Smart Luggage susceptible to fingerprints

Intelligent luggage allows the user provides a lot of facilities to be enjoyed during the trip.

French designers have made a smart travel bag that provides many opportunities for its Kerber.

This is a smart travel bag, a lock that opens and closes with the user's fingerprint, a tracking system that notifies the user of luggage space, as well as charges for charging smartphones can be used.

According to the report, the immune system's fingerprint smart suitcase, in addition to being sensitive to fingerprints, which has an ID on your cell phone safe travel for multiple users to increase.

Users can also use the smart suitcase luggage available when the user is not using its intelligent barcode reader system, be aware of the status of their belongings. Another is that the user can use this bag also be aware of the weather destination.

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Hrfhaytryn headphones world was shipped

HE1000 construction companies with exceptional quality headphones that sound file I live completely transparent to the user, will soon be available to interested parties.
The company already offers EF1000 headphones that sound clarity attention was interested.
The company maintains a sound that can be heard from the headphones is quite comprehensive and includes all the details.
The final price of this product is not yet announced.

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Last regime, the glass was smart!

If you are looking to lose weight or just want to look and what you drink, the more you know, a great new option for you, there are smart glass called "fo» (Vessyl)
With the liquid fo the caloric and sugary drinks have no place to hide. Fo a cup with sensors that measure the amount of calories and nutrients in the drink and sing.
The device can tell you exactly what's in your glass,
Measure the number of calories in drinks and a mobile app, the efficiency of your daily and weekly to help you.
"Justin Lee," CEO Mark One who is the manufacturer of the equipment, says: "We've designed this mug to work with you and your home is the place where you spend most of your time, but you can you can also use it on other occasions and situations.
Every time you do something fo fill, a digital number of calories that are measured by sensors in the glass show. Aplykshyn with more details such as the total amount of protein and sugar, and a guide to show you achieve your diet goals.
Lee says: "If you are what you eat, track your more likely to achieve your health goals, is much higher." Sorry, but to reveal the details of the method of measuring calories in a glass of us do not. Therefore, we only have his word that the system is accurate, we trust.
Enthusiasts can buy this product with $ 99 in advance or wait for launch in early 2015 stay. Glass after the official release to the market price will be $ 199.

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Advantages of a Having a Data Center Work for Your Business

Think of a data center as the "computer room" - it's the place where you keep your computers, servers, and other equipment, along with the people who manage these assets. You could purchase all the equipment needed and the staff required to furnish your own "computer room" that meets the computer needs of your growing business. But doing it yourself takes time and a lot of money if you want to stay up-to-date, relevant, and secure in the ever-changing information technology environment. Suppose you can hand off this responsibility for the "computer room" to a third-party company that specializes in equipping and operating hardware and personnel required for powerful and secure network resources and critical business systems. Now that might be a smart idea. Here are some ways that a data center can work for you business.

Lessen the Risks for Your Business

Having your IT services housed at a different location than your company's location means that there is less chance of all your operations being impacted by a variety of issues in the event of a large-scale power outage or natural disaster.

Work Better and Get Back to Work Faster

If you choose to handle all your data operations at your business headquarters, you could easily be using equipment that is many years old. Compare that with an up-to-date data center, which will be prepared and equipped to handle all your information technology needs with the latest, most efficient equipment in the hands of highly trained technicians. If a problem does occur, the chances are greater that your downtime will be minimal, as the facility is equipped and prepared to deal with any problems that might arise.

Operate with More Power

Because computer operations are their main focus, a center can usually offer you greater bandwidth at a lower cost. Your systems won't be slowed during peak operating times with the availability of this extra bandwidth.

Be More Secure

Hackers and others determined to cause harm to your networks and systems are constantly at work. Maintaining maximum security against these threats requires time and money. Data centers make it their business to operate at top efficiency against current and future security threats.

Maximize your Personnel

If your business maintains its own "computer room," keeping your staff up-to-date with the latest training and certifications is a costly effort. Once again, because it is their main focus, the third-party center can provide these support personnel to your business at a cost savings over what you would spend to keep these people on your own payroll.

Grow Your IT Resources as Your Business Grows

Your goal is to grow your business, but growing can cost you money, especially in your information technology operations. When you hire a third-party center to handle your information technology needs, you can save money in the growing process, as the IT services can easily grow with you. When your time, money, and energy are focused on the changing needs of your computer operations, you are distracted from your core business and its purpose. Letting the data center handle the heavy lifting in the information technology arena allows you to focus your best energy on growing your business.

Artichle Source

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The Reason Behind the Boom of IT Asset Recovery

Enterprises are heavily reliant on the scalability and flexibility of their IT infrastructure and are not reluctant to spend millions of dollars on upgrading them. This is because of the fact that the nature of business has changed to 'as is, when is' mode, from the previous approaches that were comparatively sloth and allowed some room for delayed actions and disrupted services.

In fact, modernization of IT infrastructure has been part of the long term strategy for most of the companies, as they are realizing the importance of data and the value they can derive from it. In a data driven economy where people are interconnected 24x7 through their smartphones, tablets and laptops, overwhelming amount of data are generated every second. Now the question that arises is where to store such astronomical amount of bits and bytes, given that investment in physical infrastructure is among the less prioritized items on the To Do lists of CXOs.

Cloud storage and the virtual data center have emerged to be the champions in solving such problems. Cloud storage is now delivered as a software enabled service by leading software companies and has been an integral part of their service portfolio. In comparison to cloud storage, virtual data centers are new comers and can be attributed as successors to actual data centers with heavy physical assets as storage mediums and devices. Both of these new solutions offer significant advantages to enterprises migrating from conventional storage mechanisms to the more futuristic ones. Safety, security, reliability, reduced requirement of space, fast and 'anytime, anywhere' access of data by authorized persons, etc., being some of the highlights, it is really hard for enterprises to ignore cloud storage and virtual data centers.

Incidentally, the rise in awareness and shift in attitude of companies in favor of the modern solutions to data storage has proved to be a boon for enterprises offering services associated with the recovery of data and other crucial IT assets. With cloud storage and virtual data centers enabling real time transfer of data to any location on the earth, there is a minimal requirement of maintaining bulky storage mediums within office premises. Also, for the migration from physical storage mediums to the cloud to be made successfully, it is important that due care and necessary precautions be taken. This is where players engaged in IT asset recovery come into play.

Qualified professionals having proven expertise are employed to extract value from redundant IT assets - be it storage mediums, data or any other part of a business PC. Although usually handled in immaculately designed laboratories, this is an exercise that many companies prefer to do in their client's premises also. It is a very productive step for companies to hire one such service provider, given that they handle data in a professional manner, thus minimizing risk of data loss. Also, IT asset recovery service providers offer 'buy back' options to their clients, which enable companies to gain handsome amounts for their redundant IT assets.'

Artchle Source

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10 Best Smartphones To Release In 2015

HTC One M9

The HTC Corp (TPE:2498) One M8 was a particularly impressive smartphone, and one that received a strong critical reception when it was released. Unfortunately, HTC has yet to really match this with commercial success, and it will be hoping that 2015 is the year that it becomes a household name.

Whether or not this is achievable in the face of the strong competition from the likes of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) is highly debatable, but we can say with some certainty that the HTC One M9 looks to be a highly impressive device based on what we know about it so far. According to early rumors, the HTC One M9 will feature a 5-inch full-HD Super LCD3 display, a Snapdragon 810 processor, Adreno 430 graphics and 3GB of RAM. There is a 13-megapixel front camera expected to be included, which would be an industry-leading device, while the 20-megapixel rear camera is extremely competitive.

Design parameters suggest that this will be an extremely slim smartphone as well as a powerful one, and although it won’t appear in time for the 2015 edition of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, it certainly sounds as if this latest HTC device will be worth waiting for.

Sony Xperia Z4

Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) (TYO:6758) had a very difficult time economically in 2014, and publicly attributed this to its mobile phone division. Thus, the Sony Xperia Z4 is swimming against the tide to a great extent, but anything like a creditable performance will be acceptable for Sony. Speculation has been mounting that there will be a James Bond tie-in with this device, but gimmicks aside, an octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor, 4GB of RAM and a Quad HD screen have been mooted for what could be an extremely powerful handset.

LG G4

Many people consider the LG Electronics Inc. (KRX:066570) (OTCMKTS:LGEAF) G3 to be the ultimate smartphone available on the market, so LG has a lot to live up to with this handset. There isn’t too much information available about the LG G4 as of yet, with a summer release date likely, but what can be said is that previous iterations of the series have placed an emphasis on photography, so expect a smartphone to suit keen photographers

Microsoft Lumia 940

With Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) finally having bitten the dust, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) can begin to create its own distinct smartphone brand, and this Lumia 940 release will come in a year which can be considered critical for Microsoft, with its imminent release of Windows 10 also a headline feature. This smartphone is thus expected to collaborate with Windows 10, as Microsoft is strongly expected to produce an operating system which can be utilized across all phones, tablets, PCs and laptops.

It will be fascinating to see how this turns out, as the Lumia range hasn’t really caught the imagination of the public yet, and Windows 8 was a pretty disastrous operating system release for Microsoft.

iPhone 7

Any Apple release in any marketplace is, of course, massive news, and the latest iPhone in the iconic rage will be no exception. Apple has a bit of a conundrum to solve with the Apple iPhone 7, given that the iPhone 6 was hugely successful commercially, but somewhat criticized for being ambitious in its scope.

This may see a truly revolutionary rebooting of the iPhone concept with the iPhone 7, and rumors are already circulating that this device will have an incredible camera at its heart, as well as being constructed to some degree from Sapphire Glass. The latter of these murmurings was perpetually linked with the iPhone 6, but never actually occurred, so we’ll have to wait and see whether it has any credibility this time.

Apple will also be under pressure to improve the display quality of the iPhone 7 considering that Samsung is being rumored to launch a 4K resolution mobile at some point during 2015. Apple does not want to be left behind in this department, so we could see the first ever full HD smartphone from Apple, as well as a quad HD phablet version.

What is almost an absolute certainty is that this will be the highest selling smartphone of the next generation.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 was one of the most impressive devices released in 2014, and it to some extent enabled Samsung to regain some of the lustre which it lost during a disappointing year overall. Arguably the outstanding phablet available on the market, the Galaxy Note range has established itself as an important part of the Samsung portfolio, and the Galaxy Note 5 will be an equally critical release for Samsung as it tries to re-establish its position in the market in 2015.

It is already rumored that the Galaxy Note 5 may be the first 4K resolution mobile to ever appear on the mass market. Certainly, given the extremely high-quality Super AMOLED display that Samsung included in the Galaxy Note 4, it will be essential for Samsung to produce something outstanding with this device’s screen.

In addition, Samsung will likely continue its predilection for curved displays with this device, and although a significant rebooting of the Galaxy Note series is unlikely with this device, expect increased specs and improved power saving functionality to enhance the the already excellent reputation of the Note series in this department.

OnePlus Two

The original OnePlus One staggered a lot of people when it was released at a price point which many considered to be about half of its market value. Thus, the OnePlus Two is one of the most anticipated releases of this year, as people are wondering how the company can possibly improve on the previous device in the series while keeping it at its extremely affordable price point.

According to early rumors related to this device, this smartphone could feature a Qualcomm, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) Snapdragon 810 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 3300mAh battery and a 5.5-inch 2K screen. These are the sort of specifications which are associated with smartphones in the Samsung and Apple price range of devices, but the OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei has stated publicly that this will be another affordable device. Certainly one to look out for in 2015.

Samsung Galaxy S6

The Samsung Galaxy S series is due for a radical overhaul, as the 2014 Galaxy S5 was not particularly well received. The build of the device should be switched to a fully metallic exterior this time out, which will enable Samsung to more readily compete with the iPhone. It is probable as well that there will be curved versions of the Galaxy S6, and that at least one model will feature Quad HD resolution.

Nexus 6

Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) may be one of the world’s most powerful corporations, but breaking into the ultra-competitive smartphone niche is far from easy. Thus, the Nexus range has yet to really create a consumer buzz, but Google will be hoping to change this with the Nexus 6. This device will likely deliver flagship specifications, but could be more expensive than previous versions of the series.

iPhone 6s

Finally, rumors persist that Apple will release a smaller iPhone companion device for the Apple Watch either late in Q1 or early in Q2. This has yet to be confirmed, but it would to some extent be return to the company’s roots should it come to fruition.

News Sorce 

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Sony seeks to delay filing earnings in wake of cyberattack

Sony is still working to restore some of its key computer applications in the wake of a devastating hack that hit its movie studio late last year. As a result, the company has asked for an extension in filing its next earnings report.

On Friday, Sony said that most of the "financial and accounting applications and many other critical information technology applications" for Sony Pictures Entertainment won't be up and running until early February because of the "amount of destruction and disruption that occurred" following the cyberattack. Sony has asked the Financial Services Agency of Japan to move the deadline for its fiscal third-quarter earnings from February 16 to March 31.

On November 24, the company discovered that the computer network of Sony Pictures had been hacked. A group calling itself #GOP, aka "Guardians of Peace," claimed responsibility and said it had obtained internal information. The security breach turned out to be more serious and pervasive than initially believed. Hackers leaked the personal information -- including Social Security numbers -- of more than 47,000 celebrities, freelancers, and current and former Sony employees. They also leaked yet-to-be released movies, as well as emails between Sony Pictures executives, among other internal documents. The company was forced to shut down its entire network.

The hackers claimed they attacked the network because they objected to the Sony Pictures movie "The Interview," a comedy about an assassination attempt on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Sony initially decided not to release the film after the hackers implied that movie theaters screening it would be attacked. But the studio reconsidered and the film has since been released in theaters and online. TheFBI has blamed North Korea for the attack. North Korea denied that it was responsible but expressed support for the hack.

While Sony continues working to restore its damaged systems, the company said it will hold a press conference on February 4 to provide forecasts for its fiscal third-quarter results based on whatever information is available at that point.

Source

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Cisco: Spammers shifting to targeted attacks

sco says the amount of money attackers earn from bulk spam has declined sharply...so they've shifted towards targeted, personalized attacks.
Cisco’s Security Intelligence Operations group has published a new report,Email Attacks: This Time It’s Personal (PDF) that indicates the Internet is experiencing a fundamental shift in the nature of spam: instead of spammers relying on sending as many messages as possible and hoping to get responses from a tiny fraction of one percent of gullible recipients, spammers are shifting to a far smaller number of targeted, personalized attacks—a.ka. spearphishing. The good news is that the overall volume of mass spam has declined sharply, along with the amount of money criminals gain from them. The bad news is that targeted attacks are up sharply…and criminals make a lot more money every time one of them succeeds.
“Cybercriminal business models have recently shifted towards low-volume targeted attacks,” Cisco wrote. “With email remaining the primary attack vector, these attacks are increasing in both their frequency and their financial impact on targeted organizations.”
According to Cisco, spam volumes peaked at an average of about 300 billion spams per day in June 2010 down to about 40 billion spams a day in June 2011. With that decline, spammers have also found the amount of money they haul in from mass email spam is going down: Cisco estimates mass spam attacks netted spammers about $1.1 billion in June 2010, but that figure dropped to $500 million by June 2011.
One reason that spammers’ revenues haven’t declined in proportion to the amount of messages they send out is that an increasing number of messages are individualized with personalization tools and other information designed to pull in a potential victim and “convert” them into a paying victim, or get them to click through to a site that will try to install malware. Cisco estimates that spammer revenue from these customized attacks grew from $50 million in June 2010 to $200 million by June 2011.
Cisco also notes that while spam filters and blocking technologies are able to block about as many targeted attacks as mass attacks, targeted attacks are far more likely to be opened by their intended victims, and have click-through rates as high as 50 percent.

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PlayStation 4 due in 2012?

A new rumor has surfaced suggesting that Sony is planning to begin production on the PlayStation 4 later this year. If true, the PS4 would feature a motion control similar to the Kinect, and be available in stores in 2012.

Please note that in the excerpt of this article, it states that this is a rumor. It is important to note that, because it contradicts most of what we have been hearing about Sony’s plans for the PlayStation brand, and because it doesn’t really make much sense.
According to a report from DigiTimes, a handful of Taiwanese manufacturers are preparing to begin production on the PS4 later this year, which would mean a 2012 release. The console would feature a “body movement-based control like the Kinect,” and the initial run would produce 20 million units for worldwide distribution.
The future of the PS4 has been a hotly debated topic for some time now. There has never been a doubt that there will be a PS4, the only question is when. Lending credence to the current rumor are a handful of scattered reports from Sony execs who may have either spoken out of turn or been taken out of context. Back in May before E3, Sony’s VP and CFO Masaru Kato had to explain to investors why there had been a recent spike in research and development costs, and he answered that development was underway for the PS4. He quickly backtracked though, and claimed that his statement did not mean that a PS4 was imminent, and that any time a new product was released (he was referring to the PS3) the first stages of development begin on its replacement.
The original thinking was that neither Sony nor Microsoft would debut a new console until at least 2014, which would make sense. The Xbox 360 has seen a huge bump in sales thanks to the Kinect among other things, and the XBL service is planning several major additions this year. Despite still reeling from the PSN hacks, Sony continues to build its online network and a new PSN redesign is rumored to be coming soon, plus Sony is finally managing to turn a profit on each console sold after years of taking losses. With the consoles profitable and both systems arguably just now hitting their stride, the demand for a next generation of consoles just isn’t there as it has been in consoles past. Neither the PS3 nor the Xbox 360 have reached their full potential, as witnessed by the stream of new technology like the Kinect and new partnerships like Netflix and ESPN, so why rush to release a new console that will face an uphill battle and likely be sold at a loss?
But then there is the Wii U, which is something of a wildcard. The reaction to the device at E3 was good, but investors disagreed and Nintendo’s stock dropped 5.7-percent. Still, Nintendo was falling behind and needed to makes some big moves. The Wii is still the best-selling console of this generation by a wide margin, but sales have grown somewhat stagnant of late, and the lack of things like HD graphics and an online community aren’t things that can easily be overcome. So Nintendo releasing a new console now makes sense.
The Wii U will be more powerful than the PS3 and the Xbox 360, and it will have a deep online option as well. The tablet-like controller will also be memorable, but no one is suggesting that it will be as powerful as the next gen PlayStation console or the next Xbox.  But it is possible that Microsoft and Sony did not enjoy getting sand kicked in their face by the Wii’s sales, so they might increase their production timetables in order to close the sales gap between the Wii U and the PS4 and next Xbox.
There are already reports that Microsoft is planning on unveiling its next console at E3 next year, but that is also still just a rumor. It will likely come down to the Wii U and how concerned Microsoft and Sony are about the head start the Wii U will have. Sure the Wii U will not be as powerful as the PS4 or next Xbox, but the Wii wasn’t as powerful as its counterparts and it crushed both of them in worldwide sales.

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.Android, iPad, BlackBerry and Windows tablet group test

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 

The Tab 10.1 comes with the latest Android Honeycomb operating system and even has superior hardware specifications to the iPad 2.

The 10.1in 1,280 x 800 TFT screen is crisp and bright, with a wide viewing angle. This makes it excellent for video playback and browsing.

The device is powered by a 1GHz Tegra 2 processor and comes with 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing webcam for conference calling.
Even though Android Honeycomb may take a little getting used to, the services offered by Google and the apps available in the market place make it a genuine challenger to the iPad 2.
The Galaxy Tab is yet to be made available in the UK, but pricing is expected to be between £500 and £600, depending on the amount of internal storage.
V3.co.uk rating: 4 stars (Read the full Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 review)

Asus Eee Pad Transformer

The Eee Pad Transformer is the best option for users who are looking to get an Android tablet/netbook hybrid.
In terms of specifications, the Transformer is up there with the high-end tablets. The 10.1in screen comes with a 1,280 x 800 resolution, and the device is powered by the familiar 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor. There is 1GB of RAM and users are able to choose between 16GB or 32GB of internal storage.
Additional connectivity comes in the form of a Micro SD card reader (SD card reader on Keyboard dock) and two USB ports on the keyboard.
The Transformer is ideally suited to users who are comfortable with using cloud-based services. The keyboard dock is the standout feature and converts the device into a netbook, making it one of the more useful out-of-the-box tablets on the market.
Although this is the best Android hybrid on the market, it's not quite going to replace a work PC or a laptop, but is capable of replacing a netbook.

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Acer Iconia Tab W500 review

Despite being sold as a standalone 10.1in tablet, the keyboard attachment is imperative for many users to get the most out of the device. One of the major reasons for this is that Windows 7 was not designed to be used with a touch screen.
Our impressions of the W500 were mixed as it isn't as striking as the iPad 2. Technical specifications are impressive on paper, with an AMD C-50 dual-core 1GHz processor, 2GB of DDR3 RAM and 32GB of internal storage as standard.
The device comes with an overall Windows Experience Index rating of 2.8. Compare this to the Fujitsu Lifebook PH530's Windows Experience rating of 2.7, which is a slightly misleading score as the graphics capabilities brought the overall score down.

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The 10.1 widescreen LCD touch display comes with a resolution of 1,280x800, and has a bright picture thanks to the LED backlight. Surrounding the screen, however, is a large black bezel that looks like it could have been better used.
Our measurements suggest that Acer could have increased the screen size to 12 inches. The fact that the extra space hasn't been used is even more bizarre considering that the majority of this unused bezel is part of the LCD panel itself.
Other features built into the chassis include a two-in-one card reader, HDMI and USB 2.0 port as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. Like all the latest tablets the W500 incorporates front- and rear-facing cameras, both at 1.3-megapixels.
Business users are likely to need the keyboard attachment most of the time. To connect the tablet, the screen slots into a USB connector into the keyboard, which appears when a flap is raised.
When the device is not in use, the flap on the keyboard can be folded down and the screen can be placed on top of it, locked in place and carried around like a netbook.
However, the problems start when the W500 is plugged into the keyboard. The device weighs 1kg but most of this is in the tablet, making it top heavy. The W500 needs to be placed on a completely flat surface otherwise there is a risk of it toppling over.

Using the W500 balanced on your lap is very tricky and great care has to be taken to ensure that the screen does not fall out of the dock. During our tests, we found that the W500 was incapable of sitting on the soft surface of a sofa or bed without falling over.
The W500 takes anywhere between five to 10 seconds to detect when a dock has been attached. Although this is not a long time, it gives the impression that the device is sluggish and is likely to get slower as time goes on.

The dockable keyboard itself is usable, but far from the best we have seen. It comes with 84 keys, two USB ports and an ethernet socket.
Letters are generally well spaced in a island style, but they are very shallow and it is easy to misspell words because letters have not been depressed sufficiently.
Unfortunately, there is no trackpad and you are forced to use the FineTrack trackball that sits in the centre of the keyboard. The two mouse buttons are also awkwardly placed on the edge of the keyboard and we found that we often hit the space bar instead of the left click.

For those who have not used a trackball before it will take some getting used to, and the experience can be described as fiddly at best. When using the W500 in the office, we found that plugging in a USB mouse was a necessity.
By comparison, the similarly sized 10.1 Asus Eee Pad Transformer hybrid comes with a full sized trackpad and the ability to fold the screen when the tablet is connected to the dock.


Considering that the Asus Eee Pad Transformer has dimensions of 271x171x12.98mm, which are very similar to the 275x190x15.95mm of the W500, it does feel that it has been left in the dirt by Asus.
Software
Acer ships the tablet with Windows 7 Home Premium, so it is not optimised for business use. However, it will provide a better desktop-like experience than other tablets.
The internet experience resembles that of laptops and netbooks, with access to all browsers such as IE9, Firefox 4, Chrome and Opera.
Preloaded software comes in the form of Microsoft Office Starter edition and the usual anti-virus software free trial. Another feature is the Acer Ring, an interface created to make use of the touch-screen functionality.
Users are able to browse the internet, and access applications such as notetaking, camera and the calculator, from the Acer Ring. The My Journal feature is an aggregator that keeps web site updates, and Clear.fi allows users to search, share, and play back music and video over Wi-Fi.
The onscreen keyboard is the same as on all Windows touch-based devices. It is easy enough to type web addresses, but is not suited to long emails. It is very poor indeed when compared to the virtual keyboards on the iPad and Android tablets.
Battery life fell short of the six hours claimed by Acer and this was disappointing especially when its portability is being touted. The W500 lasted a reasonable two hours and 49 minutes in the the Battery Eater Pro Classic test, which simulates high-intensity activity.
In the Reader test, the device topped out at three hours and 21 minutes. Realistically, the battery will last somewhere between these two figures when the dock is connected.

When we used the W500 in the office as a desktop replacement it managed three hours and 20 minutes with 36 mins of hibernation, backing up the result of the reader test.
In comparison, the Android Honeycomb Asus Eee Pad Transformer offers up to 16 hours of battery life when plugged into the dock, and the forthcoming Motorola Atrix lapdock aims to provide up to eight hours.
The iPad 2, meanwhile, lasted 20 hours during our testing. We clocked nine hours of actual use including browsing the internet over Wi-Fi and 3G, watching three hours of video from BBC iPlayer and a two-hour film. The remaining 11 hours were spent in standby, eight hours of which was overnight.
The design flaws together with a total price of £519 to get the dock could put off some users, however the fact that the tablet runs Windows could make it attractive to businesses.

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Dell Vostro 460 review

Many in the IT industry would have us believe that laptops and tablets are the only business clients that matter anymore, but desktop PCs still have a valuable role to play in most companies.
One example is Dell's Vostro 460, a workhorse PC aimed at smaller businesses that want a computer with enough performance for productivity applications, but with plenty of scope for expansion to meet future requirements.
The 460 is part of Dell's Vostro line of laptops and desktops specifically tailored for small to medium business (SMB) customers, and offers all the features required for running business applications at a reasonable price (starting at £299), but without all the bells and whistles you might expect to see in a multimedia PC for consumers.
Despite this, the Vostro 460 models are based on Intel's new Sandy Bridge Core i5 and Core i7 chips, and pack in a decent amount of processing power. Buyers should also note that for some Vostro 460 configurations, a monitor is not included in the price and must be added as an optional extra.
Our review system was shipped without a monitor by Dell, so we were unable to judge the quality of the display options available. A number of configurations are available from Dell's web site, and buyers can customise these if they so desire.
Our machine was configured with a Core i5-2500 processor, a quad-core chip clocked at 3.3GHz, plus 4GB memory, a 500GB hard disk, DVD-RW drive and ATI Radeon HD5450 graphics adapter. However, the memory can be expanded up to 16GB, while hard disk options go up to 3TB.

This specification delivers ample performance for most business applications, the Vostro rated at 4.9 under the built-in Windows Experience Index in Windows 7. This was actually tied to the score of the graphics card; the processor, memory and hard drive subsystems all showed impressive individual ratings.
However, the key aspect of any system for small business buyers will be its included software. In this respect, the Vostro 460 is not much better than many other PCs, coming with just the Office 2010 Starter edition of Microsoft's popular application suite and a handful of Dell utilities.
Office 2010 Starter consists of reduced functionality versions of Word and Excel only, and is really intended to replace Microsoft's ageing Works software for home users. However, it does provide basic capabilities that a startup company can use until it is established and able to justify the cost of a more fully featured productivity suite.
In terms of technical support, Dell backs every Vostro with a telephone helpline and a one-year collect-and-return warranty as standard. Customers can also opt to pay for Dell's Pro Support service, which provides 24x7 access to technical support. Dell also offers on-site system setup for a fee.
The latter is not really required for the Vostro 460, which requires little setup other than unpacking the system and plugging it in.
In operation, the Vostro is almost silent, only a faint noise coming from its internal fans, while the system itself looks business-like in Dell's signature black styling.
The form factor of this Vostro is a chunky tower that looks quite imposing when sitting on a desktop, but can always be slipped out of sight beneath a desk, if required. Buyers for whom desk space is at a premium may wish to consider Dell's other Vostro models, some which are available in much more compact system units.

The advantage of a tower chassis such as this is that it allows easy access to swap out components or add extra drives in future. With the Vostro 460, this is made easy by a removable left side panel secured by a single screw at the rear, which can be easily undone by hand. In fact, the entire system is designed for tool-free maintenance.
Inside, the Vostro 460 has space for two 5.25in drives, both accessible from the front panel, plus three 3.5in drives. One of the 5.25in drive bays is occupied with the DVD-RW drive, while the hard disk and a memory card reader take up two of the 2.5in bays, leaving one of each free.
The memory card reader can be accessed from outside by a slide-down panel, as can a set of four USB ports, plus audio in/out jack sockets. The memory reader accomodates a wide range of Flash cards, including SD Card, Memory Stick Pro, CompactFlash, xD and SmartMedia.
A glance inside the Vostro showed that our review sample had only two of its four Dimm slots occupied, allowing memory to be expanded if necessary. However, this unit shipped with Windows 7 32-bit edition, which only supports up to 4GB in any case. This is more than adequate for most software that small businesses are likely to run, but buyers should note that going beyond 4GB requires an update to a 64-bit version of Windows.
The system can also be expanded using adapter cards fitting into PCI Express (PCIe) slots. Our system had an ATI Radeon HD5450 graphics card fitted into its high-bandwidth PCIe x16 slot, replacing the Intel graphics functions built into the motherboard.
The Vostro 460 also has three PCIe x1 slots available for other cards, such as an extra network adapter, but most of the functions users are likely to require are already built in. A tiny Mini PCIe slot allows an optional laptop-style Wi-Fi card to be fitted.
ATI's Radeon HD5450 adapter provides three separate video outputs - VGA, HDMI and DVI - each capable of driving a monitor simultaneously at resolutions up to 2,560x1,600 pixels.
The rear of the Vostro has four more USB ports, Gigabit Ethernet, plus an eSata connector - handy for connecting high-speed external storage for backup purposes. There are also six audio jack sockets, and an S/PDIF digital audio optical output. A VGA and HDMI output from the built-in graphics are covered over, as these are not needed.
Although our Vostro did not include a monitor, it did ship with a mouse and keyboard, the latter being notable for a row of dedicated function keys along the top for web browser navigation and controlling Windows Media Player. It is also worth noting that Dell does sometimes add SKUs with an included monitor but these are usually special offers, so check its site for current deals.
As well as Office 2010 Starter, our review unit included Trend Micro security software with a 15-month subscription, plus Dell's Backup and Recovery Manager for backing up user files and the system itself. Dell Recovery tools enable the user to create a recovery disk to restore the system to its original factory state, should the worst happen.

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Royal wedding triggers record traffic figures

The 29 April wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton sent a record flood of traffic to streaming video sites on Friday.
Considered to be among the most highly-anticipated events in recent years, the marriage of the newly appointed Duke and Duchess of Cambridge brought huge traffic to sites offering live coverage, and causing at least one major media outlet to buckle under the pressure
At roughly 11:13, the BBC first gave word of technical difficulties in its online coverage of the event. Then 17 minutes later, the site issued an official statement explaining the issue.
"We are experiencing some technical issues with BBC Online due to the sheer weight of traffic which may cause the site to be slower than normal in some cases," the BBC said in the statement.
The BBC was not the only site to experience heavy traffic from the event. Video streaming service LiveStream offered its own coverage of the event, and the stream reportedly drew record traffic numbers.
According to online news blog Mashable, traffic for the LiveStream feed of the event exceeded 300,000 simultaneous viewers at one point, and total traffic was forecast to top two million views.
For Google, the event was the culmination of growing interest on the royal wedding over the month. The company reported that since the beginning of April, total search volumes for the event spiked by 90 per cent.

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Sony boss Stringer apologises for massive data breach

Sony chairman, chief executive and president Howard Stringer has finally apologised for the hacking attack which may have exposed the details of up to 100 milion customers, as online collective Anonymous reiterated that it was not to blame.
Stringer said in an open letter to Sony customers that there is still "no confirmed evidence" that any credit card or personal details have been actively used by the hackers, and that Sony is providing ‘AllClear ID Plus' identity theft protection for all US customers, with further announcements to come for international customers.
The company will also offer a ‘Welcome Back' package, including a month of free PlayStation Plus membership for all PSN customers and an extension of subscriptions for PlayStation Plus and Music Unlimited customers to make up for the time the service has been down.
"As a company we - and I - apologise for the inconvenience and concern caused by this attack. Under the leadership of Kazuo Hirai, we have teams working around the clock and around the world to restore your access to those services as quickly, and as safely, as possible," he said.
"In the last few months, Sony has faced a terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan. But now we are facing a very man-made event - a criminal attack on us and on you - and we are working with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies around the world to apprehend those responsible."
Stringer's response came as criticism of his continued silence grew, and he used the letter to try to diffuse customer anger at being kept in the dark for so long when the incident was first discovered.

 

 

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Amazon tipped to launch a 'Super Kindle' Android tablet

Amazon is preparing to launch an Android tablet as the company seeks to make a successful transition from the e-book reader market.
The online retailer has put in an order with Taiwanese manufacturer Quanta Computer for 800,000 touch-screen tablets, according to widespread reports.

No specifications are available at present, but the device is widely tipped to run the Android operating system as Amazon already provides a dedicated online marketplace for the platform, known as Amazon Appstore for Android.
However, despite huge success in the e-book reader market, Amazon will find it difficult make a tablet that directly rivals the Apple iPad, according to Francisco Jeronimo, research manager for European mobile devices at IDC.
"The Kindle has been such a success because it is a good product that costs just $100 and Amazon will need to retain a budget price to attract users," he told V3.co.uk.
"Amazon is likely to build a 7in 'Super Kindle'-type tablet which runs on Android and can support video, social applications and full web browsing."
Jeronimo pointed out that Amazon will also have to push magazines and newspapers via the device, as the Kindle app is also available on competing devices and will not be enough of a differentiator.
V3.co.uk contacted Amazon for information on the tablet, but the firm declined to comment on future plans.
Meanwhile, the tablet market continues to heat up with big things expected from Android Honeycomb tablets such as the Motorola Xoom and forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab line.
However, Jeronimo suggested that only a handful of the 200-odd devices expected to come on the market this year will succeed.
"Apple will retain 80 per cent of the market, but RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook is expected to do well in the enterprise," he said.
"Consumers perceive tablets as an extension of smartphones, and manufacturers such as Dell and Sony, which come from a laptop background, will always find it difficult to break into the space."

 

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Motorola Xoom review

The Motorola Xoom was the first Android Honeycomb tablet to be launched worldwide and is finally available to buy in the UK.
Comparisons between the iPad 2 and the Xoom are inevitable as equivalent 32GB versions both have a starting price of £479.99.
The Xoom comes with superior specifications and a refreshed version of the much loved Android interface. During our tests we found that the Xoom performed admirably and offers business users a genuine alternative to the iPad 2.
Hardware
With a 10.1in screen, the Xoom is the biggest Android tablet on the market and comes with a 1,280 x 800 WXGA resolution. The display also packs a 16:9 ratio meaning that videos and web sites can be viewed in full, as intended.
However, the brightness is a tad disappointing and the screen is visibly duller when placed side by side with an iPad 2. Like other devices, the Xoom is also a fingerprint magnet and we were disappointed that no cleaning cloth was supplied, as it is essential.
The Xoom is also a little bulky at 730g, making it 100g heavier than the equivalent 32GB Wi-Fi iPad 2. This extra weight is noticeable, but it is not a deal breaker.
The Motorola device has dimensions of 249.1 x 167.8 x 12.9mm making it thicker than the iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab, which have dimensions of 241.2 x 185.7 x 8.8mm and 190 x 120 x 12mm respectively. Apple's tablet is noticeably wider when the two tablets are directly compared.



A 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor powers the Xoom supported by 1GB of RAM. This makes the the tablet nippy when it comes to performance, and there is no lag between opening and switching applications or when swiping between homescreens.
Motorola supplies 32GB of internal memory for storage, and there is also a micro-SD card slot to increase capacity and facilitate quick transfer of files with smartphones.
However, the micro-SD card slot is currently unusable although a Honeycomb upgrade is expected imminently to fix this issue. This is disappointing and suggests that the operating system has been rushed out much like Windows Phone 7.
Additional connections include micro-USB, mini-HDMI output and a proprietary charging port that uses a very thin connector, similar to the one used to charge devices such as the Nokia 6300. USB charging is not supported, an all-too-common problem with tablets.

Read more: http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/review/2045013/motorola-xoom-review#ixzz1KTNQdsMm
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