The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said today Apple is violating the Australian Consumer Law by misleadingly labeling its new iPad as 4G-capable, and it will try to get a court to impose fines and an injunction against sales.
The commission will apply to the Federal Court in Melbourne for orders tomorrow morning against Apple, it said in a statement:

The ACCC alleges that Apple's recent promotion of the new "iPad with WiFi + 4G" is misleading because it represents to Australian consumers that the product "iPad with WiFi + 4G" can, with a SIM card, connect to a 4G mobile data network in Australia, when this is not the case...
The ACCC is seeking urgent interlocutory relief to ensure consumers are made aware of the correct technical capabilities of this device.
Additionally, the ACCC is seeking final orders including injunctions, pecuniary penalties, corrective advertising, and refunds to consumers affected.


Apple offers two varieties of the third-generation iPad, one with only Wi-Fi networking and one with wireless network service provided through mobile phone networks. In the United States and some other areas, the wireless network can work with the higher speeds of the LTE standard for 4G networking.

In some parts of the world, though, 4G hasn't arrived, so the new iPad works just at slower 3G speeds. In Australia, though, there is 4G service from Telstra--but it uses an 1800MHz frequency band, ZDNet Australia reports. The new iPad's 4G requires 700MHz or 2100MHz for 4G.
"Consumers who have purchased or are considering purchasing an 'iPad with WiFi + 4G' should ensure that they have a proper understanding of the mobile data networks which this iPad can directly access by a SIM card," the ACCC said.
Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Apple store in Australia uses the standard product naming for the 4G-capable model, but the fine print makes mention of using 4G networks only overseas.
"The iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G model can roam worldwide on fast GSM/UMTS networks, including HSPA, HSPA+, and DC-HSDPA. When you travel internationally, you can use a micro-SIM card from a local carrier. You can also connect to the 4G LTE networks of AT&T in the U.S. and Bell, Rogers, and Telus in Canada," the Apple store iPad product page said today.



The iPad product page in Australia offers the "Wi-Fi + 4G" model, but the fine print below it only promises 4G service in other countries.
(Credit: screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)













by Stephen Shankland March 27, 2012 2:17 AM PDT
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-57405011-264/australian-agency-taking-apple-to-court-over-ipad-4g-label/?tag=mncol;topStories

A global operation has been undertaken to disable a number of botnets believed to be responsible for the theft of millions of pounds, Microsoft has said.

The company is working in collaboration with financial services to disable botnets powered by Zeus malware.

Microsoft described the action as its "most complex effort to disrupt botnets to date".

However, security company Sophos Labs said it had not seen any "significant disruption" to the illegal network.

Senior attorney for Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit Richard Boscovich gave details of the operation in a blog post.

"Cybercriminals have built hundreds of botnets using variants of Zeus malware," he wrote.

"For this action - codenamed Operation b71 - we focused on botnets using Zeus, SpyEye and Ice-IX variants of the Zeus family of malware, known to cause the most public harm and which experts believe are responsible for nearly half a billion dollars in damages."

Freely available
He added that due to the "unique complexity" of the targets, the company's goal was not to take down the botnet completely - but instead to implement "strategic disruption".

However, security blogger Graham Cluley wrote that he was yet to see any sign of action being taken against the illegal networks.

"Sophos Labs hasn't seen any evidence of significant disruption to Zeus's activities through Microsoft's action," he wrote.

"Because Zeus and SpyEye are sold as kits any takedown against specific botnets will not affect all the other botnets which are still out there.

"Since the kits are still available (freely in source form in the case of Zeus) it is highly likely that we will continue to see botnets created using them."

Zeus malware - and other variants of it - makes use of keylogging, a technique in which hidden software logs words and numbers typed into a person's keyboard.

This can then be used to discover bank account details and other critical private information.

Crimeware kit
More worrying, Mr Boscovich wrote, was that the Zeus system is sold to criminals as a crimeware kit - typically selling for between $700 (£440) and $1,500 (£941) - allowing extra botnets to be created, increasing the threat.

He said that Microsoft estimates that more than 13 million computers have been infected with Zeus malware worldwide.

In court filings, Microsoft detailed 40 online aliases of people they suspect of being responsible for writing the malicious code.

Botnets like Zeus are created by the spread of malicious software, often via infected emails or web browser vulnerabilities.

Each "bot", as they are known, is a hijacked computer which can be used by hackers for any number of illegal activities.

Users can protect themselves from such threats by regularly updating security software, and being wary of email attachments from senders they do not know or trust.














26 March 2012 Last updated at 17:56
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17515647

With a public beta of Photoshop CS6 arriving tonight, Adobe is moving video editing from a sideshow to center stage, matching the real-world merging of still photography and videography.


Don't beat yourself up if you didn't know that some modest video editing abilities are tucked into the premium version of Photoshop CS5.
But expect a lot more starting today, when Adobe Systems releases an open beta version of Photoshop CS6 code-named Superstition.

The new version brings video from the higher-priced Extended version of Photoshop to the standard version, and it adds editing features such as the ability to apply Photoshop tone and color adjustments. And instead of relying on Apple's QuickTime, the new tool draws from Adobe technology elsewhere in the Creative Suite, such as the Adobe Media Encoder to handle a broad range of video formats for the full-fledged video tool, Premiere Pro.

For a detailed look at how well it works, look at CNET's hands-on look at Photoshop CS6 from my colleague Lori Grunin. And the software--a beta version of Photoshop CS6 Extended, is downloadable from Adobe Labs or Download.com.
The Photoshop video move reflects the spread of video technology to customers who might not have shot video before.

Point-and-shoot digital cameras have been able to shoot video for years, but it's still a relative novelty among SLRs, the camera of choice for photo enthusiasts and pros. And mobile phones are doing better, with 1080p shooting now a common high-end feature.
Despite the trend, though, many people were just letting their videos languish, Adobe concluded after conducting some research, said Zorana Gee, a Photoshop product manager.
"It's become much more important in the last couple years, especially with new cameras and with all the photographers now starting to shoot video. Many devices now originally focused on taking still images now take videos, and often very good quality video," Gee said. However, she said, "Research showed people aren't doing anything with their videos. They just can't find the time, they might not want to learn a new app, they might not be a Premiere customer, or they don't consider themselves [Premiere] Elements user."
Thus, Adobe decided to put video in front of customers, mirroring what it's done with Lightroom 4.
Lightroom 4 has only basic editing abilities, though: customers can trim videos and apply editing presets. In contrast, Photoshop can be used to composite multiple videos, adding basic transition effects like a gradual crossfade from one clip to another or a fade to black at the end.

And it integrates with other Photoshop features.
"We have all of Photoshop capabilities available. Want black and white? Create a black-and-white adjustment layer. Lens correction? Pop into the lens correction [module]. If I want to add a type layer, I can," Gee said.
The new Photoshop includes a wide range of other new features, many of them previewed on YouTube. Among them:

• More sophisticated tools to fill in patches left when imagery is moved or erased.
• Blur effects to restrict focus only to a spot or spots, or to apply a tilt-shift lens effects.
• Better automatic photo corrections that compares a shot to a database of thousands of images to try to predict the intended outcome.
• A new dark user interface by default.
• Better vector editing abilities such as dashed lines.
• Raw-image editing controls also used in Lightroom 4 to better handle the full range contrasting light and dark tones.
• A big boost from the graphics chip for many tasks using technology called the Mercury Graphics Engine that's closely related to the GPU-based Mercury Playback Engine that debuted in Premiere Pro CS5.

"We're wrapping our whole GPU [graphics processing unit] pipeline over the Mercury Playback Engine," Gee said. For graphics chores, Adobe uses the OpenGL standard as the interface for hardware acceleration.
For some computing tasks that run on the GPU, the CS5 graphics engine uses Nvidia's CUDA technology. That technology choice limited the engine to Nvidia cards--and indeed to high-end cards unless you hacked around a little. But Photoshop CS6 uses OpenCL, a related technology that works with AMD and Intel graphics, too. Windows driver support isn't the best, but Adobe believes GPU acceleration in general is much better.

"We're much more flexible and broad in terms of the cards we support," Gee said. At least 256MB of video RAM is needed, and some features don't work on Windows XP.
Technologies that use GPU acceleration include the blur technology, puppet warp, transformations, and a refurbished cropping tool.

Here's Adobe's full list of new features; check below for the list of niggling "just-do-it" (JDI) items, many suggested by customers.
General
• Dark UI
• UI Consistency
• Properties Panel (Adjustments/Masks/3D)
• Lighting Effects Gallery
• Presets (Migrate Presets and Import/Export)
• Crop (all new and redesigned)
• Patch Tool w/Content-Aware Option
• Content-Aware Move Tool (formerly the Remix Tool)
• Scripted Patterns (Fill/Pattern)
• Contact Sheet II plug-in back in app
• PDF Presentation back in the app
• File Import Image from Device now includes ImageKit scanning and camera acquisition support
• Minibridge UI tweaks--Filmstrip Mode
• MENA Support (Middle-East and North African text support)
• Rich Cursor information throughout the app (i.e. Crop, Transform, Move, Vectors, etc.)
GPU/Performance
• GPU Warp Transform
• GPU Puppet Warp Preview
• GPU Liquify--Button for last Liquify used and Cmd + F works
• GPU Oil Paint (Pixel Bender) Artistic Filter
• Adaptive Wide Angle
• Lighting Effects and Blur Galleries
• Background Save, Auto-Save and Auto Recover
Photographers
• ACR 7--Local controls for White Balance and Noise Reduction, new black/white and highlight/shadow controls
• Blur Gallery (Tilt-Shift, Iris and Field Blur)
• Video (No longer limited to Extended)--Video Group Layers
• Adaptive Wide Angle--Includes support for panoramas!
• Face-Aware Mask Generation--Change to Color Range
• Intelligent Auto-Correction
Designers
• Type Styles
• Type Menu (Insert Lorem Ipsum JDI)
• New Dictionaries
• Improved Font Rendering--Gamma setting in Color Settings
• Pixel Accuracy/Snap to Pixels
• New Vector Layers
• Styles on Groups
• Stack of top JDI's specifically for designers
• Layer Search
Painting
• Erodible Tips
• Airbrush Tips
• Brush Rotation for Static Tips
• Oil Paint Filter (Pixel Bender)
• New presets • JDI's specifically for painters
• Painting Performance, CPU and GPU
• Default Tablet Pose Parameters for Mouse Film Industry
• 10-bit Monitor Support
• 3D LUTs, color adjustments
Printing
• Completely Redesigned Print Dialog
• Print Selected Area is back and the selection can be adjusted in the Print Dialog
• "Edit" button added for the description field in the Print Dialog
• When using Photoshop Manages Colors, the list of profiles is now filtered to hide profiles that are inappropriate for your currently selected printer
• Users can change the "preview well" background color in the Print Dialog to better suit their needs

And here's the JDI list. Adobe lets its programmers tackle these if they can bang out the change in a day or three, Gee said.
Brushes
• HUD brush resize and hardness can now change opacity
• Increase brush size to 5000px
• Change color dynamics to per stroke instead of per tip (user option for old behavior)
• Brightness/contrast slider for textures when painting
• Brush projection for static tips
• Brush cursor reflects brush dynamics for round and captured tips
Eyedropper
• Show the sample size popup for the various eyedropper tools (black point, white point, etc.)
• Add ignore adjustment layers options bar item for the eyedropper
• New mode for eyedropper to select layers current and below
File formats
• Read common stereo image pair formats (JPS, PNS) Allow for more bit depths in TIFF files
• Read BIGTIFF format
• Give the user choices regarding how they want transparency treated in OpenEXR on file open
Grammar
• Policed throughout app
• Use consistent grammar style in the title of dialog windows (no commands such as "Choose a color:")
Layers
• Add a contextual menu item that deletes a layer effect not just disables it
• Add dither options to Layer Styles for Gradient Overlay and Gradient Stroke
• Allow 00 or Shift 00 to work when setting layer/fill opacity (previously no way to get 0%)
• Add bicubic sharper & bicubic smoother options when free transforming layers
• Allow changing of blend modes for multiple layers at once
• Allow locking of multiple layers
• CMD+J to duplicate layers and layer group
• Allow changing color labels to multiple layers at once
• Layer tooltips to include layer name (if defined)
• Opt+click on toggle arrows (groups and effects) in layer panel should close all targets
• Show blend if/Blending Effects badge on layer
• Show correct opacity and blend mode values for hidden layers
• Tab goes to next layer on inline layer rename, SHIFT + TAB goes to previous
• New command to raster layer effect into layer, merging the selected layers into themselves
• Reorder effects in the layers palette to match the Z-order style/blend mode (bottom most effects in terms of blending order, drop shadow is below the other effects
Liquify
• Resize Liquify brush with shortcuts
• Increase maximum Liquify brush size Add option to load last mesh
Presets
• Add new document presets for common devices (e.g. iPhone, iPad, etc.)
• Add new Gradient Map presets for toning and split toning
• Sticky reorganization of tool presets (changes persist after re-launch)
• Add Contact Sheet II as an Automation option
SDK
• Add the ability to return an array of guides in a document from the scripting SDK
• Add ability to access tool name associated with the tool preset name via scripting
Selections
• Make the marquee, lasso, and mask panel feather values support decimal places like the feather dialog
• Remember feather radius when showing dialog for selection from a path
Transform
• Improve dragging of vector curves
• Don't hide smart object icon when transforming a layer
• Rotate 90 with even x odd pixel dimension to be smooth (bjango.com)
• Undo or disable auto-rotate on open
UI
• Remove the app bar and reduce the drag/app bar over 30%
• [Windows] New/open document to context click on a document tab (has always been on Mac, now on Windows too)
• Add "Don't show again" checkbox to Purge warnings
Miscellaneous
• Enable Split Channels for documents with layers
• Select Hex field by default and allow clipboard pastes with # in contents (i.e. #fffffff)
• Increased GPU stability by prequalifying GPUs on the fly before use
• Auto-select the best resample method based on the type of resize
• Enable Invert and Threshold adjustments for masks in 32-bit
• Hold SHIFT during startup to disable 3rd party plugins
• Add warning message that 16-bit images cannot display their file size in the Save as JPEG dialog o Add command to insert "lorem ipsum" for type
Updated 2:28 a.m. PT with feature lists from Adobe.















by Stephen Shankland March 21, 2012
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-57402057-264/with-cs6-photoshop-takes-a-step-toward-videoshop/?tag=mncol;topStories

Struggling video games retailer Game Group has said it intends to file for administration.

Earlier, shares in Game were suspended "pending clarification of the company's financial position".

The firm said talks with stakeholders and other parties had not made enough progress to offer "a realistic prospect for a solvent solution".

Game has seen its business eroded by competition from online-only retailers, such as Steam and Amazon.

Last week, the retailer confirmed that a number of suppliers were refusing to do business with the company.

The group, which is headquartered in Basingstoke, has 1,300 stores worldwide, including 600 in the UK.

It said the business would continue to trade and discussions with lenders and third parties would continue.

'Over-expansion'
In an earlier statement on Wednesday, the firm asked for its shares to be suspended, saying the value of the company had been eroded.

Shares in Game closed at 2.39p on Tuesday, having fallen from 62p a year ago.

Game acquired GameStation in 2007, adding hundreds of new stores to its portfolio. Piers Harding-Rolls, head of games at IHS Screen Digest, said that with hindsight, this move could now be seen as over-expansion.

"Whilst it reaped the reward of this in 2008, when lots of content was sold thanks to new consoles and handheld devices, the packaged game market has since declined," he said.

But he added that there was still a place for a large specialist games retailer on the High Street, with 70% of spend on games content in the UK still in the form of physical media.












21 March 2012 Last updated at 11:54
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17455742

Shares in the video games retailer Game Group have been suspended from trading "pending clarification of the company's financial position".

The firm has seen its business eroded by competition from online-only retailers, such as Steam and Amazon.

Last week, Game confirmed that a number of suppliers were refusing to do business with the company.

The group, which is headquartered in Basingstoke, has 1,300 stores worldwide, including 600 in the UK.

In a statement, the firm said the value of the company had been eroded, and had made the decision following talks with its lenders and a potential third party provider of finance.

"The board now considers itself to be unable to assess the business's financial position, and is of the opinion that there is no equity value left in the group.

"Therefore the company has requested that the listing of its securities on the Main Market of London Stock Exchange plc be suspended from trading with effect from 07:30 today."

Shares in Game closed at 2.39p on Tuesday, having fallen from 62p a year ago.

















21 March 2012 Last updated at 08:06
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17455742

Numerous reports of new iPads getting unexpectedly toasty have plastered the Web today. CNET Labs ran our own, independent tests, and without too much beating around the bush, here are the results. All measurements were taken on the back of the tablet and all are reported in degrees Fahrenheit.

How we tested
We used Heat Seeker, an infrared gun-style thermometer, useful when measuring heating ducts, car batteries, electrical circuits, etc. We tested both the new iPad and iPad 2, measuring each tablet's temperature at the four back corners, as well as the Apple logo in the middle.
First, we let each tablet cool down for about 20 minutes, then powered them on and took the initial measurements with the screen at full brightness.

Games
Thanks to their high processing power requirements, games are the quickest way to sap your battery and generate heat. After the initial measurement, we played Infinity Blade 2 (arguably, the most graphically impressive iPad game to date) for 15 minutes with Wi-Fi on, before stopping and taking more temperature measurements from the same spots. We then turned off the tablets and let them cool for about 15 minutes before starting them again, adjusting the brightness to 50 percent and playing Infinity Blade 2 for another 15 minutes, taking more measurements after.

Movies
After allowing the iPads to rest for another 15 minutes, we watched a Netflix movie for an additional 15 minutes at full brightness. We used AT&T's 4G network since, in our experience, 4G devices have a tendency to get noticeably warmer than devices running on 3G networks. After 15 minutes of streaming, we took more measurements. After another 15 minutes rest, we started the tablets up again and watched the same movie over Wi-Fi, taking even more measurements after.
So, is your coffee table in danger?!

The higher temperature generated by the new iPad compared with the iPad 2 was noticeable to the touch but not uncomfortably so. The warmest point on the iPad is definitely the corner opposite the speaker. In our initial tests it got up to 94 degrees, but it's important to put that number into perspective.
Ninety-four degrees may sound high, but that's actually less than your normal body temperature. For comparison, the Dell Inspiron 14z's temperature measured 99 degrees after 15 minutes of Netflix streaming.










by Eric Franklin March 20, 2012
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57401047-37/ipad-heat-tests-round-one-warmer-but-not-yet-a-problem/

Players have complained that decisions taken during the game have little effect on the ending - a key selling point of the series.

Canada-based developer Bioware has stood by the conclusion which it describes as "bittersweet".

However, they hinted extra material could be made available to download.

"We'll keep listening, because your insights and constructive feedback will help determine what that content should be," executive producer Casey Hudson wrote in a forum post.

"This is not the last you'll hear of [main character] Commander Shepard."

Since the series' first release in 2007, players have been able to make moral decisions throughout all three games - all with an impact on the end of the saga.

Owners of Mass Effect 3, which was released at the start of this month to great critical acclaim, could upload save game files from the first two titles so these decisions could be carried forward and impact on the new game.

The campaign for an alternative ending is being publicised in the UK by Sebastian Sobcyzk, a boutique clothing store owner in Chelsea, London.

He told the BBC that gamers feel cheated by the game's conclusion.

"They just completely destroyed the whole game for us.

"If I wanted to get my soul crushed, I could just turn on the TV and put the news on."

Mr Sobcyzk said backers of the campaign had "voiced their displeasure with their wallet" by donating to Child's Play, a charity which provides toys and video games to children in more than 70 hospitals worldwide.

Backers had raised $70,000 (£44,000) by Tuesday morning.


Mr Sobcyzk called for a downloadable patch to be made available to add additional endings. On gaming forums, fans of the series have complained that no matter how "good" you are during the game, the ending is still a sad one.

"The game is about choices and consequences," explained Mr Sobcyzk.

"You do good things and bad things. We were promised by the developers to have 16 different endings.

"All these choices you make and you get a choice of three different endings which are exactly the same, minus a couple of tweaks here and there."

Counter-campaign
Another disgruntled gamer, going by the forum handle of "El_Spiko", said he had filed a complaint with the US trading standards organisation, the Federal Trade Commission.

El_Spiko wrote: "After reading through the list of promises about the ending of the game they made in their advertising campaign and PR interviews, it was clear that the product we got did not live up to any of those claims."

However, not all gamers are pressing for change. A counter-campaign, Support Bioware's Mass Effect, is backing the developers' decision.

In response to complaints, Bioware's Mr Hudson said the "underlying theme of sacrifice" throughout the series as reflected in the ending.

However, he added: "We also recognise that some of our most passionate fans needed more closure, more answers, and more time to say goodbye to their stories."

Mr Sobcyzk said the time - and money - invested in the game by fans needs to be rewarded with a more fulfilling end.

"If this was a Hollywood film, and they had a test audience, they would have never released the ending like that. It would have just not happened.

"For the love of God, give us the good ending!"












20 March 2012 Last updated at 13:12
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17444719

Hours after saying it sold a "record" number number of third-generation iPads this past weekend, Apple has given that record a tally.
Today the company said it has sold 3 million of the devices since launching on Friday in more than a dozen countries. That number does not include preorders of the device, which went live the day the product was announced.

"The new iPad is a blockbuster with three million sold--the strongest iPad launch yet," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, in a statement.
The news comes on the heels of Apple announcing plans to offer a quarterly dividend to shareholders, as well as a stock repurchasing program. In a call with analysts following the news, Apple CEO Tim Cook dodged a question about how many iPads the company had sold during its initial weekend on sale, saying only that it was "a record weekend."

To put the 3 million metric in perspective, preorders for the iPhone 4S--Apple's most popular product launch to date--topped 1 million units in its first 24 hours on sale, with the device going on to sell more than 4 million units during its launch weekend. That initial figure for iPhone 4S sales also did not include preorders; the company released total sales for the device after the end of the quarter. Apple did not report initial sales of the iPad 2 after the device made its debut last year, but did report launch sales of the first-generation model, which pulled in first-day sales of 300,000 units.
Apple has sold more than 58 million iPads since launching the product in 2010, a metric that includes today's 3 million number. The company sold 15.43 million in its most recently reported fiscal quarter, which ended in December.
Despite the fact that new buyers of Apple's third-generation iPad face a two- to three-week delay on new orders, the tablet launches in 24 additional countries this Friday.
Shares of Apple are trading at $603.79, up $2.70 (or 0.45 percent), in after-hours trading.













by Josh Lowensohn March 19, 2012
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-57400231-248/apple-3-million-ipads-sold-since-launch/?tag=mncol;topStories

The Delhi High Court has dismissed a criminal case against Microsoft India, accused of hosting "objectionable" content on its web pages.

Microsoft was among 21 web firms, including Facebook and Yahoo, accused of hosting material that could cause communal unrest.

In its defence the company said it dealt only with computer software.

The judge said journalist Vinay Rai, who filed the case, can refile if he finds any credible evidence later.

'Blasphemous'
Microsoft's counsel told the court that no defamatory material was posted on its web sites as it was not a platform for people to interact with each other, reported the Press Trust of India news agency.

The company is involved in the development and sale of software and computing solutions, the counsel said.

Judges in India had threatened to block sites that fail to crack down on offensive content.

Last month, Facebook and Google said they had complied with a court directive and removed "objectionable" material.


Late last year, Communications Minister Kapil Sibal met officials from Google, Facebook and other web sites and said the government would introduce guidelines to ensure "blasphemous material" did not appear on the internet.

The Delhi High Court in January asked Facebook and Google India to "develop a mechanism to keep a check and remove offensive and objectionable material from their web pages" or "like China, we will block all such web sites".

The criminal case was brought by the journalist Vinay Rai.

A separate civil lawsuit, which makes similar accusations against a number of the same internet companies is proceeding, but Microsoft had already successfully appealed to be dropped from it.

Many firms say it is impossible to pre-filter material.

In December, Communications Minister Sibal said: "My aim is that insulting material never gets uploaded. We will evolve guidelines and mechanisms to deal with the issue. [The companies] will have to give us the data, where these images are being uploaded and who is doing it."

Mr Sibal was angered by morphed photos of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, as well as doctored images of pigs running through Islam's holy city of Mecca.








19 March 2012 Last updated at 10:39
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17426162

Heat has come up as an issue with previous generations of iPads. So, that's not news. But the new iPad may have, in select cases, its own unique heat problems.
User forum postings (here and here) and a report seem to point to heat as an issue for select users.
The problem area--based on forum links above--seems to be a hot-spot in the corner of the unit.
In the worst case, the iPad shuts down and a message pops up, saying "the iPad needs to cool down," according to a Next Web report (link above).
That seems to be extremely rare, however. And one user who claimed to have the problem was using it in direct sunlight. Let's be clear: that can cause problems for any electronic device.

The third-generation iPad integrates both a larger battery and a faster (and reportedly larger) chip. Those are significant differences from the iPad 2. So, it inevitably gets warm. And like all Apple iOS mobile products it does not have a fan.

Anecdotal reports on launch day have pointed out that the new iPad can get a little toasty.
But this issue has come up with both the iPad 1 (here) and iPad 2 (here). There were reports of the "cool down" message on the iPad 2 also.
Moreover, note that user comments sometimes confuse overheating with the unit just getting warm.
At a suburban Los Angeles Apple store, a staffer confirmed that the new iPad gets warmer than the iPad 2. He attributed that to the battery.
The operating temperature range is listed on the iPad's spec page as 32 degrees to 95 degrees F (0 degrees to 35 degrees C).
Apple representatives did not immediately respond to a request from comment.
Updated at 7:15 p.m. PDT: clarifying "all iPads" to mean previous generations of iPads. In other words, the topic of heat has come up with each previous generation of iPad. And adds comments from staffer at Apple store. Also clarifies that the warm area is "a corner" of the unit instead of a specific corner, as that is not clear at this time.











by Brooke Crothers March 18, 2012 2:01
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-57399443-64/does-the-new-ipad-have-a-heat-problem/?tag=mncol;topStories

iPad apps as we've known them are about to get super-sized and are now on a collision course with whatever space you thought you had on your iPad--old or new. Early evidence pointing in that direction comes from Apple's own applications, which were all updated last week to coincide with its new tablet, and became considerably larger as a result.
As my colleague Jason Parker detailed earlier this week, Pages--the word processor app in Apple's iOS iWork suite--jumped from 95MB to 269MB, while Numbers--Apple's spreadsheet app--increased from 109MB to 283MB. Yesterday, an extended hands-on with the new tablet from Vietnam-based blog Tinhte came with additional numbers, mainly that iMovie has ballooned from 70MB to 404MB.
Here's the thing though: while it's easy to apply a multiplier onto the size of these apps and guesstimate it for any app that's out there right now, developers CNET spoke to said it's not that clear cut. Like a snowflake, each piece of software is different, and it all comes down to the content that gets packed in. Things like videos, music, and high-quality image and texture assets that are included in applications could be getting upgraded, but not all those things are equal in terms of the impact they have in size.

In the case of the updated iMovie app, it's a big mix of all these components. While things like buttons, knobs, and interface elements have gotten the "Retina" treatment, a big chunk of that size increase can be attributed to media Apple has added within the app. That includes the new trailers feature, which lets people make Hollywood-style movie trailers using footage they've shot.
As part of the new feature (which was picked apart for size by a Reddit commenter), Apple included 17 audio tracks, most about 2 MB in size and running about a minute. That's basically half a music album's worth of data that wasn't there before. Apple also included preview movies a few seconds long--but even these short videos can take between 300KB to 600KB each. There are 20 of them per trailer type, and there are nine types of trailers. All told it's a little more than 100MB of content, which is bigger than the entire app was in its last incarnation.
With Pages, Apple didn't tack on any new whiz-bang feature that's brought on audio or video files. The simple truth of the matter is that it's just a big app, with more than 1,000 image assets that needed Retina-ready counterparts, all of which come in at a bigger size and are an addition to the old ones. Examples like this are where some of the fear about bulging file sizes is warranted, since users on older devices aren't getting the advantage of these higher-resolution components, but will have to download them nonetheless.
Something else to consider is that many potentially bloat-inducing culprits, including standard app buttons and background textures, are pre-installed on the device, so apps often don't need their own. However, some developers create their own icons and buttons, which can add to an app's overall size. That includes the popular, and already updated Tweetbot app for Twitter, which has its own set of icons and visual features it brings along for the ride.
How big can apps get?
One consideration is that Apple has a firm limit on how big apps can be, which is 2GB per Apple's iTunes Connect--the system developers submit their software through. For something like the entry-level, 16GB iPad that works out to about seven applications given the space you're left with right out of the box.

Do any apps even come close to this per app barrier already? Yes, but they're games. EA's FIFA '11 and '12 editions both are more than a 1GB; the larger '11 version is 1.26GB. There's also Epic's Infinity Blade 2, which is 791 MB, and two of Gameloft's Modern Combat titles break the gigabyte barrier.
How big will these particular games get once they've been given a polish for Apple's new device? That remains unclear. Once again it depends largely on how much of that bulk are game assets the need double-sized versions, and if developers come up with any workarounds to make their apps take up less space.
One place to look in the meantime are the applications that have already been updated for the new tablet. Here's a chart of the ones that are not new apps, and how they were affected in the jump:

The one thing you'll notice is that none of these titles went down in size. That shouldn't be too surprising. You'll also notice that apps that are specifically for reading content like Amazon's Kindle reader and the New York Times, as well as writing apps like Evernote and the Day One journal software barely changed. The biggest impact was on graphically rich titles, which were the biggest in size. But even there it comes down to its make-up as seen with the Star Walk app, which went from 122MB to 153MB.
Sizing up
Looking at the iPad apps currently on top of the App Store, they would not come close to becoming 500MB, or even 1GB monsters--even if you were to quintuple their size.
Out of the top 25 iPad apps, 20 are not made by Apple and run the gamut from 1MB, all the way up to 565MB. However most are about 20 to 50MB range, which is big enough to be downloaded over 3G and 4G connections under Apple's restrictions. That includes Angry Birds and its sibling Angry Birds: Seasons, which come in at 14 MB and 15.5MB respectively.

So what do some of the biggest, popular apps have in common? Lots and lots of media. The 565MB behemoth, which has not yet been updated for Apple's upcoming iPad Retina Display, is Where's Waldo, a game that has you zooming in and out of high-resolution image files and will reward you with a video clip when you're finished. Similarly, Fancy Pants, a 268MB app comes with about 40MB worth of music and myriad level files that weigh in at megabytes a piece.
In other apps, the size of this media can be more obvious, like in Grand Theft Auto III--a very full-featured 462.3 MB game that's been ported from home consoles--which has its own radio stations, opening movie, and voice introductions for each mission. Short of the opening clip, these are all things that wouldn't need updating for the screen.
The universal dilemma
Once again, how much of an impact all this will have on iOS device owners depends on the app and how developers choose to go about updating. Though more than anything, any app that undergoes a big size increase is going to be more noticeable if it's universal--apps that have been designed to work on all iOS devices and thus carry things like specialized art for the differing device sizes.

As early reviews have already pointed out, some of the biggest impact will be on iPhone and first and second-generation iPad owners who cannot take advantage of the extra resolution but are paying for it the amount of space they're giving up for apps that include those extra files anyway. That's quite literally going to be a bigger deal for users who opt for, or already own entry-level, 16GB devices--be it a phone or tablet.
Many developers already choose to split the versions of their games separately. But for those who don't it's been a big convenience to end users, and often times a bargain for paid apps since you don't have to buy them twice. That's something developers may now begin to rethink if they want to keep sizes down and that Apple is no doubt keeping a close eye on ahead of it's next model.













by Josh Lowensohn March 15, 2012 5:54 PM PDT
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-57398378-248/will-retina-ready-ipad-apps-explode-in-size-not-necessarily/?tag=mncol;topStories

The regulator says it has received an application by Everything Everywhere to use its existing spectrum to offer the higher-speed service.

It says it does not believe the move by the owner of the Orange and T-Mobile networks would distort competition.

It has given other parties four weeks to submit their views about the proposed change.

Ofcom had previously warned that next-generation 4G services would not be rolled-out until 2013/14 following a planned auction of 800MHz and 2.6GHz frequencies. These include parts of the spectrum historically used by analogue TV, which is being switched off as part of the switch to digital services.

Everything Everywhere plans to jump ahead by varying its 1800MHz spectrum licenses to allow the use of LTE (long term evolution) and Wimax technologies.

"It's very important that the UK does not get left behind in the building of a new infrastructure for the digital economy," said a spokeswoman for the firm.

"We welcome today's notice of 1800MHz licence variation from Ofcom, as it suggests Ofcom's willingness to encourage the early deployment of 4G LTE."

James Barford, mobile telecoms analyst at Enders Analysis, said the move would help the network operator make a splash.

"Compatible 4G handsets are only just coming onto the market, so many of the firm's user base will be unlikely to take advantage of the faster mobile broadband speeds straightaway," he told the BBC.

"However, it is great marketing to be able to launch early - it certainly sounds good."

'Surprise'
Vodafone signalled that it might challenge the move.

"It comes as a surprise that the regulator is now considering giving the largest player in the market permission to use its existing spectrum for 4G services before the rules for the auction have even been concluded or it has divested spectrum as required by the European Commission," a spokeswoman said.

"We seriously doubt that consumers' best interests will be served by giving one company a significant head start before any of its competitors have a clear path to 4G."

The group UK Broadband also plans to offer a 4G network restricted to the South Bank and Borough areas of Southwark, London, on a wholesale basis from May this year.

O2 has also been carrying out a limited 4G data trial in London, while BT and Everything Everywhere have fitted 4G wireless routers to selected homes in Cornwall to allow volunteers to enjoy faster download speeds.










13 March 2012 Last updated at 15:41 GMT
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17355399

The firm describes the technology as a "floating touch" user-interface.

The Xperia Sola handset is due to go on sale in the second half of 2012.

But some mobile phone analysts question whether the feature will be practical or popular.

Touchless world
A number of firms around the world have been exploring gesture control possibilities for quite some time.

Giants such as Apple, Microsoft and US mobile phone chip maker Qualcomm, as well as several small start-ups, are currently developing camera-based touchless technology.

Their aim is to let users perform tasks such as answering the phone, navigating the web and flicking through photos using gestures - for instance, snapping fingers in front of the screen.

Sony's new "floating interface" is different.

A user's finger will essentially act as a mouse cursor, highlighting a link. Once selected, it can be activated it with a single tap.

Calum MacDougall of Sony Mobile Communications called the phone's technology "a sense of magic".

Wet hands
But not everyone is that optimistic.

Chris Barraclough, devices editor at Mobile Choice magazine, said that it was unclear how popular and practical the feature would be.

"It is certainly an original piece of technology, and may be useful, for instance, when your hands are wet, but we still need to see other practical implications of it," he said.

Although it may seem that the feature could help users eliminate fingerprint smudges that inevitably cover any smartphone screen, Mr Barraclough thinks otherwise.

"I don't think it will really help - just pulling your phone out of your pocket already leaves lots of smudges," he said.











14 March 2012 Last updated at 18:19
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17367993

On Friday, Apple's third iteration of the iPad arrives in stores.
With a higher-resolution display, a 4G LTE connection, and a better camera, the tablet isn't a completely new device, but that hasn't stopped it from sending consumer interest through the roof. Already Apple has sold out of online preorders, and analysts are suggesting that the company could sell a record-breaking 1 million iPads on the first day of sales alone.

If you really want a new iPad, my guess is that either you've ordered one already or you're going to get in line on Friday and hope for the best (CNET's Scott Stein advocates the former, by the way). But I'd also wager there are quite a few of you who are on the fence. Perhaps you bought the original iPad and never traded up to the iPad 2, or maybe you never jumped on the tablet train at all. Believe me, I understand that a shiny new gadget can be tempting, but this particular gadget also comes with a $499 price tag. That's a lot of money to drop on one device, especially if you're not sure that you really want it.
That's why waiting is not a bad option. In three months you not only could save the money, but also the weeks of seeing the new iPad in action may help you make up your mind. What's more, the mad rush of early buyers will have died down by June and there will be plenty of iPads on store shelves. Yet, beyond these obvious points, there are other obvious reasons why passing on the new iPad, at least for now, may be wise.

Windows 8 is coming
Two weeks ago at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Microsoft unveiled the Windows 8 beta. If you haven't been following the story of the next version of Microsoft's OS, now is a good time to start paying attention. As CNET's Seth Rosenblatt said in his hands-on, Windows 8 is a breeze to use, it's tricked out with social networking and synchronization, it's robust enough to handle Photoshop, it gracefully moves from touch to keyboard and mouse, and it's got some top-notch security. And most importantly, it was created to unify the desktop and the tablet.
You need to look at Windows 8 only for a moment to see that it is completely different from anything we've seen from Microsoft before. You'll notice many of the design elements that made Windows Phone 7 so refreshingly new such as tiles, lots of color, and a simple, user-friendly interface that doesn't bury you in layers of menus. It's all enough to keep me intrigued, while recognizing that Microsoft has a fair share of work ahead of it. Though the final version of Windows 8 will drop this summer, we still don't have specific plans about when a real Windows 8 tablet will go on sale. It will happen, absolutely, but we'll have to wait to see when Microsoft's hardware partners can deliver product and just how good those devices will be.

Granted, those are a couple of sticky points. But even so, I'm enormously curious to discover what the end result of Windows 8 will be. Just as you need to actually try Windows Phone 7 before judging, we'll need to get quality time with a Windows 8 tablet. So you're undecided on an iPad for now and don't run to the hills at the sound of the word "Windows," why not wait? Just this week we heard that Nokia may unveil a Windows 8 tablet this year. Given that Nokia was the first manufacturer to really embrace Windows Phone 7, that would be promising development. And even if doesn't happen, it's worth finding out what else does.

There's always the iPad 2
If you know you want to buy Apple, there's another option right under your nose. The iPad 2 may be a year old (a lifetime in the gadget world, I know), but there's plenty of power inside that slim package, and it all comes at a cheaper price. No, you won't get to savor the superior screen or the faster 4G speeds, but the iPad 2 isn't that different. You still get two cameras, FaceTime video chat, a zippy dual-core processor, and HDMI-out support. Sure, the data connection tops out at 3G, but that's irrelevant if you buy the Wi-Fi-only model.
New iPad 2s start at $399, with refurbished models taking an even smaller bite out of your wallet. At the time of this writing, eBay had hundreds of listings for iPad 2s priced at less than the retail price. And that number should only increase as more current iPad 2 owners upgrade. If you go the used route, though, just make sure that you're buying from a reputable seller.

Stick with the basics
Just as there are people who use a cell phone only for communication, there are consumers who don't need a lot from their tablet. Though Apple has come to define its mobile products by their app and media experiences, some folks just want a tablet to browse the Web and read e-mail. And if that describes you, there are some very capable devices that start at $199. As CNET's Donald Bell says, they won't buy you bragging rights with your friends, but they're a great place to start.

Amazon's Kindle Fire, for instance, offers all the basic tablet features plus a robust market for apps, e-books, and digital media. By all means, you get a smaller and lower-resolution display than on the new iPad; the internal memory is low (8GB); and you'll miss higher-end features like GPS, cameras, and mobile data, but, hey, it delivers a lot for $199 (as do a few other budget tablets).

The rival Nook Tablet has a few more premium features than the Kindle Fire, though its media selection isn't quite as sharp. It's also more expensive at $249, but that's still much cheaper than a new iPad 3. And as long as you're considering Android, Google's OS is finally beginning to offer Apple some healthy competition. Some are just as expensive, but they can also offer features the iPad can't touch.











by Kent German March 14, 2012 5:09 PM PDT
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57395879-37/windows-8-and-why-to-wait-on-the-new-ipad/?tag=mncol;topStories

It's that time of year again, when anxious smartphone shoppers flood my inbox with questions about whether they should buy the current iPhone now or wait for the new version.

And with good reason. No one wants to be the dupe who buys the older version of a product a week before the latest model is introduced. In this edition of Ask Maggie, I advise a reader who recently lost his iPhone 3GS to the smartphone gods about whether he should buy an iPhone 4S now or wait another three to six months for the new iPhone to be introduced.
I also explain why I think buying screen savers and cases for new smartphones is a waste of money

The iPhone waiting game.
Dear Maggie,
My iPhone 3GS recently bit the dust. I'm an AT&T customer so I was able to slot my SIM card into my wife's old Google Android device. But I really miss my iPhone. I know that Apple is probably going to announce a new iPhone this summer. Or they may release it in the fall like they did with the iPhone 4S. Anyway, I don't know what I should do. Do you think I should wait for the new iPhone 5 or just go ahead and get the iPhone 4S?
Thanks,
Steve
Dear Steve,
This is a tough question to answer because we really don't know when Apple will announce a new iPhone, nor do we know exactly what the new features will be on this new device once it's announced.


As you pointed out in your question, Apple has historically released a new iPhone in the summer. But last year it switched things up and released the iPhone 4S in October. This means that at the earliest, Apple will probably release the new iPhone in three months. But it could be another six or seven months until the new one is released.
And that's a long time to be using a temporary device that you aren't completely happy to be using. If you can live with a loaner for a few months, then go ahead and wait. But honestly, I think you won't have any major regrets if buy the iPhone 4S now. And here's why.
Even though we don't know exactly which new features will be on the new iPhone, we might have some hints of what's coming. Last week, Apple introduced its third-generation iPad, which may have given us a preview of features to be expected for the iPhone 5 or whatever Apple chooses to call the next generation iPhone.
My CNET Reviews colleague Kent German already wrote a post about what we me learn about the upcoming iPhone from the most recent iPad.
Based on what I've seen from the new iPad, I don't expect the iPhone 5 to be a revolutionary product. Once again, I expect Apple to make some nice enhancements to the product, as it did with the iPhone 4. But I don't think the changes will be so drastic that people who buy an iPhone 4S now because they need a new phone will be kicking themselves over their purchase.

The most substantial change that Apple might make to the new iPhone from a design perspective is the screen size. Since it was introduced, Apple has maintained the 3.5-inch screen size on the iPhone. Many people say they like this screen size since it easily fits in their hands and pockets.
Meanwhile, every other top-of-the-line smartphone on the market has grown to 4.3 inches and larger. Of course, I don't expect Apple to change the size of the screen just to follow the competition. But as more people use their mobile devices for watching video, playing games, and viewing other content on their devices, there seems to be a market for bigger screens. And it would make sense for Apple to increase the size of iPhone screen.
If it does this, I'd expect Apple to also increase the resolution of the screen. The Retina Display on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S is already terrific, sporting 960x640 pixels. But Apple has proven with the latest iPad, that it can push the limits on screen resolution.
The new iPad will have a true high-definition screen with 2,048x1,536 pixels. German said he doesn't expect Apple to go that far with the iPhone. After all the iPad is a much bigger device with a 9.7-inch screen. But if Apple increases the iPhone's screen size it will also likely boost the resolution a bit.

The other major improvement to the iPhone 5 will likely be the addition of 4G LTE network connectivity. This will allow the new iPhone to operate on a faster network with download speeds averaging about 12 Mbps. And unlike other LTE devices on the market, Apple is promising that the battery life of the iPad will stay the same, around 9 hours. This is good news for potential iPhone 5 with LTE. Hopefully, Apple will make sure it's battery life isn't affected by the 4G LTE technology.
Other than that, I don't expect to see Apple make any other major improvements. German noted in his story last week that the iPhone 4S already has a dual-core processor. And the new A5X chip found in the iPad is also a dual-processor chip with better graphics processing, something that is an important improvement for a device with a larger screen. The overall design of the iPhone 5 may change slightly, but I don't expect it to be drastically different.
As far as features that can be added via software, it also seems to me that Apple is committed to keeping the iPhone 4S around for a while. The phone was eligible for the latest iOS 5.1 update released last week, which says to me that Apple wants to keep the device up to date. My guess is that when the new iPhone is released, Apple will still make many, if not all the new software features, compatible with the older iPhone 4S.
So the bottom line is that unless you really want an iPhone with a larger screen, or you must have an LTE phone, you will probably be very happy with your iPhone 4S, even after Apple introduces the iPhone 5.
Believe me when I tell you that I understand your angst. I typically experience buyer's remorse for almost any big purchase I make. But the iPhone 4S is such a solid device and such an improvement over your iPhone 3GS that recently died, that I think you will be happy with your purchase no matter what Apple announces in June or September.
I hope this advice was helpful. Good luck making your decision!
The case for not buying a smartphone case
Dear Maggie,
I just bought the Razr Maxx that features a Gorilla Glass display. Do you think I may still benefit from a screen protector? I got one with glare reduction, but I believe it takes a lot of the glory of the fantastic screen in the phone. On the other hand, my HTC Incredible did not have one and it fared pretty well (for scratches) until it fell on its face and the glass broke to pieces. Somehow I think that if the Incredible would've had a screen protector, it may have fared the fall better.
On the other hand, if I may say, the phone is so large and somehow slippery that I think I also might need a skin or case. What do you think? Do you have an opinion on screen protectors or cases?
Thanks for your input,
Jorge
Dear Jorge,
I'm going to be honest with you. I am not a fan of cases or screen protectors as a general rule of thumb. I think they're just a ploy to get consumers to spend more money. Sure it may protect your device. But what are you really protecting it from?

It's like those old ladies who wrap their sofas in plastic. What's the point? The sofa is meant for sitting, so sit. And a smartphone is meant for touching, so touch it. And by the way, the device already comes in a case, which I believe should be durable enough to handle most wear and tear.
I've owned several smartphones over the years and have tested even more, and I've found that most displays hold up pretty well without any additional protection. The only device that I had significant screen scratching problems with from being carried around in my purse or backpack was the original BlackBerry Storm.
Gorilla Glass is supposed to be more scratch resistant and durable than other displays. And for the most part, I've heard good things about it. But there have been some complaints here and there regarding minor scratches.

If this is something you can live with, then I'd forget the screen protectors and cases and save your money for something really useful.
The only reason I might consider a screen saver or case is if I plan on selling my iPhone in the future. In that instance, you could probably get a better price for your device if it's in pristine condition. In that case, it makes more sense to protect it from the minor scratches that come along with actually using a device.
I'm sure there are plenty of people who would disagree with me on this point. But since you asked for my opinion, I thought I'd share it.
I hope this advice was helpful. And good luck!
Ask Maggie is an advice column that answers readers' wireless and broadband questions. The column now appears twice a week on CNET offering readers a double dosage of Ask Maggie's advice. If you have a question, I'd love to hear from you. Please send me an e-mail at maggie dot reardon at cbs dot com. And please put "Ask Maggie" in the subject header. You can also follow me on Facebook on my Ask Maggie page.









by Marguerite Reardon March 13, 2012 12:00 AM PDT
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-57395897-266/should-i-buy-iphone-4s-now-or-wait-for-iphone-5/?tag=mncol;mostRead

Apple's new iPad is beautiful, but it might not be the perfect fit for everyone. Whether it's your first iPad or just another upgrade, everyone can use a little buying advice before breaking out the credit card.



These are the times that try men's souls.
Never has a tablet purchase so vexed the collective nerd consciousness of this great nation. And Apple doesn't make it easy, doe it? Its "new" tablet looks a hell of a lot like the old one, only heavier! It's like Apple is toying with us.
But have no fear. Using a bracing mixture of logic and cheapskate wisdom, I'll walk you though this paralyzing first-world dilemma.

If you've never owned a tablet and you're considering the new iPad for your first fling, think twice. You may be buying more tablet than you need.
Many of the new iPad's updated features are difficult to appreciate as a newcomer. If I showed you an iPad 2 and told you it was the new iPad, there's almost nothing about the device to indicate that I'm lying to you. Without a frame of reference, the iPad 2's screen and graphic performance are dazzling on their own right.
I know this sounds condescending, but the new iPad will be best appreciated by those who are upgrading from a previous model. It's for us poor, strung-out tech junkies who've built up a tolerance for iPad "magic" and need something stronger.

Still, if you're set on getting an iPad, start with the iPad 2. Priced at $399 (or $529 with 3G), it offers all of the same overall features, only ratcheted down to slightly less impressive specs. It's capable of running all of the same software (in theory), it's technically lighter and thinner, and if you ever want to trade up to the new iPad, the resale value of the iPad 2 is one of the best you'll find for any tablet.
Better yet, if you're not completely sold on your first tablet being an iPad, you can save a lot of money buying a competing brand. It was once the case that the tablet market was divided between the iPad and everything else (and everything else pretty much sucked). But today, the iPad has fierce and affordable competitors at the high end, and some surprisingly capable alternatives priced at $199.
Put simply, if you're looking for a tablet that can be used for e-mail, Web browsing, and general amusement, $199 buys a lot these days if you can do without the Apple logo. It won't buy you bragging rights with your friends, but it's a great place to start.

For the upgraders
Here's where things get messy.
If you have a first-generation iPad, it's time to upgrade. After two years of use, you're now at a tipping point where your iPad's internal battery does a less spectacular job holding its charge and the resale value of your particular vintage of iPad starts to plummet. If you sell now, you could make $100 toward your next iPad. If you wait, it'll cost you $100 (plus shipping) to have your vintage iPad's battery replaced. Take the leap.
The choice then becomes iPad 2 or new iPad? Unless you're seriously jonesing for the improved screen, gaming performance, 4G data, or camera quality, the cheapskate in me would tell you to go with the $399 iPad 2. Coming from the first iPad, the iPad 2's slim design, light weight, dual-core processor, and dual cameras provide a substantial upgrade.

But there's a catch. The iPad 2 now only comes in one capacity (16GB). Also consider that the $100 you'll save going with the iPad 2 will also be taken out of the resale price when you go to sell this in the future. Logically, if you have the money to jump from the original iPad to the new iPad, it's a better investment and it also pays a dividend of early-adopter geek cred for the first few months.
For existing iPad 2 owners considering an upgrade, the choice is more difficult. On the plus side, the new iPad's vastly improved screen is stunning for e-books, movies, games, and photos, and the upgraded camera (and iCloud Photo Stream) makes it easy to feed that screen great shots. You also have those 4G models available from AT&T and Verizon, which seemingly offer the first good deal on 4G data we've seen on tablets.

But if you're happy with your iPad 2 and you don't want to part with any money (especially for an iPad that's technically thicker and heavier than your current iPad), there's not much here that dramatically improves the basic capabilities of the device. Unless you count dictation, there's nothing the new iPad does that the iPad 2 doesn't--it just does most things a little better, and one thing (the screen) better than anyone.

But if you're feeling the limitations of your iPad 2 and you'd like a version with more horsepower and more "pretty," you're in a cherry position to upgrade. The average trade-in value for a current iPad 2 is around $200, which knocks a nice chunk off the price of a new iPad. And like I said before, a new iPad will keep its value better than holding on to an iPad 2. Plus you get bragging rights, which are priceless, right?

For the Apple fans
You already ordered one in each color, didn't you?
Seriously, though, is there anything that pleases an Apple fan more than having a first-run feature like a Retina Display that can be shown off with unabashed smugness? This is your moment of glory, folks.
And get to it quick. With Samsung acting as one of the manufacturers of the new iPad's breathtaking display, you know it's just a matter of time before it pops something similar into an Android tablet.
For Android tablet users making the switch
I feel obligated to make this category, but I'm not entirely convinced these people exist. If so, they're mythical and unique, like the Yeti. In my experience, Android users are staunchly loyal (and vocal, if you've read our comments section).
But just in case there are any Yetis reading this who haven't found themselves philosophically polarized into one mobile OS doctrine or another, my advice is to wait. The wave of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) tablets is about to break, and Google's app and media offerings are stronger than ever.
Anyway, if you're going to bail on Android, at least wait until you see what Windows 8 tablets have to offer. I mean, if Android spoke to your nerd heart, I'm sure you already have a soft spot for Windows.
For professionals
In spite of being criticized as a "lean back" device, the iPad has infiltrated the professional world. If you already use an iPad for work and are wondering if the upgrade is worthwhile, here's how I would frame it.
Does the new iPad's high-resolution display give you a professional advantage? If you're a creative professional who routinely shows off a visual portfolio of work to clients, then it's a worthwhile purchase.

Next, consider what impact the 4G data capability may have for you. If you're a jet-setter who travels light, the iPad 4G offers a combination of durability, design, battery life, and wireless data bands that you won't find in other products.
Finally, there are the little touches that may hook professionals, such as Bluetooth 4.0 peripheral support, voice-to-text, and 1080p display mirroring over HDMI (with a $49 adapter).


To 4G or not to 4G?
Here's where I'm a little out of my comfort zone. For the past year, I've been criticizing 4G tablets as a thinly veiled ploy for carriers to rope people into two-year contracts for data coverage they probably don't need.
But the 4G data plans associated with the new iPad are a different story. Just like 3G data on the first two iPads, you pay by the month and there are no contracts to get in the way.
I still groan at the $130 you pay up-front for the privilege of Apple soldering in a wireless modem that probably costs it a few dollars to produce. Still, as ploys go, it feels a little more honest to me than a two-year contract.
So, down to brass tacks. Is it worth the extra $130 for a 4G-capable version of the new iPad?
Well, if you have the extra $130, go for it. Aside from the up-front cost, it's a no-risk feature. You don't even have to activate it unless you're in a pinch and can't find a Wi-Fi connection. Think of it like a security blanket.
But before you take the plunge, it's worth spending some time figuring out if your phone can already act as a 3G/4G hot spot that can be connected to a Wi-Fi-only iPad. Your phone is something you're always likely to have on you, so it may be a better option for your "just in case" cellular data than spending $130 on a feature you may never use. Plus, looking at current resale prices of older iPads, the value of the additional cellular data feature doesn't necessarily add as much to resale value as an investment in capacity.
AT&T or Verizon?
When you go to buy an iPad 4G, don't just blindly choose the model on your existing carrier. The models and capabilities of each carrier's iPad 4G are slightly different, and since you're not tied to a contract, you're free to choose whichever carrier you'd like.
If you're really hoping to make the most of 4G data speeds, be sure check each carrier's coverage map to see if 4G is even offered where you live. Also, check the pricing on each carrier's data plans for the iPad. Currently, AT&T offers the lowest entry-level monthly plan, but pricing may shift over time.
If you plan on taking the new iPad on any globe-trotting adventures, do some research to figure out which carrier's iPad will be most compatible with your travel plans. Fortunately, unlike the iPad 2, both carrier models for the new iPad support worldwide GSM/UMTS networks and include Micro-SIM card slots that can be adapted for foreign networks.
Finally, if the idea of using your new iPad as a cellular hot spot appeals to you, take a moment to make sure the feature is supported by your preferred carrier. At launch, only Verizon is supporting the iPad's new hot-spot feature. Even if AT&T jumps onboard, there's a good chance that each carrier will handle the hot-spot capability differently, and there's always a chance that additional fees could pop up, so do your homework.

For more, see our separate CNET How To on choosing the right carrier for the iPad.
Final thoughts
Here's the spoiler: it really doesn't matter what you do. If you wait another year, the next iPad will only get better. If you buy it and you're unimpressed, there's a good chance that you can make nearly all your money back selling it used. Who knows? If you're lucky, there'll be a shortage and you can turn a profit.
But whatever your thoughts on Apple, the company has not made its billions by disappointing customers. Odds are, you're going to like this thing.









by Donald Bell March 13, 2012 5:45 PM PDT
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57395889-37/heres-who-should-buy-the-new-ipad/

The 55in Toshiba is the world's first large-screen, glasses-free 3D TV available in our shops. Start saving now though: it'll cost almost £7000!

Like some digital cameras, it can recognise and follow faces. So when you move, it adjusts its picture to suit.

It then directs different images to the left and right eyes. This creates the illusion that the image is 3D.

This isn't the world's first spec-free 3D TV.

Two were launched at an electronics show in Japan in October 2010 but had much smaller screens at only 12 inches and 20 inches.

But these early models saw problems with picture quality if viewed at an angle.

Now other manufacturers will be keen to enter the spec-free battle - with Sony displaying two impressive prototypes at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.











This page was made on Monday 12th March 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/17313487

The new game will be released on 22 March and will be available on iOS, Android, PC and Mac.

"This began with a Twitter exchange about birds and pigs in space, and has grown into a tremendous outreach and education opportunity," said Nasa spokesman David Weaver.

"Games are fun and entertaining but can be inspirational and informative."

In an online video promoting the game, a US astronaut on the International Space Station explains the laws of physics using Angry Bird characters as props.

At one point flight engineer Don Pettit is seen firing a red bird down a space station corridor using a slingshot.

'Educational'
Nasa has called the collaboration with Rovio and Angry Birds "an exciting way to get people engaged with Nasa's missions of exploration and discovery, and get students energized about future careers in science and technology".

Peter Vesterbacka, Rovio's chief marketing officer, said the company wanted to create something "unique" for the game launch.

"Nasa has been the perfect partner for our Angry Birds Space programme and we can't wait to work with them on creating more compelling educational experiences," he said.

Angry Birds Space features 60 initial levels and six new characters but has what Rovio says is a "unique twist in a variable gravity environment".

"From the weightlessness of space to the gravity wells of nearby planets, fans can have fun with physics as they try out new gameplay possibilities," Peter Vesterbacka added.

"The Angry Birds themselves have also transformed into superheroes, with new costumes and abilities."

More levels will be available as free regular updates and in-app purchases.

In November, Angry Birds became the first game to achieve 500 million downloads less than two years after it was released.










Page last updated at 09:53 GMT, Friday, 9 March 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/17310790

Ever since mobile phones have been introduced, it became part of people’s everyday lives. People were contented with what these basic mobile phones have to offer. But as time passes, mobile phones has improved, from basic texting, calling, listening to music to taking pictures and now, as part of these improvements, we have what we call smartphones which offers great features that is why nowadays basic mobile phone users were switching to smartphones.

A recent study was conducted by Pew Internet & American Life project and they have found out that smartphone users have outnumbered the basic mobile phone users. And the growth is not just happening in a single demographic group. The growth is occurring in young adults up to those people who are in their 50s.

The survey was conducted on 2,253 adults ages 18 and older and based on the result they have found out that there has been a considerable jump in smartphone growth a year before. This includes the major demographic groups, men, women, adults (young and middle aged), urban and rural residents and wealthy and not wealthy.

As of February 2012, the report said that smartphones were used by almost half (46%) of the population of US adults. As compared from last year, May 2011, it has grown by 11%. They have also said that 2 in 5 adults (41%) own a basic mobile phone. It only shows that smartphones were dominant in the society.

According to the report, college graduates who are 18-35 year olds and those with annual household income of $75,000 or more are 60% more probable to own a smartphone than those in other groups. On the other hand, seniors those are 65 years of age and older only have 13% on their group who owns a smartphone.







Ever since mobile phones have been introduced, it became part of people’s everyday lives. People were contented with what these basic mobile phones have to offer. But as time passes, mobile phones has improved, from basic texting, calling, listening to music to taking pictures and now, as part of these improvements, we have what we call smartphones which offers great features that is why nowadays basic mobile phone users were switching to smartphones.

A recent study was conducted by Pew Internet & American Life project and they have found out that smartphone users have outnumbered the basic mobile phone users. And the growth is not just happening in a single demographic group. The growth is occurring in young adults up to those people who are in their 50s.

The survey was conducted on 2,253 adults ages 18 and older and based on the result they have found out that there has been a considerable jump in smartphone growth a year before. This includes the major demographic groups, men, women, adults (young and middle aged), urban and rural residents and wealthy and not wealthy.

As of February 2012, the report said that smartphones were used by almost half (46%) of the population of US adults. As compared from last year, May 2011, it has grown by 11%. They have also said that 2 in 5 adults (41%) own a basic mobile phone. It only shows that smartphones were dominant in the society.

According to the report, college graduates who are 18-35 year olds and those with annual household income of $75,000 or more are 60% more probable to own a smartphone than those in other groups. On the other hand, seniors those are 65 years of age and older only have 13% on their group who owns a smartphone.












MARCH 8, 2012
http://www.techgeeze.com/2012/03/smartphone-users-became-more-dominant-than-basic-mobile-phone-users.html

After several hours of getting official, I’ve checked from major camera retailers if Canon’s 5D Mark III have gone onto the shelves for pre-orders. And yes, Adorama, B&H and Amazon have already listed a pre-order page for this newly announced DSLR. We got few links after the cut, check it out.



From Amazon

Canon EOS 5D Mark III 22.3 MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Body) – $3499
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 22.3 MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera with EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens
Canon 5D Mark III Accessories
If happen you missed the show, here’s some great reads you might want to spend some times.

Canon 5D Mark III gets official
Canon 5D Mark III full specifications and sample images
Canon EOS 5D Mark III/X coming March 2, images surface











MARCH 2, 2012
http://www.techgeeze.com/2012/03/canon-5d-mark-iii-now-ready-for-pre-orders.html

As expected, a new Apple TV set-top box was announced at Apple's media event today.
While the exterior hardware looks nearly identical to the old model's, several new features were announced, including:

1080p movies and TV shows from iTunes Store
Redesigned 1080p user interface
Ability to re-download purchased movies through iCloud
"Genius" recommendations for movies
Photo Stream resolution bumped up to 1080p
Single-core A5 chip
1080p output
The new Apple TV will be released on March 16 with the same $99 price as the existing model. Existing, 2nd-gen Apple TV units will be receiving the new user interface via a software update available today. We expect the new model will include all the same features as the existing Apple TV, which you can read about in our full review of the 2nd-gen Apple TV.

Update: See my hands-on with the Apple TV's redesigned user interface.
In a related news, Netflix is announcing that the new Apple TV hardware will be fully capable of 1080p Netflix streaming video, and that both 2nd-gen and the new Apple TV will now allow you to purchase Netflix subscriptions through your iTunes account.









by Matthew Moskovciak March 7, 2012 10:11 AM PST
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57390999-37/new-apple-tv-delivers-1080p-updated-interface/?tag=mncol;topStories

Apple has unveiled a new iPad with a high-definition screen.

It said the resolution of the display was 2,048 by 1,536 pixels. The tablet is also powered by a new A5X chip with improved graphics performance.

Chief executive Tim Cook claimed to have "redefined once again the category Apple created".

Apple dominates the market but should face a fresh challenge later this year when tablets running the full Windows 8 system are expected to go on sale.

The new iPad - which is simply called by that name - also features a 5-megapixel camera sensor. It will be able to run on 4G LTE networks where the service is available and can act as a wi-fi hotspot for other devices if carriers allow the function.

It is 9.4mm deep, slightly thicker than the 8.8mm profile of the iPad 2. The basic 16GB model with only wi-fi will cost £399 and the top of the range 64GB model with wi-fi and 4G will cost £659.

Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller said the tablet has the same 10-hour estimated battery life as the previous model using only wi-fi. That limit shortens by an hour when using 4G.

It is due to go on sale on 16 March in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, France, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and Japan.

The previous model will stay on sale at a reduced price, starting at £329. Mr Schiller said that would make it more affordable for schools to buy the machine.

The firm also announced an upgraded TV box which can now handle 1080p video.

Films and TV shows will be sold via its iTunes store in the high-definition format.

Mixed reactions
IMS Research said Apple accounted for 62% of the global tablet market in 2011. Ahead of the press conference it said it expected that share to rise to 70% this year.

Analysts at Gartner said they expected Apple to maintain its lead and increase the volume of tablets sold - but added that the launch did not contain any news to cause them to increase their "bullish" forecasts.

"I'd call the new iPad an evolutionary device with some revolutionary experiences," said research director Michael Gartenberg.

Others expressed disappointment following the news noting that the new device's display did not include haptic touch-feedback technology or access to the iPhone 4S' voice-controlled Siri "intelligent assistant" as rumoured.

"As tablets are increasingly being used for personal media consumption, it is promising to see a better screen resolution," said Fred Huet, managing director of Greenwich Consulting.

"But will this be enough to ensure Apple's competitive lead in the marketplace? No."

However, the new iPad won praise from journalists at Engadget who were among the first to try out the tablet. They noted that the improved screen resolution should lead to improved apps.

"Apple just put an insane amount of real estate in the hands of crafty developers, and frankly, we can't wait to see what they cook up," wrote Darren Murphy.

Apple's shares closed 0.08% higher on Wall Street at $530.69.c









7 March 2012 Last updated at 18:39
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17292424