How Parents & Children Actually Use Smartphones

According to a new survey conducted recently, an interesting thing comes into picture that youth of today do have one main thing in common with their parents, and that is technology, specifically smartphones in one to many ways.

As per the survey, Canadian parents and children revealed that about 24% of parents owned Android while 31% of children owned Android as their smartphone. 32% of parents and 38% of children owned Apple iPhone while 30% and 25% of parents and children owned BlackBerry.

This clearly shows how close the percentage of using same type smartphones, well to give more better facts and figures about the findings, our friends at OnlinePsychologyDegree.net come up with an interesting infographic.

Google announces new Acer Chromebook

After announcing the aggressively priced $249 Samsung Chromebook last month, Google has now announced an even more aggressively priced Chromebook

This new model is manufactured by Acer and is sold for just $199 in the US. For that price you get a machine that has a 11.6-inch display, an Intel Core processor, 320GB hard drive with additional 100GB free storage on Google Drive, 3.5 hour battery life and of course, Google’s Chrome OS.

According to Google, the machine boots up in 18 seconds and is capable of streaming 1080p YouTube videos. If you’re someone who only uses their computer for browsing the web then this can be a pretty solid purchase.

The Acer Chromebook will go on sale in the US on the Google Play, BestBuy.com and select Best Buy stores starting today. In the UK, it will be sold on Google Play, Amazon UK, PC World and Currys. It is supposed to be released in other countries soon.

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Sony launches Full HD 3D Home Cinema Projector

Sony has launched its latest full HD 3D home cinema projector, the VPL-HW50ES. With the already competitive VPL-HW30ES making strides in 3D home projection, Sony has ensured that this new model encapsulates the latest technologies and delivers a premium 3D home cinema experience that is ahead of the market.

With a plethora of innovative new features that draw on Sony’s latest technologies, the VPL-HW50ES sits at the forefront of advanced Home Cinema Projection. This includes utilising an adapted version of Sony’s clever ‘Reality Creation’ technology which was developed for Sony’s EISA Award winning VPL-VW1000ES 4K home cinema projector. The technology ‘Reality Creation’ employs an originally developed digital signal processing algorithm to restore any information lost when packaging from original content to disc, recreating high quality, colour-rich, full HD images.

High brightness of 1,700 lumens has been achieved by improving the light efficiency of the lamp and optimising the optical block. Together with a new Bright Cinema and Bright TV Mode, the VPL-HW50ES achieves 30 per cent greater brightness than the previous model without any loss in colour reproduction.

Sony’s new contrast enhancer technology and optimised Advanced Iris 3 algorithm combine to give the projector a dynamic contrast ratio of more than 100,000:1. The contrast enhancer works by analysing each scene and then automatically optimising contrast in real-time by compensating for dark and bright parts of the image. Additional features such as Sony’s 3D crosstalk reduction system and SXRD panel technology result in 3D images which are stunningly detailed and high in definition.

“The earlier launch of the VPL-HW30ES set a high standard for the home projection market last year. With the announcement of the VPL-HW50ES, we’re confident that Sony has raised that bar again, setting a new benchmark for home cinema projection,” said Mr. Satoru Munetaka, Deputy General Manager, Professional Solution Division, Sony India “ HW50ES has an “Reality Creation “function using Sony unique algorism technology to reproduce “real HD picture”. We are sure end user can enjoy true vivid and crisp picture than ever

As well as encompassing Sony’s latest technologies, the VPL-HW50ES also features a number of functionality upgrades that make it more user-friendly. These include a built-in 3D sync transmitter, a wider lens shift that makes its vertical shift range become +/- 71 per cent and whisper-quiet fan noise suppressed to a mere 21dB.

The VPL-HW50ES is priced at Rs. 259,900 and is available in black and white colour, across India through all authorized distributors

HTC J Butterfly : World’s First Smartphone with 5-Inch Full HD Screen

HTC has launched J Butterfly, the first smartphone from the company with a full HD display. The new smartphone features a 5 inch Super LCD 3D display which supports a resolution of 1920×1080.

The device will be released on Japanese Telco au by KDDI.HTC representatives have informed that J Butterfly will go on sale in Japan during December this year. The company however has not mentioned any details regarding the international release of the smartphone.

The phone display sports 440 PPI and this fact has gathered the attention of many smartphone users in Japan. The device also features a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm S4 Pro quad core processor which will facilitate smooth execution of games and applications. It has a RAM capacity of 2GB as well as an internal storage capacity 16GB.

J Butterfly comes with an 8 mega pixel rear camera and 2 mega pixel front facing camera. The device will be powered by Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS and will incorporate HTC Sense 4+.A 2020 mAh battery will power the device and provide ample amount of talk time and standby time. J Butterfly is reported to be a Japan specific model. However a smartphone of similar caliber could be expected from HTC for the global market too.

HTC has been recently witnessing a dramatic decline in the sales of its smartphones. With the launch of this new device, HTC plans to regain its lost glory.

Get Windows 8 Media Center Pack for Free [Until January 31]

The digital video recorder software from Microsoft, Windows Media Center will not be part of  Windows 8 operating system by default. It will be available as a paid media add-on, for which you’ll have to fork out an additional $10.

While ten bucks sounds cheap, when you consider that you are required to run Windows 8 Pro to be able to install the media center pack, the proposition suddenly turns very expensive.

To make Windows 8 as affordable as possible Microsoft is selling the standard Windows 8 license for $39.99 and Windows 8 Pro is on offer at $69.99. But these are discounted prices and available only until January 31, 2013 starting from October 26, 2012. After the end of this period, the price could jump to $199 for Windows 8 Pro.

Microsoft is also knocking off the $10 media pack charge until January 31. If you act now, you can get a license key for Windows 8 Media Center Pack at no cost. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t bought Windows 8 yet. It also doesn’t matter if you haven’t even decided you want to buy Windows 8 or not. Signup for the free media center license now – you can use it latter once you’ve made up your mind.

Get Windows 8 Media Center Pack for Free

1. Visit this page and enter you email address.
2. You will get your license key by email.
3. On Windows 8, move the mouse cursor on the lower-right corner of the screen until you see the charms menu. Click on Search.
4. Choose Settings on the left and type “add features”. Click or touch on Add features.
      
5.  In the next window you will be prompted through the steps to buy a product key or enter a procust key you’ve already bought.
6. Choose the second option, enter the key you received in your email and click Next.

Windows 8 will now commence downloading the media center pack. Once that is installed, you will be able to play DVDs and Blu-ray discs.

    

GTA V set to launch in the Spring of 2013 according to leaked pre-order ads

The next installment in the Grand Theft Auto series will see the light of day some time in Spring next year. GTA V will be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles around that time according to a leaked photo of a retail display.

Polish fansite GTA Five.pl has obtained photos of an upcoming retail display, inviting customers to pre-order the game.

Judging by the logos shown on the advertisement, Rockstar isn’t going to offer the game for PC, or at least not initially.

Otherwise, details around the game have been scarce with Rockstar releasing just a couple of screenshots and one teaser trailer.

Microsoft officially launches Windows 8 Worldwide

Finally, the wait is over. Microsoft has officially launched Windows 8, the latest version of its desktop operating system. With a new focus on touch-enabled machines and mobile devices, it’s the biggest shake-up of traditional operating systems since Windows 95

In a New York event streamed across the internet, Steve Ballmer took to the stage to highlight Windows 8′s new features. Chief among them were the Windows store, a one-stop shop for full screen apps that looks set to rival Apple’s OS X app store, the availability of Windows RT, the cut-down mobile version of Windows 8 that was designed specifically for tablets, and a brief preview of the various different machines launching over the coming weeks.

Starting today, users can access the latest Microsoft OS on a wide range of Windows 8 PCs, ultrabooks, tablets and hybrid devices. Windows 8 will be available in two versions at retail – Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro.

Apart from buying from the new range of Windows 8 devices, users can also upgrade their current PCs to Windows 8. From 2nd June 2012 until 31st January 2013, users currently running PCs with Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 are qualified to download Windows 8 Pro for an estimated price of Rs. 1,999. Those who wish to buy a DVD to upgrade will have to pay Rs. 3,499. This offer is valid until January 31, 2013. After that the OS is expected to be priced above Rs. 11,000.

Microsoft has also announced the launch of Windows RT for ARM based tablets, which will only be available pre-installed on new devices. With the Windows 8 launch, the Windows Store is now open for consumers to download apps. Indian users have access to a range of free and paid apps that can be downloaded including Bharat Matrimony, BigFlix, BookMyShow, Bookyourtable, Burrp, Dhingana, Fastrack Tees, Flyte MP3, Gaana, Goibibo, ICICI Bank iMobile, ICICIDirect, JustEat, MakeMyTrip Explore, MapmyIndia, my airtel, PVR Cinemas, Tarla Dalal, Yahoo Cricket and Zovi.

As many as 14 OEM partners including Acer, Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, HCL, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Lenovo, RP Infosystems, Sai Info System, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Wipro and Zenith Computers will be providing Windows 8-based PCs and tablets in India. According to Microsoft, more than 250 Windows 8-based devices, including 23 brand new SKUs of Windows 8 PCs, will be available in 100 cities and more than 2,500 retail stores in India.

How to Choose Your Next Tablet

It’s official: tablets are taking over the world. What was once an accessory for the super-nerd, then an accoutrement for the wealthy and techie is now a must-have for pretty much everyone. That’s not to say that all tablets are created equal.

Actually, it’s quite the opposite, as the market for tablets has broken down into a number of different segments.

This means you’ll have to make a choice—we no longer live in the “iPad or nothing” world of 2010. You may be in the market for something special, or just something to play Angry Birds on.

We’ll walk you through the wide world of touchscreen slabs in ascending order of fanciness.


1. The Basics

This category is currently dominated by bookstore offerings, Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble’s Nook Color.


The Kindle Fire just got a makeover that makes it somewhat competitive with other 7” tabs, like Google’s Nexus, but devices in this category still tend to be targeted toward people who aren’t looking to spend too much and want lots of pre-installed software and features.

Additionally, the Kindle Fire HD has a polarizing filter to make book-reading easy on the eyes.

2. The Next Steps

Above the very basic tablets out there, it’s giant, messy battleground of sizes, shapes, prices, and manufacturers. The Google Nexus 7 looks to be large, or rather small, and in charge here, and is starting to own the market segment of “tablets that aren’t iPads, but aren’t e-book readers either.”


It’s a 7” device, like Nook and Kindle, but it’s built on a standard version of Android, which offers more customizability for savvy users. Some great bargains might lurk in this segment for people willing to scour the e-commerce sites. You never know what you’ll find.

3. iPad and Competitors

The most ubiquitous tablet by far is Apple’s iconic iPad, which is pretty, fast, and works out of the box, but is also a bit on the pricey end. This has not deterred too many tablet buyers, as there’s so much to be said for Apple’s software and hardware.


The retina display (which has nearly microscopic pixels) is hard to look away from. Apple does have competitors in this market, but they haven’t made much of a dent.

4. Future tech and laptop replacements

The Microsoft Surface appears to be marketed to people looking to make a transition from laptop to tablet—its keyboard features prominently in current teaser ads. We don’t know what it will cost precisely, but it will likely cost more than iPad, and run Windows 8.


There are other possible entries in this category that are still coming down the pipe, so keep watching the tech news.

The trick to buying tablets or tablet accessories, just like any other purchase, is knowing what you want before you walk into the store (or click “Checkout”). If you’re interested in a product, be sure to read the professional and user-generated reviews, because the last thing you want is a tablet you’ll never use.

Apple Unveils iPad mini : 7.9 inch, Dual Core A5 CPU, 10 Hour Battery Life

Apple announced the all new iPad mini. . The 7.9-inch display has the same 1,024 x 768 resolution as the iPad 2, extremely thin form factor of just 7.2mm and light weight of 0.68 lbs and 10-hour battery life!

It features a dual-core A5 chip, the latest Lightning connector, 5MP back camera andFaceTime HD front camera as well as 2x faster WiFi and the same aluminum back as seen on bigger iPads. If you are saddened by the older A5 CPU and the non-retina display, you’d be happy to know that the iPad mini will come with LTE support.

Since the iPad mini’s screen has the same resolution as the iPad 2, all existing iPad apps that work on the older iPad 2 will work on the iPad mini without any need for developers to make modifications to their existing apps.

iPad mini starts at $329 for 16GB WiFi only model as compared to $199 for 8GB WiFi only version of Nexus 7. Prices then go up by $100 for the 32GB and 64GB variants, and if you want LTE, it’ll cost you at least $459.

Pre-orders for the iPad mini will start on Friday, October 26, with the Wi-Fi models shipping on November 2 and the cellular models starting to ship two weeks later.

Apple has also introduced new polyurethane iPad mini Smart Covers in six different colors, priced at $39 each.

First Nokia Lumia 510 promo video is out

The Nokia Lumia 510 aims to be the company’s most affordable Lumia handset, but still bring excellent features like a 4″ screen and a 5MP autofocus wide angle amera. It will run Windows Phone 7.5 at first (complete with Nokia Drive navigation), but it should get the WP7.8 update too.

The first promo video is already out, giving you the lowdown on the newest Lumia member, check it out after the break.

The Nokia Lumia 510 will launch in November in China and India with an estimated price of $200 before taxes and subsidies. What the video doesn’t tell you is that the phone will have only 256MB RAM and 4GB of non-expandable storage. Still, it looks pretty good for its price.

Next generation Acer touchscreen ultrabooks coming on October 26

The Acer Aspire S7 series ultrabooks are set to hit shelves on October 26.



All members of the new series contain Intel Ivy Bridge processors, and start at $1,200 for the 11 inch model.

The most notable feature, however, is the touchscreen capability, which takes advantage of the new touch interface on Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system.

The 11 inch model also has the ability to fold over to a completely flat display, and comes with an aluminum lid rather than one covered with Gorilla Glass like its 13 inch siblings.

All models come with 4GB of RAM, SSD drives configured in RAID 0 arrays for ultrafast read/write speeds, and integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics.

The full specs lists for the new ultrabooks are as follows:

Aspire S7-191-6640 ($1,200)

11.6-inch, 1080p IPS display
Intel Core i5-3317UB CPU
128GB SSD
4GB of DDR3 RAM
2.29 pounds
11.17 x 7.7 x 0.48 inches

Aspire S7-391-6810 ($1,400)

13.3-inch, 1080p IPS display
Intel Core i5-3317UB CPU
128GB SSD
4GB of DDR3 RAM
2.86 pounds
12.73 x 8.79 x 0.47 inches

Aspire S7-391-9886 ($1,650)

13.3-inch, 1080p IPS display
Intel Core i7-3517UB CPU
256GB SSD
4GB of DDR3 RAM
2.86 pounds
12.73 x 8.79 x 0.47 inches

HTC J butterfly promo video is out, Here it is in 1080 P

The promo video for the freshly announced, Full HD display-packing HTC J butterfly has been released. Naturally, the short video clip is focused on the handset’s design and hardware highlights, with the 5″ 1080p getting the most attention.




It is needless to say that we are quite jealous that this monster of a smartphone is exclusive for the Japanese carrier AU/KDDI for the time being. We are however, more than certain that we will see its brand new, stunning Super LCD3 display, as well as its new internals make their way to more HTC devices in the nearest future.

Here goes the video itself.

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