Wikipedia

Weekend tech reading: Is Wikipedia for sale? Ubuntu 13.10 is out, Core i7 4770K vs 2600K for gaming

 
Is Wikipedia for sale? We all know that Wikipedia can be subverted -- it’s an inevitability of an open platform that some people will seek to abuse it, whether to gain some advantage or just for a laugh. Fortunately, the Wikipedia community has strong mechanisms in place to deal with this, from the famous cry of [citation needed] to the rigorous checks and standards put in place by its hierarchy of editors and admins. In recent months though, insiders have encountered something altogether more worrying: a concerted attack on the very fabric of Wikipedia by PR companies that have subverted the online encyclopedia’s editing hierarchy to alter articles on a massive scale -- perhaps tens of thousands of them. Vice
Ubuntu 13.10 review: The Linux OS of the future remains a year away After the customary six months of incubation, Ubuntu 13.10 -- codenamed Saucy Salamander -- has hatched. The new version of the popular Linux distribution brings updated applications and several new features, including augmented search capabilities in the Unity desktop shell. Although Saucy Salamander offers some useful improvements, it’s a relatively thin update. XMir, the most noteworthy item on the 13.10 roadmap, was ultimately deferred for inclusion in a future release. Ars Technica | Download Ubuntu
Windows 8.1 models unlikely to ignite PC demand The PC market is unlikely to reverse its decline in 2013 and 2014 despite the arrival of new Windows 8.1 devices, sources in the supply chain have commented. The sources pointed out that Microsoft's slow pace in responding to consumer demand has seriously damaged the software giant. Since the company also failed to seize the best opportunity to promote Windows, and the PC industry is already walking downhill, the sources believe Windows 8.1 is unlikely to contribute much. DigiTimes
Fresh leak on US spying: NSA accessed Mexican President's email The National Security Agency (NSA) has a division for particularly difficult missions. Called "Tailored Access Operations" (TAO), this department devises special methods for special targets. That category includes surveillance of neighboring Mexico, and in May 2010, the division reported its mission accomplished. A report classified as "top secret" said: "TAO successfully exploited a key mail server in the Mexican Presidencia domain..." Spiegel
What does it mean for the U.S. to 'lose control of the Internet?' Is the U.S. losing control of the Internet? That's how some are interpreting a statement released in October by 10 organizations central to the Internet's operation. "With striking unanimity, the organizations that actually develop and administer Internet standards and resources initiated a break with three decades of U.S. dominance of Internet governance," writes Milton Mueller, a professor at the Syracuse University School of Information Studies. The Atlantic
Snapchat went from frat boy dream to tech world darling. But will it last? L.A. does tech the way it does everything else: with red carpets and velvet ropes. Consider the Social 25 party, held this year at the exclusive 41 Ocean Club in Santa Monica. The VIP event, which kicks off L.A.'s Social Media Week, honors 25 celebrities and brands who -- in the words of organizer Drew Baldwin -- are crushing it on social. Sam Pepper is there, muttering something and posing with his hangers-on for the paparazzi. LA Weekly
Intel Core i7-4770K vs Core i7-2600K gaming-performance Especially gamer see themselves confronted with the question which is the best CPU for their system from a performance as well as a price perspective. This is meanwhile the sixth article in our CPU Gaming Performance series of articles, where we compare the gaming performance of two CPU's in recent games. Obvisously you will see the performance difference and we will also point to the price of these chips. Ocaholic
A radical dream for making techno utopias a reality Balaji Srinivasan opened his Y Combinator startup school talk with a joke: Is the US the Microsoft of nations? The question was received warmly by the crowd of more than 1,700 and did in fact have a logical conclusion: Larry Page and Sergey Brin, co-founders of Google, were exactly what Bill Gates feared when he said in 1998 that two people in a garage working on something new was Microsoft's biggest threat. CNET
My Steelcase Leap chair fixed my crappy posture Like, a lot. I sit in my home office for eight to nine hours every day doing TR-related work. Once I'm done, I go on sitting there doing other things -- working on personal projects, playing Trackmania, wasting my time on Reddit, and so forth. I take breaks, of course. Every now and then, I'll walk to the kitchen, open the fridge door, decide that I'm not hungry, and walk back to my desk. The Tech Report
CryptoLocker ransomware - see how it works, learn about prevention, cleanup and recovery CryptoLocker, detected by Sophos as Troj/Ransom-ACP, is a malicious program known as ransomware. Some ransomware just freezes your computer and asks you to pay a fee. (These threats can usually be unlocked without paying up, using a decent anti-virus program as a recovery tool.) CryptoLocker is different... NakedSecurity
Vivo teases world's first 2K resolution smartphone 4K displays haven’t made their way to the broad consumer market yet -- we’re all still playing our video games and watching our sports in 1080p. Normally, that would mean mobile device displays are much further off from upgrading to the next-gen resolution, but Vivo’s new 2K smartphone -- the world’s first 2K smartphone -- is quickly closing the gap. ExtremeTech
Would you pay $2,000 for a GIF? The artist Molly Soda, 24, is what you might call "Tumblr famous." The short, green-haired Chicago native has about 30,000 followers on the platform, where she posts GIFs, selfie performance pieces, and undulating word art. "I've never sold any work that I wasn't directly commissioned to do," she says. The Verge
The museum of Mario A single quarter was all it took to meet the man who would go on to define an entire medium. In 1981, the world gained access to a screen flicker, an iconic melody, and control of a carpenter named Jumpman. IGN

How to unlock for iPhone all model

Official Factory Unlock for iPhone 5, 5S, 5C, 4S, 4, 3GS, 3G

Official Factory Unlock for iPhone 5, 5S, 5C, 4S, 4, 3GS, 3G on iOS 7, iOS 6, iOS 5 and iOS 4 on all Modem Basebands by Apple iTunes Unlock – No Jailbreak, GeveySim, RSIM, SAM, Ultrasn0w.

Apple iTunes Unlock Features :

• We are a trustworthy company by Google with support staff – our Company is a division of “International for Cell Phone Trading and Maintenance” Ltd Company VAT No: 447-738-178 | License No: 18709 . All our unlocks are guaranteed to work, or your money back.
• IMEI Unlock is Processed Officially by Apple and this factory Unlock can be for all iPhones regardless of bootloader, baseband and iOS firmware version up to the latest iOS and beyond (if you don’t know what this means, don’t worry – it simply means we can unlock any handset).
• 48 hour unlock delivery (unless otherwise stated).
• Permanently upgrade to the latest iOS.
• Every single feature works perfectly 100%, Fix Push Notifications, Facetime and iMessage.
• Once you unlock your iPhone you will get a notification on your device. All you have to do is connect your iPhone to iTunes to complete the unlock.
• No complicated additional software to install and NO JAILBREAKING REQUIRED!
• You won’t lose your Jailbreak.
• IMEI number registered as officially unlocked on Apple’s database by whitelisting your IMEI in the Apple iTunes database.
• Upgrade and Sync iPhones using iTunes without fear of ever being locked out.
• Your Unlock is Completed in iTunes and processed by Apple.
• You Will NOT void Apple’s manufacturer’s warranty.

Example: How To Unlock iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, 5, 5S, 5C ? – Locked to USA AT&T :

Step 1 : Choose your iPhone official carrier from iPhone IMEI unlock list and make sure your iPhone is currently Locked to Country: USA and Network: AT&T this is where your iPhone is Currently working, is from where you bought iPhone, if you got iPhone from eBay, friends, second hand, etc… and you are not sure if iPhone is locked to Country: USA and Network: AT&T, We Recommend :

• Try to arrange a Country: USA and Network: AT&T Working SIM CARD and try if iPhone is fully Operational ( you should make call send sms etc… )
• Alternative, you can use our Service: iPhone Network Finder to Check the Original Country and Network of your iPhone

( note: Country: USA and Network: AT&T is not where you want to use, after unlock, iPhone can be used on any Network From Any Country )
Step 2 : Complete Requested Details on “iPhone Unlock – USA AT&T” Network Unlock Form, and Select your iPhone Model . and Put your IMEI Number  you can find more information how to find  IMEI Number.
Step 3 : Ready to place Order “iPhone Unlock – USA AT&T“. Now press Add to Cart Button then Proceed to Checkout and Payment details. We accept PayPal as payment method also Credit Card through DalPay so at this way your payment is 100% safe with PayPal and DalPay.
Step 4 : After successfully complete Step 3. ( Checkout and Payment ), you need to wait the estimated time ( 1 to 24 Business Hours ) on which we promise to unlock iPhone 2G, 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S, 5, 5C, 5S which is currently locked to Country: USA and Network: AT&T. On promised time we will send you email to notify you when unlock is Done and complete instructions, easy to follow to finish unlock via iTunes.

Step 5 : How to complete Unlock Process after you got our email notification “iPhone Unlock is Done”

• Ensure that you got our “Unlock is Done” email notification
• Back up your iPhone ( you can skip this step if you don’t worry to lose personal data ).
• Swap the old SIM card with the one for the new carrier ( insert a NOT ALLOWED SIM CARD).
• Now Connect your iPhone to iTunes and Complete the setup assistant and restore your backup.
• CONGRATULATION YOUR iPhone HAS BEEN UNLOCKED.

Important notes:
Our site use PayPal and Dalpay Payments and Scam Sites Couldn’t use these payment methods cause they are secured Payments and also these sites never approve any Payments via Scam Sites.
If you want to know who you can or cannot trust on the internet, follow the simple rule of:

• Do they use SWReg for payment? If YES – they are a scammer
• Is there an animated woman talking on their homepage? If YES – they are a scammer
• Can They Unlock All iPhones in All Countries ? If YES – they are a scammer

Moto X Smartphone

Motorola's new migration tool can preload the Moto X with your old iPhone's contacts, calendar entries

Switching to a new smartphone can be a hassle, especially if there is no easy way to transfer all of your contacts from your outgoing device to the shiny new one. Fortunately for hopeful Moto X buyers, that’ll no longer be an issue as you can have the handset arrive pre-loaded with all of your existing contacts – so long as you are coming from an iPhone.
At the end of the online customization process through Moto Maker, you’ll be promoted to use the new Migration feature. Simply enter in your Apple ID and password then sign into your Google account to get things started. The handy tool copies your iCloud data and loads it onto the custom Moto X you just created. The entire process takes around five minutes for up to 500 contacts and calendar entries, we’re told.

Nexus 5 16 GB for $349

Nexus 5 briefly appears on Play Store, 16 GB for $349

Google has had a hard time keeping the Nexus 5 a secret. Today, the yet-to-be-released smartphone briefly appeared in the Play Store, revealing the price point its 16 GB version is set to occupy: $349; the same price as the 16 GB Nexus 4 at launch.
A full press render of the device also made its way onto the internet, confirming the design we'd all been expecting. The LG-made device builds on the design of the Nexus 4, featuring a prominent Nexus logo and lens module like the new Nexus 7. Avid Android users will also notice a few icon changes on the homescreen of the Android 4.4-powered device, but the design of the whole OS still remains a mystery.

Rumored specs for the Nexus 5 include a 2.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 SoC, 2 GB of RAM, a 4.95-inch 1080p display, LTE radios, NFC and Wi-Fi 802.11ac. There's also reportedly an 8-megapixel camera and a 2,300 mAh battery in a body that's very similar in size to the Nexus 4.
With the Nexus 5 appearing briefly on Google's own Play Store, and a ton of leaks occurring over the past few weeks, an official announcement mustn't be too far away now.

Apple Touch ID

AuthenTec co-founder discusses how Touch ID fingerprint reader evolved from early prototypes

On October 17, 2013, 4:00 PM

AuthenTec co-founder F. Scott Moody recently stopped by his alma mater to deliver a speech about the company he helped launch. His company was acquired by Apple last year and it’s their technology that is used in the Touch ID fingerprint authentication system on the iPhone 5s.
During his chat at North Carolina State University, Moody walked students through some of the early prototypes that eventually led to Touch ID. One system known as FingerLoc consisted of a box that is larger than the iPhone connected by ribbon cables to another box even larger than the first.



It was this prototype that Moody used when visiting with venture capitalists to explain his vision. He wanted to shrink the technology down and make it viable for use in smaller devices. It was rough going at first but they were eventually able to shrink the system down into a package that was suitable for consumer use. AuthenTec even worked with a number of dermatologists to help perfect the technology, Moody said.
Once a final product was ready, several companies came knocking including Apple, Fujitsu and Motorola. Apple in particular “ate it up,” Moody said, and eventually purchased the entire company for $356 million. AuthenTec had a solid team of engineers, he said, as evident by the fact that Apple kept the entire engineering team.
Moody said he never cared about government standards for fingerprint readers. Instead, he wanted to create a cheap method to identify users in an accurate way. He isn’t hooked on the tech, but rather what the tech can do for users.

Android 4.4 KitKat

Cryptic tweets suggest Android 4.4 KitKat could launch on October 28

By Shawn Knight

On October 16, 2013, 5:30 PM

A pair of tweets from the Twitter account @KitKat have fueled speculation that Google's next Android refresh, controversially dubbed KitKat, is set to launch later this month. Specifically, many believe we could see the new software -- and perhaps a new gadget or two -- arrive on October 28.
In what may be a bit of a stretch, the general consensus is that the first image showing the Android KitKit logo with the tagline “everybody dance now” is a reference to C+C Music Factory’s 1990 debut album (and hit single) Gonna Make You Sweat. Members of the group were previously in a house-music group called The 28th Street Crew -- it’s the 28th that web users have picked up on from the first visual clue.

The second image contains the tagline “Sometimes you have to look for the signs…” and shows a series of KitKat candy bars arranged to spell out “This Is It.” This could be a reference to Michael Jackson’s 2009 American documentary / concert film which just happened to be released on October 28.
Make of it what you will but a late-October release certainly seems plausible given Google’s track record. Last year, the search giant announced Android 4.2, the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 all on October 29. Given the KitKat revelations, does that also mean we might see the Nexus 5 officially surface on the 28th, too?

Cupertino city

Cupertino city council unanimously approves Apple's 'Spaceship' campus

By Shawn Knight

On October 16, 2013, 1:30 PM

The Cupertino city council on Tuesday night unanimously approved Apple’s plans to build a massive new campus just across the highway from the company’s current headquarters. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs personally pitched the idea of a new facility to the council just months before his death in 2011.
Much of the session, according to the San Jose Mercury News, was spent going over environmental and other impacts the project poses. Councilmember Mark Santoro said the project will certainly cause traffic issues but he was happy to hear Apple would be working with them to solve such problems. To help alleviate some of the traffic congestion, Apple vowed that at least 34 percent of employees at the new campus would use public transit or Apple’s shuttle busses to commute to and from work.
The 176-acre complex will have room for up to 14,200 employees and will be encompassed by green space. It was designed with the help of architect Sir Norman Foster of Foster + Partners.
There was little doubt that the council would approve the plans as having a massive company like Apple leave town to build elsewhere would be a huge blow to the local economy. With the approval, the council is required to meet one last time for a final vote.
That’s slated to take place on November 15 but for all practical purposes, the project has been given the green light. Apple said they plan to begin demolishing existing buildings on the new campus site by the end of the year.

Adidas Smartwatch

Adidas showcases pricey fitness watch with GPS tracking, Bluetooth and heart rate monitoring

By Shawn Knight

On October 16, 2013, 4:30 PM

Another day, another new entrant into the wearable devices category. This time it’s Adidas that has joined the mix with its own smartwatch of sorts geared toward runners with a built-in GPS system, pulse-based heart rate tracking, Wi-Fi connectivity, accelerometer and Bluetooth connectivity.
Key details like internal hardware are unknown at this hour but we are told it features top-notch building materials like silicone rubber, aluminum, magnesium and glass. It’ll be water-resistant so an impromptu rain shower or body sweat won't fry the internals – just don’t go swimming with it on.







The wearable isn’t a traditional smartwatch in the sense that it doesn’t communicate at all with your smartphone. That’s right, there’s no smartphone notification display or other handy features like you’d find with similar offerings. Perhaps it’s best to refer to it simply as a standalone fitness companion, but I digress.
There are a few other baked-in features that help the Adidas device stand on its own, however, like a media player that is capable of pushing tunes to your wireless Bluetooth headphones. It can also beam training suggestions via audio instead of music if you need a bit of guidance during your workout.
Battery life will all depend on how you use the watch. Turn on the GPU, stream some music or fitness prompts to a Bluetooth headset and you’re looking at about eight hours. More basic use could see the watch last for up to a week on a single charge, Adidas said.
The fitness watch will be available starting November 1 for a steep $399 which is quite a bit to pay considering it doesn’t communicate with your smartphone.

iPad Mini: 'Apple to unveil new iPads on October 22'

With Apple reportedly holding an iPad launch event in less than two weeks, read a comprehensive roundup of which new products could be revealed.

A new version of the iPad Mini, above, is expected to be unveilled at the event.  Photo: Bloomberg

By Ben Riley-Smith

12:03PM BST 09 Oct 2013

Apple will unveil the newest version of the iPad Mini at a launch event in less than a fortnight, online reports have revealed.

An invitation-only bash will take place on Tuesday October 22 with a fifth generation iPad and an iPad Mini 2 expected to be among the new products, according to technology website AllThingsD.

Where the launch will take place remains a secret, with previous events held at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California and at the California Theatre in San Jose.

Speculation that Apple is to launch a host of new devices in time for Christmas has risen in recent weeks, with a number of apparent leaks giving hints at what to expect.

So what could Apple launch? Below is a roundup of the products and innovations that may be unveilled.
iPad 5
It has been almost a year now since the iPad 4 was released. Ever since the first version hit shelves in April 2010 fans have not waited longer than a year for a new iPad. Experts are predicting the next-generation tablet to be thinner and lighter than previous models, with an improved camera and a look that closer resembles the iPad Mini.
In terms of cost, Apple is expected to keep the same price tags as previous launches. That would put a 16GB iPad 5 at $499 (£280) and could mean a 128GB iPad 5 with 4G LTE would cost a whopping $929.
iPad Mini 2
Rumours of a new iPad Mini have been swirling for some while now. Since the original version - two inches smaller than the normal iPad - launched last year rival devices like the Galaxy Note 3 "phalblet" have emerged on the market. With John Lewis saying yesterday they expected the iPad Mini to be their best selling gadget this Christmas a new launch would be timely.
One big new feature was expected to be a "Retina" display - a screen so detailed that the human eye cannot identify individual pixels - which already exists in some full-size iPads. However reports which surfaced last month suggested Apple will not be able to globally roll out an iPad Mini 2 with the screen before Christmas due to issues in production.
There is also speculation that the iPad Mini 2 could be available in a range of brightly coloured backs, much like the iPhone 5c which was launched last month.
Fingerprint sensor
Will Apple's new iPads include fingerprint technology? The company's latest innovation was debuted in the iPhone 5s which launched in September and commentators are betting it will feature somewhere in the new iPad lineup.
However the technology has not been without its snags. A German hacking company managed to find a way round the Touch ID fingerprint sensor by using lifted prints to mimic the owner's finger, raising concenrs about the robustness of the security system.
Mac Pro
Apple unveilled the new Mac Pro during June's World Wide Developer Conference but a date is yet to be set for its release. That could come on the event which is reported to be taking place in 13 days. The design for the new computer got an early thums up from critics.
OS X Mavericks
A new operating system for the Mac is expected any day now. Among the likely changes are tweaks to memory management and process handling which would extend the battery life on laptops. Experts have warned there would probably be glitches, as with any new operating system, so updates are likely to follow soon after the launch.
Apple has declined to comment on reports that a launch event will take place on October 22.

Samsung launches smartphone with curved display screen

Samsung said the curved screen will help users navigate the phone better

Samsung Electronics, the world's best-selling smartphone maker, has launched a handset with a curved display screen.

Called the Galaxy Round, the smartphone will feature a 5.7in (14.5cm) display.
The launch comes just days after rival LG said it would begin production of curved-screen phones next year.
Digital display technology has been progressing towards curved screens. Both Samsung and LG already offer curved organic light-emitting diode (OLED) television sets.

Analysis

Leo Kelion Technology reporter

Samsung's launch of a curved phone gives it bragging rights.
The South Korean firm has beaten its rival LG by at least a few months to offer a handset featuring flexible-screen tech.
LG had previously pipped its competitor to the post by being the first to sell a curved TV.
However, the question remains why consumers should want this tech.
One of the big appeals of using a flexible display is that it should be less prone to damage than the rigid version in a traditional handset.
But because the battery in the Galaxy Round remains stiff, the device has a fixed shape and it is not yet clear whether it will in fact be less vulnerable to drops or pressure.
So it may be the case that an announcement on Tuesday by LG's chemicals division could ultimately prove more significant.
It said that it had begun mass production of both curved batteries and ones that come in the form of flexible cables.
The age of the bendy phone still awaits us.

Samsung said the curved screen display would help consumers use some of the features on the phone, including those that enable users to check information such as date, time and missed calls when home screen is off, with more ease.

At the same time, users can also change music tracks on their phone, even while its display is off.
The Galaxy Round will initially be launched only in South Korea. The firm gave no indication of its plans for a global launch.
'Internet of Things' The global smartphone market has been growing rapidly.
According to research firm CCS Insight, worldwide smartphone sales will hit nearly one billion in 2013 - accounting for more than half the total of 1.7 billion mobile phones sold.
As as result, smartphone manufacturers have been keen to offer new products to win consumers.
With display technology moving towards flexible and bendy screens, it is one area that companies have been looking at.
Some analysts said that while the initial offering of curved-screen phones may not see huge sales, the segment of flexible displays was one to keep an eye on.
"These phones may not be a game-changer today, but they are definitely an indication of things to come," Manoj Menon, managing director of consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, told the BBC.

Samsung has already launched TVs with curved screen displays

"Flexible displays have a huge role to play as the market place for 'internet of things' grows."
This refers to the idea that many things in homes or offices - not just typical computers - will soon be connected to the internet.
The sector is tipped by many to be a major industry in the near future.
Mr Menon said that as flexible screens became more advanced and cost-effective to make, it was likely to speed up growth in the sector.

Windows 8.1: Six Things Microsoft Got Right and Others That Are Still Missing

Find and Compare the Best Laptops

By Julio Franco on October 15, 2013

Read user comments (35)

Not unlike previous releases of Microsoft's ubiquitous desktop OS, Windows 8 has faced a lot of scrutiny in the year it's been available. Every time the company has made a drastic change to Windows, it's been on the losing end of user opinion. Windows 8 has been no different.
Microsoft found itself in a bind after the launch of Windows 7. Struggling for relevance in the mobile sector, the company attempted to fill the void in its portfolio by adding a touch-friendly UI layer over the Windows desktop. However, Metro came with a myriad of issues and complaints, mostly because of poor choices in usability design -- part of what we've been hoping Microsoft will fix in Windows 8.1. And it has, somewhat.
Despite that and the fact that a single-year turnaround for any kind of Windows iteration is quick for the folks at Redmond, we're not sure if it's enough to please detractors. Before installing the free upgrade next Thursday, let's review what's been improved and what's still missing.

+

Windows search is much improved, but still far from perfect

When I reviewed Windows 8 I criticized its broken down search, as it didn't make sense to separate documents from settings if search was meant to be used as a keyboard launcher. Windows 8.1 fixes this with universal search that works well most of the time, including some semantic search capabilities (queries don't need to be keyword-exact). However if you've used OS X, you'll note that Mac maintains its upper hand with more seamless and useful results. For example, OS X can remember your preference of a previous query and make that result more prominent in future searches with less keystrokes.

+

The Start button is back

As you've read dozens of times by now, it's just the button, not the menu, though the handy right-click menu with power user settings and shortcuts is still present. Returning the Start button is a positive change and works best when you configure the Start screen with your most used apps and shortcuts. However...

-

The Start screen is still a pain to configure using a mouse

While the addition of smaller and bigger tiles enhances the overall experience compared to what we got in Windows 8, the Start Screen still can't be manipulated fluidly if you wish to add, move or remove tiles. Newly installed programs are not added to Start automatically, which can be both good and bad, but without proper integration of Start and desktop apps, interaction between the two remains broken.

-

The "All programs" screen

Microsoft's answer to the divorce between desktop apps and Start tiles is the "All programs" screen which I find horrible to browse because it's cluttered with countless redundant shortcuts for help files, uninstallers, readmes and other nonsense. It feels like you're scrolling through every single shortcut from your old Programs menu.

+

Shared wallpaper in desktop and Metro UI

It's a shame Microsoft doesn't make this the default setting as it represents a major improvement in the way Metro and the desktop blend together. The "modern" UI was forced into Windows 8 and that's why a lot of people have avoided the OS. The design languages are very different and making them co-exist amicably is something Microsoft hasn't figured out entirely, but the wallpaper integration alone makes 8.1 worth installing. Bonus: the ugly flower wallpaper is no longer the default.

+

Boot to desktop and configurable hot corners

Thank you, Microsoft. You now get the option to boot directly to the desktop, even if it's not a prominent setting, it's accesible from the taskbar properties. Hot corners can be disabled which makes sense if you are a desktop power user with multiple monitors. The change helps you forget about Metro if you don't want to see it. But...

-

Hot Corners are still forced in other areas

Personally, I've disabled all hot corners but Charms. I also hate Charms, or rather I find them irrelevant to my workflow. A welcomed improvement would have been to detect if you are running a desktop, laptop or tablet and show contextually relevant menus. Seriously Microsoft, how hard can it be? For example: show advanced networking options on a PC including control panel integration, show brightness settings on a tablet/laptop, disable the "share" option when you are not in a Metro app, and so on.

+

Largely improved default Metro apps and Help

The new Skydrive app gives an Explorer-esque way of handling files from the Metro UI. Skype looks great and replaces the old Messaging app. Mail is also better, albeit still very limited. Also, you get a wider variety of options in the settings menu and many visual aids that explain how to get around the OS. These last two translate into a friendlier way to configure and use a Windows 8 PC for less experienced users.

-

Default file associations to Metro apps

Metro apps are set as defaults for opening PDF, images, and other popular file formats, even though they aren't optimized for mouse navigation, you typically can't manipulate files (copy, paste, print, move windows) and it's not intuitive to bounce in and out of Metro when doing actual work.
Solution: Same as with Windows 8: install and configure your favorite desktop apps as the new defaults. Even Windows' built-in desktop programs will do the trick. While annoying having to configure this, mark my words, miss one file format and you'll hate Windows 8 a little more every time it forces you back to a vanilla Metro app.

+

Installing high quality apps from the Windows Store

The Windows Store looks pretty good on its current iteration. When it works right (e.g. Halo Spartan), installing apps from the Store feels magical. It's as if PCs were always meant to work like this. Two clicks and boom, you're running your new program.
If you have selected a large app, the download will start on the background. A subtle status notification will tell you when the program is done downloading, installing and ready to run. Choose to run the newly installed program from the notification and it will launch the new app in a visually smooth transition. Like I said, magical.

-

All those Metro apps that don't have a reason to exist

"When it works right" being the key phrase here. A thorough transformation is required if we'll ever see Metro become as powerful or useful as the desktop. A majority of apps that belong to a web service offer a lesser experience than their browser-based counterparts. On some occasions they aren't official apps and Microsoft isn't doing enough to clean up that mess (e.g. there are several unofficial and somewhat shady YouTube apps).

Bottom line, I still think Windows 8/8.1 improves on Windows 7, even if Microsoft is clearly focused on iterating and improving the tablet experience more than the desktop. Which kind of begs the question, did we really have to wait a full year for the company to fix its most glaring mistakes? Things like the lack of a Start button, cross-UI wallpaper integration or booting straight to the desktop could have been addressed with a "powertoy" like the old days, but I digress.
Having used Windows 8.1 preview/final for months, I think it's a must-have for those already running Windows 8. At the very least, it polishes some of the roughest edges with Metro's integration and it won't cost you a cent.

LG G2 Review

Find and Compare the Best Smartphones

By Tim Schiesser on October 14, 2013

Read user comments (16)

It’s hard to create a flagship smartphone that stands out from the crowd. When you get into a store and see the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One, Sony Xperia Z, iPhone 5s, Nokia Lumia 1020, Moto X and others staring back at you, specifications and features blur together, making a decision to buy one more difficult than ever before.

LG G2 - $570 (unlocked)

• 5.2”, 1920 x 1080 True-HD IPS+ LCD display (424 ppi)
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC
• 2.3 GHz quad-core CPU, Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB RAM
• 32 GB internal storage
• 13 MP camera, BSI sensor, f/2.X lens with OIS, 1080p 60fps video
• 3,000 mAh, 11.4 Wh battery
• LTE, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
• Android 4.2.2 ‘Jelly Bean’
• 143 grams, 9.1mm thick

What has LG done to make that purchasing decision easier? They've jam-packed nearly every feature you can imagine into the G2, from a powerful Qualcomm Snadpdragon 800 SoC and a 1080p display, to an optically stabilized camera and finely tuned software. LG has clearly thrown everything they can into this device, and on paper it looks close to a complete handset package.
Even though the G2 may come with a solid list of specifications, a list doesn’t reveal how well the features work together, or how fluid the experience is going to be. Is the LG G2 going to be that ideal competitor to the feature-rich Galaxy S4? Or has LG spent too much time packing in specs and not enough time on refinement?

The LG G2 (AT&T model LG-D800) used in this review was kindly provided by Negri Electronics. No matter where you are in the world (including Australia, US, and abroad), Negri will provide you unlocked smartphones and tablets first and for very competitive prices.

Design

Let’s start with the most interesting aspect of the LG G2’s design: the strangely-positioned rear buttons. Rather than having the power and volume buttons in their usual positions around the edge of the handset, LG has placed them below the camera on the back panel. The idea is that by removing the buttons from the edge, the display can stretch as far as possible to either side of the device, delivering minimal bezel.


The thinness of the bezel to the left and the right of the display is impressive, and allows the 5.2-inch display to fit into a body that’s effectively the same size of 5-inch devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S4. However by moving the buttons to the rear of the device, it takes a couple of weeks after you first use the G2 to adjust to the odd positioning; without fail you’ll go to press the side or top of the device to turn it on, and not be able to find a button to do so.

After you’ve adjusted to the unusual positioning, it actually becomes really comfortable to use. LG has placed the button in exactly the right spot on the rear panel so that it doesn’t require an awkward hand position to access, and I had no issues trying to find the button without having to see it. For those people who find it annoying to access, LG has packed a software feature that allows you to double-tap the display to turn it on.
The front of the LG G2 appears classy, with a single piece of toughened glass protecting a dominating display. Next to the speaker grill on the top panel there’s a front-facing camera, sensor array, and the ever-useful notification light. Combined with a smooth glass panel, the edge-to-edge display and the lack of a rim around the front panel, the display is an absolute pleasure to use.

The back of the G2 is made of smooth plastic with diagonal highlights, which is disappointing in two ways: the plastic panel is a major fingerprint magnet, while it also looks and feels a little cheap. It doesn’t appear as cheap as the Galaxy S4’s design, but when you have a well-crafted front panel, it’s a little bit of a letdown when the back hasn’t received the same polish.
The handset is comfortable to hold thanks to the curved design. LG wasn’t all that interested in breaking slimness records, with the device measuring 9.1mm thick, but it’s unlikely you’ll feel the size in your hands, or care. Through keeping the device this size, LG has managed to pack in an 11.4 Wh battery, and in most cases it’s preferable to have a large battery rather than a 6mm thin phone.



All the ports on the G2 are found on the bottom edge, with the microUSB port in the middle and the 3.5mm headphone jack to the left. Interestingly there are two speaker grills on this panel as well, although there’s only a speaker behind one of them; the other one is fake, included only for design reasons. The top edge has a small IR LED to facilitate the TV control functionality, along with a microphone.
It’s not the nicest design I’ve seen for a flagship smartphone, but the LG G2 is ergonomic and functional, with the large display fitting snugly into the front panel with minimal bezel. Surprisingly, the rear buttons are easy to use, and it makes an interesting change-up to the standard smartphone layout.

Display

Each year, smartphone display technologies reach new milestones. In 2013 we saw the introduction of 1080p, alongside significant improvements in both AMOLED and LCD panel quality. The G2 features a 5.2-inch True-HD IPS+ TFT LCD panel produced by LG with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, for a pixel density of 424 pixels-per-inch; it’s undoubtedly a quality display.

LG’s 5.2-inch IPS display used on the G2 occupies 74.5 sq. cm, which is approximately 76% of the device’s front panel. The 0.2” size increase compared to the Galaxy S4 and Xperia Z’s displays is noticeable, and through occupying a significant portion of the device’s front you get the illusion that the display is even larger.
The device features on-screen buttons for home, menu and back which reduces the effective screen size to 4.9” diagonally in most applications. When watching videos, though, the full 1080p display is purposed, and compared to the Galaxy S4’s low control buttons, the G2’s are in a comfortable position at the bottom of the display. Interestingly you can change the layout of these buttons in the settings, choosing to add in a fourth to pull down the notification panel or launch QuickMemo. I was a little disappointed that you couldn’t add in an app switcher button, but this can still be accessed through long-pressing the home button.


The True-HD IPS+ TFT LCD panel is bright, vibrant and color-accurate, making images pop without falling into the trap of oversaturation. The display exhibits strong, even black levels, with only very slight backlight bleed along the top edge; this allows the panel to have superb contrast, with untinted whites also adding to the package.
The True-HD IPS+ technology delivers impressive viewing angles, with only slight dips in brightness (and no color alteration) when viewing the display at angles other than the normal. This is helped by very few layers between the LCD crystals and the glass, which also makes the display appear as if it’s part of the glass layer, rather than sitting far below it. The screen also features a polarization layer for increased visibility in direct sunlight. Generally speaking I was impressed with how the display can be seen outdoors.



The pixel density of the 1080p display is absolutely fantastic, and it helps make images and text on the screen look as good as paper. At 424 ppi you won’t be able to ascertain individual pixels without some sort of magnifying glass, with the display having awesome clarity and no jagged edges to speak of. Also, as the LCD panel uses a standard RGB subpixel matrix as opposed to a PenTile matrix seen on AMOLED displays, the G2’s panel looks a notch crisper than, say, the Galaxy S4’s display.
Comparing the G2’s display to other flagship smartphone displays, I’d put it very close to the top. It certainly has better viewing angles than Sony’s eIPS LCD (Xperia Z), it’s brighter than Samsung’s Super AMOLED (Galaxy S4), it’s more vibrant than Nokia’s AMOLED (Lumia 925) and larger, but slightly less color accurate than Apple’s IPS LCD (iPhone 5s). I still rate the Super LCD 3 panel used on HTC’s devices as the best I’ve seen, but the wide strengths of the LG’s True-HD IPS+ panel make it a very solid inclusion in the LG G2.

Apple's October 22 iPad event gets official, two new tablets expected

By Shawn Knight

On October 15, 2013, 2:30 PM

Comments 6

 

Apple on Tuesday sent out media invitations for an October 22 event where the company is expected to unveil the fifth generation iPad as well as the second generation iPad mini. The event will take place at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco and gets under way at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time.
The tagline for the event reads “We still have a lot to cover” and according to All Things D, we could see a number of Mac-related announcements as well including OS X Mavericks and the updated Mac Pro. Both of those products were first announced at the company’s WorldWide Developers Conference months ago and have yet to hit store shelves.

Interestingly enough, it was the same publication that predicted the October 22 date earlier this month which was promptly confirmed by Jim Dalrymple of The Loop.
Most expect the iPad mini to feature a Retina Display although recent chatter from the supply chain suggests Apple is having some issues with these smaller screens. Elsewhere, both iPads will likely receive a speed bump and may even ship with the Touch ID fingerprint scanner found in the new iPhone 5s. It’s also probably a safe bet that both new iPads will be available within weeks of the announcement – or in other words, in plenty of time for the lucrative holiday buying season.
Other products up for a refresh include the Apple TV set-top box and its various notebook lines. The latter isn’t expected until sometime in 2014, however.

Apple goes after another fashion CEO, hires Burberry boss Angela Ahrendts to head up retail

By Justin Kahn

On October 15, 2013, 3:30 PM

Comments 5

Apple has announced that it has hired former Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts to head up the "strategic direction, expansion, and operation" of the company's retail and online stores. She will officially join Apple in 2014 as the Senior Vice President of Retail and Online Stores, according to the announcement.
This is the second fashion CEO recruitment Apple has made in the past few months, the first being former CEO and President of Yves-Saint Laurent Paul Deneve. While some expected Deneve to take on the leadership role for Apple's retail presence, that wasn't the case, instead he was placed as the vice president in charge of "special projects." Next, the company tapped former Levi's senior vice president Enrique Atienza to take on the US retail efforts, while at that time the global position remained unfilled.
Ahrendts said she's "profoundly honored to join Apple in this newly created position next year." The former Burberry CEO continued by saying that she was looking forward to "working with the global teams to further enrich the consumer experience on and offline."  She has had a long and successful tenure as a leader in the fashion industry, having become the president of Donna Karan International at the age of 29, followed by an executive position at Liz Claiborne and finally becoming the CEO of Burberry in 2006. Many attribute her as being largely responsible for Burberry's success in a time when the business was beginning to lose its relevancy.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said that he is "thrilled" with the appointment and that he feels Ahrendts shares Apple's values and focus on innovation. "She places the same strong emphasis as we do on the customer experience. She has shown herself to be an extraordinary leader throughout her career and has a proven track record," Cook said.

Apple said to be cutting iPhone 5c production in half

Apple said to be cutting iPhone 5c production in half

On October 10, 2013, 5:30 PM 

Apple is reportedly cutting daily production of the iPhone 5c in half moving forward, from 300,000 to 150,000 units. No reason for the cut was mentioned but one must assume the phone isn’t selling as well as Apple had hoped despite the fact that Cupertino moved nine million new iPhones (a combination of the 5s and 5c) during opening weekend last month.

A quick check at Apple’s online retail store shows the iPhone 5c is ready to ship within 24 hours. The 5s, meanwhile, has an available to ship date of October meaning it could be a few weeks before a phone is dispatched to a buyer.

Other reports also back up the notion that the 5s is outselling the 5c. The “grey market” in China – distribution channels that aren’t illegal but also aren’t authorized by Apple – has been holding steady. The 5c was initially priced at around $700 USD but is now closer to $500 USD in such areas.

Leading up to the reveal, many analysts expected the 5c to be a true budget iPhone but with a price point of just $100 cheaper than the flagship 5s, that isn’t exactly the case. Instead, the 5c is basically last year’s model (iPhone 5) in a colorful plastic shell.

With Apple set to launch the new handsets in 35 additional countries later this month, it remains unclear if the more expensive 5s will continue its sales dominance or if the 5c will pick up traction in less affluent regions.