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Tuesday 4 December 2012

DisplayPort 1.2


Meet HDMI’s smarter brother

DisplayPort has made a few timid steps forward since its 2006 introduction; but based on what we saw at CES in January, 2012 might be the year it finally breaks through to mainstream usage.

VESA [the Video Electronics Standards Association) designed DisplayPort to be a royalty-free means of delivering digital audio and video signals from a source de­vice to a display. As such, it was intended to allow the retirement of both DVI (the Digital Visual Interface) and VGA (Video Graphics Array), which outlived its use­fulness shortly after DVI appeared on the scene. DisplayPort can be used to connect computers to desktop monitors and televi­sions, as well as internally (in a laptop or all-in-one computer, for instance).


Sunday 21 October 2012

HTC J butterfly


The somewhat strangely named HTC J Butterfly has been announced in Japan, showing off its stunning high-res 5-inch display.

The original HTC J launched in Japan earlier this year, with a 4.3-inch qHD display, and the J Butterfly builds on this considerably, with an impressive Super LCD 3, 5-inch display with an astounding 1080 x 1920 res, 440ppi density.

Wednesday 12 September 2012

iPhone 5 Announced

Apples’ iPhone 5 smartphone has been officially unveiled at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco.

Saturday 8 September 2012

HIGH-PERFORMANCE PC UPGRADES


If you want the best of the best of the best and you don't care how much you spend to get it, this upgrade guide will help you make the tough decisions when you consider the list of upgrades, it's always tempting to wonder just how good you can make a PC. There's always a trickle-down effect, and the computer beasts of today will be dwarfed by even an average machine of tomorrow. But what if you can't wait?

Friday 7 September 2012

MID-RANGE PC UPGRADES


The mid-tier of components is probably the area that most people would look to spend their money on the next time an upgrade cycle rolls around. These products are in the middle of their life cycles, old enough to have shed their introductory prices, but new enough that you can feel comfortable investing in them as products with a fairly hefty lifespan ahead of them.


Thursday 6 September 2012

Budget PC Upgrades


Upgrading your PC without spending a lot of money can involve some tricky decisions. Aim too high, and you won't be able to afford the upgrade without exceeding your budget. Aim too low, and you might not be spending enough to justify upgrading at all.

In this guide, we'll show you the best upgrades you can buy for under £150. Whether you spend that money all in one place or on several upgrades it up to you you, but follow our advice and even a fairly modest expense can yield some impressive results.

Tuesday 4 September 2012

HTC DESIRE X : Release Date and Specs





  • HTC Desire X dimensions



  • HTC DESIRE X



    The HTC DesireX  is to be placed above the Desire C, but below the HTC One V, in HTCs line of products. HTC is yet to confirm it but, the Desire X is likely to be in the shops for just £15-£20 a month on contract, and if you give the nice lady in the shop between £180-£200 you can walk out of the shop with one on a pay as you go deal.

    Wednesday 29 August 2012

    Sony Unleash The KD-84X9005 At IFA 2012

    picture courtesy of Engadget 


    Sony has just dropped a bombshell, it’s announced a monster TV at the 2012 IFA show. The Sony KD-84X9005 as it likes to be called is a whopping 84-inch LCD panel TV. That may be enough to get us drooling, but there is more… much, much more it sports an ultra-realistic screen with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 (4K) that 4x times greater than HD.  It uses the 4K X-Reality PRO super-resolution high picture quality engine invented by those nice chaps at Sony.

    The engine can upscale images including HD broadcasts, blu-ray who would have thought we would need to upscale HD?

    Monday 27 August 2012

    How to Bypass Online Censorship


    Bill Gates once famously said in a speech at Stanford University in February 2008 that he wasn't worried about online censorship: "I don't see any risk in the world at large that someone will restrict free content flow on the internet," he said. He was wrong.

    While the world debates the need for legislation to stop the downloading of illicit copies of commercial digital products, governments are increasingly using censorship as a reason to 'protect' us from what they consider undesirable. In some countries, that protection extends to the suppression of basic human rights and news about atrocities.

    Friday 17 August 2012

    Acer Announces 3 New Smartphones


    The Taiwanese hardware manufacturer Acer, best known for tablets, laptops and gorgeous looking ultrabooks, is getting ready to take on the lucrative smartphone market with the launch of an Android-powered handset called Liquid Gallant Solo.

    Last night Acer announced some surprising news, most significantly, the arrival of the Liquid Gallant Solo, or E350. It already has a user guide, which can be seen here,  Acer Liquid Gallant Solo user Guide.

    Wednesday 15 August 2012

    Microsoft Surface Windows RT ONLY £130 ($200)!


    Microsoft’s Surface Windows RT tablet won't just be lighter and slimmer than Apple’s iPad – it'll also be cheaper, with a Astonishingly good price of US$200 that’s just £130, A lot less than almost all smartphones out at the moment.

    This…if it is true, at that price (Engadget's inside source) puts the Surface Windows RT in head to head competition with the Amazon Kindle Fire and the much loved Google Nexus 7, with much better specs as well.

    Tuesday 14 August 2012

    Half Life 3


    The official Half Life 3 release date and announcement  could be a lot sooner than we thought, if a assured pdf from Gamescom is to be believed 


    So it looks like Half Life 3 is to be revealed this week at Gamescom, according to a pdf from the games show's website which lists all the titles that will be announced this coming week.

    In the much-anticipated next chapter in the Half Life series has been years in the making, Valve gained praise and huge recognition for The Orange Box  and Half Life 2.

    As if adding fuel to the fire ,games magazine Game Informer has established that for the first time in its history it will be going to be published  a day later in order to accomodate a huge announcement being made at Gamescom this week.






     Half Life 3: The rumours
    “Concept art has shown that the team could well be going in a new artistic direction along with Gordon Freeman being sent to the north where he will face icy landscapes and alien worlds.
    The game has not yet been confirmed by Valve so seeing the title actually on an official list is the first sign that the company has been working on a sequel to Half Life 2.” T3 Mag


    Monday 13 August 2012

    HTC OneX Edging Closer To Jelly Bean Update

    All you proud owners of the HTC One X will get a pleasant surprise  in the form of what looks to be the last Ice Cream Sandwich build update before the One X is immersed with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

    This new software update will bring the One X handsets up to the latest version of Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.4 as well as adding a smidgen of tweaks to the Sense experience, it includes as a dedicated tab switching button in the browser for serial multitasking surfers and the ability map menu functions to the Recent Apps key.

    Budding photographers will also notice improvements to white balance settings and continuous autofocus in the camera app, and stability, memory and Beats Audio improvements should have your One X running as smooth as ever before.

    Alas there is no word from HTC with regards to a Jelly Bean update for the HTC One X or HTC One S, but I'll be keeping my keen eyes open for the latest news, as always.

    THE OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

    “As part of our on-going commitment to ensure customers are receiving software updates that improve their user experience, we are pleased to announce our next upgrade for the HTC One X will be released on August 10th.

    The primary update will include an upgrade to Android version 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich), in addition to an improved Sense experience which will: enable the ability to map menu function to the 'recent app' key (improving visual presentation in non ICS apps like Facebook); improve tab management in the browser with a dedicated tab switching button and enhance camera capabilities such as white balance and continuous autofocus. Furthermore, customers can expect enhancements to memory, platform stability and the overall browsing experience. Other improvements include a Single Sign-On for Facebook allowing user access across applications and browsers and upgrades to Beats audio, which reflect our dedication to providing an authentic sound experience.

    From a developer perspective, we are expanding SDK support for Media Link and providing a framework for video call applications to achieve improved performance and quality.”

    Thursday 9 August 2012

    HTC Endeavour C2 leak


    HTC Endeavour C2 leak spills the specs on the One X successor


    This is not the first rumor I’ve heard about the follow-up to the One X, although I can say it is the most detailed. Stuff Magazines trusty mole at HTC has dropped a load of specs our way, including the One X II’s codename …HTC Endeavour C2, catchy eh?


    Next to the inspiring codename, the source details a 1.7GHz quad-core processor at the very heart of the Endeavour C2, it also sports a new and improved battery, a new colour (my bet is red, but we will see) and bundled UrBeats earphones.

    We’re told the HTC Endeavour C2 is compatible with the One X’s accessories, suggesting the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree it seems.

    Next the software side of things, HTC is adding ClearVoice to improve call quality and the Endeavour C2 will be the company’s first phone to run HTC Watch 2, the newest version of its video-on-demand service.

    It looks very likely that the price of this new HTC ONE X will be on sale in the UK network deals offering the phone for around £5 more a month than the One X and the HTC Endeavour C2 expected to launch on or before 1st October.

    What do you think?

    Is this just the same old?

    Was you hoping for something new?

    Let us know by writing a comment below.

    Saturday 28 July 2012

    Top 15 London 2012 Olympic Apps


    Top 15 London 2012 Olympic Apps


    Tim Berners-Lee Honored At London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony 

    Well I just couldn’t hold back any longer. I had to face the elephant in the room and include the London 2012 Olympics in this blog. Just watching the opening ceremony at the moment, I was not expecting much to be honest but blimey! They have put on a very good show. I have decided that over the next few days I will be posting sports and Olympic related Gadgets an Stuff in this blog.


    So here is my first round up of the top 15 London 2012 Olympic apps. Due to time constraints I have compiled these from T3 magazine, thanks boys. Please visit the original source. 

    Sunday 22 July 2012

    BATMAN : THE DARK KNIGHT RISES


    BATMAN : THE DARK KNIGHT RISES - THE GAME

    To fit in nicely with the recent release of the new batman flick The Dark Knight Rises, a new game from Gameloft has been released.

    Batman is unleashed once again to the masses across the globe and the inevitability of a mobile app/game for the movie has launched for Android and iOS platforms.

    Just in time to coincide with this awesome looking new film the similarly titled app-based game lets owners of smartphones/ipads play as the caped crusader in levels straight from action from the hit flick.

    The app/game will cost around £5 (around $8)

    We will bring you more info when it comes in.







    Saturday 14 July 2012

    LATEST IN (ANOTHER) APPLE COURT CASE


    Samsung tablet not as cool, says UK judge

    Korean Tech Giant Samsung has won a UK High Court case against Apple over the design of the Galaxy Tab.

    Apple had brought the case to court alleging that Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10 cpoied the design of its iPad.

    The UK Judge Colin Birss disagreed saying Apple's designs were not being infringed because Samsung's Galaxy Tab was not as "cool" as the iPad, Ouch!

    Courtroom showdown

    Judge Birss added "They do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design,”

    "They are not as cool," he said. "The overall impression produced is different."

    The court ruling means that Apple cannot stop sales of the Galaxy Tab on the grounds that it closely resembles one of its products.

    As expected Samsung was happy with the ruling "Should Apple continue to make excessive legal claims in other countries based on such generic designs, innovation in the industry could be harmed and consumer choice unduly limited."

    After Apple did not want  to talk specifically on the UK case instead it gave a statement that repeated its view that there was no "no coincidence" that Samsung's latest products resembled the iPad and iPhone.

    Apple added: "This kind of blatant copying is wrong and, as we've said many times before, we need to protect Apple's intellectual properties when companies steal our ideas."

    They can now appeal against the judgement it has 21 days. I hope that it decides to let it go, they really are starting to sound like spoilt little brats.

    The decision is the latest in a series that have gone against Apple  on the 6th July a US court lifted a sales ban on the Galaxy Nexus smartphones although it upheld a ban on sales of the Galaxy 10.1 tablet.

    Apple even had a go at HTC back in July, claiming that it stole the idea of its “slide to lock” function on its phones. Just let it go Apple!

    What do you think?

    Is Apple right to bring these cases to court? Or is Apple being too overzealous with its court claims?

    Let us know by leaving a comment below.

    Friday 13 July 2012

    New HTC Handset


    DETAILS OF THE NEW HTC HANDSET CODENAMED "PROTO"

    HTC Desire C

    Details are coming through on a new HTC smartphone.

    HTC said in June that they weren’t going to make any more budget smartphones, they lied. After a bit of digging round I have found some details of a mid-priced, mid-range smartphone. It’s a take on the Desire range. It remains to be seen if it will actually be part of the Desire models or it will start a whole new range.

    The new phone, codenamed HTC Pronto, will have

    • ·         1GHz Dual Core Processor
    • ·         768MB RAM
    • ·         4GB Storage Space
    • ·         4in LCD Screen
    • ·         480x800 Screen Resolution
    • ·         5MP Rear Camera
    • ·         Android 4.0.3 Ice cream Sandwich
    • ·         HTC Sense 4.0
    • ·         114g Weight
    • ·         9.3mm Width


    The “Pronto” looks set to be a perfect budget/mid-range phone. All sources suggest that the prices will sit nicely in the market next to the Desire C and One V, between £15-£30 ($20-$40).

    That’s all I have for now, as soon as I get more info. I will make sure you’re the first to know.

    Have your say! Please leave your comments below.

    Wednesday 11 July 2012

    O2 NETWORK DOWN

    O2 NETWORK DOWN!

    Millions of O2 customers have lost connection services right across the UK due to a problem with the network.

    O2 said that it started experiencing problems “at lunchtime" but they don’t know what the cause is.

    Tesco Mobile customers have been affected as well because they use the same masts as o2.

    They say the problem is not based on where about you live. Some customers still have a signal at the same place as others who don’t have any.

    On o2s website it states: "Those customers affected will have difficulty making or receiving calls, sending texts or using data. Our engineers are dealing with the problem as a priority and we hope to restore full service as soon as possible. “The question is when?

    "The problem is an issue within part of our core network that is preventing some mobile phones from successfully connecting. The problem is not location-specific."

    You can keep track of this mess at o2 service status webpage.

    At the time of posting it currently says;

    Making calls and using data

    We continue to manage the problem on our network that is affecting some of our customers. Customers may still be having difficulty making and receiving calls, sending texts or using data.We are sorry for any inconvenience. Our engineers are dealing with the problem as a priority and we hope to restore full service as soon as possible.

    Tuesday 10 July 2012

    Project Glass


    Project Glass is Google's effort to make a wearable computer system and it's come up with a smart pair of glasses with an integrated heads-up display and a battery hidden inside the frame (think fighter pilot).
    This is not a new idea, by all means,  but Google's mammoth funds and a dogged determination  will mean that Project Glass will have a very good chance of becoming mainstream.

    Project Glass will be released to the masses early in 2014. The latest news is that developers will receive a special ‘explorer edition' unit at some time in 2013.

    As far as I can see (no pun intended) Google's glasses will possibly use a transparent LCD or AMOLED display to put information in front of your eye. It will have location based software thanks to a camera and GPS, and you can scroll and click on information by tilting your head, and according to Google the controls will be very easy to master, and of course there will be the ubiquitous voice control.

    It is yet to be seen whether or not it will run Android or a stand alone system. It will have though the usual GPS, 3G/4G, WIFI, Bluetooth 4.0 and motion sensors. It will also have a front facing camera with flash for taking instant pictures.

    I have just given you a brief look at Google’s Project Glass here, what the future holds nobody knows just yet. Will this change the way we live are lives forever? I certainly believe its a step towards a world changing idea.

    Google Glass

    Friday 6 July 2012

    APPLE vs SAMSUNG





    Apple has paid a $95.6m bond to ban the Samsung Galaxy Nexus from being sold in the US. 

    Apple has posted the court mandated $95.6 million bond to bring the Samsung Galaxy Nexus US sales ban into force, this happening days after Samsung’s appeal against the ban was thrown out of court.

    With the Galaxy Nexus now completely banned from sale in the States, Google has withdrawn the top-of-the-range handset from its online sales outlet whilst Samsung is to continue to appeal the against the court order.

    An official Samsung spokesperson said today "We will continue to pursue an appeal of the Galaxy Nexus preliminary injunction, which we filed on July 2 to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit,” "Meanwhile, we are also working closely with Google to resolve this matter, as the patent in question concerns Google's unified search function."

    Samsung was told earlier on this week by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, that she would not be lifting the sales ban imposed on the company’s Google branded smartphone in the US.

    The legal complaint was brought before the courts by Apple and is accusing the Samsung of copying its iPhone and iPad devices.

    Judge Lucy Koh
    The ban came into effect when Apple posted a $96 million bond.Judge Lucy Koh ruled that due to Samsung's large number of alternative smartphones available, the Korean based company is not likley to be hit too heavily by the sales ban of the Galaxy Nexus.

    “Although some consumers may be disappointed that they cannot purchase the Galaxy Nexus, the Galaxy Nexus, as Samsung itself has repeatedly insisted, is not Samsung’s only smartphone product on the market,” said the US judge.

    This news comes just days after Apple was granted a US sales ban on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet, which is another case that Samsung has had its appeal thrown out of court. Having lost a sequence of major legal disputes with Apple, Samsung is to appeal the decisions, stating Apple can’t prove any potential patent infringements are damaging its market share.

    The ban will come into effect once Apple has posted a bond of $96 million (£61.2m).

    Korean firm Samsung has appealed the ruling on seven grounds, in its attempt to dismiss claims its Nexus handset unlawfully infringed on Apple patent no. 8,086,604, an intellectual property right that covers a device’s ability to carry out multiple source searches through a single interface.

    The initial ruling was made on the original Apple iPhones 5th Birthday by US Judge Lucy Koh, with Apple saying that it will push to have the ban rolled out across a further 24 Samsung handsets, including the brand new Samsung Galaxy S3.

    Judge Koh said in her ruling "Although Samsung will necessarily be harmed by being forced to withdraw its product from the market before the merits can be determined after a full trial, the harm faced by Apple absent an injunction is greater,”

    "Apple's interest in enforcing its patent rights is particularly strong because it has presented a strong case on the merits."

    Samsung said last week that it was “disappointed” with the court’s decision asserting the injunction will “restrict U.S. consumer choice in the smartphone market.”

    An official Samsung spokesperson said “We will take all available measures, including legal action, to ensure the Galaxy Nexus remains available to consumers."We say, keep on going Samsung.

    GOOGLE NEXUS 7 RELEASE DATE AND PRICE


    Google Nexus 7 Release Date July 19th



    With its official unveiling at this year’s Google’s I/O conference a week ago, UK store Currys  has proposed the Google Nexus 7 UK release date as July 19th, which is nice.

    Google’s new tablet is a strong contender to Apple’s choke hold on the tablet market, the Google Nexus 7 is set to seduce a new range of consumers to the tablet market with a Tegra 3 quad-core processor alongside 1GB of RAM and a 1280 x 800p HD display.

    When you add to this a £159.99 price tag (8GB), £199.99 for the 16GB version, the Nexus 7 is truly a  A Amazon Kindle Fire beater.


    Thursday 5 July 2012

    APPLE iPHONE 5 RELEASE DATE, LEAKED PICTURE


    iPhone 5 Latest    



    All the Rumours surrounding the iPhone 5 have drove reports that Apple is going to launch its next-gen smartphone the next few months.

    The word on the grapevine is that the naming of the device is going to go the route of the iPad and will be called simply the iPhone.

    Here is what I have mustered so far, these are reports from respected sources and given their track record on leaking tech news it looks promising. So here goes
    Macotakara the very much esteemed Japanese Apple blog has apparently received word from "Asian sources" who claim that Apple will launch the device in September or October 2012.
    In a translated report it said; "According to Asian reliable source, next iPhone will be released in September or October, and this cycle seems to be kept for years,"

    Now if this article turns out to be accurate, it would mean that Apple is going back to its yearly launch dates that we saw for the first four versions of the iPhone.
    Also adding to the raft of Apple iPhone 5 rumours, sources have claimed to leak the upcoming  front screen that is to be used, it now looks for certain it’s going to be a nice 4-inch retina display.

    As it’s not the first time the iPhone 5 has been tipped to have a larger screen. The latest leaked images suggest Apple will incorporate a 4-inch Retina offering that is slimmer that past units allowing for a more condensed device.

    Reducing its size by integrating touch sensors directly into the LCD panel, the next-gen iPhone is in for a whole new redesign, making it look like its spent the last 12 months at weight watchers. While the rumour mill is fully loaded at the present time, gadgets an stuff will try to sort out the wheat from the chaff over the next few months. 

    STUFF MAGAZINE COOL LIST 2012


    Stuff Magazine has released its annual drool fest that is… the cool list. Every year they get together and go through some of the hottest tech, the cool list 2012 is no exception. Stuff Magazine have gathered together some of the most desirable equipment money can (and cant) buy. At Gadgets an Stuff we wouldn’t want you to miss this, so we have given you the top 5 Gadget erotica to longingly look over, whilst you think of ways to raise the funds required of such technological greatness. Here goes…


    01 LEICA M
    MONOCHROM
    £6120 (body only) leica-camera.com







    02TEENAGE
    ENGINEERING OP-1
    €800 teenageengineering.com    









    03B&W
    P3    
    £170 bowers-wilkins.com     


    04CUBIFY
    CUBE 
    US$1300 cubify.com

                      






    05ALLERTA
    PEBBLE   
    US$150getpebble.com             











    Want some more? OK compose yourself an visit 
                                                      

    Wednesday 4 July 2012

    Higgs Boson


    Scientists Believe They Have Found 'The God Particle' : The Higgs Bosson


    Scientists at Cern, reporting from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have claimed the discovery of a new particle consistent with the Higgs boson.

    The results announced at Cern (European Organization for Nuclear Research), home of the large hadron collider in Geneva, were met with loud applause.

    The Higgs boson experiments at the LHC see a level of certainty in their data worthy of a "discovery".

    It has been the subject of a 45-year quest to clarify how matter attains its mass.
    British scientist Professor Peter Higgs, after whom the particle is named, wiped a tear from his eye as the teams finished their presentations in the Cern lecture theatre.

    "I would like to add my congratulations to everyone involved in this achievement," he added later.

    "It's really an incredible thing that it's happened in my lifetime."

    Statistics of a 'discovery'

    • Particle physics has an accepted definition for a discovery: a "five-sigma" (or five standard-deviation) level of certainty
    • The number of sigmas measures how unlikely it is to get a certain experimental result as a matter of chance rather than due to a real effect
    • Similarly, tossing a coin and getting a number of heads in a row may just be chance, rather than a sign of a "loaded" coin
    • A "three-sigma" level represents about the same likelihood as tossing eight heads in a row
    • Five sigma, on the other hand, would correspond to tossing more than 20 in a row
    • Independent confirmation by other experiments turns five-sigma findings into accepted discoveries








    Tuesday 3 July 2012

    Canon EOS 600D



    The Canon EOS600D Review    

    £371 online£570 nearby

    The Canon EOS 600D is a mid-range digital SLR with an angle adjustable LCD screen for flexible framing and high quality pictures. With a resolution of 18 megapixels, Full HD video shooting and a plethora of user friendly features and modes, this is defiantly the one to watch.


    With an exceptional 18 megapixel resolution, the Canon EOS 600D’s CMOS sensor captures images packed full of detail in stunning clarity and this isn’t lost when images are cropped or enlarged . In its package the EOS 600D comes with a 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS II lens kit so you can get straight to it out of the box.

     Having a high ISO range (Min ISO- 100,Max  6400), the Cannon allows you to shoot high-quality pictures in low-light conditions, the DIGIC 4 image processor allows it to provide  excellent colour reproduction, smooth tonal gradation and tight control over noise. It doesn’t  just stop at quality pictures, the EOS 600D also has full HD video capture, with manual control over sound ,frame rate, exposure, and Video Snapshot technology allows for short clips to be merged into a single, professional-looking movie file.

     A whole host of modes make taking pictures very easy indeed, such as Scene Intelligent Auto analysing each scene in detail to automatically optimise settings while the 9-point wide-area AF offers swift and accurate focusing even on off-centre matters. You can also apply Creative Filter Effects post capture, including Toy Camera, Soft Focus, Miniature, Grainy Black & White and Fish Eye.

    The on-screen feature guide provides descriptions of many of the camera’s functions, as well as advice on how to use them, and Basic+ technology allows photographers to customise basic auto settings according to ambience or lighting conditions for the perfect photo.