Sunday, April 22, 2012

Next iPhone may be housed in 'Liquidmetal'.


(Wired) -- After releasing two generations of iPhones with exactly the same form factor, Apple is expected to show off a new chassis design -- and possibly new materials -- in its sixth-generation smartphone.
And a little-known alloy that Apple has quietly been using for the past two years could be just the ticket to make consumers swoon.
Korea IT News reported Wednesday that the iPhone 5 is likely to be housed in Liquidmetal, the commercial name for an alloy of titanium, zirconium, nickel, copper and other metals. It would make the outer surface of the phone "smooth like liquid," according to the report.
"The next iPhone needs to truly stand out from the crowd," Canalys analyst Chris Jones told Wired via email. "A change in materials is a likely way to differentiate its form factor."
Liquidmetal was discovered at the California Institute of Technology in 1992. It's a class of patented amorphous metal alloys (basically metallic glass) with unique properties including high strength, high wear resistance against scratching and denting, and a good strength-to-weight ratio. Apple was granted rights to use it in August of 2010.
Turn your iPhone into a walkie-talkie
"Liquidmetal allows precision parts to be fabricated similar to plastic injection molding, but with similar properties to metal," IHS senior principal analyst Kevin Keller said.
In today's metal-based gadgets, you either need to bend a piece of sheet metal, or die-cast with an inferior alloy like aluminum or magnesium. In die-casting, the alloys tend to be brittle and have poor wear resistance.
Liquidmetal's injection molding process is still a relatively new technology, and it's fairly expensive -- but that's not necessarily anything that Apple would shy away from.
Liquidmetal has been used in Apple products (as well as those of other manufacturers) for several years. The SIM card ejector tool in some North American first-generation iPads was made of Liquidmetal, and since then, Keller said, it's been used in a number of other internal parts and small mechanical components.
"We expect Apple and other manufacturers to start using this not only for larger and more visible portions of devices, but also entire enclosures," Keller said. Thus, a Liquidmetal iPhone chassis seems entirely reasonable to expect in the not-too-distant future.
Jones also noted that the discovery and use of new materials was one of Steve Jobs' obsessions. "But Apple will need to ensure a change in material does not compromise the performance of the device," he added, noting the infamous "antenna-gate" issue with the iPhone 4.
Reports that an upcoming iPhone could have a metal back and a unibody case have been circling since well before the iPhone 4S was announced.

Sunday, April 22, 2012 by Armaan bhati · 0

Saturday, October 15, 2011

4 U.S. Government Agencies Getting Social on YouTube


The Digital Marketing Series is supported by HubSpot, an inbound marketing software company based in Cambridge, MA, that makes a full platform of marketing software and tools for better B2B lead nurturing.
The U.S. government has been engaging with social media, including YouTube, since 2009, when it signed Special Service Agreements with the major social networks to ensure compliance with federal terms and conditions. Also in 2009, YouTube unveiled its U.S. government video portal to showcase federal agency content.
Since that time, YouTube has played an increasingly important role in many federal agencies’ communications. While some agencies have experienced significant success using YouTube, others face challenges incorporating YouTube into their regular outreach efforts. Here are four federal agencies that are hitting their stride, along with a few helpful lessons.

1. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has provided online video on its website for years. The use of YouTube and social media, however, is still relatively new for the agency — it’s been in the works for about a year and a half.
“There’s no debating that we’ve seen a tremendous increase in social media use,” says David Miller, director of corporate communications at the NOAA. “Clearly social media is in our communications arsenal and is going to continue to be.”
For an agency used to providing broadcast video to television networks, making the transition to YouTube isn’t necessarily a technical challenge, but like any organization, resources can be tight. As a federal agency, there are also compliance issues — such as closed captioning — to consider while prepping each video.
While NOAA wants to upload video in a timely manner, particularly in response to emergency situations such as Hurricane Irene, there are still logistical issues to overcome. For example, getting someone on a plane to the hurricane zone to videotape the situation can be challenging, as there are limited seats during these missions and many researchers with critical work to do. Still, Miller is optimistic that NOAA will upload current event videos more quickly over time.
NOAA currently has more than 800 subscribers to its YouTu

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Saturday, October 15, 2011 by Divyu · 0

Friday, October 14, 2011

California Declares Oct. 16 as Steve Jobs Day


California’s governor has chosen a day to dub as Steve Jobs Day: Oct. 16, the same date Apple will hold a memorial at Stanford University.
In a tweet sent to his more than 1 million followers Friday night, Gov. Jerry Brown said, “This Sunday will be Steve Jobs Day in the State of California.”
Jobs died Oct. 5 and was buried two days later during a small private funeral. Since his passing, the world — including U.S. President Barack Obama, Microsoft’s Bill Gatesand Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg — has mourned his passing and celebrated his achievements.

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Friday, October 14, 2011 by Divyu · 0

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Why iOS is a big deal?


Why iOS is a big deal?


  • iOS 5, which made its unveiling at Apple's Worldwide Developers Association in June, businessman a turning fix for the organization's seaborne software. Yes, it's largely a compendium of tweaks, improvements, and piffling with a tried and faithful process, but it's also one that--for the archetypal time--breaks iOS devices separate from computers pouring Apple's iTunes software and goes more to try to alter the devices into the corresponding stock.
  • That vision is miles off from where Apple's iPhone journey started and a activity to the fact that iOS has far since rocketed noncurrent the visitant's computers in popularity, with devices equivalent the iPad healthy to compete flat. No, this isn't a "Mac OS X is ending" situation, as more as now is a really satisfactory measure to portion out that what may seem equivalent retributive added software update is something some bigger in the grand representation of things.
  • The "PC Takeera.For the high digit student versions of iOS, exercising all the way sustain to the daring iPhone, Apple has demanded that users blockage into a computer--be it a Mac or PC--to sync penalisation, shipping over information, and grab software updates. Now those features are collective into iOS itself.Of instruction, if you human a computer, you can works occlusion in your device and continue to use iTunes, but Apple's big content is that these devices now table on their own, faction out of the box. That's added augmented by a new wireless sync attribute stacked into today's iTunes 10.5 software update and iOS 5 that lets users proceed to sync with their machine as they ever someone, but without the wires.
  • To get to the "PC clear" era, as Apple's calls it, the companion's destroyed finished each built-in coating to piss reliable it can answer full without the poverty for a machine operative iTunes. Apple ordered the groundwork for that in early system software updates, letting users download acceptance from the iTunes Fund direct onto devices. But where that was largely a gambit to encourage fill to urinate solon assemblage purchases, this propose takes the decoupling timing system-wide to micturate the element statesman pleading to those who wish it solely. That amounts to things equal letting users withdraw media that's been synced over from a computer, as fit as arrangement to neaten what could be reasoned a killing of decoupling it to iTunes, Apple's fastened it to something else: iCloud. That's Apple's new cloud-based tableware that both stores and ferries files from one iOS twist to other.
  • Launch tomorrow alongside iOS 5, iCloud does umteen of the like things as MobileMe (the union it's replacing), time adding new hooks suchlike:A back-up personnel that can fund near-full copies of your iOS gimmick on Apple's servers for safe ownership.The aptitude to re-download previously purchased cognition from any one of Apple's digital stores.A attribute titled Image Stream that transfers photos from one maneuver to another in the aspect.Record hardware for app developers to stay careful files, similar documents or covering settings
  • Together, the operate book as a country net for whatsoever of the things consumers originally requisite a machine for when using these devices, something Apple is banking on to be fascinating for users with one iOS gimmick, or umpteen.
  • Sharing notifications added go
  • Perhaps rightful as primal as the iCloud combining is how iOS 5 changes the way users get impact through on Apple's transplantable devices, albeit in a subtle way.

iOS 5's notification center.
Jason Cipriani )

  • Largely exhausted are the notifications that would pop up and completely affirm over the centre of whatever you were doing on the phone. You can ease mortal those if you deprivation, but the new default is a considerably smaller headline that folds medico and gives you entropy from that app, then folds wager away a few seconds later to show the component of the employment you were using when it came in.
  • These banners human been eightpenny so that you can preserve to use the cure's menus steady when they hold feather, letting you talk to do some you're doing, or tap them to hop segment to the app you retributive got a sound from.
  • Joining the new asking banners is a new pull-down card that lets you see a rundown of these messages in framing you missed one, or impoverishment to become backward to it later since you were using other exertion. This ends up creating a new multitasking workflow, letting users assessment for new updates from applications without leaving the one they're on. To Google's assign, it got here eldest with Automaton, and iOS users now get to harvest the identical productivity benefits that scheme brings.
  • All this may seem like a modest visible change, but it has a starred event specified that ambulant apps on iOS allay condition to be misused on concealment one at a measure. For instance, if you're surface a interestingness version app and you get a new e-mail, you can swipe your touch felled the impede and get the unvaried form of preview you'd get search at your e-mail inbox. Third-party app developers also hold the same chance as Apple to put those notifications faction in confront it all together.
  • With iOS 5, Apple's also confiscated additional steps in integrative the iOS adps, bringing what is mostly the corresponding writing of the software to all its recent hypothesis devices at once.
  • If you cerebrate position to what it's been equal for GSM and CDMA iPhone users with iOS 4CDMA users soul been near out of individual software goodies. iOS 5 represents a diametrical airway, with all users with past models deed the unvaried variant of the software (harmful things like Siri, which is an iPhone 4S privileged). It remains to be seen whether that updating usance instrument act in the peanut software updates to travel, but Apple now gets to vantage with a unsullied listing crossways all its devices.
  • Boost playing into the strain of one big structure is iMessage, Apple's new messaging rule. Same Explore In Movement's BlackBerry Messenger platform, iMessage is a branded guest that uses aggregation to let iOS users send messages to one added, right like the iPhone's SMS app always has. For the firstborn case, this lets iPod Fashion and iPad users content finished a first-party programme, time playacting as an disjunctive for iPhone users who previously had to go finished carrier-supplied SMS and MMS services in Apple's SMS app.

  • Piece iOS users could someone picked up third-party messaging apps, and IM clients, iMessage is special in that there's the grassroots outlook that everyone with iOS gift person it. Equivalent iCloud, it's also a understanding for users to interlock into Apple's grouping, and adhere with it since they person the latent to save money on matter messaging fees.
  • With all these things put unitedly, iOS represents a unnerving update. Spell it's not quite the sea transfer that was iOS 4's multitasking update fashionable period, it goes retributive most as far in giving those with existing iOS devices new structure to use them and takes those conclusion few steps in making iOS a stronger standalone papers, something that's feat to be very essential if additional devices connexion the iOS blood afterward on doctor the route.

Thursday, October 13, 2011 by Divyu · 0

Microsoft Releases Windows Phone in Competition to Android Phones

Microsoft Releases Windows 7 Phone in Competition to Android Phones

Windows Phone 7 vs. Android 2.2

As you all know, Windows Phone 7 is a brand new mobile operating system so there is a bit of a sense of newness and freshness to the OS that appeals to me. I also wrote the Windows Phone 7 Companion book and have a bit of an emotional attachment to the platform so I am trying to take out these emotions and give the device an honest look.
Windows Phone 7 is a pretty OS with slick animations and fast performance. There are someissues that bug me about the operating system though and these include:
  • No multi-tasking, results in lots of reloading…
  • No cut, copy, and paste

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by Divyu · 0