iPad 2 to be announced on Feb 9th..? [Update]

This is awesome. The first iPad had 27 on its Calendar app and was presented on 27th of January 2010 and this new pic from iOS 4.3 beta 2 SDK has a 9. So, it lets us all believe that iPad 2(or whatever they're gonna name it) is going to be launched on the 9th (Wednesday) of February..?



UPDATE: iPad 2 is unlikely to be announced on the rumoured 9th Feb. Because, the same '9' can be found on the original iPads running the latest iOS. To see it, tap Settings, then Brightness & Wallpaper. Two wallpaper thumbnails appear, one of which shows the Calendar icon with a big 'ol 9. In other words, it's nothing new.

Updated Source
via 9to5Mac

Apple Reveals Top iPhone Apps And iPad Apps Of All Time...

Apple is counting down to the 10 billionth download from the AppStore for iOS. In the meantime it lists the top all-time apps for the iPhone and iPad. The list is split up into four categories — top paid iPhone apps, top free iPhone apps, top paid iPad apps and top paid iPad apps.


Top 10 Paid iPhone Apps of All Time

Doodle Jump
Tap Tap Revenge 3
Pocket God
Angry Birds
Tap Tap Revenge 2.6
Bejeweled 2 + Blitz
Traffic Rush
Tap Tap Revenge Classic
AppBox Pro Alarm
Flight Control


Top 10 Free iPhone Apps of All Time

Facebook
Pandora
Google Mobile App
Shazam
Movies by Flixster
The Weather Channel
Google Earth
Bump
Skype
Paper Toss


Top 10 Paid iPad Apps of All Time

SoundHound
StickWars
FlightTrack
Backbreaker Football
Calorie Tracker
BlocksClassic
iFart Mobile
GoodReader for iPad
Cro-Mag Rally
Ambiance


Top 10 Free iPad Apps of All Time

Pandora
Google Mobile App
Movies by Flixster
Google Earth
Yelp
Fandango Movies
Remote
iBooks
Bible
Solitaire

First computers...

The first known counting devices or tools were Tally Sticks from about 35,000 BC. The Abacus was then invented by the Babylonians in 2400 BC.

In 1837, Charles Babbage, a British professor of mathematics described his idea for the Analytical Engine, the first stored-program mechanical computer. The Analytical Engine was designed to be powered by a steam engine and was to use Punched Cards, which was used to program mechanical looms at the time.

What made the Analytical Engine unique was that it was designed to be programmed. It was because of this and the fact that it would be more than 100 years that any similar devices would be constructed, Charles Babbage, would be considered by many as the “father of computing”. Because of legal, financial, and political obstacles, the Analytical Machine would never be completed. Charles Babbage was also difficult to work with and alienated the supporters of his work.

In 1939, John V. Atanasoff and Clifford Berry developed the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) at Iowa State University, which was regarded as the first electronic digital computer. The ABC was built by hand and the design used over 300 Vacuum Tubes and had capacitors fixed in a mechanically rotating drum for memory.

The First ComputerThe ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), constructed in the US in 1943, is widely regarded as the first functionally useful electronic general-purpose computer. Influenced by the ABC, it was a turning point in the history of computing and was used to perform ballistics trajectory calculations and used 160 kW of power. World War II is known to be the driving force of computing hardware development and one of such use of computers was in communications encryption and decryption.

The UNIVAC I (Universal Automatic Computer) was the first commercially available, “mass produced” electronic computer manufactured by Remington Rand in the USA and was delivered to the US Census Bureau in June 1951. It used 5,200 vacuum tubes and consumed 125 kW of power. 46 machines were sold at more than $1 million each.

The microprocessor eventually led to the development of the microcomputer, small, low-cost computers that individuals and small businesses could afford. By the 1990s, the microcomputer or Personal Computer (PC) became a common household appliance, and became even more widespread with the advent of the Internet.
http://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.com/who-invented-the-first-computer


In February 1946, J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly were about to unveil, for the first time, an electronic computer to the world. Their ENIAC, or Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, could churn 5,000 addition problems in one second, far faster than any device yet invented.

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-146776.html

Apple iPad: Just a bigger iPhone..?

iPad - This is an apple launched another landmark products from 2007 since the iPhone. Now, we have a close for iPad main functions. And to see what are the most attention characteristic.

Display
The screen is 9.7 inches measured diagonally. So overall, it’s slightly smaller than a magazine. At just 1.5 pounds and 0.5 inch thin, you can take it anywhere. And a slight curve to the back makes it easy to pick up and comfortable to hold. Compare with currently the weight of the Internet notebook which has the mainstream of 7.0 pounds and more than 1 inch thickness, iPad is thinner and more convenience than ordinary notebook.
iPad has averaging 9.7 inches display screen and the IPS screen has advantages such as visible Angle large, fast response time and color reduction accurately, etc. Another, iPad has 1024x768 pixel resolution ratio, the proportion of the picture with 4:3 can fully guarantee running all of iPhone application software and it will be very convenience to looking up books and newspapers, using check all Qwerty keyboard, etc.

Connectivity Wifi, or Wifi+3G
From fuselage, the iPad between mobile phones and laptop computers, but on the networks application, it takes all of their advantages. iPad will also provide support for apple 3G and does not support the 3G version, that the user can choose. In addition to supporting 3G networks, iPad network support will completely unlock and user can use 3G network, so long as has the corresponding network support whether in the any countries and regions. At the same time, iPad will not support SMS and call, namely, not like the mobile phone sending and receiving text messaging.

iBooks
iBooks is a new program for reading and buying Ebooks, which can free online to read in App Store. Then, you can buy any you like digital books. With built-in iBooks have various classic books and best-selling books, once these books purchasing, can be in your iBooks bookshelf and could be read only need gently touched one point. LED backlighting and high-resolution screen ensures the colour of sharp, so you also can has the pleasure of reading experience under the in the dim light environment

Multimedia
With the iPod app, all your music is literally at your fingertips. Browse by album, song, artist, or genre with a simple flick. To play a song, just tap it. iPad even displays album art at full size. Listen to your music with the powerful built-in speaker or with wired or Bluetooth wireless headphones.
And as for video, the large, high-resolution screen makes iPad perfect for watching any kind of video: from HD movies and TV shows to podcasts and music videos. Switch between widescreen and full screen with a double-tap. Because iPad is essentially one big screen, with no distracting keypad or buttons, you feel completely immersed in whatever you’re watching.
But if you want to view the DVD, you also need assistant software. I search it on Google and find good DVD Ripper software – Nidesoft DVD Ripper which could help you convert DVD to all popular video or audio formats which iPad supports easily. The simple process as follows:
Firstly, you may download this software here: http://www.nidesoft.com/downloads/dvd-ripper.exe
After download and install this powerful software, only four steps are needed to complete the conversion.
Step 1: Insert the DVD disc into the DVD Drive.
Click the Open DVD button, browse your computer, and find the DVD folder of the movie. (It is not only load DVD disc, but also could open a disk backup’s directory.)
A DVD may have multiple titles and each title contains one or more chapters. After your DVD movie is loaded, its contents will be listed. Click “+” to show the chapters in a title. Then you can click any title or chapter to preview it in the preview window on the right.

Step 2: Click the "profile" button and select the format for your player.
Step 3: Click the "convert" button. Please wait before the conversion succeeds!
Ok, you have ripped your DVD movies to other format you want, now just enjoy it. Another, I also have a try Nidesoft Video Converter which could convert video or audio files between all popular formats. If you have some video files which your player don’t support. You may use it! I think these two software are good assistant for media player and for your mobile and iPad.

Web Browsing
The web browsing works really well. Just imagine an iPhone / iPod touch, but faster and with a big display. At this game, the iPad beats any other tablet that I've seen, by far. I tried some popular sites and they all work, but Flash is still not supported. As Google has shown with Google Voice, web apps are the way to get around Apple's approval.

Gaming
All the games that were demonstrated today were iPhone games in 480x240 that were stretched to 1024x768 using a good upscaling filter - it does look a little fuzzy but don't expect any miracles: the original content is very small. This is good news that changing resolution is very easy for developers, but it is harder to design new user interfaces that take advantage of the higher resolution. We know that Apple devices are a huge gaming platform, but "hardcore" gamers that need a pad or a keyboard+mouse will probably continue to criticize a touch interface for good reasons. The conclusion is that you can't be everything to everyone - it's that simple.

Conclusion
Through the above characteristics, I think iPad is a lovely device that gadget fans will lust after. From the new A4 processor to new iBookstore, apple iPad release just bring a slab of apple computer, also brought more applications, this will change the derivative mobile interconnection of many people life style.

Source: mobilegadgetnews.com

CES: Microsoft promises Natal for 2010

LAS VEGAS--It's what gamers had expected, but Microsoft is officially confirming that it plans to release its Project Natal Xbox add-on later this year.

Natal, which that lets people play games using their bodies as a controller, was shown at last year's E3 trade show. There were indications that it was planned for a holiday 2010 release, but Microsoft had not officially said so.

The software maker had hoped that the news would come on stage later Wednesday, as part of CEO Steve Ballmer's keynote speech, but word leaked out after Microsoft briefly posted a video with Robbie Bach to its Channel 9 developer site.

In the video, Bach also mentions another new Xbox feature: Game Room. Game Room is a feature of Xbox Live that lets users create their own arcade. In addition to playing classic games, such as those written for Atari or Intellivision, users can organize the machines and allow their avatars and those of friends to move throughout the virtual arcade.

Through Xbox Live users will be able to invite friends to their personal arcade to show off and try out their collection. Microsoft plans to launch new games each week, with the aim of giving users a choice of more than 1,000 games during the next three years.

We'll have live coverage of everything else Ballmer and Bach have to say, starting at 6:30 p.m. PST. For a preview of the highlights of what's expected, check out this story I did earlier this week.



ABDUL RAHAMAN SHAH...

Testing the waters before an official launch at the end of 2009, open-source software specialist Mozilla Corp. has rolled out the initial beta version of its incoming Firefox v3.6 platform update.
Users of the new beta release are unlikely to notice any really significant outward changes to their Web browsing software, not least because most of its tweaks and alterations are rooted in core elements such as improved CSS, HTML 5 and DOM technologies, along with support for Web Open Font Format (WOFF).
Other new features integrated through Firefox v3.6 include improved security protection for potentially vulnerable third-party plug-ins, support for Aero Peek (Windows 7), taskbar thumbnail previews, full-screen video embedding, enhanced JavaScript performance, and quicker start-up times.
Existing beta testers already providing feedback for Firefox will receive the v3.6 upgrade automatically, while those looking to embrace the platform ahead of its final release can do so by visiting the official Mozilla Web site.
The download is available in a total of 46 different languages and is compatible with Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS X and open-source Linux operating systems.
While originally expected to arrive around two weeks ago, the minor v3.6 upgrade was hit by a brief delay while Mozilla developers pulled a toothcomb through its browser in order to drag out any remaining glitches.

Inside the Motorola Droid, an iPhone likeness

Though the Motorola Droid and Apple iPhone have different chassis, their high-octane engines are similar.
The internal similarities begin with performance: both devices are fast. The iPhone 3GS is already distinguished for its speed. And the Droid is quickly garnering similar accolades.



Though the Motorola Droid and Apple iPhone have different chassis, their high-octane engines are similar.
The internal similarities begin with performance: both devices are fast. The iPhone 3GS is already distinguished for its speed. And the Droid is quickly garnering similar accolades.

The Motorola Droid has a radically different exterior compared with the iPhone but uses a speedy Cortex-A8 ARM chip like the Apple phone.
(Credit: CNET Reviews)
"The Droid makes a big leap in internal performance. Compared with its rather sluggish Android predecessors," CNET Reviews said, citing the speed at which the Droid opens applications and menus and scrolls through lists and switches display screens.
"We're really pumped to see all the industry excitement it's created," said Jeff Dougan, the OMAP 3 product marketing manager at Texas Instruments, which supplies the OMAP 3430 processor that powers the Droid. "This is the first handset that truly realizes the full potential of Android," he said, referring to Google's Android 2.0 operating system that runs on the Droid phone.
The TI processor, like the one in the iPhone, is based on an a new architecture called Cortex-A8 from U.K.-based chip design house ARM, whose wide variety of chips populate most of the world's cell phones. Dougan says most smartphones currently on the market use an older, lower-performance ARM architecture than the Cortex-A8--with the exception of the Palm Pre, which opted for the newer TI chip. The Cortex-A8 provides a "two to three times performance boost" over older architectures, according to Dougan.
Max Baron, an analyst at Microprocessor Report, says the chips in the Droid and the iPhone (see not below) are so alike that differences are more dependent on the operating systems the two chips use and how successfully each phone maker optimizes the OS. "With chips that have near-similar specs, the optimum OS and the look-and-feel of the user interface may make or break the product," Baron said.

The core of TI's OMAP3 processor.
(Credit: Texas Instruments)
"The caveat, however, is that even small differences in chips will surface and become important differentiators as soon as the market forces you to increase the screen size or add more pixels per screen, or execute more power-consuming applications," he added.
The raw MHz ratings on the chips are slightly different. The processor in the iPhone 3GS--which is believed to be based on the Samsung S5PC100 processor--runs at 600MHz, according to most accounts. The Motorola Droid's TI chip is rated at 550MHz though theoretically it can be run as fast as 600MHz, according to TI's Dougan.
Both phones also use PowerVR graphics from Imagination Technologies--a company that both Apple and Intel have invested in, testifying to how hot its ultramobile graphics technology is. The PowerVR SGX is renowned for its ability to process several million triangles-per-second--a key indicator of graphics chip performance--blowing away other phones and the previous version of the iPhone.
Other internal specifications are similar between the two phones, including memory capacity (either 16GB or 32GB) and communications chips that offer 3G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connections.
So, internally the Droid is every bit the iPhone's equal. And future versions of TI OMAP 3 chips that may appear in upcoming Droids will be backed by formidable ecosystems, according to Baron. "Investments in application software may lean more toward the TI components," said Baron, given TI's strong support of the entire chip ecosystem, including auxiliary chips and software development tools.
Note:: Apple's and Samsung's reluctance to release information about the processor used in the iPhone 3GS has made it difficult to determine if the chip is based on the Samsung S5PC100, according to the Microprocessor Report's Baron. Many iPhone 3GS reviews and teardowns, however, state explicitly that the iPhone's processor is essentially the Samsung S5PC100 processor