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Friday, August 31, 2012

Random Useless Fact: The First Ever Death in a Car Accident; and the First Ever Speeding Ticket


 Speed Kills, but how can you define speeding? After all it's still a completely relative term till this day, speeding in Germany on the Autobahn doesn't hold the same definition as speeding in a School Zone.

The first ever death by automobile was in the 1896, 12 years before the Model T went into production (the Model T was the first ever mass produced car). On the fateful date of August 17th 1896, Bridget Driscoll was crossing the street in London when she was hit by a car belonging to the Anglo-French Carriage Company driven by Arthur Edsall; who at the time was giving demonstration rides in the vehicle.

According to reports the vehicle was driving at a "reckless pace, fit for a fire engine"; when the driver lost control and headed towards Bridget at a mind blistering 4Mph (6.5Kmph).  Unfortunately the vehicle was moving to fast for her to get out of the way and she was run over.

The first speeding ticket was issued 8 years later in 1904, when Harry Myers was cited by an Ohio police officer in Dayton for driving at a reckless pace of 12Mph on West Third St.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Samsung's ATIV S Already Proves Poor Design



What you're looking at is Samsungs newly released ATIV S, the first WP8 device to be released.  Take a closer look, specifically at the backplate of "Brushed Aluminum" what do you see? Loads of scratches! (Focus beneath the Windows Phone Logo). The image above comes directly from the official Windows Phone blog who posted some first thoughts on the device, raving about it's beautiful design.

Well obviously the folks at Sammy didn't think through the design too much as you can clearly see that the painted aluminum is a hack job, I've had my N8 for over two years now and with extremely rough usage it still isn't showing a second color beneath, and I can't imagine the guys at the Windows Phone blog had much of a chance to bounce this off the sidewalk yet.

I'll let you imagine what the back of this phone will look like after a month of usage...

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Video: Nokia Belle Refresh in Action

As promised, here is the video of Nokia Belle Refresh in action on the N8, as you can see there isn't much change on the UI front. In fact to the unaware onlooker it would appear to be the same as the original Nokia Belle; I can't but help be reminded of PR1.3 for the N9, except that 1.3 carried many more bug fixes and under the hood changes.

If you still haven't downloaded the update either get it through Nokia PC suite on your computer, or check for software updates OTA on your Symbian phone.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Belle Refresh (111.140.1511) Complete Changelog & Screenshots


Now that my N8 is up and running Belle refresh here's the full changelog as well as some screenshots (video to follow as soon as upload is complete). I must say even though the change-log does look quite impressive I'm not seeing much of a difference performance wise, the 808 still loads webpages faster even though the N8s browser is a newer version, and unfortunately both the gallery UI and camera UI haven't changed to match that of the 808.

Of the N8 specific changes look for the widget called "photo wall" which is also available on the 808 as well as some apps such as DLNA player & Big Screen.

 Nokia Belle 111.040.1511

-Browser updated to 8.3
Full HTML5 support
Offline services

-Nokia Maps Suite 3.09
Use voice search for Maps & Drive
See photos on Map
Multipoint routing
Explore nearby places from Homescreen
Public transportation integrated with line information & departure times

-Nokia Social updated to 1.5:
Automatic linking to Facebook and Twitter
New Homescreen widgets
Improved preformance
Renewed app layout

-N8 Specific imaging apps:
Bi Screen
Colorize IT
PlayTo
Gallery Widget (photo wall)

-QT4.8

-Ovi services renamed to Nokia services


-Improved Music Player:
Refreshed "Now Playing" view
Lists are tabbed for easy access, and are swiped between
new Artist view
Play & Pause from pull down status bar (Status only, not toggles)


-New Widgets:
Clock, analogue big
Clock, Mechanic
Clock, Text
Calendar, Agenda view
RSS Widget
Bookmark
Contact individual (social upgrades)
Contact, group (group support upgrade)
Music player, Medium
Weather now
Weather forecast
My location
Social widget
Facebook, Summary
Facebook
 Twitter
Mobile Data Counter
Search
Email, New arrival
Gallery
Notes
Email, Detailed
Toggles (2G/3g, Offline, silent, BT,  Cellular)


Nokia Belle Refresh (111.140.1511) Now Available for N8, C7, E7, X7, C6-01 & Oro



Great news to all first gen Symbian 3 handset owners, the latest update called "Belle refresh" has just been pushed out to all devices (starting with carrier unlocked devices). The Nokia E6 should be updated to 111.140.0058 sometime later this week, with the Nokia 500 following suite at a later date.

great news! We just started to roll out our next update for Symbian called Nokia Belle Refresh for Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Nokia C7, Nokia C6-01, Nokia X7 and Nokia Oro with version number 111.040.1511 (Nokia E6, version number 111.140.0058, will follow still this week, Nokia 500 updates will start to be launched within the next few weeks).

This update again brings new features to Symbian smartphones, for example:
-          a new browser with HTML5 web apps support, a new set of homescreen widgets, and the previously released Microsoft Office Mobile App and Nokia Maps Suite 2.0 in one package.
-          Nokia N8 will have some extra apps for imaging

The update will be rolled out in phases, starting with the vanilla versions (ie. basic software variants without any specific operator or country configuration). Country and operator variants will follow within the next weeks, depending on local and operator approvals.

pS: Just like after updating from Nokia Anna to Nokia Belle, some apps may not work due to compatibility issues. If you need more information on available apps, please contact your local Nokia Care support. Furthermore, you can also contact the respective App developer to enquire about the compatibility.

Best regards,
Yvonne from Nokia Care
I got the update on my N8 and am updating now, stay tuned for more details.


Saturday, August 25, 2012

Facebook Messenger For iOS Updated to v1.9; Still no iPad Support


Following the recent update and complete rewrite of  the Facebook for ios app Facebook has just released a second update, this time for the messenger app. The update brings added smiley support to your chats, quick access to Facebook timelines, new sounds as well as a "who's active" feature. Unfortunately the app is yet to be updated to support the iPad resolution, meaning you'll still be using the good ol X2 button.

cheers

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Facebook for iOS (iPhone & iPad) Gets Huge Update to v5.0


If you have an iPad or an iPhone then you most definitely have Facebook installed on it, and if so then you might have noticed a new update in tow for the Facebook application (both the iPad and the iPhone version). the latest version is supposedly rebuilt from the ground up bringing loads of new improvements and changes including:

  • Scrolling through news feed is faster and easier
  • New banner lets you tap to quickly see more stories (without the need to refresh)
  • Photos can open faster and can be closed with a downwards swipe
  • Instant access to notifications

Over all the new app is supposed to be alot smoother and user friendly, so what are you waiting for? go get it!

Acessory Review: Belkin Verve Foilio Case for iPad

Case Front doubles as a Stand to prop the ipad in Portrait mode
Today we're taking a look at one of the more stylish accessories available out there; the Belkin Verve Folio case for the iPad 3/2. The awesome people at Mobilefun.co.uk hooked us up with this review unit, so be sure to check out their huge selection of iPad cases (and other devices).

The case it self although designed for the iPad 3/New iPad will comfortably fit the iPad two as they have nearly identical dimensions and all the ports are in the same position.


The Foilio case has a very nice premium feel to it (it's not leather, but who cares?), the inside of the case is made of a soft lining (possibly suede?) that provides a comfy layer of protection for the iPads glass (and can double out as a pillow in case of emergencies).

Since the outside of the case is made of black cloth it does tend to gather some dust (visible in the picture above) but that goes away with a gentle rubbing with your hand so nothing to worry about there.


The iPad is held in place by 4 leather straps on all 4 sides of the case giving it a secure and comfortable fit, and without having to worry about scratching the iPad with plastic clamps.


The case itself can be clamped shut by snapping the rubber grip around the case, or can be flipped around the back to hold the cover out of the way while using the iPad. When not in use the grip is hidden on the inside of the case keeping everything nice and tidy. All the while keeping all ports and buttons and the camera easily accessible, so no need to take off the case to charge your device or listen to music.

All in all the Belkin Verve Folio case is a wonderful case for someone looking for a stylish case that offers premium protection, the only downside I can think of is that the case is not Smart cover enabled, meaning your iPad won't turn itself off when opening and closing the case, but besides that the case is pretty awesome and personally I think it's well worth the £24.99 price tag.

If you're interested in getting one be sure to check it out at Mobilefun.

Thanks for reading, feel free to leave your comments down below; also let us know is the lack of Smart cover option a dealbreaker for you?



Easily accessible ports

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Eid Mubarak World!



Eid Mubarak people of earth, all races and all religion. One of the most impressive things I've seen is the lighting of the Empire State Building in Green to honor the commencement of the month of Ramadan, and to celebrate Eid,

Thursday night marked the first time the all-green lighting was used to mark the kickoff of Eid-al-Fitr, a three-day celebration for Muslims around the world.


That's really it, nothing more to add;  enjoy your  Holidays brothers and sisters.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

$199 Surface RT! Hell Yes! But is There a Catch?




Microsoft Surface tablet release date confirmed for October 26th surface 05 650x365

Most of us who care about technology have already seen (and fallen in love with) the Surface tablet by Microsoft, the design is breathtaking, the simplicity astounding, and the ultra thin keyboard is genius. For a while now speculations about the price have gone up as high as $700 for the base 8GB RT model, however today some very interesting rumors have popped up stating that the Surface RT (running the lite version of Windows 8) could cost as low as $199!!!

Obviously this is awesome news for anyone hoping to snag one of these beauties; personally even though I thoroughly enjoy using my iPad I would pick one of these up in a heartbeat if this price turns out to be true. My mind has already started calculating what color would be the smartest choice, I'm thinking a black keyboard, or maybe white, but definitely not Cyan or the other colors simply because they're dirt magnets. Alas once again I've gotten ahead of myself, so back on topic.

What could this low low pricing mean for the tablet world as a whole, and for Win8 OEMs specifically? First off forget the Kindle Fire, forget the Google Nexus 7 this will be the "game changer" and it really will be one. Unlike the other two tablets I mentioned which were built on a budget in mind (the Fire more than the Nexus 7) the Surface RT obviously had no expense spared. The pop-out stand is a stroke of genius showing exactly how much thought went into this beauty. The other major difference to be pointed out is the fact that the Surface carries a whopping 10.6" screen a monster compared to the two 7 inchers, which would also make the Surface one of the cheapest 10" tablets ever made (Chinese knockoffs aside).

So we've established that the Surface at this price would demolish any other similarly priced tablet and give the iPad a VERY good run for its money, but what about those other poor OEMs who had oh so great plans for Windows 8? First of all make no mistake about it, this is a nasty move by Microsoft; after all who can hope to compete with those folks from Seattle on their own OS (hint: Microsoft is based in Seattle). I'm sure most of the major OEMs out there who have licensing deals with Microsoft are taking a good long look at their strategies, cause you see as big as an advantage as owning the OS your manufacturing for is that's nothing compared to the advantage you gain when you don't need to make money off selling your product.

Yes, Microsoft could be selling these Surface tablets for a $200 loss a pop (highly unlikely) and they'd still come out smiling, simply because they don't need the money right now. All Microsoft really want to do is establish a foothold in the tablet market, make those iPad fanboys think twice before lining up a week before the next launch. The Surface is a great way to get Windows 8 (RT and full Windows 8) out in the wild, making it an afterthought of the purchase (which was driven by the insanely low price) rather than a major contender in the decision. Then of course Microsoft would still have their trump card that no other OEM developing for them has, 30% Marketplace share. Yes, for every dollar you spend in the Marketplace big ol' Redmond gets 30 Cents, not much but what about those expensive apps? Photoshop can run up to $700 for the full version, pretend the Surface RT version would only cost $50, Microsoft would make $15 per license sold and those can add up very quickly. It's basically the same game Sony plays with their PlayStation devices, selling the console for a loss, but knowing that the consumer has no choice but to return to them to actually make any use of the product.

Basically if Microsoft chooses to go down the aggressive pricing path they could sell the Surface by the boatload, but is it worth risking their carefully crafted alliances with their OEMs? Well that's up to Steve Ballmer.

The title of the article asks "if there's a catch?", Sure there is, but not for you; for every other OEM out there definitely, for Microsoft absolutely; But as far as you the consumer is concerned (I assume Ballmer isn't reading this article) by all means go crazy, because this is the future for a couple hundred dollars cheaper.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Random Useless Fact: A Single Day on Venus is Longer than a Full Year on Venus

http://www.universetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/venusmagellan.jpg

"Random UselessFact" is exactly what it sounds like, just a random fact that although useless is hopefully pretty cool.

Quick trip to your 3rd grade Science class, how do you define "a year"? If you said 365 days then sadly you're mistaken, after all what's a day? According to Science:

One Year: Is a single rotation of a planet around the Sun.
One Day: Is a single rotation of a planet on it's own axis

Venus being one spot closer to the Sun then Earth means a rotation around the sun is a tad bit shorter, 225 Earth days to be exact, while a day on Venus is a whopping 243 Earth days. Which is why a day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus.

Pretty cool huh? Share your thoughts down below.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Why Bing Desktop is Awesome


I know, I know.... A lot of you read that and laughed, how can Bing possibly be any good? The same people trying to get the phrase "bing it" to become a thing, yeah ok their search services pretty much suck. Well I'll tell you why; simply because their "photo of the day" is AMAZING. Think I'm talking nonsesne? Anybody who's used a WP will tell you that one of the coolest features on it is the background of the search button, that changes daily to match that of bing.com


The photos are beautiful shots from around the world, whether your a photography fanatic or not you're sure to appreciate the beautiful views and breathtaking sights. If you go to bing.com or open the Search on your WP a little "info" icon in the bottom corner will provide you with information about the photo.


Still not convinced? well it's free.... ;)

Get it here: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29281