iPhone 5 Release Date might be most buzzing topic among tech geeks. Each day is rising with a new rumor or a speculative guess about iPhone 5 launch date. CNET UK, a top internet review site for electronics, has grabbed attention of the techies posting update on iPhone 5 release date.
According to CNET UK, iPhone 5 release date is likely to be October 2011. We guess this is the first exact date prediction about launch of the next generation iPhone.
What is the reason behind releasing iPhone 5 in October?
Apple recently announced iOS 5 at WWDC 2011 which is packed with new cool features, including Android’s drop-down menu style notification. iOS 5 will be released in the autumn, more specifically in October. Furthermore, Apple brings new generation iPods and iPod Touches in September. However, according to CNET UK, iPods are not enough glamorous to bring iOS 5 into the world. iOS 5 and iPhone 5 both will be the perfect platforms for each other.
That is the reason why we are expecting to see iPhone 5 release with iOS 5, in the autumn. We already assumed that Apple doesn’t want to release iPhone 5 until iOS 5 is completely ready which is somewhat similar to CNET UK’s prediction. Here is what we predicted.
Why CNET UK has assumed Wednesday 7 September 2011 as the iPhone 5 launch date? Since 2005, Apple has been launching iPods in September on the first Wednesday after Labor Day. There were some exceptions in the past, though the Wednesday has proven Apple’s a regular favorite day.
Well, what do you think about this prediction? Do you believe iPhone 5 will be released on 7th September 2011? We would like to hear from you in below comment box!
Following are some of the iPhone 5 release date updates which we come across from time to time through reliable sources.
Update (22 August):Last week we heard a rumor that Apple’s iPhone 5 would be announced on the 7th of September, now according to Kara Swisher from All Things D, this rumored launch date is incorrect and the iPhone 5 will launch in October.
Update (17th August): Is Apple planning to release much awaited iPhone 5 on October 7? Recent report also suggest that Apple will start pre-orders for next iPhone on September 30. Find out more details.
Update (11th August): One of the guys at ZAGG has posted iPhone 5 unboxing video. Is it fake or real? Check this out here.
Update (1st August): Is Apple set to launch iPhone 5 in October? Here find out what a new reliable source, All Things D says about iPhone 5 release date.
Update (28th July): Is iPhone 5 release date set to 5th September? Here find out more about what recent report says from Italian iPhone blog.
Update (28th July): According to the China Times, Apple is all set to launch iPhone 5 in the second week of September with an opening order of 4 million units. Find out more
Update (6th July): As per the recent report from DigiTimes is claiming that Taiwan based manufacturer, Pegatron Technology has received order of 15 Million iPhone 5s from Apple. Here is more on that.
Update (1st July): Another report from DigiTimes claims that iPhone 5 release date should be somewhere in October. According to DigiTimes, Taiwan-based companies have begun to prepare components for the production of the iPhone 5 along with iPad 3 for an October release. Check out more in details.
Update(29th June):Another iPhone 5 rumor says that Apple may launch iPhone 5 (probably iPhone 4s) in September. Click here to find our more on.
Update(14th June): According to 9to5Mac, next generation iPhone reaches to its final stage of testing for September release. Click here to find out more in details.
Update(10th June):Apple didn’t reveal anything about iPhone 5 release date at WWDC 2011. Find out why?
Update(6th June): What’s Samsung got to do with the iPhone 5 release date? Here’s news on how this might affect iPhone 5 launch date.
Update(5th June): Is iPhone 5 release date affected by battery supply issues? Recent reliable reports suggest that Apple’s appointed manufacturing plant of lithium ion batteries shut down due to recent quake in Japan. Find out more in detail.
Update(4th June): Brian White, an analyst for Ticonderoga Securities has analyzed that Apple is going to release iPhone 5 in September 2011, not at WWDC. Check out what Brian White has analyzed.
Update(17th May): Here is again a rumor about iPhone 5 launch date. In an exclusive talk with T3.com, a sales representative from UK based retailer Phones 4U said that iPhone 5 release date is moved to 21st November 2011. Here is further details.
Update(6th May): According to latest news, an AT&T customer representative confirms that Apple has informed AT&T not to expect the iPhone 5 in June or July 2011. iPhone 5 launch date may be pushed to September. Check out AT&T representative words about iPhone 5 release date.
Update(13th April): Here is again rumor that iPhone 5 release date is scheduled to September 2011 or early 2012. According to press note by Avian Securities, Apple’s next gen iPhone 5 should go in production in July and will be available in September 2011 that leading us to predict that iPhone 5 will not hit stores till late 2011 or early 2012.
If you are equally excited as me for iPhone 5, then following features could be major reason to wait for stunning iPhone 5.
Storage Capacity: Apple is offering 16 GB and 32GB iPhone since 2009, so apple is aware this it would be hard push iPhone 5 without having 64 GB of storage. iPhone 5’s lowest model will come with 32G of space and 64G of memory.
Signal Strength: Unlike iPhone 4, iPhone 5 is not having signal issue, as they are offering the strongest signal strength of any iPhone model ever even the best of any Smartphone to ever come to market.
Face Recognition: The new iPhone 5 will have Face Recognition for Security sake so that you don’t have to worry about other people stealing your phone and trying to use it.
Thickness: All three iPhone had thinner bodies than the previous model so the iPhone 5 can be the thinnest yet & much nicer overall body design of the phone.
Longer Battery Life: iPhone 5 will have Up to 14 Hours of Talk Time On The 3G and 7 Hours on the 4G.
Video Chat: Video Chat on a 4G network instead of a slow 3G one
Apple released its iOS 4.3 beta version for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and Apple TV (2nd Generation), giving a possible preview into the upcoming iPad 2 and iPhone 5 features.
The release also confirms that the iOS 4.3 will not be available for iPhone 3G and iPod second generation. The beta version is available in the iOS Dev Center with a build number 8F5148b.
Some features which could hit the iPad are four and five finger gestures. This will add multitasking features to iPad. Thus a four or five finger pinch will lead a user to the home screen, a swiping up gesture will bring the multitasking bar and left and right swipes will assist in navigating between apps.
Macstories reported that iOS 4.3 will also bring the AirPlay video support for third-party apps unlike its earlier feature which limited it to built-in Apple apps. Engadget had reported in November that Apple had built this feature in the iOS 4.2 but had not enabled it for third-party apps. The AirPlay feature supports Apple TV as it allows users to stream digital content from iPhone; iPad and iPod touch to Apple TV. Thus now developers can stream videos to Apple TV from apps directly.
The beta version also includes the Personal Hot Spot feature for iPhones. The feature allows users to share their 3G connection through Wi-Fi with up to five other devices. Recently, Verizon showcased this feature for iPhone’s running on iOS 4.2.5 which raised hopes that all iPhones will entail the hotspot feature. However, the iOS 4.3 beta confirms that the personal hotspot will come by default but will depend as to whether the carrier will support the feature.
It is also surmised that the iOS update will carry location-based services. The Register reported that the Mobile Me settings panel showed a new entry Find My Friends which could be Apple’s version of Google Latitude. The Google Latitude app allows users to see a friend’s location on a map and allows users to directly communicate with them through sms, Gtalk and Gmail.
9to5 Mac reported that the iOS update also brings full screen iAd banner support on iPad. Apple has been working hard to offer the same experience across the different devices, thus these updates are an attempt to bridge the features across iPad, iPod and iPhone. Unlike Google’s Android launches which have raised concerns about fragmentation, Apple seeks unification across its devices.
Google has now officialy released the Google Translate App for iPhone, this application is providing a feature with a text to translated text, and voice to text translations.
The new application allows for 15 supporters languages to be translated from voice to text. The application works by setting you spoken or written language at the top, and the translated to language next to it. To activate the translation, click on the microphone button beside the text box, and begin speaking.
The voice-to-text translations works for 15 supported languages, including English, French, Chinese, Japanese, Italian and many more. The text-to-text translation comes with over 50 supported languages, allowing you to translate just about any language in the world to your native language.
The application even comes with two handy features, such as full-screen mode, allowing you to magnify your translation to show off to your friends. The second neat feature, is the playback voice button. This feature allows you to play the translation back in any of the 15 supported voice languages.
Download Google Translate App for iPhone free from Apple App Store.
Apple has finally announced its upcoming iOS 5.0 firmware version for Mac and iDevices at annual WWDC event. Steve Jobs holds the mike to announce the new flagship of software suites for Mac and iDevices, Apple announced that to date, they have had more than 14 billion downloads, with over 90,000 iPad apps. They have paid developers more than $2.5 billion dollars so far.
Apple started off the new feature list with notifications. Apple has removed the old notification popup system for a more inline notification system, making it less annoying when you're watching a video or playing a game. The 'notification center' will act similar to Android, where your menu swipes down, revealing alerts for all of your phone, messages, emails and more. The notification center is even on your lock screen too.
The lock screen has received a major update, allowing for notifications from apps, messages, and even listening to voice mail without having to slide to unlock the phone.
iOS 5.0 also comes with 'Newsstand', a new subscription-based application that has a ton of newspaper and magazine companies on board, including New York Times, SF Chronicle, Daily Telegraph, and more.
iOS 5 Twitter support Much rumored beforehand, Apple has introduced Twitter natively into iOS 5, with a 'one click' option for applications to let you use Twitter functionality.
All you'll need to do is sign in through the Settings menu and any app can request integration with your Twitter account, meaning no more constant signing in to every new application you download. It's also fully integrated with the Camera and Photo apps, for example.
You can also tweet articles from Safari and locations from Maps.
iOS 5 Safari
A new reading mode has been introduced in Safari, which removes distraction and provides you with a single, scrolling story. Bye bye, ads! You can now also email the contents of the story as well as the link. There's also a Reading List option so you can save stuff to look at later. We bet Read It Later and Instapaper are well chuffed about that. There's also tabbed browsing and lightning-fast window switching.
iOS 5 Reminders
A reminders feature enables you to store Lists, assign reminders to any dates or even location-specific info. These sync across devices and with iCal.
iOS 5 Camera
There's now a camera button on the lock screen, while you can also use the volume button to take pictures - a great addition. Apple says its camera is one of the most commonly used pieces of hardware on photo-sharing sites like Flickr, and has updated the functionality accordingly.
Photo editing software for easy cropping and enhancement has been added in to iOS 5, and pinching to zoom will zoom in on images when you're trying to take a pic.
iOS 5 Mail
The app now has new elements like draggable addresses so you can pop them across from To to Cc or Bcc.
Flagging and full-searchable messages have been added in too, plus rich text formatting for easier interaction with your e-mails.
A built in dictionary makes it easier to keep your spelling under control, and for the iPad: a split keyboard.
Simply grabbing it with your thumbs and sliding upwards will split it in two, making it easier to tap out emails more speedily.
iOS 5 Game Center
Game Center now lets you browse and download games directly, as well as introducing Achievementpoints, There's also Friend Discovery. Gamer profiles have been updated to include photos as well, plus turn-based gaming is baked right into the application for more responsive gaming.
Last up, Apple introduced iMessage. The new instant messaging service allows any iDevice (iPhone, iPod touch and iPad) to communicate with each other. The new application is very similar to the SMS application, but is completely free. Similar to BBM (BlackBerry Messenger), the application allows you and your friends to instant message one another, from anywhere in the world, without the added roaming charges. iMessage requires WiFi or 3G to send and receive.
iOS 5.0 beta will be made available for the following iDevices:
If you want to upgrade to a new Apple iOS 5 firmware version and if you don't know how to upgrade to a new Apple iOS 5.0 firmware version, than this tutorial will helps you to upgrade to a new Apple i OS 5.0 firmware without being a professional developer. This method was created by Apple lover Mert Erdir. It takes advantage of a backdoor exploit in the activation screen, which is tied to the VoiceOver system used by Apple. It was reported on at Gizmodo, if you want to see the article.
Warning: This is not to be attempted if you do not wish to block carrier access. TechGlobeX is not responsible for any damage that may occur, even loss of data that may occur. Remember; proceed at your own risk!
Steps to Upgrade to a new Apple iOS 5 firmware:
Download the iOS 5 IPSW firmware file (Google is your friend) to your PC.
Update via iTunes. Click using the Option key or Shift key while clicking Update. Select the file you downloaded.
Once it upgrades, a new activation screen will appear.
Triple click the home button. This activates the VoiceOver.
Triple click the home button. Emergency Call will appear.
Click on emergency call, and while it is switching, swipe with three fingers down.
Notification Center will appear.
Click on the Weather Widget and it will load.
Click on the home button. The iOS device will exit the springboard.
Hurray! Your iOS device is now fully activated and operational. Good luck on playing with the new iOS 5.
According to the latest IDC report regarding Worldwide Smartphone Operating SystemMarket Share, IDC has declared that the Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 will overtake the market share of the Apple's iPhone by 2015. In fact under the figures, the iPhone market share would decrease with Android taking the lead with 43.8% in 2015. Google's Android will keep its top spot in 2015, grabbing almost 44 percent of the global market, while Apple's iOS will hug third place with a 16.9 percent share.
The researchers believes that by switching to Windows Phone as the core OS on its devices, Nokia will provide the kick that Microsoft needs, especially in global regions where Nokia has enjoyed robust demand. Microsoft's mobile OS will continue to hang onto a small chunk of the market until 2012 when IDC expects Windows Phone-equipped Nokia devices to start shipping in large numbers.
IOS's market share is expected to inch down from its current 18.2 percent, Apple will still see a dramatic increase in smartphone shipment growth through the end of 2015. In second place this year, Symbian will quickly lose market share as Nokia phases it out in favor of Windows Phone. By 2015, IDC sees Symbian's market share as virtually nil. The IDC Report also mentions the decrease of the iOS and BlackBerry slightly due to being squeezed, essentially, into a smaller area of the market. They place the reasoning for Android's growth on the popularity it has with phone manufacturers and vendors.
Despite the fact that it looks almost exactly like its predecessor Leopard, there's plenty in Snow Leopard to make Mac users sit up and take notice.
From the upgrade price of just £25 (peanuts, and which makes it the best value Apple product ever) to built-in support for Microsoft Exchange Server, a smaller footprint, more comprehensive support for 64-bit architecture (though some key apps like iTunes are still 32-bit) and a bunch of sweeping behind-the-scenes stuff designed to give programmers more memory and processing power to play with; this will make life easier and more fun for them and therefore, at some point in the future, for the rest of us.
This is why Apple has been at pains to describe Snow Leopard as 'finely tuned': the pitch is that the house has been spring-cleaned and renovated, rather than knocked down and re-built.
That said, in use we noticed plenty of small, useful improvements. Expose has been given a minor facelift to make it accessible straight from the Dock and windows are zoomable by using the space bar; you can dig into Stacks sub-folders without opening the Finder, scroll through a multi-page document or watch a movie directly in the Finder; there's a new QuickTime Player which features a cleaner, iPhone-like interface, complete with the ability to trim and save video clips, record directly from iSight and create simple screen casts, and if your Mac has Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics it also supports H.264 video decoding.
In addition - and at last - you can select columns one at a time in PDFs instead of being forced to grab everything across the page (for some users this is worth the upgrade price on its own). Elsewhere you can restore items from the trash to their original location, and while problems with ejecting discs haven't gone away, at least Snow Leopard tells you what's going on.
Apple's claim that it's up to 45 percent faster to install than previous versions is hard to prove. On our MacBook the whole thing was done and dusted in under an hour, which is long enough to feel that something substantial has happened without making you want to climb the walls.
Certainly, Snow Leopard frees around 7GB of space by not installing any of the technology required to run old PowerPC programs by default (if required, it'll offer to download the necessaries from the Internet), by treating other ‘extras' like printer drivers and localisation files in the same way and thanks to some fancy file compression. Things do feel faster in Snow Leopard, too, from backing up with Time Machine to shutting down and waking up a MacBook, and the various improvements to the Finder make everything snappier.
Of course, upgrading any operating system will probably throw up a few 'gotchas' but you can minimise these by checking the support forums on www.apple.com first, then going to snowleopard.wikidot.com and finally working your way through your own programs andchecking for updates. You shouldn't cut corners here because it's always much better to upgrade your applications before you actually upgrade the OS itself.
Most software suppliers have a Snow Leopard-specific version ready to go and even tricky things like Parallels 4.0 (our preferred way to run a Windows virtual machine on a Mac) worked fast and flawlessly.
It won't run on older PowerPC-based Macs, but for everyone else Snow Leopard is a worthwhile, cost effective upgrade that works on any Intel Mac (1GB of memory, 5GB of disk space and Core 2 processor for 64-bit operation); and the fact that Mail, Address Book and iCal now support Exchange Server means that Mac users can stay hooked into the company's servers and still use familiar software.
Apple - Snow Leopard features - Verdict
Unflashy, inexpensive OS upgrade that adds improved 64-bit support, works with Microsoft Exchange Server, includes a raft of interface improvements and a new QuickTime, is faster and takes up lessdisk space than its predecessor. Best value Mac product ever.
Apple wasn’t kidding when they said “there’s an app for that”
Heart Monitor? Yes there’s an app for that.
Oscilloscope? Yup, that too.
Laser Pointer? No problem.
HMB-TEC of Germany has created an eclectic and eccentriccollection of hardware gadgets that plug into the 3.5mm headphone jack of an iPhone, and couple with their apps.
Among the devices they make are a heart monitor, microphone, thermometer, stethoscope, pocket fan, oscilloscope, laser pointer, flashlight, breath controller, all sorts of remote control devices, and much more. German ingenuity and engineering leads the way again. I can’t imagine anyone coming up with this sort of stuff here in the U.S. The accessories cost from between $20 to $90 US, excluding shipping. The accompanying apps cost between $1 to $5.
Who will be the first on their block to collect the entire set? Send us photos! Can’t wait to see the iPad versions.
First in our new series of Amazing iPhone Gadgets™, we bring you the:
HMB-TEC Universal IR Remote Control Power Plug for iPhone and iPad
from HMB-TEC: Simply insert the plug into the headphone jack of your iPhone - iPad. It now becomes a universal remote control. This is an ingenious remote control. You can control up to four commercially available IR power outlets. At these outlets, you can connect any electrical device, i.e. lights, TV, motors, coffee machine, Christmas lights, outdoor lighting, heaters, computer equipment, robots, aircraft models. Now your iPhone – iPad can easily turn the equipment on and off. You also save money, because these appliances won’t be wasting electricity sitting in standby mode.
There are two parts; The IR Remote Control Power Plug, which inserts into the headphone jack and the iPhone app. There are a total of 8 buttons. When you press a key, you will see the red LED flash and iPhone vibrate. As soon as you release the button for the selected channel, the IR signal is sent. You can program a different signal for each key.
Here’s how it works.
Connect the IR Remote Plug to the headphone jack of your iPhone – iPad.
Install the HMB-TEC Remote app on your iPhone – iPad.
Connect the device to control to any standard IR enabled Power Plug
Now you can control lights, TV, motors, coffee machines, Christmas lights, outdoor lighting, heaters, computer equipment, robots, aircraft models, any electrical device.
What do we have here? A white prototype iPhone 4 running on the T-Mobile USA 3G network has been spotted. It looks like the magenta-loving carrier will be getting the Apple iPhone too, just like like Verizon did a few months ago.
Now, the phone hasn’t entered mass production or anything - it’s just a prototype, but this means that we could actually see the next generation iPhone run on T-Mobile USA network as well.
For the uninitiated, T-Mobile uses the rare AWS 3G band (1700Mhz). None of the iPhones released so far has supported that band so what we are seeing here is obviously a new device.
The prototype iPhone 4 is running a test version of the iOS. It includes internal Apple apps such as Apple’s employee directory and Radar app, so it's almost certain that it's the real deal. To further prove this, the device has a new model number - N94. The Verizon version is N92 and the GSM model is N90.
Despite the ongoing AT&T and T-Mobile USA merger that’s pending approval of the US authorities, a T-Mobile version of the iPhone 5 looks pretty certain.
Apple released the 4th generation of the iPod Touch that featured a camera and now according to a report by Apple.pro the latest iPod Nano will also feature a camera.
Previously the iPod Nano went in for a major redesign in which it got smaller and got the multi-touch controls of the iPod Touch. The image released by the Apple.pro suggests the outer frame of the iPod Nano will have a camera similar to the one seen on the iPad 2 while it will retain the same "nano" size.
The iPod Nano is an extremely popular version of the Apple iPod. It is the smallest version of the device ever produced. It features a small touch-screen display, a capacity of up to 16 GB and a FM radio.
Technical Specifications
Size and weight
Height:
1.48 inches (37.5 mm)
Width:
1.61 inches (40.9 mm)
Depth:
0.35 inch (8.78 mm) including clip
Weight:
0.74 ounce (21.1 grams)1
Volume:
0.614 cu inch (10,056 cu mm) including clip
Capacity
8GB or 16GB flash drive2
Sensor
Accelerometer
Environmental requirements
Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)
Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C)
Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)
iPod nano embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress. It is designed with the following features to reduce environmental impact:
Arsenic-free display glass
BFR-free
Mercury-free
PVC-free
Recyclable aluminum enclosure
Smaller, more compact packaging (45% smaller, 46% lighter)
Display
1.54-inch (diagonal) color TFT display
240-by-240-pixel resolution
220 pixels per inch
Audio playback
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
User-configurable maximum volume limit
FM radio
Regional settings for Americas, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Japan
Live Pause feature for pausing a radio broadcast and rewinding (within a 15-minute buffer)
Headphones
Earphones
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Impedance: 32 ohms
Impedance: 32 ohms
Battery and power3
Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Up to 24 hours of music playback when fully charged
Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter (sold separately)
Fast-charge time: about 1.5 hours (charges up to 80% of battery capacity)
Song, album, and artist information can also be displayed in Bulgarian, Serbian, Slovenian, Ukranian, and Vietnamese. For Arabic and Hebrew language support, some UI elements are not right to left.
In the box
iPod nano
Apple Earphones
Dock Connector to USB Cable
Quick Start guide and Important Product Information
If you have some money to spare, and would like to impress your friends and family, who are coming to your house in coming holidays, you could get this awesome looking speakers, BeoSound 8, from Bang & Olufsen. Bang & Olufsen, the Danish company that made the BeoSound 8, said the speakers are designed to be light, well-suited to be placed on just about any place you want it to be – on a wall bracket, in a corder, or freestanding. The speakers have a AUX port, a dedicated remote, and stream music from a computer over Wi-Fi using Airport Express.
“We believe BeoSound 8 will resonate with many new and existing customers due to its many color options, versatile wall and table mounting solutions, and unrivalled sound quality,” said Zean Nielsen, President of Bang & Olufsen. “It sets a new standard for hi-fi sound from a sound dock.”
The selling price of these speakers are quite high – $1000.
Today you are invited to discover or recall the latest gadgets in technology, which marked our personal entertainment experience and work productivity during last year. They are all complex devices capable to perform intensive tasks, but coming in simple designs with user-friendly interfaces.
If we start with the communication sector, first gadget we will think of is, of course, the popular iPhone 3G, Apple’s latest release, which is the world’s first and only multi-touchscreen cell phone available for customers worldwide. This innovative technology introduced by Microsoft’s Surface table, allows you to control applications on your phone using your fingers for typing on the on-screen keyboard, glide through albums, scroll through pictures, and zoom web pages, all by touching the multi-touch display layer placed on a capacitive panel in charge with detecting your pressing via electrical fields. Your touch is then sent to the LCD screen under this layer, processed by special software, and interpreted as flicks, taps and pinches.
The on-screen keyboard is different than what you are used with. It adapts its keys and layout for different applications and 21 languages, according to the current mode.
Another technology used in the iPhone, as well as in other high-end handsets on the market, include the accelerometer sensor based on silicon springs that measure the silicon mass position using electrical current, which enables the phone to rotate its image automatically when turned sideways.
The Ambient Light Sensor detects changes in the light conditions and adjusts the display brightness automatically, while the Proximity Sensor feels when something larger than your fingers gets close, turning off the display to save power and to avoid accidental touches on the screen.
Technical Specifications of the HMB-TEC ® Real Pocket Fan Plug:
