Sony Duo 11 Ultrabook review: Blurring the line between tablet and laptop

Unpacking the Sony Duo 11 (aka the SVD1123CXB) reveals what appears to be a tablet; no keyboard is immediately visible. Yet when you pick it up, it seems a little hefty for a tablet. What's going on here? Well, the Duo 11 is not just a tablet. Lifting up the top edge tilts the display and reveals a sliding keyboard hidden beneath the panel.

Welcome to the world of Windows 8 sliders. The Duo 11 keeps its keyboard tucked underneath the tablet's bottom chassis—it's there when you need it, but you can hide it away when you don't.

Sony

The Duo 11 modes

The Duo 11 weighs in at 2 pounds, 13 ounces, decidedly on the light side for an Ultrabook. The 11.6-inch screen offers a full 1920-by-1080-pixel IPS touchscreen panel that provides good image quality and color fidelity. Sony also built a full Wacom digitizer into the touchscreen, complete with a stylus supporting 256 levels of pressure sensitivity. Artists will appreciate the digitizer, but Sony didn't think to include a slot to store the stylus in the body of the unit, so you'll need to keep track of it as you travel.

The Duo 11 meets Intel's Ultrabook spec: It's light, it boots quickly from the 128GB solid-state drive, and it measures just 0.71 inch thick. The machine carries an Intel Core i5-3317U processor, and our review unit had 8GB of system RAM (the standard amount of included memory is 6GB). Since it's an Ultrabook, its graphics hardware consists of the on-board Intel HD 4000 GPU built into the Ivy Bridge low-voltage processor.

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Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2011646/sony-duo-11-ultrabook-blurring-the-line-between-tablet-and-laptop.html

VERIFONE HOLDINGS VEECO INSTRUMENTS

FCC probes Google over Street View program's collection of personal data

The Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday it is investigating whether Google violated communications laws when it collected data from WiFi networks in U.S. homes through its Street View mapping program.

Source: http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=85459fed96b3ccfc3e309a3bd859461a

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Prime 'beachfront spectrum' for all - if Congress will help

You're probably reading this on junk. And I'm not talking about newsprint - industry woes aside, that's high-quality stuff. But if you're on a computer or an iPad, and you're not plugged into an Internet jack in the wall? Junk, then.

Source: http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=4d81747d271c682797e3f179bb8064a9

SI INTERNATIONAL SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY

Vimeo updates to version 3, brings new iPhone interface

Vimeo’s universal app for iOS has been updated to version 3.0 today. The changes focus on the iPhone and include tab-based navigation, a new view called Feed that allows you to browse new videos, and support background uploads while you continue to watch videos in the app. Users can also now share videos using the built-in iOS sharing features.

The editing feature has been removed from the iPhone version, but Vimeo says that you can save active projects to the Camera Roll, while the editor is still present on the iPad.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/92z4QXQs8Ps/story01.htm

TOTAL SYSTEM SERVICES TNS

How to Replace Your Laptop Hard Drive

If your laptop's hard drive has gone down for the count, or if you want to swap it out in favor of something larger or faster (a solid-state drive can perk up a laptop's performance considerably), I have good news for you: Replacing a hard drive is usually a simple and straightforward procedure; and if things get tricky, our walkthrough will help you do the job safely and efficiently.

On some laptops, switching drives is as easy as undoing a latch, sliding the drive caddy out, removing a couple of screws, swapping drives, and then repeating the previous steps in reverse. But on other machines, the hard drive is buried under the keyboard or motherboard, without an access panel. Dealing with this type of design entails removing dozens of screws, the keyboard deck, the keyboard, the motherboard, and many parts and connectors. Fortunately, the latter scenario has become significantly rarer in recent years.

The best place to start when you want to upgrade or replace your hard drive is with the user's guide for your laptop. If the disk-swapping procedure is simple, the guide will tell you how to do it. In that case, you won't need any further help, though some of the tips offered here may make the operation easier and safer for you and the equipment.

If your user's guide doesn't cover the procedure, it may be a more complicated task. Fortunately, you can find a teardown guide and/or video on the Web for virtually every modern electronic device. A quick search for your laptop model should yield something you can use. If not, searching for a similar model may turn up helpful reference material.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/261599/how_to_replace_your_laptop_hard_drive.html

THQ TEXAS INSTRUMENTS

Farragomate is a social fridge magnet game where you make up sentences

You know those fridge magnet kits composed of a whole bunch of words? The ones you put all over your fridge door and then try to arrange into all sorts of juvenile and/or amusing sentences. Well, Farragomate is the social, webby version of that very same pastime.

You get to play with a bunch of random strangers in real-time, and make up sentences out of a pre-set collection of words, including some fairly naughty ones, and all players' nicknames. As you can imagine, some of the results are not child-friendly.

There are ten rounds to a game. Once a round is done, players get to vote for their favorite sentence from that round. You can't vote for your own creation, of course. There's in-game chat, too.

I think the vocabulary could be made a bit more eclectic, but even as it is, it's a nice way to spend a few minutes and meet random strangers on the Internet (always a thrilling experience).

Farragomate is a social fridge magnet game where you make up sentences originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/25/farragomate-is-a-social-game-where-you-make-up-sentences/

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New Slim and Sexy iMac Models Available November 30

Remember those super skinny iMac models Apple introduced in late October? Apple at the time said it would begin shipping its new iMacs in December, but the 21.5-inch model will actually be available to purchase starting November 30, 2012, the Cupertino company announced today. The 27-inch iMac is still scheduled to ship next month. "Redesigned...

Source: http://hothardware.com/News/New-Slim-and-Sexy-iMac-Models-Available-November-30/

VERIFONE HOLDINGS VEECO INSTRUMENTS

Corel VideoStudio X4 giveaway

This morning, Corel released VideoStudio X4. We've already published a quick overview and hands-on of the application, and now is the moment you've all been waiting for: We're giving away ten full licenses of this new version, each worth $99.99!

To enter our random draw, you just have to leave a comment. Full terms and conditions are after the break.

Continue reading Corel VideoStudio X4 giveaway

Corel VideoStudio X4 giveaway originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/22/corel-videostudio-x4-giveaway/

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Featured Advertiser

Source: http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=58baaba5550bbf3a8753199c0b1db245&p=4

SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS SILICON LABORATORIES

Apple’s iBook App is Brilliant

By far one of the best features of Apple’s iPad is it’s ability to access thousands of apps. It does have a great multi-orientation interface too but the fact that these apps have been designed for the iPad only means there is very little chance of finding them on any other device other than the iPhone and iPod Touch.   The applications cover a wide range of categories from entertainment to business with games, education and sports in between. Apple [...]

Source: http://tabletbuzzblog.com/apples-ibook-app-is-brilliant/

TIBCO SOFTWARE THQ

Libra for Android helps you track your weight using The Hacker's Diet system

I'm getting fat; that's what you see on the screenshot to the right -- my gradual move from chubby to portly. But never mind the numbers, look at the pretty graph!

If you've ever read The Hacker's Diet, this graph should be instantly recognizable. Each point shows the weight for a given day, while the trend line lets you see if you're gaining or losing weight.

When I use my "main" PC, I have a homebrew solution for creating and maintaining this graph. But I've had to find a temporary solution for Android, and Libra is it.

It's a beautifully simple app, very true to the spirit of The Hacker's Diet. You can create a shortcut on your homescreen that brings you right into the data entry screen, so you just tap the shortcut every morning, feed in your weight for the day and hit OK, and then you get to see your progress (or lack thereof) on the graph.

The app remembers the previous day's weigh-in, which makes it easy to enter today's weight (as they're usually not too different). The graph is zoomable and scrollable, and most importantly, you can export the data to CSV so you're not locked into the app.

If you ever need to track your weight using an Android device for any period of time, Libra is one excellent solution.

Libra for Android helps you track your weight using The Hacker's Diet system originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/libra-for-android-helps-you-track-your-weight-using-the-hackers/

SYNNEX SYMANTEC

AT&T Selling Refurbished 16GB iPhone 5 for $100

Here's a heads up on a pretty good deal for an iPhone 5 (one that doesn't require getting into fisticuffs with Walmart shoppers). Over at AT&T, you can snag Apple's latest smartphone for just $100 with a qualifying data contract and two-year service agreement, albeit it's a refurbished model. Still, it's the lowest we've seen the iPhone...

Source: http://hothardware.com/News/ATT-Selling-Refurbished-16GB-iPhone-5-for-100/

SYMANTEC SYKES ENTERPRISES INORATED

Apple orders iCab iOS browser to cripple JavaScript modules

The developer of iCab Mobile, a feature-rich alternative to the Safari Web browser on iPad and iPhone, has been ordered by Apple to remove its ability to download and install JavaScript modules.

Presumably it's not the fact that iCab can execute JavaScript that's causing Apple to apoplectically puff and splutter, but rather its ability to download modules. Both Apple and Google frown upon apps that contain market-like functionality, and someone at Apple probably thought that iCab's JavaScript modules looked like a bit too much like discrete apps.

Alexander Clauss, iCab's developer, has rather a lot to say on the matter. "Maybe if I would have called the modules 'smart bookmarks' and would have made installing them much more complicated, Apple would have never asked to remove the ability to download them from the internet. The great user experience of installing modules has probably created a suspicion that these modules are more than just a piece of JavaScript code. From a pure technical point of view, if Apple does not allow to download modules (JavaScript code), Apple would also have to disallow to load web pages in general, because these do also contain JavaScript code."

In conclusion, to circumvent Apple's draconian decree, iCab Mobile now simply comes bundled with some 20 JavaScript modules. The ability to download modules made by third-party developers has been disabled, however -- but even then, Clauss says that you can simply contact him and ask for your module to be bundled with the next version of iCab.

Download iCab Mobile for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch ($1.99)

Apple orders iCab iOS browser to cripple JavaScript modules originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/08/apple-orders-icab-ios-browser-to-cripple-javascript-modules/

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AT&T agrees to buy T-Mobile USA

AT&T has agreed to buy T-Mobile USA in a $39 billion deal that would create the country's largest cellphone carrier.

Source: http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=3061fba477686ee0146dadcb70ee9c69

SI INTERNATIONAL SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY

Samsung to get a look at Apple's settlement with HTC

Samsung will be able to look at the settlement between Apple and HTC. Samsung will reportedly use the content of the settlement to determine if they need to halt sales of any of their products after their billion-dollar loss to Apple in a US court in August. Apple had previously sought to keep the specific dollar amount of its settlement with HTC private while providing the rest of the settlement terms for Samsung to view, though Samsung didn’t find this sufficient. Bryan Bishop of The Verge reports:

Apple's attorneys had previously agreed to share a version of the agreement that redacted the financial terms of the settlement; in a hearing today Samsung argued that the fees HTC is paying Apple indicate how much consumer demand there is for those features covered by the patents. While Judge Grewal did write that he was "more than a little skeptical" of Samsung's argument, he nevertheless ordered Apple to turn over the document.

Samsung feels that if Apple is licensing patents to HTC, then Apple is fine with someone using the intellectual property covered by those patents as long as they are paid for its use. Since Apple will be recieving a settlement from Samsung based on August’s verdict, Samsung believes that an injunction is unjustified. Whether this will be enough to satisfy the court is up for debate, because licensing agreements typically involve a contract to use intellectual property, and while Samsung will indeed pay Apple a large sum of money, they still used the intellectual property without permission in the eyes of the law, having made no contract with Apple on the use of their intellectual property. The hearing for a possible injunction against Samsung’s products will being on December 6th.

Source: The Verge

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/Cdb4PjNoo6Y/story01.htm

SUN MICROSYSTEMS STANDARD MICROSYSTEMS

Wealthiest in Washington area get best high-speed Internet values, study says

Residents of the wealthiest parts of the Washington region tend to get the best value in high-speed Internet service, paying less for faster speeds, according to a new study from American University.

Source: http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=fe23f7a4505fa8fd1acefe1d3dafa608

VIRGIN MEDIA VIEWSONIC

ChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryear

Have you ever wondered what the Web was like before the Mosaic Web browser? If you were born in the last 20-odd years, or you only discovered your inner geek recently, did you miss out on monochrome monitors and the dial-up BBS era? Well, here's your chance to get a sneak peek at history: grab the ChromeLite extension and marvel as the entire Web is transformed into ASCII characters.

Now, ChromeLite isn't really all that functional. For the most part, it simply strips images and converts text into a monospaced terminal font. There are a few Easter eggs inserted -- such as a fun message at the bottom of YouTube (image after the break) -- and some fun ASCII art, but that's about it. Rather oddly, most JavaScript continues to work -- so you can still enjoy Google Instant Search!

ChromeLite was actually made by Google as an April Fools' joke -- and indeed, an annoying 'you can uninstall this!' message appears at the top of every page -- but we're kind of hoping that Google, or another developer, takes ChromeLite and turns it into a real ASCII browsing extension with configurable settings. If anything, it will provide an easy way to save bandwidth and CPU time.

Continue reading ChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryear

ChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryear originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/chromelite-experience-the-ascii-web-of-yesteryear/

SUN MICROSYSTEMS STANDARD MICROSYSTEMS

HTC statement about Apple royalties confirms the money is irrelevant

When HTC settled its patent lawsuit with Apple by agreeing to some set of undisclosed terms, analysts did their job, which is to estimate what this means to the stock.

The most commonly thrown-around number was $6-8 per handset in royalty payments. For some perspective, in Q2, according to IDC estimates, HTC shipped 8.8 million units. Let’s annualize this and call it 35 million units per year. It’s not a perfect estimate because phone sales are seasonal, but it’s close enough to get a handle on the overall size of a deal.

If HTC was paying even $6 per handset, then Apple’s profitability would go up by $210 million per year. Hardly chump change. But when you compare it to Apple’s profitability, which was over $40 billion in the last 12 months, it’s inconsequential. It would grow Apple’s bottom line by a mere 0.5%.

Today, HTC’s vocal CEO Peter Chou has gone on record saying that $6 per handset is an “outrageous” amount. I’m guessing this means the real settlement is way, way lower than $6, meaning that the effect to Apple’s profitability will be impossible to notice.

These patent settlements (and lawsuits) make headlines because they represent challenge, or resolution of challenge. It’s very similar to seeing two big fighters go toe to toe on a poster advertising the next big UFC match. It’s human nature to want to speculate about who’s going to win.

For Apple, it just doesn’t look like these royalties are going to matter. So winning in court shouldn’t be the goal.

Let’s look at the math another way. What if Samsung were forced to settle, paying Apple the $6 per handset that people thought HTC was paying (even though Chou says it’s outrageous, and wrong). Samsung is shipping on the order of 200 million smartphones per year. So $6 per handset means $1.2 billion per year. Again, compare this against Apple’s profitability over the last year and we’re looking at a 3% rise on team Cupertino’s bottom line.

The math points to a clear conclusion. Apple needs to focus on making awesome products and selling the hell out of them. The court battles just don’t make much difference at the end of the day.

I really enjoyed listening to the latest iMore show where Rene brought on CrackBerry.com's Kevin Michaluk to discuss his month-long use of the iPhone 5. A lot of really good points were brought up. If Apple put as much energy into fixing some of the obvious problems with its product as it does into court battles, I think it would be an even stronger company.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/rtIXhliZ258/story01.htm

SYNTEL

Social Mag Flipboard Takes Readers on an iBookstore Tour

Flipboard, an iOS app that turns social media feeds into personalized magazine-like pages, added books to its repertoire Thursday by integrating with Apple's iBookstore. Users of the app for the iPhone and iPad will find a new books section on the software's content page. The section is organized into 24 categories, such as arts and entertainment, comics and graphic novels, history, and mysteries and thrillers.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/25a7a131/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C766370Bhtml/story01.htm

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