The two gadgets that will compel you to purchase them. Now Samsung Galaxy Note is up in the market to beat Apple iPhone 4S
Source: gsmarena.com
Source: gsmarena.com
Showing posts with label apple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label apple. Show all posts
Dec 18, 2011
Oct 6, 2011
Steve Jobs, Apple founder, now no more.. :(
Steve Jobs, the visionary in the black turtleneck who co-founded Apple in a Silicon Valley garage, built it into the world's leading tech company and led a mobile-computing revolution with wildly popular devices such as the iPhone, died Wednesday. He was 56.
The hard-driving executive pioneered the concept of the personal computer and of navigating them by clicking onscreen images with a mouse. In more recent years, he introduced the iPod portable music player, the iPhone and the iPad tablet -- all of which changed how we consume content in the digital age.
His friends and Apple fans on Wednesday night mourned the passing of a tech titan.
"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives," Apple said in a statement. "The world is immeasurably better because of Steve."
More than one pundit, praising Jobs' ability to transform entire industries with his inventions, called him a modern-day Leonardo Da Vinci.
"Steve Jobs is one of the great innovators in the history of modern capitalism," New York Times columnist Joe Nocera said in August. "His intuition has been phenomenal over the years."
Jobs' death, while dreaded by Apple's legions of fans, was not unexpected. He had battled cancer for years, took a medical leave from Apple in January and stepped down as chief executive in August because he could "no longer meet (his) duties and expectations."
Born February 24, 1955, and then adopted, Jobs grew up in Cupertino, California -- which would become home to Apple's headquarters -- and showed an early interest in electronics. As a teenager, he phoned William Hewlett, president of Hewlett-Packard, to request parts for a school project. He got them, along with an offer of a summer job at HP.
How Steve Jobs grew up 
Jobs 'set the agenda' for tech industry
Jobs dropped out of Oregon's Reed College after one semester, although he returned to audit a class in calligraphy, which he says influenced Apple's graceful, minimalist aesthetic. He quit one of his first jobs, designing video games for Atari, to backpack across India and take psychedelic drugs. Those experiences, Jobs said later, shaped his creative vision.
"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future," he told Stanford University graduates during a commencement speech in 2005. "You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."
While at HP, Jobs befriended Steve Wozniak, who impressed him with his skill at assembling electronic components. The two later joined a Silicon Valley computer hobbyists club, and when he was 21, Jobs teamed with Wozniak and two other men to launch Apple Computer Inc.
It's long been Silicon Valley legend: Jobs and Wozniak built their first commercial product, the Apple 1, in Jobs' parents' garage in 1976. Jobs sold his Volkswagen van to help finance the venture. The primitive computer, priced at $666.66, had no keyboard or display, and customers had to assemble it themselves.
The following year, Apple unveiled the Apple II computer at the inaugural West Coast Computer Faire. The machine was a hit, and the personal computing revolution was under way.
Jobs was among the first computer engineers to recognize the appeal of the mouse and the graphical interface, which let users operate computers by clicking on images instead of writing text.
Timeline: Steve Jobs' career
Apple's pioneering Macintosh computer launched in early 1984 with a now-iconic, Orwellian-themed Super Bowl ad. The boxy beige Macintosh sold well, but the demanding Jobs clashed frequently with colleagues, and in 1986, he was ousted from Apple after a power struggle.
Then came a 10-year hiatus during which he founded NeXT Computer, whose pricey, cube-shaped computer workstations never caught on with consumers.
Jobs had more success when he bought Pixar Animation Studios from George Lucas before the company made it big with "Toy Story." Jobs brought the same marketing skill to Pixar that he became known for at Apple. His brief but emotional pitch for "Finding Nemo," for example, was a masterful bit of succinct storytelling.
In 1996, Apple bought NeXT, returning Jobs to the then-struggling company he had co-founded. Within a year, he was running Apple again -- older and perhaps wiser but no less of a perfectionist. And in 2001, he took the stage to introduce the original iPod, the little white device that transformed portable music and kick-started Apple's furious comeback.
Thus began one of the most remarkable second acts in the history of business. Over the next decade, Jobs wowed launch-event audiences, and consumers, with one game-changing hit after another: iTunes (2003), the iPhone (2007), the App Store (2008), and the iPad (2010).
Observers marveled at Jobs' skills as a pitchman, his ability to inspire godlike devotion among Apple "fanboys" (and scorn from PC fans) and his "one more thing" surprise announcements. Time after time, he sold people on a product they didn't know they needed until he invented it. And all this on an official annual salary of $1.
He also built a reputation as a hard-driving, mercurial and sometimes difficult boss who oversaw almost every detail of Apple's products and rejected prototypes that didn't meet his exacting standards.
By the late 2000s, his once-renegade tech company, the David to Microsoft's Goliath, was entrenched at the uppermost tier of American business. Apple now operates more than 300 retail stores in 11 countries. The company has sold more than 275 million iPods, 100 million iPhones and 25 million iPads worldwide.
Jobs' climb to the top was complete in summer 2011, when Apple listed more cash reserves than the U.S. Treasury and even briefly surpassed Exxon Mobil as the world's most valuable company.
But Jobs' health problems sometimes cast a shadow over his company's success. In 2004, he announced to his employees that he was being treated for pancreatic cancer. He lost weight and appeared unusually gaunt at keynote speeches to Apple developers, spurring concerns about his health and fluctuations in the company's stock price. One wire service accidentally published Jobs' obituary.
Jobs had a secret liver transplant in 2009 in Tennessee during a six-month medical leave of absence from Apple. He took another medical leave in January this year. Perhaps mindful of his legacy, he cooperated on his first authorized biography, scheduled to be published by Simon & Schuster in November.
Jobs is survived by his wife of 20 years, Laurene, and four children, including one from a prior relationship.
He always spoke with immense pride about what he and his engineers accomplished at Apple.
"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do," he told the Stanford grads in 2005.
"If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on."
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/05/us/obit-steve-jobs/
Aug 20, 2011
New BlackBerrys improved, but lackluster
In response, Research In Motion Ltd. is trying to spice up its product line by releasing several BlackBerrys with touch screens and new software for better performance. In a first for the BlackBerry, a few can run on super-fast "4G" cellular networks, which wireless providers are rolling out.
The phones will be available from the major providers over the next several weeks at a wide range of prices - $50 to $300, with two-year service contracts.
I checked out three: A new version of the high-end Bold, now sporting a touch screen, and two new Torch models, one keeping the slide-out keyboard from before, and the other ditching the physical keyboard.
There are some good features here that will appeal to BlackBerry fans. But chances are many are waiting for devices that run the more advanced QNX software used in RIM's PlayBook tablet computer, which could be coming fairly soon.
Newcomers, meanwhile, are likely to find the new smartphones too boring-looking on the low end and expensive on the high end.
The phones adhere largely to the familiar BlackBerry aesthetic, but with a few twists. They all have the latest version of RIM's operating software, BlackBerry 7. Although it appears quite similar to previous versions, BlackBerry 7 promises a zippier Web browser, voice search and better rendering of graphics.
The most noticeable change was the improved Web-surfing speed. I connected an old BlackBerry Torch with BlackBerry 6 and the new Torch 9810 with version 7 to the same Wi-Fi network. Generally, the new Torch rendered photos and text more quickly. I did notice, though, that at least with The New York Times' website, the older Torch would load entire articles on a single page while the newer phone only gave me the first chunk and forced me to click for the rest.
The browser supports HTML5 support for viewing rich multimedia content (like the iPhone, these BlackBerrys don't support Flash videos).
Also new is voice-activated universal search, which sounds good in theory but was pretty disappointing in practice.
The first step made sense: I tapped an on-screen button to get the voice software to start "listening." But when I was done I had to press another button to tell it I was finished. After a delay to process my request, the phone gave me some options, such as dialing a friend's number, searching for a profile on Facebook or doing a more general search on Microsoft's Bing. I'd have to tap some more to check the options out.
All this screen-touching defeated the purpose of voice search, which should be a largely hands-free endeavor. The feature looks even more dismal when compared with Google's voice search, which can reliably determine when you're done speaking and understands commands for tasks such as calling a friend. It's better than the BlackBerry at figuring out what I'm trying to do, without needing tons of taps to confirm.
Another problem is the lack of apps. The BlackBerry App World includes more than 40,000 apps - a smidgen of the more than 250,000 apps available in Google's Android Market and 425,000 apps available from Apple's App Store. And many of those 40,000 have yet to be updated for BlackBerry 7 phones. I couldn't get one for the review site Yelp when I checked the other day.
The phones all include standard BlackBerry features such as its secure handling of work email and an updated version of the BlackBerry Messenger program. Despite speedy processors and new graphics technology, they sometimes lagged behind when I opened applications.
Each new BlackBerry is equipped with a 5-megapixel camera with a bright flash and plenty of built-in settings for taking different kinds of shots. The cameras can take high-definition videos, too.
The photos I took were reasonably good and the camera performed pretty well in low light, but colors often didn't seem as vibrant as they could be.
In terms of the specific models I tested:
BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930
Despite having by far the smallest screen of the bunch (2.8 inches diagonally), the new Bold merges form and function well. The handset is RIM's skinniest thus far, and it looks like a better-quality handset than the other new releases. I also found its keyboard easiest to use among the three I tested.
The Bold is RIM's first to include an NFC, or near-field communication, chip, which could eventually allow the phone to work as a sort of wireless payment system.
Too bad the phone is so expensive. Sprint will start selling the Bold 9930 on Sunday for $250, while Verizon is hawking it online now for the same price. The Bold 9900, which can work on T-Mobile's high-speed 4G network, will be available Aug. 31 for an even steeper $300 (after a $50 mail-in rebate). You'll need a two-year contract to get any of these prices.
BlackBerry Torch 9850
RIM, a master of the physical keyboard, hasn't had much luck with phones that only include a touch screen. Its early attempts with the BlackBerry Storm were dismal. Although the keyboard-free Torch 9850 looks sleeker, I had a hard time typing, as I kept hitting the wrong letters and numbers.
The phone also seemed to lag behind, spitting out letters well after I'd typed them and not noticing that I was stabbing feverishly at the browser's address bar in an attempt to visit another webpage.
The Torch 9850 will be available Sunday from Sprint for $150 with a two-year contract.
BlackBerry Torch 9810
This phone is definitely the least attractive of the group, but it gets points for its ability to access AT&T's high-speed 4G data network, which makes it quick to download documents or upload photos to Facebook.
The Torch 9810 weighs in at a hefty 5.7 ounces, and its design, which is essentially identical to a previous Torch, looks tired compared with many other smartphones.
Its slide-out keyboard is more cramped than that on the Bold, yet it is still quite good for typing.
What the handset lacks in pizazz it makes up for in price: When AT&T starts selling it on Sunday, it will cost just $50 with a two-year contract.
All of the latest BlackBerrys add several good features, but RIM is still far behind the competition in ease of use and availability of apps.
There will surely be demand from business users whose employers demand BlackBerrys because of their reputation for security. Still, it's hard to imagine them wooing many consumers unless they're already die-hard CrackBerry addicts.
Mar 10, 2011
What iPad 2 has that iPad doesn't
WASHINGTON: When Apple's original iPad was released around this time last year, the device not only created the biggest buzz in the tech world. It also defined a new category of gadget. But as enthusiastic as reviewers and early adopters of the device were, consistent criticisms surfaced as well.
The iPad's lack of USB or Ethernet ports and glossy screen were consistently cited as shortcomings, for example. .
Now, though, Apple is upping the ante again with the unveiling of iPad 2, due out in the US on March 11 and in other countries over the weeks that follow. Will the latest iPad solve the problems of the original or get you to want to hand over your hard-earned cash for one? Read on...
What's new
Apple has made the iPad 2 faster, thinner, lighter, more powerful, and more versatile than the original iPad. And it has done so while keeping the starting price -- at about $499 for a base model -- the same as the previous generation iPad.
Notable features are a dual-core processor at the heart of the device, which Apple claims is twice as fast as the previous iPad, more powerful graphics designed to do justice to fast-moving games, battery life that's better than the original iPad by about an hour, and, perhaps most interesting, two integrated cameras -- one on the front and one on the back.
The two cameras are there so that you can use the device for different purposes. The camera that faces you as you look into the iPad 2, for example, can be used to capture your image for the purposes of video chats or Skype video sessions. The other camera can be used as a more traditional movie or still camera. Point your iPad at something you want to film, and let it roll.
Apple has also taken note of the most useful accessory that owners of the previous generation procured for their device -- a cover for the screen -- and included one with the unit. It's not just any cover, however. It can be folded in upon itself several times and turned into a stand that makes the device easy to view while sitting on a desk or your lap.
The iPad2 also sports upgraded WiFi compatible, with the 802.11n as standard. 3G connectivity is also standard, for use with mobile carrier networks that support it.
Finally, the device's interface boasts features that iPhone 4 users enjoy like 'multi-touch' technology, which enables you to move and manipulate objects on the screen with your fingers in a very intuitive manner.
Does it fixes the shortcomings of the previous model
If you're talking about the original iPad's lack of a USB or Ethernet port, you'll have to keep waiting. Some also complained that the original iPad lacked a memory card slot. So does the iPad 2.
Complaints such as these are made by those worrying how they will connect the iPad to various data sources. Apple does sell an iPad Camera Connection kit, however, that allows you to import photos and videos from a digital camera using the camera's USB cable or an SD card.
Some also complained about the original iPad's screen, claiming that while it was fine for surfing the web, playing games, and viewing multimedia content, it was not as well suited to long periods of reading.
The same holds true for iPad 2, which has a backlit screen rather than the E Ink non-backlit screen that devices such as Amazon's Kindle sport. The iPad 2, in short, is less of an eReader than it is a general media consumption and creation device.
Perhaps even more disappointing, the iPad 2 does not even incorporate a larger version of the iPhone 4's 'retina display' technology, which renders graphics and text at a resolution so fine that the human eye cannot detect pixellation.
How much will the iPad 2 really cost?
With the base model of the iPad 2, you get WiFi connectivity and 16GB of memory; the next model up, with 32GB, will retail for around $100 more; the next higher model, with 64GB, will cost yet another $100.
There's another class of iPad 2, however, with both WiFi and 3G connectivity. This series starts at $629, again with more memory increasing the price by $100 each time.
You'll want the WiFi + 3G model if you wish to connect the device to information sources both at home and while on the road.
rEAD mORE: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/personal-tech/computing/What-iPad-2-has-that-iPad-doesnt/articleshow/7645187.cms
Review: Apple iPad 2
SAN FRANCISCO: With the original iPad, Apple brought an attractive, easy-to-use tablet computer to the masses at a reasonable price -- a feat numerous companies are trying to top.
With Friday's release of the iPad 2, Apple is pulling further ahead, with improvements that make an already excellent tablet even more enticing. It goes to show that when it comes to tablets, Apple refuses to be bested.
The new iPad is skinnier, faster and slightly lighter. It comes with cameras for video chatting and snapping photos, while keeping the same prices, ranging from $499 to $829 depending on the configuration.
Competitors such as Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc and Samsung Electronics Co sell good tablets of their own, with many of the same features. Motorola's new Xoom even has a higher-resolution screen than the iPad. Still, nobody has been able to match the iPad's simplicity, innovation and style.
The iPad 2 looks much like the first iPad, though it has a sleeker, lighter body with a curved back. All this helps the tablet fit more naturally in my hands, and the modified shape makes it easier to hold for extended e-reading sessions, for example.
Among the most noticeable changes is the inclusion of cameras, one on the front and one on the back. This is something I've been hankering for, as the iPad's crisp display, measuring 9.7 inches diagonally, seemed like the ideal canvas for video chat. The subsequent arrival of several tablets with front and rear cameras made it practically a necessity for iPad 2.
Fortunately, Apple thought so, too. Both cameras on the iPad 2 work with the company's FaceTime video chat application and the back camera shoots high-definition videos.
A friend I chatted with over FaceTime moved pretty smoothly on the iPad's screen, though the image could have been much sharper. With the front camera, my friend could see me. If I switched to the back camera, I could show him my surroundings.
You can take still photos, too, though I found this awkward given the tablet's size. The results were not fantastic, but self-portrait fans will find the front-facing camera useful for composing new profile photos for Facebook.
The new iPad has Apple's new dual-core A5 chip, which helped applications open more quickly than on the older iPad. The original never felt slow, but the faster I can start a new game of "Plants vs. Zombies," the better.
Add to that a new version of Apple's iOS software. The new processor and the new iOS combined to improve Web surfing, as I could load up pages noticeably faster over my home Wi-Fi network. As expected, videos loaded quickly and generally streamed flawlessly.
The new software allows you to share music and videos from your iTunes library on multiple Apple devices on the same Wi-Fi network. And it now lets you set the iPad's mute switch to function as a screen lock, which makes it even easier to prevent my Netflix movie from rotating mid-scene just because I've shifted my butt on the couch.
The updated iOS comes with iPad 2 and is available as a free download for the original iPad and the two most recent models of the iPhone and iPod Touch.
On Friday, Apple is also rolling out iPad versions of its iMovie video-editing software and GarageBand software for recording and editing music. I tried GarageBand ($5) and was wowed by how simple it was and how well it took advantage of the iPad's touch screen.
If you're musically inclined, you can pick up your guitar and adjust its sound through GarageBand's bevy of amplifiers and effects pedals. If you don't play an instrument (or feel lazy), you can swipe through a list of "smart" virtual instruments. A guitar with preset chords lets you strum by swiping the screen. You can arrange drums on a grid based on how noisy and complicated you want the beat to sound.
The coolest part is how sensitive the virtual instruments are. Start beating your fingers on a virtual drum kit, and you can hit the drums and cymbals harder or softer. You'll get different sounds if you hit the ride cymbal in different places, and you can even tap the rim of the snare instead of just hitting the drum itself.
It's quick and easy to record and edit songs, then save or email them to a friend (who will hopefully applaud your artistic endeavors).
When playing back my musical masterpiece and other content on the iPad 2 I did long for a second speaker -- there is just one on its back. Fortunately, that lone speaker did sound quite crisp, even with the sound turned all the way up.
Like the first iPad, the iPad 2 is rated for up to 10 hours of battery life, and it performed like a champ. Playing a mix of videos streamed from YouTube over Wi-Fi and saved on the iPad itself, I got a bit more than 10 hours of entertainment before it died.
You can buy versions that work with either AT&T's or Verizon Wireless' cellular network, rather than just AT&T before. The cheapest model connects only through Wi-Fi. You can also get it in black or white --before, your only option was black.
Read More: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/personal-tech/gadgets-special/Review-Apple-iPad-2/articleshow/7669848.cms
