Steve Jobs: Death Can't stop you... :-)

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RIP Steve Jobs

Sadly, it is true. The man that has given nothing but inspiration to the world has succumbed to his ill (as well as irreversible) health condition.

Steve Jobs has recently quit the position of the CEO in Apple due to these problems. Liver Cancer has reached a point of preventing him from stapping up to the needs of that position. But today Steve Jobs has died, leaving the world in grief. 

Steve Jobs, founer of Apple, has created a great impact through his ideas to the world. His thoughts have literally changed the way we act, work, interact, amuse and educate ourselves. His innovative ideas have created products used by people all over the world, products such as the iPhone, Mac, iPad and so on...

Steve Jobs died at the age of 56 years old.

Rest in piece Steve, you will be missed...

Amazon Kindle 'Fire' sells 95.000 pieces on its first 24 hours

Amazon Kinde 'Fire' has overpassed everyones ambitions on its first days of release, reaching 95000 sales just in a matter of 24 hours (according to eDataSource reports). 

Kindle Fire was expected to be a huge success by everyone. It combines all the features that make it a very stable and competitive tablet. If we takeinto consideration the price-features ratio, Kindle Fire may overpass even iPad since Kindle's price at the moment is much much lower. Beyond that, so far Kindle's sales have largely overpassed other manufacturers tablets such as HTC, Samsung or even Blackberry.

Kindle has reported more than 100.000 sales so far reaching a milestone for Amazon. Beyond that, the sky is the limit since the tablet so far is available only in the US. It will be interesting to see the people's reaction to it once it reaches UK and Europe in general. Rumor has it that in the UK its price will be around  159 Pounds.

Facebook 'Timeline'

A new improvement has been revealed by Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook at the f8 conference in San Francisco. 

What is the improvement? The personal profile itself. Facebook profile has been looking like the last day of your life. Visual Facts only refered to your actions one or two days before or even a week. But now Facebook profile looks like more of a blog, showing a catalogue of your Facebook activity so far (starting at 2008!). This profile will list all of your apps, all of your stories, all your links... it will be a complete list of your Facebook activity.

Nostalgia on Facebook or an act of self defence? We all know that Google Plus has been released publicly and it is rumored to de-throne Facebook from the king of social networks. The last few days we constantly see changes in the profile, user interface and even if we go back in time a little bit we see new functions on Facebook (like the videochat). It surely looks like the battle between Facebook and Google+ will be a tremendous one.

Facebook timeline will be available soon. For more information see this: http://www.facebook.com/about/timeline

Google Plus goes public

After 90 days of testing, Google's new social network reveals itself  to everyone, since from today morning no recommendation from an already existing member is required. Registration can be achieved by visiting Googles website www.google.com/+

Google has presented Google + on the Google blog also indicating about one hundrend improvements made on it, emphasising on Google Hangouts and the ability to video chat with one or multiple members of the Network (this function is also available on iOS and Android).

Also there is a lot of attention on the search function of Google+, which when used by a person, results may come up not only from the Google+ area but from anywhere on the web as well.

In the Google Blog there are also mentioned future upgrades on Google plus, most of them concerning the mobile version of Google+ where especially Android users will have access to a fully equiped Android App that will keep them in touch with Plus all the time.

Last but not least, Google Huddle, a service that is meant to allow users to exchange text messages via 3G is renamed to Google Messenger.

Overall we expect to see from Google+ a network that guarantees privacy control as well as better connectivity, fusing major elements from other already existing networks into one. So, let us see....

For more info on Google Plus check out this

Windows 8: A synopsis so far....

At the moment, Microsoft is organising a special conference (with the code name 'BUILD') for software developers. This convention is expected to reveal more information regarding the upcoming Windows 8. But what exactly do we know so far about Windows 8?

Interface

What will the user interface for Windows 8 be, touch-style or classic mouse-arrow interface? Or perhaps something else? And, even if it is a touch-style interface, how will it work on desktops (or vice versa on teblets)? 

We know from the begining of Windows 8 design that Windows 8 is planned to be a platform uses in every deveice known so that there will be no incompatibilities. So, Windows 8 will run as touch-style, mouse-arrow style or any other style known so far. It will be a platform used for every gadget and it will contain all available uses.

Features

What new features will be implemented in Windows 8? Will Windows 8 be faster? More Steble? And how about the equipment implemented?

These are the facts we know so far:

Booting the System: Microsoft has combined the Cold Boot function with the Hibernate-Boot function. So, in later versions Cold boot took longer to boot and hibernate took shorter but now these functions are fused into one for maximum comfort. As a result, faster boot time is available.

Improvements in the basic functions of Windows

Check out the new copy-file function of Windows 8. It provides the user seperate completion bars in case of multiple file coping. In addition, in case of duplicate file errors, the new Windows will provide thumbnails of the files so as to make the choice easier on what file to keep and which one to discard.

USB 3.0 Support: The upgrade of the most popular way of transfering files among computers is available on Microsoft Windows 8. By calculations on the release plans of Windows 8 and USB 3.0, the former will already be released when the latter begins arriving. So, Windows 8 will make use of this technology to offer up to 10 times faster data transfer (compared to USB 2.0) as well as better power management.

These are the most certain facts that Microsoft has invested on to make a difference. But that is not all for sure... Microsoft has undoubtly more aces hidden regarding the new platform and all users around the world are already anxious to getting a taste of the new Windows. Further information only is expected to be provided through the BUILD conference. 

Until more news come up here is a taste of the BUILD conference:

HTC Sensation XE announced

After a deal that HTC did with Beats Audio back in August and worth $300 million, the first smartphones to pack Beats Audio are currently being unveiled and they include the HTC Sensation XE, an upgrade to the current HTC Sensation (as if it ever needed it) bringing along extra features to tip you over to the Sense UI side.

The Sensation XE will feature an upgraded dual-core 1.5GHz processor (up from the previous 1.2GHz dual-core) which is amazing considering the originalHTC Sensation was speedy enough as it was, and in the box the Sensation XE along with all other HTC Beats smartphones will come with a pair of in-ear Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. HTC also say that the audio levels will alter themselves to fully optimise the listening experience for the Beats buds, just so you don’t have to.

Release date wise smartphone retailer Clove is taking pre-orders very soon today for the HTC Sensation XE, and they state it will be available for shipping on the 7th of October.

Overall I’d say that the combination of 4.3″ qHD display, snappy albeit colossal 1.5GHz dual-core processor and Beats Audio make the Sensation XE the single best smartphone in the world.

source: TechnologyBlogged

Nokia Symbian Operating system abandoned and handed over

So that’s it then. One of the most feature rich operating systems in the world has been left in the dust by its maker just because they couldn’t come up with a competitive UI. 

As of now, the responsibility for developing and supporting Symbian is thoroughly being handed over to Accenture, along with 2,800 employees that work on the OS.

These news just come to present the power that software development that these days, forcing Nokia to part with its multi-billion Euro baby.  This deal is expected to be implemented in early October. Although Nokia is bound by its promise to make symbian devices till 2016, the development of the OS is solely in the hands of Accenture now. 

If that concerns you, don’t worry since the company promised to take care of its outdated OS till 2016 (well, I do not really know in what way this is more comforting since Nokia really abandons Symbian, but anyway..).

The perfect gift for the lazy ones..

Have you ever been too tired or too lazy to go shopping for a gift for your girlfriend? The solution for you is called 'Gift Side Story' (https://www.giftsidestory.com)

All you have to do is state your girlfriends hobbies, interests and likes and this website offers you a variety of solutions that would make excelent gifts for her.

Gift Side Story administrators claim to really know what women want. And as a result they can offer great solutions for every guy troubled of what to offer as a present. All you have to do is get the website's administrators to know your girlfriend's character a bit better. How that happens? 

Clients are subjected to questions concerning the girl's hobbies, interests, age and personal style (they even ask you to tag her in a photo). Afterwards, the clients fill in a form with important dates in their relationship with that girl. After the submission of these forms the administrators send you via e-mail three choices for you to shop. For each you can pay through a credit card and have it delivered home (or at the girlfriends house directly, for the really lazy ones).

The website's services are limited at the moment and you have to be invited from another member in order to use the site (single passwords are provided by the website rwgularly as well).

Diablo 3 Leaks

Every gamer at this point is waiting for Blizzards new RPG game, sequel  of its previus success: Diablo 3.

Rumors have appeared all over the Internet regarding its release which is about to be announced on BlizzCon (and is expected to be before the end of 2011). Furthermore, about 25000 Beta testers are playing the game right now. As a result we have the first leaks of Diablo 3 gameplay. Here it is:

Volkswagen's zero-gas emission prototype: NILS

Looking towards a zero-emissions future, Volkswagen will use the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show to debut its new NILS concept car. Although the car will bow as a concept, VW indicated the car could eventually make production.

Stretching just 3.04 meters in length, the NILS is 50cm shorter than VW’s diminutive up! model. Although that means the NILS isn’t exactly well suited for the autobahn, its small footprint is ideal for city commuting.

The NILS won’t be used for carpooling, though, as it only offers seating for one. The EV features a small storage compartment behind the cabin, but that should be plenty considering the car’s limited 40-mile range.

The NILS is powered by a rear-mounted electric motor developing a peak of 33 horsepower and 95 lbs-ft of torque. Although that doesn’t sound like a lot, the MILS tips the scales at just 1,014 pounds, meaning it can still scoot from 0-62 in less than 11 seconds. The NILS’ top end is limited to 80mph.

Although safety can be a concern in a car as small as the NILS, VW has gone to great lengths to ensure driver safety. The NILS is fitted with a radar system that can scan up to 200 meter in front of the car and has the capability to bring the vehicle to a complete stop in the event of an impending accident.

“NILS anticipates the future,” said Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, member of the Board of Management and Head of Development for the Volkswagen Brand. “The goal of the NILS project is to research a technically concrete and economically feasible vehicle concept for micromobility which restructures individual transportation to make it more efficient and environmentally compatible based on electric drive technology.”

VW appears to be serious about producing a highly efficient commuter car, so something along the lines of the NILS could be on the world’s roads by the end of the decade.

Prototype iPhone 5 lost by Apple employees twice

...Lost where? In a bar!

No, it is not an anecdote or a joke. In a time period of a single year the prototype iPhone 5 (which is about to be released in a few days) has been lost by Apple employees. How it happened? Well...

April 2010, an Apple employee (...for some reason his name is not public) walks into a bar carrying the new iPhone 5. After some drinks the employee walks out of the bar without the iPhone... When Apple realises that the prototype device has been lost, goes on pursuit of it and ends up re-taking back the device after finding out that whoever found it in the bar, that was originally lost, sold it shortly.

It happened last year, it also happened this year according to 'The Guardian' newspaper on todays post. The same thing happened (more or less) when iPhone was under test outdoors and away from the company's facilities. According to police investigation, the iPhone5 was (again) found by somebody and sold over through the Internet for 200 dolars. But when the police visited the house of the person supposed to have it, the family that resided there claimed to have no idea of where the iPhone would be. Even after police search (that was conducted with the permission of the family that resides the house) nothing was found. 

...Looks like there is an iPhone5 out there, a bit earlier than its release.....

HP Touchpad: Early Failure??

Looks like the HP touchpad, announced by the company in February and released in July has been a disappointment since it is struggling to sale in retail, even though supported by repeated price cuts. An early failure for HP?

Once the 4G touchpad has been released to the retail market, several retailers have ordered large amounts for sale. Retail chain stores such as 'Best Buy' and 'Walmart' have been involved in supplying the touchpad to the public. But looks like the results were not the ones that the shops expected. Reports show that out of the 270.000 pieces of the HP touchpad originally ordered by 'Best Buy', only 25.000 have been sold, a very frustrating outcome (even worst for HP, 'Best Buy' started discussion for taking back free of charge the rest of the order). Such dissapointing results were observed even though the company has repeatedly decreased the price of the touchpad, starting from 50 and ending up to a permanent 100 dollar decrease from the original price of 500 dollars for the 16GB version and 600 dollars for the 32 GB version.

Were does this failure for sales comes from? Opinions tend to vary..

Some people think that the price is very high for such a touchpad. The capabilities of HP's 4G platform slightly lower than iPad's performance but the price was the same. Combined with the brand equity that Apple has achieved, at this price HP had not much to expect for. It was quite obvious that customers would prefer the iPad.

Other people think that applications are the problem. Right now Apple offers about 400.000 applications and Android offers about 200.000. HP has not invested in this area, offering less than 100.000 applications, 1/4 of total Apple apps. This factor also pushes custimers to an iPad or an Android tablet, taking them away from HP's touchpad.

In general, HP touchpad does not really offer some competitive advantage over other tablets such as iPad or Xoom. Instead, it has almost the same price and its capabilities are slightly weaker. Moreover, HP has not yet earned a brand name such as Apple's in the field of tablets. All these factors have pushed down the sales of the specific tablet, offering frustrating almost two month after its release. 

One thing is for certain: HP should be investing more time, money and effort in competing the other companies in the tablet market if better results are to be achieved.

Tim Cook, Apple's new CEO

Following Steve Job's quitting the position of the CEO in Apple (see here), the seat is now taken by Tim Cook.

Tim Cook taking the position of Apple's CEO is no surprise. In fact Tim Cook has been prearing for such duties from the time Steve Jobs' health problems appeared, back in 2001. Ever since, Tim Cook has been the former CEO's right hand and the man to step to his place everytime Jobs was undergoing some medical treatment.

Cook has been employed by Apple in 1998. Prior to this he was Vice president of the 'Compaq' firm, in the department of corporate materials. He has also served other companies in his career such as Inteligent electronics and IBM. He is a graduate of Auburn university in Industrial Engineering and has also earned an MBA in Duke University 5 years later. 

When he first joined Apple, he was Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations. There he was characterised as a strictly professional leader with innovative ideas which helped trully upgrade the problematic (at that time) supply chain system that the company used. People have named him as a very dry and business minded person with great organisational skills and a high level of commitment to his job. Even Jobs himself mentioned for Cook: 'Tim has been doing this job for over two years now, and its high time we recognized with this promotion'.

From all the above we can say that the man leading Apple to the future's innovations is a person that is higly appreciated by Apple personel and is very commited to whatever he is assigned. The position of the CEO will surely be a very challenging one for him but it is certain that he is suitably qualified for the job. Afterall, Steve Jobs was his teacher..

Steve Jobs quits from Apple due to health problems

Apple's founder and CEO Steve Jobs has announced his inability to support the position of the chief Officer and as a result quitted from the leadership of Apple.

According to Steve Jobs himself, the day has come for him to announce that he no longer is able to respond to his duties as the chairman of Apple. Jobs has suffered from liver cancer and undergone a liver transplant two years ago. Although Apple has not specified details regarding his illnes, rumor has it that his medical problems are back, becoming the main cause for him quitting his position.

The sure thing is that Apple loses its founder, its man who's ideas gave a special ID to the company and placed the corporation where it stands nowadays.

The successor in Apple's CEO position is Tim Cook, Steve Jobs' 'right hand' in the company. He is now in front of the challenge of his lifetime proving that he is capable of dealing with the issues of the corporation in order not only to retain Apple's status but even enlarge it. A matter quite difficult since Apple 's value on May reached the staggering amount of 153 billion dollars (Apple posseses the first place in company value, with Google second and valued 111 billion dollars).

End of an era for sure...

Dell XT3 Tablet PC

Have you ever imagined combining the computing force of a laptop and the mobility and functionality of a tablet? Well, watch it coming alive:

Dell is introducing Latitude XT3 tablet pc. Its main idea is to fuse a laptop and a tablet. And the outcome involves a convertible laptop that turns into a tablet. XT3 posseses a 13,3'' 1366x768 -turning- touch screen which, once positioned over the laptop, it can be used as a tablet. The images of this new gadget are astonishing:

On the hardware side of the issue, (as mentioned before) XT3 posseses a 13,3'' 1366x768 screen. Its different versions are equiped with Intel core i3 2310, i5 2520 or i7 2620 next generation proccessor. The Intel HD 3000 graphics system is also installed and there are two slots for up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM.Connectivity options include 802.11 B/G/N WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet and optional Gobi 3000 Mini Card featuring HSPA-EVDO with A-GPS so you always remain connected. I/O options include 3 USB 2.0 ports, combo mic in, line out port, IEEE 1394, SDHC card reader, VGA and HDMI out ports. An HD webcam comes standard as well. The cornerstone of the tablet-pc involves a dual digitizer display allowing up to four finger multitouch as well as a digital pen for input. The operating system used in Dells new gadget is Microsoft's Windows 7.

Dell Latitude is available to preorder in the price of 1789 US Dollars (It gets even higher by adding stuff like the backlit keyboard or the outdoor viewing display)

Motorola - Google deal: Facts and Truth

Google and smartphone vendor Motorola Mobility have entered an agreement where the search giant will acquire the mobile maker for $12.5 billion, formally announcing the beginning of Google’s official entry into the smartphone market as a vendor.

After the undoubted success of Android operating system, Larry Page, CEO of Google has announced that Google insists on updating the specific software and enter more dynamicly in the area of smartphones. For this reason they have deceded to reach an agreement with Motorola Mobility. Motorola has 80 years of innovation in communications, introducing the world’s first portable mobile phone over 30 years ago. The company was one of the founding members of the Open Handset Alliance, and was one of the first smartphone vendors to associate a definitive brand with the Android ecosystem via its Droid smartphones.

Page's exact words on Google blog are the following: 

This acquisition will not change our commitment to run Android as an open platform. Motorola will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. We will run Motorola as a separate business. Many hardware partners have contributed to Android’s success and we look forward to continuing to work with all of them to deliver outstanding user experiences.

The combination of Google and Motorola will not only supercharge Android, but will also enhance competition and offer consumers accelerating innovation, greater choice, and wonderful user experiences. I am confident that these great experiences will create huge value for shareholders. 

Undoubtedly, Google has made a surprise attacking move in the field of competition. But what is the key factor that moved Google in deciding to taking over Motorola Mobility? A single word is enough: 'Patents'

Motorola Mobility possesses a great deal of patents in its portfolio. Such patents will provide support to Google regarding the further development of Android.

According to analyst Mayuresh Masurekar: We believe the key benefit of this acquisition to Google is Motorola Mobility’s large patent portfolio, with 17,000 patents and 7,500 more applications in progress. This portfolio should strengthen Google’s position in any lawsuits related to Android (such as the Oracle lawsuit), and protect the fast growing Android ecosystem. Nortel Network’s portfolio of 6,000 patents was recently sold to a consortium of companies for $4.5B. Assuming no significant difference in the quality/ effectiveness of patents, Motorola Mobility’s patent portfolio (3x bigger than Nortel) would have been worth 3x the $4.5B Nortel deal, implying Google paid the market rate for patents and obtained the manufacturing business for next to nothing. (source: zdnet.com)

Google now posseses 19.000 more personel and will have to calculate an extra 157 million dollar income projected for 2011 and originating from Motorola. This move will surely trigger a 'war-like' response sequence for other companies. Do not be surprised if other companies (Microsoft-HTC for example) proceed to such moves as well. The sure thing is that the near future holds a lot of surprises for us.

Goggle Chrome: the fastest web browser

Compuware has just released data regarding measurementsof browsing speed. The data were collected in experiementation with common websites on a broadband Internet connection and involved all the common browsers that exist. In the end of the survey, the results were counted up to 1.86 Billion measurements on more than 200 websites.

The winner of this contest was -well, you guessed correctly- Google Chrome.

Here are the results of this experiement:

The Blue bar indicates the loading time of the page and the green bar shows the perceived render time, meaning basically how much time it took for each browser to load all graphic visible content to appear on the browser. As we can see, Google Chrome 12 comes first in the page load race and second in perceived render time, just after Mozilla Firefox 5. 

As a Google Chrome user myself, I have to say that I am not surprised by this result since in my opinion Google Chrome is the fastest, easiest to use, most user friendly browser than all the other 4. Although Firefox surely comes close to Chrome (half a seconf for load time is not a great deal for a common Internet user), personally prefer and stay with Google's browser.

On the high end, the slowest browser according to this survey is Apple's Safari 5 (not the current version) and Internet Explorer 9 (not the current version as well). According to Compuware, more data from such surveys will be revealed in the future.

HiLO tablet: A tablet with the keyboard on its case

A unique tablet has been designed by Roni Margolin. Check it out:

It's name is HiLO and it is not an ordinary tablet. Why? It's protective case is designed also as a keyboard for the tablet, connecting to it via Bluetooth. The tablet screen is an OLED 10'' and the case of the tablet contains micro-wiring creating a keyboard. The tablet is also equiped with a standing-part so as to be placed vertically when the keyboard is connected, approaching the idea of a laptop.

A very interesting designing aspect. Surely looking forward to seeing the idea coming true.

Anonymous vs. Facebook

'Anonymous', the famous hacker team that has infiltrated networks such us govermnet and police systems, have made an announcement that is discussed worldwide: An attack on Facebook.

To be more precise, in their video they indicate that Facebook collects data from every user and sells this information to institutes like governments, policing orginizations and companies. So, in an effort to protect the world from Facebook they have declared war by launching the so called 'FacebookOp' and stated that Facebook will fall on the 5th of November 2011.

Sources report that this message might also be a scam. Others claim that it is real. Ambiguous as the message might may be, we have to wait until the November 5th to find out.

Here is the video released by Anonymous

Technology, Ecology and Fashion fusing. Any success?

The latest years there is a noticeable fusing between Technological use in ecological matters and fashion. 

There have been noticed many attemps to combine the functionality and the 'look' of clothes and the power generating ability of the solar rays. The idea of ecology in clothes is a very nice one but (as always) some people got the (very) wrog meaning of this.

Here are some examples of clothes where photovoltaic systems have been implemented:

                                                                    

At first a hat with the photovoltaic panels on the top. It actually produces energy to run a fan for an extra wave of air. Obviously something that you would not wear outside.. (Really, would you...?)

Also, a t-shirt equiped with panels is quite understandable. But, the swimm suit equiped with photovoltaic system is not just too much? Fine, I also get irritated when I am on the beach and I forgot to charge a gadget but still, isn't it too much? 

To end up, who would wear a a coat on a sunny day?????

Well, I agree that ecology is an essential matter nowadays. But don't you think some people overdid it?

On a more serious approach to the issue, ecological clothes are about to be implemented by many companies that produce clothes. Already, H&M trademark has created the first 'green' clothes. They do not posses some kind of photovoltaic system but they are made from ecological fabric, easily dispensible and environmental friendly.

The Greatest- Worst - Most Irritating -Most Addictive Game on the Web

The title probably creates a feeling of wonder regarding the game I am refering to.


Have you ever played QWOP? No? Well, you have missed a lot of things (..but surely one of them is not your sanity..)

In QWOP all you have to do is make a runner run. Yes that is it. Sounds simple? Give it a try...

http://www.foddy.net/Athletics.html

QWOP is one of the most difficult action games on the web, it is highly addictive and demands great concentration, coordination and patience. People mastering it have practiced for years and have earned the right to take pride in this accomplishment.


I hope I have not ruined your nervous system...

Android Smartphone vs iPhone

On a previous post Apple's superiority was poinetd out in the field of tablets against its grand opponent: Android. But what happens on the field of smartphones?

Many people would argue that iPhone is much better, more stable and trustworthy than Android. Well, there are facts that indicate that there is a sense of truth in this. But the main (public) opinion is that Android really rules the field of smartphones. The reason? Here are some of the main reasons why Android is more attractive:

User-friendly: Android phones comply with the pc user inetrace. Applications Menu can be accessed by tapping a button and it is easy for the user to know which apps are running at that moment and which are inactive. In other words, it is easier for the user to know what is going on on their phone.

iTunes: In order to update an iPhone, you are forced to do it through iTunes. On the other hand, Android can be updated either through OTA (On The Air) tool or using some third party tool with the use of a PC. In addition, in order to manage your multimedia archives, your files and everything else on your iPhone you need to be conected to iTunes, in contrast to Android which has many tools (created by many developers) in order to manage your phone.

iTunes is forced upon you by Apple and it is not a great platform to work with (actually in my opinion it is quite bad). Android allows a lot of managing programs (not just a specific one from a forced-monopoly source) something that works in favor of its appeal to the common public.

Applications: iPhones get their applications from iTunes and are designed by Apple. Android includes applications created by almost everyone that is able to create an Android source code. As a result, Android apps tend to cover more subjects, do more jobs, be more user friendly (since they are constantly improved) and in general work in a better way for the user. An other point that Apple's wish for monopoly hurts the company's image to the public.

I am sure that a lot of people will disagree but in my opinion Apple may have offered a more stable platform in iPhone but Android's rapid development surely will overtake Apple's ground and be the winner in the field of Smartphones.

Defcon Conferece- CyFi

In Las Vegas, at the moment a grat hacker convention is held. Hackers from all around the world have joined, presenting their achievements, some of them really astonishing.

One of them: a case of a 10 year old girl who has managed to find a bug in many Internet games that demand a time limit to collect digital 'seeds'. Her (nick)name is CyFi. Her discovery: advancing the clock on a tablet while conected to the Internet and under certain circumstances you can bypass the rule of the game regarding the time limit. As a result you can harvest the rewards sooner than the time limit requires. At first this might look pointless or unimportant but this is not true for two reasons: First of all, companies on the Internet make a lot of money just by 'farming' materials, digital money, crops and by collecting and selling consumables in many games. Second, the way that this bug works it may allow another hacker to implement his code on the game with fatal results.

CyFi has found out this way of harvesting crops sooner than the time limit required just out of being bored to wait for all these hours to harvest her crops (lets not forget that she still is a ten year old girl). "It was hard to make progress in the game, because it took so long for things to grow. So I thought, 'Why don't I just change the time?" (source: cnet)

Details of the bug (such as the exact circumstances needed to activate the bug) have not been revealed but the bug has been verified by testers.

Way to go CyFi...

iPad vs. Android: 24-1 ??

The score makes the game look really (really really) unbalanced, something that obviously is not true for our case. But, according to TheNextWeb Apple's iPad has outnumbered the number of sales of all Android tablets such as Samsung Galaxy Tab and Motorola Xoom by a ratio of 24:1!

So, is Android tablet market all that bad? Or perhaps the public opinion is turned in favor of Apple?

Android tablets are not that bad, actually. Examples such as the forspoken Motorola Xoom are quite competitive against an iPad. Also, iPad tablets are quite cheaper than Apple tablets, a factor that cannot indicate public opinion favoring (in such a large ratio) Apple. The truth is osmewhere in the middle as a wise man (myself :D) said.

And the truth is this: Android software has appeared on the frontstage of the technological world only some years ago. On the other hand, Apple, much older than Android, has created a formidable brand name 'forcing' customers to trust an iPad against an Android tablet, despite the lower price and the tie in technical characteristics.

Is marketing application and brand name equity all that effective in public choice? Apparently...

Photo from TechnologyBlogged.com

Fleet Commander: Star Wars (really) unleashed

Here is a project of Illinois University graduate, Arthur Nishimoto. A strategy game 'star wars'-look-alike implementing the idea of touch screen, all imprinted in a 52 inch screen.

The whole deal is about a multiplayer strategy game involving 2 or more sides battling to be the last standing in a galaxy combat including spaceships, drones, laser and missile weaponry and all the good stuff that we really loved in Star wars movies (although personally I prefer Star Trek). Ladies and Gentlemen, behold 'Fleet Commander'

Nishimoto expanded the idea of realism in a videogame by creating a strategy game played in a wall screen. Of course the game can also be played on smaller screens looking almost as cool as the main idea of a wall-screen. Here is how himself in his own website describes his game:

Developed at the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) by MS graduate candidate Arthur Nishimoto, “Fleet Commander” explores how a real-time interactive strategy game that would typically rely on complex keyboard commands and mouse interactions be transferred into a multi-user, multi-touch environment. Originally designed for use with TacTile, a 52-inch multi-touch LCD tabletop display, “Fleet Commander” game play has been ported to EVL’s 20-foot wide multi-touch LCD wall, Cyber-Commons. “Fleet Commander” uses Processing, an open source programming language.

Below there are some videos of Gameplay.

Looks good, right...?

Higgis Boson Particle: One Step Closer

Scientists at the CERN facilities have revealed their progress in a press conference regarding the search for the notorious Higgis boson.

Scientists working at the CERN collider on the France-Switzerland border have revealed their progress last Friday presenting some very interesting findings. According to their statements, after constant experiementing with various scientific instruments, a bizarre collision of particles has been noticed, something that usually signs a discovery. This discovery could refer to the revelation of Higgis particle as well.

Scientists remain calm since this enthusiasm could not be fundamentally correct since many factors from instrument malfunction to calculation errors could produce such results. In any case, if these calculations prove correct and a discovery is about to take place, the sure thing is that the whole world will watch even closer the CERN project and its result since these results could alter the way we perceive everything in our world and beyond.

Broadband Penetration Trends

Internet Connection in the years passed has turned from a luxury trend to a necessity. It is very common now for a house to have an Internet access through a computer, a tablet or a smartphone. Technology has undergone major breakthroughs, making the Internet access from slow and just 'tolerable' in the early 2000 with the PSTN lines to relaxing and enjoyable nowadays.

Data below have been updated on june 2011 and appear o be very interesting regarding the present condition of Internet accessibility.

According to data, every year there is a significant increase in the use of the Internet. As the table shows, all OECD countries have observed an increase in DSL usage.

The data collected by OECD show that there is constant increase in the use of Broadband connections. Only for the year 2009-2010 France, the leading country with the highest increase rate has a 3,15 per 100 person increased DSL use. This means that if in 2008-2009 there where 100 pleople with newly established DSL lines, in 2009-2010 there were 103,15 (well, you get the point, in 10.000 people > 10.315 increased in 2010)

Households with broadband access, 2010, oecd.org

As we can see, Korea is the champion of 2009 in households with broadband access in 2009, with Iceland and Sweden following. It is remarkable that the U.S. ends up 12th in the rally of DSL connections.

Fixed broadband penetration and density, June 2010, oecd.org

Overall, Netherlands appears to have the most avtive DSL connections with 37,8 Broadband subscribers per 100 inhabitants. This means that one out of three Holland inhabitants posseses a registered DSL line.

From the above we can surely tell that broadband increase figures show an increase in Internet use, making access to the Web a necessity for almost everyone. in addition, these figures show no sign of a possible decrease, marking a path of constant increase in the usage of Internet and its tools in our everyday life.

Top 10+1 'Must have' Android Apps

Android has surely met a lot of acceptance in community. The fact that almost all of its applications (and not only the mainstream ones) or at least the essential ones are provided for free in addition to the stability and functionality of Android phones, make them a very popular choice in the world of smartphones.

In an effort to make life of Android users easier, Technological Control has gathered information regarding the 10+1 most used applications that are should be installed on every android smartphone:

(..And, NO, you will not find 'Angry Birds' in this list....)

10. Advanced task killer: An excellent app to shut down all other application running in the background and consuming batter and system resources for practically no reason.

9. Gas Buddy: Always useful to know where is a nearby gas station. In addition, this app can provide you lists of gas value in nearby gas stations so as to compare and choose more wisely.

8. Gmail and Google Calendar: A single platform working as an agenda and an e-mail plaform for Gmail users. Quite useful for keeping updated to your e-mail as well as organising contacts and meetings.

7. NewsRob: an application where you can organise your RSS feeds and stay up to date with everything going on on the web.

6.Kindle for Android: Amazon's Kindle has been adopted and implemented to Android as an app allowing the user to read e-books, e-zines etc. A very successful gadget from Amazon and a very popular application in the world of Android.

5. Sweet Dreams: Sweet Dreams is an application that liberates the user from having to change everynight the setting of his phone in order not to have late night disturbing calls. By switching on the app a nice, unpaused, relaxing night sleep is guaranteed (SweetDreams is one of the 3 most popular Android Apps, measured in times of download)

4. WaveSecurity: An application that works on the security issues of your smartphone. Created by McAfee, WaveSecurity works as Internet protection works on a Computer. It can provide general lockdown of your device, backup and restore functions as well as SIM card tracing in case of losing your phone. Quite good application, easy to use and extremely effective.

3. Google Voice: a kind-of answering machine for your Android smartphone (for free as well). In case of an unanswered call, Google Voice takes up by recording messages from the caller and creating transcriptions that you can access at a later time (no voicemail dial required).

2. Wheather Channel: Take a glimpse of what the weather looks like while leaving home or examine what weather conditions will take place so as to organise trips, excursions etc. In each occasion an excellent app providing stats and data in a very well organised and easy to handle interface.

1. Opera Browser: The well known internet browser in its phone edition and in a better design allowing faster browsing using less bandwidth. An excellent app, must have on your android phone an a strong competitor for other browsers in the field of smartphones

+1 (Godlike...) Dropbox: Dropbox works as a server where you can place archives and have access to them from everywhere using your android phone. Imagine having all music and video tracks, your documents, your photos, everything you can imagine on your smartphone. Quite good huh....?